[streetlight buzzing, dog barking] [suspenseful music] ♪ [door slams] ♪ [indistinct chatter] [indistinct conversation] ♪ - Rita O'Keefe, sir, 53, unemployed, lives with her nephew, Garry Ashe.

[indistinct chatter] He found her when he got back from a night out at 1:15.

Nephew says she drinks, often brings men back here.

- For money?

- Sometimes.

Well, that's what he implied.

Pathologist's on his way.

There's at least six stab wounds, maybe more.

[indistinct chatter] Nothing on the hands, no sign of a struggle.

It's horrific.

- Sir, a neighbor, Dorothy Scully, said she saw the nephew leaving just after midnight.

- He said he got back at 1:15.

- Well, she says she definitely saw him, and he was carrying a blue plastic bag.

And we just turned up this.

♪ - Mr.

Ashe, I'm Chief Inspector Dalgliesh.

I'm leading the investigation into your aunt's death.

I'm sorry for your loss.

- Thank you.

- Remind me what time you arrived home tonight.

- It's in my statement, which you took.

- Is it possible you could have arrived home earlier than you suggested?

"I was out riding my motorbike until 1:15."

Anyone see you?

- I wear a helmet, and I don't stop to take people's names as I pass.

♪ - I need you to come to Scotland Yard with me, Mr.

Ashe.

- Not convenient.

Tomorrow.

- Garry Ashe, I'm arresting you on the suspicion of murder of Rita O'Keefe.

- Oh, you don't want to do this.

- You do not have to say anything unless you wish to do so, but whatever you do say may be taken down in evidence.

- Disappointing scent, DS Miskin.

What's the word?

[sniffs] Vulgar.

[dramatic orchestral music] ♪ [indistinct chatter] ♪ [indistinct chatter] - We've already heard from the landlord of the Royal Oak that Mrs.

O'Keefe was one of his regulars.

She'd been in the pub, drinking heavily until 11:00 on the night in question.

Let's turn to the murder weapon.

Can you remind the court where it was found?

- It was found in a blue plastic bag, hidden underneath a privet hedge eight doors down from-- - Were prints found on the knife?

- No, it had been wiped clean.

- So you're asking us to believe that Mr.

Ashe brutally murdered his beloved aunt, who provided a roof over his head after a lifetime in care, and that he wiped the knife clean and decided to dispose of it, not somewhere else, somewhere in the vast realms of the metropolis, but in a neighbor's hedge eight doors down?

- Perhaps he wasn't thinking clearly, or perhaps it was just arrogance.

[indistinct chatter] - Dorothy, I know you are an honest woman, and I know you're going to tell the truth in court.

- Yes, I am.

- And I think you understand that the case for the prosecution rests almost entirely, it appears, on your identification of the man you saw coming out of Mrs.

O'Keefe's house at midnight the night she died.

- It was him, her nephew.

- You're looking very smart today, Dorothy.

Is that a new jacket?

- Bought it for the court.

[laughter] - And your glasses look very smart, too.

- They're also new.

- Yes, in fact, I paid a visit to your optician.

He tells me he had need to increase your prescription three weeks ago.

He was also able to supply me with a pair of glasses made to the prescription you were using on the night Mrs.

O'Keeffe was murdered.

Quickly, please.

Mr.

Ulrick, my highly efficient pupil, will hand them to you.

Can you put them on, please?

Are you approximately the same distance from Mr.

Ulrick as you were from the man you saw leaving Mrs.

O'Keefe's house that night?

- I would say so, yes.

- Can you tell me how many fingers he's holding up?

- Um, two?

[indistinct chatter] ♪ - Do you find the defendant, Garry Ashe, guilty or not guilty of murder?

- Not guilty.

[indistinct chatter] ♪ - Venetia.

[gavel bangs] [gunshots] [buzzer] - Not bad.

- Well, it was only my second session, so yes, it wasn't.

- Daniel Tarrant.

