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forensicated · 1 month

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Conviction - Part 2 - To The Limit

Max and Stevie attend the scene the next morning when the fire is finally out. Sally reports a witness spotted a woman matching Abbie's description running away the time the fire started. The only one hurt in the fire was the barman, Pete, who lives above in one of the flats.

Men! Genuinely think Chris was about to laugh & had to hide his face 😂😂 (also she clearly hasn't done much in a pristine white top 😉)

Officer White Top tells them traces of accelerant were found on the stairs and in other places - most likely petrol. Whoever set it seemed intent on getting the flat and bar. Stevie jibes all three men for having their tongues out in the presence of Officer White Top.

Smithy and Callum attend the hospital and tell Pete that the fire was lit on purpose. He tells them that he doesn't know much about the big boss, Matthew Devlin, but his son has a history of rubbing people up the wrong way and is proud of the fact that no one likes him. Pete claims he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and that he knows of no reason why anyone would target him.

Matthew Devlin attends the station. Max tells him the bar is a crime scene and there'll be no entry until they finish. Devlin Snr says he was at home at the time of the fire and was entertaining guests, including a councillor if they need proof. Devlin Jnr was not present, he was at a party in Kent and is still travelling back. He'll help anyway he can because they are the victims and he expects to be treated as such. He walks into Smithy and Callum as he leaves. Callum doesn't move as the two men stare at each other, though Smithy steps to the side. "If looks could kill..." Stevie smirks. "Yeah... he doesn't like us does he..." Stevie's smirk grows. "I was talking about you!" She tells Callum.

Eddie is not impressed with the fire investigation crew pulling down the ceiling onto his 'nice clean crime scene!' but he changes his tune when he spots Officer White Top and flirts up a storm. (Stevie: "Is there a woman with a heartbeat Eddie hasn't cracked onto?" Max: "Actually... he's never hit on you, has he?") Both he and Officer White Top seem to now think the accelerant on the stairs could be a run off from what was poured outside the flat. Perhaps it was Pete and the flat that were the targets?

The bouncer who lives next door to Pete, Carl Fox, arrives at the cordon and tells them he'd stayed at his girlfriends the night before. Sally arrives with the CCTV that shows the blonde who matched Abbie's description running away from the bar was infact... Abbie!

Smithy reminds Callum the Devlin's are the victims until they get evidence to the contrary they have to treat them as such, as much as it pisses both of them off. They spot Abbie outside the hospital, she yelps when Smithy takes her arm and it's revealed that she has burns. Later they tell her they have her running away from the fire on CCTV and that the FME has confirmed she has second degree burns. She admits that she was there but denies starting it. She got the burns trying to get up the stairs to alert Pete. She admits that she and Pete are good friends and begs them not to tell Devlin. Smithy asks her how she's going to explain the burns and she says she'll tell Devlin that she went to the bar to look for him and that despite appearances Jason does look after her and pays the rent for her flat but she can't help her feelings for Pete and she admits being terrified of Jason.

Pete tells Smithy and Callum that he and Abbie have been seeing each other for a couple of months and that Jason treats her like a slave and knocks her around. He's saving up to get them both away somewhere safe. He says he didn't lie earlier, he's just taking every opportunity to stop Jason from finding out. Smithy floats the idea that he might already know given it seems the flat could have been the target and the rest accidental.

Callum and Max attend Devlin's flat now he's returned from Kent. "I can't wait to see the look on Devlin's face." Callum says. "You're an evil man!" Devlin is not happy to see them. "This is just about the fire, Mr Devlin." Max tells him. "I'm shocked you think it could be about anything else!" Callum adds, in a tone that suggests he is not at all shocked. Devlin says he was at a party miles away with many witnesses, he doesn't know who it was, he didn't start it and he has many enemies who could. Callum asks when he heard about it and he says that morning as his phone was switched off. He's heard Pete was hurt but his dad told him that he's alright and he hasn't spoken to Abbie. Max tells him that Abbie hurt herself trying to get into the bar looking for him. He admits he didn't tell her he'd be away all night. He attends the station to pick her up and calls her a 'silly cow' and to use the phone if she doesn't know where he is or to call his dad. How romantic and caring of him. His act is enough to prove that he doesn't know about her affair with Pete.

Eddie reports that he found coke on Pete's bedside table and that his bedroom door was almost kicked in before the fire brigade arrived. He's also found some forged European documents with an imperfection that matches other forgeries he's found floating around lately. It raises suspicions Abbie might not be an illegal immigrant.

