Midsomer Murders (1997) s07e03 Episode Script

The Fisher King

Excuse me.
Hello, Vanessa.
Miriam.
Are you OK? Yeah.
Sure? Yes.
Do you want to have a drink? My dear boy, there's a world of difference between this sort of thing and ACADEMIC archaeology.
I mean, you're not claiming to be an archaeologist, are you? My father was the archaeologist.
As a popular account of pagan culture, I found it entertaining.
He's from the Ashmolean Museum.
Your notion that Midsomer Barrow contains a Celtic ritual spear and chalice is simply fanciful.
Are you saying that the dig at the barrow never took place? As an academic archaeologist, I have to base my assumptions on DOCUMENTED finds.
I don't have the luxury of fiction.
Fiction?! Hello, Gareth.
Good evening, Vanessa.
This is better than Indiana Jones.
I must be returning to Oxford.
Bye.
Well done, David.
All publicity is good publicity.
Are you coming to the pub? No, thanks.
I'm off out later.
Vanessa? Yep.
What do you reckon? She's got you right round her little finger.
That's what I reckon.
What's wrong with a lass your own age? Son, if there's one thing I do know about, it's women.
Yes, Dad.
I KNOW.
GARETH: So, what's it about? The mythology associated with Midsomer Barrow where the Celts use symbols and rituals to connect with the spirits of nature.
You mean it's a load of heavy twaddle? Well, there's no way my mother will allow you to use the Barrow.
What do you want to use it for? The Summer Solstice festival.
The longest day and shortest night.
Isn't that what the shindig on the common's about? Yes.
But the Barrow was built to celebrate the Solstice.
A unique moment occurs when a flaming arrow shot into the sun can release a regenerative power.
My father was the archaeologist who first explored it.
David seems to think it's some sort of pagan Viagra.
So, what's wrong with having the Solstice festival at the Barrow? My father died there.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I didn't know.
There's your rustic swain, waiting patiently.
Good night, Gareth.
Harry.
HORN BEEPS Flash git! Gareth didn't buy one.
That's family for you.
Couldn't you talk to him about the Solstice? Leave it, David.
It's not fair to Anne.
Maybe I'll ask her myself.
David, we have to get a divorce.
I'm going to see a solicitor.
No, Miriam.
It's no ordinary night.
Wait and see.
Oh, thank you(!) And what delights does the day hold in store for you, love? I thought I'd go to that talk at the library.
Is that the one Cully mentioned? Yes.
Arthurian legend.
History or myth.
Camelot comes to Causton.
Don't mock.
No, I'm not.
I'm not.
There's a walk to Midsomer Barrow afterwards.
Has Arthurian connections, apparently.
Has it? Well, you've got a lovely day for it.
You have a good time.
Isn't he a beauty? Sired by the same ram as the shearling that won Best of Show last year.
I'm meeting Vanessa Stone this afternoon.
You're having a lot of meetings with her.
I like her style.
I'm considering going in to business with her.
Just not sure what the romance with Harry Green is all about.
Harry's a nice boy.
Like his father? She's not showing much interest in the mill house.
Is she using him to pull a fast one on the tenancy? We're not going to evict Nathan and Harry.
If the mill's a success, it might be a good idea to have room to expand.
Vanessa and I could do well.
I won't turn my friends out of their homes.
They'll get over it.
Don't be ridiculous, Mother! It's about time you stop carrying a torch for Nathan Green.
And so you can see how the myth of the Fisher King was incorporated into Arthurian legend.
And when the Celts converted to Christianity, and became part of the story of the Holy Grail In the Arthurian story, a young knight comes to the court of the Fisher King.
He must ask the King about the Holy Grail in order to bring healing to the land.
When he fails to ask the question, the kingdom remains a wasteland.
There is another connection to the Fisher King myth close to here.
But more of that at the end of our walk to Midsomer Barrow.
Now I think we should take a short break and help ourselves to coffee.
Excuse me.
I thought you might be interested in this.
Thank you.
My husband wrote it.
You may know of his father, the archaeologist.
The late Paul Heartley-Reade.
Indeed I do.
I shall look forward to reading it.
Thank you.
We should introduce ourselves.
Jane Willows.
Joyce Barnaby.
I'm the arts officer.
Of course.
You organise these talks, don't you? He's enjoying himself.
He's from Norway.
He's come here to do some research in the archives.
The Fisher King.
How was the talk? Nice man.
Norwegian archaeologist.
Per Hansen.
Don't know him.
Any good? I enjoyed it.
Anyway, I gave him a copy of your book.
You never know.
He might review it.
Enjoy your fishing.
It'll cost a bit more doing it this way but there are grants.
And by restoring a heritage site, I get free publicity for the bakery.
You've got it all worked out.
Of course.
I've been thinking .
.
rather than you raising money to buy the mill .
.
maybe we should be partners instead.
I don't want a partner.
We could open a restaurant in the mill house.
Gareth, we had an agreement.
So? Things change.
