Trama

Dalziel and Pascoe investigate a suspicious death when 16 year-old Alec Jordan is found dead, floating in a lake. The post-mortem reveals a low level of alcohol in his system, but a high level of a tranquilizer known as ruffies, the date rape drug. For Dalziel, the case is particularly difficult. Ten years previously while in pursuit of suspect, Dalziel struck and killed Alec's mother with his car. Although Dalziel was found not to be responsible, the incident has always haunted him. The police focus on Alec's school mates, particularly Sophie Caine who is uncooperative and seems to have something to hide. The police believe that Alec was gay and pursue that line of investigation but the reason for his death is directly related to the night his mother died.—garykmcd

After winning a prestigious London scholarship as a cellist and performing for the local TV at his comprehensive school, shy pupil (aged 16) Alec Jordan's corpse is found floating in the local lake, after a night of non-lethal drinking with classmate Sophie Caine, but ODed on rape drug ruffies. His father Brian Jordan reluctantly collaborates with Dalziel, who was never disciplined for the fatal hit on Alec's mother, ten years ago, during the pursuit of a bank robber who still escaped, and claims Alec was clean, model-behaved. A room search shows Alec was closet gay, which Brian 'only guessed', and possibly was known to his gay music teacher Nigel Clifford, who left his previous job after a gay abuse complaint ended without sanction. Only Pascoe questioning headmaster Ken Crowley's pre-teen daughter Nicola clarifies his actual part in Alec's drama, while Sophie jumps to her death having lost her scholarship after drugs are found in her locker and Andy locks horns with Brian, also over the past.—KGF Vissers

Walls of Silence Part 1





A man watches TV showing a concert featuring a young cellist.





The cellist, carrying his case, walks through town. Outside school, a group of boys, his age, flock around him, teasing and nudging him as he walks into the school building. The headmaster scolds three of the boys in the hallway. The headmaster is in the concert audience, listening intently, as are a younger man and a girl, sitting next to the headmaster. The younger man, a music teacher, gives instruction to the cellist in the schools music room. The cellist finishes to a standing ovation. A scruffy face man looks on and applauds. A tall young man and a teenage girl are also applauding.





Dalziel is in his office with his crew, giving the wrap-up on a case, scratching his crotch demonstratively. As the crew leaves, Dalziel smirks that Pascoe is looking dapper. Pascoe tells him hes taking Leslie for a drink.





From his second floor office window, the headmaster yells at the same three boys, who are again tormenting the cellist. The boys stop and the cellist runs off.





The headmaster tells his staff, gathered in the faculty room, that the LEA has advised him that there is no risk of closure, at least this year. Now they have to pass the OFSTED inspection next week for accreditation. The music teacher, Nigel, catches the headmasters attention and starts to tell the staff about the upcoming concert, but the teachers disperse, uninterested. Undeterred, he continues, telling the near empty room to watch the TV news because a crew is coming to interview the cellist, Alec Jordan.





The headmaster catches Nigel and asks him how Alec is. Nigel says Alec has been in a state and is threatening to pull out of the concert. The headmaster sighs and says he will talk to Alec.





Alec is playing in front of a TV film crew. Nigel looks on adoringly. The headmaster walks in quietly. Alec finishes and the headmaster asks him to meet him in his office.





A female student, the girl at the concert, sits in the headmasters waiting room doing her homework. She can see silhouettes of him and Alec through the offices frosted glass. She can also hear muffled shouting between the two. The headmaster tells Alec to calm down and that he is not helping himself. Alec tells the headmaster that the headmaster doesnt understand.





Dalziel, in bed, gets a call in the middle of the night. Two policemen in a skiff search a lake with a searchlight. One carries a cello case onto the shore. Dalziel and Pascoe show up and Dalziel asks to see inside the body bag; its the cellist. Wield carries over the cello case. Dalziel asks Novello if there were any signs of violence. She reports a bruise on his cheek. She shows Dalziel the boys bus pass. Dalziel recognizes the name. He tells the crew that its too late in the night to do anything else, and as he turns to leave, asking them to call if they find anything earth-shattering. Pascoe asks if Dalziel is alright.





At home, in bed, Dalziel has a nightmare: He is involved in a high speed chase, along dark city streets, and runs into a woman who is crossing the street. A boy looks on.





