another chapter for you! I hope you all enjoy this as we approach the end of season three. I am trying to make interrogation scenes more interesting than just copying the dialogue word for word from the show!
thank you to everyone for reading, especially those that take the time to comment and leave feedback, it really does means o much to me and keep me going!
Hastings clears his throat before he begins, no doubt feeling the pressure pushing at them all, "DS Arnott, can you account for your whereabouts between 0800 and 1200 hours on July the 17th of this year?"
Steve winces at Hastings' solemn tone. This was not his usual, cocksure attitude he used during interrogations.
He never thought he would be on this side of the table. He shouldn't be.
"I was at home," he states.
"This would be your home address, flat five at Kings Gate apartments?" Kate asks, having to despite the fact she knows it well.
Steve shakes his head, disbelieving what is happening, "Yes."
"Who were you with?" Hastings asks, tone still low.
Steve's eyes flick to Liz, who is still focussed on the files in front of her. He can feel himself sweat, "Between those hours I was alone."
"And your girlfriend, DS Samantha Railston, where was she?" Kate questions.
"Sam left early for work around 06:30," he explains, sadly, "I was alone in the flat but I made phone calls. They'll prove where I was."
He can see Liz shift from the corner of his eye. She sighs, quietly, having seen a notification of a missed call from him this morning. Liz had ignored it, too distracted by the news of Denton's passing and knowing he was to be arrested and unlikely to return it. She only prays that is not what it comes down to; him being implemented because she did not answer to validate his alibi.
Kate nods, pressing a button on the tablet device so an image appears on the screen behind Liz, "Document three in your folders. Document three is a photocopy of item reference ASJ13, telecommunications record for mobile telephone 079591152425 registered to Steven Arnott. Four calls are shown."
Liz looks at the image, seeing her name and number listed between multiple calls to Lindsay Denton and the AC-12 switchboard.
"Can you tell us what was happening with these calls?" Ted asks.
She feels Steve look at her again, but instead decides to study the image.
"I'd realised Lindsay had stolen my pocket book," Steve explains, "I called her from my flat but it went straight to voicemail. I then tried Elizabeth-"
Liz winces at his formal use of her name, despite knowing it is purely for the tape and not out of malice.
"-but it also went to voicemail."
"Why did you call Miss Thornton?" Dot asks, glancing between the man on the other side of the table and woman beside him.
Steve sighs, playing with his hands nervously, "I had drank some wine. Admittedly, I don't know. Suppose I was feeling sorry for myself and needed a friend."
Dot hums, seeing Liz not quite satisfied at that answer.
"Continue," Hastings instructs.
"When I couldn't get hold of Lindsay, I went to her current residence. But she wasn't there. So I tried calling her again."
"And the call to the AC-12 switchboard?"
"To report the theft of my service vehicle," he states.
Liz wonders if he is telling the truth, or if the call was just a ploy to cover up his whereabouts and being with Denton. She was found dead in his car, after all. If it was stolen, that would suggest someone else was guilty of her murder.
"When was the last time you saw Lindsay Denton alive?"
She takes in a deep breath as she waits for his answer.
"The night before. My flat."
Liz resists shaking her head. He invited her into his flat?
Dot tries to share a disbelieving glance with her, one she tries to ignore. Liz risks a look in Steve's direction, seeing him forcing his eyes forward as to not meet hers.
He continues to explain himself, "Lindsay had a theory that Danny Waldron left a list of abusers in the graveyard. We were searching online burial records for a name that might have been a memorable association for Danny. She left my flat and I went to the graveyard alone. Must have been while she was in my flat that she took my pocket book."
Kate speaks next, "At this time, myself and DI Cottan were carrying out direct surveillance on Steve Arnott's flat, authorised by Superintendent Hastings under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. We were also accompanied partly by Miss Thornton, who has been recorded as a civilian witness."
Liz tenses as Steve whips his head to her, eyes widening, sorrowfully.
"Now we saw you and Lindsay split up," Dot begins, "Then after you'd left, Lindsay looked like the cat who'd got the cream. She sent you off on a wild goose chase while she went and cracked the case."
"'Cause actually, Danny had hidden the list online," Kate finishes.
Steve's face contorts into an expression of shock, "She found the list?"
