Midsomer Murders (1997) s07e05 Episode Script

The Maid in Splendour

KNOCK AT DOOR Come in.
Sorry, Michael.
The extractor fan in the dining room has packed up again.
Well, you should speak to Stephen.
I didyesterday.
All right, Audrey, I'll have a word.
It's not good for you, you know.
It's only a small one.
Don't tell Stephen.
I meant sitting in this room looking at those photographs.
It's three years, Michael.
It's time you got on with your life.
Ah, Michael.
The man himself.
Good evening, Lawrence.
Are you dining with us tonight? We are.
I can recommend the duck.
Good evening, good evening.
Good evening, Vivian.
You're looking well.
Apparently, the extractor in the dining room has packed up again.
Someone's looking at it tomorrow.
Fine.
As long as it's under control.
You're the boss now.
That's right, I am - so relax.
You've got to start taking it easy like the doctor said.
I know when I'm not wanted.
Why can't he stay out of the way? Lorna, he's only just retired.
How are we supposed to run the place with him hanging around? If it wasn't for my father, there wouldn't be a pub to run, so show some bloody respect.
Yes, Mr Bullard.
Same again? Thanks, Stephen.
Are you working in the snug tonight? Yeah, worse luck.
Why, what's wrong? My old man's in there, getting tanked up.
Hey, are you doing anything later on? Yes, Jamie, I am.
Bella, Jamie.
Everything OK in this neck of the woods? BOTH: Fine, Mr Bannerman.
You'd better get back in the snug,Jamie, and serve the old codgers before they turn nasty.
Where's your mother? She's just taking Mr Haggard's order.
Bella, my dear,when you've got a moment, would you sort me out a large Scotch and put it in the usual place? You are a bad man.
You're supposed to be cutting down.
It's our little secret.
Is there room for a Scotch in that? Yeah, I suppose so, Dad.
Well, there shouldn't be if you pulled me a full pint.
All right, all right.
Good evening, gentlemen.
All's well, I trust.
Apart from your staff serving short measures, yes.
Er, they want another case of claret in the restaurant, Jamie.
I'll keep an eye on the riffraff in here.
You should go easy on the boy, Clive.
He's my son.
I'll treat him as I see fit.
Sons should be kept in their place.
And you can keep that.
And I suppose I'll have to buy you two hooligans a drink also.
Same again, Wesley? Thank you kindly, Michael.
Will you take a drink with me, Mr Benbow, sir? OhI don't mind.
And talking of sons - I hear your Stephen's pulling this bar down, making it part of the restaurant.
Oh, is that what you hear, Clive? I hear you're selling your garage to Lawrence Haggard and going to Spain.
Over my dead body.
You ought to know better than listen to gossip in this village.
(MUTTERS) No work clothes.
What's that, Mr Benbow, sir? No work clothes.
What do you know about work clothes, you old stoat? You've never done a day's work in your life.
No work clothes.
When that notice goes up, ordinary folk'll have to drink elsewhere.
Listen to me, you miserable beggars, no such sign's going up in this pub.
Stephen's the boss now and, yes, he has plans and that's all right and proper.
But everyone has always been welcome at The Maid and that's how it's going to stay.
Cheers.
Take some vegetables, darling.
How's the Midsomer Film Festival coming along? Oh, great.
The Erotica season sold out straightaway.
Don't worry - I saved you some tickets.
You must be joking.
Lovely.
Thank you, darling.
DOORBELL Who on earth could that be? It might be Dan.
Dan who? Dan Scott, Dad.
I bumped into him in Causton.
He said he might bring some paperwork over.
Don't just leave him standing on the doorstep, Tom.
How does the boy do it? He can smell a free meal at ten miles.
I printed out those statistics you asked about.
Thank you, sir.
It's a sort of stew.
A sort of stew.
My favourite, Mrs B.
Are you driving, Scott? Yes, sir.
Then you won't be wanting any wine, will you? So, who is it? Who's the lucky bloke? Mind your own business.
Give me a hand behind the bar, Bella.
Good evening, Mr Cruickshank.
What are you doing here, Haggard - as if I didn't know? Mr Cruickshank owns the garage and the handsome house next to it.
Lovely property.
Great potential.
Yeah, well, stop licking your lips cos I'm staying put.
You can wave all the money you like.
I won't roll over like some people in this village.
Now, out of my way, Haggard.
I'm off home to my lovely property.
He could be trouble.
Don't worry, he'll come round.
They all do in the end.
Go, Jezzer.
Jezzer.
Come here, girl.
Bloody hell.
His name is Jamie Cruickshank.
Worked at the local pub - The Maid In Splendour.
What's your first impressions, George? Are you all right, George? I know the victim.
I was in The Maid only last night.
Nice lad.
Oh, George, I'm sorry.
It looks like he was shot from behind with both barrels of a 12-gauge shotgun, range between 5 and 10 yards.
Time of death? Between 12 midnight and 4am last night.
Rough guess.
I'll retrieve the pellets and send them to Ballistics after he's been X-rayed.
We'll need any fragments of the wad.
Yes.
There should be some in the entry wound at that range.
This could be the lad's cap, sir.
It's brand-new, isn't it? Yeah.
Mr Sykes has handed his gun to Forensics, for what it's worth.
