Midsomer Murders (1997) s09e06 Episode Script
Country Matters
Come on! [Laughing.]
Ah! [Horse whinnies.]
Call that grooming? [Horse neighs.]
Ah.
I think I'm going to have to take you in hand.
Yes, I think you are.
[Cracks whip.]
Woman: Help! Help! Help! Don't worry, my dear.
I'll soon have you out of that.
Help! Thank God.
Apple pie, my darling.
Your favorite.
What a wonderful wife you are.
I'll cut you a piece.
And then it'll be time for your nap.
May I have some sausages, please? Thank you.
Lincolnshire.
Oh, hello.
Hello, you look a bit lost.
Uh, no Nothing to be ashamed of.
I come here all the time, and I still get in a bit of a muddle.
Susan Wicking, I'm the vicar of Elverton-cum-Latterly.
Everyone calls me "Rev.
Suze.
" I'm here every Saturday, Sorry, would you mind? [Praying quietly.]
In Jesus's name, Amen.
Thank you so much for that.
Brilliant meeting you.
What was all that about? We were praying you'd find the horseradish.
Well, I did, but it's not the kind you like.
They only stock their own brand now.
Yeah, same stuff.
Hello, Rose.
Hi, Joyce.
Tom, this is Rose Southerly, runs the Cordon Bleu Cookery School at Elverton.
I did a course there, remember? Vividly how do you do? I think I've just run into your vicar.
She was saving lost souls by the baked beans.
Yes, she's got some sort of weird arrangement with Goodfare.
Actually, that's rather a bone of contention.
Why? Goodfare have got a planning commission to build a huge new supermarket in Elverton.
A supermarket, in Elverton? Well, we've contested it all along, of course.
There's a big meeting on Monday.
But I doubt there's anything we can do now.
Oh, well done, darling.
Joyce, do you remember Dora? This is Mr.
And Mrs.
Barnaby.
Mrs.
Barnaby did one of my courses.
How do you do? Hi, Dora.
Anyway, this supermarket business is ghastly.
The whole village is at war over it.
Surprised there haven't been any murders.
[Chuckling.]
Bye.
Morning.
Hiya, Danny.
Bye, Dad.
Oi, do some ruddy work today, will you? Whatever! What did you get? Lager.
Ugh.
I detest lager.
It's all I could get! You live in a pub, Otis.
You should be able to get anything.
Not with my dad around.
I can't.
My dad and your mum went out for a drink the other night.
They bumped into each other, Otis.
They did not go out.
Fact.
So what if they did? Your dad's dead, my mum's in Florida.
It would be cool if they got together.
It would not be cool! It would be gross! If they got married, would that mean you and me couldn't be an item? Otis, Mummy would never marry a man who owns a pub.
Fact.
And you and I will never be an item.
Not in a million years.
Not if you were the last male of the entire species on the planet.
Shh! Someone's coming.
Otis: What's he doing? How should I know? It's probably something to do with this ghastly supermarket.
My dad says he'll sell the pub and make a shed-load of money if they build the supermarket.
Mummy says we'll leave the village if they build it.
What? Leave Elverton? Yeah.
You'll never see me again.
And wouldn't that break your heart, Otis? Celia? What do you think? Oh, it's sweet.
For Dora she's been so good recently.
Morning! Hello.
Can you two come round to ours later? Orlando wants to discuss his tactics for the protest meeting.
We'll be there.
Okay.
Excellent, see you later.
Bye.
Ooh, actually, I've got a client at 11:00.
I'll get my skates on.
Right.
See you later.
Bye.
Bye-bye.
[Knocks on door.]
Do come in.
Have you had a horrible day, darling? Horrible.
[Groans.]
It's such a relief to come home to my lovely wife.
I'll soon cheer you up.
[Smooches.]
What's happening about the supermarket? Well Iooks like it's going ahead.
Actually, there's a meeting tonight.
But I don't think there's anything we can do now.
You need a knight in shining armor.
Yes.
We do.
Perhaps I could be your knight in shining armor.
You already are, darling.
No, seriously, Rose.
I wish I wish you really were my wife.
Please don't say things like that.
Look, I've made you a lovely sponge cake.
Shall I be Mummy? Got your organic veg for you, Ginny.
Thanks, Gary.
[Horse whinnies.]
You won't forget the meeting this evening, will you? Don't worry, I'll be there.
You won't get veg like that in a Goodfare.
[Horse whinnying.]
[Door opens.]
Sorry, that was Gary Talbot with our organic veg.
The prices that man charges! Sometimes I wonder if a supermarket in the village wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.
Sacrilege, Jeremy.
We've all got to watch the pennies.
I don't need reminding we had to sell our Mannings.
My Mannings, actually, darling, and I do wish you'd shut up about it.
Can we get back to the supermarket, please? Right, these plans have been turned down at every level, and now the Deputy Prime Minister's office has given them the go-ahead regardless.
Celia: But why? Affordable housing, darling.
Yep, the magic words.
Goodfare promised to throw up a couple of jerrybuilt houses and everyone rolls over for them.
And this damn industrial pollution they found means no one else will touch the site.
So our only chance now is to go to the European Court of Human Rights.
And frankly I don't think they'll want to know.
Anyway that's what I'm going to put to the meeting.
It's worth a try.
Mm-hmm.
Yes.
Well, there's something we need to discuss as regards to the business.
Rose? It concerns you.
Me? You and Danny Piggott.
Rose, not to put too fine a point on it there's been talk in the village.
Ginny: For God's sake, Orlando.
It's nearly three years since Giles died what do you expect poor Rose to do, join a bloody nunnery? I don't care who she consorts with, but frankly, the landlord of The Woodman does seem a rather odd choice.
But she can't carry on with him or anyone else, for that matter, and stay in the business, simple as that.
I mean, sooner or later, he's bound to hear something, or see something, and then the game will be up for all of us.
Look, I admit he's been pestering me.
And yes, I had a drink with him to be polite.
But honestly, that's all there is to it.
I've no intention of "consorting with him," as you put it.
Of course you haven't, darling, you've got far too much taste.
I'm only interested in the business, believe me.
I can't afford not to be.
[Microphone feedback.]
One, two, one, two, one, two.
One, two, one, two.
[Microphone feedback.]
Rose! Saved you a seat, darling.
Oh, thank you! Rose actually, Rose, we're going to sit in the front.
Mummy, I'm going to go and sit with Otis.
All right.
We'll sit in the back, Dad, okay? I suppose so.
Frank? Damn it, his phone's off.
Frank, it's Miranda Harvey returning your call.
Listen, Dudley and I appreciate the interest, but Actually, I don't appreciate your interest, Frank, I really don't know what's got into you.
So stay away, have you got that? Dudley's a little tense, that's all.
Call me as soon as you get this message, Frank.
[Beeps.]
Don't worry, he'll be fine! He's got too much to lose.
I'll tell you something, if he turns up here tonight, I'll kill him.
Rev.
Suze: Uh, welcome, everybody.
[Applause.]
For those of you who don't know me, I'm the Rev.
Suze, and I've been asked to keep the peace [Laughter and applause.]
This evening.
On the platform, we have Orlando Lamington from the "Stop the Supermarket" Committee.
[Cheers and boos.]
We have Miranda Harvey, on behalf of Goodfare Supermarket.
[Cheers and boos.]
And Dudley Painter, from the Council.
What did you get? Vodka and some fags.
Cool, come on.
It's important that we understand that Goodfare have committed to building affordable housing for six families on site.
[Cheers and applause.]
Goodfare will also clean up the site.
They will clean up the pollution caused by the old timber yard.
[Applause and boos.]
That's something that the Council couldn't afford to do.
Or wouldn't, you mean Just another Council whitewash, isn't it, eh? This isn't just another supermarket we're talking about.
It's a program of rejuvenation for a whole village! [Applause.]
Why? Because we care at Goodfare.
[Cheers and applause.]
[Booing.]
[Cheers and applause.]
[Heckling.]
We all know that permission for this supermarket has already been passed at the highest level.
But we must reconsider the potential erosion of the quality of life in this village.
[Cheers and applause.]
Oh, come on! Come on! Orlando: Whether it be increased volume in traffic and the threat to local businesses What local businesses? Elverton is dead.
Why can't I get that through your thick yuppie head? What about my shop? Your shop? It's only incomers could afford to use the place.
Us locals have to drive to Causton to shop, 'cause we can't all live on sun-dried tomatoes at £5 a throw! Shut up! Give everyone a chance to have their say.
Danny Piggott doesn't care what happens to this village.
Because he won't be there, will he? He's selling The Woodman to Goodfare.
[Crowd murmuring.]
You won't have a pub anymore, you'll have a petrol station.
Greedy bastard's got his snout in the trough at Goodfare! [Shouts and screams.]
Stop that! Get off! Stop that! Danny! Danny! You keep your hands off her, Lamington! What are you talking about? You know exactly what I'm talking about stay away from her, all right? Like hell I will! Ginny: Stop it! That is enough! That's enough! Dora: Otis, get off! Get off what? Get off me! Move your hand! Don't touch me! How many times do I have to tell you, you loser? I'm not! I'm trying to open this bottle! Otis, stop it.
It's so not funny.
[Flicking lighter.]
Look! I'm not touching you, see? [Dora screaming.]
[Camera shutter clicking.]
George? Stab wounds to the chest, Tom.
No cuts to the hands and arms, so he didn't put up a fight.
Taken unawares, perhaps.
Time of death? Nearer 12, at first glance.
These marks, George, would suggest he was dragged here from somewhere else.
Probably.
Jones: No sign of the murder weapon yet, sir.
Thank you, George.
Okay.
These were in the grass over there.
Do we know who he is? Not yet, sir.
Who found the body? Couple of kids messing around last night.
What are all these about? Something to do with this old timber mill.
Apparently the signs have only just gone up, but nobody takes any notice.
Locals have been taking shortcuts and walking their dogs here for years.
Right, let's go and see what the kids have got to say.
You don't have to go to school today, darling.
But I want to, I want to tell everyone what happened.
It's so cool.
Mrs.
Southerly, we'd really like to talk to you and Dora privately, please.
Don't worry, we're off.
Will you be all right? Of course, we'll be fine.
Good girl.
[Softly.]
Don't forget, will you? I won't.
Just ring, Rose.
Any time.
Rose: Thanks.
[Door closes.]
Right.
Dora.
Now, can you tell us, please, exactly what happened last night? Now, it's okay, there's no need to rush.
Take your time.
It was Otis's idea.
He said, " Let's go to Jubbs Field for a laugh.
" The meeting was so unbelievably boring, so I went.
Uh, that meeting was about the supermarket development, yes? Yes.
What time was this? I don't know.
The meeting started at half past 8:00.
Dora: So we went to Jubbs Field, and there was this dead man.
It was just like a film.
How exactly did you find this man? It was so gross.
We sat down, okay, and it was totally, totally dark.
Then I felt this hand on me.
I thought it was Otis, so I shouted at him.
Then Otis lit his cigarette lighter, and there he was.
This man, almost lying on me, his eyes wide open, like that.
I knew straightaway he was dead.
And you saw no one else on Jubbs Field? No.
Is Otis your boyfriend? No way! Otis is a complete loser.
So who stole the vodka? Not me.
Otis got it from the pub fact.
Vodka? Dora! I didn't have any, Mum, I detest alcohol.
Barnaby: This man have you ever seen him before? No, never.
Okay, thank you, Dora.
And that's it for the minute.
That meeting it got rather heated, I understand.
Well, feelings ran rather high, but that's to be expected, isn't it? [Door closes.]
Thank you.
Is it me, or do I sense a certain reluctance to talk? Oh, yes.
We were sitting there, and we saw him! This, this bloke.
You saw him? In the dark? Yeah, in the dark.
But you could just see him.
When you lit your cigarette lighter? I don't have a cigarette lighter! He doesn't smoke, for crying out loud! Knows I'd kill him if he did.
Barnaby: Otis, did you recognize this man? Had you ever seen him before? No, why would I? He was just a man in a suit with a briefcase, only he was dead.
Oh, he had a briefcase, did he? Only we didn't find any briefcase, did we? No.
So, Otis, what do you think might have happened to this briefcase? What's this? You saying my son's a thief? Mr.
Piggott, I'm trying to establish what your son might or might not have seen.
Bet you didn't accuse Dora Southerly [Telephone rings.]
Of nicking any briefcases.
[Softly.]
Okay, Otis, this is the deal.
I won't mention vodka or cigarettes to your dad, and you will tell me the truth.
We saw him earlier.
Earlier? When? During the day.
Where? Me and Dora were on Jubbs Field when this bloke turned up, so we hid.
Bunkin' off again, weren't you? Mr.
Piggott, please! [Mobile rings.]
Hello? What was he doing? I don't know, he was digging.
He was digging? Yeah.
He dug up something and put it in his briefcase.
Is this another one of your stupid stories, Otis? No, Dad, it's the truth! That'd be a first.
Sir, they've found something.
Just over there, sir.
