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Watertight is an episode of series 18 that first aired on 8 July 2002.

Plot synopsis[]

When the body of a young prostitute is found in a river, Ross thinks he has finally cornered his slippery adversary Strachan, who runs a business trafficking in girls. Putting pressure on his informant, Ross kick-starts a dangerous chain of events which may end his career and put more lives at risk. But has Ross captured the killer?

Full plot synopsis[]

Opening scene: night. A young man (Craig Colhoune) hails a taxi. The taxi is driven by a woman. He has blood on the cuffs of his shirt. Next morning. Kelvingrove Park. A school boy is being chased by some other school children. Trying to get away from them he goes down to the river side. Lying on the grass is the body of a young woman. The team arrive at the scene. 3 Prostitutes watch from the bridge. Forensics tell the team that the body had been in the water for upwards of 6 hours. No ID on the body but plenty of condoms and cash. The death is definitely suspicious due to bruising on the face suggesting that she was suffocated before being thrown into the water. Burke tells Jackie to move the 3 onlookers away, he then leaves to go to a meeting. Stuart notices a red mark on the girl’s ear. Robbie asks Jackie to keep an eye on things as he has a call to make. Jackie speaks to one of the prostitutes. She tells Jackie that she’d seen the girl twice and didn’t like her because she was under cutting her. Jackie asks her if the girl might’ve been foreign. No she wasn’t. Robbie goes to see Willie Strachan at his home. It’s clear that Robbie thinks that he is responsible for the girl’s death. There is clearly friction between them and Strachan knows exactly who Robbie is. Strachan sends Robbie away with a flea in his ear and as he leaves Mo McCleish appears from where he was listening to the conversation. Robbie returns to his car, the phone rings, it’s Jackie with the news that the girl was not foreign. Robbie sees Mo come out of the house and get in his car. Burke is with Sheriff Colhoune discussing a pending appeal. The Sheriff’s phone rings. It’s Strachan making a complaint about Robbie. Back at the station Stuart is watching some CCTV footage, he sees the dead girl getting into a car. Robbie and Burke are in DCS Patterson’s office with Colhoune. They are discussing Robbie’s un presidented visit to see Strachan. Burke explains that they have reason to believe that Strachan is involved in bringing young foreign girls into the country for use in the sex industry but they have no solid proof as yet. Robbie looks uncomfortable and turns to Burke telling him that the dead girl was different, not foreign. It wasn’t the same thing. When they leave the office Burke has a go at Robbie for leaving him exposed with Patterson. A School. Sadie is collecting her daughter. Robbie pulls up in a car. Sadie gets in. It’s clear that they know each other and have unfinished business. Robbie tells Sadie to get word to Strachan that if he’s going to bring in more girls he needs to move fast. Robbie tells her to lie and say that she wont have the flat for much longer, anything just to get things moving. Sadie agrees. She wants to get Strachan out of her life. Back at the station Stuart is showing Jackie what he has seen on the CCTV footage. You can clearly see the dead girl but there is not much of a shot of the driver – accept for a visible tattoo on the side of his neck. Team Briefing. The time of death was between 10 and midnight. The clock on the CCTV is 7 minutes into that meaning that the driver was either the killer or at the very least the last person to see the girl alive. Jackie posts the photos of the neck tattoo on the incident board. It’s clear that Robbie recognises it but lies when asked. Stuart comes in with the tattoo owner’s identity. Morrisey McCleish. Robbie looks instantly worried. Burke tells them to bring Mo in.

