Midsomer Murders (1997) s17e03 Episode Script
The Ballad Of Midsomer County
Come sit by me All you fine lords and laddies And I'll tell you the tale Of young John Henry ~ Who's there? ~ He met a fair maiden ~ Is somebody there? ~ One bright May morning Lies young John Henry As cold as can be No headstone to mark him No lover to grieve him Save for the roses Of Midsomer County Police.
Will this torture never end? Every morning? The same song? It's Betty's breakfast tune.
Wouldn't she like to hear something else once in a while? Babies like consistency.
The same song every day makes her feel secure.
~ It makes me feel like ending it all.
~ It's not that bad.
That's easy for you to say.
~ You never had any taste in music.
~ Well, that's not true.
Three words: Black Lace album.
Nelson? Toby Winning.
55.
Killed some time last night.
Housekeeper found him at seven this morning.
~ Toby Winning? ~ Music promoter.
Ran a folk festival in the village.
~ The Lower Crosby Festival? ~ That's the one.
Doesn't the festival start today? Not for him it doesn't.
~ No Kate? ~ On her way.
Took the day off on account of the festival starting.
Some sort of exotic stew? ~ Do people still eat eels? ~ Not live ones, they don't.
Question is who prepared it? Maybe Winning was a foodie.
This bloke was no gourmet.
Mr Winning employed me to clean his house.
I wasn't his cook.
~ When did you last speak to him? ~ Yesterday afternoon.
What did you talk about? Bleach.
~ What can you tell us about him? ~ The man was a buffoon.
A buffoon who ran a successful folk festival for over ten years.
The festival's success is down to his business partner - Brian Grey.
~ And he would be? ~ My son.
Did Mr Winning have any enemies? Only himself.
His diet, you see.
What about friends or partners? He had a wife but she left him.
Alice Winning, sir.
Moved out six months ago.
Lives in the village.
It's a shame they were getting a divorce.
They were well suited.
Both as stupid as each other.
One last question, Mrs Grey.
The mixing bowl in the kitchen.
I've never seen it before.
Ah.
Dragged in on your day off.
~ Happy to be dragged.
~ He's waiting for you.
~ Give me an hour to assess him.
~ Right.
Let's talk to his wife.
~ Pick you up at four.
~ Don't bother.
I'm working late.
~ OK.
What time, then? ~ Dad.
I can get myself home.
~ Cutting it fine, Melody.
~ Getting worried, were you? ~ Well ~ Remember I'm leaving early.
~ You are kidding, aren't you? ~ I've got my thing.
I asked you yesterday and you said it was OK.
You weren't here yesterday.
No.
But if I was, I'd have asked you and you'd have said it was OK? Table four have been waiting an age.
I'm so sorry.
~ I need three full English.
~ Right.
~ Why didn't you wake me? ~ I thought you deserved a lie-in.
We're far too busy.
Hello.
George Hotel.
Table four's complaining about the wait.
They want to speak to management.
~ I'll be right out.
~ OK.
Thanks for letting us know.
That was Liz Grey.
What's wrong? Toby Winning's dead.
~ When did you last see him, Mrs Winning? ~ Last night.
He hosted a reception to kick off this year's festival.
~ And how was he? ~ Usual Toby, I suppose.
Um friendly cheery.
He was always so positive.
Hm.
And yet you were divorcing him.
Yes.
It was um a mutual decision.
All very amicable.
Where was the reception held? Uh, the George.
The main hotel in the village.
And can you tell us who was there? Oh, well, everyone.
Did anything unusual happen? Well, you could say that Toby rather put the cat amongst the pigeons.
In what way? He announced his intention to move the festival next year.
Seems he'd planned to hold it near London.
~ How did that go down? ~ Badly.
The purists oh, they were livid.
Folk music is the heart of this village.
The idea of it being moved away is nothing short of sacrilege.
Did anyone threaten your husband? Well Brian had to get him out of there pretty damn quick.
~ Er this would be Brian Grey? ~ That's right, Toby's assistant.
Are we nearly finished? Because I'm afraid I'm on stage in 20 minutes.
Excuse me.
We found a bowl of eggs and eels at the crime scene this morning.
We wondered if maybe it had some special meaning for your husband.
I'm sorry.
I'm afraid I can't um think of anything.
You know what she forgot to do? Ask how he died? Toby was like a father to me.
I'm as shocked as you are.
Now, luckily, I've been working closely with Toby and I'm across everything.
And I promise I will do all I can to make sure that this is our best year yet.
~ And what about next year? ~ Yeah.
What about all this nonsense about moving the festival to London? ~ This festival belongs in Lower Crosby.
~ Technically Technically the festival belongs to Toby's company.
But I'm sure Lower Crosby will survive without it.
People who live here won't.
Local businesses depend on that income.
Out of the way.
Exactly.
Who's gonna hire Danny's PA next year, eh? Well, let's just focus on this year's festival, shall we? And try to make it one that Toby would be proud of.
Brian Grey? Here you go, Ted.
The festival is going ahead, then? It seemed the best way to honour Toby.
So you're running the show now? Leaders emerge in times of crisis.
We understand you were with him at the George last night.
~ We were kicking off the festival.
~ You and Winning left together? I gave him a lift home and then I came here to do some work.
~ Can anyone vouch for you? ~ I'm afraid not.
I was alone.
~ How was he when you left him? ~ A bit drunk.
Elated.
Toby had some exciting plans for the festival.
~ Not everyone shared his excitement.
~ Oh, you mean the Folk Monsters? A few of them got a bit worked up but it was nothing more than griping.
Are you sure about that? In our experience, people can get very exercised when their traditions are threatened.
This village couldn't give a damn about tradition.
They just don't want to lose their meal ticket.
All right? He's here.
That's Jay Templeton.
Toby managed to book him to close this year's festival.
He's the future of folk music.
Kate wants us back at the house.
~ Jay.
~ Hey, buddy.
How's it going? ~ All done, Dr Wilding.
~ Thanks, guys.
You have something for us? It's looking like he drowned.
Some time in the last 12 hours.
What about the "food"? Fresh eggs and live eels for the young John Henry.
It's a line from an old folk song.
The song is about a hunter who meets a maiden with flowers in her hair.
Doesn't sound too bad.
The maiden lures him to her cottage in the wood and slits his throat with a hunting knife.
Does this song have a name? Ballad Of Midsomer County.
Fine lords and laddies And I'll tell you the tale Of young John Henry He met a fair maiden One bright May morning As he went a-hunting In Midsomer County Fair was the skin Of the Midsomer Maiden Blue were her eyes As blue as the sea And on her fair head Lay a garland of flowers Sweet were the roses Of Midsomer County Why, young men, don't stray This maiden Will lead you Ah.
I burned you a couple of copies of the Ballad Of Midsomer County.
Ah, that's very thoughtful of you.
Call it a tenner for the pair.
~ What's the verdict on Winning? ~ We can confirm drowning.
The water in his lungs matched the water in the bowl.
~ No sign of any defence wounds.
~ He was taken by surprise? Pressure marks on his face suggest someone held his head in the bowl.
Any trace evidence? We sent it to the lab but it will be a day or two before we hear anything back.
~ Not much to go on, is it? ~ I did get something on your eels.
Elvers, to be precise.
Freshwater species.
~ Are they hard to come by? ~ Pretty common.
Find them in canals, rivers, farmers' ponds.
Pretty little things, aren't they? Check out the local angling clubs.
See if any familiar names crop up.
Anything from the crime scene? Forensics found a power cable for a laptop in Winning's home study.
~ And? ~ And there's no sign of the laptop.
What about his phone records.
He received a call early yesterday morning, made from a phone box.
Do they still exist? The one on the Crosby Road does.
It's the only call we can't identify.
You don't know.
It might be significant.
Check it out.
Meantime, I've been talking to Alice Winning's solicitor.
Is there a problem? Her divorce wasn't as amicable as she made out.
She was bitter about the settlement.
Accused Winning of holding back money she was due.
~ She lied to us? ~ Mm.
And that's not all she lied about.
In 2002, Alice Winning released her debut album, Folk Moods.
When we asked whether eggs and eels might be significant ~ She said no.
~ And yet the very first track just happens to be The Ballad Of Midsomer County.
What d'ye leave to your true love Lord Randall, my son? What d'ye leave to your true love, my handsome young man? I leave her the hellfire, Mother Make my bed soon For I'm sick in my heart And I fain wad lie doon Thank you very much.