"She did indeed," Hastings confirms, "I've gotta hand it to her, she got the job done."
Liz's heart aches for Steve.
"She made a total mug of you," Dot quips, Liz snapping her head to him with a frown. He looks back at her and shrugs slightly, before turning back to Steve, "And these phone calls we've been talking about, they're all around noon onwards."
Liz frowns again. But Steve had called her last night? She looks back to the telecommunications log, now noticing the times of the other calls he made were, as Dot said, much earlier.
"None of it corroborates you were in your flat before that time," Dot challenges, continuing confidently. "The proprietor of the internet café, now she reckons she saw Denton leave around 11, 11.30. She didn't see where Denton went or who she met. And we've no information on her whereabouts 'till her body was discovered at 12.30."
"But you were at home all that time?" Hastings asks Steve.
"Yes, sir."
"So what were you doing all this time?" Dot once again questions.
Steve hesitates. Liz cringes.
"DS Arnott?" Ted prompts.
"I slept," Steve says, defeatedly, knowing it was not a good alibi.
"You had a kip?" Dot mocks, "Seriously?"
"I'd been up most of the night."
"You didn't think of calling her straight away?" Hastings raises a brow.
"No, sir."
"She sent you to this graveyard on a fool's errand, stolen your pocket book."
Dot nods, "I would have been after her like a shot. You, you're stuck to your sofa watching Homes Under The Hammer."
Liz would have snickered if it were not Steve Arnott that DOt was wittily berating.
Steve stares back at the man, face blank.
He sighs, knowing he needs to explain himself, "I got home late. Sam…My girlfriend and I, we had a row. I had some wine and I fell asleep on the sofa."
"And that's when you called Liz?" Dot asks.
Steve looks over to her, their eyes meeting for the first time that day. She looks tired, just as he is. His chest pulls tighter.
"Yes," he says, keeping her stare, "Like I said, Sam was mad at me and I had been drinking and I-"
She watches as he swallows, eagerly waiting for his response.
"And?" Dot prompts.
"And I just wanted to talk to someone who would listen," he finally admits, quietly, his gaze now shifting down to the table in front of him.
Liz tries her best to stay neutral, though inside her nerves are screaming. If only she had answered that call. She worries, thinking Steve probably thinks she ignored it purposely. That she has turned her back on him, as everyone else has. She feels sick with guilt.
She blushes as she feels everyone but Steve's eyes on her.
"I overslept," Steve says as if trying to take the attention away from her again, "As soon as I realised my pocket book was gone, I took action."
"Still," Dot says, casually, "you were sorely pissed off with Denton, weren't you?"
"DS Arnott is simply stating the facts," Steve's solicitor warns.
"Oh, right," Dot gibes, "So you weren't pissed off with her?"
Steve remains quiet, probably for the best.
"In the early hours of the 17th, I followed Mr Arnott to the graveyard of Saint Barnabas Church, in which he stated, "If there is no list here, then Lindsay's going to get what's coming"," Kate then reads.
Liz starts to pick at her fingers, frustrated at how this was turning out.
"Can you tell us what you meant by those words?" Hastings asks as Steve looks between them, dismally.
He shakes his head, "I was angry. Angry with Kate, angry with Lindsay, angry at-"
His eyes fall on Liz, then flick to Dot before looking back to her for a moment. Liz shrinks, guilty.
"Angry at all of it."
Hastings sighs, "But you do admit that you were angry at Lindsay?"
Dot scoffs, "Oh, those words go way beyond angry."
Steve seems rattled by the man's accusatory tone, glaring at him with a sneer, "I didn't kill Lindsay."
Dot lets out a sceptical huff. Liz would otherwise chide him for such cockiness, especially against their friend. She knows the men did not exactly get along well, but they were usually civil enough with each other without animosity. But Dot was not forcing this upon Steve as some sort of revenge or malice, he was just doing his job. So Liz, knowing it is not her place and cannot be shown to be picking sides, especially in a recorded interview, stays quiet.
"At her trial, Lindsay testified that there was a sexual relationship between you," Kate provokes as Steve shakes with anger, "The relevant transcript documentation is document 46."
"I don't need a transcript," Steve demands, humiliated by the situation, "She was lying."