Pete claims he knows nothing about the forged documents or the door. Callum threatens to tell Devlin but Pete can tell from Ben's reaction that Callum is bluffing. He tells him to nick him if he suspects him. Callum choses to place him under observation instead.

A printer admits that the Devlin's owe him over £1000 but insists he didn't set the fire as they've always paid up in the past. He tells them he knows they have dodgy businesses but won't be drawn into what they are. "You're the detectives... detect." Mickey finds out that they're landlords but there are no names of tenants on a list of creditors that Matthew Devlin handed over that morning so it's definitely something they don't want to advertise. He visits the nearest one with Smithy. It's not exactly high class living and the smell is horrendous. It's an illegal house of multiple occupancy and filled with most likely illegal immigrants who are terrified. There appear to be approximately 30 people living in the house if not more. Smithy reports it to the council. The house is a death trap with bare electrics, no working fire alarms and fire exits blocked up with stuff.

Ben and Callum follow Pete to Abi's and can tell from his body language that something isn't right. He enters and immediately runs out. They enter the house and find Abbie unconscious and beaten. Pete accuses him of telling Devlin and tells Rachel that he wants to make a formal complaint. Ben tells Rachel he heard nothing threatening said by Callum and she clearly doesn't believe him.

Smithy is furious when he hears and accuses Callum of trying to force the result or even telling Jason. He insists he's done nothing wrong, even when Smithy points out that Abbie and Pete were their best bets to getting information about the Devlin's and their empire. Stevie calms the men down and airs something that has been bothering her... what if it wasn't Jason who attacked Abbie? Stevie has found out there is no record of her entering the country legally.

Unfortunately despite the inhospitable conditions of the house, there's no law against renting to illegal immigrants so without one of them talking out against the Devlin's they can't prosecute them for it. Max suggests it could be one of the tenants who set the fire which opens up a huge amount of suspects. It does also add weight to the Devlin's being behind the forged documents however given they have their own captive market in at least one of their properties.

Smithy and Stevie attend Matthew's house and ask him where he was when Abbie was attacked. He tries to storm out but his father makes him stay and answer the questions. Devlin Snr tells his son that Abbie has been cheating with Pete and that is why they're asking all the questions. Jason is clearly shocked and growls to his dad that he'll kill her. Matthew tells him he'd told him she'd bring trouble to their door but he's now going to stay away from her. Smithy urges him to listen to his father. Stevie asks how Matthew knows and he tells them he saw them and to now focus on finding who set fire to the bar. Smithy tells him it was likely one of the tenants. Matthew claims he knew nothing about them being illegal and that it's them who 'imported half their village to live with them' and he knew nothing about it.

Max, Smithy and Stevie go to Abbie's flat to see if Eddie has found anymore information. He's found more than that - in the extra act of cruelty in pulling the phone line out the wall to stop Abbie calling for help after her beating, her attacker has left behind a partial print in her blood. Stevie offers to buy him a drink to congratulate him and he tells her he appreciates and loves her but she's 'not his type', much to the amusement of Max and Smithy.

Smithy apologises to Callum for accusing him of telling Jason. Rachel takes Callum into her office and tells him she's going to ask Pete to withdraw his complaint. She's disappointed that it happened in the first place. She allows him to work the case again but tells him to stay away from Pete and Abbie.

St Hugh's call and let the officers know that Abbie has regained consciousness and will be able to talk soon. Stevie's unsure if she'd want to but Max says she must if she wants her attacker caught now Jason is out of the frame but aware of her and Pete's relationship. Eddie has a match on the partial print from Gollum lookalike, Donny Blake. Mickey has history with him and says he's a nasty piece of work with a large amount of violent offences in his back catalogue as well as dealing. He has no known links to the Devlin's.

Abbie refuses to talk to Smithy and Stevie so they tell her what they know and suspect. They know she's there illegally, they know it was Donny Blake who did it, they know he's a violent drug dealer and the fact that she and Pete are trying to raise money to leave together suggests that they made some sort of deal with him that has fallen through. They think the forged documents they found are hers and that it was Blake who set the fire and tried to break into the flat. Smithy says without cooperation they'll have to arrest her and hand her over to immigration. Abbie finally talks, admitting that Donny did a deal with Pete to get drugs on credit. He would sell them through the bar, pay Donny back and keep the profit but the drugs were stolen. She suspects it's Donny trying to double cross them.