Pascoe finds Dalziel in the kitchen. Dalziel says he couldnt sleep. Pascoe says he went with Novello to see the boys next of kin, his dad. When Pascoe told the man that Dalziel is heading the investigation, the man recognized his name. Dalziel tells Pascoe that ten years ago, he ran over the mans wife during a pursuit and killed her. He was busting a security van job and while they got the robbers, the getaway driver got away, so he chased him. The man and their son saw the whole thing. An investigation exonerated Dalziel because it was dark, a legitimate pursuit, and the woman had walked into the street. The police insurance gave the man forty grand.





The headmaster is trying to comfort the girl, his daughter, as she is sobbing in his office. He leaves her when Wield comes by.





At the coroner, the pathologist tells Dalziel and Pascoe about the bruise on the right cheek, that the primary cause of death was drowning, and he had some bruises on his chest as if someone tried CPR. The boy had some alcohol in his blood, and flunitrazepam, roofies. The time of death is between 9 and 10 PM. Pascoe suggests they check with the father if there has been a history of drugs.





Novello is standing watch outside Jordans apartment. Dalziel and Pascoe come by and Pascoe asks Dalziel if he and Novello shouldnt handle the interview. Dalziel says no, that he has a history with the man. Jordan, the scruffy face man at the concert, comes to the door and Dalziel offers his condolences. Dalziel asks if he can help them with some questions and the man, silent, steps back to let them in.





Dalziel questions Jordan about the bruise and the tranquilizer, but Jordan stays silent. When Pascoe asks, Jordan says his son was only interested in the cello, and was always home, doing schoolwork or practicing. At 10 PM, when Alec still hadnt returned, Jordan went to the school to look for him. With Pascoe asking more questions, Dalziel scans the room and sees a framed photo of the wife; he has a flashback to the accident. Novello asks if Jordan tried to contact Alecs friends, but he says the boy only had one friend, Sophie Caine, and she wasnt at home. He doubts she was with Alec, probably at a club or with a bloke. Dalziel asks if Alec would have told Jordan if he was unhappy. Jordan glares at Dalziel and says Alec has been unhappy since he lost his mother. Pascoe stands and asks if they can look in Alecs room. Jordan nods.





Dalziel finds two boxes under the bed : one has clippings of the accident, the other has clippings from gay magazines. Jordan comes in, Pascoe shows him the box, and Jordan has a shocked look on his face.





Dalziel and Pascoe meet Wield as they walk through the school courtyard. They notice there are no teachers about. Some boys playing with a soccer ball bump into Dalziel. One calls him fatso. Dalziel says that his ballast is from years of playing rugby, that soccer is a girls game, and kicks the ball away. Wield says Alec was in a TV interview until 7 PM about his scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, then he went to talk to Headmaster Crowley until 7:45 PM. Alec was upset, having a rough time at school, and under pressure with all his commitments. Crowley says he left school at 8 PM and appeared to be alright. Dalziel points out that he left alright and then went to get high. Dalziel says Alec may have been gay and notes that the lake used to be a popular evening spot. Wield doesnt know anything about that. As they head upstairs, they see Nigel walking past the crowd of students. Nigel notices them, looks away and scurries off.





As he stirs his tea, Dalziel tells Crowley that hed rather deal with criminals than with the students. Crowley agrees with Dalziel that Alec was a shining light at the school. Crowley says the boy was high strung and that his home life wasnt easy, but his future was very promising. Crowley says no one else was in the office during the meeting except his daughter who was outside doing her homework. Dalziel asks about alcohol or drugs but Crowley says Alec was fine and that he couldnt see Alec doing anything worse than a little alcohol. Dalziel guesses that Alec would have gotten the drugs at school, and Crowley promises to help. Pascoe walks around the office and sees out the window at the daughter in the waiting area, still distraught. As they leave, Dalziel asks if Crowley knows anything about Alec being gay. Crowley, appearing shocked, says no. Dalziel conjectures that something like that would not have gone unnoticed in a school, especially since kids can be cruel.





As they head down the corridor, Pascoe asks if Dalziel is the best one to do this. Dalziel says his own headmaster in school was a tyrant and that Dalziel can handle anything. They reach the Sixth Form Common Room and the school counselor, Sandra Pallister, pops out to warn them that they are all upset. The room is stuffed with faculty and students, including the tall young man and teenage girl from the concert, all chattering, none looking too upset.