I've put months of work in to this.
This has cost me a fortune.
With solicitors, planning applications.
I'm not saying don't do it.
I'm saying let's combine our talents.
I know you like me.
No! Gareth! Come on.
Why let pretty boy stand in the way of a good business deal? How dare you! Hello, Harry.
Are there many trout in Parson's Pool? Not if the pike's been up there.
I'm after him now.
Good luck.
You must know the area well if your daughter lives here.
She hasn't been here that long.
She wanted a change of scene after her divorce.
There it is.
Look.
PER HANSEN: Midsomer Barrow.
There are different versions of the story.
Either an old king must die You've been coming on to me since we first met.
Gareth! It's make your mind up time.
You're sleeping with the wrong guy.
.
.
that the myth of the Fisher King Get off! .
.
to Midsommer Barrow.
Get off me! .
.
different versions of this story.
Excuse me.
Gareth, get off me! Do you think she's all right? Get off me!! Oh, my God! That's my daughter.
Who's that with her? Gareth Heldman.
Do you mind? No, of course not.
There's a bridge further upstream.
I must see if she's OK.
Go.
FISHING LINE WOUND OFF REEL Dead man's name was Gareth Heldman.
Ran the family estate.
Georgie Bullard reckoned he was killed by stab wounds to the thigh.
It cut his femoral artery.
He bled to death? He has bruising around the face.
He put up a fight before he was killed.
No murder weapon, though.
There's only this.
(SNORTS) He was killed with THAT? No, Scott.
It's some kind of spearhead.
It must have taken considerable force to break it off.
It made an interesting reaction with the victim's blood.
It was made from a primitive iron.
Harry Green, sir.
The river keeper.
Thank you, Constable.
Harry Green? I'm Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby.
This is Sergeant Scott.
What happened to your face? Oh, nothing.
An accident.
It looks like you've been in a fight.
I slipped on some river stones.
Can anyone corroborate that? Only the rock I smashed my face on.
Did you see Gareth Heldman by the river yesterday? No.
Or anyone else? Only David.
He's often by the river of an evening.
David Heartley-Reade.
Yes, we know David Heartley-Reade.
He found the body.
He says that he saw you spear fishing.
Was this part of your spear? Yes, but where's the head? You tell me.
I left it by the river.
Odd way to fish.
A spear.
Not for pike.
They lurk at the bottom.
Spearing them is the easiest way.
What was this spearhead like? Made of iron.
It was old and heavy but perfect balance.
Where did you get it? My dad found it years ago.
Where did you go, Harry, when you left the river? Home.
Well, can anyone corroborate that? No.
My dad wasn't there.
So, you saw no-one else here yesterday? Oh, there was some women visiting the Barrow.
Yeah, I know all about them.
(SOBS QUIETLY) I've been punished.
I always knew it would happen but not like this! (SOBS) Did you see anything? Anything out of the ordinary? I was with Cully's friend from the library.
Jane Willows.
We saw the man arguing with a woman on the other side of the river.
It was her daughter, Vanessa.
Did you hear what they were saying? No.
It looked like a lovers' tiff.
Then they went off in opposite directions.
Jane went after her daughter to see if she was OK.
Excuse me.
Sure.
What about the rest of the group? Per told us to take a moment alone on the Barrow to soak up the magic.
And did you? What? Soak up the magic? Yes, Tom, thank you.
I did.
Did you see a young man with a spear on the other side of the river? I was lying on the grass with my eyes shut, enjoying the peace and quiet.
Not a very good witness, I'm afraid.
Polly.
Thank you.
Harry.
What happened? I got in a fight.
What about? What do you think? I saw him trying it on with you.
What? You were at the river? I told you I wasn't standing for it.
You hit him? I didn't kill him.
Someone stabbed him.
I believe you saw Gareth Heldman with your daughter, Vanessa.
Yes.
My wife says You've met Joyce, haven't you? She says that they were arguing.
That's why I went after her.
What did you think they were arguing about, Mrs Willows? Miss.
I never married.
ErmI don't know what I thought.
Justerm a mother being anxious.
Did you see your girl's boyfriend, Harry Green, by the river? No.
Did you talk to Gareth Heldman? Hardly.
I was just thinking about my daughter.
And did you catch her up? Yes, thank goodness.
She gave me a lift home.
Mrs Heartley-Reade? Yes? Detective Sergeant Scott, Causton CID.
About Gareth's death? Yeah.
Your husband found the body.
Can you confirm his movements yesterday afternoon? He went fishing.
He came home in a terrible state.
Gareth was his cousin.
Did they get on? Gareth wasn't terribly interested in family.
So, what are these? An Iron Age ceremonial spearhead and chalice.
Three thousand years old.
They would have belonged to a Celtic chieftain.
David's father found them in Midsomer Barrow 30 years ago.
Eczema.
Too many years grubbing about in the earth.
Professor Hansen, your talk was about a legend connected with the Barrow.
The Fisher King.
Perhaps you could fill me in briefly.