Thank you.
It must have slipped my mind.
They're not exactly easy lyrics to forget, Mrs Winning.
Oh, well, I put Folk Moods out years ago.
Mrs Winning, whoever killed your husband knew that ballad.
Well, it's a folk classic and I'm not the only person that recorded it.
Maybe.
But you are the only person who was divorcing the victim.
And I told you that was amicable.
No.
You had accused your husband of hiding his financial worth.
I was just determined to get my share.
Determined enough to kill him? Why would I kill Toby? ~ I needed him alive to get the divorce money.
~ You're not divorced yet.
You're still his wife.
Which means his estate now transfers to you.
Your audience awaits.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Mrs Grey.
Do you have a moment? I'm taking Brian a treat.
This is one of my favourites.
Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier.
Mr Winning's laptop.
We can't seem to find it at the house.
Well, I didn't steal it.
I didn't suggest you did.
But can you remember when you last saw it? Yesterday.
~ He was working on it.
~ At the house? The living room.
He wouldn't let me in to clean.
Said he was working on his accounts.
A blatant lie.
What makes you think he was lying? Because, when I listened in at the door, all I could hear was folk music.
Johnny has gone for a soldier I just need a few days.
Toby's death was tragic but we can still move on with this.
Just give me another week.
Our partners are getting cold feet.
You can talk them round, can't you? They need more money up front.
And right now it's money I don't have.
I'll tell you what you do have.
Your very own Belgian bun.
The icing's stuck to the bag, Mum.
Oh.
I told the shop girl to be careful.
Yeah, well, I think you'd better go and tell her again.
What's the score with the office? I locked it up.
In case the police want to search it.
Right.
Course.
Because of Toby? ~ Was there something you needed? ~ Well, now you mention it, um .
.
there was.
~ Well? ~ Um Toby didn't leave anything for me, did he? A package or something? ~ Package? ~ Or something.
~ Not that I know of.
~ Right.
No big deal.
Hey! ~ You didn't get a look at them? ~ Not really.
Still, it could have been some kids messing around.
~ And nothing from the phone box? ~ Rarely used.
It hasn't been decommissioned because the whole area's a mobile blackspot.
And the cottage? The place is derelict.
It's registered to a .
.
Danny Carver, who lives in the village.
Interesting.
This is a breakdown of the festival's main contractors - transport, catering, accommodation.
Nearly everyone in the village provides a service.
~ Including Danny Carver.
~ Mm.
He's the festival's sound man.
But the main player is Frank Wainwright.
He runs the Captain Farrell.
Veteran of the folk scene and quite the entrepreneur.
In addition to the pub, he also owns the B&B and has a stake in the local private cab firm.
Sounds like someone with a lot to lose.
And that's why we're going to see him.
In kisses and compliments He took her round the middle And out of his knapsack he drew forth his fiddle And he played such a fine tune as made the groves ring "Hark-hark" said the fair maid "How nightingales sing" "Hark-hark" said the fair maid "How nightingales sing" Thank you.
Thank you.
You wanna take over? Well, here's one you'll probably all recognise.
Merrily Kissed The Quaker's Wife So you're going through with it, then? ~ And pulling out all the stops, I see.
~ You think the dress is too much? No, no.
You look Well, you look like your mum.
So, what time am I on, then? It's an open mike, so start after this guy.
I'm nervous.
Hold on a tick.
I looked this out for you.
Is that his? Uncle Johnny's? You think you can handle it? We should do something for Toby.
Like what? How about a remembrance gig? We'll get some players together.
Drinks.
Maybe even a speech.
Do you think anyone will turn up? Most people are still angry about the move.
Me included.
We'll lose business when the festival goes.
Toby had his faults but he was your friend.
He always helped you out.
I'll make some calls.
Hello? Tom? ~ Where's Melody? ~ She left about an hour ago.
For her thing.
Well, this is an honour.
The future of folk music here in my humble pub.
Humble's one word for it.
So, what brings you and your tiny hat to the Captain Farrell? Talent spotting.
Um I'm Melody Carver.
This is an old one.
Hi, there.
It wasn't my idea.
Dad.
Dad.
~ Dad, please.
~ It was just a few songs, Danny.
Just get in.
Mr Wainwright? I wasn't the only one who was angry last night.
Half the people out there wanted Winning's head on a stick.
And it's not just about the money.
This festival is about who we are, what this village stands for.
~ What happened after the reception? ~ I came back here.
Did you stop off anywhere? You mean, did I meander by Winning's house and kill him? You take good care of your guitar.
It's not my guitar.
It belongs to someone very special.
Johnny Carver.
You heard of him? Any relation to Danny Carver? Johnny and Danny were brothers.
Johnny was a musical genius, real talented.
We were in a band together.
Johnny was all set to make it big.
What happened? He killed himself.
Midsomer Ballad, take one.
Come sit by me all you Fine lords and laddies And I'll tell you the tale Of young John Henry He met a fair maiden One bright May morning As he went a-hunting In Midsomer County Why, young men, don't stray This maiden Will lead you What the hell are you doing here? You shouldn't have come back.
You shouldn't have come back.
That's not the breakfast song.
Don't you start.
When the going gets tough The tough get going What on earth are you doing? Broadening her musical horizons.
This is awful.
Awful? That's our song, in case you've forgotten.
That is not our song.
~ You said it was your favourite.
~ When? At the freshers' ball.
Which I didn't go to with you.
Well, whoever you did go with, she certainly left an impression.
What? John's forgotten our song.
OK.
He does remember the favourite song of his old girlfriend, though.
But when it comes to me - his wife, the mother of his child - he draws a blank.
Would this be a good time to tell you we got a print off the bowl? Alice Winning.
Let's go and see what she has to say.
~ I'll be home later.
~ Try not to forget.
I gave it a press.
I should have told you.
Why didn't you? Because you'd have said no.
Because you don't want me to sing.
I don't mind you singing, Melody.
Just not in public, right? That's not what this is about.
Well, what is it about? Look being a singer, the music business, it all seems glamorous It was a gig in a pub garden, Dad.
That's how it starts.
You start getting noticed.
The gigs get bigger.
More money.
Record deals.
Then you change.
~ What, like Uncle Johnny did, you mean? ~ I'm off to work.
You always do this.
Every time I ask you about it, you just walk away.
Uncle Johnny was a hero.
The internet is full of websites about his music.
~ They don't know a thing about it.
~ Exactly! That's why I want to hear about it from you.
I want to know about you, and Frank, and the band, and what it was like.
It was nothing! I'd forget it all ever happened if I could.
Would you forget about Mum as well? Your mum left.
I know it's hard, but maybe it's about time you moved on.
Says the man who still keeps her dress in his wardrobe.
It's obviously a mistake.
There's no mistake, Mrs Winning.
We had your prints on the database.
Seems you punched a police officer during a demonstration in London.
She manhandled me.
Nevertheless, our lab matched your print to the bowl.
It's not what you think.
The fact is I hadn't appreciated how hard being an independent woman would be.
Financially I mean.
I didn't realise that living was so expensive.
I decided I might be better off getting back with Toby.
You attempted a reconciliation? Sort of.
After the reception I was a little drunk.
Thought I'd visit Toby, um charm offensive.
And did he succumb to your charms? How could he? He was dead.
Are you saying you arrived after your husband had been murdered? I'll never forget it as long as I live.
He was um I must have um touched the bowl when I checked for a pulse.
Why didn't you call the police? Well Well, you have to admit, it didn't look very good, the um .
.
bitter ex-wife found standing over her dead husband's body.
Worst thing is, it was all in vain.
He wasn't lying about the money.
I spoke to my solicitor this morning.
Toby's company is almost bankrupt.
Winning's solicitor confirms the company was struggling.
Seems most of the available cash was being sunk into setting up the move to London.
Apparently, the move was being handled by Brian Grey.
He blew all the money.
Even so, can't see her staging a corpse to reference a folk ballad.
It's the phone box that nags at me.
Find the owner of the house - Danny Carver.
See if he knows who might have made the phone call to Winning.
And I'll go and speak with the man who bankrupted Winning's company.
Go down, you blood-red roses Go down Oh, you pinks and posies Go down The move to London was Toby's idea.
You did most of the groundwork.
You were the one who put it together.
Toby asked me to put it together.
Did he ask you to plough thousands of pounds of his money into it? What you need to understand is that an opportunity like this takes some serious funding.