Dalziel introduces himself and says Alec was found with flunitrazepam in his system. Dalziel threatens them that if he doesnt hear from anyone about the drugs or about Alecs death by 5 PM, that he is going to go through the entire school. The teenage girl slowly slips out of the room, with the tall young man following. Dalziel posts his business card as the students file out. Pallister calls him on the threats, and Dalziel says hes a police officer, not a social worker. He asks about the girl and the tall young man; she tells him its Sophie Caine and Julian Beeson. Dalziel guesses hes a teacher; Pallister says English; Dalziel says figures.





Sophie and Beeson are in his office. Dalziel and Pascoe come in and ask Beeson to leave. Dalziel turns off the blaring rap music, sarcastically telling Sophie he prefers rumba music. Her dour expression does not change. Dalziel says she was out last night; she says not with Alec. She confirms she was with Beeson who was giving her extra lessons because she had been out, ill. She says Alec used to use this office to get away, and that Alec never used drugs. Pascoe says they think he was gay. Sophie says he was going to come out in college and that it wasnt a big deal. Dalziel asks about the box of papers under his bed. Sophie says Alec was always on about the accident where his mother died; a policeman ran her over. Pallister comes in and asks if Sophie is alright; that she doesnt have to answer questions if she doesnt want to. Sophie tells Sandra to get lost. Dalziel asks if Sophie always talks to her teachers like that. Sophie says she has a lesson and leaves.





As Beeson starts his class, he gets a text saying I TLD THM IT WAS XTRA LESSONS. CALL ME. He texts back SAY NOTHING.





Wield questions Nigel. Wield wonders that if he spent so much time with Alec, why Nigel didnt recognize that Alec was uncertain about his sexuality. Nigel says he teaches music, and they have a school counselor, Pallister, for that. Wield says he was only asking if Nigel noticed it, not if they discussed it.





A custodian opens Alecs locker for Dalziel and Pascoe. There is a notebook with more clippings of the accident, and traumatic drawings. Dalziel says Alec should have talked to him about the accident as he remembers it like it was yesterday. Dalziel hands it to Pascoe and asks him to bag it up for the coroner.





Sophie, alone in Beesons office, plays back a voice mail from that night of Alec trying to find out where she is, that he needs to talk to her, and leaves the number of the phone booth he is calling from.





In the squadroom, Wield tells Dalziel he thinks Nigel Clifford knows more about Alecs sexuality than he is letting on. In fact he thinks Nigel is gay as hes seen him at the local gay bar. Wield says Nigel says he was at home last night, alone. Novello shows them a security tape from an off-license near the lake, showing Alec making a purchase at around 8:30 PM. The clerk sells Alec some cider even though Alec appears unsteady on his feet. There is no bruising on Alecs face. Pascoe guesses that Alec got the drugs much earlier than the video. He doesnt think the connection was at school because none of the drug offenders in the local area dealt in roofies. As for witnesses by the lake, Novello reports there was one man who saw someone sitting by himself but cant be sure if it was Alec. Dalziel takes the notebook and says he is going to talk to Jordan about the drawings. Pascoe asks if he should go instead, as Jordan may be more forthcoming. Dalziel hands Pascoe the notebook and walks out.





Jordan did not know that Alec was especially more preoccupied with the accident as of recent or that Alec had arranged to meet again with the psychologist he saw when he was eleven. Pascoe asks if anything else traumatic has happened to Alec such that he may want to kill himself. Jordan says that when someone sees his wife or mother killed, it never goes away, and that if Alec were like him, he was haunted by it.





Outside at the car, Pascoe tells Dalziel that theres nothing new besides the obvious. In fact he thinks Alec rarely talked about the accident with his dad. Pascoe thinks Dalziel should acknowledge the obvious, that Alec was troubled and killed himself, the bruise coming from falling in. Das says even if he did jump into the lake, Alec was not in his right mind, having been affected by the drugs and that whoever gave him the drugs might as well have pushed Alec in. Dalziel says he wont give the notebook to the coroner until those responsible are behind bars. He continues that someone has to teach the kids right and wrong, and if the flaming, flaky teachers wont, he will.





Sophie reads poetry aloud to the class as Beeson walks around the room. He looks out the window and sees police cars driving up to the school. Beeson looks worried.