Pete tells Smithy and Max the same story in interview and offers to tell them where he got the forged paperwork from AND hand them the Devlin's in return for help. He got the paperwork from a Polish printer - the one Mickey spoke to earlier. Matthew Devlin got in touch with him that afternoon and offered 5K in cash to him and identity paperwork for Abbie to disappear. He said he'd get Donny off their backs too. Pete thinks they're finding her an embarrassment because she's an illegal immigrant. The call came before Donny got to Abbie so as far as Pete is aware the offer still stands.

Max and Smithy take it to Jack who calls a station briefing. He agrees to contact Matthew Devlin as part of a sting and agree to meet him at the print shop. At the same time, Callum will lead a search on Donny Blake's house with TSG and uniform. They've had a tip off that he's likely to try flush the drugs so they are not taking any chances. Donny does indeed try to flush them so they break the water pipe and are waiting with a black bag to catch the rest. Ben and Callum manage to overpower him and Sally arrests his girlfriend.

At the print shop carpark it's Jason who arrives instead of Matthew. Max thinks it's a bad sign but Smithy reckons it could work to their advantage as it's natural Pete would be nervous around him after sleeping with his girlfriend. They watch Jason push a package at Pete and pull his wallet out before charging over. The package is menu's and the money is £300. Jason claims he's paying him outstanding wages because he wants rid of him and that he knows nothing about any other deal. He literally laughs in a furious Smithy's face. At the station, Carl - the bouncer - is waiting with Matthew Devlin. It fits into place - Carl tipped them off as he was with Pete when he visited Abbie and found Smithy and Stevie there.

In interview, Matthew Devlin reads a short statement he prepared with his solicitor. It reads that he found out about the affair and asked Carl to keep an eye on Pete. Carl reported back that Pete was planning a drug deal. The Devlin's did not want that on their premises. They asked Carl to report it to the police but he didn't as he couldn't verify the information. They realised that afternoon that the fire was likely linked to Pete's activities and came forward at the earliest of opportunities. He admits Jason is a loose cannon and that he went to the print shop to meet Pete to look him in the eye after he'd been lying to him and sleeping with his girlfriend. If Pete has told them that he was being bought off with offers of cash and documents then it is a vicious smear. They met at the print shop so he could pay the printer the outstanding invoice and collect the menus. Smithy calls him out for lying and that they used the printer for forged documents and wanted rid of Abbie for fear she might know something damaging to them. He simply shrugs and points out that Abbie is an illegal immigrant who has been dealing with hard drugs and is a known liar - making out that they'd lied about the 5K and documents. "Who's going to believe anything she has to say?"

Callum reports that Abbie was right, they found Pete's holdall in Donny's flat and they've brought him in. Max and Smithy don't have any good news. Matthew has an answer for everything even if it's rubbish. Max points out they have an ace up their sleeve - the printer.

The printer claims morally he's done nothing wrong. His grandfather created false documents during the war for the Resistance and refugees. He saved lives and so is he - he only produces paperwork for people who are desperate to get away from the likes of the Devlin's - he does NOT sell them to the Devlin's and that's why they stopped using him and did not pay the invoice because they'd found out. They don't want their illegal immigrants to get paperwork as it means they can move around freely and aren't' forced to pay top whack to stay in their slums.

Mickey feeds this back to the three Sergeants who are fuming they have nothing to prosecute the Devlin's for. At best they have a housing act violation and will be fined. Max takes Abbie to see Pete and they drop the allegation against Callum. Abbie tells them that she tried not to listen to what the Devlin's said as she didn't want to know how bad it really was for her.

Devlin tries to wind Smithy up by insisting on an apology when he sees him out of custody. "Dream on." He forces Devlin down the ramp and pushes him away at the bottom before growling 'I need to go wash my hands." Devlin smirks and nods at the camera, insinuating he's going to report him. Smithy isn't bothered in the slightest, squaring up to him at the bottom of the ramp with a low growl 'I'll be seeing you around.' as Callum watches from the top of the ramp. Devlin blows him a kiss and walks off.

Smithy turns and sees Callum. "Got a knack of getting under your skin, don't they." Callum smirks. "What's this? Your way of suggesting I'm no better than you?" Smithy glares. "Who knows what any of us are capable of given the right circumstances?" "I know what the line is, whatever the circumstances." "Do ya?" Callum ponders.

Me thinks it might be a rather prophetic conversation almost, boys...

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