How'd they manage to miss this, then? No idea, sir.
Looks like a kitchen knife, sir.
It is, it's one of those chef's knives.
Joyce has got something like that cost me a fortune.
Wallet and bag must be in here.
Oh, there's a license in the wallet.
No cash, no credit cards.
And his name is Frank Hopkirk.
Lives in Causton.
Looks like there was a laptop in the bag.
Maybe it was a straightforward mugging.
He put up a fight, got himself stabbed.
No, Bullard said there was no sign of a struggle.
These papers, sir What about them? Some kind of a report on the supermarket development.
Hello! What have we here? "Rose Southerly, Cordon Bleu Cookery School.
" Well, well.
Perhaps I should have another word with Mrs.
Rose Southerly.
Um can you do me a Polaroid of that knife, please, now? Yes, straightaway, sir.
Thank you.
And, Jones? You can talk to the victim's family.
Me, sir? Yes, sir, you, sir.
I think it's time you learned the delicate art of delivering bad news.
You all right with that? I think so.
Thank you.
Barnaby: The dead man was carrying one of your business cards, Mrs.
Southerly.
He was? Yeah.
He was in his 50s, average height, gray hair, mustache, smartly dressed.
Any of your cookery students answer to that description? Oh, dear.
Mrs.
Southerly? It sounds a bit like it could be Mr.
Johnson.
I've been teaching him to cook.
And it was a surprise for his wife.
And he was here yesterday? Yes.
Yes, he was.
Is that him? Yes, that's him.
Except his name, according to that, is Frank Hopkirk.
I'm sorry, I don't know what to say.
He told me his name was, um, Johnson, sorry.
Well, maybe he didn't want his wife to find out.
Find out what? That he was taking cookery lessons.
You said he was doing it as a surprise for his wife.
Oh, I see what you mean.
Yes, I suppose that must be it.
Mrs.
Southerly, um are you missing any knives? My knives? I don't understand.
Why would I be? Could you have a quick check-up, please? Yes, of course.
I think that's it.
Wait a minute, where's my vegetable knife? I bought it in France.
It must be here somewhere.
Mrs.
Southerly, Mrs.
Southerly, is that it? Well, yes, that looks very like Oh, my God, is that the is that how he was Yes, it is.
But you can't possibly think you're not suggesting that I killed him, are you? Well, it can't have been missing long.
I'd have noticed.
It's my favorite knife.
I use it all the time.
So, apart from Frank Hopkirk, who else was here yesterday? Some ladies from Midsomer Parva, eight of them are doing a baking course.
Have you got their names? Yes, but their average age is well over 70.
I can't imagine them murdering anyone except with their fairy cakes.
[Chuckling.]
So no one else came here? No, just Mr.
Johnson and the ladies from Midsomer Parva.
So you taught you taught Mr.
Hopkirk on a one-to-one basis? Yes.
How did he pay? Cash.
In advance? No, after every lesson.
That's a bit unusual, isn't it? [Laughs nervously.]
I suppose so.
I never really thought about it, to tell you the truth.
Um well, a forensic technician will have to take your fingerprints.
Oh, it's just routine, I assure you.
Of course.
Hello, Dora.
Hello.
Dora could we have a little talk about yesterday? I told you about yesterday.
Yesterday morning.
Yesterday morning, I was at school.
No, you weren't, you were on Jubbs Field with Otis Piggott, weren't you? Fact.
Oh, my God, the loser grassed me up.
Only under intense pressure, Dora.
That man you found, you saw him that morning on Jubbs Field, didn't you? What was he doing? It was weird.
He dug something up, put it in a container, and then he went.
Have you told my mum? No, I thought I'd leave that up to you.
Okay.
Are you married? Yes.
Why? Mummy's a widow, did you know? It's so boring with all these men hanging around.
What men? [Knocking.]
Sorry, got to go.
Rose Southerly? No.
Yes.
She was giving the victim cookery lessons.
Are those my pajamas? Yes, you don't mind, do you? I was a bit cold last night.
You've got to hand it to Rose.
What have I got to hand to her? Well, her husband was killed in that car crash, what, three years ago? Left her in an awful mess, financially.
Huge overdraft, huge mortgage.
No life insurance or anything.
So she knuckled under and started the cookery business.
She's done jolly well at it, too.
Yeah, well, she must have done.
She's got a big house, her kid's at St.
Chad's.
Lovely little girl.
Earplugs, Joyce? You know I haven't been sleeping well, Tom.
I thought this might help.
Good night, darling.
I've got no rooted objection to you wearing my pajamas, Joyce, but it's a little weird, getting into bed with someone dressed like What? Hmm.
[Loudly.]
Good night, Joyce.
Good night, Tom.
Do you remember what time [Door opens.]
Jones: Morning, sir.
Morning.
This is Hopkirk's car.
The Rev thinks it's been here since yesterday morning.
Didn't think much of it, but it's still here this morning, so gave your lot a bell.
I'd better get going.
Things to do, people to see.
The Rev goes for a run every morning.
That's right, change in the vestry after early Communion, and off I go! Um, do you go the same route every morning? Oh, yeah, down the High Street, along the Causton Road, right into Nether Lane and back.
You didn't notice anything out of the ordinary yesterday morning? No, but as I told Ben here, pretty oblivious when I'm jogging.
Quality time with the boss, you see.
Sorry? [Laughing.]
Prayer, Inspector.
We still do it, you know.
Catch you later, guys.
Yes.
Catch you later.
Good God.
Do we know what Mr.
Hopkirk did for a living? He was an environmental health consultant, whatever that means.
Well, it obviously pays well, going by the car.
According to his wife, he was working for Goodfare Supermarkets, which would explain the paperwork we found, but I can't get anyone at Goodfare to confirm it.
What do we know about his movements yesterday? Uh, well, here's what we've got so far, sir.
Otis and Dora saw him on Jubbs Field at about 9:00.
After that, he went for his cookery lesson at Rose Southerly's Cookery lesson.
Mm-hmm, he had a drink at The Woodman round about midday, then went to the village shop and bought a snack.
After that, nothing.
Till he turns up dead on Jubbs Field.
Bullard reckons that he died around 7:00 in the evening.
So what was he doing all the afternoon? [Mobile rings.]
Jones.
Thanks.
Mrs.
Hopkirk is ready to identify the body, sir.
[Gunshot.]
It's probably coming from the Patchetts' place.
They run a rural-pursuits center.
Rural-pursuits center? Yeah, clay-pigeon shooting, fly fishing, stuff like that.
Sounds quite interesting.
You can even do a course in hedging and ditching.
A course in hedging and ditching? Oh, be still, my beating heart.
Woman: Yes.
That's my husband.
That's Frank.
Don't be ridiculous! [Siren in distance.]
Um, excuse me Don't even think about it.
Mrs.
Hopkirk do you know what your husband was doing in Elverton? Working on some new supermarket development, according to him.
Yes, and taking lessons at a cookery school.
[Scoffs.]
You must be joking.
Didn't you know about that? No, I did not.
Look, where cooking is concerned, Frank was strictly Stone Age.
He couldn't boil a kettle.
It was a woman, I suppose, giving him these so-called cookery lessons? Yes, it was a woman.
Attractive? Uh yes, yes, You could say that.
Well, that would be of more interest to Frank than whipping up a casserole, believe me.
Could you enlarge on that, Mrs.
Hopkirk? Where women are concerned, Frank couldn't help himself, Inspector.
I suppose these days he'd be called an addict.
Is that all? I've got arrangements to make, starting with a long holiday.
I told you she was scary.
A word, Tom, if you've got a minute.
Yes.
Better pick that up.
I wanted to show you these bruises before I open him up.
There are similar ones on his back, as well.
Oh, so he did put up a fight.
He may have been in a fight, yes, but some hours before he was stabbed.
There's something under his fingernails.
Could be soap.
I'll get it checked out.
Thank you.
Oh, and his buttocks.
What about his buttocks? Light bruising and abrasions.
Same sort of bruises as on the chest? Oh, no, no, very different.
These marks suggest mild chastisement.
The sort administered for recreational purposes.
Want to see? Well, I suppose I've got to, haven't I? Chast-what? Chastisement, Jones, somebody gently not so gently beat him for pleasure.
Jones: Okay, what about this? Hopkirk comes to Elverton on Goodfare business.
He sees Rose around the village, likes her, so he signs up for cookery lessons.
And then He tries it on, but she doesn't want to know.
He forces himself on her.
There's a struggle in the kitchen hence, the bruises.
She grabs the knife, bosh.
Or, more likely, Rose welcomes Hopkirk's advances.
She falls in love with him.
But Hopkirk's already married, won't leave his wife, and Rose kills him in a fit of jealous rage.
Rose falls in love with Hopkirk? No way.
I mean, she's a looker, isn't she? Hopkirk's in his 50s, he's an old man! Jones the human heart is a fickle organ.
Passions can be aroused in the most unlikely of circumstances.
You mean the chastisement stuff.
No, I don't mean the chastisement stuff.
I mean, human relationships are complex and not based solely on whether one is or is not a looker.
If you say so, sir.
Anyway, if she did kill him, how did she move the body to Jubbs Field on her own? Well, maybe she had help.
She's not without friends.
Maybe it's to do with this new supermarket.
Rose, the Lamingtons, the Patchetts, they're all dead against it.
What are you saying, they all ganged up together to kill an environmental health consultant? That's a bit far-fetched, Jones.
Well, there was a report in Hopkirk's case on the Jubbs Field site.
And some of the pages were missing, and whatever he was digging up, there's no sign of that, either.
You want to see me? Yes, please, Mr.
Piggott.
Come, take a seat.
Thank you.
This man you ever seen him before? Yeah, came in the pub yesterday, lunchtime.
Already told one of your lot.
His name's Frank Hopkirk.
He was an environmental health consultant.
We think he was working for Goodfare.
Did you talk to him? A bit.
He was asking about some bloke, used to work at Jubbs Timber Mill, Johnny somebody.
He used to drink in here.
Did you know him? [Scoffs.]
Of course not.
The timber mill closed in the '80s.
I only bought the pub Did Mr.
Hopkirk mention Rose Southerly at all? No, why should he? Oh, no particular reason, Mr.
Piggott.
You're not dragging Rose into this, are you? Not dragging anyone anywhere, Mr.
Piggott, I'm trying to conduct a murder investigation.
Yeah, well, she's the only one of that lot I've got time for.
That lot? The Lamingtons, the Patchetts.
The green welly brigade.
Didn't you have a bit of a set-to with Lamington at the village hall? [Laughing.]
He got in my face.
Orlando Lamington's been trying to shut me down for years.
[Horn beeping repeatedly.]
Hey, you got something to say, Gary Talbot, say it to my face! Gary: You're a bloody Judas, Piggott! You had a set-to with Mr.
Talbot, as well, didn't you? We had words, yeah, but I don't see what this has got to do with a dead bloke on Jubbs Field.
Oh, probably nothing at all, Mr.
Piggott, nothing at all.
Well, thank you.
We'll, uh, talk again.
Got a short fuse, our Mr.
Piggott.
Has he got a record? No, sir, not even a parking ticket.
So where did Hopkirk go next? Village shop, sir.
Must have been my wife who served him.
I was out, doing the deliveries.
Mrs.
Talbot? [Bell rings.]
Yes, that was him.
He came in about 1:00 and bought some chocolate.
Did he say anything? He was asking about someone who used to work at Jubbs Timber Mill.
Remember his name? No, I'm afraid not.
The mill's been closed down for years.
Mr.
Talbot, um, How long does it take you to do your deliveries, then? About an hour.
Hour and a half.
And where? Where do you make these deliveries? Around the village.
Lamingtons and Midsomer Market.
An hour and a half, to deliver two boxes of vegetables.
And you didn't see Mr.
Hopkirk at all during these deliveries? No, I did not.
Thank you, Mr.
Talbot.
Mrs.
Talbot, thank you.
What's the big idea, saying that about my delivery route? No big idea, Gary.
I just don't know what's up with you these days.
If they build a Goodfare on Jubbs Field, we'll go out of business.
That's what's up with me.
And now, thanks to you, I'm probably a suspect in a murder inquiry.
You? Nobody's going to suspect you of murder.
You're not interesting enough.
There's another one, not telling us everything.
Even his wife doesn't believe him.
[Chuckles.]
That could come in useful, couldn't it, for shifting a body? That's the Lamington woman, sir.
Barnaby: Yes, I know.
Now, Jones, go back inside, check the details of Talbot's Sir.
Delivery route.
Every inch of it.
[Honking horn.]
Inspector Barnaby? Yes.
Miranda Harvey.
Public relations coordinator for Goodfare Supermarkets.
I'd like to talk to you about Frank Hopkirk.
First of all, everyone at Goodfare is absolutely devastated.
Frank was not only a respected colleague, he was a true friend.
Mrs.
Harvey, how long had Mr.
Hopkirk been working for Goodfare? Frank Hopkirk wasn't a Goodfare employee.