Crowley confronts Dalziel as he leads police toward the school building. He has a warrant to search bags and lockers for controlled substances focusing on people on a list he is holding. Pallister recognizes it as the list of names she gave him as Alecs friends, and is upset.





Beeson asks the class a question about the poem and even though a few raise their hands, he calls on Sophie. A classmate nods knowingly to another student as Sophie answers the question. Dalziel barges in and takes Sophie out of class. A policeman finds marijuana wrapped in plastic in Sophies locker. Dalziel asks the policeman to read her her rights. Beeson tries to intervene. He asks Dalziel if he knows what an arrest will do to Sophie. Dalziel continues looking in her locker and finds a home pregnancy kit. As Beeson drones on, Sophie tells him to shut up, and the policeman takes her away. Beeson asks Dalziel if this is a witch hunt and he replies that its a murder investigation. Dalziel asks where Beeson was the night before and answers for him, that Sophie says she was with him. Dalziel asks if it was for extra lessons like she said, or extra-curricular activities, and pokes Beeson with the pregnancy kit box. Dalziel continues that if hes going to sleep with his students that he should use a condom. Beeson does not reply.





Crowley looks from his office window as Sophie is put into a police car. Beeson barges in and demands Crowley do something as Sophie is being made a scapegoat. Crowley reminds him Sophie had drugs in her locker and that he will have to expel her. Beeson says a lot of kids bring drugs to school including the eleven year-old who was on crack. Crowley says hed be more willing to accept his criticism if Beeson wasnt acting on self-interest; and if he found out Beeson was having an affair with Sophie, that hed be fired and never work again. Beeson does not reply.





At interrogation, Sophie says she doesnt remember where she got the marijuana from and that she is not a snitch. Dalziel asks if her dealer ever tried to sell her something more exotic : e, crack, roofies. Dalziel says he just wants a list of dealers Alec could have gone to. Sophie says its just marijuana, but Pascoe says what Alec took killed him, and it would make it easier for them and Alecs dad if she talked to them. Sophie says Jordan thinks she is a junkie because she gave Alec marijuana once, and took him to a club where he tried some e. Alec just wasnt interested. Dalziel says sooner or later they will find the trail, and that it would be so much worse for her if they find out she is connected. Sophie, frustrated, swears it wasnt her and Pascoe suspends the interview. Dalziel suggests that Sophie thinks hard about it, because living with someones death on your conscience is not a pleasant feeling. Her lawyer reminds Dalziel that she has only been charged with possession. Dalziel says, for now.





Outside, Pascoe tells Dalziel he thinks he was being too hard on Sophie. Pascoe thinks Sophie doesnt know and that she was Alecs friend. Pascoe says they should let her go and let her conscience work on her overnight. Dalziel thinks she will talk eventually, but Pascoe doesnt think she will talk to Dalziel. Dalziel rounds on Pascoe saying Pascoe is accusing him of being unable to deal with suspects under 30 years of age. Pascoe says he will handle it and Dalziel says he can do what he wants.





Dalziel walks into his office followed by ACC Kennedy. She tells him they have received eight complaints about his search of the school including the chairman of the LEA. She says he disrupted an entire school in the middle of the day to recover a tiny amount of cannabis. He says he is conducting a murder investigation. She asks if he knew the school is about to undergo an inspection that could close them down. Dalziel counters that if her kid went to the school, she would be glad for his efforts; but probably not since her daughter goes to a private school. She wonders if the case is getting too personal for him, and he realizes she was just waiting to spring that on him.





Dalziel finds Sophie lying on a tree trunk by the lake smoking. Sophie tries to run off but Dalziel apologizes for sneaking up on her. He tells her it was he who ran over Alecs mother. He says hed never forget the sight of the seven year-old kneeling next to his dead mother. Dalziel says Sophie had said that Alec became obsessed with the accident again; Dalziel tells Sophie that if the accident led to Alec drowning himself, that he has to know. Sophie says she does not know why he did it. Dalziel asks if she is having problems with her parents, and she says her mother doesnt care and that her dad just wants to score off of her. Dalziel says even with that she is doing well and going off to university. She says, WAS going to university, and runs off.