Kate continues, unbothered, "Data retrieval from Lindsay's mobile resulted in detection of the following file, item reference MKJ32. For the tape, I will now play MKJ32.
Liz feels like her gut is on fire. She almost wants to cover her ears, or leave the room entirely. Instead, she shifts in her seat, looking pointedly to her fingers where she continues to pick her cuticles in an attempt to distract herself.
She feels Dot slowly reach out under the table, placing his hand over hers to stop her before she hurts herself. Liz does not look up at him as he does that, not wanting anyone to notice. Turning her palm upward, she takes his hold.
She wishes she could find comfort in it, but instead, without the ability to fiddle, it almost forces her to listen.
The recording begins.
Her hand tightens under Dot's at the sound of heavy breathing resounding in the room.
"Is that ok?" Steve's breathy voice can be heard.
"Yeah," Liz shudders at Denton's equally sensual tone.
Then a few more breaths, almost grunts.
Lindsay moans.
The recording ends.
"You recognise the voices on this audio file?" Hastings asks before the awkwardness is allowed to linger more than it has too.
Liz almost feels as though she is gagging on the suffocatingly thick tension in the air. Dot releases his grip slightly, but their fingers remain entwined, resting on his knee where no one can see them.
"Me and Lindsay," Steve mutters, his face blushing furiously.
"And can you tell us where the recording was made?"
"In her bedroom."
Liz dares to raise her gaze, finding Steve's eyes already on her. Her face burns, cheeks undoubtedly flamed. She snaps hers away again before she can read whatever look he was trying to send her.
She instead looks down the table to the three investigators sat opposite him, noting their equally as mortified expressions. Kate, in particular, clears her throat, embarrassed.
"And were you aware at the time this recording was being made?"
"No, sir," Steve murmurs, humiliated, "I wasn't."
His solicitor pipes up, then, "As DS Arnott didn't give his permission, the recording was illegal."
"Still, it's not a nice thing to do to someone, that," Dot provokes, "Just another thing she did to put a few more winds on your clock, eh?"
Liz releases his hand at that, irritated by his taunting.
Though, he made a fair point.
"Time and time again you denied any impropriety," Hastings stresses, disappointed.
"What you can't know is we're both almost fully clothed, and the file's been abridged," Steve tries to argue. Liz can feel him looking at her as he says this, as if imploring her to believe him. Her hairs stand on end.
He hears Steve sigh, no doubt bothered she can't even look at him. He continues, now turning back to the three investigators, "If you'd had the opportunity to continue listening, you would've heard that we stopped through mutual consent."
"Stopped what?" the Superintendent drawls.
Steve once again hesitates, the tips of his ears searing.
"There was some kissing, some touching. Lindsay became upset and I comforted her, sir," his eyes once again find their way over to the young woman sat at the end of the table, looking devastated to her feet, "I swear, you have my word, Lindsay Denton and I did not have sex."
"Your word," Hastings scoffs, voicing what Liz was, regrettably, thinking.
How could he be so stupid? He had confessed this to her before but now, hearing it - it hurt. It was suddenly dawning on her how serious these accusations and this evidence were. This stupid mistake - and several others he had made - were going to lead to severe consequences. If only he had listened to her.
"Look, whatever your version is of that audio file," Dot says, "it sounds like you pair went way beyond the professional. And then she used it to discredit your case against her. Now, I don't know many blokes who wouldn't be angry about that."
Steve sends the man a harsh glare as Dot continues, "And thanks to her accusations you were suspended, your career potentially in ruins. Your relationships."
Steve shifts uncomfortably in his seat, his gaze once again involuntarily glancing to Liz. HIs heart breaks as he looks at her, sitting timidly, wincing at almost every word.
"Now for the tape," Dot goes on, "on screen is image five. Image five is a crime scene photograph taken at 12:45 on July 17th showing the body of Lindsay Denton."
Liz refuses to look up at it. Her hands grip anxiously to the sides of her seat. Her shoulders tense as she looks over to Steve instead, his body physically recoiling as he looks at the image.
"Image eight," Dot announces as he swipes on the tablet device.
"That's my car-," Steve says, disbelieving.
"Image eight is a crime scene photograph showing the vehicle in which Lindsay Denton's body was found."