The Fisher King was a wealthy lord.
He suffered a wound to his thigh.
The Dolores blow.
That's how our victim was killed.
Here.
Perhaps you should look at this.
David Heartly-Reade.
He it was who found the body.
No.
How very apt.
How do you mean "apt"? A symbolic death at the Barrow and the expert finds the body.
All myths and legends boil down to human nature in the end.
There's a little bit of the pagan left in all of us, don't you think? I'm buying the old water mill on the Heldman estate.
Is that what you were arguing about? Yes.
We'd been negotiating for weeks and yesterday he threatened to go back on his word.
He changed the deal.
Is that all it was about? So far, Mrs Stone, you are the last person to see Gareth Heldman alive.
I shouldn't speak ill of the dead but Gareth wasn't a nice man.
Did he assault you? He thought we should be partners.
I disagreed.
Because you've already got a boyfriend, haven't you? According to Harry Green.
Yes.
He's a bit young.
I'd have thought Gareth Heldman was more your type.
And what makes you think you know what my type is? Did Harry see you with Gareth? Come running to your rescue? I didn't even know Harry was at the river.
Where did you go, after your argument with Gareth? Back to my car.
Then I gave my mother a lift home to Causton.
Apparently, Harry uses an old iron spear for fishing.
Have you ever seen it? No.
Why? We haven't found the murder weapon yet.
And you don't know how Harry got that bruise on his cheek? Why are you so interested in Harry? Everyone who came into contact with Gareth Heldman at the river is a suspect, Mrs Stone.
DOOR OPENS Hello, I'm Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby and this is Come in.
Come in.
I've got something to show you.
It's from the Barrow.
The ceremonial spear my father found.
It has to be.
Is that what was used to kill Gareth? We have to take this for forensic examination.
Where did you find it? Lying there.
On the hall table.
The front door was open.
You mean someone just walked in and left it? Yes.
Here's the original drawing my father made in his diaries.
Roger Heldman gave my father permission to excavate the Barrow.
It was his land.
BARNABY: When was this? The spear and the chalice were in a stone chamber inside the Barrow.
My father left them exactly as he found them.
Why do that? So a colleague could see them in situ.
In Celtic mythology, the spear and the chalice are highly symbolic.
Well, there's the spear Where's the chalice? There's one in the Ashmolean Museum identical to the drawing in the diary but supposedly from another site.
Dr Lavery, the man who found the Ashmolean Chalice, knew David's father and he's not at all happy about David's book.
But now the spear has been found.
One of those pointless academic disputes.
Why were these treasures just left inside the Barrow? That night, there was an accident.
The entrance to the Barrow collapsed and Roger was killed.
My aunt had the chambers sealed up again.
Your aunt being Anne Heldman, Gareth's mother, yes? Yes.
And she's never been back to the Barrow since.
And your father? He left when I was a few months old and never contacted my mother.
We heard eventually that he had died in a car crash.
Does the diary mention anyone who might have known the spear was there? Nathan Green.
He was paid to do the heavy digging.
Nathan Green might have taken the spear and what? Passed it on to his son toerm fish with? Do you think that the killer left it here? Maybe.
But why here? Why this house? Midsummer Solstice is drawing near.
A moment of mystic power.
The spear is a sign that we must seize that moment.
Mr Heartley-Reade, someone may be trying to incriminate you.
But equally, for all I know, you may have placed the spear there yourself.
Have you found the report on Roger Heldman's death? Yes, sir.
It's accidental.
I've asked for a copy of the police file as well.
When they can find it under the dust.
Georgie Bullard confirms the spearhead as the murder weapon.
Both the deaths may be linked to the spear as well as to the Barrow.
Perhaps they both have "mythic significance".
The policeman asked about your fishing spear.
He said it was missing.
So you told them I took a pop at Gareth because I was jealous? Why didn't you tell the police you had a fight if that's all it was? Because I'm their No.
1 suspect.
That's why.
Harry, you would tell me, wouldn't you, if? You think I killed him? No! But I don't understand.
I didn't How COULD you?! What's up, son? It doesn't matter.
She's dumped you.
I knew she would now she found she can't buy the mill after all.
It's nothing to do with that.
Anyway, she can still buy it.
Anne won't sell! Why not? Because she knows I'm not happy about it.
DOOR OPENS DOOR SLAMS SHUT Now you can find a nice girl your own age.
Your own sort.
Businesswoman! Furthering her ambition.
That's the business she's in.
Dad! Who do you think killed Gareth, Dad? I've no idea.
But like you say, he had it coming.
Took after his father.
Treated everyone like he owned them.
Even his own mother.
KNOCK ON DOOR Oh, you're after me, I suppose.
No, we've come to see your father.
Mr Nathan Green? Yeah? I'm DCI Barnaby.
This is Detective Sergeant Scott.
You'll know this is about Gareth Heldman.
Could you tell us please where you were on the afternoon Gareth Heldman was killed? I was doing odd jobs about the place.