Dalziel goes to see Jordan and asks if he can look in Alecs room again to make sure he didnt miss anything. Jordan asks if Dalziel found out who gave Alec the drugs. When Dalziel says no, Jordan says, theres a surprise. Dalziel says if he were in Jordans shoes, hed tell him to go burn in hell; but what happened to Alec matters to him. Jordan asks if Dalziel cant sleep at night.





Dalziel sees a tape in Alecs boombox and hits play; its classical music. He sees a copy of WSB Forresters Lives of the Composers on the shelf and reads the inscription to Alec : To a young man who has given me infinite joy. May all your tomorrows shine like stars in the heavens. N.C. Christmas 2000. Jordan comes in and Dalziel asks who NC is. Jordan says Nigel Clifford. Dalziel promises to find out who gave Alec those drugs. Jordan looks over Dalziels shoulder. Dalziel turns to look. It is a framed photo of Alec as a young boy with his father and mother.





Dalziel, in bed, having the nightmare again. This time, after hitting the mother, he gets out of the car. Jordan is cradling his wife, screaming Shes dead. You killed her, you bastard. Alec runs up and kneels next to them.





PREVIOUSLY





Alec plays at a concert. The boys outside school tease and taunt Alec. Crowley scolds three of the boys. The police find Alec and his cello case by the lake. Dalziel tells Crowley about the alcohol and roofies in Alecs blood. Pascoe sees Crowleys daughter sitting outside, still distraught. Crowley can only see Alec drinking a little alcohol; his home circumstances werent the easiest. They find clippings from a gay magazine in Alecs room. Jordan is surprised by this discovery. Dalziel asks Crowley if he knew about Alec being gay. When Crowley replies, no, Dalziel points out that these things dont tend to go unnoticed in a cruel school environment. Beeson texts SAY NOTHIN to Sophie. Sophie replays a voice mail she received from Alec asking her to call him. Dalziel tells Pascoe that ten years ago he was in a pursuit and hit and killed the mother. The dad and boy witnessed the incident. Dalziel tells Pascoe that whoever gave Alec the drugs might as well have pushed him into the lake. Hes not going to turn over the investigation until whoever it was is behind bars.





Walls of Silence Part 2





Dalziel finds Sophie lying on a tree trunk by the lake smoking. Sophie tries to run off but Dalziel apologizes for sneaking up on her. He tells her it was he who ran over Alecs mother. He says hed never forget the sight of the seven year-old kneeling next to his dead mother. Dalziel says Sophie had said that Alec became obsessed with the accident again; Dalziel tells Sophie that if the accident led to Alec drowning himself, that he has to know. Sophie says she does not know why he did it. Dalziel asks if she is having problems with her parents, and she says her mother doesnt care and that her dad just wants to score off of her. Dalziel says even with that she is doing well and going off to university. She says, WAS going to university, and runs off.





Dalziel goes to see Jordan and asks if he can look in Alecs room again to make sure he didnt miss anything. Jordan asks if Dalziel found out who gave Alec the drugs. When Dalziel says no, Jordan says, theres a surprise. Dalziel says if he were in Jordans shoes, hed tell him to go burn in hell; but what happened to Alec matters to him. Jordan asks if Dalziel cant sleep at night.





Dalziel sees a tape in Alecs boombox and hits play; its classical music. He sees a copy of WSB Forresters Lives of the Composers on the shelf and reads the inscription to Alec : To a young man who has given me infinite joy. May all your tomorrows shine like stars in the heavens. N.C. Christmas 2000. Jordan comes in and Dalziel asks who NC is. Jordan says Nigel Clifford. Dalziel promises to find out who gave Alec those drugs. Jordan looks over Dalziels shoulder. Dalziel turns to look. It is a framed photo of Alec as a young boy with his father and mother.





Dalziel, in bed, having the nightmare again. This time, after hitting the mother, he gets out of the car. Jordan is cradling his wife, screaming Shes dead. You killed her, you bastard. Alec runs up and kneels next to them.





Sophie is locked in her bathroom, staring glumly at a pregnancy test stick. Her mom bangs on the door. Sophie texts : DONT WANT YOU YOUR BABY ANYTHING.





As they drive, Pascoe reads the inscription. Dalziel asks and Pascoe replies it could be innocent. Dalziel asks if Wield was right and that Nigel is gay, would that make it any less innocent? Pascoe says Wield doesnt think Nigel was in to drugs. Dalziel warns Pascoe never to underestimate the extent of human depravity.





