The Long Call

Jen and Ross meet Alan Springer at the Bristol police station. Alan previously knew Simon when they both served together in the army. Alan called Simon because he had invested in a restaurant idea that Simon and his ex-wife, Kate, had devised, but when the restaurant didn’t work out, Simon never returned Alan’s money. Simon told Alan that he would pay him back, but he never did.

Jen and Ross head to Kate’s. She tells them that she and Simon were childhood sweethearts who married young. Simon went into the army, and when he returned, they tried to start a business together. Simon turned to drinking when the business floundered. One day, he drove a vehicle while intoxicated and accidentally killed a child while driving. He served time, and after he got out of prison, he disappeared for a while before starting work at Kingsley House. Kate and Simon then got divorced, splitting the profits from the sale of their house. This left Simon with £200,000—a baffling sum, considering his inability to repay Alan.

Matthew speaks with his boss, Oldham, and discloses his concerns about having too many personal connections to this case. Oldham tells Matthew that he trusts him and that Matthew should continue the work.