[buzzer] - Kate Miskin.

- Yes, I know.

You were with Dalgliesh on the Garry Ashe case.

That must have been gutting.

- It was, knowing a dangerous man's been freed to walk the streets.

- It's quite something, I hear.

That barrister, apparently she runs rings around everyone.

- [scoffs] [buzzer] - Maybe see you around.

[gunshot] - What are you talking about?

- You can't stop us.

I'm 18.

- No.

No, no.

- Aren't you supposed to congratulate me?

- Look at me, Octavia.

He's making a fool of you.

He wants you for your money.

- Right.

Yeah, that's what he said you'd say.

- You're not to see him anymore.

- But he loves me.

- He doesn't love anyone.

- Just because you don't love me, it doesn't mean no one else ever will, just because no one's ever loved you.

[gasps] [suspenseful music] - Sorry.

♪ I'm sorry.

♪ [sighs] [indistinct chatter] Mr.

Ulrick, have you done the prep for Colchester yet?

- Not quite, but I'm nearly there with it.

- Well, get there.

I want it on my desk before you leave.

- Um, the partners meeting, Ms.

Aldridge, they've just started.

- Have they, now?

[phone rings] [laughter] - Gentlemen, what have I missed?

- Apologies, Ms.

Aldridge.

We weren't sure you'd be attending.

- I can't think why.

I've never missed a single partners meeting.

- You are 20 minutes late.

- Well, some of us have cases to argue, Hubert.

We can't all stand around looking out of the window, trying to remember what day of the week it is.

- Um, we were just discussing Valerie Caldwell.

We're all agreed that we should make her contract permanent.

- I think she should go.

She's just about competent, but she's inexperienced.

And no other respectable chambers has a-- a dolly bird for a clerk.

- Ye gods.

- Ms.

Caldwell is proving herself a very efficient and organized clerk.

- You want to get your hand up her skirt.

It's what everyone's whispering.

It's embarrassing.

You're making a fool of us.

- Madam, madam, too far.

- We should appoint people on merit, not because of their sex or how they look or who they're related to.

- Oh, which is aimed at me, I assume.

- Well, Mr.

Ulrick, your son's hardly shaping up well, is he?

When I become head of chambers, I will systematically deconstruct the old boys club.

Have you set a date for your retirement yet, or is that something else you're discussing behind my back?

- You said you weren't interested in head of chambers.

- I've changed my mind.

Everyone else will have to wait their turn.

- The only--the only thing embarrassing this chambers is you.

- Really?

Why would that be?

- The cases you choose to take on.

- You mean the unwinnable ones... - IRA terrorists, pedophiles.

- Which I then proceed to win.

Everyone deserves legal representation.

- Garry Ashe.

We're still suffering the fallout from that.

What's next, Beelzebub?

- Perhaps we could get back to the-- - Can I speak to you outside, please?

Drysdale, now, please.

[phone rings] [indistinct chatter] [door slams] [indistinct arguing] Because I'm asking you to.

I've done enough for you.

- Venetia, all I'm saying-- - Just bloody do it.

[bell tolling] ♪ [phone rings] Venetia speaking.

- What do I do, Ms.

Aldridge?

She's with him now.

- [sighs] - He won't leave.

[dramatic music] ♪ [bell tolling] ♪ [phone ringing] - Good morning.

Pawlett Court Chambers.

- Hello.

This is Mrs.

Buckley.

Is Ms.

Aldridge there?

- I don't think so, Mrs.

Buckley.

- Ms.

Caldwell.

- You see, her bed hasn't been slept in-- - Florist at Holborn Station has lovely flowers.

- As far as I'm aware, I'm first in.

- I thought these might brighten up your corner.

- Thank you, Mr.

Langton, but you really shouldn't have.

- I'm worried.

It's most unlike her.

[suspenseful music] [knock at door] - Ms.

Aldridge.

Ms.

