- Gerry and Steve go to Glasgow, ostensibly to advise on establishing a UCOS office there but are asked to investigate the nineteen year old death of bookmaker James Soutar, given that the investigating officer at the time Frank McNair was suspected of corruption. He was also the man who ran off with Steve's wife. The pair are surprised to learn that Soutar left fifteen thousand pounds to Cathy Sinclair, who claims she never met him, as well as legacies to children's charities. However Charley, Steve's younger girlfriend, tells Gerry that she and Cathy were in care together and that Soutar was involved in a vice ring, grooming girls in care for sex. The duo solve the case and, before returning to London, Gerry helps Steve get his revenge on McNair.—don @ minifie-1
- Gerry and Steve McAndrew are sent to Glasgow for a week when the police there decide to set up their own cold case squad and would like some experienced officers to advise them. Gerry's not too keen and his attitude only gets worse when they arrive to find there's a 19 year-old case they want them to take on. A bookie, Jame Soutar, was killed in a bus station 19 years ago and the investigating officer at the time, Frank McNair, was corrupt. After his death, Soutar left £15,000 to Cathy Sinclair, a young woman in care. They find that prior to Soutar's death, four girls disappeared from care homes but none went missing after his death. They assume he was responsible for the disappearances but that's not quite case.—garykmcd
- DAC Strickland has Gerry and Steve off to Glasgow to assist with the start of Scotland's UCOS team, they meet DCI Fiona MacDougall, informing Gerry her recruits are eager to hear his introductory team speech. Gerry is unexpectedly reticent about expressing his thoughts until the end when he threatens his audience of experienced officers not to be afraid of hard work rather than rely on technology; his talk results in a round of applause as they exit the room.
The guys are informed the project has been put forward for a week, although DCI MacDougall would appreciate their expert investigative skills on an old case. Fiona explains there was corruption in the ranks, the officer heading the case was not charged, but suspected with others, reason to tread lightly among the ranks. Fiona wants them to work the case because the investigative officer was Frank McNair. Steve immediately asks for the file. Nineteen years ago, a bookmaker named James Soutar was killed at the bus station under dubious circumstances, prior to his demise he bequeathed lump sums to orphanages, particularly a young woman named Cathy Sinclair.
Their first stop is a nursing home, retired cop and resident Colin Ogilvy, connected to the Soutar case from his police fiscal background; Soutar was a bookie. When questioned, he answers the two officers with responses indicating he was not all there; they thank him for his time and depart.
Next stop is the restaurant where Cathy Sinclair owns, here they are greeted with pleasantries, although Cathy does not know why Soutar gifted her, as there were no family ties; she was orphaned at two, living at in-care homes. The officers admit Soutar was an orphan also, maybe he had sympathies to his own kind.
Frank McNair is next; they speak to him at the country club where he is Secretary. Frank was the investigating officer on the Souter case, suspected of corruption, he is indifferent to Gerry and Steve, they leave Frank's office. Steve goes to see his girl Charlene while Gerry checks out the scene of the crime and is arrested on suspicion for procuring prostitutes. Steve bails him out and introduces him to Charley, working in nearby forensics.
The two discuss what they know so far at Steve's, with Charley present. Steve explains to Gerry, she is in forensics, that is how they met, Charley excuses herself, heads home. The next morning the two visit records underneath the police station. Helen Wray from Social Services is in charge, allowing them to view archived background information from files on James Soutar and Cathy Sinclair. Gerry takes a cell-picture of a group photo from Cathy's file, the photo proves Cathy and Charlie were both orphaned, they appear in the picture with others.
Gerry visits MacDougall in her office discussing he is being followed proving they are on the case and someone else is curious. Steve talks to Roy Fraser, retired senior detective he knows and trusts. Roy says McNair was dubious in his work, but it is doubtful he tried to cover up a murder unless someone paid him off. Known to some, McNair left the force before he would have been pushed out.
Gerry stops by to see Charley in forensics showing her the picture taken at a school wide activity; she did not know Cathy, since there were many at the function, but she does admit she was also an orphan, asking not to tell Steve.
Gerry and Steve look over newspapers from the time of Soutar's murder, noting the small amount of coverage it was given. There were four young girls disappearing at the time, and the mysterious missing youths stopped after Soutar was killed. The boys agree that Helen Wray and McNair each need to be revisited. Wray never mentioned anything about the missing girls and McNair was too short with them. They dine with Charley at Cathy's restaurant, explaining to Cathy several girls went missing during the time preceding Soutar's murder.