We'll need a list of all the people with gun permits in the area.
We need the cartridges to match the firing-pin markings with the gun.
The woods are full of old ones, but no new ones and none near the body.
Where's the divers? They'll be about an hour.
Maybe they can find a weapon in that stinking pond.
That looks recent, doesn't it? Bag it, Scott.
Forensics might pick up some prints.
You think he met someone here, sir? Someone was using the place, that's for sure.
But I don't see Jamie Cruickshank affording a 30-quid bottle of claret, do you? Unless he nicked it from the pub, sir.
Came here with a friend, had a few drinks, messed around with a gun.
No, no.
If Jamie brought a friend here, chances are it'd be a girl.
This is the sort of place to bring totty when you've got nowhere else to go.
That's beautifully put, as ever.
Thank you, sir.
Right, Scott, we must go and tell his family.
Let's get that over with.
I left The Maid about11:15.
I don't know what time Jamie left.
He had cleaning up to do, I suppose.
Did Jamie have a girlfriend? No.
He had better things to do.
He was going out with Bella Monday.
He was not.
He was until recently.
Bella Monday? Did she live in the village? Yes, she works at the restaurant, at The Maid with her mother.
Did Jamie have a shotgun? Yeah, course he did.
It's locked up with mine.
Do you mind if we have a look? No.
When were the guns last used, sir? About a couple of weeks ago.
But I've cleaned them both since.
Oh, Jamie was happy at The Maid.
Yeah.
Michael Bannerman, he made this village.
Stephen and that bastard, Lawrence Haggard, are tearing it apart.
Who's Lawrence Haggard? Incomer.
Wants to use this village like a supermarket.
He's bought the manor, the rectory, he's trying to buy me.
Will you listen to yourself? Our son has just been murdered and you're going on about Lawrence Haggard.
This has nothing to do with our Jamie.
She's not wrong, sir.
He's just worried about a bloke buying his garage.
People express grief in different ways, Scott.
Yes, sir.
Where to now? The Maid In Splendour.
Let's take a look at this famous pub.
Are you going to be all right? Good morning.
I'm sorry, sir, we aren't open yet.
Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby from Causton CID, I'm looking for Michael Bannerman.
I'll take you to his office.
That's kind.
And you are? Audrey Monday.
This is my daughter Bella.
This way, please.
I'd like to talk to you after I've seen Mr Bannerman.
Of course.
We're going to have to talk to you as well.
Scott! I was in the snug when Stephen called time.
I did a tour, said good night to everybody and then went upstairs.
Jamie was collecting glasses in the lounge, I think.
You went upstairs to do what, Mr Bannerman? I live on the premises, Inspector.
After my wife passed away, I moved into a little flat upstairs.
So you don't know, you can't know, what time Jamie left the pub? No, I'm afraid not.
What sort of lad was Jamie, sir? Oh, he was terrific.
Very popular, a good worker, always cheerful.
Every- Everyone in the village liked Jamie.
I believe he was going out with a girl who works here - Bella Monday.
Yes, yes, he was very keen on her, I believe.
According to his mother, anyway.
I understand Jamie was into guns.
Into guns? If you mean "did he shoot", yes, he did.
Hunting, shooting and fishing are popular round here, I'm glad to say.
Do you shoot, Mr Bannerman? Ernot any more, no.
When my wife died, I had, er well, a bit of a heart problem.
I'm fit as a fiddle now, but I handed my gun over to Stephen.
You also handed the pub over.
Yes, yes, yes.
Shown the red card.
Yes, no, I, er, was told to take things easy.
Stephen's the boss now.
He's doing a great job.
The Maid In Splendour, what's that about? Oh, that's a local legend.
A young knight goes to the crusades before he can marry his beloved and she vows to wait for him.
But by the time he gets back, he's old, broken by the war.
She's still as beautiful as ever, hasn't aged a day.
So, to free her from her obligation, he dives into Lake Splendour and drowns.
Lake Splendour? That's a stagnant pond up by Hunter's Wood.
The name's ironic, at least it is these days.
So he chucks himself in the pond, end of story.
No, no.
The maid was brokenhearted.
She still loved him, you see, despite his age and infirmity, so she threw herself in the lake after him.
Hence, The Maid In Splendour.
That's what I like, a happy ending.
They took my gun away Mm.
.
.
to test it.
(SNIFFS) Yeah.
I hope you don't think that I had anything to do with .
.
you know.
No, Wesley, I don't.
You're about the only person round here I trust.
I think Jamie left before me.
I was waiting for Mum.
I took a coffee and sandwiches up to Mr Bannerman before I left and we talked for about ten minutes.
Then I came down to cash up in the restaurant.
Jamie came in to say good night about quarter past eleven.
Then I drove Bella home.
Did Jamie mention where he was going that night? No.
He asked me if I wanted to go into Causton.
I said I was going out.
But you didn't go out, did you? I changed my mind.
I was tired so I went home with Mum.
You went out with Jamie for a bit, didn't you? We only went out a couple of times.
He was very niceJamie, but he was a bit you knowyoung for his age.
Did you ever go up to the old cottage in Hunter's Wood with Jamie? No, I did not.
We have to ask these questions, I'm afraid.
Did he have any enemies that you know of? Anyone he didn't get on with? Jamie got on with everyone.
