The Chelsea Detective

I could collapse on the pavement.

Then Roy could explain that I've had an episode,

rush me home...

Benny. Please. You promised.

I know, I know.

Biggest smile.

Best behaviour.

-(indistinct chatter) -(jazz music playing)

Im Blauen Zimmer

by Friedrich Gustav,

his most famous piece.

Painted in 1942,

it was intended as the first in a series,

but he died before he completed it.

Do you mind, mate? Cause I'm just trying...

Excuse me.

I'll tell you later.

Your attempts at mingling going well.

Quite the opposite.

My fault for inviting such a shallow pool.

Mm.

See that lady in the red hat?

We had a scintillating conversation about earthquakes in Chelsea.

Now, I did suggest it had something to do

with her townhouse being on top of the District line...

-(Greg chuckles) -Still, free champagne.

I think we can survive the night.

Oh, stand to attention, knave.

The Queen of Chelsea has arrived.

-(indistinct chatter) -(jazz music playing)

Oh!

Darling, sensational!

-(woman 1) Aww. -Thank you.

So proud of you!

Congratulations!

Cassie.

-Save me. -Oh.

Thought these were your people.

Have you seen Gulliver's latest?

I know that we are getting older,

but is it my imagination or are the hyenas getting younger?

Hmm, while asking their jackal husbands

for a second opinion on the rumours about your boob job.

Oh? What's the consensus?

Relax. Genetics,

-by a landslide. -(snorts)

Now, Cassandra...

If you're about to suggest

I find myself a horny rich jackal...

Actually, I was gonna say some of those trays need replenishing.

But I can see, you're way ahead of me.

I shall return to my people.

-(alarm beeps rapidly) -(tense music)

-(Jess) Morning. -(Max) Morning.

The deceased IC1 male is in the main gallery.

Another IC1 male was apprehended leaving the scene

when uniform arrived.

-A witness or suspect? -Husband of the owner.

-Benoit Chaban? -Mm-hmm.

How was your weekend with Priya and Nitin?

Yeah, she oversold us on that sea view.

-Oh, yeah? -If I stood on tiptoe

in the nursery, I could just about make out a thin slither of sea.

Obviously, Brighton Central aren't as exciting as us lot.

Mainly seagull-related thefts.

-(indistinct police chatter) -(Max snorts)

-Morning, Ashley. -(Ashley) Morning.

Have you seen my new DS, Layla Walsh?

Yeah. She finger-spelt her name.

Nearly got it right, too.

Does he have a name?

Mm-hmm.

Christopher Milton-Elvis.

Are you saying "Elvis"? It's "El-wes".

Gallery manager, 32, lives on Marcovis Street.

What's the dried blood on his fingers?

Yeah, it's likely from the facial laceration.

Looks like a clean, flat blade.

But cause of death, at this stage, 90 percent certainty,

manual strangulation.

Found this...

in his jacket pocket.

Tickets for the Eurostar, departing at 12:15.

Today.

He's gonna miss his train.

Hi, Max.

Morning, Layla.

So...

a botched heist in a high-end art gallery.

Yeah. Welcome to Chelsea.

What is it? What have you found?

This used to be a restaurant.

Mr and Mrs...

Zintilis.

A Greek family,

but I can't, for the life of me, remember what it was called.

No.

Right.

Shall we crack on with the case?

Yeah.

Uniform arrived at 23:18,

in response to the gallery's silent alarm.

Point of entry is this rear door.

Looks like it's been jimmied.

Multiple paintings believed stolen.

I'm thinking the deceased was in the wrong place

at the wrong time.

Ashley found two tickets for the Eurostar in his pocket,

for later today.

Oh, so what are we thinking,

the victim is robbing the place

and the owner's husband catches him in the act?

Could work.

There's a camera at the back of the gallery

but it's broken.

Presumably, as gallery manager, that was his responsibility.

Could he and Benoit Chaban be in on it together?

What did Mr Chaban say?

Claimed he got here mere minutes before our officers.

Says he found the body, nothing more.

Ah, always nothing more.

-(Jess chuckles lightly) -(Max) Okay.

What have we got on Chris Milton-Elwes?

Nothing on the victim's phone so far,

but I found a Chris Elwes on PNC.

Checking to see if it's the same one.

He has a file?

Marked NFA.

Shoplifting when he was 12.

Once a thief...

-12, though. -(Connor and Jess laugh)

Well...

Can you check the guest list and cross-reference it

with our files?

Ooh, searching for crooks among the Chelsea elite.

Might be a long list.

Do we know what was taken?

Four paintings in total.

Not the slickest heist.

The canvasses were cut from their frames.

-There's spotting on here. -Expecting it to be the victim's,

if the same blade that cut him was used to cut the canvasses.

You said there were four pictures?

But there's only three frames.

The fourth painting was only so big...

Small enough to take intact.

Do we know the value?

In total, just over two million pounds.

Here is the big ticket.

Purchased by Rebekah Chaban at Sotherby's last year,

for one-point-three.

Artist is Friedrich Gustav.

Im Blauen Zimmer.

My ex is a big fan.

And the other three?

Two canvasses by Christian Fessel,

and the small one

is Louisa by Konrad Mueller,

each valued between two and three hundred thousand.

You're very well-informed.

I don't like to make a thing of it but I do know a fair bit about art.

Ah, she looked it up on Wikipedia.

I looked it up on Wikipedia.

-(chuckles) -Yup.

What time did you and your wife leave the gallery?

It had all finished by ten.

But you returned later?

Yes. Around a quarter past eleven.

Why did you return?

My wife asked me to check the alarm had been set.

I would have thought people like you have people

to do that for you.

People like me?

I don't appreciate your tone.

At 23:18, responding to the gallery's silent alarm,

police arrived to find you leaving via the rear door.

I heard a car door outside,

and I assumed it could be whoever was responsible,

so I went to look for them.

Were you going to confront this person?

I don't know, I was acting on instinct.

Pity your instinct didn't include dialling 999.

After all, there were clear signs a robbery had taken place.

Did you touch the body, check for a pulse?

-No! -(Max) Why not?

Okay.

You say your wife asked you to check the alarm.

You drove there. What then?

You walked in to find Chris helping himself

to your wife's collection?

What? Ugh... No! I...

I walked in,

I saw Chris on the floor,

and before I could do anything else or even think,

-I heard a noise... -And fled the scene.

Yes! Wait, no! I... No!

From July, 2006.