- Drawn in 1934 by Leonard Wright.
The original artwork for the cover
of Black Storm, issue one.
At 100,000 pounds.
Any more bids?
- 110.
- 110, at 110,000 pounds.
Going once, going twice.
Sold.
- I can't believe we just did that.
- Hello, Eddie.
- I need more time.
- Time's up, I want my 10,000.
- Well, I haven't got it.
It's these bloody grifters, they don't pay for anything.
- Then you shouldn't let them gamble
in your bar, should you?
I mean, I am a police officer.
I've got to report it.
You're gonna lose your license.
- But you can't.
This place is all I've got.
- Have you ever been to prison, Eddie?
- What's that?
- That's counterfeit money you've been
laundering through your till.
- There now. - Please.
- I'll tell you what, I'll settle for some names.
I want the big fish.
- No.
No way.
I am not a grass.
- Wrong answer, Eddie.
- Okay, okay, okay, okay!
There's this crew that drink in here,
they play the long con.
- Names.
- Mickey Bricks.
- Maybe I'm missing something here.
Only, I thought we were grifters.
I mean we could've lifted this.
- And then what?
- Well, I don't know.
Do our thing, don't we?
Work the magic.
- Great plan, Danny.
- It's wiped out our working capital.
We'll have to raise some cash.
- Think of it as an investment.
Black Storm was one of the original superheroes,
and this, is the Mona Lisa of comic book artwork.
That's why we had to pay 110,000 for it.
- Well, they say you have to speculate to accumulate.
- No, no, no, you know, it feels all wrong.
- We should be really proud of ourselves.
For once, we did not break the law.
Ash, how are the auction house blueprints looking?
- Ah, well, it won't be easy,
but ah, well, it's definitely doable.
- Right, we've got two weeks until the next auction.
Meantime, we'll need to raise some working capital.
But the beauty of it is,
our guy can delay the currency movement
just long enough for us to place a spread bet.
We've been clearing 300, 400% profit, easy.
- Wow!
That's beautiful.
- Yeah it's beautiful, but illegal.
- But foolproof?
- Completely.
- I'm in.
Definitely.
Let's do it.
- All right.
- You'd have to be an idiot not to.
25,000.
- Thank you.
Let's see what we've got here.
Oh yeah, thank you.
Hey, beats working for a living.
Can I help you?
- I am arresting you for fraud.
You don't have to say anything
but it may harm your defense
if you do not mention when questioned
something which you later rely on in court.
You can go for now.
I'll contact you, take a statement.
Turn around.
Okay, here's the deal.
You two can go to prison,
or I can walk out of here with the money
and we all forget this ever happened.
- A bent copper.
So much for protect and serve.
- It's brilliant.
Do you think for one second that we are going to let you
swan out of here with 25,000?
Well, you're dreaming, missy.
- Well, I think that's exactly what you're going to do
unless Mickey here fancies another spell inside.
- Not particularly.
- People like you, yeah?
They give the police a very bad name.
- I take it we have a deal.
Now, okay.
Do anything stupid, he testifies, you two go to prison.
Got it?
- You know what they say?
What goes around comes around.
- Then I'd be seriously worried, if I were you.
Yours?
- Yeah, I like to draw.
- You are very good, aren't you?
- That's what my art teacher said.
- Now, what would a couple of grifters be doing
with artwork worth 100,000 pounds?
- Well, like the catalog says, we're auctioning it.
- Yeah, I mean it's completely legit.
We got receipts, we got everything.
What's she doing?
What are you doing?
- Basically, you've got five seconds to tell me the score
or I torch it.
- We told you, there's no score.
- Yeah, we're auctioning some artwork.
- No law against it.
- There's no score.
- You wouldn't dare.
- All right, we'll tell you!
Put it out!
- Now, you tell me everything
or this time, it won't be a beer mat.
- We're auctioning the artwork this afternoon.
We needed a genuine piece
because the auction house like to authenticate
the artwork before they sell it.
While it's on display at the viewing,
we switch the authentic artwork for a forgery.
It's the forgery that gets auctioned.
And then on the side we sell the authentic artwork
to a rival collector.
- Yeah, and we clear 100,000 profit.
- You clear 50,000 profit.
I get the other 50.
- 50?
- One phone call to the auction house,
you don't make a penny.