Except his dad.
His dad hated him working here.
Why? Michael Bannerman is a very popular man in the village, Inspector.
Now that Stephen Bannerman has taken over The Maid WellMichael Bannerman's a hard act to follow.
Mr Bannerman, do you mind if I ask you a few questions about Jamie? OK.
Make it snappy, we open in quarter of an hour.
Business as usual, eh? That's right.
I'm sorry about Jamie.
He was a good kid.
But life must go on.
Yeah.
What time did Jamie leave the pub last night? He came in and said good night about 11:15.
What was he doing in Hunter's Wood? Fooling around, I expect.
And what did you do after the pub closed last night? Me? Sat down here, did some paperwork.
On your own? Yeah.
For how long? About an hourhour and a half.
VAT.
Bloody nightmare.
Then what did you do? Went home.
What do you think? Got in about half one.
Do you shoot, sir? Yeah, I do.
When did you last use your gun? I used it this morning.
I got a rabbit for the pot.
Thank you.
Eroh, there's there's just one thing.
What can you tell us about the relationship between Jamie and Bella? A relationship, was it? We heard she dumped him, he was a bit miffed.
If Jamie was going out with Bella, it was in his dreams.
He was pestering her, that's all.
Told him to pack it in.
It was interfering with their work.
So, what do you make of that? Typical country boozer, full of yokels and nutters.
Thank you, that's very useful.
And as for The Maid - a bloke comes back from the war, his fiancee's still a looker, so he jumps in a pond, then she jumps in.
You've got to be kidding.
Word of advice about your interviewing technique, Scott.
Sir? Drooling, sergeant, when taking statements from attractive female witnesses.
It is not in the manual.
Drooling, sir? Drooling, sir.
What drooling? STEPHEN: Time, ladies and gentleman.
Will you finish your drinks up, please? OK, you lot, haven't you got homes to go to? Brandy - large one.
Clive, old friend, you should be home looking after Maureen.
That's all right, Clive.
Here we go.
Large brandy.
On the house.
What? In fact, let's make that drinks all round, shall we? What's got into you? Well, pretty soon I shan't be able to enjoy the pleasure of sharing a drink with you gentlemen.
This bar's coming down.
I'm extending the restaurant.
I knew it.
And, frankly, I can't wait.
Ever wonder why you lot are the only people who use this bar? Because people come in, they see Worzel Gummidge here, an old dosser who smells like a badger's armpit Ohhh.
.
.
and you a miserable old piss artist who only opens his mouth to moan - so they turn around and walk straight out.
I've been wanting to do this for as long as I can remember.
You're barred, Cruickshank - for life.
Show your face here again and I'll give you the beating of your life.
For the love of God, Stephen, the poor man's just lost his son! Michael won't stand for this.
He isn't the guv'nor any more - I am.
Now, get out! You just made a very big mistake.
I reckon that was uncalled for, Stephen.
I don't care what you reckon.
DOOR OPENS So you're gonna give me the beating of my life, are you? Come on, then.
Put that down, you daft old bugger.
You apologise to me now, in front of everyone here, or I'll blow your brains out.
(GASPS) I don't think so, Cruickshank.
You never could hit bugger-all with that.
Clive, you don't have to wave a gun around to get a drink in here.
This is between me and Stephen.
Calm down, lad, calm down.
Now, give me that before there's an accident.
Come on, I'll walk you back home to Maureen.
We'll keep this between ourselves, shall we? Clive's got enough on his plate as it is.
No work clothes.
You - out! The wound's three inches across, so my guess is he was shot from four or five yards.
Pellets were lead birdshot, the type used for birds and small game.
Like every shotgun in Midsomer.
What about the wadding? That's gone to Ballistics, too.
It looked like 12-gauge to me.
Any sign of a struggle before the shooting? No, not a mark on him otherwise.
Has the murder weapon turned up? No.
Chances are he knew the killer, went up to the wood to meet him and it all went horribly wrong.
So, George, you are a regular at The Maid In Splendour, are you? I pop in now and then.
Have a beer with Michael Bannerman.
Talk fishing.
What about the son - Stephen? I hardly know Stephen.
Oh, come on, George.
You've met him, Tom.
Not overburdened with charm, is he? No, he's not.
And he's not trusted in the village.
Rumour is he's on the payroll of that developer chap Haggard.
What about the girl Jamie was going out with - Bella Monday? She works in the restaurant with her mother.
I don't see them much.
But therethere was something rather odd recently.
Like what? I was in the snug one night with Michael and that rogue Benbow.
We talked about pike-fishing, as I recall.
It was late.
The pub had been closed for about an hour or so.
And on my way out, I saw Stephen and Bella near the side entrance.
And whywhy was that odd? I can't be sure, but it seemed to me they were in a clinch.
It was dark, Tom, so, for God's sake, don't read too much into it.
Divers drew a blank in the pond, sir.
No murder weapon.
No luck in the wood either.
They found old cartridges but no new ones near the scene of the crime.
What about the gun? George Bullard was right about the shot.
Standard size for birds and game.
Same for the choke, so it's not a sawn-off job.
No reports of any shotguns being stolen, I suppose.
No, sir.
Theseare all the permit holders in the region.
Ohthey are all there, sir.