Aldridge, I-- [breathes shakily] ♪ - Well, if you'd just be patient, I'm sure-- [indistinct chatter] All right.

Can you step aside now?

- All right.

- Cheers.

♪ - Would be useful.

- Yes, ma'am.

- DS Miskin, this is DS Daniel Tarrant.

He's joining the team.

- Pleased to meet you.

- Hi.

It's her, sir, the barrister who defended Garry Ashe.

The clerk, Valerie Caldwell, found the body when she opened up this morning.

Ms.

Aldridge's housekeeper called to say her bed hadn't been slept in.

♪ - [clears throat] ♪ - Start taking names and addresses, please.

- Yes, sir.

[phone rings] ♪ - Not a sight we're likely to forget.

- Designed to shock.

- Well, the blood's certainly been staged.

It's not hers.

Rigor, temperature, smell all say she's been dead between 12 and 14 hours.

So either the blood contained an anticoagulant, or it was poured later.

And this looks like her fatal wound, a narrow slit about an inch long.

Dagger, something sharp on both sides.

- You can't go in there.

- Stop there, please.

- We have a right to know what's happening.

Oh, my God.

- Chief Inspector Dalgliesh.

I'm from Scotland Yard.

- Hubert St.

John Langton.

I am head of chambers.

This is Desmond Ulrick.

This is unspeakable.

- My, uh-- my blood's missing.

- What do you mean, Mr.

Ulrick?

- My son has anemia.

He needs regular transfusions.

I had some taken the day before yesterday.

It was in my fridge.

Matthew had a bad reaction to some foreign muck he was given last year, so he only uses mine.

I have it taken from a clinic nearby.

- Why store it here?

- Ah, because he's a pupil here.

It's easier for him to collect it and take it to Guy's Hospital.

- When did you last see the blood?

- Around 5:30 yesterday evening, I should say.

- Is that when you left for the night?

- No, I left at 7:15.

I was the last to leave.

Uh, except Venetia.

- So you were the last to see her alive?

- Mm, I don't know.

Probably not.

Mrs.

Carpenter, the cleaning lady, comes in later in the evening.

- Where did you go after you left, Mr.

Ulrick?

- I went straight to supper with Matthew.

He was-- look, I'm going to say this because you will hear it soon enough.

None of us liked her.

She wasn't a nice woman, but-- oh, God.

No, even she--even she didn't deserve this.

♪ - You saw the wig which Ms.

Aldridge was wearing.

Is that one which belongs to her?

It looks more like a judge's wig than-- - It's my grandfather's.

It should be in its wig box in my room.

I must check to see if Ms.

Caldwell is all right.

- Mr.

Langton, did Ms.

Aldridge own a paper knife?

- Well, I don't think so.

I don't know.

- You presented her with one, Hubert, after 20 years of partnership.

- Oh, yes.

- It was a miniature sword of justice.

- Where's DS Tarrant transferred from?

- Vice.

Are you okay with it?

- Sure.

[phone rings] - The "Standard" always has a pink financial section, doesn't it?

- Yes, I think so.

- It's not here.

[phone rings] - So if the paper knife is our weapon, which is looking likely, maybe the killer used the newspaper to wipe it or conceal it.

- Venetia admits her killer.

The killer moves over to the desk.

Venetia stays by the door.

It's someone she's hoping to get rid of quickly.

The killer picks up the paper knife, comes back over, stabs her through the heart, and is then dragged back over towards the chair.

- And then the killer goes and gets the blood and the wig, both of which they must have known about.

[phone rings] - Except there's a time lapse.

Miles thinks the blood was poured later.

- I'm sorry.

[indistinct chatter] - Excuse me.

Sorry.

[dramatic music] - Excuse me.

- What is it?

- I need to speak to Detective Chief Inspector Dalgliesh as soon as possible.

- Not possible, I'm afraid.

Not possible.

- I think that I and I alone can unlock the identity of Venetia Aldridge's murderer.