He was an independent consultant.
I hope you'll make that clear in any statements to the press.
So he wasn't working for Goodfare.
We were consulting him, Inspector.
About what? Most recently, about the Jubbs Timber Mill site here in Elverton.
Frank Hopkirk was an expert in industrial pollution.
The Jubbs Field site is polluted, you see.
He was advising the Council, as well.
He was advising the Council, as well? Oh, yes, he had a good working relationship with the Council.
You'd have to speak to Dudley Painter about that.
Who's Dudley Painter? Chairman of the planning committee.
Yes, well, I will.
Mrs.
Harvey, when did you last have contact with Mr.
Hopkirk? He tried to contact me yesterday afternoon.
About what? About the meeting at the village hall, did we need him to attend, that sort of thing.
But that's Frank all over.
Always trying to be helpful.
So you did speak to him yesterday afternoon? No, his phone was off, so I left a message.
Look I think it's important we're all singing from the same hymn sheet, don't you? Singing about what? There are concerns about the way this unfortunate incident is depicted in the media.
Oh, I see, you're worried about Goodfare's good name being associated with a bloody and brutal murder.
Yes, that's one way of putting it.
Well, I'm very sorry, Mrs.
Harvey, but I can't help you there.
[Door opens.]
Ah, Jones.
Excuse me.
Thank you.
They lifted a couple of prints off the knife.
Ah, and They match Rose Southerly's.
Do they? Mm.
Oh.
And what did you glean about Gary Talbot's delivery route? Ah, interesting.
He says he got the Midsomer Market order wrong and had to go back there early evening.
Early evening when? About 7:00.
That's round about the time that Hopkirk may have been killed.
Mm-hmm, the wife didn't say as much, but she obviously thinks he's up to something.
Maybe it's to do with the conspiracy.
Conspiracy? What conspiracy? This new supermarket development.
A mate of my uncle Harry's used to work at Jubbs, and he We've got Rose Southerly's prints on the murder weapon, Jones, now, come on, first things first.
Are you going to charge her? Well, there's no harm in letting her know it's a possibility.
[Clock chiming.]
Look.
Orlando's going to see Mummy.
Should Orlando get a divorce and marry your mum? God, no! She likes Orlando, but only as a friend.
What does that mean? It's what people say when they don't fancy someone.
Maybe she'll marry my dad.
Shut up, Otis! She's not going to marry anyone.
She's still in love with my dad and always will be fact.
[Knock on door.]
[Dog barking.]
Dora: Poor Orlando, he's completely wasting his time.
Look you know how much I care for you.
Please don't start that again.
You know how it upsets me.
Is it because of Danny Piggott? Are you in love with him? No, I am not! Honestly, Orlando, just because I won't leap into bed with you does not mean I'm in love with Danny Piggott.
It's not about leaping into bed with anyone.
Look, Rose, I love you, for God's sake.
Always have, always will.
You just say the word, and I'll leave Ginny now, this moment.
We'll get the hell out of Elverton, we'll go wherever you like America, France, I don't care.
I just want to be with you.
Stop it, Orlando, stop it.
[Knock on door.]
Oh, no.
It's that policeman Barnaby.
Mrs.
Southerly, may we have a word, please? Oh, yes, of course.
Thank you.
Orlando: Any problems, you give me a ring.
My fingerprints? Your fingerprints, Mrs.
Southerly.
Oh, God.
Now, how we proceed from here, that's entirely up to you.
What do you mean? Well, you could start, couldn't you, by telling me the truth about your relationship with Frank Hopkirk? I have told you the truth.
No, Mrs.
Southerly, I don't believe you have.
I don't believe Are those plastic garlic? That's not very cordon bleu, is it? Please don't touch that.
Oh! What have we here? I, uh, record some of my classes.
Yeah.
Secretly.
No! No! Did you record your classes with Frank Hopkirk? Oh, come on, Mrs.
Southerly.
Sooner or later, you're going to have to tell us the truth.
All right! All right, Inspector, I'll tell you the truth about my relationship with Frank Hopkirk.
Sitting down on the job, Mr.
Hundsecker? Oh, those English saddles, they're heavy.
You know, I don't think you've been properly broken in [Inhales.]
Mr.
Hundsecker.
Oh, I just love that accent.
[Cracks whip.]
Ooh.
Get on your feet.
Go to the bench.
Turn around.
It'll be my pleasure.
That is the, uh general idea, Mr.
Hundsecker.
Ooh! [Cracks whip.]
Ooh! Rose: Giles my husband, was killed in a car crash three years ago.
I found out that Giles hadn't been very careful with money, to put it mildly.
I desperately needed to earn some money, so I started the catering business weddings, funerals, shooting parties.
People love to hire a friend in need.
It makes them feel morally superior.
Anyway, then I started the Cordon Bleu School.
And was it a success? Not at all.
I got myself deeper into debt.
Then one of my students charming man, very wealthy made me an offer.
He offered me a ridiculous sum of money to spend the night with him.
The equivalent of Dora's school fees for a whole term, in one fell swoop.
An offer you couldn't refuse.
Exactly.
You mean, you Don't Jones! Please, carry on, Mrs.
Southerly.
Well, he started coming to see me regularly, and then he introduced me to a friend, and then another friend.
Friends with similar tastes.
Men in need of solace.
I'd cook them something comforting cake's always very popular listen to their problems about work and family.
Tell them how wonderful they are.
And then cooking and comforting, that's my speciality.
I see myself as a sort of fantasy wife.
You'd be amazed how many men are willing to pay for that.
And, um, Frank Hopkirk, he was one of them, was he? Yes, but I didn't know his real name, and I didn't know he worked for Goodfare.
And you made recordings.
As a precaution.
There was a journalist once who threatened to make trouble till I pointed out that I had him on camera.
Quite a bit of him, as it happens.
Mrs.
Southerly, do you have a recording of Frank Hopkirk's last visit? Yes.
I do.
Well, we'd like to see it.
[Gunshot.]
[Rustling.]
Who's there? Only me, Lady Celia.
My lord? You're not supposed to be in this part of the wood.
I was, uh, looking for poachers.
Do I look like a poacher, My lord? No, you certainly don't.
Well, now you're here, you might as well have a glass of champagne.
Thank you, my lady.
Rose: Have you had a horrible day, darling? Hopkirk: Horrible.
Such a relief Good camera.
Quality lens.
What's happening about the supermarket? Oh, it looks like it's going ahead.
Actually, there's a big meeting tonight.
You need a night Could you pause it there, please? Was that the first time you'd discussed the supermarket development with him? Yes, but I didn't know he was involved.
Carry on.
Rose: Look, I've cooked you a lovely sponge cake.
Shall I be Mummy? [Breathing deeply.]
[Deep breathing and moaning.]
Could you fast-forward? I want to see when Frank Hopkirk left.
Are you going to arrest me? What for, murder? No.
What about the That is not my department, Mrs.
Southerly.
Thank you, Inspector.
But I will need that recording, please.
The recording of Frank Hopkirk's last visit.
No, she didn't do it, Jones.
Hopkirk left her kitchen at 12:30.
He was still alive and kicking, and the murder weapon was still on the kitchen table.
Five minutes later, she's teaching the good ladies of Midsomer Parva how to make fairy cakes.
And she spent the rest of the afternoon with Dora.
Someone must have nicked the knife, sir.
Yes, someone went to a great deal of trouble to incriminate Rose Southerly.
Mr.
Painter.
Ah, Inspector.
Take a seat, please.
You two know each other already, don't you? Great.
Great.
So how's the investigation coming along? Well, I'd rather discuss it in private, if we may.
As you know, Miranda worked very closely with Frank Hopkirk.
And I want to help in any way I can, Inspector.
Yes, I do appreciate that, but, uh, as Frank Hopkirk was working for the Council Oh, no, no, Frank was an independent consultant, Inspector.
As I made clear.
Yes, but the Council were consulting him, weren't they? As were Goodfare.
Is there a conflict of interest there? Certainly not! Both parties working to a common end, Inspector.
Exactly.
Huh.
So you were both consulting him about pollution at Jubbs Timber Yard and the adjacent Jubbs Field, yes? Yes, Jubbs used an arsenic-based pesticide to treat their timber.
That's been phased out now, but it was very common back then.
It seems Jubbs had some sort of industrial accident spillage well, to cut a long story short, the levels of arsenic in the topsoil are way over the limit.
So the site is contaminated? Yeah.
Unusable, unless the topsoil is removed and treated.
That's far too expensive for the Council to do.
So Goodfare get the land cheaper? Maybe, but they also clean up the site at their own expense.
So what was Mr.
Hopkirk doing on Jubbs Field on the day he died? More tests? No, no, tests were all done.
It was probably a health and safety matter.
I know that Mr.
Hopkirk tried to contact you, Mrs.
Harvey, on the day he died.
But did you talk to him at all, Mr.
Painter? Me? No, absolutely not.
[Telephone rings.]
Oh, excuse me, folks, that's my 1:30.
So I took the top of his head off, had a poke round, and guess what! Surprise me, George.
Poor devil had a massive stroke.
A stroke? Are you saying that's what killed him? Oh, no, the stabbing killed him.
I reckon he had the stroke around about the same time he sustained the bruises to his chest and back.
Now, if he was involved in a fight or dispute of some sort, that would have raised his blood pressure and perhaps caused the stroke.
But it was some hours later that he was stabbed.
Anyway, it solves the problem of the, uh, stab wounds.
What problem? They're very symmetrical, Tom, all from the same angle, which suggests that he remained motionless whilst being attacked which people tend not to do.
Unless they're unconscious.
Or paralyzed.
So you're saying he could have had the stroke and remained unconscious or paralyzed for what, five, six hours? It's possible.
And then been stabbed.
Uh-huh.
Uh you said something about under his nails.
Oh, yes! Beeswax, lanolin, and turpentine.
Now your starter for 10.
Saddle soap.
Spot-on! I'm very impressed, Ben.
And there's something else.
You'll never guess what.
What, George? Residue on his hands gunshot residue.
So he fired a shotgun not long before he died.
I tell you, this chap's a mine of information.
[Gunshot.]
[Gunshot.]
[Gunshot.]
Well.
At least we can fill in some of the gaps in Mr.
Hopkirk's last day now, can't we? We can? Yes, we can.
Where do you think he got the saddle soap from, then, Jones, eh? Stables? How about Lamington's Riding School? Of course.
And the gunshot residue on his hands? Patchetts' place.
Exactly.
Center for Rural Pursuits.
So Mr.
Hopkirk parks here, then he goes to Jubbs Field, where he's spotted by Dora and Otis.
Then he walks to Rose Southerly's for his Cake? Leaves there at 12:30.
He walks to The Woodman, has a drink, goes to the village shop.
Leaves there about 1:00.
And goes riding with Ginny Lamington and shooting at the Patchetts' Not a bad day, one way and another.
Till he had his stroke.
Then he got himself stabbed.
Not many people would fit that into a lifetime, never mind a day.
I'm supposed to be meeting this friend of my uncle's at The Woodman.
I'm going to drop in on the huntin'.
Shootin'.
And fishin' set.
Okay.
Uncle Harry says you had a friend who used to work at Jubbs Timber Yard.
Yep, yep, had a few mates used to work at Jubbs.
The one I was thinking of was called Johnny.
It's a funny old pint, that is.
Would you like something else? Drop of Scotch would help it go down.
[Gunshot.]
Celia: Help! Somebody help me, please! Help! Please! Somebody help me, please! [Muttering.]
For God's sake, hurry up.
Help! It's all right.
Oh, my.
Don't move.
What the hell are you doing here? Sorry, got lost! I say! I'm supposed to rescue her! What's going on here? Who is this? I am Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby from Causton CID.
A policeman? Jeremy: What's the meaning of this? And this is her husband.
Her husband? Jeremy: Sir Charles, wait! Barnaby: Mr.
Patchett, stay where you are.
We need a little chat.
Jones: So, your mate who worked at Jubbs, Johnny someone.
Yep, yep, Johnny used to work at Jubbs.
Can you remember his surname? His surname? Oh, yes, his surname.
His name was uh Crouch.
Yep, Johnny Crouch.
Johnny Crouch? Is that who Hopkirk was asking after? Sorry, doesn't ring a bell.
Where does he live? Badgers Drift, I reckon.
Oh, Johnny Crouch miserable old git, never put his hand in his pocket.
That's Mr.
Saunders.
Yes, that's Saunders.
Comes here for a spot of shooting.
His real name is Frank Hopkirk.
It was his body that was found on Jubbs Field.
No! We had no idea, I swear! But he was here that day, wasn't he? Well, look, you can come with me to Causton Police Station if you'd like, you can answer a few questions on fake man-traps.
Yes.
He was here.
Thank you.
What time, exactly? He got here about 1:30 and left just before 3:00.
And you were here, were you, Mr.
Patchett? With your telephoto lens? I was, um, supervising the session, yes.
And did that session include the use of a fake man-trap, too? I know what you must think of us, Inspector.