In the music room, Dalziel and Pascoe ask Nigel if he wrote the inscription and he says yes. Nigel says its just a bit of poetic turn of phrase and that he did not harbor romantic feelings for Alec. Nigel says he just wanted to be Alecs mentor; that Alec had a rough home life. Dalziel reminds Nigel that he told Wield that he went home at 7 PM. Nigel admits that at the time of the murder, he was having dinner with friends. He didnt tell them before because they would jump to conclusions, and one or two of his friends are married. Dalziel wonders aloud if Nigel ever made the effort to introduce Alec to his friends or take him to this dinner. Nigel says he never violated his position of trust. Nigel says that just because he is a gay teacher that he is a predator. Dalziel asks if Nigel has ever been called to question in this regard. Nigel says if they have further questions, it will have to be with his solicitor. Dalziel asks for a list of his dinner friends. Nigel refuses and walks off. Pascoe says Nigel is right, that being gay doesnt make him a suspect.





Sophie walks down the hall, ignoring Beeson as she passes by. In his office, Crowley tells Sophie that he has to expel her since she was found with dope. She asks, and he guesses they can home school her until she finishes her term. She asks what is going to happen to Beeson since he gave her the dope and got her pregnant. He says the police will handle the drug matter, and that her complaint against Beeson will best be put in writing. She confirms that Crowley is not going to fire Beeson, and Crowley replies that there are procedures for investigating alleged misconduct. She knows she is getting the brush-off, tells Crowley hes not going to talk to her anymore, and storms off. Beeson sees her as she walks past his classroom.





Sophie is atop a tall building overlooking the town. She sets her bag on top of the parapet; her cell phone inside keeps ringing. She jumps. Passersby check on her body, then a police cordon is set-up. Dalziel and Pascoe find the bag on the rooftop. Dalziel tells forensics to check the phone records ASAP.





Pascoe says some kids saw Sophie on the rooftop; she used to live there with her family. Dalziel tells Pascoe that Sophie was on the verge of getting away from her troublesome family, going to university, and then the police came in with their questions. Pascoe tells Dalziel that it was not their fault.





The staff outside the office can hear as Beeson pleads his case to Crowley. Beeson says Sophie was depressed and that he was trying to help her that the school isnt the easiest environment for a girl like her. Crowley reminds Beeson that he got her pregnant, and wonders what he will tell her parents. Beeson says he cared about Sophie and doesnt care what the parents hear. Crowley scoffs. Beeson tenders his resignation, saying he doesnt care about Crowley or the school and that he hopes they close them down.





At headquarters, Pascoe reads Sophies last text which was sent to Beeson. Novello plays back the two voice mails that Alec sent her. The first was made at a phone booth outside the off-license at 8:45 PM. Then after an hour, Alec made another call to his home a five minute call at 9:53 PM. Dalziel wonders why Jordan didnt tell them about the call. The second voice mail to Sophie came immediately after. Alec tells her he just spoke to his dad, cant go home, and needs a place to stay. Pascoe thinks Alec had a row with his dad; the dad doesnt seem like hed take to having a gay son. Dalziel asks what he found out about Nigel. Pascoe says that a boy at his previous school had alleged that Nigel propositioned him. The case never went through, but the D.I. had a bad feeling. Dalziel sends Pascoe and Wield to talk to Nigel. Dalziel and Novello will go see Jordan.





Jordan says when he called, Alec was drunk, going on about being gay. When he asked Alec to come home, Alec refused and hung up. Jordan says he had a feeling that Alec was gay but that did not matter to him. He had been worried about Alec for a while. Dalziel asks if they were close enough such that Jordan could talk to Alec about being gay. Jordan looks at Dalziel and says, they were close enough, who else did Jordan have to talk to.





In interrogation, Pascoe notes that the boy who made the accusation at the previous school was the same age as Alec. Nigel says the accusation was dismissed and that he would never again make the same mistake of getting too close to a student. Wield says Nigel was probably the closest person to Alec in the school and wonders if Nigel knew what was bothering Alec so much. Nigel says hed never seen Alec the way he was before he died. Nigel guesses there must have been something going on at home. Wield asks if they were so close, why Nigel just didnt ask Alec what was wrong, and why Crowley had to deal with it. Nigel says he didnt think it was appropriate because of his past. Wield reminds him of the book and the inscription. Nigel says he would never hurt Alec.