Steve Bannerman, Wesley, the Cruickshanks, even that property developer bloke.
You could call them in, get Ballistics to fire them, compare the pellet and the wad.
Yes, we could.
But it's not 100% reliable and it's very expensive.
We could use it as a threat, though.
How do you mean? Pretend to call in the shotguns to test them.
.
see how certain people react to that.
Which people? How about kicking off with Stephen Bannerman? Why him? Stephen doesn't have an alibi for the night of the murder.
And there's a few things going on involving him and Jamie Cruickshank.
Could you go and see Stephen, then? Tell him we might want to test his gun at some point.
It would be a pleasure, sir.
I'll give this Lawrence Haggard the once-over.
Hello, Cully.
What are you doing here? Well, actually, I was coming to seeyou.
Really? Yes.
There's a Bergman season at the film society.
We were talking about it.
Oh, yeah, right.
I was thinking about Wednesday.
I don't mind which one we see, I love them all.
Wednesday.
Excellent.
Good.
I'll see you then.
See you, Dad.
Bye, Cully.
Bergman, that's a bit heavy.
I don't know.
It might be Casablanca - I'd watch that again.
Casablanca? Yeah.
Ingrid Bergman's in Casablanca.
Holland & Holland.
Look at the chasing.
Well, yeah, it's lovely that.
Each? Not really a gun person, are you? In my job they only mean trouble.
Yes.
CORK POPS I suppose they do.
Shall we? I usually have a glass of champagne around now.
Let me see.
I was having dinner at The Maid with Amanda here, my PA, and Marcus Poole, a colleague of mine.
We left at closing time, walked back here and sat talking tillwhat? Ohtwo in the morning.
Did you see Jamie Cruickshank at all in the course of the evening? I don't think so.
He generally works in one of the other bars.
I did see his father, though.
When was that? When we were leaving.
He was coming out of the snug bar.
He'd had a few by the look of him.
I believe you're trying to buy his garage.
His garage is failing badly.
I made him a very generous offer.
Do you have some sort ofbusiness arrangement with Stephen Bannerman? We may have paid him the occasional consultancy fee, I suppose.
Consultancy fee? It must be useful to have someone on board who knows the village - who's in debt and so on - and might be susceptible to agenerous offer.
You need an edge in business.
Did Stephen help you buy that garage on the Causton Road? Now you come to mention it, yes, I think he did.
Sells the cheapest petrol in the county.
No wonder Clive Cruickshank's garage is failing.
You have done your homework, Inspector.
Well, you do need an edge in police work, Mr Haggard.
And why would you be wanting to take my gun? It's for tests.
What kind of tests? The Ballistics people will fire the gun and compare the wad and pellets with those of the gun that killed Jamie.
It's just routine, sir.
Why me? We'll ask everyone who can't account for their movements on that night.
I'm not sure I want you taking my gun.
I use it most days, you see.
I'm terribly sorry to inconvenience you, Mr Bannerman.
We'll get a court order to make it easier for you.
Don't bother.
I can account for my movements.
How? Me and Lorna left the pub at around twenty to twelve.
She dropped me off at Lawrence Haggard's.
I was there till two, maybe three, in the morning.
Why didn't you tell us this before? Cos it's my bloody business.
And nobody round here can keep their mouths shut.
Oh.
Hello.
Hello.
Are you all right? I still can't believe what happened to Jamie.
Well, you'll be in shock.
We all are.
I suppose that's why everyone's acting so strangely.
There was this big row in the snug the other night.
Clive Cruickshank was drunk, so Stephen threw him out.
Oh.
Stephen must be a hard man to work for.
He's all right.
Mum doesn't like it so much now his dad's retired.
What about your dad? He died when I was five.
He had cancer.
Oh, I'm sorry, I've got a big mouth.
No.
It's OK.
Thanks for asking.
Have you still got my card? I think so.
Here's another one, just in case.
Give me a call any time.
That's my mobile number.
ThanksDan.
You're very nice.
And the wine, sir? Ah, good choice.
Hello, Simon.
Hello, Allegra.
Your usual.
Come round when you've locked up.
We'll sign the papers.
No, too many people are poking their noses in after this Cruickshank business.
It has to be tonight.
We're heading back to town in the morning.
All right.
Give me half an hour.
I'll come round on foot.
Less chance anyone'll see me.
Hello.
Where the hell are you off to? Shotgun again, Tom.
Close-range by the look of it.
No sign of the murder weapon, sir, and no cartridges.
Who made the call? Haggard.
He heard the shots.
His house is there.
You say he was coming here to see you? Yes.
The awful thing is he didn't want to come.
Why not? In case anyone saw him.
You know village gossip.
That's why he came on foot.
Why? Why did he want to see you? (SIGHS) Because Marcus is heading back to town first thing.
We had to close the deal.
What deal would that be? We're buying The Maid In Splendour.
That's why Stephen was worried about gossip.
He was going to carry on running it.
Nothing would have changed.
Except the profits.
So you came back from the pub to here to wait for Stephen, yes? That's what I said.
Who else knew he was coming here? No-one as far as I know.
He didn't want anybody in the village to know what he was up to.
What about his wife? His father? Particularly them.
The murderer must have known Stephen was going to use that path.
He wasn't exactly short of enemies.