Robbie goes off on his own. Street scene. Craig Colhoune is waiting in the street. He’s picked up by his father, Sheriff Colhoune. Mo’s Flat. Mo is in the bath, there is a knock at the door. He answers it in the nude. It’s the police. Jackie asks Stuart to arrest him. Robbie goes to see Sadie at the laundry where she works. He tells her that they have a problem and that Mo has been arrested for murder and to hold off telling Strachan to get things moving. Sadie tells him that it’s too late and if Mo’s not released then there will be a whole lot of dead girls on their consciences. Stuart is at the post mortem. The Doc tells him that there is evidence of sexual activity and that the red mark on the girls ear is a result of her wearing an ill fitting hearing aid. There is also a trace of something under her skin. Back at the station Robbie and Burke interview Mo. Mo confesses to picking up the girl but tells them that he sent her packing telling her that if he saw her again she’d ruin her face. Robbie pushes Mo for more and loses it with him. Burke asks Robbie what’s going on. Robbie tells Burke that he doesn’t think Mo is guilty. Burke tells Robbie to be straight with him and to tell him why he wants Mo released from custody. Robbie takes Burke to see Sadie at the laundry. Sadie tells Burke the whole story of how she managed to get off the game and start a new life for herself and her daughter. However to make a totally fresh start she needs Strachan and Mo (her daughter’s Burke asks Robbie what’s going on. Robbie tells Burke that he doesn’t think Mo is guilty. Burke tells Robbie to be straight with him and to tell him why he wants Mo released from custody. Robbie takes Burke to see Sadie at the laundry. Sadie tells Burke the whole story of how she managed to get off the game and start a new life for herself and her daughter. However to make a totally fresh start she needs Strachan and Mo (her daughter’s father) out of her life for good. She also tells them that she doesn’t believe that Mo is the killer as he never lifted a hand to her despite being given plenty of cause. It further comes out that Robbie told Sadie to get things moving and that Strachan won’t move the girls unless Mo is there to pick them up. As Robbie and Burke leave, Burke’s phone rings. He’s needed in court for the appeal which means that Robbie is acting DCI. Back in the office Jackie is looking in Mo’s file. She notices that Robbie has arrested him before. Robbie comes storming in in a bad mood. Jackie tells him that they have a possible witness. Jackie and Robbie go to see the witness – it’s the female taxi driver who picked Craig Colhoune up on the night of the murder. She describes Craig remembering him because of the blood on his sleeves, the fact that he seemed out of it and because of the address she dropped him off at. She’d been there before with the boy’s father – Sheriff Colhoune. Jackie tells Robbie to watch his back tackling Colhoune. She further quizzes him about why he didn’t admit to knowing Mo despite arresting him only months before. Before Robbie can answer Jackie’s phone rings – it’s Stuart with the name of the dead girl. Robbie speaks to Patterson about what their witness had told them. She tells Robbie to be tactful with Colhoune. Stuart and Jackie go to see the dead girls parents. They detect some friction. Jackie asks the Step Father why they didn’t report Dee missing? He replies that kids that age do disappearing acts but she’d always turned up in the past. Did they know Dee was on the game? No they didn’t. Robbie goes to see Sheriff Colhoune about his son. Colhoune promises to bring Craig to the station first thing in the morning. Colhoune’s House. Craig returns home to find his father with his bloodies shirt laid out on the chair. Craig says he can’t remember how the blood got there. The following morning Colhoune hands Robbie the bloodied shirt etc. He tells Robbie that he thinks his son is innocent but wont stand in the way of the investigation. Robbie and Jackie interview Craig. He tells them that he was drunk and went to the park to sober up but fell and gave himself a nose bleed, hence the blood on his cuffs. Why the park, why not go home to sober up? Craig eventually announces that he’s gay and that he went to the park looking for other gay men. He approached one man but got it wrong as he later saw him again with a girl. An ID parade is organised containing Mo. Craig is brought in but does not pick Mo out. Robbie is relieved. Strachan calls on Sadie Back at the station Jackie and Robbie are talking. Robbie’s phone rings, it’s Sadie. Robbie goes to meet her. Sadie tells him that Strachan wants her to give Mo an alibi for the night of the murder so things must be moving. Robbie returns to the station and releases Mo. Jackie is furious when she finds out and storms into the office to confront Robbie.

They go out onto the roof. Why did Robbie let the prime suspect go? Why was she kept out of the loop? Robbie tells Jackie that he was afraid she’d have taken it to Burke. He asks Jackie for her help. "I need you on my side". Jackie and Robbie go to see Patterson about Mo’s release. Jackie backs Robbie’s up. Robbie wants Mo tailed saying that it’s possible that Dee was killed as a warning to others – he doesn’t expect Patterson to know about his involvement with Sadie, but Burke had told her. Briefing. Stuart is giving details about Dee’s stepfather. The neighbours said that he was a model father. Dee herself was well liked at school but no overly bright. Jackie – "played her cards right she could’ve made DI". Robbie sees Sadie again. She tells him that the girls will be brought in the day after tomorrow. Jackie and Robbie go to see Craig’s tutor at the University. He is following in his mother and father’s footsteps by studying law. The tutor tells them that his mother died in a car crash which resulted in a close bond between Craig and his father. They ask if Craig had ever been in trouble. The tutor replies no. Robbie suspects she’s lying.