On your own? Yeah.
So? Could you identify this for us, please? That's my fishing spear.
That was used to kill Gareth Heldman.
Harry says you found it.
Years ago.
That's right.
Was that when you were working on the archaeological dig? What's this about? That was taken from the Barrow People round here are always turning up old stuff.
You're not mixing me up with that.
With what? That spear disappeared on the night Roger Heldman died.
Dad? I believe that you were there.
So what did you see? It was an accident.
I had nothing to do with it.
Did you take the spear? Oh, come on.
We need to know what happened.
Paul Heartley-Reade said he'd found something precious.
So I went back up to the Barrow that night.
It was Heldman's land.
I wanted to take something of his.
Something PRECIOUS.
Planned to sell it? No.
What exactly did you have against him? I didn't kill him.
Then why didn't you just come forward and say what you'd seen? I had no idea that there was anyone else out there.
Did you recognise who it was running away? You've never said a word of any of this.
If Roger Heldman was murdered, there were plenty who were glad to see him dead.
Did you see who it was? I know who had most reason.
Paul Heartley-Reade.
David's father.
Well, he wasn't David's father, was he? What are you on about? Everyone knew Roger Heldman was David's father.
There you go, Mum.
Oh, thanks very much.
Vanessa? Hmm? Talk to Harry again, please.
(SIGHS) Maybe.
I'm sorry about the death of your son.
Can you think of anyone who would want to kill him? No.
What about your nephew, David Heartley-Reade? I know why you're asking.
Nathan called me.
Is it true? That my husband was David's father? Yes.
Does David know? Yes.
And Gareth knew too.
Though he never talked about it openly.
When Paul, my sister's husband, abandoned her, my sister blamed me.
Why did she blame you? Because I turned a blind eye to Roger's fornication.
I'm sorry but I'm going to have to ask you about the death of your husband as well that night at the Barrow.
That was 30 years ago.
Nevertheless Do you think he and Nathan had some kind of struggle? A fight maybe which caused the entrance to collapse? Nathan? No.
He admits he was there.
He stole the spear.
If you only knew.
No-one had a truer friend than Nathan Green.
What about Paul Heartley-Reade? He certainly had reason toerm resent your husband.
Yes, Paul was bitter and resentful.
He never forgave my sister and abandoned her shortly after.
But she never stopped loving him.
They were childhood sweethearts.
There they are.
That's Paul and my sister.
And me.
I'm the only one left.
CAR APPROACHES Go buy him the other half.
Sir? When you told Anne Heldman, Nathan had stolen the spear from the Barrow, she showed no surprise at all that he was even there.
Did you notice that? No.
No.
You go and have a friendly chat.
See what you can find out about the relationship between Anne and Nathan.
Right.
Drink? There's something I should have told you.
Gareth and I had a flaming row that day.
I hit him.
So, go on.
Arrest me.
Did you kill him? No.
Not that it seems to matter to anyone.
Why did you lie when we asked you before? I knew you wouldn't believe me.
So you did see him with your girlfriend? And you thought, "She's two-timing me.
" No! Well, he's more her age.
He's loaded too.
She never liked him.
It didn't stop him from trying it on with her, though.
So you stuck one on him, did you? Yeah.
All right.
Cheers.
Cheers.
So, what's the deal between your dad and Anne Heldman? I never quite worked that one out.
Bit of a ladies' man, is he? Yes.
As it happens.
But I don't reckon it was ever a full-on thing.
They're likeproper devoted.
Any idea why? No.
I stopped being interested in Dad's women years ago.
What has my paternity got to do with Gareth's death? Probably nothing but you did share a father.
I'm sorry Gareth's dead but he wasn't the brotherly type.
Gareth was the legitimate son and he would have inherited that estate.
How did you feel about that? I own this house, Mr Barnaby.
Proof that inheritance has little to do with paternity.
Do you know of anyone who held a grudge against the Heldman family? Not now.
No.
How about Nathan? Nathan Green? Apparently, there was no love lost between Nathan and Roger Heldman.
I'd be interested to know why.
Why was that? My mother once told me that Nathan had a teenage sweetheart who worked at Priory House.
She ran away without a word.
She was just a child.
Your other father, Paul Heartley-Reade, do you think he killed Roger Heldman? No.
He was in Oxford that night staying with a colleague.
And anyway, Roger Heldman's death was an accident.
I wouldn't be too sure of that.
We have some new evidence that was never shown to the coroner.
Harry.
Harry, I've come to apologise.
It's a bit late for all that.
You know I never meant it.
We both know what Gareth was like.
I'm glad you hit him.
Forgive me.
Please? They've been asking my dad all sorts of questions too.
You see? We're all suspects.
It means nothing.
You know I love you.
I really do.
Oh, Harry.
Anne, I've come to ask you something.
Something important.
I know what you've come to ask.
And the answer is no.
We need to restore spiritual harmony to this family.
My son is dead.
Murdered.
But it's because he's dead.
The past is crying out to be laid to rest.