Clive was in the pub the other night causing mayhem.
Stephen threw him out.
When did you find that out? I bumped into Bella.
Well, why didn't you tell me?! Sorry, sir.
It sort of slipped my mind.
Stephen was alive at that point, so it didn't seem important.
I will decide what is important.
Yes, sir.
And Scott? Sir? If your mental faculties go AWOL whenever you bump into Bella Monday, you and I are going to fall out big timeas you would say.
Mum will look after you.
You know how much she loves you.
No more, Michael.
Please.
Bella.
You'd better go home now.
Morning.
Did you know your husband was going to meet Lawrence Haggard last night? No.
Did you know that Stephen was doing a deal with Lawrence Haggard? Stephen had been helping him out.
No, I'm talking about Stephen selling him this pub.
DOOR OPENS He wouldn't.
Not without telling me.
Lorna.
We can't knock that wall down, it's load-bearing.
Not now.
Sorry, Mrs Bannerman.
I didn't know he was coming today.
Where can I find Michael Bannerman, please? In the snug.
You won't get much sense out of him.
He's been up all night drinking with that Benbow creature.
Mr Bannerman, I'm very sorry about your son.
Did you know Stephen was going to see Lawrence Haggard last night? He's in no state to answer questions.
And what about you, Mrs Monday, did you know? No, I knew nothing about it.
Nor did Bella.
So nobody knew that Stephen was going to see him last night? No! Don't you listen? Did you see him leave the pub? No.
Mr Bannerman had an early night.
I took him some supper just before closing time.
Did you know that Stephen planned to sell The Maid to Lawrence Haggard? Don't talk rubbish, man.
What about you, Mr Benbow? Did you know about it? Me? No, no.
I know about drinking in pubs, I don't know nothing about selling 'em.
You know what goes on in Midsomer Worthy better than anyone else.
Come on, Michael.
Let's get you to bed.
Will you be able to manage? Of course.
That looks like the old cottage in the wood.
Yes.
Michael used to rent it.
Hunting parties and that.
Picnics in the summer.
It was a real village in them days.
In the good old days.
I suppose they was, yes.
The trouble is nobody tells you at the time, do they? Do you still go up to the cottage? Me? No, no, no.
No, my courting days are long over.
I wasn't thinking about courting.
No, I know you wasn't.
So, who benefits most from Stephen's death? His wife, for starters.
One minute he's selling the pub behind her back, the next she's the boss.
And she's not wasting any time.
That's true.
But any of that lot could have done it.
They all stood to lose if Stephen sold the pub.
But they were all working and-or drinking at the time of his death.
What about Clive Cruickshank? Clive Cruickshank.
Yeah, let's go and see what he was doing last night.
We're looking for your husband, Mrs Cruickshank.
He's indoors.
Hungover, as usual.
Mrs Cruickshankthe cap that Jamie was wearing that night was new, wasn't it? Yes.
And his jacket as well.
They were a present from his father and me.
He might've worked in a pub, but he was a country boy at heart.
Thank you.
Been celebrating, sir? If you're talking about Stephen Bannerman, no, I haven't.
I didn't like the man, I admit that, but I wouldn't wish him dead.
You threatened him with a shotgun, Mr Cruickshank.
Who told you that? A little bird told me.
Oh, well, we'd just had a few drinks, that was all.
Ha! The gun wasn't even loaded.
So where were you last night, Mr Cruickshank? Over Causton.
Angling club meeting.
I came back with Wesley and a couple of the others.
We didn't get back until gone one o'clock, by which time you lot were all encamped on the bridle path, so it wasn't me that killed him, was it? Great.
OK.
Yeah, I'll tell him.
Thanks.
Got some prints off that wine bottle in the cottage, but no matches yet.
We'll need some prints on the bodies for comparison.
Being done, sir.
So what's the story? Jamie and Stephen died cos the pub was going to be sold.
No, I think the story goes back much further than that.
Like what, sir? I think it's a love story, Scott.
Do you think Bella's involved? I don't want her to be, but yes, yes.
I could pop in and see her later, you know, unofficially.
I could get her chatting - Thank you for the offer.
But we have a few things to find out before dealing with the lovely Bella.
What things, sir? Like whose prints are on that bottle and whether Stephen and Jamie were shot with the same gun.
Ballistics will have results tomorrow.
Right.
I'm sorry, I thought you said Ingrid Bergman.
INGMAR Bergman.
Right.
Gotcha.
So the bloke playing chess is supposed to be Death, is that it? Why pretend to be interested? You slept through most of it.
No, I didn't, I - Wait here.
So then he spots this woman and hares off after her.
It's the last I saw of him.
I'm sure there's some explanation.
Don't count on it.
That is probably him now.
She was behaving suspiciously, so I followed her and Michael Bannerman was there at his wife's grave.
And? They had a bit of a chat and then they eryou know.
No, I do not know, Scott.
What? Well, they had a bit of a cuddle, sir.
Well, perhaps she was consoling him.
That's one way of looking at it.
Like you said, people express grief in different ways.
Aren't you forgetting something, Scott? Sir? Cully.
Cully.
I'd better go and find her.
Scottshe's here.
Here? Yes, Sergeant.
And she's dying to speak to you.
Sir.
How's Mr Benbow? He inhaled a bit of smoke.
