BILL Spoilers 28th and 29th January 2009

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Wednesday, January 28 2009 at 20:00 FEET OF CLAY (PART TWO)

After the body of Susan Clark is uncovered, Superintendent John Heaton (Daniel Flynn) visits Ian Ellis (James Gaddas) in prison. Ian was found guilty of murdering Rebecca Clayton twenty years ago and Susan’s murder mirrors the case. Ian is furious when he is accused of Susan’s murder and claims that he didn’t kill anyone but was bullied by Heaton into admitting Rebecca’s murder. With media interest growing, Chrissie MacLeish (Marian McLoughlin), an ex-prostitute, goes to the station and tells the officers that her friend Elaine Putnam went missing a few weeks before Rebecca was murdered, and worries that the cases may be linked.

After evidence proves that Susan and Rebecca’s murder are related to Elaine’s disappearance, Ian is re-arrested inside the prison where he warns Heaton that he has made a huge mistake. Back at the station, Heaton arranges a press conference and is humiliated when Ian’s brother, David (Tony Pritchard) causes a huge scene by shouting that Ian’s arrest was, and is, a miscarriage of justice; his brother isn’t a murderer.

As the investigation develops, Heaton is concerned that certain evidence regarding Elaine’s disappearance was kept hidden by officers at the time. Seeking further advice, Heaton talks to his former DCI Ted Ackroyd (Ken Bones) who dismisses Elaine’s case and admits that there was a cover-up. Heaton is horrified by Ackroyd’s confession and begins to doubt Ian’s murder conviction. His fears continue to grow when Ian goes on hunger strike and clearly depressed, offers to sign anything Heaton wants him to.

Later, Elaine’s body is uncovered at an old rave site and forensics confirm she was murdered in the same way Rebecca and Susan were. Further evidence suggests that Rebecca knew Ian’s brother David, and when he is brought in for questioning, he reacts with fury when accused of being involved with all three murders. Heaton is accused by David of making things up as he goes along, while an emotional Ian tells the Superintendent he has been robbed of his freedom. Later, while Heaton questions his guilt more and more, the custody alarm rings and Heaton rushes to the cells to discover Ian has attempted to kill himself.


Thursday, January 29 2009 at 20:00 FEET OF CLAY PART THREE)

While Superintendent John Heaton (Daniel Flynn) attempts to come to terms with Ian Ellis’s (James Gaddas) suicide attempt, DCI Jack Meadows (Simon Rouse) shocks him with the news that Ian has a solid alibi for the murder of Elaine Putnam. As all three murders are linked, it means that he may not have murdered Susan Clark or Rebecca Clayton, the crime that he was imprisoned for twenty years ago. Faced with this atrocious news, Heaton goes to St Hugh’s hospital where he admits to Ian he was wrong to accuse him of all three murders. As the enormity of the situation hits Ian, he becomes emotional and angry, accusing Heaton of robbing him of twenty years of his life and is furious when Heaton asks for his help to catch the real killer.

Heaton heads back the station and tells Jack it is vital they find out who murdered all three young women and Ian finally decides to help, in order to clear his name. Heaton explains that all three women went to a rave the night they went missing. Ian, having worked at the events, gives Heaton the names of all his former colleagues before breaking down and begging Heaton to release him from prison. The team visit Phillip Dowson’s (Simon Gregor) workshop, an electrician who worked at all the raves and are stunned when they find the same electrical wire that the women’s bodies were tied up with – and their missing shoes.

Phillip's wife, Emma (Cathy Murphy), is brought in for questioning and is completely overwhelmed when Heaton suggests that Phillip was involved in the murders of Susan, Rebecca and Elaine. She admits that her husband has been acting strangely for the past few months but fails to believe that he’s a murderer. Heaton is faced with the huge task of getting Emma to reveal where Phillip is, before he strikes again.