Vera

No,

No

Well, I tell you, I'm on my way.

Give me strength!

This door's jammed.

It's a new system.

What?

You've got to swipe your membership card.

We've got a lot of thefts recently,

so it's for member's own security.

Yeah, wild guess, drowning.

But I'll not be able to say for sure

till I've seen her lungs.

This was caught in her costume.

Right, well, she's dressed for the water.

Could it have been an accident?

That could, this couldn't,

bruising round the face, chest and neck consistent

with being forcibly held or pushed and broken fingernails.

Right hand index almost ripped out.

She fought back.

She did, it's a beautiful spot.

And my guess is she was washed down river.

She's got beached here by the ebb tide

and she's not long dead.

Rigour mortis not yet established,

there's no bloating or decomposition, no animal activity.

Nothing been nibbling.

Right, officers from here to the Wilds of Wanney.

I want to know where she went in-

They're already looking.

We couldn't get hold of you.

I didn't think you wouldn't want us hanging around.

I get rid of mine

once they start thinking for themselves, slippery slope.

It's Kenny, he's found a car

All right, I'll lead the way then, shall I?

Sergeant Ashworth, back pocket please.

What's that?

It's for Kenny, he'll know why.

Who's Kenny's little friend?

DC Whelan

Who?

You knew she was starting today, we had a memo.

Well, what's she doing with Kenny?

Well, I couldn't get hold of you.

I had to put her somewhere.

Ma'am.

Boss.

It rained earlier,

but underneath the car is absolutely bone-dry.

So it's been here for hours.

Tell me you've more than that.

Yes, ma'am, this way please.

There's a towel.

The bank's muddy, so we didn't want to get too close

in case there was any prints.

But DC Whelan here, climbed down the rocks for a look.

Athletic.

It's hanging on a branch like it was left deliberate

Plates?

Yeah, car was registered to Jenny Lister,

2 Yale Terrace, Fairbeck.

Right, get it taped, call Forensics.

Ma'am.

You're on guard till they get here.

From Billy.

Oh, right, cheers.

No dog walkers, no twitchers, and no bloody anglers.

What?

You're just always praying

it's not a kid answers the door, aren't you

Jenny Lister live here?

She's at work, I'm afraid.

Can I help, I'm her daughter?

We're from Northumbria and City Police.

Best if we come inside, pet.

So you've found Mum's bag?

Bag?

She reported it, you said you were with the police.

I'm Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope.

This is Sergeant Joe Ashworth, and you are?

Hannah.

Hannah, does this belong to your mum?

That wasn't in the bag, she was wearing it this morning.

I want you to sit down, pet

I'm afraid we found a body by the river.

I am so sorry.

She wouldn't drown, she couldn't!

We think she was murdered

Now Hannah, this is hard, I know it's hard

but it's my job to find out who did this to your mum.

I'm going have to ask you some questions.

Is there someone you'd like me to call

or someone you'd like to be here with you?

Your dad?

Simon, I want Simon.

I don't know what to say.

Simon, boyfriend, is it?

Simon, this is Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope,

Northumbria and City Police.

Sorry.

I don't take sugar.

Just this once, pet.

How long will it take Simon to get here?

Not long, if he can get past his mother.

They're only at the other end of the village

You'd have passed it coming in.

Big house by the river, just him and her.

Like me and Mum.

No partner, your Mum?

Not for a long time.

What did she do?

Social worker, fostering and adoption.

I don't understand how someone could hurt her.

She was strong, she swam all the time.

Keep her figure trim, keep fit?

She's not vain like that, she just loves it.

It doesn't matter how many questions you ask me.

This doesn't make any sense.

She was a good person, she made a difference.

Nobody could want this.

Hannah, okay, I've got you.

Its all right.

Simon, will you stay with her?

Yeah, its all right,

I've got you

So it's confirmed, she was drowned?

Water in her lungs with traces of pesticide,

its run-off from the fields by the stretch of river

where the car was found.

So, either she liked swimming in circles.

Or she'd only just got in.

Maybe someone followed her.

Anything else?

Muesli for breakfast, same sort I have.

Apparently you can get it with cranberries.

Oh, God, he pushes it, that one.

What are we doing?

Big house by the river.

And a mother who doesn't like her lad

visiting with the little lass down the way.

Now why do we think that might be?

I'm afraid I don't buy at the door,

especially not religion.

Oh, that's my sergeant's clobber.

Gives the wrong impression.

Not we're not the God Squad, pet, we're police.

DCI Vera Stanhope, DS Joe Ashworth.

Veronica Eliot.

Just met your lad, round at the Lister place.

No messing about with him, is there?

Straight to what's required, no fuss.

Still, Hannah's gonna be needing that now, isn't she?

Now her mother's been murdered.

Jenny?

Jenny Lister's dead?

Didn't Simon say?

He was in quite a rush, I can see why now.

Good God.

Hey, I'm sorry.

Were you friends?

Different circles, we only really knew each other

through the children.

Yeah, they seem very close.

Yes, I'm afraid I find the whole thing rather unhealthy.

Far too wrapped up in each other.

And what did Jenny think?

Typical social worker,

non-interventionism is a way of life.

She certainly didn't do much to discourage it.

Simon's away at university.

Come the holidays,

she lets them live in each other's pockets down there.

I'm more old-fashioned, poor Jenny.

Though I suppose one shouldn't be surprised

that it came to violence, the type she's had to deal with.

We were under the impression she worked with children.

But surely you know,

She was the senior social worker in the Elias Jones affair.

Shut up!

Shut up making that noise!

Come on, leave her be.

Anniversary of her lad's death.

She shouldn't have bloody killed him then shouldn't she?

Come on.

Morning.

Ah, Kenny, I'm touched, happy birthday, Joe.

Is this the best you could do?

You had a fiver off Billy.

We'll stand you a drink after work, christen the mug.

Cheers.

Right, Jenny Lister, 41 years old.

Social worker, wild swimming enthusiast.

Now according to Billy,

she was stunned by a blow to the head, probably with a rock,

and then held under the water until she drowned.

Elias Jones, six-years-old.

Drowned in his bath by his mother two years ago this week.

Now Jenny Lister was the senior social worker in the case.