- Good for you.

You can contact Scotland Yard.

- Please.

- My mother always said sweet tea is best for shock.

- Thank you.

- How long have you been cleaning here, Mrs.

Carpenter?

- Uh, about a year.

- And what time did you begin work yesterday evening?

- Eight.

I like to be punctual.

I always hear the clock on the Temple Church as I unlock the door.

- So the door to chambers was definitely locked.

- Oh, yes, yes.

I cleaned reception first and then the lawyers' rooms.

I did see Ms.

Aldridge's light was on, but I never disturb her when she's working.

- Did you hear any noise coming from her room?

- No.

- In Mr.

Ulrick's room, did you notice whether the blood in his fridge was missing?

- Uh, no, because he doesn't like me to clean his fridge.

He's very particular.

[knock at door] - Sir.

♪ Looks like it's been wiped.

- I didn't know it was in there.

No one ever goes in there.

[indistinct chatter] - It must have been very shocking for you, discovering Ms.

Aldridge's body.

When did you last see Ms.

Aldridge?

- When she came out of the partners meeting, yesterday afternoon, around 4:00.

She went straight to her rooms.

I leave work at 6:00.

I knew she was still here, and Mr.

Ulrick was still here.

- Just find out-- find out whether she's the only one that has keys.

- The "Evening Standard"... - Yes, ma'am.

- Ms.

Chambers have it delivered?

♪ [bicycle bell rings] ♪ - [praying in Latin] - Sorry.

I was told I'd find you here.

- My sanctuary.

- Beautiful.

- These angels and saints guard the law from corruption.

- Was Venetia Aldridge corrupt?

Is that why her murderer mocked her profession in the way they did?

- No.

She was honest.

Difficult, argumentative, but she believed in the law as firmly as I do.

- When you took her the "Evening Standard" yesterday, did it contain the pink financial pages?

- Well, I didn't take her a newspaper.

- Your clerk said it was a peace offering.

There had been an argument at the partners-- - I didn't take her the paper.

- When you left chambers yesterday, did you go straight home?

- I was at home at the usual t-- yes.

- What time would you have arrived?

- Half past 7:00.

I'm sure my housekeeper could confirm that.

Why do you-- - Thank you.

What was the argument about, at the partners meeting?

- Venetia and Drysdale Laud, they both want to succeed me as head of chambers.

Venetia is next in line, but Drysdale sees it as a stepping stone to becoming a QC.

- So how long have you worked with the boss?

- Nearly 18 months.

How long have you been on the force?

- Six months.

They're trying this new graduate fast track idea.

- I honestly can't believe it.

Where was she found?

- Behind her desk.

I'm told you argued with her at the meeting yesterday.

- Well, no, we were all arguing.

It's par for the course.

- Did you argue about who would succeed as head of chambers?

- No, and let me save you a lot of time and effort.

Rivalries over head of chambers, arguments over which cases to take on, they happen in every chambers up and down the land day in, day out, and they do not constitute reasons to commit murder.

- So what was the argument about?

- It was a private matter.

Oh, God.

♪ She wanted me to speak to her daughter, Octavia.

I know the girl a little.

Venetia and I have been friends for a long time.

Yesterday, Venetia told me that Octavia started seeing someone, saying she was engaged.

Venetia wanted me to intervene to try to stop it.

- Why?

Did she not approve of the boy?

- The daughter is called Octavia.

[doorbell rings] I'll lead.

♪ - No, she didn't, because it's Garry Ashe.

♪ - I think it would be better if we spoke alone.

- Why?

Ashe is my fiancé.

What is this, anyway?

- We have some very bad news, Octavia.

I'm afraid your mother was found dead this morning.

- She's not dead.

I saw her yesterday.

She was fine.

- It wasn't a natural death.

- Murder?

- I'm very, very sorry.

It happened sometime yesterday evening.

We'll know more after the postmortem.