You do? Most of our courses are genuine, you know, but some involve a little harmless role play.
Needs must, Inspector.
I was an accountant, but something went a little bit wrong with my company.
Most of them went to prison, actually.
So we needed to start again, in order to survive.
It's actually brought us closer together, hasn't it, darling? Jeremy never thought working from home could be such fun.
[Horse whinnying.]
[Horse whinnying.]
I'm working as fast as I can.
Good afternoon, sir.
Oh! Well, I wasn't really ready for this, but what the heck? Variety is the spice, right? Where's Mrs.
Lamington? Oh, who needs her? You can check my work.
I don't think you're going to like it at all.
Ginny: Time out, Mr.
Hundsecker.
Can I have a word, please, Mrs.
Lamington? Can I have my whip back? Yes, I recognize him.
His name is Wilson.
Peter Wilson.
Actually, his real name was Frank Hopkirk.
He's the man whose body was found on Jubbs Field.
Really? Well, he was alive when he left here.
About what time was that? He arrived about 3:00.
We went for a ride, did a little jumping.
He must have left about 4:00.
And was he in rude health? Yes.
A little tired, perhaps.
[Knock on door.]
Man: Coming! [Banging on door.]
I said I'm coming! [Crashing.]
[Crashing continues.]
Hey! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! [Engine revving, driving away.]
[Dog barking.]
Hello, Dora.
Hello.
Dora do you remember you saying something to me about the men hanging around your house? Maybe.
What men were they, Dora? Orlando Lamington, mostly, and Danny Otis's dad.
They both fancy her mum.
That's why they were fighting at the village hall.
Losers.
You shouldn't spread stories, Dora.
They can hurt people.
Everybody thinks we tell lies because we're kids.
But we don't.
We see everything.
It's all facts.
Like the Rev.
Suze.
[Laughing.]
What about the Rev.
Suze? Ask her why she goes jogging on Monday afternoons.
Monday afternoons? It's when Gary Talbot does his "deliveries.
" They're having a thing.
Fact.
[Honking.]
[Car door opens, closes.]
Mummy wouldn't do anything like that.
She still loves Dad.
I know, Dora.
I know.
[Car door opens, closes, dog barking.]
Barnaby: A kettle, Jones? Yes, sir.
Wielded by an 80-year-old? Yes.
As I was saying, the arsenic in the topsoil is supposed to come from this pesticide they treat wood with, but Johnny Crouch says the timber from Jubbs's was treated elsewhere.
They never kept much pesticide on site, and he's sure there was never a big spillage.
That's Nether Lane up there, isn't it? Yes, sir.
Didn't the Reverend Suze tell us she jogs there first thing every morning? Yes, yeah, she did.
Well, I have it on fairly good authority that she went for a jog there on Monday afternoon.
Now, why didn't she mention that, I wonder? Perhaps it slipped her mind.
Well, let's go and refresh her memory, shall we? But, sir, what about this pesticide business? All in good time.
Rev.
Suze: And lead us not into temptation.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever.
Amen.
Amen.
[Footsteps approach.]
I'd like a word, please, vicar, if you've got a minute.
Mrs.
Southerly.
Darling Rose has been sharing some of her burden with me.
So important to talk things through without being judged, I think.
I do so agree.
I was hoping that we could talk through the fact that you didn't tell us you went for a jog on Monday afternoon.
Oh, God, I knew this would happen.
So God knows all about it, but I don't.
[Sighs.]
Yes, I went for a run Monday afternoon.
What time? About 6:30.
I had to meet someone.
Who? It was Gary Talbot, wasn't it? Yes.
I never intended it to go this far, but but the flesh is weak.
Why didn't you tell us this? Gary is a married man, Inspector.
Oh, so you're doing this for Gary's sake.
Oh, that is very noble of you.
And Ginny Lamington's sake.
What's Ginny Lamington got to do with this? Rev.
Suze: I was running down Nether Lane.
I'd arranged to meet Gary at 7:00.
The van was parked in the usual place.
And we were talking that's all we do, really, talk when suddenly we saw Ginny Lamington's horse box in the middle of the lane.
It was Ginny Lamington, with with someone else.
Who? I couldn't see.
Perhaps it was her husband.
No.
Orlando was on the train home he'd just phoned me about the meeting.
So I thought Ginny was Doing the same as you.
I thought it was best to keep quiet, for everybody's sake.
After all, it's got nothing to do with that poor man who died has it? Jones: Hopkirk's body could have been in Talbot's van or the horse box.
If we've got Gary Talbot's movements right, he wouldn't have had time for loading up dead bodies.
The horse box, then.
So who was the mystery man with Ginny Lamington? Jones stay here.
Poor Giles.
He would have been appalled.
I made such a mess of things.
You must have a very low opinion of me, Inspector.
Oh! I'm a policeman, Mrs.
Southerly.
I leave the judging to someone else.
The vicar's been a great help.
How I envy her serenity.
Yes, it's miraculous, isn't it? Mrs.
Southerly someone went to a great deal of trouble to steal that knife from your kitchen.
Someone who was determined to incriminate you.
Who could have taken that knife, do you think? A friend, perhaps? Someone you wouldn't suspect? There was no one.
Just me and Dora.
Wait a minute.
Ginny Lamington came round.
She wanted to borrow a cookery book.
What time? About half past 5:00.
I thought it was it was odd.
I was due to go round to her house for a meeting.
She could have just phoned me.
Did you leave her alone in the kitchen? Yes.
The book was in the drawing room.
My God! Why would she do such a thing? Well, I believe that her husband was paying you a lot of attention.
I begged Orlando to leave me alone.
Nothing happened between us.
You have to believe me, Inspector.
I believe you, Mrs.
Southerly.
Jones.
Ah.
The strong arm of the law.
Would you gentlemen like to go for a ride? I'm sure I can find you some suitably docile animals.
No, thank you, Mrs.
Lamington.
Just like to ask you a couple of questions, if we may.
Fire away.
Last Monday, did you go to Rose Southerly's house in the afternoon, round about 5:30? No, I don't believe I did.
Mrs.
Southerly says you did.
What are you doing? Just wondered if you had CCTV set up, like, uh, Mrs.
Southerly.
Mrs.
Southerly says you went round to her house to borrow a cookbook.
Well, she's wrong.
Even the lovely Rose can be wrong sometimes.
Do you mind? Here we are.
Same kind of camera, too.
It's for security reasons.
We've had a lot of break-ins recently.
Mrs.
Southerly is sure that you went to her house.
Where's the monitor? One at a time, gentlemen, please.
I can't answer you both at once.
Rose she's one of my best friends, Inspector.
We're in and out of each other's houses all the time.
How can you expect me to remember what happened last Monday? Well, you ought to, Mrs.
Lamington, because you took one of Rose Southerly's What's in here? Kitchen knives, didn't you? You took one of Rose Southerly's kitchen knives and used it to stab Frank Hopkirk, didn't you, Mrs.
Lamington? [Doorknob rattling.]
Why? What did Rose ever do to you? She stole you.
I'll show you.
I'll show you what happened.
I wasn't there when he died.
There's a recording.
You'll see what really happened.
Mrs.
Lamington who was with you when you took the body to Nether Lane? It's not here.
He's taken it.
Who, Mrs.
Lamington? Jones: Sir.
"Goodfare we care.
" Well, that's not yours, is it, Mrs.
Lamington, nor yours, Mr.
Lamington.
I know who wears a badge like that.
[Tires screech.]
It's that copper, Dad.
He's in a bit of a hurry! [Siren blaring.]
May I, Mr.
Piggott? I recognize this.
What happens on there, right, it's not what it looks like.
I didn't kill him, I swear.
I swear! There's a bottle of sherry, in here, I think.
Excellent.
And, uh, then I think I'm going to give you a bit of a telling-off.
Yes, please.
[Cracks whip.]
[Mobile beeps.]
Dudley, it's Frank Hopkirk.
Look, I'm sorry, but I can't go through with this.
I can't sign off the report.
[Scoffs.]
There was no spillage at Jubbs Field.
The findings are wildly inaccurate.
I've written a new report, and I've taken more soil samples.
I'll make a public announcement at the meeting tonight.
I don't care about the money I've I've had a change of heart.
Look, I'll see you there, Dudley! [Door opens.]
Who are you? Sorry, mate, can't let you do this.
What's going on? Where's Ginny? Ginny! It's been given the go-ahead, and you can't stop it now! Get away from me, you lunatic! [Crash.]
[Grunting.]
[Gasps.]
[Gasps.]
You muckin' about? Ginny: Danny? Oh, bloody hell, Ginny, I think he's dead.
Look.
[Click.]
Danny Piggott first, I think.
Ginny said she'd call the emergency services.
She said it'd be better all around if I wasn't there, so I went back to the pub.
What were you doing there in the first place? I'm not saying anything about that.
How did Hopkirk end up on Jubbs Field, Danny? You'll have to ask Ginny.
Barnaby: Oh, we will, Danny, we will.
But it looks pretty straightforward to me.
You attacked Frank Hopkirk in a rage, and he collapsed with a stroke.
He wasn't dead.
Well, you say that now, but in the recording, you said, and I quote, "Bloody hell, Ginny, Well, he wasn't.
I think he's dead.
" How do you know, if you left the stables straightaway? I just do, okay? But you didn't leave the stables straightaway, did you, Danny? Because you helped Ginny Lamington put Frank Hopkirk into a horse box, and later, you and Ginny drove that horse box to Nether Lane and you dumped the body on Jubbs Field.
Okay, can we just wait.
All right Say I was on Jubbs Field, for the sake of argument.
What does that mean? I mean, what are my prospects? Well, that depends, Danny.
I mean, personally, I don't think you killed Frank Hopkirk, but that's just my opinion.
It's worthless it's no good unless you tell me the truth.
Right, then.
I thought he was dead.
[Horse whinnying.]
Nothing.
You try.
What am I, a doctor? He looks dead to me, darling.
You better call the police.
No, no, no, no, no.
They can't find him here.
No, we'll get him out of these clothes, put him in the horse box, and take him to Jubbs Field.
Danny: So that's what we did.
We left it till about 7:00, then drove the horse box down Nether Lane.
It was hard, but we managed to get him onto the field.
Danny: We'd better split up.
I'll see you at the meeting.
Danny.
Come here.
Not a word.
Not a word to anyone.
Danny: I was going to wait till Ginny had gone, then look inside his bag, take anything that might screw up the supermarket deal.
So I hid.
And I was waiting for Ginny to go.
Only she didn't go, did she? [Gasping.]
I can't move.
Help me.
Help me! [Groaning.]
Danny: Terrible to watch.
[Grunting.]
I'm sick to my stomach.
Barnaby: So sick, Danny, that you waited till Ginny Lamington left, and then you ransacked Frank Hopkirk's bag and his wallet.
Goodfare was my ticket out of Elverton.
I wasn't going to give it up that easy.
Ginny: It's all Rose Southerly's fault.
Everything in the garden was lovely until her and her husband arrived in the village Orlando became infatuated with her almost immediately.
And when Giles died, it just got worse.
Orlando was always on hand to give poor little darling little Rose advice.
Then Rose introduced myself and Celia to some of her clients and the business took off in a big way, so I saw even less of Orlando.
I was bored and angry, so I started having an affair with Danny Piggott.
I half hoped Orlando would find out, actually.
But of course he never noticed a thing.
How did Danny find out about the business? I had too much to drink one night and told him.
He used to come to the stables sometimes and watch.
That's what he was doing there that Monday.
So then the final insult, Inspector, was when Danny started to pursue Rose.
I mean, to get at Orlando, of course.
Men, you know.
Oh, yes, I really loathe dear little Rose.
And when Frank Hopkirk collapsed in the stables, you saw an opportunity.
I knew what I was going to do immediately.
Steal one of Rose's knives and stab him with it.
See how she felt, being accused of murder.
See the smile wiped off that simpering little face.
You know what really annoyed me was that she wouldn't sleep with either of them.
So she stole my husband and she stole my lover, and she still kept the moral high ground, and that, Inspector, is enough to drive anyone to murder.
Jones: So Goodfare gets the land cheap, and they don't have to pay anything clearing it up, because it isn't contaminated.
Great scam.
So you were right, Jones, there was a conspiracy over Jubbs Field.
Well, if Ginny Lamington hadn't have been jealous of Rose Southerly, nobody would have been any the wiser.
Crime of passion, sir.
We were both right.
How very satisfying.
Man: Sir! It's Hopkirk's phone, sir.
There'll be a record of a call to Dudley Painter.
Oh, good, I'm looking forward to talking to Mr.
Painter again.
[Water running.]
Funnily enough, Rose Southerly once asked me if I'd like to help out at the cookery school.
Doing what, exactly? I'm not sure.
I wouldn't want to act out that "perfect wife" stuff.
God knows I get enough of that at home.
And I couldn't do Celia Patchett's "damsel in distress" act ugh.
So demeaning.
But Ginny Lamington's routine dishing out a bit of discipline that, that I could handle.