Jackie and Robbie argue on the roof

Stuart goes back to Kelvingrove Park to see who has left flowers at the site of Dee’s death. A school friend of Dee’s is there. Stuart talks to her and Dee and her relationship with her parents. The girl tells Stuart that Dee had stopped wanting to go home but didn’t know why accept that her mother put her down all the time. Scenes changes to see Dee’s step father emptying the washing machine. He breaks down when he pulls one of Dee’s tops out. Robbie speaks to Stuart. The results of what was found under Dee’s skin revealed that it was a chemical used in antiseptic and cleaning fluids. Jackie and Robbie go back to see his tutor. She tells them about a fellow pupil who made a rape allegations against Craig. Stuart goes to see Dee’s stepfather – Lyle Farraday. He’s washing red paint off of the van in his drive. His neighbours think he’s a pervert. Robbie and Jackie go to see the female pupil who made the complain against Craig. They interview her. They were never lovers and that’s why Kate liked Craig – he had restraint. But on this one particular night he lost his self control. She tried to reason with him but he put his had over her mouth. Kate demonstrates how. It could easily have been the same method used to kill Dee. Robbie and Jackie join Stuart in the office. Stuart in checking Farraday’s van on the computer. Jackie admits to Robbie that he might be right about Craig. Mid conversation Burke appears, not happy in the knowledge that Mo has been released. Jackie and Robbie show him the interview with Kate. Burke agrees that it’s persuasive stuff and tells them to bring Craig in. Robbie goes to see Sadie. He hears shouting and sees Mo dragging Sadie into the flat. Robbie waits until Mo leaves and then goes in. Sadie is nursing a black eye courtesy of Mo because she refused to give him a false alibi. Sadie tells Robbie that Mo is really ‘wired’ and could be capable of killing someone. Burke’s office. Robbie tells Burke that word is Strachan’s on the move and he doesn’t want to abandon Sadie now. Burke asks Robbie if he’s sure that Mo didn’t kill Dee. Robbie replies that he is but his body language says different. Nevertheless Burke gives Robbie permission to go after Strachan. Jackie and Burke talk to Craig about Kate. He admits to what he did but says he can’t really remember what had happened. He denies killing Dee although he was there he can't remember what happened. Jackie speaks to Sheriff Colhoune about his son and asks him if Craig has ever had any attacks of confusion. The Sheriff says no. Jackie visits Craig in the cells. Is he holding back? She asks him if he’s ever had black outs. He replies no. Robbie is briefing the team who have been joined by Immigration. He tells them that there will be 3 observation posts – one at Willy Strachan’s, one at Mo’s and one at Abbotsinch Trailer Park. Immigration scans taken on the ferry confirm that there are 6 or 7 girls in the trailer packed into customised crates. Burke goes to see Sheila about the blood on Craig’s shirt. She has good news and bad news. The blood on the shirt is Craig’s not Dees – the bad news. But the pattern of the drops does not match a nose bleed. Instead they have been allowed to fall onto the shirt deliberately. Abbotsinch Trailer Park. No movement. Immigration are worried about the safety of the girls in the trailer. The radio crackles into life. Mo is on the move. Jackie and Burke speak to Craig about the faked shirt. What looked like guilt would in fact be his salvation. Did the real shirt have Dee’s blood on it then? Craig can’t remember. He finally admits to getting fits which are trauma related after his mother’s death. Mo is being followed but they lose him. He clearly knew he was being followed. A van appears in the trailer park, it pulls up at the back of the lorry. Man gets out and opens the back doors of the trailer, Robbie – "All units, go, go, go". Police and Immigration move in. Van tries to drive away but crashes. The van driver is Willie Strachan. Sadie’s flat. Sadie is packing. The phone rings, she goes to answer it. As she does so someone is rattling the door trying to get in. Robbie is on his way to Sadie’s flat. He’s ringing her but getting no answer. He arrives and finds the door open, there is blood on the door frame. He goes downstairs and hears a car pulling away. He’s not quick enough to see who it was. One of the tumble dryer is on. Robbie walks over to it and opens the door. A dead Sadie falls out. The rest of the team arrive on the scene. Cause of death suffocation just like Dee. How could Craig have killed Sadie when he was locked up? Robbie is upset and storms off. He’s stopped by Jackie who tries to comfort and reason with him. She can’t stop him storming off. The next morning Burke briefs the team. He wants Mo found and the Step Dad looked into further. Burke asks Jackie to check on Robbie. Stuart finds out why Farraday didn’t have much of an alibi for the time of Dee’s death. He was moonlighting. Robbie comes into the office and looks up an address