The wound has never healed.
Please, Anne.
I will not allow it.
I have a claim on this land too, you know.
What? Rightfully, I don't need to ask your permission.
Oh, you ARE Roger's son.
You must allow us to use the Barrow.
Do what you want.
You will anyway.
Roger always did.
According to your statement, Paul Heartley-Reade was staying in Oxford with you the night Roger Heldman died.
That was years ago.
Surely you're not raking all that up again? We are investigating the murder of his son, Gareth Heldman.
There may be a connection.
Now, can you confirm that he stayed here? Oh, yes.
Definitely.
Were you friends? We were colleagues.
I understand that you have here in the collection a Celtic chalice that, shall we say, resembles one which Paul Heartley-Reade says he found in the inner chamber of the Midsomer Barrow.
Not that old chestnut! Our chalice was uncovered by one of my students on a site I was supervising in Suffolk.
Look.
I'll show you.
Come on.
Listen to me, David.
I've been to see a solicitor.
I'm prepared to come with you to the Solstice, but it's not going to make any difference to us.
Our marriage is over.
Wishful thinking.
Goodness knows.
We're all tempted.
Are you suggesting Heartley-Reade's diaries are invented? Exactly.
Though that's not what his son wants to believe.
Dr Lavery, there was another witness to what was inside the Barrow.
The only other person to enter the Barrow was Heldman.
Nathan Green.
He did the digging.
He saw the spear and the chalice.
He left the chalice but he admits he stole the spear.
And that spear was used to kill Roger Heldman's son, Gareth.
Who are you? Forgive me.
Per Hansen.
The back door was open.
I couldn't resist.
Such a beautiful old house.
What do you want? Your wife very kindly gave me a copy of your book.
I wanted to ask you about it.
Oh, I see.
Well, erm .
.
what is it you wanted to know? I was intrigued by the illustration of the chalice.
It bears a striking resemblance to one I've seen in the Ashmolean.
Which Dr Lavery found during a dig in Suffolk.
But which you claim comes from Midsomer Barrow.
Yes.
The spear has already come to light.
Really? How can you be sure? A local man admits he stole it.
'At the time of my father's excavation.
' I don't think I can go on.
We got through it before, didn't we? This isn't the same.
I'm here.
I'm still here.
You're the archaeologist, Professor Hansen.
Perhaps you'd be kind enough to give me your take on this.
More than happy to help.
Could Dr Lavery somehow have taken the chalice from Midsomer Barrow and then secretly buried it at his own excavation elsewhere ready for a student to find it? Anything is possible.
What would he stand to gain by such a fraud? Reputation.
But then, perhaps Lavery is right and those diaries are a hoax.
Like the Piltdown Man.
But why? It's what archaeologists dream of.
An untouched site that offers up significant treasures.
I don't just mean that they're valuable.
I mean artefacts that are symbolic.
That can be interpreted.
Written about.
Lectured upon.
Reputation.
A life, Mr Barnaby.
A fulfilled life.
But based on fraud.
Perhaps.
GLASSES CLINK To us.
Our moment is near.
Everything will change tonight, Miriam.
Drink.
I can't.
If we connect with the ancient earth mysteries tonight, the gods will absolve the past.
There are no rites or rituals that can change anything for us.
Miracles can happen, Miriam.
The Fisher King will show us the way.
I don't want to do this, Nathan.
You must.
I haven't set foot on the Barrow since that night.
I'll be here.
Stay with me, Nathan.
Hello, Anne.
I'm so glad you've come.
I'm sorry if David upset you.
He really does appreciate you allowing us on the Barrow.
And your coming here tonight is even better.
Will you light the bonfire? Come on.
Welcome.
Light the fire.
At this place of mythic power and wisdom, we lend our strength to the sun.
Let the festivities begin.
There.
Suitably pagan.
According to David's book, Midsummer's Eve is when all the Earth's feminine energy is released.
A very good night for sex, apparently.
Go home now, then, shall we? Mr Barnaby.
You've got a good crowd, haven't you? They lend strength to the magic.
To our ceremony of communal healing.
And you needn't worry the sun won't rise, need you? That's what the ancient Celts worried about.
The sun will rise.
The world will change tonight.
Keep an eye open for that, will you? Scott! That looks good.
Yeah.
What planet are we on, sir? He can't be serious, can he? Our killer may be in that crowd.
Hello.
Hello, Joyce.
Hello.
Miss Willows.
Mr Hansen.
I really fancy one of those sausages.
Yes.
Me too.
One for you? No, thanks.
I'll come with you.
I'll have one more.
Would you like some? It's Jane Willows, isn't it? Yes.
You don't recognise me.
Of course.
Have you moved back to Midsomer Priors? How are you? Oh, II'm very well.
We're very well.
Oh yes, of course.
My daughter, Vanessa.
She owns the bakery in the village.
Your daughter? Ermhave you seen Nathan? No.
He's here.
Please.
In my own time.
A face from the past? I used to be nursery maid to her son.