Really? by Acorn Media
Ah! [Horse whinnies.]
Call that grooming? [Horse neighs.]
Ah.
I think I'm going to have to take you in hand.
Yes, I think you are.
[Cracks whip.]
Woman: Help! Help! Help! Don't worry, my dear.
I'll soon have you out of that.
Help! Thank God.
Apple pie, my darling.
Your favorite.
What a wonderful wife you are.
I'll cut you a piece.
And then it'll be time for your nap.
May I have some sausages, please? Thank you.
Lincolnshire.
Oh, hello.
Hello, you look a bit lost.
Uh, no Nothing to be ashamed of.
I come here all the time, and I still get in a bit of a muddle.
Susan Wicking, I'm the vicar of Elverton-cum-Latterly.
Everyone calls me "Rev.
Suze.
" I'm here every Saturday, Sorry, would you mind? [Praying quietly.]
In Jesus's name, Amen.
Thank you so much for that.
Brilliant meeting you.
What was all that about? We were praying you'd find the horseradish.
Well, I did, but it's not the kind you like.
They only stock their own brand now.
Yeah, same stuff.
Hello, Rose.
Hi, Joyce.
Tom, this is Rose Southerly, runs the Cordon Bleu Cookery School at Elverton.
I did a course there, remember? Vividly how do you do? I think I've just run into your vicar.
She was saving lost souls by the baked beans.
Yes, she's got some sort of weird arrangement with Goodfare.
Actually, that's rather a bone of contention.
Why? Goodfare have got a planning commission to build a huge new supermarket in Elverton.
A supermarket, in Elverton? Well, we've contested it all along, of course.
There's a big meeting on Monday.
But I doubt there's anything we can do now.
Oh, well done, darling.
Joyce, do you remember Dora? This is Mr.
And Mrs.
Barnaby.
Mrs.
Barnaby did one of my courses.
How do you do? Hi, Dora.
Anyway, this supermarket business is ghastly.
The whole village is at war over it.
Surprised there haven't been any murders.
[Chuckling.]
Bye.
Morning.
Hiya, Danny.
Bye, Dad.
Oi, do some ruddy work today, will you? Whatever! What did you get? Lager.
Ugh.
I detest lager.
It's all I could get! You live in a pub, Otis.
You should be able to get anything.
Not with my dad around.
I can't.
My dad and your mum went out for a drink the other night.
They bumped into each other, Otis.
They did not go out.
Fact.
So what if they did? Your dad's dead, my mum's in Florida.
It would be cool if they got together.
It would not be cool! It would be gross! If they got married, would that mean you and me couldn't be an item? Otis, Mummy would never marry a man who owns a pub.
Fact.
And you and I will never be an item.
Not in a million years.
Not if you were the last male of the entire species on the planet.
Shh! Someone's coming.
Otis: What's he doing? How should I know? It's probably something to do with this ghastly supermarket.
My dad says he'll sell the pub and make a shed-load of money if they build the supermarket.
Mummy says we'll leave the village if they build it.
What? Leave Elverton? Yeah.
You'll never see me again.
And wouldn't that break your heart, Otis? Celia? What do you think? Oh, it's sweet.
For Dora she's been so good recently.
Morning! Hello.
Can you two come round to ours later? Orlando wants to discuss his tactics for the protest meeting.
We'll be there.
Okay.
Excellent, see you later.
Bye.
Ooh, actually, I've got a client at 11:00.
I'll get my skates on.
Right.
See you later.
Bye.
Bye-bye.
[Knocks on door.]
Do come in.
Have you had a horrible day, darling? Horrible.
[Groans.]
It's such a relief to come home to my lovely wife.
I'll soon cheer you up.
[Smooches.]
What's happening about the supermarket? Well Iooks like it's going ahead.
Actually, there's a meeting tonight.
But I don't think there's anything we can do now.
You need a knight in shining armor.
Yes.
We do.
Perhaps I could be your knight in shining armor.
You already are, darling.
No, seriously, Rose.
I wish I wish you really were my wife.
Please don't say things like that.
Look, I've made you a lovely sponge cake.
Shall I be Mummy? Got your organic veg for you, Ginny.
Thanks, Gary.
[Horse whinnies.]
You won't forget the meeting this evening, will you? Don't worry, I'll be there.
You won't get veg like that in a Goodfare.
[Horse whinnying.]
[Door opens.]
Sorry, that was Gary Talbot with our organic veg.
The prices that man charges! Sometimes I wonder if a supermarket in the village wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.
Sacrilege, Jeremy.
We've all got to watch the pennies.
I don't need reminding we had to sell our Mannings.
My Mannings, actually, darling, and I do wish you'd shut up about it.
Can we get back to the supermarket, please? Right, these plans have been turned down at every level, and now the Deputy Prime Minister's office has given them the go-ahead regardless.
Celia: But why? Affordable housing, darling.
Yep, the magic words.
Goodfare promised to throw up a couple of jerrybuilt houses and everyone rolls over for them.
And this damn industrial pollution they found means no one else will touch the site.
So our only chance now is to go to the European Court of Human Rights.
And frankly I don't think they'll want to know.
Anyway that's what I'm going to put to the meeting.
It's worth a try.
Mm-hmm.
Yes.
Well, there's something we need to discuss as regards to the business.
Rose? It concerns you.
Me? You and Danny Piggott.
Rose, not to put too fine a point on it there's been talk in the village.
Ginny: For God's sake, Orlando.
It's nearly three years since Giles died what do you expect poor Rose to do, join a bloody nunnery? I don't care who she consorts with, but frankly, the landlord of The Woodman does seem a rather odd choice.
But she can't carry on with him or anyone else, for that matter, and stay in the business, simple as that.
I mean, sooner or later, he's bound to hear something, or see something, and then the game will be up for all of us.
Look, I admit he's been pestering me.
And yes, I had a drink with him to be polite.
But honestly, that's all there is to it.
I've no intention of "consorting with him," as you put it.
Of course you haven't, darling, you've got far too much taste.
I'm only interested in the business, believe me.
I can't afford not to be.
[Microphone feedback.]
One, two, one, two, one, two.
One, two, one, two.
[Microphone feedback.]
Rose! Saved you a seat, darling.
Oh, thank you! Rose actually, Rose, we're going to sit in the front.
Mummy, I'm going to go and sit with Otis.
All right.
We'll sit in the back, Dad, okay? I suppose so.
Frank? Damn it, his phone's off.
Frank, it's Miranda Harvey returning your call.
Listen, Dudley and I appreciate the interest, but Actually, I don't appreciate your interest, Frank, I really don't know what's got into you.
So stay away, have you got that? Dudley's a little tense, that's all.
Call me as soon as you get this message, Frank.
[Beeps.]
Don't worry, he'll be fine! He's got too much to lose.
I'll tell you something, if he turns up here tonight, I'll kill him.
Rev.
Suze: Uh, welcome, everybody.
[Applause.]
For those of you who don't know me, I'm the Rev.
Suze, and I've been asked to keep the peace [Laughter and applause.]
This evening.
On the platform, we have Orlando Lamington from the "Stop the Supermarket" Committee.
[Cheers and boos.]
We have Miranda Harvey, on behalf of Goodfare Supermarket.
[Cheers and boos.]
And Dudley Painter, from the Council.
What did you get? Vodka and some fags.
Cool, come on.
It's important that we understand that Goodfare have committed to building affordable housing for six families on site.
[Cheers and applause.]
Goodfare will also clean up the site.
They will clean up the pollution caused by the old timber yard.
[Applause and boos.]
That's something that the Council couldn't afford to do.
Or wouldn't, you mean Just another Council whitewash, isn't it, eh? This isn't just another supermarket we're talking about.
It's a program of rejuvenation for a whole village! [Applause.]
Why? Because we care at Goodfare.
[Cheers and applause.]
[Booing.]
[Cheers and applause.]
[Heckling.]
We all know that permission for this supermarket has already been passed at the highest level.
But we must reconsider the potential erosion of the quality of life in this village.
[Cheers and applause.]
Oh, come on! Come on! Orlando: Whether it be increased volume in traffic and the threat to local businesses What local businesses? Elverton is dead.
Why can't I get that through your thick yuppie head? What about my shop? Your shop? It's only incomers could afford to use the place.
Us locals have to drive to Causton to shop, 'cause we can't all live on sun-dried tomatoes at £5 a throw! Shut up! Give everyone a chance to have their say.
Danny Piggott doesn't care what happens to this village.
Because he won't be there, will he? He's selling The Woodman to Goodfare.
[Crowd murmuring.]
You won't have a pub anymore, you'll have a petrol station.
Greedy bastard's got his snout in the trough at Goodfare! [Shouts and screams.]
Stop that! Get off! Stop that! Danny! Danny! You keep your hands off her, Lamington! What are you talking about? You know exactly what I'm talking about stay away from her, all right? Like hell I will! Ginny: Stop it! That is enough! That's enough! Dora: Otis, get off! Get off what? Get off me! Move your hand! Don't touch me! How many times do I have to tell you, you loser? I'm not! I'm trying to open this bottle! Otis, stop it.
It's so not funny.
[Flicking lighter.]
Look! I'm not touching you, see? [Dora screaming.]
[Camera shutter clicking.]
George? Stab wounds to the chest, Tom.
No cuts to the hands and arms, so he didn't put up a fight.
Taken unawares, perhaps.
Time of death? Nearer 12, at first glance.
These marks, George, would suggest he was dragged here from somewhere else.
Probably.
Jones: No sign of the murder weapon yet, sir.
Thank you, George.
Okay.
These were in the grass over there.
Do we know who he is? Not yet, sir.
Who found the body? Couple of kids messing around last night.
What are all these about? Something to do with this old timber mill.
Apparently the signs have only just gone up, but nobody takes any notice.
Locals have been taking shortcuts and walking their dogs here for years.
Right, let's go and see what the kids have got to say.
You don't have to go to school today, darling.
But I want to, I want to tell everyone what happened.
It's so cool.
Mrs.
Southerly, we'd really like to talk to you and Dora privately, please.
Don't worry, we're off.
Will you be all right? Of course, we'll be fine.
Good girl.
[Softly.]
Don't forget, will you? I won't.
Just ring, Rose.
Any time.
Rose: Thanks.
[Door closes.]
Right.
Dora.
Now, can you tell us, please, exactly what happened last night? Now, it's okay, there's no need to rush.
Take your time.
It was Otis's idea.
He said, " Let's go to Jubbs Field for a laugh.
" The meeting was so unbelievably boring, so I went.
Uh, that meeting was about the supermarket development, yes? Yes.
What time was this? I don't know.
The meeting started at half past 8:00.
Dora: So we went to Jubbs Field, and there was this dead man.
It was just like a film.
How exactly did you find this man? It was so gross.
We sat down, okay, and it was totally, totally dark.
Then I felt this hand on me.
I thought it was Otis, so I shouted at him.
Then Otis lit his cigarette lighter, and there he was.
This man, almost lying on me, his eyes wide open, like that.
I knew straightaway he was dead.
And you saw no one else on Jubbs Field? No.
Is Otis your boyfriend? No way! Otis is a complete loser.
So who stole the vodka? Not me.
Otis got it from the pub fact.
Vodka? Dora! I didn't have any, Mum, I detest alcohol.
Barnaby: This man have you ever seen him before? No, never.
Okay, thank you, Dora.
And that's it for the minute.
That meeting it got rather heated, I understand.
Well, feelings ran rather high, but that's to be expected, isn't it? [Door closes.]
Thank you.
Is it me, or do I sense a certain reluctance to talk? Oh, yes.
We were sitting there, and we saw him! This, this bloke.
You saw him? In the dark? Yeah, in the dark.
But you could just see him.
When you lit your cigarette lighter? I don't have a cigarette lighter! He doesn't smoke, for crying out loud! Knows I'd kill him if he did.
Barnaby: Otis, did you recognize this man? Had you ever seen him before? No, why would I? He was just a man in a suit with a briefcase, only he was dead.
Oh, he had a briefcase, did he? Only we didn't find any briefcase, did we? No.
So, Otis, what do you think might have happened to this briefcase? What's this? You saying my son's a thief? Mr.
Piggott, I'm trying to establish what your son might or might not have seen.
Bet you didn't accuse Dora Southerly [Telephone rings.]
Of nicking any briefcases.
[Softly.]
Okay, Otis, this is the deal.
I won't mention vodka or cigarettes to your dad, and you will tell me the truth.
We saw him earlier.
Earlier? When? During the day.
Where? Me and Dora were on Jubbs Field when this bloke turned up, so we hid.
Bunkin' off again, weren't you? Mr.
Piggott, please! [Mobile rings.]
Hello? What was he doing? I don't know, he was digging.
He was digging? Yeah.
He dug up something and put it in his briefcase.
Is this another one of your stupid stories, Otis? No, Dad, it's the truth! That'd be a first.
Sir, they've found something.
Just over there, sir.
How'd they manage to miss this, then? No idea, sir.
