- Sir Nigel Fountain: I go on first impressions, Mr. Venn. Some people say that's foolish, but I'm rarely wrong. I suspect it's probably the last thing you'd want anyone to think about you, but I'd say you were an honest man.
- Harry Venn: How dare you.
- Sir Nigel Fountain: [laughs, then pauses] Gina is vulnerable.
- Harry Venn: That's not how she strikes me.
- Sir Nigel Fountain: Oh, I know, she's tough, but the two things aren't incompatible. For personal reasons, and things in her past, she's, well, she has a susceptibility to lost causes. She's always looking for dragons where there are none to slay. The wrong type of person could take considerable advantage of that quality.
- Harry Venn: Are you talking about Quirke or me?
- Sir Nigel Fountain: Well I don't think Quirke is in a position to take advantage of anyone.
- Harry Venn: Hang on, you just said I was honest.
- Sir Nigel Fountain: That's what I'm counting on.
- James Morpeth: [answering his mobile] Alex, how are you?
- Alexander Wentworth: I've read Elspeth's file.
- James Morpeth: And?
- Alexander Wentworth: I used to think nothing in modern politics could shock me anymore.
- James Morpeth: Staggering, isn't it?
- Alexander Wentworth: Do you think it's completely reliable?
- James Morpeth: Of course, absolutely.
- Alexander Wentworth: Why hasn't she published?
- [pauses, waiting for a response]
- Alexander Wentworth: Would sell a lot of newspapers.
- James Morpeth: Well, that was her first thought. And mine, I admit. But then we talked about it. The question is, what do we want to achieve with this information?
- Alexander Wentworth: The end of Brian Worsley.
- James Morpeth: Of course, all well and good. But the real issue is who comes next? Whoever stands up and makes these revelations is going to get a great deal of attention.
- Alexander Wentworth: [pauses, contemplating] Good night, James.
- Gina Hawkes: [answering her mobile] Oui.
- Harry Venn: Well, if we're doing this in French, it's gonna be a very short conversation.
- Gina Hawkes: I trust you're calling me to let me know that you found Joe Collins.
- Harry Venn: Yeah, I like it that you trust me, Gina. Shows we're getting closer.
- Gina Hawkes: Have you, have you not found Joe Collins?
- Harry Venn: I have not. I ran into a bit of a problem.
- Gina Hawkes: What problem?
- Harry Venn: The explosive kind. My office blew up.
- Alexander Wentworth: [on television] The decent, hard-working people of this country, I know because I talk to them every day, want order, they want peace, and they want stability, and they have a right to expect their government to deliver those things. Now, Brian Worsley and his pick and mix coalition have delivered one thing so far and that's chaos. Fiscal meltdown, civil meltdown. And he wants a chance to do it again, he wants a second chance. Who in their right mind would give it to him? Not the people I'm talking to.
- DI Fenton Russell: Shame.
- Harry Venn: Yeah, well you know, I've got insurance, so uh...
- DI Fenton Russell: No, no, shame you weren't in your office when it exploded.
- Harry Venn: [to Michael] This is Mr. Russell. Me and him go quite a long way back. He likes his little jokes.
- DI Fenton Russell: Actually, no. When it comes to cop killers, I have no sense of humor at all.