In the squadroom, Novello asks Dalziel how many witnesses there were to the accident. Dalziel says only him, Jordan, and Alec. ACC Kennedy calls Dalziel out of the squadroom. In his office, she tells him Jordan wants Dalziel off the case that hes been asking questions about the accident. Dalziel says he only wanted to determine the state of Alecs mind, that its not his fault that Alec was obsessed with the accident. ACC Kennedy says DI Pascoe will finish the investigation, and, with what they have, its not a murder investigation. ACC Kennedy says she let Dalziel run with the case, but since Jordan asked him off, she has to take him off. Dalziel sits at his desk, staring off into the distance.





As Dalziel piles evidence bags on to the counter in the squadroom, Pascoe invites him to the pub with the gang. Dalziel declines, tells him hes been booted from the case, and that Pascoe is in charge.





Pascoe comes home, sees Dalziel poring over Alecs notebook, and tells him to stop doing that to himself, that it could have been any one of them carrying on a pursuit. Dalziel thinks Alec was trying to tell them something, and that Dalziel is missing it. Pascoe thinks the boy was gifted, but troubled. Pascoe thinks they might never know. Dalziel asks if Pascoe can live with that. Pascoe says they may have to.





At a press conference at the school yard, Pascoe says there were no drugs or alcohol in Sophies system, so her death is not suspicious. They are continuing the investigation into Alecs death. A reporter asks Crowley if his daughter has ever been offered drugs at school; he replies they have a strict anti-drugs policy. A reporter asks and Pascoe replies that this was the first case involving roofies in the area. A reporter asks if its true that most of the teachers were taking tranquilizers. Crowley says he would have to ask the teachers. Dalziel drives up and heads into the school building. Pascoe, surprised, watches him. A reporter asks Crowley if the teachers are under incredible stress with the inspection coming up. Crowley says he has no idea, but that his staff is coping extremely well. He turns and heads into the school building; Pascoe follows.





Pascoe finds Crowleys daughter and says hello. He notes Nichola was doing her homework outside Crowleys office that night. She says when Alec left he was fine, and had stopped crying. Pascoe asks if Alec was wobbling as if hed been drinking. Nichola says she has to go and walks away.





Dalziel is with Pallister, going over the file that Alecs psychologist gave her. Dalziel notices more drawings of the accident. Pallister says if they can get the child to draw out their feelings about a trauma that that can help them get over it. Dalziel wonders why Alec was drawing the same drawings six years later. She admits that it sometimes does not work. Dalziel notices a lot of the drawings are of people fighting. He notices drawings of the same man in glasses, with a ponytail. Dalziel asks if he can take the file.





In the records office, Dalziel looks up names in the criminal database.





In Crowleys office, Pascoe reminds him that flunitrazepam is often prescribed as a strong tranquilizer, like a strong valium. Pascoe notes that since Alec was unsteady on his feet by 8:30, and that Alec was with Crowley from 7 to 7:45, if Crowley might have seen Alec take something at the meeting, or if he himself has been prescribed any tranquilizers. Crowley says he did not see Alec take anything, and that he himself has been prescribed tranquilizers but he doesnt know for sure what kind. He gets a bottle from his drawer flunitrazepam. Pascoe asks again if Crowley gave Alec some pills. Crowley again denies this. Pascoe says unless Crowley can give a plausible explanation as to how Alec got flunitrazepam, that he will have to arrest Crowley as the most likely source. Crowley says if Alec took some of his pills, it would have been when he had to leave Alec alone for five minutes when Nichola knocked on the door. He says Nichola had a problem with her math homework and he left the room to help her. Pascoe asks what the problem was and Crowley says geometry or something. Pascoe takes the bottle of pills.





Dalziel pulls up a record for Terrence Michael Kinnaird, who looks very much like the eyeglassed man in Alecs notebook. Dalziel goes in back and pulls Kinnairds file. In it, is a mugshot profile Kinnaird with glasses and a ponytail. Dalziel breathes a sigh of relief.