- Now, we need the 25,000 to pay the forger.
- Fair enough.
- Don't worry, we will meet you back here after the auction.
- You know what?
I think I'll tag along for the ride.
- One condition.
Once you get your money, tell us who sold us out.
- What makes you think someone sold you out?
So, where to?
- We need to pick up the forgery.
- Later, Eddie.
- Everything all right, Mick?
- Absolutely fantastic.
- This is great.
What do you think we should do?
Tell the others?
- No, no, they've got their jobs to do, so.
- Did anyone ever tell you it's rude to whisper?
- The two collectors we outbid at the last auction
won't want to lose out again.
The higher they bid, the more profit we make.
- A little encouragement goes a long way.
- Absolutely.
You have any preference?
- I'll take the geek.
- Be gentle.
- As a kitten.
- Morning.
Landlord's gas safety checks.
I'll need to inspect your gas appliances.
- Well, it's actually not a very good time.
I have to leave for work.
- Yeah, well that's your problem, you see.
You're out all day, you get a buildup of gas
from your faulty appliance.
You come home, flick on a light switch, bang!
Next thing you know,
they're scraping your brains off the pavement.
Right.
Let's start with the cooker.
- It's electric.
- Boiler?
- In there.
- Okay, I need you to turn the hot tap on
in the bathroom while I check it.
- Sad.
Excuse me.
I love Superman.
Although, I've always preferred him
more as Clark Kent, you know.
Strong, but vulnerable, you know, those glasses.
My little nephew, he's crazy about him as well.
Actually, I wanted to get him a present.
Could you help me find some other stuff,
if you're not too busy?
- Ah, no, I mean, yes, yes, I can help you.
No, I'm not too busy.
I'm Neil.
It's my shop.
- What do you know about that?
- Excuse me.
- Oh, yeah?
- I couldn't help noticing your auction catalog.
Snap.
You must be here for the pop-art exhibition.
- Yeah, I am a sucker for Lichtenstein.
Are you a collector?
- Well, I've been known to dabble.
- Well, perhaps you could clear something up for me.
What do you make of the idea that
Lichtenstein is mocking his subjects in his paintings?
- Oh, common misconception.
May I?
- Please, yes, of course.
- It's perfect.
Tim will love it.
Thanks for all your help.
- No, it was a pleasure.
- Bye bye, then.
Three, two, one.
Are you doing anything later?
- Well, there's an auction, comic book artwork.
Maybe you and your nephew would like to come?
- We'd love to.
- Great.
- It's the same energetic style, bold primary colors.
The same single-mindedness you later find in Warhol's work.
The comics inspired the pop-art movement.
- I'd sell my soul to own an original piece.
- Well, I'll let you in on a little secret.
I'll be bidding for some original artwork at the auction.
- Really?
Which artist?
Oh, Black Storm, the Mona Lisa of comic book artwork.
- We could go to the auction together.
- For 25,000, this forgery had better be good.
- Okay, let's play spot the forgery.
Is that the dog's bollocks, or what?
- Which one is it?
Well that, that's brilliant.
- Max, you've excelled yourself.
- That is spot on.
- Are you sure the auction house won't spot it?
- The auction house spots it,
Mickey can have his 15,000 back.
- 15?
- Cheap at half the price.
- Any more stunts like that,
and it won't be the dog's bollocks
that you have to worry about.
- You two want to get a room?
- To do what?
- I think he's jealous.
- Somehow I doubt it.
Now, what happens to the other 10,000?
- Oh, take a wild guess.
- Well done, Romeo.
- Okay, what's next?
- Well, there are some things I need to do.
So why don't you take him and the artwork back to the bar?
- Him?
I am here, you know.
- What can I possibly do without the artwork?
- Yeah, you tell me.
- I tell you what, why don't you stay with her, yeah?
I'll go and pick the stuff up.
- Okay, watch my lips.
We stick together.
Have you got it?
Anyway, I am really not in the mood for Eddie's whining.
- Eddie?
Wait.
Eddie put you on to us.
- Eddie?
Eddie, Eddie's Bar, Eddie?
Eddie did this.
I'm gonna kill him, I will kill him.
- Get over it.
Eddie's just saving his skin, like you.
- He's nothing like us.
- God, you really overdo the whole
honor among thieves business.