They're keeping him in hospital overnight.
He's lucky those woodentops heard him shouting.
They should never have let him in here.
What did he claim he was doing here? He'd a few drinks, thought he'd sleep it off, knocked over a candle and "bosh" Just after we'd asked him about the place.
What a coincidence.
You think he set the fire on purpose? I think Mr Benbow's a cunning oldso-and-so, that's what I think.
Scott, would you go and stand in that doorway? What? Go on.
Jamie's cap was brand-new, wasn't it? As was his jacket.
Yeah, so? Both very similar to Stephen Bannerman's.
If Jamie Cruickshank had come up here that night to meet someone, someone who didn't know about his new outfit, and Jamie stood in that doorway So the murderer thought that Jamie was Stephen? Yes, perhaps, yes.
Come on.
Ersir.
What? MB and AM.
Michael Bannerman and Audrey Monday.
Maybe that's what Benbow was trying to destroy.
Well, why? She's a widow, he's a widower.
They're free to do what they want.
But I'd say those were done long before Michael's wife died.
Oh, yeah, you're right.
Like you said, sir, maybe it's an old story.
Look, I realise this is a difficult time, Mrs Bannerman, but let me outline the proposals that I made to Stephen.
You're wasting your time.
I don't care what you discussed with Stephen.
The pub is not for sale.
It's time we talked.
Oh, can't wait to start tearing the place apart, eh? It's my pub now.
Which is why we need to talk.
Get on with it, then.
The architect reckons we can get five double rooms upstairs with full en suite.
You'll have to move out of the flat, Michael.
I need it.
I see.
You can stay till the funeral.
It was a bad day when you married Stephen.
Bad for all of us.
This business is tearing Midsomer Worthy apart.
It's a great shame.
Tell me about Michael Bannerman and Audrey Monday, George.
What about them? They were having an affair, weren't they? Look, you know how I hate gossip, Tom.
And it all started long before Michael's wife died, didn't it? Look, when Audrey's husband died, Michael looked after her.
And the girl.
He was very good to them.
There was talk, yes.
And when Susan died a lot of people thought Michael would marry Audrey.
But he didn't.
No.
Excuse me, Dr Bullard.
Sir.
It looks like Stephen and Jamie were killed by the same gun.
Oh, good.
Yeah.
Stephen's prints were on the bottle, but there are other prints, smaller ones.
A woman's, George? Possibly.
Bella Monday? Well, there's one way to find out.
You can talk to us alone if you want, Bella.
You told me that you never went up to the old cottage in the wood with Jamie Cruickshank.
Well, I hadn't.
Did you ever go up there with Stephen Bannerman? No.
My daughter would never do such a thing.
We found an empty wine bottle in the cottage with Stephen's fingerprints on it.
What's that got to do with me? There were someone else's prints on that bottle, too.
Could be a woman's.
Are you saying you think they're Bella's fingerprints? Well, I would like to see if they match.
And if they do, so what? Bella works at The Maid.
She could've handled that bottle any time.
Who said the wine was from the pub? You did.
No, no, I didn't.
Mum's right, it was.
Stephen asked me to fetch it from the cellar.
Stupid.
Stupid.
Stupid.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Stephen was going to sell the pub to Lawrence Haggard.
We were going to go to America.
We were going to have children.
Lorna isn't interested in children.
All she's interested in is money.
When was the last time you went up to the cottage with Stephen Bannerman? The night b- The night before Jamie died.
'I got there early.
I wanted to surprise him.
' You are beautiful.
Come here.
How beautiful? Come here and I'll tell you.
I thought I heard something.
It's probably a fox.
'I think there was someone there.
' Someone watching us.
But you know something? I didn't mind.
I was glad.
I wanted everyone to know about Stephen and me.
Tell me again.
What happened the night Jamie was killed? Stephen and I were going to go to the old cottage .
.
but then something came up.
'Stephen couldn't make it.
' We'd like you to look at our proposal.
We think you'll be as excited as we are.
OK.
I'll be round in about ten minutes.
Can't you see him tomorrow? Haggard is going to make me an offer for the pub.
This is important, Bella.
This is our ticket out of here.
OK.
But you'd better find time tomorrow.
Soon we'll have all the time in the world.
'Are you sure Michael didn't overhear your conversation with Stephen?' 'No.
He was at the other end of the corridor.
' 'Doing what?' 'There's a cupboard there.
Sometimes he asks me to put a whisky in it for him.
' Bella! He should be cutting down.
If he asks for a drink, I can't say no.
Excuse me.
Hello, DS Scott.
Did you know about Bella and Stephen? Yes.
I tell Mum everything.
I tried to talk her out of it.
Stephen said he'd leave Lorna.
I told her not to believe him.
I told her it was the oldest lie in the book.
Bella, would you mind if I had a private word with your mum, please? It's all right.
Is that what Michael said to you? That he intended to leave his wife for you? He's been a good friend to me, and to Bella, for20 years.
And he was my boss.
That's all you need to know about my relationship with Michael Bannerman.
The hospital just called.
They found gun cartridges in Benbow's pocket.
What's unusual about that? He's got a shotgun.
Spent cartridges? Why hang on to those? What did Benbow say? He denies all knowledge, sir.
