State of Play

Dom? Janine.

L need to know what's going on. The police keep saying you're back in England.

So where the hell are you? Ring me in the office.

...as the Honourable Member said,

but l fear that the Bill is taking us in the other direction.

L welcome the government's increase in funding

for local authority social services, but it is a belated...

- Ever heard of Dominic F*oy? - No.

- PR guy, small independent. - Not one of ours.

L've got an information budget of 16 million a year. Please, l don't need to use whitebait.

What if l know that he's banked 75 grand?

- She walked out? - Yeah, and l paid.

Doesn't prove she knows anything.

It suggests that U-EX were getting privileged information.

No, it proves you suggested it.

How much would you say this is up for? And guess who owns it.

1.2 million?

Greer Thornton, Stephen Collins' secretary.

You know what her salary is?

27,800.

How the hell can she afford a house this size?

Because do you know who her dad was? Where is it?

Admiral Sidney Thornton, 1926-2003.

Left it to his only child Greer. She's probably selling it to pay the inheritance tax.

- Share the spoils. - You wanted me?

Yeah. Copy this and get it transcribed.

Susan Sagattchean, U-EX Oil.

- To what extent? - It's not that brilliant.

There's no indication she knows anything about anything, apart from the size of Dan's penis.

Hey! Hands up anybody who's never screwed a source!

What's new, if that's the word?

A month after they started sleeping together,

Sonia's birthday present to Stephen was a weekend at Craymore House Hotel.

How fey (!)

The bill was covered by Warner-Schloss, recharged to U-EX Oil.

Yeah, but do we know that for a fact?

Their account code's reference 47120, yeah?

- Yeah. - Documentary evidence?

Pete's driving down there now to get a hard copy of the invoice.

If he gets it, we print it tomorrow.

- Saying what? - It speaks for itself.

- It's a stitch-up. - As a taxpayer, l'm right with you.

He thought she was paying.

Cal, no offence, don't be thick! If U-EX contrived Sonia's appointment in Collins' office...

lf? L thought we were taking that as read.

Which is unlikely, given the scrutiny a job like that attracts.

Sonia Baker was recommended for that position by Greer Thornton.

- Change your ribbon! - Cameron...

Every other applicant for that job was more experienced and qualified than Sonia Baker.

You lot got jobs when there were better against you. Sometimes it's an economic compromise.

You're tying yourselves in knots.

Just wrap it up, get some decent professional coverage.

Start putting my money where your mouth is!

None of it makes sense yet.

Della, grow up! L'm back in three hours.

If Pete's not back, tell him to fax a copy of that invoice over to me.

Cameron!

- Who's leaned on you? - Several people.

- When? - Since we opened this story.

So why start being obstructive now?

L can't afford to see my house flash before my eyes and you worry me.

Your bias in Stephen Collins' favour has nudged upwards

since you started poking his presumably guilt-ridden wife.

Stephen Collins is being stitched up.

Not without substantial contributions from himself.

He was still shagging his researcher when she was murdered. If that's not a story, what is?

- Which he's admitted. - Say thanks for confirming the bloody obvious!

He came to me with all that Craymore House stuff.

L'm the last person he'd want to confide in and he came to me as he's got nowhere else to go.

He's shitting himself!

You've got to admit that takes a lot of guts to do that.

Bob Coutts made a telling error.

He said we can't afford to upset the government over this.

We've got nothing on paper that implicates the government.

You must've talked to somebody within shouting distance recently?

George. George. George.

Erm... l'll catch you later, gentlemen.

L'm sorry, George. L need five minutes later. Well, ten.

Today's not good.

- Are you OK? - Yeah, l'm fine. Fine.

L just don't know who else to talk to.

Erm... Marion's at the theatre with friends.

Come round to the house after 7:30 and literally ten minutes.

L appreciate that.

It's always sortable, Stephen. Live by that.

- The... Greer... - Yeah.

Thanks.

Just fax it through.

- L tried the bell. - Yeah, l was ignoring the bell.

Greer, about nine years back, l spent a whole year as Stephen's campaign manager.

- L fought to get him elected. - Stephen is very intelligent.

L'm sure he achieved most of that on his own.