Looks like a kitchen knife, sir.
It is, it's one of those chef's knives.
Joyce has got something like that cost me a fortune.
Wallet and bag must be in here.
Oh, there's a license in the wallet.
No cash, no credit cards.
And his name is Frank Hopkirk.
Lives in Causton.
Looks like there was a laptop in the bag.
Maybe it was a straightforward mugging.
He put up a fight, got himself stabbed.
No, Bullard said there was no sign of a struggle.
These papers, sir What about them? Some kind of a report on the supermarket development.
Hello! What have we here? "Rose Southerly, Cordon Bleu Cookery School.
" Well, well.
Perhaps I should have another word with Mrs.
Rose Southerly.
Um can you do me a Polaroid of that knife, please, now? Yes, straightaway, sir.
Thank you.
And, Jones? You can talk to the victim's family.
Me, sir? Yes, sir, you, sir.
I think it's time you learned the delicate art of delivering bad news.
You all right with that? I think so.
Thank you.
Barnaby: The dead man was carrying one of your business cards, Mrs.
Southerly.
He was? Yeah.
He was in his 50s, average height, gray hair, mustache, smartly dressed.
Any of your cookery students answer to that description? Oh, dear.
Mrs.
Southerly? It sounds a bit like it could be Mr.
Johnson.
I've been teaching him to cook.
And it was a surprise for his wife.
And he was here yesterday? Yes.
Yes, he was.
Is that him? Yes, that's him.
Except his name, according to that, is Frank Hopkirk.
I'm sorry, I don't know what to say.
He told me his name was, um, Johnson, sorry.
Well, maybe he didn't want his wife to find out.
Find out what? That he was taking cookery lessons.
You said he was doing it as a surprise for his wife.
Oh, I see what you mean.
Yes, I suppose that must be it.
Mrs.
Southerly, um are you missing any knives? My knives? I don't understand.
Why would I be? Could you have a quick check-up, please? Yes, of course.
I think that's it.
Wait a minute, where's my vegetable knife? I bought it in France.
It must be here somewhere.
Mrs.
Southerly, Mrs.
Southerly, is that it? Well, yes, that looks very like Oh, my God, is that the is that how he was Yes, it is.
But you can't possibly think you're not suggesting that I killed him, are you? Well, it can't have been missing long.
I'd have noticed.
It's my favorite knife.
I use it all the time.
So, apart from Frank Hopkirk, who else was here yesterday? Some ladies from Midsomer Parva, eight of them are doing a baking course.
Have you got their names? Yes, but their average age is well over 70.
I can't imagine them murdering anyone except with their fairy cakes.
[Chuckling.]
So no one else came here? No, just Mr.
Johnson and the ladies from Midsomer Parva.
So you taught you taught Mr.
Hopkirk on a one-to-one basis? Yes.
How did he pay? Cash.
In advance? No, after every lesson.
That's a bit unusual, isn't it? [Laughs nervously.]
I suppose so.
I never really thought about it, to tell you the truth.
Um well, a forensic technician will have to take your fingerprints.
Oh, it's just routine, I assure you.
Of course.
Hello, Dora.
Hello.
Dora could we have a little talk about yesterday? I told you about yesterday.
Yesterday morning.
Yesterday morning, I was at school.
No, you weren't, you were on Jubbs Field with Otis Piggott, weren't you? Fact.
Oh, my God, the loser grassed me up.
Only under intense pressure, Dora.
That man you found, you saw him that morning on Jubbs Field, didn't you? What was he doing? It was weird.
He dug something up, put it in a container, and then he went.
Have you told my mum? No, I thought I'd leave that up to you.
Okay.
Are you married? Yes.
Why? Mummy's a widow, did you know? It's so boring with all these men hanging around.
What men? [Knocking.]
Sorry, got to go.
Rose Southerly? No.
Yes.
She was giving the victim cookery lessons.
Are those my pajamas? Yes, you don't mind, do you? I was a bit cold last night.
You've got to hand it to Rose.
What have I got to hand to her? Well, her husband was killed in that car crash, what, three years ago? Left her in an awful mess, financially.
Huge overdraft, huge mortgage.
No life insurance or anything.
So she knuckled under and started the cookery business.
She's done jolly well at it, too.
Yeah, well, she must have done.
She's got a big house, her kid's at St.
Chad's.
Lovely little girl.
Earplugs, Joyce? You know I haven't been sleeping well, Tom.
I thought this might help.
Good night, darling.
I've got no rooted objection to you wearing my pajamas, Joyce, but it's a little weird, getting into bed with someone dressed like What? Hmm.
[Loudly.]
Good night, Joyce.
Good night, Tom.
Do you remember what time [Door opens.]
Jones: Morning, sir.
Morning.
This is Hopkirk's car.
The Rev thinks it's been here since yesterday morning.
Didn't think much of it, but it's still here this morning, so gave your lot a bell.
I'd better get going.
Things to do, people to see.
The Rev goes for a run every morning.
That's right, change in the vestry after early Communion, and off I go! Um, do you go the same route every morning? Oh, yeah, down the High Street, along the Causton Road, right into Nether Lane and back.
You didn't notice anything out of the ordinary yesterday morning? No, but as I told Ben here, pretty oblivious when I'm jogging.
Quality time with the boss, you see.
Sorry? [Laughing.]
Prayer, Inspector.
We still do it, you know.
Catch you later, guys.
Yes.
Catch you later.
Good God.
Do we know what Mr.
Hopkirk did for a living? He was an environmental health consultant, whatever that means.
Well, it obviously pays well, going by the car.
According to his wife, he was working for Goodfare Supermarkets, which would explain the paperwork we found, but I can't get anyone at Goodfare to confirm it.
What do we know about his movements yesterday? Uh, well, here's what we've got so far, sir.
Otis and Dora saw him on Jubbs Field at about 9:00.
After that, he went for his cookery lesson at Rose Southerly's Cookery lesson.
Mm-hmm, he had a drink at The Woodman round about midday, then went to the village shop and bought a snack.
After that, nothing.
Till he turns up dead on Jubbs Field.
Bullard reckons that he died around 7:00 in the evening.
So what was he doing all the afternoon? [Mobile rings.]
Jones.
Thanks.
Mrs.
Hopkirk is ready to identify the body, sir.
[Gunshot.]
It's probably coming from the Patchetts' place.
They run a rural-pursuits center.
Rural-pursuits center? Yeah, clay-pigeon shooting, fly fishing, stuff like that.
Sounds quite interesting.
You can even do a course in hedging and ditching.
A course in hedging and ditching? Oh, be still, my beating heart.
Woman: Yes.
That's my husband.
That's Frank.
Don't be ridiculous! [Siren in distance.]
Um, excuse me Don't even think about it.
Mrs.
Hopkirk do you know what your husband was doing in Elverton? Working on some new supermarket development, according to him.
Yes, and taking lessons at a cookery school.
[Scoffs.]
You must be joking.
Didn't you know about that? No, I did not.
Look, where cooking is concerned, Frank was strictly Stone Age.
He couldn't boil a kettle.
It was a woman, I suppose, giving him these so-called cookery lessons? Yes, it was a woman.
Attractive? Uh yes, yes, You could say that.
Well, that would be of more interest to Frank than whipping up a casserole, believe me.
Could you enlarge on that, Mrs.
Hopkirk? Where women are concerned, Frank couldn't help himself, Inspector.
I suppose these days he'd be called an addict.
Is that all? I've got arrangements to make, starting with a long holiday.
I told you she was scary.
A word, Tom, if you've got a minute.
Yes.
Better pick that up.
I wanted to show you these bruises before I open him up.
There are similar ones on his back, as well.
Oh, so he did put up a fight.
He may have been in a fight, yes, but some hours before he was stabbed.
There's something under his fingernails.
Could be soap.
I'll get it checked out.
Thank you.
Oh, and his buttocks.
What about his buttocks? Light bruising and abrasions.
Same sort of bruises as on the chest? Oh, no, no, very different.
These marks suggest mild chastisement.
The sort administered for recreational purposes.
Want to see? Well, I suppose I've got to, haven't I? Chast-what? Chastisement, Jones, somebody gently not so gently beat him for pleasure.
Jones: Okay, what about this? Hopkirk comes to Elverton on Goodfare business.
He sees Rose around the village, likes her, so he signs up for cookery lessons.
And then He tries it on, but she doesn't want to know.
He forces himself on her.
There's a struggle in the kitchen hence, the bruises.
She grabs the knife, bosh.
Or, more likely, Rose welcomes Hopkirk's advances.
She falls in love with him.
But Hopkirk's already married, won't leave his wife, and Rose kills him in a fit of jealous rage.
Rose falls in love with Hopkirk? No way.
I mean, she's a looker, isn't she? Hopkirk's in his 50s, he's an old man! Jones the human heart is a fickle organ.
Passions can be aroused in the most unlikely of circumstances.
You mean the chastisement stuff.
No, I don't mean the chastisement stuff.
I mean, human relationships are complex and not based solely on whether one is or is not a looker.
If you say so, sir.
Anyway, if she did kill him, how did she move the body to Jubbs Field on her own? Well, maybe she had help.
She's not without friends.
Maybe it's to do with this new supermarket.
Rose, the Lamingtons, the Patchetts, they're all dead against it.
What are you saying, they all ganged up together to kill an environmental health consultant? That's a bit far-fetched, Jones.
Well, there was a report in Hopkirk's case on the Jubbs Field site.
And some of the pages were missing, and whatever he was digging up, there's no sign of that, either.
You want to see me? Yes, please, Mr.
Piggott.
Come, take a seat.
Thank you.
This man you ever seen him before? Yeah, came in the pub yesterday, lunchtime.
Already told one of your lot.
His name's Frank Hopkirk.
He was an environmental health consultant.
We think he was working for Goodfare.
Did you talk to him? A bit.
He was asking about some bloke, used to work at Jubbs Timber Mill, Johnny somebody.
He used to drink in here.
Did you know him? [Scoffs.]
Of course not.
The timber mill closed in the '80s.
I only bought the pub Did Mr.
Hopkirk mention Rose Southerly at all? No, why should he? Oh, no particular reason, Mr.
Piggott.
You're not dragging Rose into this, are you? Not dragging anyone anywhere, Mr.
Piggott, I'm trying to conduct a murder investigation.
Yeah, well, she's the only one of that lot I've got time for.
That lot? The Lamingtons, the Patchetts.
The green welly brigade.
Didn't you have a bit of a set-to with Lamington at the village hall? [Laughing.]
He got in my face.
Orlando Lamington's been trying to shut me down for years.
[Horn beeping repeatedly.]
Hey, you got something to say, Gary Talbot, say it to my face! Gary: You're a bloody Judas, Piggott! You had a set-to with Mr.
Talbot, as well, didn't you? We had words, yeah, but I don't see what this has got to do with a dead bloke on Jubbs Field.
Oh, probably nothing at all, Mr.
Piggott, nothing at all.
Well, thank you.
We'll, uh, talk again.
Got a short fuse, our Mr.
Piggott.
Has he got a record? No, sir, not even a parking ticket.
So where did Hopkirk go next? Village shop, sir.
Must have been my wife who served him.
I was out, doing the deliveries.
Mrs.
Talbot? [Bell rings.]
Yes, that was him.
He came in about 1:00 and bought some chocolate.
Did he say anything? He was asking about someone who used to work at Jubbs Timber Mill.
Remember his name? No, I'm afraid not.
The mill's been closed down for years.
Mr.
Talbot, um, How long does it take you to do your deliveries, then? About an hour.
Hour and a half.
And where? Where do you make these deliveries? Around the village.
Lamingtons and Midsomer Market.
An hour and a half, to deliver two boxes of vegetables.
And you didn't see Mr.
Hopkirk at all during these deliveries? No, I did not.
Thank you, Mr.
Talbot.
Mrs.
Talbot, thank you.
What's the big idea, saying that about my delivery route? No big idea, Gary.
I just don't know what's up with you these days.
If they build a Goodfare on Jubbs Field, we'll go out of business.
That's what's up with me.
And now, thanks to you, I'm probably a suspect in a murder inquiry.
You? Nobody's going to suspect you of murder.
You're not interesting enough.
There's another one, not telling us everything.
Even his wife doesn't believe him.
[Chuckles.]
That could come in useful, couldn't it, for shifting a body? That's the Lamington woman, sir.
Barnaby: Yes, I know.
Now, Jones, go back inside, check the details of Talbot's Sir.
Delivery route.
Every inch of it.
[Honking horn.]
Inspector Barnaby? Yes.
Miranda Harvey.
Public relations coordinator for Goodfare Supermarkets.
I'd like to talk to you about Frank Hopkirk.
First of all, everyone at Goodfare is absolutely devastated.
Frank was not only a respected colleague, he was a true friend.
Mrs.
Harvey, how long had Mr.
Hopkirk been working for Goodfare? Frank Hopkirk wasn't a Goodfare employee.
He was an independent consultant.
I hope you'll make that clear in any statements to the press.
