Silent Witness

Victim is Mr Arnie Rahul. Consultant surgeon. 48 years of age.

Good reputation, though he's fallen out with a few people recently.

He was about to start an operation. He gets a phone call.

Walks out, never comes back.

Single puncture wound to the left chest wall.

What's that in his hand? Looks like a syringe and needle.

It's a Hickman line. A long-term vascular access device

for people who need chemotherapy or blood transfusions.

The assailant would have had extensive cross contamination

with the victim's blood.

Stick that in to a big artery and blood will flow out

like a high-pressure hose.

Simi Jacobs.

He's denying everything.

Simi Jacobs is not a match

to the blood spatter at the scene.

So, who is it? It's Wilfred Okoye.

The patient?

Arnie Rahul was murdered by a man who was under general anaesthetic

in a different room?

Blood alcohol level, three times the legal driving limit.

You said he shouldn't be operating.

Not after the Harry Fletcher incident.

Arrested on the table during surgery last week.

I want you to do the postmortem.

Technically that would be a conflict of interest.

Summarising postmortem examination, Harry Fletcher.

What are you doing? My colleagues are here.

Is that Emily Braithwaite? She's Adam's godmother.

You'd think he might have mentioned it.

Are you going to confront him? Not yet.

Your original stem cell work was brilliant.

But you tried and failed to turn it into a viable cancer treatment.

Wilfred Okoye, still in the hospital.

What's he going to know?

You won't find out unless you ask him.

Mr Fletcher died because of surgical error.

Adam! You have no idea what you've done.

When I applied for this job I falsified my CV,

and Emily Braithwaite tried to use this

fact to influence my findings in the Fletcher Case.

Here's my letter of resignation.

Effective immediately.

# Testator silens

# Costestes e spiritu

# Silencium

# Testator silens. #

DISTANT SIREN

Wilfred Okoye, a Beninese farm worker, was admitted

to St Jude's hospital for the treatment of leukaemia a week ago.

Although he lost consciousness briefly during the attack

on his life last night, he seems to have recovered with no ill effects.

Awaiting toxicology from the syringe we believe was used in the attack.

Prints? Fibres?

Nothing conclusive. We're interviewing witnesses

but no-one got a good look at the attacker.

How come he's being treated here in the UK?

It was set up by a charity, and then arranged through Rahul.

Here is a man who has lived his entire life in Benin

up until a week ago, and, according to our DNA evidence,

murders his surgeon while under anaesthetic in a different room.

Could the DNA at the murder scene been a contaminant or planted?

No. The spatter patterns are too perfect.

It came from someone who was in the room at the time.

So, how do you explain it?

How do we know Wilfred was anaesthetised?

I mean, how do we know it was him?

What, he's got an identical twin?

Bit fantastical, Steve.

I don't know.

There's another explanation.

DNA samples got mixed up.

Ah! No way!

Look, I'm just putting it out there. Mm-mn. We could run the test again.

Those samples were handled correctly.

Jack, shall we just run them again?

Right, yep. Good.

OK.

Let me know when toxicology comes back.

So, the samples got mixed up, did they? It's always possible.

Mm-hm.

You know who took the swab from Simi Jacobs. Adam.

What are you suggesting?

Just saying.

PHONE RINGS

You have reached Dr Adam Yuen.

I am unable to take your call.

Please leave a message after the tone.

Do you know what I don't understand?

It was just a six-month placement,

and his CV is impressive enough without it.

So, why did he risk his career and lie about it?

Has he lied about anything else?

Everything else checks out.

Are you sure about that?

You have an injury over your left eye and a wound on your neck.

How do you account for them, Simi?

Yeah, I got mugged.

A kid with a knife. Really?

And did you report the assault?

No. Why not?

What, are you going to catch him?

He's answered your questions, so unless you have other evidence?

PHONE PINGS

Tox results from the syringe used in the attack on Wilfred.

Here we go. Let's have a look.

That's it? Midazolam?

That's a sedative, isn't it?

Yeah.

The full syringe would have had about five milligrams in it.

That's not very much.

So, either the assailant is incompetent,

or this wasn't intended to kill him.

So, what's the aim?

Kidnapping?

HE SIGHS

The guy's already ill.

You know...

If someone wanted him dead, it's not going to be that hard, is it?

He's got leukaemia.

It would look like natural causes if he died of sepsis.

Should I get that syringe tested again for bacteria?

What's this about Mr Okoye being moved?

It's for his own safety.

To the Cowley Institute? And who's paying for that?

Oh, I've been assured that they have all the facilities required,

and they've offered to do the treatment free of charge.

I will not allow it.

Someone in your hospital is trying to kill Mr Okoye.

Quite frankly, Dr Braithwaite, I don't need your permission.

Haematology lab.

Dr Braithwaite here.

Wilfred Okoye, hospital number 1187266.

I want all his stored blood and marrow samples sent

to my office immediately.

Finished!

79 needles swabbed and ready to go.

You've got to see this.

Microbiology results from the syringe

used in the attack on Wilfred.

Turns out it is full of bacteria - E coli.

Well, it was lying around on the floor.

Could it be a contaminant?

No. It's a pure growth - just one type of bug in there.

If it was a contaminant you'd expect to see

lots of different organisms.

It's been created deliberately.

So, what? The killer sneaks into Wilfred's room pretending

to be a nurse, inoculates him with the bacteria,

but adds a mild sedative...

..so that when the real nurse comes in with his medication,

he's asleep and can't tell her that someone else has already been in.

He gets sepsis, he dies.

Looks like natural causes.

I need to tell DI Cracknell.

You need to tell the doctors looking after Wilfred.

HEART MONITOR BEEPS

HE BREATHES RAPIDLY

ALARM SOUNDS

HEART MONITOR BEEPS RAPIDLY

HEART MONITOR FLATLINES

It's as we expected - extensive peripheral oedema,

multiple organ failure, consistent with sepsis.

Yep. Toxicology shows only medications used for his treatment,

antibiotics, ceftriaxone, gentamicin present

in therapeutic concentrations.

So, cause of death is consistent with deliberate inoculation

of the culture of E coli, on a background

of chemotherapy-induced immune compromise.

Well, we've got no other leads on his attacker at present.

We're liaising with the Beninese Consulate to inform

the family of the deceased.

DNA says Wilfred Okoye was guilty of Rahul's murder,

but being unconscious, had the perfect alibi.

When a murder suspect gets murdered, what does that mean?

Framed by the real murderer?

Why would you frame someone with the perfect alibi?

Simi Jacobs.

What's his home address?

Erm...

Let's see. Flat 32, Bardwell House, Lincoln Street.

Thought so. Okoye and Jacobs have been living together.

Simi Jacobs has already been released, guv.

What? Yeah. Lack of forensics.

All right.

Might I suggest we pick him up again?

It still doesn't get us anywhere.

It doesn't explain the DNA.

And Simi was in custody when Wilfred was attacked,

so it doesn't even explain that.

We're just going round in circles. Yep.

When he was interviewed, Wilfred said his leukaemia

was common in his region.

Doesn't sound right to me.

PHONE RINGS

You have reached Dr Adam Yuen.

I am unable to take your call.

Please leave a message after the tone.

Wait there. He's not in, guv.

And the neighbours haven't seen him.