The partners that I'm dealing with need to know that you're as committed as they are.
So you blew all the company money courting these partners? I may have overstretched Toby, but he knew what he was getting into.
Here's what I'm going to do.
I'm going to get a team to go through Winning's books.
All of them, right down to the last penny.
And if they find any evidence of wrongdoing on your part, I will make sure you are held to account.
One, two, three, four.
One full English.
Thanks.
What was that all about yesterday? Over in the beer garden.
You were all set to sing and then you left.
I had a bit of an emergency.
That was all.
It's a pity.
I had a feeling you were gonna be good.
Better than the usual dross they book at this festival.
You're booked for this festival.
Oh, yeah.
That's a point.
Actually, maybe you could help me.
I need a support act for Sunday.
OK.
Well, the Barrellers are a good band.
Traditional.
But Frank Frank always a crowd pleaser.
No, no, no, no, no.
I was thinking of you.
You haven't heard me play.
Toby Winning said you were good.
Almost as good as your uncle.
Excuse me.
I'm not paying you to flirt with the guests, Melody.
I wasn't flirting.
Just do your job.
All right? Oh, well, you were right.
There wasn't much enthusiasm for Toby's memorial.
A few of the old gang'll be there but not as many as I'd hoped.
Everything OK? This came yesterday.
"Dreams of Spain.
" It was addressed to you.
Well, it must be junk mail.
So you're not thinking about buying a property in Spain? Why would I want to move to Spain? We're happy here, aren't we? I guess so.
Shower in Room 2 is leaking.
I'll take care of it.
I haven't been anywhere near that cottage in over 25 years.
~ That's a long time.
~ Not long enough.
Place doesn't hold many good memories.
~ Why is that? ~ It's where my brother killed himself.
I'm sorry.
I had heard.
I didn't realise that's where it happened.
Yeah, well that's where it happened.
I hear he was a gifted musician.
Can we move this on? Did you know Toby Winning? I do supply sound equipment for the festival venues.
We received a call the day he died.
It was made from a phone box next to that cottage.
So? So I was wondering if you had any idea who might have made the call.
Look that cottage was Johnny's.
I only got it after he died.
Got no interest in going near that place.
Does anyone check on it for you, anyone visit it regularly? No.
I was up there yesterday.
I'm sure I saw someone hanging around.
Well, you know more than I do.
Sorry.
I've got to go for a sound check.
Do you fish, Mr Carver? When I can.
Lock up when you're done.
You pulling old files? ~ The Johnny Carver report.
~ Any particular reason? Let's just call it morbid curiosity.
Carver was the rising star of the '90s folk revival.
He was working on his next album when he shot himself in his home studio.
He killed himself at the cottage? Since then, Carver's become a cult figure.
Nothing like suicide to elevate a musician to god-like status.
And he comes with his own myth.
An article from a folk fanzine on the famous lost album.
The one Johnny was working on when he died.
They looked for it but never found it.
All very interesting, but what does this have to do with the case? Check out who wrote the article.
Oh.
~ Love Is All Around? ~ No.
~ Wonderwall? ~ No.
~ Perfect Day? ~ Try again.
I'm Too Sexy For My Shirt? Don't just sit there.
Help me find it.
Hey.
Great job, Lassie.
This is a Spanish Language CD.
Hello? Who's there? Brian Grey, sir.
It's not pretty.
Well, we'd best take a look.
"Sweet were the roses of Midsomer County.
" We're back to the ballad.
Weight of the speaker would have done it.
Massive internal trauma.
He would have bled out.
Slowly.
Looks like the strap securing the speaker had been cut.
Time of death? Within the last 12 hours.
~ What about witnesses? ~ Can you get that, please? Staff left around 10:30 last night.
Brian was alone from then until Liz Grey found him at eight this morning.
I knew something was up.
He didn't come down for breakfast.
He always had breakfast.
"Most important meal of the day.
" That's what Brian said.
So you came looking for him? When did you last see him alive? He came home for his tea and then went back out again.
Did he say where he was going? Seeing someone about funding.
Did he say who? They did this to him.
The village.
They never liked him.
Too clever for them.
Too dynamic.
You can say what you like about Mr Winning, but at least he saw Brian's potential.
And, of course, that lot hated Mr Winning, too.
They're all over there now at the hotel.
"A memorial," they said.
But really they're celebrating.
They finally got rid of my boy.
Someone is determined to make sure the move to London doesn't happen.
Most of our suspects are attending Winning's memorial at the George here.
Come on.
We might want to stop off at the Captain Farrell first, sir.
We found Brian Grey's mobile.
Last call was to Frank Wainwright at 1am.
This gonna take long? Supposed to be at the George.
It's about Brian Grey.
Oh, yeah? What's he been up to? He's dead, Mr Wainwright.
We know that he called you late last night.
What was the call about? An invoice I'd sent him.
He booked some musicians at the B&B.
I sent him a bill.
He thought I was overcharging him.
He called you about an invoice at one o'clock in the morning? It wasn't unusual for Brian to call late.
~ That boy was always working.
~ Did you talk about anything else? Just the invoice.
Are these yours, Mr Wainwright? Far too small for me.
Then whose are they? Some punter must have left them behind.
~ I want to know what he's hiding.
~ I want to know who owns the boots.
I checked the soles.
The markings are identical to the impression I found outside the Carver house.
Right.
I am bound for Californ-i-a And it's a place I know right well So fare thee well My own true love ~ For when I return, united we will be ~ Melody.
Yes, it's not the leaving of Liverpool I'd love to be able to help, Alice, but I don't think we've got anything suitable.
~ I'll take anything I can get.
~ When I think of thee That was for Toby.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thanks.
That was nice.
Nice? Wow.
Don't go overboard.
I mean it was good.
Really good.
~ Did you think any more about the gig? ~ Melody.
Let's keep it moving.
Every year, they swan in like they own the place.
Bloody musicians.
~ Not a bad turnout in the end.
~ Mm.
You OK, Frank? Brian Grey is dead.
~ Frank, you're up next.
~ All right.
Come and see me later.
In the lowlands, lowlands Sailing in the lowlands low We feared she would be taken by the Spanish enemy Frank! In the lowlands, lowlands Sailing in the lowlands low Frank? Frank, where are you? Where is it? I said, "Where is it?" ~ Right, come here.
~ You had no right to take it! Mr Carver! I want it back.
Do you hear? Come on.
~ Frank, you all right? ~ Sorry about that.
Obviously emotions running high.
How's about another song, Jay? Jay? Hold up.
Where are you off to? Anywhere that isn't here.
I know just the place.
I don't know why you're here.
You should be arresting Frank! ~ Arrest him for what? ~ Theft.
Burglary.
Stealing.
~ What exactly did he steal? ~ Something valuable.
You might need to be more specific.
A tape.
All right? He stole an audio tape.
This tape wouldn't happen to be a recording of your brother's music? The lost album? My brother hadn't been dead a day before they started asking about it.
Record companies, manager, so-called fans.
Ghouls couldn't wait to get their hands on it.
That record killed Johnny.
The pressure.
Everyone just pushing on him.
The hype.
Drove him mad.
Why didn't you just destroy it? I tried to but I couldn't.
~ Did you listen to it? ~ Again, I tried but I couldn't.
So I hid it under the floorboards in the cottage, locked the place up and tried to forget about it.
And Frank was with me when I hid it.
Amazing, isn't it? Come on.
This is where the great Johnny Carver lived.
It's where my uncle died, you mean? ~ I don't mean to be insensitive.
~ I think that ship's sailed.
I am a huge fan of your uncle.
Johnny Carver was the greatest folk musician of the last 50 years.
Toby was a big fan as well.
That's how we became friends, me and Toby.
Through Johnny's work.
I want to go back to the village.
So, when he told me he'd found the lost album, I came straight here.
I really have to go.
Melody.
Wait.
Melody.
You need to tell me where it is.
~ I don't know what you're on about.
~ Look I won't say anything to your dad.
~ This can be between you and me.
~ Let go.
Hey, hey, hey.
I can help your career.
Gigs, tours .
.
a record deal.
Just tell me where it is.
You need to think about what's on that tape.
~ It's just music.
~ No, no, no.
It's so much more.
His last message to the world.
It's a man's suicide note.
OK, I was with him.
I knew about the tape but I didn't take it.
So if you didn't take it, Mr Wainwright, then who did? Mr Wainwright? That call last night Brian Grey.
~ He was asking about the tape.