So he wasn't working for Goodfare.
We were consulting him, Inspector.
About what? Most recently, about the Jubbs Timber Mill site here in Elverton.
Frank Hopkirk was an expert in industrial pollution.
The Jubbs Field site is polluted, you see.
He was advising the Council, as well.
He was advising the Council, as well? Oh, yes, he had a good working relationship with the Council.
You'd have to speak to Dudley Painter about that.
Who's Dudley Painter? Chairman of the planning committee.
Yes, well, I will.
Mrs.
Harvey, when did you last have contact with Mr.
Hopkirk? He tried to contact me yesterday afternoon.
About what? About the meeting at the village hall, did we need him to attend, that sort of thing.
But that's Frank all over.
Always trying to be helpful.
So you did speak to him yesterday afternoon? No, his phone was off, so I left a message.
Look I think it's important we're all singing from the same hymn sheet, don't you? Singing about what? There are concerns about the way this unfortunate incident is depicted in the media.
Oh, I see, you're worried about Goodfare's good name being associated with a bloody and brutal murder.
Yes, that's one way of putting it.
Well, I'm very sorry, Mrs.
Harvey, but I can't help you there.
[Door opens.]
Ah, Jones.
Excuse me.
Thank you.
They lifted a couple of prints off the knife.
Ah, and They match Rose Southerly's.
Do they? Mm.
Oh.
And what did you glean about Gary Talbot's delivery route? Ah, interesting.
He says he got the Midsomer Market order wrong and had to go back there early evening.
Early evening when? About 7:00.
That's round about the time that Hopkirk may have been killed.
Mm-hmm, the wife didn't say as much, but she obviously thinks he's up to something.
Maybe it's to do with the conspiracy.
Conspiracy? What conspiracy? This new supermarket development.
A mate of my uncle Harry's used to work at Jubbs, and he We've got Rose Southerly's prints on the murder weapon, Jones, now, come on, first things first.
Are you going to charge her? Well, there's no harm in letting her know it's a possibility.
[Clock chiming.]
Look.
Orlando's going to see Mummy.
Should Orlando get a divorce and marry your mum? God, no! She likes Orlando, but only as a friend.
What does that mean? It's what people say when they don't fancy someone.
Maybe she'll marry my dad.
Shut up, Otis! She's not going to marry anyone.
She's still in love with my dad and always will be fact.
[Knock on door.]
[Dog barking.]
Dora: Poor Orlando, he's completely wasting his time.
Look you know how much I care for you.
Please don't start that again.
You know how it upsets me.
Is it because of Danny Piggott? Are you in love with him? No, I am not! Honestly, Orlando, just because I won't leap into bed with you does not mean I'm in love with Danny Piggott.
It's not about leaping into bed with anyone.
Look, Rose, I love you, for God's sake.
Always have, always will.
You just say the word, and I'll leave Ginny now, this moment.
We'll get the hell out of Elverton, we'll go wherever you like America, France, I don't care.
I just want to be with you.
Stop it, Orlando, stop it.
[Knock on door.]
Oh, no.
It's that policeman Barnaby.
Mrs.
Southerly, may we have a word, please? Oh, yes, of course.
Thank you.
Orlando: Any problems, you give me a ring.
My fingerprints? Your fingerprints, Mrs.
Southerly.
Oh, God.
Now, how we proceed from here, that's entirely up to you.
What do you mean? Well, you could start, couldn't you, by telling me the truth about your relationship with Frank Hopkirk? I have told you the truth.
No, Mrs.
Southerly, I don't believe you have.
I don't believe Are those plastic garlic? That's not very cordon bleu, is it? Please don't touch that.
Oh! What have we here? I, uh, record some of my classes.
Yeah.
Secretly.
No! No! Did you record your classes with Frank Hopkirk? Oh, come on, Mrs.
Southerly.
Sooner or later, you're going to have to tell us the truth.
All right! All right, Inspector, I'll tell you the truth about my relationship with Frank Hopkirk.
Sitting down on the job, Mr.
Hundsecker? Oh, those English saddles, they're heavy.
You know, I don't think you've been properly broken in [Inhales.]
Mr.
Hundsecker.
Oh, I just love that accent.
[Cracks whip.]
Ooh.
Get on your feet.
Go to the bench.
Turn around.
It'll be my pleasure.
That is the, uh general idea, Mr.
Hundsecker.
Ooh! [Cracks whip.]
Ooh! Rose: Giles my husband, was killed in a car crash three years ago.
I found out that Giles hadn't been very careful with money, to put it mildly.
I desperately needed to earn some money, so I started the catering business weddings, funerals, shooting parties.
People love to hire a friend in need.
It makes them feel morally superior.
Anyway, then I started the Cordon Bleu School.
And was it a success? Not at all.
I got myself deeper into debt.
Then one of my students charming man, very wealthy made me an offer.
He offered me a ridiculous sum of money to spend the night with him.
The equivalent of Dora's school fees for a whole term, in one fell swoop.
An offer you couldn't refuse.
Exactly.
You mean, you Don't Jones! Please, carry on, Mrs.
Southerly.
Well, he started coming to see me regularly, and then he introduced me to a friend, and then another friend.
Friends with similar tastes.
Men in need of solace.
I'd cook them something comforting cake's always very popular listen to their problems about work and family.
Tell them how wonderful they are.
And then cooking and comforting, that's my speciality.
I see myself as a sort of fantasy wife.
You'd be amazed how many men are willing to pay for that.
And, um, Frank Hopkirk, he was one of them, was he? Yes, but I didn't know his real name, and I didn't know he worked for Goodfare.
And you made recordings.
As a precaution.
There was a journalist once who threatened to make trouble till I pointed out that I had him on camera.
Quite a bit of him, as it happens.
Mrs.
Southerly, do you have a recording of Frank Hopkirk's last visit? Yes.
I do.
Well, we'd like to see it.
[Gunshot.]
[Rustling.]
Who's there? Only me, Lady Celia.
My lord? You're not supposed to be in this part of the wood.
I was, uh, looking for poachers.
Do I look like a poacher, My lord? No, you certainly don't.
Well, now you're here, you might as well have a glass of champagne.
Thank you, my lady.
Rose: Have you had a horrible day, darling? Hopkirk: Horrible.
Such a relief Good camera.
Quality lens.
What's happening about the supermarket? Oh, it looks like it's going ahead.
Actually, there's a big meeting tonight.
You need a night Could you pause it there, please? Was that the first time you'd discussed the supermarket development with him? Yes, but I didn't know he was involved.
Carry on.
Rose: Look, I've cooked you a lovely sponge cake.
Shall I be Mummy? [Breathing deeply.]
[Deep breathing and moaning.]
Could you fast-forward? I want to see when Frank Hopkirk left.
Are you going to arrest me? What for, murder? No.
What about the That is not my department, Mrs.
Southerly.
Thank you, Inspector.
But I will need that recording, please.
The recording of Frank Hopkirk's last visit.
No, she didn't do it, Jones.
Hopkirk left her kitchen at 12:30.
He was still alive and kicking, and the murder weapon was still on the kitchen table.
Five minutes later, she's teaching the good ladies of Midsomer Parva how to make fairy cakes.
And she spent the rest of the afternoon with Dora.
Someone must have nicked the knife, sir.
Yes, someone went to a great deal of trouble to incriminate Rose Southerly.
Mr.
Painter.
Ah, Inspector.
Take a seat, please.
You two know each other already, don't you? Great.
Great.
So how's the investigation coming along? Well, I'd rather discuss it in private, if we may.
As you know, Miranda worked very closely with Frank Hopkirk.
And I want to help in any way I can, Inspector.
Yes, I do appreciate that, but, uh, as Frank Hopkirk was working for the Council Oh, no, no, Frank was an independent consultant, Inspector.
As I made clear.
Yes, but the Council were consulting him, weren't they? As were Goodfare.
Is there a conflict of interest there? Certainly not! Both parties working to a common end, Inspector.
Exactly.
Huh.
So you were both consulting him about pollution at Jubbs Timber Yard and the adjacent Jubbs Field, yes? Yes, Jubbs used an arsenic-based pesticide to treat their timber.
That's been phased out now, but it was very common back then.
It seems Jubbs had some sort of industrial accident spillage well, to cut a long story short, the levels of arsenic in the topsoil are way over the limit.
So the site is contaminated? Yeah.
Unusable, unless the topsoil is removed and treated.
That's far too expensive for the Council to do.
So Goodfare get the land cheaper? Maybe, but they also clean up the site at their own expense.
So what was Mr.
Hopkirk doing on Jubbs Field on the day he died? More tests? No, no, tests were all done.
It was probably a health and safety matter.
I know that Mr.
Hopkirk tried to contact you, Mrs.
Harvey, on the day he died.
But did you talk to him at all, Mr.
Painter? Me? No, absolutely not.
[Telephone rings.]
Oh, excuse me, folks, that's my 1:30.
So I took the top of his head off, had a poke round, and guess what! Surprise me, George.
Poor devil had a massive stroke.
A stroke? Are you saying that's what killed him? Oh, no, the stabbing killed him.
I reckon he had the stroke around about the same time he sustained the bruises to his chest and back.
Now, if he was involved in a fight or dispute of some sort, that would have raised his blood pressure and perhaps caused the stroke.
But it was some hours later that he was stabbed.
Anyway, it solves the problem of the, uh, stab wounds.
What problem? They're very symmetrical, Tom, all from the same angle, which suggests that he remained motionless whilst being attacked which people tend not to do.
Unless they're unconscious.
Or paralyzed.
So you're saying he could have had the stroke and remained unconscious or paralyzed for what, five, six hours? It's possible.
And then been stabbed.
Uh-huh.
Uh you said something about under his nails.
Oh, yes! Beeswax, lanolin, and turpentine.
Now your starter for 10.
Saddle soap.
Spot-on! I'm very impressed, Ben.
And there's something else.
You'll never guess what.
What, George? Residue on his hands gunshot residue.
So he fired a shotgun not long before he died.
I tell you, this chap's a mine of information.
[Gunshot.]
[Gunshot.]
[Gunshot.]
Well.
At least we can fill in some of the gaps in Mr.
Hopkirk's last day now, can't we? We can? Yes, we can.
Where do you think he got the saddle soap from, then, Jones, eh? Stables? How about Lamington's Riding School? Of course.
And the gunshot residue on his hands? Patchetts' place.
Exactly.
Center for Rural Pursuits.
So Mr.
Hopkirk parks here, then he goes to Jubbs Field, where he's spotted by Dora and Otis.
Then he walks to Rose Southerly's for his Cake? Leaves there at 12:30.
He walks to The Woodman, has a drink, goes to the village shop.
Leaves there about 1:00.
And goes riding with Ginny Lamington and shooting at the Patchetts' Not a bad day, one way and another.
Till he had his stroke.
Then he got himself stabbed.
Not many people would fit that into a lifetime, never mind a day.
I'm supposed to be meeting this friend of my uncle's at The Woodman.
I'm going to drop in on the huntin'.
Shootin'.
And fishin' set.
Okay.
Uncle Harry says you had a friend who used to work at Jubbs Timber Yard.
Yep, yep, had a few mates used to work at Jubbs.
The one I was thinking of was called Johnny.
It's a funny old pint, that is.
Would you like something else? Drop of Scotch would help it go down.
[Gunshot.]
Celia: Help! Somebody help me, please! Help! Please! Somebody help me, please! [Muttering.]
For God's sake, hurry up.
Help! It's all right.
Oh, my.
Don't move.
What the hell are you doing here? Sorry, got lost! I say! I'm supposed to rescue her! What's going on here? Who is this? I am Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby from Causton CID.
A policeman? Jeremy: What's the meaning of this? And this is her husband.
Her husband? Jeremy: Sir Charles, wait! Barnaby: Mr.
Patchett, stay where you are.
We need a little chat.
Jones: So, your mate who worked at Jubbs, Johnny someone.
Yep, yep, Johnny used to work at Jubbs.
Can you remember his surname? His surname? Oh, yes, his surname.
His name was uh Crouch.
Yep, Johnny Crouch.
Johnny Crouch? Is that who Hopkirk was asking after? Sorry, doesn't ring a bell.
Where does he live? Badgers Drift, I reckon.
Oh, Johnny Crouch miserable old git, never put his hand in his pocket.
That's Mr.
Saunders.
Yes, that's Saunders.
Comes here for a spot of shooting.
His real name is Frank Hopkirk.
It was his body that was found on Jubbs Field.
No! We had no idea, I swear! But he was here that day, wasn't he? Well, look, you can come with me to Causton Police Station if you'd like, you can answer a few questions on fake man-traps.
Yes.
He was here.
Thank you.
What time, exactly? He got here about 1:30 and left just before 3:00.
And you were here, were you, Mr.
Patchett? With your telephoto lens? I was, um, supervising the session, yes.
And did that session include the use of a fake man-trap, too? I know what you must think of us, Inspector.
You do? Most of our courses are genuine, you know, but some involve a little harmless role play.