Liz watches as Steve's face contorts into one of confusion. This whole time he had seemed more disappointed and embarrassed, but this was different.
Did he not know? That his car was where Lindsay was killed? He had reported it stolen, right? Maybe, if he had no idea of this evidence, he was telling the truth. It had been stolen. Someone else was the murderer.
Liz knows Steve Arnott. She knows when he is lying. His face now was not that.
"The vehicle is a dark grey Volvo C60."
"Do you agree it is your car?" Hastings asks.
Steve leans forward, folding his arms, "Like I said, sir, I reported my vehicle stolen."
"Document six in your folders," Kate instructs, "Document six is a photocopy of item reference IKL1. IKL1 is the log for service vehicles. On July 1st you signed out service vehicle Foxtrot Juliet One Four Romeo Charlie Zulu and it was never signed back in."
"You should've," Hastings berates, though his voice remains calm, "the second you were suspended."
"Well, it's a perk of the job, didn't want to give up the motor," Dot teases, to Liz's frustration.
Hastings sighs, linking his fingers, "So, it was a matter of fact that this video was in your possession at the time of the murder."
"The matter of fact, sir, is someone stole the vehicle," Steve insists.
"And you reported it stolen when?"
Steve hesitates, realising his mistake.
Kate speaks for him, referring to her notes, "In a call to the AC-12 switchboard at 11:59."
Dot hums, quirking a cocky brow, "But Lindsay Denton was last seen alive up to an hour earlier at the internet cafe. Now that is plenty of time for you to get home and report your car stolen."
"I reported the theft as soon as I realised," Steve argues, "The car must have been stolen earlier."
The three AC-12 investigators look between themselves, blankly. Liz feels her gut clench.
"I see," Hastings says, disbelieving.
"Document seven is a copy of the pathologist's report following a post-mortem examination of Lindsay Denton," Dot explains, Liz this time willing herself to look at the file, "The cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the head."
He swipes again on the tablet, Liz and Steve seeing this for the first time and both taking it all in, "Image six is a forensic photograph of item reference NJC4. Item NJC4 is a bullet found lodged in the passenger's side trim of service vehicle Foxtrot Juliet One Four Romeo Charlie Zulu. NJC4 has been identified as a nine by nineteen millimetre parabellum round."
Liz exhales at the overwhelming load of information. Her head hurts.
"Image 13 shows item reference SCS9," Dot continues, unrelenting, "SCS9 is a service issue firearm, Glock 17 pistol, serial number November Mike 8494748. The Glock 17 was found a short distance from the vehicle containing the body of Lindsay Denton."
Was that the gun Steve was carrying around the office the other day? She knows little about guns, never having completed the firearms course during training. But Liz hopes so. For Steve's sake.
"Document 11 also in your folders is the firearms issue log from South Ferry Armory," Kate begins, "You'll see a highlighted entry on the morning of July 13th relating to said Glock 17, serial number November Mike 8494748."
Liz looks to the file, seeing Steve's name and signature clearly imprinted on the top. Christ.
"Said firearm was never returned," Kate says, shamefully.
"No," Steve asserts, "I returned my firearm a few days before Lindsay was murdered."
"Not according to these records," Hastings sighs.
"No," Steve says again, louder, "No, I returned it."
Liz sees the panic rising in his eyes as he jabs a finger at the table, "Ask the armoury, they'll confirm it."
Hastings leans forward, gesturing to the file, "It is here in black and white, son."
Steve shakes his head, incredulously. She can feel Dot glancing at her before he sits forward to make his next point. She recoils further into her seat.
"You always follow the regs when it comes to firearms?"
The man opposite them sits, quiet, knowing where this was going and likely regretting his every move. How did he get himself into this mess?
Dot, prompted by his silence, continues, "DS Arnott was seen bearing a firearm within this building that did not in my view meet satisfactory operational requirements."
Liz can only watch as Steve shakes his head more furiously, tightly folding his arms across his chest.
"On July 13th I gave DS Arnott a verbal warning that he was in breach of section seven of the 1968 Firearms Act," Dot explains, glaring at the other man.
Steve glares back, waiting a moment before speaking again, attempting to deflect the conversation and unable to defend himself, "What forensics do you have linking me to the crime scene?"
