Thorne: Scaredy Cat Page #5

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given. Can't have been that awful.

What sort of things would get you

suspended for a week?

Fighting, maybe truancy.

Smoking, of course.

What about this boy? He was suspended

on the same day for two weeks.

Do you know him?

Leonard Bardsley. Len.

Are you Bardsley? Yeah.

DI Thorne.

Miss Evans said I'd find you here.

I'm looking into a former pupil

from here.

Martin Palmer. '93 to '98.

You were in his year, yeah?

Year above.

What, did he top himself,

like his mum? Would you care?

Not really.

There was an incident in '94. You

were both suspended. Why was that?

We had a scrap, that's all.

It must have been a helluva fight,

both suspended. And one expelled.

Who was expelled?

There he is. Stuart f***in' Nicklin.

Did Nicklin do that to you?

I knocked Palmer's teeth out.

Nicklin bit my f***in' nose off.

Why'd he hit you? He always hits me.

Not after today he won't.

What will you do for me?

'What will you do for me?'

Stuart Nicklin. Look away, Martin.

You never know who's watching.

Have you got him?

You can't find him, can you?

So where is he? How do I get him?

I don't know.

He can't be found.

Other people have looked for him.

Other policeman. Vic Perks, he was

looking for Nicklin, was he?

He called me, said he wanted

to talk about Stuart.

He was waiting outside my house.

He asked me if I'd seen him.

What did you say?

Stuart was inside watching me.

Don't look at me.

Then what? I told him I'd meet him.

Somewhere we could talk.

He said Greenwich.

But you didn't go, did you?

You told Stuart about him.

He saw me with him.

Why was Vic Perks looking for

Nicklin? He hasn't got a record.

You don't understand. I hadn't seen

Stuart since we were kids.

So why did he come back?

It's Polish book.

It's really creepy.

It's Polish porn! It's not porn,

it's poetry, Polish poetry.

Hey, Martin, where you going? Jana

loves her Polish book, don't you?

Such a weirdo. Look at how he walks.

F***in' weird.

Hello, Mart.

Stuart.

It's been a while.

Where had he been?

It's not...

He doesn't talk like that.

He says...

He tells me what I have to do.

What did he want?

You know what he wanted.

You don't do all this just cos

he beat up Bardsley for you.

Has he got something on you?

Do you know what it's like

to be really scared of someone?

Just help me.

I want it to end.

I will help you, Martin.

But you just keep doing

what you're doing, alright?

Or you're on your own.

Who are you? I'm Karen.

So, we've nothing on Stuart Nicklin

between 1997 and now.

Nothing. He just disappeared. No

driving licence, no bank details.

He must have changed his name but

Palmer can't help us with that.

So he's been hiding. Or planning

something. Maybe he's been abroad.

We circulated his name, dental records

from school via Interpol. Nothing back yet.

OK, that's what we don't know.

What DO we know?

He's got a hold over Palmer

and he's extremely violent.

So he may have been doing this

for the past 13 years.

Vic Perks retired 13 years ago,

just after Nicklin disappeared.

Have you been through his files?

It could take a month.

I want every scribbled bit of paper,

every note, every clipping,

you go through his phone records,

you understand me?!

Dave, you go with her. Sir.

Is this it? As good as we'll get. A

digital age-up of the school photo.

Alright. I want this circulated.

Get this out on the streets.

Gonna bring him in.

Come on, Charlie!

That's my boy! Come on!

Hey, hey! What's going on?

He's... He's got the makings

of a grand little player.

As good as you were

when you were his age.

I don't remember you playing with me

at eight at night, or any time.

What's with the specs?

We went to the cinema.

Dad, I asked you not to take him out.

You know what, I'm done.

Time for bed. Choose some books

and you can choose a story, yeah?

Charlie, come here, come here.

I've got something for you.

It's a midnight feast.

Go on, let me show you. Don't say

anything to your Uncle Tom.

Because...

he'll want one for himself.

Now where is it? Yes, here it is.

Now, then. That is for you.

What happened?

Charlie, hey!

It's alright.

What happened?

It were only a chocolate bar.

Really? Thanks.

What? They tested a chocolate bar

from Karal's house.

No prints, no DNA.

How does that make any sense?

He butchers Karal, then he charges

through looking for the boy

just to give him some chocolate.

And if he did find him...

Why didn't he kill him?

I don't know.

He wiped it and gave it to Charlie?

You didn't see him freak out.

No chocolate wrapper

at Fiona Hutchinson's killing.

The wind off the river,

it could be anywhere.

What about Vic Perks? Nothing yet.

What time's your detail at Palmer's

flat? 2am. Graveyard shift.

Why don't you take a break,

get some fresh air? Thank you, sir.

At the tunnel where Vic Perks was

discovered. See what you can find.

Oh... Alright with that?

I can get Dave to go with you.

No. No problem.

# You're looking at a man

that's getting kinda mad

# I had lots of luck

but it's all been bad...

# I'll never get out of this world

alive

What are you calling me out

this time of night for?

How does somebody kill like this

and leave no trace?

No... DNA, no prints, nothing.

You just shave your body,

cover your hair, wear gloves.

Basic food hygiene stuff, you know.

We found all this

at Vic Perks's house.

What is that?

Every case he ever worked?

No, it's just one case.

Jesus.

Karen McMann.

Some girl that went missing.

Who are you? I'm Karen.

Hello. Oh!

Sorry.

Why are you here?

We didn't feel comfortable with you

being here by yourself.

I don't need protection.

Alright. How about some company?

I'm telling you,

this is a waste of time.

F***in' Tom Thorne.

I'm not. Are you?

Teacher's pet.

Scared of a little competition,

are you, Sarah?

You're not competition.

Oh, yeah?

That's funny, cos I've just found

his precious chocolate-bar wrapper.

So, Karen McMann, this 14-year-old

girl, goes missing in 1997.

What's that got to do with this?

I dunno.

But it meant something to Vic.

Nicklin killed Vic Perks

for a reason.

Something that Vic knew or saw.

Vic was a sad old copper with an

obsession that killed him in the end.

Sounds like you were writing

my obituary there, Phil.

I need to get this back

to forensics.

Then I've got half an hour to kill

before I'm on at Palmer's.

Wanna get a quick drink?

Oh...

Maybe this isn't a good idea.

What's not?

"Second interview,

Martin Palmer. August 28th, 1997."

"Present:
DC Perks and DS Davis."

"Tell us what you saw one more time,

Martin."

"I saw Karen get

into a blue Vauxhall Cavalier."

"Were you alone or was Stuart

Nicklin with you? I was on my own."

"Really, Martin? Why are you

covering for him? I'm not."

"It's a bit of a coincidence,

him not being around."

"We know what he's capable of."

"Tell me what Stuart did to Karen.

I don't know."

"Stop covering for him

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