Oh, you never said.
I don't have happy memories.
(LAUGHS LOUDLY) Wonderful.
Excuse me.
Yes? Do I know you? I don't think so.
Hmm.
I think I will have another one of these.
Excuse me.
Mrs Heldman I've spent months putting together my proposal for the mill.
Just leave her alone.
This is nothing to do with you.
She is NOT selling.
ANNE: Nathan.
Why don't you just stop interfering? Leave it out, Dad.
Anyway David seems to reckon that the place belongs to him.
Roger Heldman's son and heir.
You should try cosying up to him.
You're good at that.
I'm feeling tired.
Would you see me home? Who's she? Anne Heldman.
It was her son who was murdered? Yup.
That's who Jane Willows recognised tonight.
Jane worked for her years ago.
What did your dad mean? Telling me to ask David about the mill? Is it true? David's claiming the Heldman estate? No, of course not.
He couldn't care less about it.
He was just desperate to celebrate the Solstice here on the Barrow.
Yes.
So when is the big moment? Ermat sunrise.
And we're talking cosmic climax.
Is that it? Miriam.
Are you all right? I've got to go.
I daren't be on my own with him.
He believes that if he can become one with the new sun, our marriage can be reconsummated.
Right.
You're coming home with me.
Listen, I've got to get Miriam out of here.
OK.
Not a word to David.
All right? Don't ask me, mate.
Their marriage has been on the rocks for ages.
You do know what you're doing with that? Oh, yes.
The instant the sun appears on the horizon, we shall send flaming arrows into the dawn.
Fire into fire.
That's not really what I meant.
The glorious consummation.
When the Earth Mother joins the Sky Father.
Really? Then what happens? The land is made potent again.
Desire fulfilled.
You mean we all get lucky.
Time for us to wend? No, we must wait for the sunrise.
Oh, God! Must we? Oh, yes.
Tell me something, Joyce, before Jane Willows went home, did she talk to Nathan Green? No, I don't think so.
Why? Cos I think they're old friends.
Scott, what are you laughing at? David Heartley-Reade.
He's lost the plot, sir.
Well, his wife left him tonight.
Before sunrise? Now, how about this for a theory.
Gareth Heldman was having an affair with Miriam Heartley-Reade so David killed him.
I'll tell you something.
Roger Heldman was also Vanessa's father.
Bloody hell! He managed to put it about a bit, didn't he? Roger by name, Roger by nature.
Harry, have you seen Miriam? Sorry, mate.
No.
Well, David.
Soon the sun will rise on a new day, huh? A new Fisher King will be crowned.
Go.
Go! Sir.
How wonderful.
What's he doing? He's adding his light to the sun's.
He thinks it'll give him power to save his marriage.
(ONLOOKERS GASP) (HARRY HAMMERS ON DOOR AGAIN) (HE CONTINUES HAMMERING) If it's David Don't worry.
I won't.
What is it? Is Miriam here? David's dead.
The arrow must have been fired from here, look.
Shoosh! He was desperate to find his wife last night, sir.
So they could loose off their arrows simultaneously.
A mystic union with the rising sun.
She wanted nothing to do with it, sir.
What a sensible lady.
We've got two victims.
Do you think we're looking for the same killer? There was someone here last night who was by the river the day Gareth Heldman died.
And she had reason to kill him.
Sir? Jane Willows.
Some years ago she worked at Priory House.
She was one of Roger Heldman's victims.
If her daughter Vanessa was fathered by Roger Heldman, and I think she was, and she thought she saw Gareth Heldman assaulting his own sister.
Half-sister.
Why would Jane Willows want to kill David Heartley-Reade? So Vanessa could inherit the entire estate.
Mr Barnaby, I've heard.
Vanessa called me.
Come in.
So terrible.
How can I help? What time did you leave the Barrow last night? Well, I got back here just after midnight.
Are you sure you didn't go out again later? No.
We Miss Willows did you know that David Heartley-Reade was actually Roger Heldman's son? No.
He's a few years younger than your daughter.
You'd left by the time he was born.
I don't understand.
Last night, you told my wife you'd once worked as a nursery maid for Anne Heldman.
Yes.
And David Heartley-Reade told me that Nathan Green was once sweet on a girl who'd worked for the Heldmans.
And .
.
that Roger Heldman had assaulted her.
I was 16.
It was my first job.
You became pregnant with his child? Vanessa.
And you left the village.
I've never talked about this to anyone.
So, on the afternoon of Gareth's murder, when you saw him and Vanessa arguing, that must have been some sort of nightmare for you.
Not only a Heldman, the son of a man who'd done that to you, but also her half-brother.
He even looked like his father.
So, did you go after him? I told you, I went after Vanessa to see she was safe.
I looked after Gareth as a baby.
I couldn't kill him.
Does Vanessa know that Roger Heldman's her father? No.
I couldn't bring myself to tell her that she was conceived like that.
I love her too much.
Never told anyone? Not even Nathan Green? Especially not Nathan.
