Jo quotes from Taggart

[Tightening a screw] ...the fan belt shouldnae work loose again. I'll take it for a wee drive, see if it's that's what's causing the problem.

Didn't look loose to me...

I'm sure he knows what he's doing.

It's all my brother and me were ever good at.

What's going on?

Oh, David's just fixed the fan belt on the car. Er... [Realises she hasn't introduced David to Ronnie] David Balfour, my husband Ronnie McIsaac...

We've met.

Jo... [Beckons Jo aside] No more.

What do you mean?

I want a home, not a... a halfway house. I want to forget.

Well, it's only for a few weeks.

But you said we'd have time on our own. You promised.

I know...

And why him? [Motioning to David, he starts to aggressively approach him, but Jo stops him. Taggart appears on the driveway.]

Quite a party(!)

[Slamming the car bonnet shut, he stares at Taggart] If you've come to apologise, you're too late. I'll try the car. [He gets in the driver's seat.]

Listen, if there's anything I can do...

Try resigning. After next Sunday, your name won't be worth the space it takes up in the telephone directory.

Anything you want to say to Jo, you can say in front of me.

[Seeing Jo and David walk past the doorway] Jo? David? [They enter the living room]

What's it about now? The kidnapping?

Not quite. We found the trunk we were looking for - we wonder if you recognise it. [Livingstone shows Jo a photo of the trunk.]

...No, I've told you.

Are you quite sure? [He shows her another photo.]

...Yes!

It was never in O'Donnell's room?

[Finally snapping] Why don't you people ever believe me?

Satisfied? She's been through enough because of him! [Nodding at David]

Listen, you'll have to excuse me, I've got stuff to pack. [Starts to leave the room]

David? [David stops in his tracks] Where are you taking your money abroad? Oh, this is Detective Sergeant Livingstone, I don't think you've met.

How'd you know I was going abroad?

I figured a fellow like you would have bought a car if you hadnae intended on leaving the country.

There's no crime in it.

We hear your brother approached you about the ransom?

That's right.

I knew nothing about it until this morning.

I didn't tell anyone. Mike... wanted it kept secret from the police and the press.

And you refused to help him?

It's my money! He never helped me!

He did. For a year after you were in prison.

And then he deserted me!

Bet you'd do anything to get back at him, wouldn't you? Anything at all.

Are you accusing me?

Who says?

Because I've been accused before. Okay... I hate my brother, but I don't hate him that much! And I'd never hurt a kid. I know who could have done it. [Taggart's glances at David] Norman Burt. [Sheila's husband] He... got out of Barlinnie a week before me. Ask Jo.

Just because he had towels in his bike box?

Towels?

He goes swimming. That was a confidence placed in me by a client. Thank you, David, thank you very much(!)

Who's Burt?

He's a wee man. Used to work in the Peebles' shipyard. Turned to burglary when he lost his job.

Jo Peebles recognised that trunk!

Yeah, I know she did. [They drive off.]

I thought I recognised it. I just didn't connect it with Dalmally Road at that time.

That's because it wasn't there, Jo. It arrived later, when you moved here.

[Finds a record in her books] Ah, that's the couple, the Ritchies. [She hands the book over the Taggart.]

Do you remember anything about them?

[Shrugs] Only that they took the place for a few weeks. It was due for demolition and there was a whole series of short lets. [Taggart passes the book to Livingstone.]

Do you remember what they looked like?

No.

[Reading from the book] 8th September 1976 - that's just after the trial.

And after David Balfour's conviction.

You mean they brought the body in? But how...?

The body wasn't Margaret Balfour's.

See, it was well known locally, Jo, that 16 Dalmally Road was a hostel for ex-cons, and at the time of Margaret Balfour's disappearance, you'd had to move out and re-let.

[Handing the book back to Jo] All part of her plan to fool everybody.

But whose body was it?

We don't know yet.

Why did David need your car four days ago?

He said he wanted to visit Margaret's mother on the coast. Wasn't that the truth?

Aye, it was the truth all right. [He goes to the phone to make a call.]

What's going on?

It's all right, I've just phoned the station. They're getting in touch with Mr. Taggart right away.

[to Dougie] Well, where are they?

Don't know. See, we can't understand it. June got a phone call from her mother, but June's mother's dead.

And you've no idea where they've gone?

They wouldn't say. [The phone rings again. Dougie answers.] Hello? ...It's for you. [He hands the receiver to Sinclair.]

Yes, sir? Oh, I've just got here.

[At the other end of the line in Jo Peebles' office] What? ...He didn't say where? ...Oh, it makes sense to me all right! It means the kidnapper's finished his game. You can pack up. [He replaces the receiver]

And Fred [O'Donnell] had nothing to do with it?

Nothing. The fact that he had your car that night, that he drove along that road, just, er, just coincidental.