Needs must, Inspector.
I was an accountant, but something went a little bit wrong with my company.
Most of them went to prison, actually.
So we needed to start again, in order to survive.
It's actually brought us closer together, hasn't it, darling? Jeremy never thought working from home could be such fun.
[Horse whinnying.]
[Horse whinnying.]
I'm working as fast as I can.
Good afternoon, sir.
Oh! Well, I wasn't really ready for this, but what the heck? Variety is the spice, right? Where's Mrs.
Lamington? Oh, who needs her? You can check my work.
I don't think you're going to like it at all.
Ginny: Time out, Mr.
Hundsecker.
Can I have a word, please, Mrs.
Lamington? Can I have my whip back? Yes, I recognize him.
His name is Wilson.
Peter Wilson.
Actually, his real name was Frank Hopkirk.
He's the man whose body was found on Jubbs Field.
Really? Well, he was alive when he left here.
About what time was that? He arrived about 3:00.
We went for a ride, did a little jumping.
He must have left about 4:00.
And was he in rude health? Yes.
A little tired, perhaps.
[Knock on door.]
Man: Coming! [Banging on door.]
I said I'm coming! [Crashing.]
[Crashing continues.]
Hey! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! [Engine revving, driving away.]
[Dog barking.]
Hello, Dora.
Hello.
Dora do you remember you saying something to me about the men hanging around your house? Maybe.
What men were they, Dora? Orlando Lamington, mostly, and Danny Otis's dad.
They both fancy her mum.
That's why they were fighting at the village hall.
Losers.
You shouldn't spread stories, Dora.
They can hurt people.
Everybody thinks we tell lies because we're kids.
But we don't.
We see everything.
It's all facts.
Like the Rev.
Suze.
[Laughing.]
What about the Rev.
Suze? Ask her why she goes jogging on Monday afternoons.
Monday afternoons? It's when Gary Talbot does his "deliveries.
" They're having a thing.
Fact.
[Honking.]
[Car door opens, closes.]
Mummy wouldn't do anything like that.
She still loves Dad.
I know, Dora.
I know.
[Car door opens, closes, dog barking.]
Barnaby: A kettle, Jones? Yes, sir.
Wielded by an 80-year-old? Yes.
As I was saying, the arsenic in the topsoil is supposed to come from this pesticide they treat wood with, but Johnny Crouch says the timber from Jubbs's was treated elsewhere.
They never kept much pesticide on site, and he's sure there was never a big spillage.
That's Nether Lane up there, isn't it? Yes, sir.
Didn't the Reverend Suze tell us she jogs there first thing every morning? Yes, yeah, she did.
Well, I have it on fairly good authority that she went for a jog there on Monday afternoon.
Now, why didn't she mention that, I wonder? Perhaps it slipped her mind.
Well, let's go and refresh her memory, shall we? But, sir, what about this pesticide business? All in good time.
Rev.
Suze: And lead us not into temptation.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever.
Amen.
Amen.
[Footsteps approach.]
I'd like a word, please, vicar, if you've got a minute.
Mrs.
Southerly.
Darling Rose has been sharing some of her burden with me.
So important to talk things through without being judged, I think.
I do so agree.
I was hoping that we could talk through the fact that you didn't tell us you went for a jog on Monday afternoon.
Oh, God, I knew this would happen.
So God knows all about it, but I don't.
[Sighs.]
Yes, I went for a run Monday afternoon.
What time? About 6:30.
I had to meet someone.
Who? It was Gary Talbot, wasn't it? Yes.
I never intended it to go this far, but but the flesh is weak.
Why didn't you tell us this? Gary is a married man, Inspector.
Oh, so you're doing this for Gary's sake.
Oh, that is very noble of you.
And Ginny Lamington's sake.
What's Ginny Lamington got to do with this? Rev.
Suze: I was running down Nether Lane.
I'd arranged to meet Gary at 7:00.
The van was parked in the usual place.
And we were talking that's all we do, really, talk when suddenly we saw Ginny Lamington's horse box in the middle of the lane.
It was Ginny Lamington, with with someone else.
Who? I couldn't see.
Perhaps it was her husband.
No.
Orlando was on the train home he'd just phoned me about the meeting.
So I thought Ginny was Doing the same as you.
I thought it was best to keep quiet, for everybody's sake.
After all, it's got nothing to do with that poor man who died has it? Jones: Hopkirk's body could have been in Talbot's van or the horse box.
If we've got Gary Talbot's movements right, he wouldn't have had time for loading up dead bodies.
The horse box, then.
So who was the mystery man with Ginny Lamington? Jones stay here.
Poor Giles.
He would have been appalled.
I made such a mess of things.
You must have a very low opinion of me, Inspector.
Oh! I'm a policeman, Mrs.
Southerly.
I leave the judging to someone else.
The vicar's been a great help.
How I envy her serenity.
Yes, it's miraculous, isn't it? Mrs.
Southerly someone went to a great deal of trouble to steal that knife from your kitchen.
Someone who was determined to incriminate you.
Who could have taken that knife, do you think? A friend, perhaps? Someone you wouldn't suspect? There was no one.
Just me and Dora.
Wait a minute.
Ginny Lamington came round.
She wanted to borrow a cookery book.
What time? About half past 5:00.
I thought it was it was odd.
I was due to go round to her house for a meeting.
She could have just phoned me.
Did you leave her alone in the kitchen? Yes.
The book was in the drawing room.
My God! Why would she do such a thing? Well, I believe that her husband was paying you a lot of attention.
I begged Orlando to leave me alone.
Nothing happened between us.
You have to believe me, Inspector.
I believe you, Mrs.
Southerly.
Jones.
Ah.
The strong arm of the law.
Would you gentlemen like to go for a ride? I'm sure I can find you some suitably docile animals.
No, thank you, Mrs.
Lamington.
Just like to ask you a couple of questions, if we may.
Fire away.
Last Monday, did you go to Rose Southerly's house in the afternoon, round about 5:30? No, I don't believe I did.
Mrs.
Southerly says you did.
What are you doing? Just wondered if you had CCTV set up, like, uh, Mrs.
Southerly.
Mrs.
Southerly says you went round to her house to borrow a cookbook.
Well, she's wrong.
Even the lovely Rose can be wrong sometimes.
Do you mind? Here we are.
Same kind of camera, too.
It's for security reasons.
We've had a lot of break-ins recently.
Mrs.
Southerly is sure that you went to her house.
Where's the monitor? One at a time, gentlemen, please.
I can't answer you both at once.
Rose she's one of my best friends, Inspector.
We're in and out of each other's houses all the time.
How can you expect me to remember what happened last Monday? Well, you ought to, Mrs.
Lamington, because you took one of Rose Southerly's What's in here? Kitchen knives, didn't you? You took one of Rose Southerly's kitchen knives and used it to stab Frank Hopkirk, didn't you, Mrs.
Lamington? [Doorknob rattling.]
Why? What did Rose ever do to you? She stole you.
I'll show you.
I'll show you what happened.
I wasn't there when he died.
There's a recording.
You'll see what really happened.
Mrs.
Lamington who was with you when you took the body to Nether Lane? It's not here.
He's taken it.
Who, Mrs.
Lamington? Jones: Sir.
"Goodfare we care.
" Well, that's not yours, is it, Mrs.
Lamington, nor yours, Mr.
Lamington.
I know who wears a badge like that.
[Tires screech.]
It's that copper, Dad.
He's in a bit of a hurry! [Siren blaring.]
May I, Mr.
Piggott? I recognize this.
What happens on there, right, it's not what it looks like.
I didn't kill him, I swear.
I swear! There's a bottle of sherry, in here, I think.
Excellent.
And, uh, then I think I'm going to give you a bit of a telling-off.
Yes, please.
[Cracks whip.]
[Mobile beeps.]
Dudley, it's Frank Hopkirk.
Look, I'm sorry, but I can't go through with this.
I can't sign off the report.
[Scoffs.]
There was no spillage at Jubbs Field.
The findings are wildly inaccurate.
I've written a new report, and I've taken more soil samples.
I'll make a public announcement at the meeting tonight.
I don't care about the money I've I've had a change of heart.
Look, I'll see you there, Dudley! [Door opens.]
Who are you? Sorry, mate, can't let you do this.
What's going on? Where's Ginny? Ginny! It's been given the go-ahead, and you can't stop it now! Get away from me, you lunatic! [Crash.]
[Grunting.]
[Gasps.]
[Gasps.]
You muckin' about? Ginny: Danny? Oh, bloody hell, Ginny, I think he's dead.
Look.
[Click.]
Danny Piggott first, I think.
Ginny said she'd call the emergency services.
She said it'd be better all around if I wasn't there, so I went back to the pub.
What were you doing there in the first place? I'm not saying anything about that.
How did Hopkirk end up on Jubbs Field, Danny? You'll have to ask Ginny.
Barnaby: Oh, we will, Danny, we will.
But it looks pretty straightforward to me.
You attacked Frank Hopkirk in a rage, and he collapsed with a stroke.
He wasn't dead.
Well, you say that now, but in the recording, you said, and I quote, "Bloody hell, Ginny, Well, he wasn't.
I think he's dead.
" How do you know, if you left the stables straightaway? I just do, okay? But you didn't leave the stables straightaway, did you, Danny? Because you helped Ginny Lamington put Frank Hopkirk into a horse box, and later, you and Ginny drove that horse box to Nether Lane and you dumped the body on Jubbs Field.
Okay, can we just wait.
All right Say I was on Jubbs Field, for the sake of argument.
What does that mean? I mean, what are my prospects? Well, that depends, Danny.
I mean, personally, I don't think you killed Frank Hopkirk, but that's just my opinion.
It's worthless it's no good unless you tell me the truth.
Right, then.
I thought he was dead.
[Horse whinnying.]
Nothing.
You try.
What am I, a doctor? He looks dead to me, darling.
You better call the police.
No, no, no, no, no.
They can't find him here.
No, we'll get him out of these clothes, put him in the horse box, and take him to Jubbs Field.
Danny: So that's what we did.
We left it till about 7:00, then drove the horse box down Nether Lane.
It was hard, but we managed to get him onto the field.
Danny: We'd better split up.
I'll see you at the meeting.
Danny.
Come here.
Not a word.
Not a word to anyone.
Danny: I was going to wait till Ginny had gone, then look inside his bag, take anything that might screw up the supermarket deal.
So I hid.
And I was waiting for Ginny to go.
Only she didn't go, did she? [Gasping.]
I can't move.
Help me.
Help me! [Groaning.]
Danny: Terrible to watch.
[Grunting.]
I'm sick to my stomach.
Barnaby: So sick, Danny, that you waited till Ginny Lamington left, and then you ransacked Frank Hopkirk's bag and his wallet.
Goodfare was my ticket out of Elverton.
I wasn't going to give it up that easy.
Ginny: It's all Rose Southerly's fault.
Everything in the garden was lovely until her and her husband arrived in the village Orlando became infatuated with her almost immediately.
And when Giles died, it just got worse.
Orlando was always on hand to give poor little darling little Rose advice.
Then Rose introduced myself and Celia to some of her clients and the business took off in a big way, so I saw even less of Orlando.
I was bored and angry, so I started having an affair with Danny Piggott.
I half hoped Orlando would find out, actually.
But of course he never noticed a thing.
How did Danny find out about the business? I had too much to drink one night and told him.
He used to come to the stables sometimes and watch.
That's what he was doing there that Monday.
So then the final insult, Inspector, was when Danny started to pursue Rose.
I mean, to get at Orlando, of course.
Men, you know.
Oh, yes, I really loathe dear little Rose.
And when Frank Hopkirk collapsed in the stables, you saw an opportunity.
I knew what I was going to do immediately.
Steal one of Rose's knives and stab him with it.
See how she felt, being accused of murder.
See the smile wiped off that simpering little face.
You know what really annoyed me was that she wouldn't sleep with either of them.
So she stole my husband and she stole my lover, and she still kept the moral high ground, and that, Inspector, is enough to drive anyone to murder.
Jones: So Goodfare gets the land cheap, and they don't have to pay anything clearing it up, because it isn't contaminated.
Great scam.
So you were right, Jones, there was a conspiracy over Jubbs Field.
Well, if Ginny Lamington hadn't have been jealous of Rose Southerly, nobody would have been any the wiser.
Crime of passion, sir.
We were both right.
How very satisfying.
Man: Sir! It's Hopkirk's phone, sir.
There'll be a record of a call to Dudley Painter.
Oh, good, I'm looking forward to talking to Mr.
Painter again.
[Water running.]
Funnily enough, Rose Southerly once asked me if I'd like to help out at the cookery school.
Doing what, exactly? I'm not sure.
I wouldn't want to act out that "perfect wife" stuff.
God knows I get enough of that at home.
And I couldn't do Celia Patchett's "damsel in distress" act ugh.
So demeaning.
But Ginny Lamington's routine dishing out a bit of discipline that, that I could handle.
Really? by Acorn Media