I mean, want to do the honorable thing?
Go straight.
- Oh, well, that's good, isn't it?
That's good, coming from a bent cop.
- I don't pretend there's any honor in it.
- That's because you can't.
I'll just check if there's any mail for me.
- You're running a bit late, ain't you?
How's Max?
The forgery okay?
- Ash.
- Who's she?
- Detective Inspector Phillips.
Eddie sold us out.
- Eddie?
Who told you that?
No, she's lying.
He wouldn't.
I mean, not Eddie.
- Are these the blueprints for the auction house?
Think of me as your silent partner.
How are you handling the CCTV?
- Security system's due for its quarterly service.
That includes the CCTV.
I'll rig the tapes so they'll be running,
they just won't record anything.
- Is that the modified case for switching the artwork?
- Yeah.
It's good to go.
The back of the frames match the case.
Now, while Mickey distracts everyone,
you press the other side of the case against the original,
you clip it on, you flip the case over,
the forgery releases, and off you go.
- You all right in the back, Mickey?
Got enough room for your little legs?
Yeah.
- Take the next right.
- Right.
Are you mad?
It's straight on.
- No, turning right avoids the one-way system.
Take a right.
- Don't listen to him, love, it's straight on.
Actually, where are we?
- Manor Road.
- Right, yeah, it is right.
Take the next right.
- Danny, shut up.
- Why are we stopping?
- I'll be two minutes.
- Doing what?
- We don't have time for this.
- Okay, here's the deal.
We keep one set of artwork each as security.
- Are you having a laugh?
- Why don't we just come with you?
- You wait here.
I'll take the genuine piece.
Great, thank you.
You weren't planning on going anywhere, were you?
- No, the thought hadn't even crossed my mind.
- Has anyone ever told you you're paranoid?
- Yep, I'll take your phones, too.
Just in case you were tempted
to make any arrangements behind my back.
- I would give it, but I mean,
me Nan said she might call today.
She gets very lonely.
Yeah, if me Nan calls,
just tell her I'll come and see her tomorrow.
- Oh, sorry.
- Did you ah, did you get what you needed?
- It's still there, Danny.
- So, does your boyfriend work round here, does he?
You got a boyfriend?
No?
What, you're more of a cat person?
Hey, stop them!
Give our bag back, pricks!
- Hey!
- Hey, stop that car!
- Oh, is that supposed to mean something?
- We just got screwed, all right?
That was the real artwork.
- Do we really have to go through
the whole me phoning the auction house
you stopping me at the last minute thing?
I mean, we can if you like.
- Told you she wouldn't go for it.
- Well, I didn't see you coming up with any better ideas.
- When exactly did you arrange it?
I left a note for Ash at the hotel, when I checked my mail.
- You know, you can't blame us for trying, can you?
- Yeah, well, I'd probably be more worried
if you weren't trying to ditch me, I suppose.
Here you go.
Where's he taking the artwork?
- Did you really think we wouldn't find out?
What's that?
You're sorry?
Well it's too late, son, isn't it?
Did she buy it?
- Let him go.
I said, let him go.
- Mickey, I'm sorry.
She was trying to blackmail me.
She planted some counterfeit money.
She told me I was going to prison.
- You'll wish you had when we get through with you.
- Mickey, please.
How long have we known each other?
I didn't have any choice.
Danny?
- Jesus, Eddie, you're making me want to kick you.
I believe we have an auction to go to.
- What about him?
- What you do after I get my money, that's your business.
- Hey, we had a deal.
You can't do this!
- Later, Eddie.
- I slipped.
- Hi, you made it.
Here.
- Oh, you didn't have to do that.
- Yeah, I wanted to.
And who's this?
Is it a bird?
Is it a plane?
No, it's...
- Ah, this is Tim.
Say hello to Neil, Tim.
He absolutely loves his costume.
Wouldn't take it off.
I wish I'd got one.
- Ah, um.
- Maybe some other time?
- We, um, shall we go in?
- Yeah.
He's really excited.
- Right, he'll be a while.
So let's take the weight off.
- So, what is it we are looking at?
- The original artwork for the cover of Black Storm,
issue one, when it arrives.
- And I take it this is a big deal?
- Yeah, he was one of the very first superheroes.
Massively influential.
Shaped the future of comics as we know them.
- Wow.