- We had nothing to do with it, okay?

So don't start that.

- I wasn't-- - You can't pin this on Ashe.

He was here.

Anna Buckley was here, too, cooking a supper.

You can ask her.

The three of us were here all evening and all night.

- Mrs.

Buckley said she'll come up and sit with you.

- I don't want her.

I don't need anyone.

I've got Ashe.

- Our boss will want to see you both.

- Inspector Dalgliesh?

- Chief inspector, yes.

- We very much look forward to seeing him, Kate.

- Are you okay?

- It's him.

I know it's him.

- The housekeeper seems sure he didn't leave here yesterday evening.

Maybe he got someone to do it for him.

- It's not his style.

He's a loner.

Most psychopaths are.

- Did you do this?

- Ashe knows about birds.

We're doing it together.

- I didn't know you were an ornithologist, Garry.

- You don't know anything about me, Mr.

Dalgliesh.

- Would you wait outside, please?

I want to speak to Octavia alone.

- He's told me all about you, and you, about how you tried to stitch him up after his auntie died.

- We were doing our job.

There was evidence.

- Yeah, which you planted.

- How did you meet?

- At a club.

We started dancing.

He bought me a drink.

He didn't even know who I was.

- Octavia, your mother is dead.

And it wasn't a random killing.

It was almost certainly someone who knew her.

Are you absolutely certain that Ashe didn't leave this flat yesterday evening, even for a short time?

- Certain.

It's bad luck.

[phone ringing] - He has a solid alibi.

- It's too much of a coincidence.

- The girl, yeah, she could easily be covering for him.

Not the housekeeper.

No way.

- He could have found a way to sneak out the house.

- He may be a psychopath, but he's not supernatural.

- We now know from Mrs.

Buckley that she spoke to Venetia just after half past 7:00 on the telephone.

So with Kynaston's confirmed estimate, we now have a window for time of death, 7:45 to 9:00.

How are we doing with other alibis?

- Laud and his wife definitely picked up their theater tickets.

Box office manager remembers Laud.

- Ulrick and his son.

I called the restaurant where they had a reservation for dinner.

They confirmed they were there, but the reservation wasn't until 8:00, so-- - Carpenter.

Ample opportunity, no clear alibi, but no motive.

Which leaves us with Langton.

- Yes, now we're talking.

Langton's housekeeper says he wasn't home yesterday till after 9:00.

- An hour and a half after he claims.

But his memory seems poor.

He's certainly got something troubling him.

I found him praying for forgiveness.

- [scoffs] - Look, I'm not ruling Ashe out altogether, but we can't make him a priority.

He has an alibi, and he has no access to chambers.

- He could have talked his way in.

Can we at least put a tail on him?

- No, I can't justify it.

[phone rings] [indistinct chatter] Kate.

- Hi.

- I was a little dismissive earlier.

I shouldn't have been.

I apologize.

- It's me, my cardinal sin, rushing to judgment.

- I know this is going to be difficult for you.

- It's fine.

It was never going to be just the two of us forever.

- I meant about Ashe.

I know you felt responsible when we failed to get a conviction, but you weren't.

I was.

I failed to properly test the evidence.

Look, if you want to step back from this case-- I don't want you to, but I would completely understand.

- I don't want to step back.

- Okay.

- Night, sir.

- Night, Kate.

♪ - What was Mr.

Langton's relationship with Ms.

Aldridge like?

- I don't think Mr.

Langton's very well.

He can't remember things.

He gets scared, angry.

I have to say, I think he actually hated Venetia.

I've heard him calling her all sorts of things under his breath.

- Was this because of the sort of cases she was bringing in?

- Partly that, partly that she's a woman.

And women are everywhere now, maybe even in number 10 soon.

He's got a thing about me.

He finds any excuse he can to touch me, put his arm around my waist, accidentally brush against me.

He follows me sometimes, turns up where I am.