~ What did he want to know? Did it exist? Was it authentic? And, if it was, how much it was worth.
Do you think Brian Grey may have taken the tape from the cottage? I don't know.
What about the owner of the boots in your pub? Would they know? I'm back! Best come down.
This is Heather Danny's wife.
So you and Danny Carver go back a long way? I married Danny in 1988.
It lasted three years, then I left him.
What made you leave? I had problems back then.
Well, one problem, actually.
I drank too much.
It was a terrible thing to do, walking out on them.
I'll never forgive myself.
Can't change the past.
No point in dwelling.
You gotta look to the future.
You sound like my sponsor.
How long have you been sober? Just over a year.
Another ten and I'll be doing as well as Frank.
And so you've come back? To meet Melody.
Why didn't you contact her when you first arrived here in Lower Crosby? ~ I was worried about Danny.
~ And why was that? I walked out when Melody was three months old.
Maybe he's still angry.
There's no "maybe" about that.
You've been staying up at the old cottage since you arrived? For the first few days, and then Frank persuaded me to come here.
Did you see anyone at the cottage? I saw you.
Apart from Sergeant Nelson.
No.
I I didn't see anyone.
Are you sure, Mrs Carver? I was worried I wouldn't recognise her.
After all, it's been so long.
~ So beautiful.
~ Melody? I'm sorry, love.
All that work you put into it and look what happened.
That's Danny Carver for you.
It's funny how things turn out.
You know? I mean, we were all mates back in the day.
~ We all seemed so happy.
~ Life happens, Tom.
But it doesn't happen the same for everyone.
Take Danny.
I mean, he's not exactly had a great time.
~ Well, that's no excuse for attacking people.
~ No, but .
.
it does make you think about how lucky we are.
Which got me thinking about your Dreams Of Spain brochure.
I told you, that was junk mail.
Yeah, I know, but .
.
maybe it might not be such a bad idea.
A new start.
~ A new start? ~ We could do it.
Spain, I mean.
We could fund it by selling this place, couldn't we? ~ We? ~ Well, your hotel, your decision.
I'm gonna go.
I've got to be somewhere.
Melody Carver had been in contact with Winning for over a year.
Mostly texts, but regular.
Also I found some invoices for recording sessions at a studio in Causton.
~ Winning was managing Melody? ~ It's hard to say.
I can't find any trace of a contract or evidence he was making money from her.
Maybe it wasn't money that he wanted.
~ Winning was obsessed by Johnny Carver.
~ And the lost album.
But why would he think Melody could help him? Winning knew that her dad found Johnny's body.
Maybe he thought Melody could lead him to the recording.
So he gets it, then what? Someone kills him for it.
Do some digging.
Find out who had an interest in the recording, other than Winning - someone who would kill to get their hands on it.
I'll go and speak to Melody.
Come on.
No way.
Melody knew she wasn't to go anywhere near Winning.
And yet, it seems, she did.
Yeah, but she knew what he was like.
Just another crook out to exploit musicians.
Maybe I spoke to him a few times.
You did more than speak to him.
He was funding your studio sessions.
What the hell's he on about? Dad, it was nothing.
Just a few songs that I wanted to put down.
That's all.
And you let Winning produce them? He knew what he was doing.
And they sounded good.
Hold on a minute.
He wouldn't have paid for those sessions without getting something in return.
What did he want, Melody? He said he wanted to hear it, just once, and then he'd get it back to me.
Get what back? Your brother's last recording.
You gave it to Winning? Dad, I'm so sorry.
I didn't think.
How did you know where to find it? Eventually I persuaded Frank to tell me.
At least he talks about Johnny! You called Toby from the phone box.
He said to bring the tape to his office.
~ You didn't listen to it? ~ No.
He promised me he would just listen to it once and then I would have it back the next day.
~ Where was the harm? ~ But you didn't get it back, did you? And where is it now? Preliminary report on Grey.
What's all this? Johnny Carver's file.
Do you want to see the Path report? Not much to it.
"Victim sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the right side of the forehead and at close range.
" They didn't discover much gunshot residue around the wound.
~ Should they have? ~ I'd expect more with a close-range shot.
But these things vary.
It's such a shame what happened to him.
Let's say that Winning was killed because he had the master tape.
Presumably, the killer would have taken it from his house.
But what if Winning made a copy before he died? ~ The missing laptop.
~ If Brian Grey got hold of that, then maybe the killer came after him.
Why kill Grey for the laptop? Why go after a copy when you've got the real deal on the master tape? Presumably, the recording is far more valuable if it's the only one.
Not that valuable.
Johnny Carver's hardly The Beatles.
What if there's something on that recording the killer doesn't want anyone to hear? Ballad Of Midsomer County She led him on through The Midsomer green wood Till they came to a hut By a juniper tree She said, "Sir, won't you Come sit by my fire? You'll eat like a king" Aargh! Argh, argh! Argh.
Safe to say I'm fairly confident about identifying the murder weapon.
This wasn't here yesterday.
Another gift from your killer? "Lived in a hut by a juniper tree.
" I'm beginning to go off that song.
I came downstairs, saw the door was open, and that's when I found him.
What time was this? Not long after seven.
And when did you last see him? Around four, yesterday afternoon.
You didn't see him in the evening? No.
~ Thank you.
~ He went out to meet someone.
I must have been asleep when he got back.
He was a very kind man, taking me in like he did.
Thank you.
A good friend.
Do you mind? Excuse me.
Madam.
We need to find out who he met.
I'm way ahead of you.
He was buying the hotel? That's what it looks like.
I'll check this out.
You finish up here.
I'll see you back at the station.
Forensics are just about done.
Forensics.
Can we let them go? No.
Not yet.
Danny Carver was anti-war.
Yet he had a gun? It was nothing important.
Nothing important? It looks to me like you were selling him your hotel.
Frank expressed an interest.
I felt it was only polite to hear him out.
He had the contracts.
He only had to sign them to complete the deal.
I'm no estate agent but surely your hotel is worth more than the price on this.
Any reason why it was so cheap? She wanted a quick getaway.
Junk mail, eh? Tom.
So when were you going to tell me? After you'd gone? Leave a note by the bed? Text from the airport? Things haven't been right between us for a long time, Tom.
So let's fix it.
~ I don't think we can be fixed.
~ Course we can.
Only, you don't want to.
That's the truth of it.
You're right.
I don't want to.
You know, all I ever wanted to do was to take care of you, treat you nice, be a good husband.
To love you.
But that never did it for you, did it? You were only happy when you were being treated like dirt.
Still a little scrubber after all.
~ What happened last night? ~ I should have made Frank sign, right then.
It was all set up.
~ Why didn't you? ~ Oh Danny Carver interrupted us.
~ What did he want? ~ To talk to Frank.
About what? About his wife coming back.
Dad.
~ What are you doing? ~ We need to get away for a while.
~ Get away where? ~ I don't know.
Coast maybe.
But it's the middle of the festival.
I have shifts.
You've got work.
Listen to me.
You're right.
I need to talk more, be more open and Hey, we'll do that when we're away.
OK? What do you want now? We need you down at the station, Mr Carver.
You stay here.
I'll be back soon.
Johnny Carver had been dead three days before Danny found the body.
I still don't get why we're here.
Johnny had principles.
He was anti-war, anti-nuclear, pro-peace.
Him buying a gun doesn't make sense.
Given that he was about to kill himself, we can assume he wasn't in his right mind.
He was a drug user.
It's more likely he'd take an overdose than shoot himself.
~ You're just speculating.
~ And there was a lack of powder burns.
So? So what if the gun was fired further away? Are you telling me you've pulled a forensic team from a live crime scene to the site of a 25-year-old suicide, in the hope that they might find a minute trace of gunshot residue in a room that is positively teeming with forensic material? And if they find it more than two metres away from that chair.
~ You have no chance.
~ Uh, Dr Wilding.
I hate you.
Toby Winning.
Brian Grey.
Frank Wainwright.
All dead.
All of them knew about Johnny's master tape.
So? Whoever killed them did so to stop Johnny's recording being heard.
And that brings us to you, Danny.
Me? ~ I wouldn't kill anybody.
~ You attacked Frank.
He was a friend.
That was just a mistake.
And what about last night when you confronted him about Heather? Was that a friendly conversation? ~ Just a chat? Or did you get angry? ~ Damn right I got angry! He knew I didn't want her here but he still took her in.
He couldn't see it.