Yeah, OK, my ego!

But l was handling his life, his schedule...

working out what he said when.

L got to know him and like him.

For all the reasons you do.

Now, somebody somewhere wants to see him hang for something he hasn't done.

Stephen's not bent.

No.

You're not telling me a woman with your experience and workload...

is gonna go for the least qualified joker in a deck like this?

Somebody advised you to pick Sonia Baker as Stephen's researcher.

Only as a professional recommendation.

Which you need if you're as busy as you are. It's the same in my job.

The Energy Minister.

Current one?

George Fergus?

- Mr Foy? - Yeah, Mr Foy, Mr Foy.

OK, what do you want to see me about? All right?

Dominic Foy!

L want it on record that l came here voluntarily.

That's good of you.

Right, let's just get this over and done with.

Which bit?

OK, Sonia Baker was... my girlfriend.

My best friend.

Nobody was more upset than me when she died.

And whether she topped herself or... or... or was murdered,

l mean, l had nothing to do with that, nothing at all.

In fact, the last time l saw her, which was not that long before,

l mean, we were, you know, really, really good.

Close, l mean...

Never been better. Really.

So...

So?

What else can l tell you?

Just that in writing. Take a statement.

Hang on, hang on. So what was all the shit about?

Eh? If that's all you needed, what's?

Erm...

We're not following you.

Age?

Liz, have you seen Cal?

Boys' room.

And, you know, you won't get an answer till you've asked the proper question.

Oi!

Bell just called me. Dominic Foy just volunteered a witness statement.

- Anything? - All bullshit. A lot less than he's told us.

He's convinced there's somebody following him.

It's Fat Malcolm.

- Who's Fat Malcolm? - He used to work in the press hall.

He valets cars to bump up his pension. He's doing this for 35 a day.

- You knew where Foy was? - At home, hiding his car round the corner.

You've had us schlepping all over the place!

Foy is not gonna jump for cover unless he's got nowhere else to go. Is he still at the station?

Yeah, but l can't confront him there. He'll know where l got the information.

- Make an excuse. Get him. - L'll come with you.

No, better on your own. Find Syd and put him on red alert. Do you know where Helen is?

Tell me why you want her.

- Helen! Helen! - It's question time. L can't miss it.

You know George Fergus better than any of us.

- He isn't here today. - Can you find him?

He's a minister - months for an appointment!

Did he personally recommend Sonia Baker for that job?

George?

He said specifically that he knew her family.

L'm not asking for a confession. A denial is fine, but we need it before tonight.

- L'll find him. - Thanks.

Dominic!

Who told you l was here?

A witness. They just finished making a statement.

OK, l saw your car.

If it's you following me, OK, right,

l'm straight back in there, OK, to file a complaint.

Because there are privacy laws!

What about Sonia Baker's privacy?

What about my privacy after my flat was ransacked?

Dominic, you know more than anybody about why Sonia Baker was murdered!

You're a fool to yourself if you think they'll let you walk away from this.

Are you being followed? Seriously?

Yes. Silver Rover.

Go back inside. Report it.

Look... l'm scared, OK?

Where are they parked exactly?

Just follow me.

Literally straight behind me. Don't look yet!

There. See?

OK.

Keep your head down and crawl over to mine, the green Saab.

No.

L'll take yours. Meet me in the hotel we were at yesterday.

Don't check in. Just find somewhere in the lobby and stay put. OK?

Here.

L think he'll talk. We're going to the hotel.

Tell Fat Malcolm to follow me, not him. L'm in the BMW.

Jesus, Cal, if it's urgent, don't bring it herel

l've got Dominic Foy.

This might be the last chance we get to get the right answers, so l need the right questions.

- L can't talk to him. - He wouldn't have to know you were there.

Just because l came to you for help doesn't make me your Westminster correspondent.

No, l sent our Westminster correspondent to get a statement out of George Fergus.

Greer named him.

You want to make up your mind which direction you want your information coming from.

Are you sure you go into the woods to hunt bear?

Excuse me, sir. A young lady wants to speak to you.

No.

Coming back to what you were saying before about the Green Paper, what surprised me...

Excuse me, sir.

Excuse me.