Oh, he does, does he? How much longer I got to stay in here? I'm a busy man.
I've got things to do.
And the food is muck.
Oh, what's that, then? You tell me, sunshine.
They were in your pocket.
Oh, they never were.
Mr Benbow, last night you partially destroyed a scene of crime.
Perhaps you'd like to find out what the food is like on remand.
Oh, them! Were they fired from your gun? No, they never were.
No.
I found them in the wood.
Near the old cottage? About 100 yards from there.
The wood is full of spent cartridges, Mr Benbow, why keep them? Because they puzzle me.
What's there to be puzzled about? See, the thing is, as long as I'm in here, I can't earn a crust.
I got my overheads, you know, just like everybody else.
Oh.
Look at the name down the side.
Wilkinshaw.
Wilkinshaw went out of business.
They ain't made a shotgun cartridge in years.
Michael.
I've been looking everywhere for you.
I saw your car parked in the lane.
I haven't been up here for ages.
She's throwing me out.
What? Lorna - she's throwing me out of the pub.
Good.
You need to get away from that place.
So do I.
And now's our chance, Michael.
I need more time, Audrey.
There isn't any more time.
You've used it all up.
Lawrence Haggard made me an offer on the cottage.
What? I'm going to see him this afternoon and I'm going to accept it.
Bella and I are moving away, Michael.
You can't do that.
You Youcan't leave me after all these years.
You want me to stay? Yes.
Then marry me.
Those cartridges must have been bought before the 1988 Act Thank you.
.
.
when the law was extremely lax.
Anyone could get a shotgun permit.
So old cartridges mean an old gun? Before the '88 Act, shotguns didn't have to be registered.
When it came into force, some people didn't renew their certificates.
But they hung on to the guns.
Indeed they did.
No point going through these records, then.
Well, perhaps not those kind of records.
What we need is a different kind of record.
Like what, sir? Like what, sir? - like a pictorial kind of record.
BELLA: Who is it? It's Michael.
Mum's not here.
It's you I want to see, Bella.
Mum was looking for you.
Yes, and she found me.
We had a very good talk, Bella.
I'm glad.
Are you all right? Now I need to talk to you.
Let's go for a drive.
I'm supposed to wait here for Mum.
This is important, for you and your mother.
It concerns the future.
And there's something I need to show you.
Hello? God, she didn't waste much time, did she? Sir.
Ah.
There was one of the Bannermans and the Mondays up by the old cottage in Hunter's Wood.
I remember it.
Bingo.
Yes.
There's Michael Bannerman with his gun, presumably the one he passed to Stephen, and that must be Audrey's husband with his gun.
He died, what, 17 years ago? Mm.
Audrey didn't apply for a permit or register the gun after '88.
As you said, maybe it was stuck in a cupboard with the old cartridges.
What's that for? Ah, I might get myself a nice pigeon for my supper.
I really should be getting back.
Bella, I've always been good to you, haven't I? -Yes.
Looked after you and your mum.
Yes, you have.
Then do me this one small favour.
All right.
Come on.
Heel, Bonny.
DOG BARKS Bonny.
Bonny.
Come on.
Bella! Bella? I've just been talking to Lawrence Haggard.
You won't believe what he's offered me for the cottage.
Bella? KNOCK AT DOOR Mrs Monday.
What do you want? May we come in? Thank you.
Our little secret.
I'd like to ask you some questions about your late husband's shotgun.
I don't know what you're talking about.
He did have a shotgun, didn't he? Years ago, yes.
Why? Have you still got it? -No, I haven't.
What became of it after he died? I can't remember.
It was 17 years ago.
Maybe you forgot about it.
Would you mind if we had a look around? Yes, I would mind.
Very much indeed.
Oh, all right.
In that case, DS Scott will apply for a search warrant and we'll continue this conversation at Causton police station.
Michael? Are you all right? Yes.
I just saw something up in Hunter's Wood and I ain't sure what to make of it.
What was that? Michael Bannerman and your Bella.
Up in Hunter's Wood? They was heading for the old cottage and Michaelhe had a gun.
This will do us.
Got to get back soon.
I used to come up here with your mother.
I know.
Carved our initials on a beam in the old cottage.
Like silly kids.
I think it's romantic.
(GROANS) Give us a hand here.
This one's killing me.
Oh, thank you.
That's wonderful.
Mum's very unhappy.
She thinks you don't love her any more.
I know.
That's what we were talking about.
It's all sorted out now.
Really? Are you going to get married? That'll be wonderful.
No, I er I can't marry your mother, Bella.
Why not? There.
Look at it carefully.
I've seen this loads of times.
There's one in the snug.
Look at your mother.
What about her? Who does she remind you of? I don't know.
No-one.
It's just Mum when she was young.
It's you, Bella.
She looks like you.
- She does not.
Her nose is bigger and her eyes are closer together.
You're right.
You're more beautiful than she ever was.
No, I'm not.
You look more like Audrey than she ever did.
That doesn't make sense.
It does to me.
That's the reason I can't marry your mother, Bella.
Because I'm in love with you.
No, don't say that.
I realised when Susan died and I realised whatever time was left for me, the only person I wanted to share it with .
.
was you.
No.
Please.
Don't say things like that.
So I've made a decision.