Dalziel finds Kinnaird at a dump, working a claw. Kinnaird sees Dalziel and jumps out. He says his life as a getaway driver was years ago and that hes done his stretch. Dalziel relates, and we see in flashback, the pursuit that night -- young Alec sees Kinnaird, glasses and ponytail, as he drives by. Kinnaird denies knowing anything. Dalziel says hes going to arrest Kinnaird for robbery.





With Pallister present, Pascoe and Novello interview Nichola. She says Alec was crying and that her dad was trying to help him, as he does with a lot of students. Pascoe asks how long they were in there and she says about an hour. Pascoe asks, the whole time, and she says, no, she had knocked on the door to ask if her dad could help her with her homework. Pascoe asks and she says she did not know if Alec was still upset because he had his back to her. Pascoe wonders aloud why Crowley would step away from an upset student like that. He presses Nichola about what kind of problem it was, and she says she couldnt remember. When he presses more, she becomes upset, bursts into tears, and Pallister hugs her. Pascoe concludes that Crowley did not leave Alec by himself that evening.





Crowley is watching the kids in the schoolyard when Pascoe and Novello come up. Pascoe tells him that had just spoken to Nichola; Crowley says he thought they might. Pascoe tells him that flunitrazepam is a class-c drug, and supplying it to others is a minor offense, but he will have to be placed under arrest. Nichola walks out of the school building and sees this. Crowley says he was only trying to help Alec, to calm him down. Pascoe and Novello lead Crowley away. Nichola looks on sadly.





In the squadroom, Pascoe tells Dalziel that Crowley has admitted giving Alec the pills. Dalziel tells Pascoe hes about to interview Kinnaird that Kinnaird may have something to tell them. Dalziel has to talk to ACC Kennedy first.





Outside the music room, Crowley, with Nichola, asks Pallister to ask Nigel to introduce the concert he has some things to take care of. Pallister tells him she is sorry.





The concert is horrible, the parents, including Jordan, applaud kindly. Dalziel and Pascoe come in. Nigel talks about their sad loss and introduces video shot by the TV crew that night. Jordan is in tears. Crowley, upstairs, leaves his keys on his desk.





After the concert, Dalziel catches Jordan outside, and arrests him on suspicion of murdering his son.





In interrogation, Dalziel tells Jordan that when Kinnaird came around that corner, he saw a man punching a woman in the face, and a little boy trying to stop him. Jordan says thats not true and that she had run across the road to call her mother; and that if Dalziel wasnt driving so fast that shed still be alive. Dalziel says that may be true, but she ran across the road to get away from Jordan. Jordan says he never touched her. Dalziel pulls out the notebook, saying there are hundreds of pictures like this, that Alec never got it out of his head. Pascoe plays the last voice mail that Alec left on Sophies phone that he just spoke to his dad and that he couldnt go home. Dalziel deduces Alec did not call Jordan to tell him he was gay, but instead, had been thinking about the accident for months and was ready to accuse Jordan for killing his mother. Dalziel thinks the entire story came out at the meeting with Crowley. Alec had the scholarship and a whole new life ahead for him, but for his mothers murder hanging over his head. Dalziel thinks Alec was out of it by the time Jordan found him by the lake, but Alec still could talk, and Jordan hit him into the water. Jordan says he tried to save him. Dalziel says he had a fit of conscience and tried to give Alec CPR -- hence the bruising on his chest. When he couldnt revive Alec, Jordan rolled him back into the water. Jordan breaks down and screams that he loved Alec. Dalziel says he wishes he could throw Jordan a life-line but he cant. Jordan was all he had; a working man with a genius son.





We see the headstone of Alec and his mom. We see Alec in the music room putting away his cello.





Dalziel and Pascoe are in the music room. Dalziel asks Pascoe if there is hope. Pascoe says if there is truth, there is hope. Dalziel says truth did not help Alec; truth killed him; along with a fat, hot-headed policeman trying to be like Steve McQueen. Pascoe tells Dalziel he cant blame himself, after all he nailed Jordan. Dalziel asks rhetorically, that justice was done after all; but it was still him driving the car. Pascoe says they should leave so Dalziel can go do what he does best; Dalziel says, yes, but theyre all married. He suggests they go have a pint instead.





They leave the campus, Dalziel suggests they go someplace where there are youngsters. Pascoe worries that Dalziel will only get wound up, but that it will be a laugh. They pass the gate as a custodian locks it behind them. A sign says : SCHOOL CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.