Dot huffs, "Your car, your gun. Well, I would say that's plenty."
"Were my fingerprints found on the gun?" Steve challenges, leaning forward.
"There were no fingerprints found on the firearm at all," Kate explains to him, "It appeared to have been wiped."
"Right," Steve shrugs, defensively, "So no prints."
Liz feels herself straighten slightly in her seat at this. Dot beside her reaches for a glass of water, sipping it quietly as Steve continues to defend himself.
"Lindsay Denton was shot at close range. The vehicle interior shows a substantial blood splatter pattern," Steve raises his voice as he proposes, "Did you find blood particles on me?"
Liz looks hopefully down the table to Hastings and Kate who look between each other quickly.
"At the time of Steve Arnott's arrest his clothing was seized for forensic examination," Kate explains, "There were no traces of blood or gunshot residue detected."
"Yeah but anyone with half a brain covered in blood and gunshot residue would know to dispose of his clothing," Dot chuckles, humorlessly, before Liz has the chance to feel excited at the possibility of evidence proving Steve innocent.
"So where's this clothing?" Steve frowns at him.
"You tell us."
The two men stare at each other again. The air is thick with distrust.
Steve throws his hands out, still fixated glaring at the other man, "Why would I shoot Lindsay in my own car? I know the forensics would be totally incriminating."
"Correct, they are."
"So I wouldn't have done it!" Steve shouts, teeth bared.
"Oh, come on," Ted sighs, to Liz's disappointment, the older man clearly distrusting the man, "You were on the end of your tether with Lindsay Denton. She betrayed you, she manipulated you and finally she discredited you. You weren't thinking straight!"
Liz winces at his impassioned tone. This was unlike Ted, who was usually so cool and collected in interviews. But with Steve being the one sitting across from them, it was personal this time. They were all feeling the heightened, heated emotions that were building and building, threatening to boil over.
"So I used my service issue firearm that I left at the scene?" Steve leans forward, scowling and voice raised, "And I used my registered service vehicle? I mean, that's just stupid!"
Dot huffs, "Arnott, you panicked! You left your bullet and the casing and you didn't do a good enough job of disposing the gun."
Liz watches as Steve visibly shakes with rage as Dot continues his fierce accusation, "Then you cobbled together some story about your motor benign nicked. In fact, the only thing you didn't make a hash of was the bloodstained clothing."
Steve takes a deep, heavy breath, glaring, "That's not what happened."
The two men once again stare at each other, Liz finding her gaze flicking between them from where she sat at the end of the table. She almost wants to laugh at how well it visualises her position, torn between two men she has grown to care for and admire very much. Her head saying one thing, her heart saying the other.
Kate clears her throat, cutting through the tension, "Image 22 shows item reference EDC3, found in said service vehicle."
"Can you tell us what Item EDC3 is?" Hastings asks of Steve as they all turn to look at the picture.
"My pocket book."
"And is that the one stolen by Lindsay?"
"Yes, sir."
"So you went after her to get it back," Dot suggests, "and things got out of hand, and in your panic you didn't even remember to take it."
"I didn't take it because I wasn't there!" Steve yells.
"Yes," Hastings says, ruefully, "so you've said."
Steve deflates. Liz's heart breaks. She knows how much Steve has come to respect Hastings, the Superintendent's opinion of him mattering more than it should (Liz remembers smacking a note of how this perhaps links to his parent's apparent lack of care or interest, and Steve's constant drive for approval) It seems cruel now). Hearing the disappointment and disbelief in his voice must be tearing him apart.
"Is there anyone - anyone - who will bear witness to the fact that you were at home at the time of Lindsay Denton's murder?" Hastings prompts.
Steve's eyes flick to Liz, who gazes back remorsefully. If only she had answered his call.
He fails to reply with a cohesive answer.
"I had my issues with Lindsay Denton," Steve begins, voice now lower, "I can't deny that. But I wouldn't kill her."
"So you've said."
Steve's head snaps back to Dot at his comment. Liz expects him to start yelling again, with the way he scowls again. But he maintains his composure enough to respond.
"I didn't have that gun," he says, "So if I returned it, why didn't anyone try and recover it?"