Gerry doesn't trust MacDougall, he excuses himself from the restaurant, heading home to Steve's. He is met at the door with a strike to his head, knocking him out. He wakes to find Charley there telling him of her youth, behaving badly, ripe for anyone to take advantage of her situation. She tells of the procurement of orphaned girls nearly of age to be escorts in repayment of their past behavior and to dismiss any illegal doings. MacDougall enters, getting the latest on the old case, while the officers meet again with Roy Fraser. Roy says he will ask around looking for more information.
Next stop is back to McNair at the club, confronting him with the facts of the girls never mentioned in his case file. He pleads non-relevance, stating Soutar was killed in an area of gay bars, attributing his death to a bashing crime. McNair is obstinate, off-putting to the men, not yielding any help. Steve accuses him of complicity, they exit Frank's office, noticing Ogilvy is a club-member with an active single digit handicap; senility and a good golfer do not make sense. McNair never mentioned Ogilvy was an active member.
The two UCOS's visit the home of Helen Wray, a far too posh house for a civil servant. She disavows any knowledge of the whereabouts of the missing girls, but was aware of there circumstances; it wasn't her business to pursue the missing. The boys step out after bidding Helen a thank-you, neither believes her, Steve has Gerry wait for a few minutes, then he enters Helen's saying he dropped his phone in there, recovering it, he plays the recorded conversation Helen has with some male about the two snooping around about the girls and the person she is calling was one who had sex with Cathy, the man's favorite. Steve and Gerry ask for Helen's landline, feigning no signal for his cell's urgent call. He gets the last-call-made information, entering the number into his phone, while Gerry distracts her. They leave, calling the number finding out it is Ogilvy, while being chased by a Land Rover obviously wanting run them off the road. MacDougall is on scene when the Rover escapes. They explain to MacDougall that Helen Wray procured girls for a sex ring.
Meeting again with Colin he admits to nothing after listening to Steve's phone recording of Helen admonishing the other party stating he had sex with those girls. Ogilvy mentions he never claimed to be ill, just he hadn't long to live, as he walks out to the balcony, falling to the ground, dead by suicide.
MacDougall grills Wray, getting her to come forth with names of the men having sex with the girls, one was Roy Fraser, whom she later grills and receives no comment from her questions until she asks if he killed Soutar. He responds no, nor did he cover up any evidence to the contrary.
Steve and Gerry are in the car when Steve pauses their conversation to direct Gerry's attention to MacDougall walking to her car. They meet up with her at the cemetery, specifically the tombstone of James Soutar, who Fiona called Jimmy. Steve said they followed her because she was the only person calling him Jimmy. MacDougall tells of her background revealing she was an orphan financially nurtured, not sexually touched, by James Soutar. She explains to the UCOS gents her sadness because of his death, regretting she hadn't found his killer. White roses lay at Soutar's gravestone which Fiona placed frequently, but Gerry said those were not delivered by you today. The epiphany occurs because the men knew where the roses came from and who placed them.
The three officers return to Cathy's restaurant confronting her with the fact they know she had met James Soutar, who offered her help escape to a better life, leaving the Helen Wray pimping life. Cathy says she didn't believe him with his financial promise. She thought he was killing other girls, namely Gemma, because Gemma didn't come home one evening. Her story continues with James Soutar extending an invitation to meet him at the bus station. She went to meet him with a rounders bat. Money arrived months later for her, she started having doubts, then she saw Gemma in Aberdeen, live and well, she looked straight at Cathy. She said she tried to atone for her actions knowing a mistake had occurred, but it was too late. Gerry directs Cathy needing to get her things and MacDougall tells Steve she is going to get her the best defense lawyer in Scotland.
One last thing is a face to face with McNair telling Frank the six-foot Scotsman with a sawed-off shotgun was intimidation and Roy Fraser told them he fixed the investigation of James Soutar's murder in order for McNair to keep his pension. Frank McNair knew of the Helen Wray collaboration and will be arrested, told by Gerry before he pastes Frank for remarking to Steve about his wife leaving. Steve comments to Gerry as they walk down the club steps the punch he threw was as good as he could have delivered. Steve tells the policemen walking up the club steps a man inside took a nasty fall. The two depart for London; old crime solved and all were served.
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