He could never see it.
Her lies.
How she just gets between people and forces them apart.
What people? People like you and Johnny? Johnny and Heather were having an affair.
Is that what happened? Johnny had no self-control when it came to women.
Couldn't resist a pretty face.
I'd like to think he had some guilt about it, though.
And Heather Ohh She adored him.
Thought he was for keeps.
Couldn't see that she was just another groupie to him.
Need to talk to you, sir.
~ Johnny Carver didn't kill himself.
~ What? We're still testing but we're pretty sure the gun was fired at least two metres away.
There's no way Johnny Carver pulled that trigger.
Someone else was there.
That's what's on the tape.
Johnny recorded his own murder.
Was Johnny having an affair with Heather at the time of his death? ~ What? ~ Were they having an affair when he died? Yes.
Why? What's going on? We think your brother was murdered and it was staged as suicide.
Other than Heather, was Johnny seeing anyone else back then? Yeah.
Half the girls in the village were sneaking up to see him.
Hold on.
If you're saying Heather is involved in this I've got to call Melody.
This isn't about festivals or folk songs.
It's about a woman scorned.
~ Find Heather.
Bring her in.
~ Where are you going? ~ There was more than one woman.
~ Melody isn't answering her phone.
Come on! Da-dum, da-da-dum Hello, Melody.
I'm a friend of your father's.
I'm sure Dad won't be too long.
Oh, that's OK.
I'm not in any rush.
Anyway, it gives us some time to get to know one another.
Come on, come on, come on.
Come on! ~ Tell me something about yourself.
~ Like what? Oh, I don't know.
Something you like.
Music.
I hear you're very gifted.
I'm all right.
Nothing special.
OK.
What about boyfriends, then? Look, you may be a friend of Dad's but I don't know you from Adam, so You know me, Melody.
I really don't.
So who are you, then? Melody, you all right? ~ I told her the truth.
~ What the hell were you thinking? She deserved to know.
What did she deserve to know? Melody's dad was Johnny Carver.
Oh, just get away from us! Nobody wants you here! Get back to where you came from.
Melody, please You should never have come back.
When I told Johnny the baby was his, he just couldn't live with himself any more.
Johnny Carver was murdered.
No ~ It was suicide.
Everyone knows that.
~ It was murder.
Mrs Asher? Mrs Asher? Look at me.
I'm a cleaning lady.
~ Where is Claire Asher? ~ Gone.
~ Where did she go? ~ Search me.
One minute she was going through the cleaning rota, the next she was out the door.
~ Did she say anything? ~ No.
~ She got a call, though.
~ Which phone? The one in the office.
If you ask me, there's something up between her and Tom.
I mean, she didn't say anything but I can read the signs.
I've got a sixth sense.
A bit spooky.
Maybe I'm psychic.
Anyway, she never really loved him.
Poor Tom tried but Well, between you and me, there was only ever one man for Claire.
Johnny Carver.
~ How do you know that? ~ Maybe I'm psychic, too.
This is DCI Barnaby.
I need a trace on a number.
~ I need it immediately.
~ Fire away.
~ The number is ~ She was mourning Johnny six months later.
And then she up and married Tom.
Talk about rebound.
No, it's OK.
I know it.
Nelson, meet me at Johnny Carver's house.
Ballad Of Midsomer County Come sit by me All you Fine lords and laddies And I'll tell you the tale Of young John Henry He met a fair maiden One bright May morning As he went a-hunting In Midsomer County Fair was the skin Of the Midsomer Maiden Blue were her eyes As blue as the sea And on her fair head Lay a garland of flowers ~ Sweet were ~ He really could sing, couldn't he? He was sitting right there, singing that song, when I arrived.
I could've listened to him all night.
But then .
.
I had other business with him.
I used to watch you and him, from out there.
Those nights when you snuck up to be with him.
Remember? ~ Tom, what is all this? ~ You have no idea .
.
how hard it was for me to be stood out there, seeing him treat you the way that he did.
But you still loved him.
Even after we were married, you still loved him.
You're scaring me.
You don't have to be scared of me, Claire.
I'm your husband.
Round the back.
You see, all I ever wanted to do was to protect you .
.
keep you safe.
That's why I came up here.
To make sure that he understood that.
I didn't mean to kill him.
Only to get him to stop hurting you.
But him.
He just kept running you down.
I couldn't take that any more.
I had to save you from him.
Preserve your honour.
What about the others? Did you kill them to preserve Claire's honour? You wanted to save your own skin.
Let's hear what this is all about.
Midsomer Ballad, take three.
What What the hell are you doing here? You know full well.
Any decency and you'd let her go.
And if you had any taste, mate, you'd see that she's just a All right, steady on, Tom.
Tom? Tom! Oh, my God.
You You shot him.
You wiped the gun, arranged it like a suicide.
But you didn't realise that the tape was still recording.
First I knew about it was when Toby came up to me at the reception.
So you killed him, and Brian, too? What else could I do? Toby wanted me to go to the police and Brian wanted money.
It was a mess.
Tom, what have you done? I told you.
I'm taking care of you.
Which brings us to Frank.
I found the contracts - Frank's name there in black and white.
He was buying the hotel.
He was destroying my marriage.
I couldn't let him do that.
I asked him to buy the hotel.
No.
He forced you into it, Claire.
No.
I wanted to leave you.
You can't leave me, Claire.
Not after everything I've done for us.
~ Don't do it, Tom.
~ I have to.
Can't you see that? Being Claire's husband was what made it all worthwhile.
If I'm not her husband any more, then Argh! Nelson? Nelson! Yeah.
I'm good.
Thomas Asher, I'm arresting you for the murders of Frank Wainwright, Brian Grey, Tobias Winning, Johnny Carver Right.
I've made up her bottle.
It's in the fridge.
And er she likes this book before bedtime.
OK.
And if you need us, you just call.
Sarah, we're gonna be fine.
It wasn't easy when we started out And you thought I'd forgotten our song.
Well, you had forgotten our song.
But then I remembered.
And not only did I remember, I got the original vinyl.
Signed as well.
You went to so much trouble.
Thank you.
You're gonna be late.
The car keys.
~ He's quite the romantic, isn't he? ~ He certainly is.
It couldn't have been easy tracking down an original copy.
Well, he can be very resourceful.
~ That wasn't your song, was it? ~ It's not even close.
~ No.
~ Sarah.
Coming, darling.
~ Have a good night.
~ Thank you.
Don't want this, eh? It's so nice to be out.
~ She's on in two minutes.
~ Oh.
Oh, look, there's Mary and Dora.
Good evening, and welcome to the last night of this year's Lower Crosby Folk Festival.
Hey.
Why don't you try this one? Got a better sound, anyway.
Now, I'm afraid Jay Templeton had to cancel at the last minute.
I've tuned it for you.
We've got something very special for you tonight.
So, as the new festival director, I am delighted to introduce an exciting new talent.
Here we go.
~ Melody Carver.
~ I'm proud of you.
Um this one's for my dad, Danny Carver.
Come sit by me all you fine lords and laddies I'll tell you the tale Of young John Henry He met a fair maiden One bright May morning As he went a-hunting In Midsomer County Pale was the skin Of the Midsomer maiden Blue eyes As blue as the sea And on her fair head Lay a garland of flowers Red were the roses of Midsomer County Young men, don't stray This maiden will lead you away
Will this torture never end? Every morning? The same song? It's Betty's breakfast tune.
Wouldn't she like to hear something else once in a while? Babies like consistency.
The same song every day makes her feel secure.
~ It makes me feel like ending it all.
~ It's not that bad.
That's easy for you to say.
~ You never had any taste in music.
~ Well, that's not true.
Three words: Black Lace album.
Nelson? Toby Winning.
55.
Killed some time last night.
Housekeeper found him at seven this morning.
~ Toby Winning? ~ Music promoter.
Ran a folk festival in the village.
~ The Lower Crosby Festival? ~ That's the one.
Doesn't the festival start today? Not for him it doesn't.
~ No Kate? ~ On her way.
Took the day off on account of the festival starting.
Some sort of exotic stew? ~ Do people still eat eels? ~ Not live ones, they don't.
Question is who prepared it? Maybe Winning was a foodie.
This bloke was no gourmet.
Mr Winning employed me to clean his house.
I wasn't his cook.
~ When did you last speak to him? ~ Yesterday afternoon.
What did you talk about? Bleach.
~ What can you tell us about him? ~ The man was a buffoon.