- I'm bidding for it.
- And who's that?
- Gideon Sturock.
The competition.
- Looks like a pretentious little prat to me.
- He calls himself an art collector.
He doesn't care about the characters or the mythology.
It's just another trophy to him.
- Well, I hope you are not going to let him buy it, then?
- Not if I can help it.
- The geek.
- Really?
Who's that rather attractive young woman with him?
- If she's with a loser like that, probably a hooker.
- I'm very much going to enjoy seeing the look on his face
when you outbid him.
- Good work, Ash.
CCTV's rigged.
We're on.
- You two go ahead, all right?
- Is there a problem?
- Well, you're about to commit a crime.
Obviously I can't be associated with that.
- Oh, okay.
- Get yourself a nice a cup of tea, yeah?
Sticky bun, all right?
- Danny, I will be right behind you.
Now, you don't talk to me,
you don't acknowledge me, you don't know me,
but you stay in sight.
Clear?
What time does it start, 3:30?
Okay, is that any good?
Colossal.
- What's he doing here?
- How the hell am I supposed to know?
- What is going on?
- Master planner here screwed up.
- The auction house usually have an expert come in
and authenticate the artwork
before they put it up for auction.
- Yeah, you knew that.
- Yes, I did, but this, this is not their usual guy.
The guy they've brought in rumbled us six months ago
when we tried to sell a forged Andy Warhol print.
- Yeah, we had these tins of Spam.
We'd had them all stacked up.
They were cute.
- We cannot put the artwork up for auction with him there.
We're gonna have to postpone.
- Oh, just till I'm out of the way.
Deeply convenient.
- Would you like us to step outside and prove it to you?
- All right, what about Ash?
Yeah?
We will get him all, you know, disguised, he can do it.
- No, he's been servicing their CCTV.
- Well, we'll have to get someone else, then.
- Danny, there is no time.
I'm sorry, I'm calling it off.
- No, no, no, we can't rig the CCTV a second time.
Buyers are ready.
Everybody's in place.
Gotta go now.
- I could do it.
- Yeah, right.
I don't think so.
- Yeah, yeah.
She can do it.
- And watch her disappear with the money afterwards?
Are you out of your mind?
- We still make the switch.
Yeah?
We still got the original.
I mean, that could work.
- I guess you're gonna have to trust me.
- All right, the auction house are expecting a Mr. Henshaw.
I'll call and tell them that my PA
will be delivering the artwork instead of me.
- Listen, wait until I am back in the foyer
before you make the switch, all right?
I don't want to be anywhere near you when you do it.
- Okay.
Mr. Williams, please.
- So, I understand your own expert isn't in today?
- Paul?
No, he called in sick this morning.
We had to get David in here at the last minute.
- It's authentic.
- Well, best get this on display.
I know Mr. Henshaw has a plane to catch,
so I'll issue you with a banker's draft
immediately after the sale.
- Great.
Thank you.
- We're on.
- Mama!
- Kids, eh?
Who'd have them?
- I've got four.
- Great, I love them.
They as good-looking as their mom?
- Ladies and gentlemen,
if you could please take your seats
we will get today's auction underway.
We start with the resale of a piece
that was purchased two weeks ago
at this very auction house.
Lot number one is the original artwork
for the cover of Black Storm, issue one.
Drawn in 1934 by Leonard Wright,
it's a landmark piece both culturally and artistically.
I'll open the bidding at just 60,000 pounds.
60.
65.
70.
75.
80.
At 80,000 pounds.
85.
90.
95.
At 95.
100.
At 100,000 pounds.
105.
110.
115.
- Regret is a terrible thing.
- 120.
At 120,000 pounds.
Any more bids?
Going once.
Going twice.
- Don't bid.
- Sold!
- Minus our commission, that's 108,000.
- Did you get it?
You little beauty.
- I'll cash it and give you your half.
- You know what?
That doesn't really work for me.
- Excuse me?
- Did she just say what I think she said?
- Fraud, deception, assaulting a bartender.
I mean you two have racked up
quite a charge sheet, haven't you?
- Don't forget you've been with us every step of the way.
- Me?
Well, I'm an undercover police officer.
Of course I've been with you every step of the way.
I mean, how else would I obtain evidence?
- Why don't you just be a good little girl, yeah?
Hand it over?