He looks between the three AC-12 officers across the table. They shift in their seats, awkwardly.
Liz sits straighter, turning to look at them herself, eagerly expectant for an answer.
"DS Arnott's asked a very important question," Steve's solicitor prompts when no one speaks.
There is another short silence before Ted speaks, not looking up at the man, "Yes, well, I admit there was a failure to do due diligence on the part of the harvesters at South Ferry Armoury but I have written to the Strategic Arms Commander making my feelings on the matter abundantly clear and I can assure you disciplinary action will-"
"No one realise because I had returned the fire-arm!" Steve shouts, looking between them, desperately, "Someone must have access to the booking out forms and replaced the real one, the one showing I surrendered the firearm, with a forgery!"
Dot huffs out a disbelieving laugh. Liz turns to him, brows turned upward in questioning. Was Steve suggesting someone was setting him up? She knows Dot needs a conviction after such a bold accusation against one of their own, but surely they need to look into this?
It was hard to believe, yes. But not unbelievable.
"Yes, but this same someone would have to have signed out the same gun that was used in the murder and where is the record of that?" Hastings appeals.
"It's the same thing, sir, stolen so no one has got track of who's got the weapon," Steve bites back.
Hastings looks down to the desk, mouth turned upward in mistrust, "Alright, let me get this straight, DS Arnott, what you're saying is some imposter acquired the firearm and then tampered with the paperwork to cover his tracks?"
"Yes, sir," Steve argues, "Obviously the same person who stole my service vehicle that morning."
"So, your defence is; 'it wasn't me, it was just some random imposter'," Dot quips.
Even Liz has to admit, it sounded suspicious and lacked credibility.
"No," Steve snarls, "Not random. To know it's extremely difficult to steal a service issue firearm, but not actually all that difficult to fake the paperwork. That takes inside knowledge."
Liz shifts forward in her seat, sitting at the end of it, curious and eager to know more. To solve this. To end it.
"This was done by a police officer," Steve concludes, adamantly.
Dot shakes his head, "Oh, but apparently it's a piece of cake to steal a service issue vehicle fitted with deadlocks and an immobilizer?"
Liz deflates again. He makes another good point.
Steve seems to retract too.
"You have to admit," Ted says, quietly, "this all seems a bit far-fetched, son."
The younger man seems to think for a moment, eyes darting wildly across the table at the many documents and files strewn across it.
"There's a parallel on this case, sir," Steve suddenly states, gaining the curiosity of everyone in the room. He takes a breath before starting, "Ever since we started investigating Danny Waldron, first his shooting of Ronan Murphy, then Danny's murder. There have been holes that the evidence hasn't completely filled, one of which is the murder of PC Rod Kennedy."
Liz can sense Dot tensing, him turning to Hastings, "Sir, this is a massive tangent. DS Arnott knows we have to charge or release and he's playing for time."
"Sir," Steve insists he listens, "DI Cottan was too quick to close the investigation into Kennedy's murder."
Liz looks up at the man beside her, watching as Dot glares over at Steve, incredulous.
Steve does not relent, "Just like he was with his inquiry into The Caddy. He's doing the same here. He's cutting corners, not challenging evidence robustly and I'm the one suffering for his negligence!"
Dot does not blink as he glowers at the man, "Sir, DS Arnott's casting aspersions for one reason and one reason only. To discredit this case. To get AC-12 taken off the investigation against him."
Liz turns away from Dot to see Hastings rubbing his hands together, anxiously agitated by their blunt bickering.
"See, it's what these coppers do when you know you've got 'em banged to rights," Dot claims, fiercely, "Exploit their knowledge of the system to try and tie us in knots."
Liz places her hand on the man's knee under the table, willing him to back down, even if only to spare Steve from his frustrations. Dot had warned her Steve was attempting to do this, turning it back on the DI.
It was a ridiculous accusation, one that only seemed desperate on Steve's part. But what exactly is the accusation? And what grounds does Steve have?
Liz has grown to care for the man beside her, who she feels relaxing into her touch. But part of her, a rather large one, is tempted to speak out of turn and ask Steve for an explanation.
"Look," Hastings says before she has a chance, waving a hand, "I'd be really grateful if we could just stick to the issue in hand here which is the murder of Lindsay Denton.