A buffoon who ran a successful folk festival for over ten years.
The festival's success is down to his business partner - Brian Grey.
~ And he would be? ~ My son.
Did Mr Winning have any enemies? Only himself.
His diet, you see.
What about friends or partners? He had a wife but she left him.
Alice Winning, sir.
Moved out six months ago.
Lives in the village.
It's a shame they were getting a divorce.
They were well suited.
Both as stupid as each other.
One last question, Mrs Grey.
The mixing bowl in the kitchen.
I've never seen it before.
Ah.
Dragged in on your day off.
~ Happy to be dragged.
~ He's waiting for you.
~ Give me an hour to assess him.
~ Right.
Let's talk to his wife.
~ Pick you up at four.
~ Don't bother.
I'm working late.
~ OK.
What time, then? ~ Dad.
I can get myself home.
~ Cutting it fine, Melody.
~ Getting worried, were you? ~ Well ~ Remember I'm leaving early.
~ You are kidding, aren't you? ~ I've got my thing.
I asked you yesterday and you said it was OK.
You weren't here yesterday.
No.
But if I was, I'd have asked you and you'd have said it was OK? Table four have been waiting an age.
I'm so sorry.
~ I need three full English.
~ Right.
~ Why didn't you wake me? ~ I thought you deserved a lie-in.
We're far too busy.
Hello.
George Hotel.
Table four's complaining about the wait.
They want to speak to management.
~ I'll be right out.
~ OK.
Thanks for letting us know.
That was Liz Grey.
What's wrong? Toby Winning's dead.
~ When did you last see him, Mrs Winning? ~ Last night.
He hosted a reception to kick off this year's festival.
~ And how was he? ~ Usual Toby, I suppose.
Um friendly cheery.
He was always so positive.
Hm.
And yet you were divorcing him.
Yes.
It was um a mutual decision.
All very amicable.
Where was the reception held? Uh, the George.
The main hotel in the village.
And can you tell us who was there? Oh, well, everyone.
Did anything unusual happen? Well, you could say that Toby rather put the cat amongst the pigeons.
In what way? He announced his intention to move the festival next year.
Seems he'd planned to hold it near London.
~ How did that go down? ~ Badly.
The purists oh, they were livid.
Folk music is the heart of this village.
The idea of it being moved away is nothing short of sacrilege.
Did anyone threaten your husband? Well Brian had to get him out of there pretty damn quick.
~ Er this would be Brian Grey? ~ That's right, Toby's assistant.
Are we nearly finished? Because I'm afraid I'm on stage in 20 minutes.
Excuse me.
We found a bowl of eggs and eels at the crime scene this morning.
We wondered if maybe it had some special meaning for your husband.
I'm sorry.
I'm afraid I can't um think of anything.
You know what she forgot to do? Ask how he died? Toby was like a father to me.
I'm as shocked as you are.
Now, luckily, I've been working closely with Toby and I'm across everything.
And I promise I will do all I can to make sure that this is our best year yet.
~ And what about next year? ~ Yeah.
What about all this nonsense about moving the festival to London? ~ This festival belongs in Lower Crosby.
~ Technically Technically the festival belongs to Toby's company.
But I'm sure Lower Crosby will survive without it.
People who live here won't.
Local businesses depend on that income.
Out of the way.
Exactly.
Who's gonna hire Danny's PA next year, eh? Well, let's just focus on this year's festival, shall we? And try to make it one that Toby would be proud of.
Brian Grey? Here you go, Ted.
The festival is going ahead, then? It seemed the best way to honour Toby.
So you're running the show now? Leaders emerge in times of crisis.
We understand you were with him at the George last night.
~ We were kicking off the festival.
~ You and Winning left together? I gave him a lift home and then I came here to do some work.
~ Can anyone vouch for you? ~ I'm afraid not.
I was alone.
~ How was he when you left him? ~ A bit drunk.
Elated.
Toby had some exciting plans for the festival.
~ Not everyone shared his excitement.
~ Oh, you mean the Folk Monsters? A few of them got a bit worked up but it was nothing more than griping.
Are you sure about that? In our experience, people can get very exercised when their traditions are threatened.
This village couldn't give a damn about tradition.
They just don't want to lose their meal ticket.
All right? He's here.
That's Jay Templeton.
Toby managed to book him to close this year's festival.
He's the future of folk music.
Kate wants us back at the house.
~ Jay.
~ Hey, buddy.
How's it going? ~ All done, Dr Wilding.
~ Thanks, guys.
You have something for us? It's looking like he drowned.
Some time in the last 12 hours.
What about the "food"? Fresh eggs and live eels for the young John Henry.
It's a line from an old folk song.
The song is about a hunter who meets a maiden with flowers in her hair.
Doesn't sound too bad.
The maiden lures him to her cottage in the wood and slits his throat with a hunting knife.
Does this song have a name? Ballad Of Midsomer County.
Fine lords and laddies And I'll tell you the tale Of young John Henry He met a fair maiden One bright May morning As he went a-hunting In Midsomer County Fair was the skin Of the Midsomer Maiden Blue were her eyes As blue as the sea And on her fair head Lay a garland of flowers Sweet were the roses Of Midsomer County Why, young men, don't stray This maiden Will lead you Ah.
I burned you a couple of copies of the Ballad Of Midsomer County.
Ah, that's very thoughtful of you.
Call it a tenner for the pair.
~ What's the verdict on Winning? ~ We can confirm drowning.
The water in his lungs matched the water in the bowl.
~ No sign of any defence wounds.
~ He was taken by surprise? Pressure marks on his face suggest someone held his head in the bowl.
Any trace evidence? We sent it to the lab but it will be a day or two before we hear anything back.
~ Not much to go on, is it? ~ I did get something on your eels.
Elvers, to be precise.
Freshwater species.
~ Are they hard to come by? ~ Pretty common.
Find them in canals, rivers, farmers' ponds.
Pretty little things, aren't they? Check out the local angling clubs.
See if any familiar names crop up.
Anything from the crime scene? Forensics found a power cable for a laptop in Winning's home study.
~ And? ~ And there's no sign of the laptop.
What about his phone records.
He received a call early yesterday morning, made from a phone box.
Do they still exist? The one on the Crosby Road does.
It's the only call we can't identify.
You don't know.
It might be significant.
Check it out.
Meantime, I've been talking to Alice Winning's solicitor.
Is there a problem? Her divorce wasn't as amicable as she made out.
She was bitter about the settlement.
Accused Winning of holding back money she was due.
~ She lied to us? ~ Mm.
And that's not all she lied about.
In 2002, Alice Winning released her debut album, Folk Moods.
When we asked whether eggs and eels might be significant ~ She said no.
~ And yet the very first track just happens to be The Ballad Of Midsomer County.
What d'ye leave to your true love Lord Randall, my son? What d'ye leave to your true love, my handsome young man? I leave her the hellfire, Mother Make my bed soon For I'm sick in my heart And I fain wad lie doon Thank you very much.
Thank you.
It must have slipped my mind.
They're not exactly easy lyrics to forget, Mrs Winning.
Oh, well, I put Folk Moods out years ago.
Mrs Winning, whoever killed your husband knew that ballad.
Well, it's a folk classic and I'm not the only person that recorded it.
Maybe.
But you are the only person who was divorcing the victim.
And I told you that was amicable.
No.
You had accused your husband of hiding his financial worth.
I was just determined to get my share.
Determined enough to kill him? Why would I kill Toby? ~ I needed him alive to get the divorce money.
~ You're not divorced yet.
You're still his wife.
Which means his estate now transfers to you.
Your audience awaits.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Mrs Grey.
Do you have a moment? I'm taking Brian a treat.
This is one of my favourites.
Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier.
Mr Winning's laptop.
We can't seem to find it at the house.
Well, I didn't steal it.
I didn't suggest you did.
But can you remember when you last saw it? Yesterday.
~ He was working on it.
~ At the house? The living room.
He wouldn't let me in to clean.
Said he was working on his accounts.
A blatant lie.
What makes you think he was lying? Because, when I listened in at the door, all I could hear was folk music.
Johnny has gone for a soldier I just need a few days.
Toby's death was tragic but we can still move on with this.
Just give me another week.
Our partners are getting cold feet.
You can talk them round, can't you? They need more money up front.
And right now it's money I don't have.
I'll tell you what you do have.
Your very own Belgian bun.
The icing's stuck to the bag, Mum.
Oh.