OK, Scott.
Come on.
Mr Barnaby.
Please.
I must be the one to tell her.
Oh, yes.
Better make it soon.
I'm going down to the river.
Why not wait? Till you've spoken to the police.
There's something I have to do for David.
What if the killer's still out there? After a death, the Celts cast their most precious possessions into water as offerings to the gods.
They believed that lakes and rivers were .
.
gateways to the other world.
David believed that too.
I have to give this back to him.
I'm coming too.
Mr Green, I need you to tell me again exactly what happened at the Barrow the night Roger Heldman died.
What about last night? Shouldn't you be out collaring David's killer? Events of 30 years ago are connected to the deaths of Gareth Heldman and David Heartley-Reade.
I will found out exactly what happened.
This is stupid.
You left the Barrow with the spear and went down to the river.
It was ages ago.
When you heard Heldman cry out, you went back and you saw someone running away.
I don't remember.
I don't believe you, Mr Green.
You thought you saw Anne Heldman running away.
No.
You thought that she had murdered her husband.
You don't know what you're talking about.
And you know, I don't think you've ever discussed it with her.
What's there to say? Only that I'm certain that she believes it was you who murdered her husband.
Me? HowHow could she think that? In revenge.
After he'd assaulted your girlfriend Jane Willows.
Anne Heldman did her best to cover up for you because she was actually pleased to be rid of her husband.
You see, Mr Green, for 30 years you thought you owed her a debt of honour.
Did you repay that debt last night? David Heartley-Reade was threatening to claim the Heldman estate.
Did Mrs Heldman want him killed? No.
Did you kill him to protect her? No.
She's grieving for her own son.
She'd never want another death.
Look, this may not be the time but what really happened between you and David? Do you want to know? You're keeping things bottled up.
It might help to let it out.
David's obsession with absolution and mystic power.
The Solstice.
You must have wondered what it was all about.
Was he impotent? Something to do with who his true father was.
I know nothing about my father.
Mum thinks she's protecting me but I'm desperate to know.
It's not that, is it? Partly.
Roger Heldman was my father too.
Oh, my God! You can't have known.
Of course not.
David was doing a postgrad year in America when we met.
Right from the start there was this amazing bond.
We knew we belonged together.
We decided to get married.
We sent our parents postcards.
Miriam We thought we could continue to live as brother and sister.
Did you? For a while.
Till David discovered all these myths and legends that would make it all right again.
So the Solstice .
.
was when the gods would give him permission .
.
to have sex with you again.
It drove him mad.
Stop! Police.
What are you doing here? I was hoping to find Mrs Heartley-Reade.
Oh, yeah(?) What exactly did you want from her? The diaries.
I wanted to buy them for the museum.
Why the urgency? You'd be amazed people's actions after a death.
They suddenly start throwing things away.
But you said the diaries were a fraud.
Why would a museum want them? Dr Lavery, would you tell me something? How did you really come by the chalice? Was it, in fact, a payment for the false alibi you gave Paul Heartley-Reade? Anne Heldman thought that Nathan Green had killed her husband.
So when you said that Paul was with you in Oxford, she had no reason to disbelieve your story.
You believed only Paul and Roger ever entered the inner chamber but Nathan Green had been there and had seen the chalice too.
It's my word against his.
I'm not really interested in the chalice but you have committed a serious offence, Dr Lavery.
You provided Paul Heartley-Reade with a false alibi.
You are an accessory to murder.
It was an accident.
I'll tell you what you do.
You come to the police station this afternoon and make a statement.
Paul's dead.
What can it possibly matter now? Oh, it does.
It does.
Three o'clock this afternoon.
Goodbye, Doctor.
So Paul Heartley-Reade murdered Roger Heldman.
How does that bring us nearer to who killed Gareth or David? There is one question we haven't asked ourselves.
Whoever killed Gareth left the spearhead on David's table.
Why did he do that? To incriminate David maybe? There is one other child of Roger Heldman who has a claim on the estate.
That's Jane Willows's daughter.
Vanessa? Yes.
Yeah.
Hello, Nathan.
Jane.
My God! I thought you were I should never have run away.
I should have told you.
It didn't take much to work it out.
No, maybe not.
I let you down.
Oh, Jane.
You only had to come to me.
Surely you knew that? I didn't know how to tell you.
The number of times I've dreamt about seeing you.
Just to know that you were safe.
You'll never know how much I missed you.
But I couldn't Oh, Jane.
My Jane.
All this time.
Why now? My daughter lives in Midsomer Priors.
Your daughter? Vanessa.
You mean? She is a Heldman, Nathan.
But she's in love with your son.
You knew? Only last night.
I can't regret the existence of my daughter.
Vanessa.
No wonder Harry's so besotted.
She knows a good man when she sees one.
I'd better stay.
No, no.
Go on.
Wait for me at the mill.
Are you sure? OK.
May the river now cleanse the past.
She's not here.
She's gone to the river with Miriam Heartley-Reade.