What are you doing? I want to ask, Bella, if there's a chance, any chance at all, that you and I could make some sort of a life together.
Please put the gun down.
If the answer is no .
.
I've decided I can't go on.
So what's it to be? I'll always be your friend, Michael.
You know that.
My friend.
That's not the answer I was hoping to hear, Bella.
Stop it.
Michael! Audrey.
Michael.
Audrey.
It's all right, Michael.
I'm here.
Bella, what did Michael say to you? I want to know.
Tell me.
He said .
.
he said he loved you more than anybody.
When did you give Michael Bannerman the shotgun? I told you, I didn't.
My husband must have given it to him.
Why should I believe you, Mrs Monday? You've lied to me through all this, haven't you? You said you didn't have an affair with Michael, but you did.
You said Bella wasn't having an affair with Stephen, but she was.
You said that you went to Michael's flat and spoke to him on the night Jamie was killed.
I carried coffee and sandwiches up to Michael - Mr Bannerman - just before 11 o'clock.
We talked for about ten minutes and then I came down and cashed up in the restaurant.
Jamie came in to say good night at a quarter past eleven.
But Bella saw Michael downstairs at that time .
.
drinking a Scotch she'd hid for him.
Soon we'll have all the time in the world.
And the night Stephen was killed - you said you took supper to Michael because he was having an early night and that was a lie, too.
Because Michael was waiting for Stephen on the footpath by Lawrence Haggard's house.
And I was wondering how Michael could have known that Stephen would be walking along that path.
And then I remembered - Haggard told me - that you had been serving him that night.
It has to be tonight, Stephen.
We're heading back to town in the morning.
All right.
Give me half an hour.
'You overheard Haggard and Stephen arranging to meet, didn't you? And you told Michael.
' Didn't you? Did Michael kill Stephen because he was going to sell the pub? Michael hated what Stephen was doing to the pub.
And Jamie Cruickshank - where does Jamie fit in to all this? He adored Bella.
He was devastated when she dumped him.
He followed her one night .
.
found out who she was seeing.
It was Stephen.
And Jamie told you about it didn't he? Yes.
And you told Michael.
Yes.
Andis that when he came to you and asked for the gun? Oh, no.
He would never have asked for the gun.
I gave it to him.
What's this in aid of? Don't you recognise it? Course I do.
It belonged to your husband.
I want you to have it.
'And then I told him about Stephen and the pub and Stephen and Bella.
' He flew into a rage.
I've never seen anything like it.
What was it that made Michael so angry? Stephen's plans to sell the pub.
You don't think it was jealousy? What do you mean? When he found out about Stephen and Bella.
That's what sent him into his rage, isn't it? No.
This is what it's all about, isn't it? Michael was obsessed with your daughter.
That's right, isn't it? It was all Stephen's fault.
How could that be? Stephen hated me.
He hated that Michael and I loved each other.
Stephen would do anything to keep us apart.
I just thought .
.
if Stephen wasn't there, then Michael would come to his senses and things could go back to the way they were.
Stephen wants me to meet him tonightup in the wood.
What shall I tell him? Tell him you'll go.
OK.
Thanks, Mum.
I thought you ought to know - Stephen and Bella are going up to Hunter's Wood tonight.
'Weren't you afraid for Bella?' I wasn't going to let her go, was I? Stephen told her that he couldn't make it, but Michael had left.
Poor Jamie.
Oh, dear God.
Jamie.
And when you heard about Jamie, you knew exactly what had happened, didn't you? But you didn't go to the police.
You kept quiet.
Because Stephen Bannerman was still alive.
Michael, we need to talk.
I'm in no mood to talk, Audrey.
Stephen is going to see Lawrence Haggard in half an hour.
He's doing it, Michael.
He's going to sell Haggard The Maid In Splendour.
Hello.
Where the hell are you off to? More to the point, where are you off to? Dad, are you pissed? I want you to keep your hands off her, Stephen.
Sorry, it's legally mine to sell.
I'm not talking about the pub! My God.
Now I get it.
You sad old man.
Charge her, Scott.
Accessory to the murders of Jamie Cruickshank and Stephen Bannerman.
Mrs Bannerman, I have to return this to you.
The photograph.
That can go straight in the bin.
Well, that's entirely up to you.
As long as you sign this for me first, please.
You've completely transformed this place, haven't you? We open next week.
Drop in for a drink on the house.
I don't think so.
Actually, I preferred it the way it was.
No work clothes.
Do all my drinking at The Cricketers at Badger's Drift now.
Lucky Badger's Drift.
Here.
I hear Audrey Monday's going to prison.
Terrible business.
Yes.
Lucky you're not going too.
What do you mean? Squirrelling away those cartridges.
You had a bloody good idea where they came from.
I never.
If you cross me in the future, old man, I'll fit you up good and proper.
All right.
Keep your hair on.
Bella's not going to throw herself into Lake Splendour, then? What? Like whatshername.
Jumping in the lake after her fiance.
(LAUGHS) Who told you that? Michael Bannerman.
He was having you on.
Girlie never chucked herself into the lake.
The old knight come back from the crusades.
He goes straight to the manor.
And there he sees her pleasuring his brother.
So, he drags her up from the bed, kills his brother stone dead, and then chucks girlie into the lake.
And that's what I call happy ending.

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