I told the shop girl to be careful.
Yeah, well, I think you'd better go and tell her again.
What's the score with the office? I locked it up.
In case the police want to search it.
Right.
Course.
Because of Toby? ~ Was there something you needed? ~ Well, now you mention it, um .
.
there was.
~ Well? ~ Um Toby didn't leave anything for me, did he? A package or something? ~ Package? ~ Or something.
~ Not that I know of.
~ Right.
No big deal.
Hey! ~ You didn't get a look at them? ~ Not really.
Still, it could have been some kids messing around.
~ And nothing from the phone box? ~ Rarely used.
It hasn't been decommissioned because the whole area's a mobile blackspot.
And the cottage? The place is derelict.
It's registered to a .
.
Danny Carver, who lives in the village.
Interesting.
This is a breakdown of the festival's main contractors - transport, catering, accommodation.
Nearly everyone in the village provides a service.
~ Including Danny Carver.
~ Mm.
He's the festival's sound man.
But the main player is Frank Wainwright.
He runs the Captain Farrell.
Veteran of the folk scene and quite the entrepreneur.
In addition to the pub, he also owns the B&B and has a stake in the local private cab firm.
Sounds like someone with a lot to lose.
And that's why we're going to see him.
In kisses and compliments He took her round the middle And out of his knapsack he drew forth his fiddle And he played such a fine tune as made the groves ring "Hark-hark" said the fair maid "How nightingales sing" "Hark-hark" said the fair maid "How nightingales sing" Thank you.
Thank you.
You wanna take over? Well, here's one you'll probably all recognise.
Merrily Kissed The Quaker's Wife So you're going through with it, then? ~ And pulling out all the stops, I see.
~ You think the dress is too much? No, no.
You look Well, you look like your mum.
So, what time am I on, then? It's an open mike, so start after this guy.
I'm nervous.
Hold on a tick.
I looked this out for you.
Is that his? Uncle Johnny's? You think you can handle it? We should do something for Toby.
Like what? How about a remembrance gig? We'll get some players together.
Drinks.
Maybe even a speech.
Do you think anyone will turn up? Most people are still angry about the move.
Me included.
We'll lose business when the festival goes.
Toby had his faults but he was your friend.
He always helped you out.
I'll make some calls.
Hello? Tom? ~ Where's Melody? ~ She left about an hour ago.
For her thing.
Well, this is an honour.
The future of folk music here in my humble pub.
Humble's one word for it.
So, what brings you and your tiny hat to the Captain Farrell? Talent spotting.
Um I'm Melody Carver.
This is an old one.
Hi, there.
It wasn't my idea.
Dad.
Dad.
~ Dad, please.
~ It was just a few songs, Danny.
Just get in.
Mr Wainwright? I wasn't the only one who was angry last night.
Half the people out there wanted Winning's head on a stick.
And it's not just about the money.
This festival is about who we are, what this village stands for.
~ What happened after the reception? ~ I came back here.
Did you stop off anywhere? You mean, did I meander by Winning's house and kill him? You take good care of your guitar.
It's not my guitar.
It belongs to someone very special.
Johnny Carver.
You heard of him? Any relation to Danny Carver? Johnny and Danny were brothers.
Johnny was a musical genius, real talented.
We were in a band together.
Johnny was all set to make it big.
What happened? He killed himself.
Midsomer Ballad, take one.
Come sit by me all you Fine lords and laddies And I'll tell you the tale Of young John Henry He met a fair maiden One bright May morning As he went a-hunting In Midsomer County Why, young men, don't stray This maiden Will lead you What the hell are you doing here? You shouldn't have come back.
You shouldn't have come back.
That's not the breakfast song.
Don't you start.
When the going gets tough The tough get going What on earth are you doing? Broadening her musical horizons.
This is awful.
Awful? That's our song, in case you've forgotten.
That is not our song.
~ You said it was your favourite.
~ When? At the freshers' ball.
Which I didn't go to with you.
Well, whoever you did go with, she certainly left an impression.
What? John's forgotten our song.
OK.
He does remember the favourite song of his old girlfriend, though.
But when it comes to me - his wife, the mother of his child - he draws a blank.
Would this be a good time to tell you we got a print off the bowl? Alice Winning.
Let's go and see what she has to say.
~ I'll be home later.
~ Try not to forget.
I gave it a press.
I should have told you.
Why didn't you? Because you'd have said no.
Because you don't want me to sing.
I don't mind you singing, Melody.
Just not in public, right? That's not what this is about.
Well, what is it about? Look being a singer, the music business, it all seems glamorous It was a gig in a pub garden, Dad.
That's how it starts.
You start getting noticed.
The gigs get bigger.
More money.
Record deals.
Then you change.
~ What, like Uncle Johnny did, you mean? ~ I'm off to work.
You always do this.
Every time I ask you about it, you just walk away.
Uncle Johnny was a hero.
The internet is full of websites about his music.
~ They don't know a thing about it.
~ Exactly! That's why I want to hear about it from you.
I want to know about you, and Frank, and the band, and what it was like.
It was nothing! I'd forget it all ever happened if I could.
Would you forget about Mum as well? Your mum left.
I know it's hard, but maybe it's about time you moved on.
Says the man who still keeps her dress in his wardrobe.
It's obviously a mistake.
There's no mistake, Mrs Winning.
We had your prints on the database.
Seems you punched a police officer during a demonstration in London.
She manhandled me.
Nevertheless, our lab matched your print to the bowl.
It's not what you think.
The fact is I hadn't appreciated how hard being an independent woman would be.
Financially I mean.
I didn't realise that living was so expensive.
I decided I might be better off getting back with Toby.
You attempted a reconciliation? Sort of.
After the reception I was a little drunk.
Thought I'd visit Toby, um charm offensive.
And did he succumb to your charms? How could he? He was dead.
Are you saying you arrived after your husband had been murdered? I'll never forget it as long as I live.
He was um I must have um touched the bowl when I checked for a pulse.
Why didn't you call the police? Well Well, you have to admit, it didn't look very good, the um .
.
bitter ex-wife found standing over her dead husband's body.
Worst thing is, it was all in vain.
He wasn't lying about the money.
I spoke to my solicitor this morning.
Toby's company is almost bankrupt.
Winning's solicitor confirms the company was struggling.
Seems most of the available cash was being sunk into setting up the move to London.
Apparently, the move was being handled by Brian Grey.
He blew all the money.
Even so, can't see her staging a corpse to reference a folk ballad.
It's the phone box that nags at me.
Find the owner of the house - Danny Carver.
See if he knows who might have made the phone call to Winning.
And I'll go and speak with the man who bankrupted Winning's company.
Go down, you blood-red roses Go down Oh, you pinks and posies Go down The move to London was Toby's idea.
You did most of the groundwork.
You were the one who put it together.
Toby asked me to put it together.
Did he ask you to plough thousands of pounds of his money into it? What you need to understand is that an opportunity like this takes some serious funding.
The partners that I'm dealing with need to know that you're as committed as they are.
So you blew all the company money courting these partners? I may have overstretched Toby, but he knew what he was getting into.
Here's what I'm going to do.
I'm going to get a team to go through Winning's books.
All of them, right down to the last penny.
And if they find any evidence of wrongdoing on your part, I will make sure you are held to account.
One, two, three, four.
One full English.
Thanks.
What was that all about yesterday? Over in the beer garden.
You were all set to sing and then you left.
I had a bit of an emergency.
That was all.
It's a pity.
I had a feeling you were gonna be good.
Better than the usual dross they book at this festival.
You're booked for this festival.
Oh, yeah.
That's a point.
Actually, maybe you could help me.
I need a support act for Sunday.
OK.
Well, the Barrellers are a good band.
Traditional.
But Frank Frank always a crowd pleaser.
No, no, no, no, no.
I was thinking of you.
You haven't heard me play.
Toby Winning said you were good.
Almost as good as your uncle.
Excuse me.
I'm not paying you to flirt with the guests, Melody.
I wasn't flirting.
Just do your job.
All right? Oh, well, you were right.
There wasn't much enthusiasm for Toby's memorial.
A few of the old gang'll be there but not as many as I'd hoped.
Everything OK? This came yesterday.
"Dreams of Spain.
" It was addressed to you.
Well, it must be junk mail.
So you're not thinking about buying a property in Spain? Why would I want to move to Spain? We're happy here, aren't we? I guess so.
Shower in Room 2 is leaking.