(WOMAN SHRIEKS) Somebody help! Help! Help! Somebody help! Help! Somebody help! Somebody! Please! Here! Here! Somebody help! Over here! Here! What happened? I don't know.
Thank you.
SCOTT: Sisters?! That means she and David were Did she know? They found out.
She wanted to escape.
David wouldn't let her.
You don't think Miriam killed him? Miriam? Do you think she could have done that? No, he washe was her brother.
She still loved him.
None of this brings us nearer who killed Dr Lavery.
There's only one person who knows the truth about Paul Heartley-Reade.
About the spear, about the chalice, about the excavation and the Barrow.
They're all connected.
I think Anne Heldman holds the key to this riddle.
Mrs Heldman, we know that neither you nor Nathan Green were in any way responsible for your husband's death.
But there is something we need to know.
The night of the Solstice, you saw a man you thought you knew.
(LAUGHS) There was something about him you thought you recognised.
Go back to that.
It could be very important.
His laugh.
There was something about the way he laughed.
Paul.
He laughed the way Paul used to laugh.
Paul Heartley-Reade.
Yes.
How odd.
After all these years.
When Paul left Midsomer Priors, where did he go? Scandinavia somewhere.
Like Norway? Possibly.
I don't understand.
Ermhe died in a car crash.
Did you hear anything about that crash? Any details? Something more you can tell us about it? Yes.
The car caught fire.
He was He was burned? That's what my sister was told.
Thank you.
Right.
Buterm Where to, sir? Causton? No, Midsomer Priors.
Glebe House.
OK? Yeah.
You're going past it.
DOOR BANGS What are you doing here? Who let you in? This is my house.
I don't think so.
What do you want? I want my name.
I want my house and I want my work.
I don't understand.
No, but I was here before and I noticed a letter addressed with your maiden name.
I knew your parents, Miriam.
And then I understood what David's ridiculous posturing at the Solstice was about.
Now, then .
.
it should be here somewhere.
I want you to go.
Now! Yes.
Here it is.
Not very imaginative, your husband, was he? Especially when it came to plagiarising my work.
He and Lavery both.
Pathetic mediocrities squabbling like children over the work your father FORCED me to abandon.
Leave that.
I'm doing what should have been done years ago.
Ridding the world of Roger Heldman's Paul Heartley-Reade What? I am arresting you for the murders of Gareth Heldman, David Heartley-Reade and Dr James Lavery.
I am also arresting you for the murder of Roger Heldman.
Paul Heartley-Reade? Surgery may have given you a new face but you don't have eczema, do you? And you didn't want to get your gloves dirty while you ate your hot dog.
Because your hands are still scarred from the burns when your car caught fire.
How very observant.
You'd already taken your revenge on Roger Heldman for what he'd done with your wife.
For you it was who murdered him at the Barrow all those years ago.
Did you come back to Midsomer intending to kill again? No, I came back out of curiosity.
Just to look around.
Why did you kill Gareth Heldman? The spearhead, the one I discovered in the Barrow.
MY spearhead.
Gareth found it where Harry had left it in the grass.
He came sauntering over the bridge with it after he'd finished trying to roger Jane's daughter.
Claimed it belonged to him.
Wouldn't even let me look at it.
Just like his father.
So you took it from him? Hello.
What have we here? I'm an archaeologist.
Maybe I could tell you what it is.
I think I know what it is.
No! The next day you found that David had found Gareth's body.
You left the spearhead on the hall table hoping to frame David for Gareth's murder.
It could have worked out nicely.
When we didn't arrest him, you killed him.
Why did you do that? Was it because of his book? His book! It was all MY work.
You killed him for that? How dare he pass my work off as his own? David had taken two bows along with him.
One for himself.
One for Miriam.
But Miriam had left.
You found her bow and you made good use of it.
Why were you so anxious to support Dr Lavery's assertion the diaries were a fraud? It made no sense after the spear was found and you knew Nathan had seen inside the Barrow.
Poor Lavery.
Always a liability.
Just desperate to get his hands on my diaries, wasn't he? Because he knew they'd expose him as a fraud.
You were here when he came to the house? Yes.
I enjoyed watching him squirm while you questioned him.
And you followed him to the mill? I was afraid he intended to kill poor Nathan Green, the only other witness who had seen the chalice and spear in the Barrow.
But you got ahead of him.
Nathan Green did not deserve to die.
He was a good lad.
He worked hard on the dig.
Come on.
Time to go.
I love this house.
I was born here.
I was happy and fulfilled until Roger Heldman took it all.
He left me with NOTHING.
I had to take it back.
(READS) Bronze Celtic chalice and spearhead from the stone chamber in the heart of Midsomer Barrow.
That's better.
I never realised archaeology was such a dangerous business.
Is the body count always this high, sir? It has been remarked upon.
Three murders just to re-label an object in a glass case.
Well, there's more to it, Scott, than merely "re-labelling".
It was a lie.
Now it's the truth.

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