Ep 5. Good Work Rewarded

New Tricks is a British procedural drama that follows a team of retired police officers who are brought back to work on cold cases. In season 1 episode 5, titled "Good Work Rewarded," the team investigates the murder of Barry Peacham, a wealthy businessman who was stabbed to death in his own home.

The episode begins with the team, led by Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman (played by Amanda Redman), receiving a new case from their boss, Assistant Chief Constable Robert Strickland (played by Anthony Calf). The victim, Barry Peacham, was an entrepreneur who had made his fortune in the oil and gas industry. He was found dead in his bed in his luxurious London home, and there were no signs of forced entry.

As the team begins to investigate, they discover that there were several people who had motive to kill Peacham. His business partner, Leo Finlay (played by Stephen Moore), was in financial trouble and had been relying on Peacham's money to keep his own company afloat. Meanwhile, Peacham's wife, Veronica (played by Sylvestra Le Touzel), was having an affair and had recently been cut off financially by her husband.

The team also uncovers some suspicious activity on Peacham's computer, which leads them to believe that he was involved in some shady business dealings. They track down one of Peacham's associates, a man named Terry Devlin (played by Laurence Kennedy), who admits to helping Peacham launder money. Devlin tells the team about a plan that Peacham and Finlay had to sell their company to a Russian investor, but he doesn't know who the investor is.

As the team digs deeper, they discover that Peacham had a secret son, Oliver (played by Tom Mison), who had been cut out of his father's will. Oliver had a history of drug addiction and had been estranged from his father for many years, but he insists that he didn't have anything to do with his father's death.

Despite all of the suspects and motives, the team is unable to find any concrete evidence linking anyone to Peacham's murder. It's not until Pullman has a conversation with Peacham's housekeeper, Mrs. Tishell (played by Joanne Pearce), that they finally make a breakthrough. Mrs. Tishell reveals that Peacham had recently begun to change his behavior and had started acting paranoid. She also reveals that she had found a strange key hidden in Peacham's office.

With this new information, the team begins to piece together the final moments of Peacham's life. They realize that Peacham had discovered something about his business partner, Finlay, that had made him fear for his own safety. Peacham had hidden a valuable painting in a secret compartment behind a bookcase, and he had given the key to his housekeeper for safekeeping.

The team tracks down the painting and discovers that it had been stolen from a museum many years ago. They also find evidence linking Finlay to the theft. With this information, they are finally able to arrest Finlay for Peacham's murder.

In the end, the team feels a sense of satisfaction for solving the case, but they are also reminded of the fact that justice doesn't always bring closure. They realize that Peacham's son, Oliver, will never get the chance to reconcile with his father, and that no amount of punishment for Finlay will bring Peacham back to life. Nonetheless, they are proud of the good work they have done and the justice they have served.