Dot clears his throat slightly as Liz lets go of her hold on him, the man swiping on the tablet to show another image, "Now, with respect to service vehicle Foxtrot Juliet One Four Romeo Charlie Zulu, a forensic search was carried out at the crime scene. Image 43, interior of service vehicle boot. Image 45 is item reference VCT7. Do you recognise VCT7?"
"My gym bag."
"Image 46 shows the content of VCT7, sports clothing and trainers," Dot explains, "Image 47-"
"That was not in my bag!" Steve suddenly yells as an image of a phone recovered from the bag is shown on screen. Liz catches eyes with the other woman, seeing Kate look over at her, blankly, but clearly expressing some sort of doubt.
Liz winces as Steve continues to shout, throwing his arms in the air, "What- what is going on here?"
She almost wants to cry as his voice cracks.
Ted holds out a warning hand, "DS Arnott, please."
Steve collapses into himself, raking a hand through his hair.
"Image 47," Dot continues, unbothered, "shows item reference VCT9. VCT9 is an unregistered pay as you go mobile phone."
"Your phone, DS Arnott?" Hastings asks.
"No, sir," Steve insists.
"No, sir?"
"Someone put that there."
Liz's heart aches. She knows Steve Arnott and she knows when he is lying. He has tried to do so to her so many times before. Quite frankly, he is bad at it. She can always tell, and will call him out. This was not one of those times.
She just doesn't know.
Liz does not look at the images on the screen anymore, too focussed on Steve and trying to determine… well, anything she can.
"VCT9 is a type of phone reportedly associated with covert criminal communication," Dot explains.
"That is not my phone!"
"What the hell's it doing in your gym bag?" Hastings questions, frowning.
"DS Arnott denies any knowledge of the phone," his solicitor says, "There's clearly some irregularity with the search."
Hastings fumes, "My department carries out it's searches to the letter of the law, fella. The letter."
Following another short, tense silence, Dot continues, "Document 19 in your folders. Now, for the tape, this is a partial transcript of Lindsay Denton's retrial. At Lindsay Denton's first trial she was convicted of conspiracy to murder, and the prosecution hung in crucial evidence found at her home address."
Liz startles at this. Was this the evidence Dot said he had found that solidified Steve had planted the money at Denton's home?
"Namely, 50-grand in cash that was linked via financial forensics to other bribes employed in the conspiracy."
"I didn't plant that money," Steve states, passionately.
Liz watches curiously as Dot turns his lips downward, feigning agreement, before turning to the screen again, "Image 49 shows item reference VCT11. VCT11 is a five pound note. Is that your five pound note?"
Steve looks between them and then to the image on screen, "I don't remember having any money in the bag."
"Not your phone, now it's not your money either."
"I'm saying I don't recall if I was carrying any money in the bag," he insists.
"Fair enough," Dot shrugs, "That was in the inside pocket. It's only a fiver, it's easy to forget."
Liz frowns, unsure how this was incriminating in any way. Where was Dot going with this?
"We ran forensics on that five pound note," Dot explains, "Document 20 in your folders."
Liz eagerly reaches forward for her file, flipping it open to the correct page and waiting for an explanation as to what it shows.
"For the tape, I'm referring to document 20," Kate begins, "Document 20 is an official report made by the financial forensics unit. Report Sierra Alpha slash 5657 slash 15. The summary read; pollen particles detected on bank note VCT11 show a close match to pollen particles on bank notes AJK72. AJK72 is the item reference for the £50,000 found at Lindsay Denton's home."
Before Liz can even comprehend what she has heard, Steve slams his hands on the table, furious, "There is no way! That is not my money!"
"A second ago you couldn't even remember," Dot huffs.
"There is no way that I'd have money that was from the same source as Lindsay Denton's bribe!"
"But Lindsay Denton knew you'd planted that evidence and she was your most vociferous accuser, so maybe she was onto this evidence too."
"She wasn't onto any evidence, I mean, she couldn't have known about this!"
"Oh, right, so you hid it from her?"
Steve shakes his head, frantically, "I didn't mean it like that."
"That money would be very hard to come by," Dot insists, "But together, with that phone, this indicates a clear pattern of corrupt conduct."
"I AM NOT BENT!"