Silent Witness - Twenty-Sixth Season

A human body falls at 9.8 metres per second

and accelerates at that rate.

In a stable, belly-to-earth position,

terminal velocity is 53.6 metres per second.

Clothing and wind resistance can affect acceleration.

But any drag force is minimal with a fall over 100 metres.

By the time it reaches terminal velocity,

a 70kg body can generate a force of over seven tonnes.

Ultimately, it's the deceleration that proves fatal,

even if there is a limited impact.

It's not the fall that would kill you.

It's the hard stop.

The scaffolding tarp there, on the fifth floor broke his fall.

So the body's intact, praise be.

Otherwise?

Otherwise we'd be looking at a shadow,

a vaporised cloud of blood and tissue.

No pulse.

New boy's thorough.

Jesus wept.

His name is Anthony Drinkwater.

It says Senior VP, Vance Chellacot.

Vance Chellacot, it's an investment bank,

way up there.

What's that on his trouser leg, rust?

I think he climbed onto something.

You think he took his own life?

I think he climbed onto something.

So he didn't fall out then?

This place is a sealed tomb for wage zombies.

500,000 a year wage zombies, but hey.

Nobody saw the fall?

Nobody saw a thing.

What have the cops found?

His sandwich on his desk.

He got up to get a cup of coffee, never came back.

Anyone else fancy ristretto? No, you're good.

I've not had my five a day yet.

Coffee stains?

Seriously?

On his cuff.

He isn't wearing red shoes, is he?

Red shoes? In the City?

Black brogues.

He was being followed.

What side of the building are you on?

West elevation.

Well? Well, what?

Did he jump or was he pushed, Miss Marple?

Neither.

Both?

So this Velvy guy, Clarissa recommended him.

How's he shaping up?

He's eager to please.

It's exhausting.

What's his story?

He's a lab trainee.

Does everybody have to have a story?

Thanks, we'll take over from here.

Dr Alexander,

the police are leaving.

What?

Why are they going?

National Crime Agency.

Anthony Drinkwater must be somebody.

Laine Cassidy, NCA.

Nikki Alexander.

So you think this is going to be murder?

I don't leave my corner office for murder.

This is rather more serious than that.

Right, Gavin, what have we got?

My data team have patched into the building's camera feeds.

There are 542 cameras here.

And probably none of them where we want them.

How did Anthony Drinkwater come to the attention of the NCA?

He didn't.

We didn't know he was alive until he was dead.

It was his boss we were looking into.

Financial crime?

There's a lot of it about.

You don't think these manly edifices

have been built from honest sweat, do you?

Behind every great fortune, there's a great crime.

So this ends with Mr Drinkwater?

No.

I think it begins with him.

We've got some footage of the suspect. We've got a face.

The pass belongs to a junior VP, he currently resides in Dallas.

They cloned it.

That's him going through the turnstile.

He's keeping his head down.

He seems to know where the cameras are.

He didn't know about that one.

Who is he?

Not a clue.

And neither does our Facial Recognition System.

Lainey, Serena!

Call me, OK?! And whatever you do, don't come home!

Now the acetate.

What do you think we'll find? I don't know.

But you think he was chased.

In his own office? Why would he run?

Again, I don't know.

I guess Drinkwater must have known the guy meant him harm.

How? Jesus. How many questions?

Sorry. They just sometimes sound like questions.

There's a lot I don't know, you see.

Maybe he recognised him.

That's why he ran.

Are those questions?

Are you for real?

Why were you collecting all the blood spatter?

We just photograph and sample,

you were scraping it all up. Someone will want to bury him.

Isn't it better that they bury all of him?

I guess. But what if he'd...

...you'd have been there till Christmas.

If he did know him,

maybe they shook hands.

Maybe?

Everything we do is maybe.

Drinkwater got to the top of the tower

but I don't think he started there.

Good skin. He's well groomed.

His legs are bowed.

Could indicate early years vitamin D deficiency.

And these are veneers.

They're expensive, but hiding previous dental decay.

So, I think he could have grown up poor.

You climb high to get away from something, don't you?

Are you speaking from experience?

There's nothing wrong with my teeth.

Nikki, time to open this one up.

I'm not squeamish.

It's your shoes I'm worried about.

The chest cavity's full of blood.

Several litres of it.

So you'd collect every drop of blood, would you?

Some of the scenes we go to,

muscle and tissue get bonded to metal, asphalt.

Where I come from we bury that too.

Sorry.

Why?

It's a religious thing.

It's about the sanctity of the body.

I'm an idiot.

I'm not sure about religious.

Maybe I just grew up like that.

Orthodox? Jewish?

Here.

That was me.

Who are they?

That's Rifka. That's Tirza,

and the baby's Yosele.

You're about 20, aren't you?

24.

We get married young. And we don't get divorced,

not normally.

Do you see them, your kids?

There are two worlds, and... they don't mix.

Vance Chellacot manages 30 billion in assets.

She did say it was bigger than murder.

War wound? The scar?

I think she probably fought a Sumatran Tiger with her bare hands.

You should see the state of the tiger.

She was in counter-terrorism for five years and then...

Seconded to the Treasury, special adviser on Financial Crime.

Which of us is more in love with her?

Sorry.

Were you kissing?

Beg your pardon?

I get things wrong. Did you need something, Velvy?

It's just that...

...Mr Hodgson was right.

They shook hands.

Where is she? Where's Naomi?

She's not back from lunch yet.

Oi!

I've got all these deliveries.

I'm stuck!

This is the guy Drinkwater shook hands with.

No wonder facial recognition didn't pick him up.

Handling stolen goods aged 16.

What's he still doing on your system?

Certain markers, specific circumstances.

Can you be any more vague?

Sure.

Who is he?

Who's Stephen Ross?

Armed officers entering!

Police! Moving upstairs in the unit!

Clear! Clear! Clear!

Clear upstairs. Suspect not here. I repeat, suspect not here.

Area cleared.

Sir you can't go in there. Open the door!

Oi!

Luca! Papa?

Sir, what are you doing? Luca, are you all right?

Vieni con me. Let me go! Where are we going?

Move back, move back!