in Mo’s file. Colhoune is speaking to Patterson. He wasn’t Craig released. He is told about the shirt and how it hardly suggests innocence. Jackie tells Burke where Robbie has gone. Robbie arrives at Mo’s mothers. Mo is upstairs. They tussle and fall out into the corridor. Robbie draws his baton to hit Mo just as Burke and Jackie arrive. Burke pulls Robbie off him. Burke and Jackie take Mo to the cells, he tells them that he found Sadie already dead in the machine. He knew that Sadie was grassing on him but killing her would lead straight back to him. He didn't do it. Stuart goes to see Farraday at work and confirms that he moonlights for a cleaning company. Jackie goes to see Craig in the cells for a second time. She tells him he could be out soon. Craig tells her about his mother's accident and how he was trapped in the car with her. His father blames himself for the accident but it wasn't his fault. But that is why he clings to Craig now. Stuart is talking to Farraday. He learns that the company have the contract to clean all public buildings. Station Briefing. Burke makes it clear that Mo is not the only suspect. Robbie is not convinced and like Jackie now thinks that Mo is most likely to be the killer. Stuart tells them that Farraday lied about his alibi. The phone rings, Craig wants to make a statement. Stuart is on the phone and Robbie is peering at the incident board - he's thinking out loud. For both murders there is only one person with a motive - Mo. What answer is there? A different motive? Was there a motive for Sadie's killing? Was it just to steer the team in the wrong direction? In order for that to happen someone would need to know what info they have, but who could? Stuart gets off the phone. The cleaning firm confirm that Farraday left work early on the night of dee's murder and with the company possibly cleaning the police station he would have access to al the info he needed. Robbie asks Stuart to fetch the PM report on Dee's body. Burke and Jackie take Craig's statement. He did see Dee in the park, but that'.s all he can remember accept that when he got home his wrists were bruised like someone had been holding them. Burke wants to know why he didn't tell them this before. His Dad told him not too. Burke goes mad, threatening to call in the press and expose Sheriff Colhoune. Robbie stops him and he and Stuart fill Burke and Jackie in about Farraday. The substance under Dee's skin could be found in a cleaning fluid. Burke tells them to bring him in. Robbie and Stuart go to Farraday's house, he sees them arrive. He was expecting them. He owns up to killing Dee but he didn't mean too. He saw her with a bloke in the park who he grabbed and threw until he had blood on him, then he grabbed Dee but she screamed so he put his hand over her mouth to stop her. Robbie asks Farraday about Sadie. He denies killing her. Robbie believes him. Stuart checks with the cleaning company and he was working on the night of Sadie's death. Burke speaks to Colhoune about his interference in the case. Robbie tells him that Craig didn't kill Dee and that's all Sheriff Colhoune cares about. Craig is released. Robbie - "Why risk everything for your son?" Colhoune - "You've answered your own question". Robbie goes on to tell him that Sadie wasn't killed by the same person. Colhoune assumed it was Mo. Robbie tells him they got it wrong. Back in the office discussing the case. Mo could still be Sadie's killer. Burke and Robbie go and speak to Strachan. Why did he do the pick up himself? Mo let him down at the last minute saying he'd received a call from someone saying he was being followed. Strachan had no knowledge of Sadie's involvement. Burke and Robbie talk to Mo. He confirms that he didn't know who rang him but the voice specified that Sadie was talking to DI Ross and it was said with a posh voice. Robbie - "Boss I know whose been pulling our strings". Robbie talks to the rest in the office. Was Sadie's killer out to protect who they thought killed Dee? Colhoune. He genuinely thought that Craig was Dee's killer plus he had ample opportunity to study the files and find out about Sadie. The team leave for Colhounes'. Burke and Robbie knock on the door - no answer but there is clearly someone at home. The door opens, Craig is on the doorstep, he has a gun, it goes off hitting Robbie in the arm, he falls to the floor. Robbie can stand but as he does so the blood can be seen trickling down his arm. Burke is calling for Robbie to walk but he instead goes into the house with Craig. Sheriff Colhoune is slumped in a doorway. Next to him is an empty pill bottle. Robbie talks to Craig and eventually gets him to hand the gun over saying that they know what happened.


Final scene. Robbie is on the back of the ambulance having his arm bandaged. It was only a scrape. Jackie comes over to see that he's OK.

Cast[]

Matthew Burke - Alex Norton

Robbie Ross - John Michie

Jackie Reid - Blythe Duff

Stuart Fraser -Colin McCredie

Sheila Crombie - Tamara Kennedy

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