- Play nice, Danny.
Now, same deal as before.
I keep the money or you go to prison.
What's it to be?
I tell you what, you keep the original artwork,
cover expenses.
- Are we supposed to be grateful?
- I really don't care what you are.
Now I am going to walk out that door,
you are going to leave it, 10 minutes,
then you're free to go.
- What, and you really think that's going to happen?
- Trust me, Danny,
you really wouldn't suit prison overalls, mate.
- Me?
I look good in anything.
- You, I will see around.
- That's a very, very bad move.
- Simply magnificent.
Excuse me.
That's rather odd.
- What's that?
- Black Storm's wearing a signet ring.
I don't recall seeing that before.
- Max, we need one identical copy
and then another copy with a small flaw.
- A flaw?
What sort of thing did you have in mind?
- Oh, my God.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Wait a minute, where are you, hello?
- Oh I'm so sorry.
Sorry, sorry, let me help.
- Right.
Okay.
- Sorry.
Sorry, about that.
- Okay.
- Miss Jackson.
It appears that the artwork you put up for sale is,
in fact, a forgery.
The police are on their way.
- Right, D.I. Phillips.
I am working undercover.
The suspects are still inside, all right?
- We've worked with the police before.
They've always notified us in the past.
- Well, we couldn't, for operational reasons.
- We?
Where's your backup?
- I'm working on my own today.
- Well why don't we discuss this inside?
- What are you doing?
- Come on.
- I'm a police officer.
Feel good, big man, does it?
Get your hands off me!
- D.I. Cole, this is D.S. Martin.
- I've been working the inside with this crew
for the last couple of months.
- Tell us why you put the artwork up for sale.
- Well, the arts expert knew them.
It was the only way I could get them to go through with it.
Look, their names are, just remember this, all right?
Michael Stone, Danny Blue, and Ash Morgan.
Check Mickey's record.
- Okay.
She checks out.
Sorry.
- Thanks to you, they've got away, and my cover's blown.
- Well how was I to know?
The ID and artwork could've both been forgeries.
So, what's the scam?
- Look, they switched the authentic artwork
for a forgery while it was on display.
- I take it you have CCTV here?
- Won't help.
Ash Morgan posed as an engineer.
He rigged the CCTV, so it recorded absolutely nothing.
- We haven't had an engineer here today.
I personally authorize all maintenance.
I'd have known if we had.
- Why don't we take a look at it?
- Like I said, it's working perfectly.
- This guy Ash didn't leave the auction room.
- Look, he prepared a fake ID.
I mean I saw it, so.
- Well, even with a fake ID there is no way
he would've got anywhere near the CCTV system.
- There you go.
That's them.
Mickey, the black guy.
He was using the name Henshaw.
He bought the artwork from you, like, about two weeks ago.
- That's not Mr. Henshaw.
Mr. Henshaw's white.
- 110.
- It's not the other guy, either.
- There, now, I follow them, okay.
Go to the camera in the stairwell.
- There are no cameras in the stairwell.
- If the CCTV's working, you'll see them switch the artwork.
- Nope, they didn't go anywhere near
the Black Storm artwork.
- Wait, wait, you know, they must have.
- But I can see you near it.
What's happening now?
- No, that's nothing.
Some kid let go of his balloons.
- So the only time we lose sight of the artwork,
you're standing right next to it.
What's in the case?
- Nothing.
It was empty.
I still had it from when I delivered the artwork for them.
So, I understand your own expert isn't in today.
- Paul?
No, he called in sick this morning.
- Okay, I need you to turn the hot tap on
in the bathroom while I check it.
- And where's the case now?
- Well, I gave it back to Mickey and Danny.
- Where were Mickey and Danny when we lost the picture?
- In the foyer, nowhere near the Black Storm artwork.
- You do still have the banker's draft, don't you?
- Yeah, of course.
- The woman and the kid with the balloons.
- So, what's this?
Maybe we should check this out.
- I've got other evidence.
Listen, they were running a con on some estate agent.
Here you go.
Richard Shaw, all right?
That's the guy they were conning.
He will totally back up my story.
- You'd have to be an idiot not to.
25,000.
- Richard Shaw.
Estate agent?
I don't think so.
- Look, I can take you to the forger's studio.
- Okay.
Let's play spot the forgery.