He comes and watches me sing in the choir at Temple Church, stares at me like he's-- - Have you spoken to him about it?

- No.

In a way, it's easy to deal with.

He's just an old man who's going senile.

But there's a look in his eye like it's not just harmless flirtation.

- Look into Hubert Langton's past--marriages, relationships, any complaints made against him, especially by women.

- Sir.

- See if there's a pattern of behavior.

- So important.

Oh, Detective Chief Inspector, may I have a word with you, please?

- Take him out, please.

- Just--look, just-- just a moment, please.

- Sorry, sorry.

- Who's that?

- Edgar Froggart.

He was outside chambers yesterday, claiming he has the key to Aldridge's murder.

I've spoken to him.

All he's got are a load of old scrapbooks.

- I'll talk to him.

- He's just a crank who hangs around murder trials, sir.

- I was very close to Venetia when she was growing up, very close indeed.

I was her mentor in many ways, the man who introduced her to the law.

- Were you her teacher?

- Strictly speaking, no.

I was a teacher at her father's preparatory school for boys.

And ever since, I have followed her career closely, attending many of her trials, recording the brilliance of her arguments.

- What has this to do with her death, Mr.

Froggart?

- I have a detailed chronicle of her professional life, Detective Chief Inspector, and it occurs to me that her murderer may lurk within these pages-- disappointed clients, an ex-prisoner with a grievance.

This is a loan of my precious resource, Chief Inspector.

I know it will be of use.

Good day.

[phone rings] ♪ - Janet Carpenter, she walked into Pawlett Court Chambers 18 months ago and asked for a cleaning job.

She was directed to the agency, and they gave her a job in a different chambers, but she badgered them constantly until she was transferred to Pawlett Court.

She moved to London from a village near Winchester 18 months ago and gave character references from the local solicitor and the vicar's wife.

- And she's been attending all of Venetia's trials.

- She knew about the wig and the blood, and she probably knew about the paper knife, and she was in chambers when Venetia died.

Can we bring her in?

- Not yet.

We need more.

I want you to follow her.

I want you to see where she's going, who she's talking to.

We'll look into her past.

♪ - Margaret Jackson?

- Yes.

- Detective Sergeant Kate Miskin.

This is Detective Chief Inspector Dalgliesh from Scotland Yard.

- Oh, right.

- May we ask you some questions about Janet Carpenter?

We believe you provided a job reference for her.

- Janet?

Is she still alive?

♪ [police radio chatter] ♪ - Janet had a daughter, Dawn.

And Dawn's marriage broke down.

And she and Janet's granddaughter came to live with her, Daisy.

She was a lovely little girl.

She sang in our choir.

She went out riding her bike one afternoon and didn't come back.

There was a police search.

We all joined in.

She was found in the woods about three miles away.

She'd been assaulted and murdered.

- This was Anthony Beale.

- That's right.

You remember.

Janet was remarkable, really.

She went to the trial every day.

She saw him put away for life.

But Dawn, she couldn't go on.

She took her own life, in the woods where Daisy was found.

We lost Janet after that, really.

I tried to talk her out of going to London.

I knew she didn't know anyone there, but she said she wanted a new start.

♪ - Control to Sierra 15.

- Sierra 15 to Control, receiving.

- We need you to return to base.

[phone rings] - Dalgliesh.

- It wasn't Venetia.

According to Beale's file, his defense was a guy called Curtis, local based in Winchester.

- Beale was a repeat offender, wasn't he?

- Yes, Southampton, 1971, the summer, I think.

- Just a sec.

- It was a similar case, young girl on a bike.

- Here we are, Southampton, not guilty.

He was represented by Venetia Aldridge.

..... - She got him off, and he killed again.

- Okay, get over to Carpenter's now and bring her in.

We'll be back by 5:00.

- Yes, sir.

♪ [indistinct chatter] ♪ [doorbell ringing] ♪ Oh.

♪ ♪ [somber music] ♪