Originally transmitted in three parts in 1996
Episode twenty-one / An Inspector Wexford Special
Last on: Tue, 1st May 2012 at 9:00pm on ITV3
Adapted from the Ruth Rendell novel by Alan Plater
Directed by Jim Goddard
DVD
Wexford and Me: Most Dramatic Episode
Filming Locations
Soundtrack

Melanie Akande, the daughter of Wexford’s Nigerian doctor goes missing after being last seen at the Job Centre in Stowerton. The body of a young black woman is found and Wexford immediately fears the worst for the Akande family…

George Baker: This is a much more challenging case for Wexford. He could have sworn he would have reacted in a specific and predictable way, but when it comes to it, he finds that he needs to look at himself quite closely. He finds that his beliefs—and those of the people around him—are really put to the test, because, in a small town like Kingsmarkham, they are faced with a problem that they have never encountered before.
Alan Plater: My wife Shirley and I have been fans of Ruth Rendell’s work way before it reached the screen. As a highly literate person specialising in thrillers, she’s been a class act from the beginning. I always felt she would be perfect for television. The story is a complex examination of racism and I thought it was terrific for that reason. And I’m very happy because Ruth Rendell has said that she is delighted with what I have produced. I have that in writing, so it could be used in evidence, should the need arise!
Jim Goddard: I’d never done a Wexford before and Simisola surprised me. It’s come right down into the street, taking on a much more realistic quality. It’s set in a totally modern context and there’s the challenge of an older guy dealing with modern life from a position of authority. It makes him question the way he wealds his power. It’s no longer finding the squire’s footprint in the snow or a snip of lamb’s wool caught on barbed wire. This is finding your UB40 in the gutter with some chewing gum on it. That aside, it remains a good detective story in the best tradition.
Louie Ramsay: It was our first time working as a married couple and it felt completely natural and normal. The only difference was that we came home together after working - and if we ever went out for a meal, we would tend to discuss Simisola. We see Ruth socially and are good friends. She paid us a compliment, saying that she sees George when she writes about Wexford and implied that she sees me as Dora, but in her early books Ruth describes Dora as dark haired and deep chested, whereas I am the opposite!
Christopher Ravenscroft: Ruth is a wonderful writer. She creates such vivid characters that they leap off the page. You sense a huge vitality and energy. She’s also marvellous on mood and setting an atmosphere, which is always important. This latest story is quite a departure as she’s become a social commentator.
Jane Lapotaire: Anouk Khoori is everything I loathe. She lives an unreal existence and is totally protected from the real world through her money.
George Harris: Ruth Rendell shows what happens in nice quarters. I think she’s produced a good balance, powerful and moving, without getting on a soap box. The effect is just right and it will inform people as it goes on, in a much more subtle way than shouting about issues in a heated debate.
Robin Kermode: This was the first time I’d ever played a policeman. I loved it. In fact, it was one of the happiest companies I’ve ever worked with. George Baker was so welcoming. On the very first read through, I said there was little in the script about Vine’s character and asked him for some pointers. He said he felt I was spot on with Vine and even though I hadn’t done it before, it just seemed to work. Everyone was very generous and very welcoming, especially as it was such an established series.