Trial and Retribution - Body in a suitcase
17 January 2008 @ 9-10pm on ITV1.
Heathrow Airport on a steaming hot summer's day. Holiday makers walk past a suitcase abandoned in the middle of the long stay car park. Finally someone notices it. The police are called. But it's not the usual sort of suspect package - inside is the naked body of dead girl.
DCI Roisin Connor and her team are called in to investigate. No one knows who the dead girl is. The post mortem suggests she's of East European descent. She's been strangled and there are recent signs of sexual activity. Inside the suitcase was a white towelling robe, bearing the logo of The Lindor, an upmarket London hotel. The room was booked by Vitali Malikov – a wealthy Ukrainian businessman with power and influence.
DCS Mike Walker reckons Malikov is prime suspect. Walker knows him as he had him up on a rape charge a few years back. The evidence was watertight but even then Walker couldn't touch him. It's unfinished business. As soon as Malikov flies back to London, Walker wants to arrest him, personally.
Connor's work on identifying the dead girl leads her to a high class prostitute Teresa – also with Malikov that night. She only knew the dead girl as Anastasia, and that someone called Margaret set the whole thing up. Connor releases 'Anastasia's' picture to the press, prompting Nikolai and Irina Petrenko to come forward – the dead girl is their 19 year old daughter Sofia. Sofia's sister Maryna demands to know everything.
Connor is circumspect, but Walker tells Maryna that they suspect Sofia was a prostitute and Malikov is prime suspect. The Petrenko family are devastated.
A private jet lands at City Airport. Vitali Malikov disembarks flanked by bodyguards. The Deputy Assistant Commissioner has warned Walker to steer clear of Malikov, but this is one order Walker isn't going to obey. He arrests Malikov on suspicion of murdering Sofia Petrenko. In interview Malikov is cool as ice. He admits he was in the hotel room with Sofia, he did have sex with her, and gave the suitcase to her as a gift. But he did not kill her. Walker is incandescent, knowing that he's just a pawn in a bigger game and is forced to release Malikov without charge.
Connor goes to Sofia's flat where she meets her boyfriend Dan Vaughan returning from a business trip. Dan is shocked to discover his girlfriend is dead and refuses to believe she was a prostitute. He tells Connor he'd come home early to ask Sofia to marry him.
Relaxing in his 5 star hotel Malikov is visited by a beautiful woman, while his security keeps guard outside. Hearing sounds of a disturbance, the bodyguard forces his way in. He finds Malikov lying on the floor, blood seeping through his white robe, the handle of a knife stuck in his gut. Slumped against the wall is the girl, blood on her hands and deep in shock – it's Sofia's sister Maryna Petrenko.