- I told you, they planted the key on me.
- Then how come the safe deposit box
is registered in your name?
Blueprints for the auction house.
Research on Black Storm.
And there's got to be 10,000 here.
- What happens to the other 10,000?
- Take a wild guess.
- They steered me here.
- But it's your safe deposit box.
It's registered to you.
- Yeah, but they knew I'd see the safe depository
when we drove past.
- Actually, where are we?
- Manor Road.
- Right, yeah, it is right.
Take the next right.
- They must have known I had a box here.
- And how would they get inside your safe deposit box?
It's counterfeit.
What's this, then?
- Eddie.
- She's this bent D.I.
She caught Billy and his crew gambling down here, you know,
they were playing poker.
She wants 10,000, or I'll lose me license.
And I could lose everything, Mick.
- Are you thinking what I am thinking?
- Yup.
Is she fit?
- Okay, I can take you to their hotel.
- It's not illegal to stay in a hotel.
- Yeah, but we can get a search warrant.
- On what grounds?
Mickey and Danny didn't put
the artwork up for sale, you did.
You collected the banker's draft.
As far as we can tell, they didn't switch the artwork,
either, whereas you.
There's CCTV footage, witnesses.
- Look, all this.
Everything, the lot, okay?
It's all Mickey and Danny.
- There's no evidence you even spoke to them.
There's no Max the Forger.
There's no Richard Shaw.
This Mickey and Danny don't appear
to have done anything illegal.
At least not today, anyway.
Where did all this come from?
- They planted it.
They are setting me up.
- Can you prove it?
I don't have any choice.
I'm sorry.
Samantha Phillips, I am arresting you on suspicion of theft,
fraud, and deception.
You do not have to say anything
but it may harm your defense
if you do not mention when questioned
something which you later rely on in court.
- Come on now, cards on the table.
Would you have a little knock-about with her?
- Like I said, Danny, I'm very choosy.
- Yeah, but choosy ain't getting you nowhere.
When she got that truncheon out, did it for me.
- Women are your kryptonite.
- What are you on about, what are you on?
Are you tripping or something?
I'm their kryptonite Albert.
I, listen, don't lie, women are powerless to resist me.
- Oh, yeah, dream on.
- Right, I'll drive you.
- No, I'm driving.
- No, let me drive.
- Would you open the door for me, please?
- Want us to do everything, yeah?
- Thank you.
- I didn't want to drive, okay?
So I tricked you, so I won.
You drive, I am not driving.
Forget it.
- But, Dad.
- Always a pleasure.
- Here you go, your first score.
- Is that all?
- Shut up.
- He's learning fast, in't he?
- I'll see you around, guys.
Thanks a lot.
- Thank you.
- Nice working with you.
- Come on you, let's get you home.
- Eddie, what happened?
- I slipped.
- Yeah, well I didn't have time to fit the padding
before you got to the bar.
Yeah, I couldn't exactly say anything, could I?
- Grifting's a dangerous game, Eddie.
Hey, but look on the bright side at least
D.I. Phillips won't be bothering you anymore.
- Yeah, nice one.
Thanks, fellas.
- So, I cashed the banker's draft
we got from the auction house.
The money's in here, along with the 80,000
that Neil very happily paid for the original.
- Dangerous, but lucrative.
- So does this mean you lot are going to settle your tab?
- Eddie.
- Charming.
- Where's the gratitude?
- No appreciation.
- Makes you wonder why we bother.
All right, then, here.
- Okay then, I'd better be off.
- Whoa, whoa, hold on.
Where are you going all dressed up?
- Well, I don't think that's, any of your business, Danny.
- She's got a date.
- A date?
Who with?
- I don't think that's any of your business, either.
- Neil.
Neil.
Neil?
You are going out with some specky comic-book geek, when
when a beautiful, friendly, funny, sensitive, creative guy
like me doesn't even get a look in?
- Looks that way.
Doesn't it, Danny?
Okay, guys, don't wait up.
- Cards, gentlemen?
- Cards?
Yeah, brilliant.
I can hardly handle the excitement.
- What?
- Shall we say, a tenner a hand?
- Oh no, no.
No way.
- Come on, Eddie, come on.
Just a bit of fun.
Besides, you're one of the crew now.
- So, Eddie, what do you got?
- Like I'd tell you lot.