I'll take care of it.
I haven't been anywhere near that cottage in over 25 years.
~ That's a long time.
~ Not long enough.
Place doesn't hold many good memories.
~ Why is that? ~ It's where my brother killed himself.
I'm sorry.
I had heard.
I didn't realise that's where it happened.
Yeah, well that's where it happened.
I hear he was a gifted musician.
Can we move this on? Did you know Toby Winning? I do supply sound equipment for the festival venues.
We received a call the day he died.
It was made from a phone box next to that cottage.
So? So I was wondering if you had any idea who might have made the call.
Look that cottage was Johnny's.
I only got it after he died.
Got no interest in going near that place.
Does anyone check on it for you, anyone visit it regularly? No.
I was up there yesterday.
I'm sure I saw someone hanging around.
Well, you know more than I do.
Sorry.
I've got to go for a sound check.
Do you fish, Mr Carver? When I can.
Lock up when you're done.
You pulling old files? ~ The Johnny Carver report.
~ Any particular reason? Let's just call it morbid curiosity.
Carver was the rising star of the '90s folk revival.
He was working on his next album when he shot himself in his home studio.
He killed himself at the cottage? Since then, Carver's become a cult figure.
Nothing like suicide to elevate a musician to god-like status.
And he comes with his own myth.
An article from a folk fanzine on the famous lost album.
The one Johnny was working on when he died.
They looked for it but never found it.
All very interesting, but what does this have to do with the case? Check out who wrote the article.
Oh.
~ Love Is All Around? ~ No.
~ Wonderwall? ~ No.
~ Perfect Day? ~ Try again.
I'm Too Sexy For My Shirt? Don't just sit there.
Help me find it.
Hey.
Great job, Lassie.
This is a Spanish Language CD.
Hello? Who's there? Brian Grey, sir.
It's not pretty.
Well, we'd best take a look.
"Sweet were the roses of Midsomer County.
" We're back to the ballad.
Weight of the speaker would have done it.
Massive internal trauma.
He would have bled out.
Slowly.
Looks like the strap securing the speaker had been cut.
Time of death? Within the last 12 hours.
~ What about witnesses? ~ Can you get that, please? Staff left around 10:30 last night.
Brian was alone from then until Liz Grey found him at eight this morning.
I knew something was up.
He didn't come down for breakfast.
He always had breakfast.
"Most important meal of the day.
" That's what Brian said.
So you came looking for him? When did you last see him alive? He came home for his tea and then went back out again.
Did he say where he was going? Seeing someone about funding.
Did he say who? They did this to him.
The village.
They never liked him.
Too clever for them.
Too dynamic.
You can say what you like about Mr Winning, but at least he saw Brian's potential.
And, of course, that lot hated Mr Winning, too.
They're all over there now at the hotel.
"A memorial," they said.
But really they're celebrating.
They finally got rid of my boy.
Someone is determined to make sure the move to London doesn't happen.
Most of our suspects are attending Winning's memorial at the George here.
Come on.
We might want to stop off at the Captain Farrell first, sir.
We found Brian Grey's mobile.
Last call was to Frank Wainwright at 1am.
This gonna take long? Supposed to be at the George.
It's about Brian Grey.
Oh, yeah? What's he been up to? He's dead, Mr Wainwright.
We know that he called you late last night.
What was the call about? An invoice I'd sent him.
He booked some musicians at the B&B.
I sent him a bill.
He thought I was overcharging him.
He called you about an invoice at one o'clock in the morning? It wasn't unusual for Brian to call late.
~ That boy was always working.
~ Did you talk about anything else? Just the invoice.
Are these yours, Mr Wainwright? Far too small for me.
Then whose are they? Some punter must have left them behind.
~ I want to know what he's hiding.
~ I want to know who owns the boots.
I checked the soles.
The markings are identical to the impression I found outside the Carver house.
Right.
I am bound for Californ-i-a And it's a place I know right well So fare thee well My own true love ~ For when I return, united we will be ~ Melody.
Yes, it's not the leaving of Liverpool I'd love to be able to help, Alice, but I don't think we've got anything suitable.
~ I'll take anything I can get.
~ When I think of thee That was for Toby.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thanks.
That was nice.
Nice? Wow.
Don't go overboard.
I mean it was good.
Really good.
~ Did you think any more about the gig? ~ Melody.
Let's keep it moving.
Every year, they swan in like they own the place.
Bloody musicians.
~ Not a bad turnout in the end.
~ Mm.
You OK, Frank? Brian Grey is dead.
~ Frank, you're up next.
~ All right.
Come and see me later.
In the lowlands, lowlands Sailing in the lowlands low We feared she would be taken by the Spanish enemy Frank! In the lowlands, lowlands Sailing in the lowlands low Frank? Frank, where are you? Where is it? I said, "Where is it?" ~ Right, come here.
~ You had no right to take it! Mr Carver! I want it back.
Do you hear? Come on.
~ Frank, you all right? ~ Sorry about that.
Obviously emotions running high.
How's about another song, Jay? Jay? Hold up.
Where are you off to? Anywhere that isn't here.
I know just the place.
I don't know why you're here.
You should be arresting Frank! ~ Arrest him for what? ~ Theft.
Burglary.
Stealing.
~ What exactly did he steal? ~ Something valuable.
You might need to be more specific.
A tape.
All right? He stole an audio tape.
This tape wouldn't happen to be a recording of your brother's music? The lost album? My brother hadn't been dead a day before they started asking about it.
Record companies, manager, so-called fans.
Ghouls couldn't wait to get their hands on it.
That record killed Johnny.
The pressure.
Everyone just pushing on him.
The hype.
Drove him mad.
Why didn't you just destroy it? I tried to but I couldn't.
~ Did you listen to it? ~ Again, I tried but I couldn't.
So I hid it under the floorboards in the cottage, locked the place up and tried to forget about it.
And Frank was with me when I hid it.
Amazing, isn't it? Come on.
This is where the great Johnny Carver lived.
It's where my uncle died, you mean? ~ I don't mean to be insensitive.
~ I think that ship's sailed.
I am a huge fan of your uncle.
Johnny Carver was the greatest folk musician of the last 50 years.
Toby was a big fan as well.
That's how we became friends, me and Toby.
Through Johnny's work.
I want to go back to the village.
So, when he told me he'd found the lost album, I came straight here.
I really have to go.
Melody.
Wait.
Melody.
You need to tell me where it is.
~ I don't know what you're on about.
~ Look I won't say anything to your dad.
~ This can be between you and me.
~ Let go.
Hey, hey, hey.
I can help your career.
Gigs, tours .
.
a record deal.
Just tell me where it is.
You need to think about what's on that tape.
~ It's just music.
~ No, no, no.
It's so much more.
His last message to the world.
It's a man's suicide note.
OK, I was with him.
I knew about the tape but I didn't take it.
So if you didn't take it, Mr Wainwright, then who did? Mr Wainwright? That call last night Brian Grey.
~ He was asking about the tape.
~ What did he want to know? Did it exist? Was it authentic? And, if it was, how much it was worth.
Do you think Brian Grey may have taken the tape from the cottage? I don't know.
What about the owner of the boots in your pub? Would they know? I'm back! Best come down.
This is Heather Danny's wife.
So you and Danny Carver go back a long way? I married Danny in 1988.
It lasted three years, then I left him.
What made you leave? I had problems back then.
Well, one problem, actually.
I drank too much.
It was a terrible thing to do, walking out on them.
I'll never forgive myself.
Can't change the past.
No point in dwelling.
You gotta look to the future.
You sound like my sponsor.
How long have you been sober? Just over a year.
Another ten and I'll be doing as well as Frank.
And so you've come back? To meet Melody.
Why didn't you contact her when you first arrived here in Lower Crosby? ~ I was worried about Danny.
~ And why was that? I walked out when Melody was three months old.
Maybe he's still angry.
There's no "maybe" about that.
You've been staying up at the old cottage since you arrived? For the first few days, and then Frank persuaded me to come here.
Did you see anyone at the cottage? I saw you.
Apart from Sergeant Nelson.
No.
I I didn't see anyone.
Are you sure, Mrs Carver? I was worried I wouldn't recognise her.
After all, it's been so long.
~ So beautiful.
~ Melody? I'm sorry, love.
All that work you put into it and look what happened.
That's Danny Carver for you.
It's funny how things turn out.
You know? I mean, we were all mates back in the day.
~ We all seemed so happy.
~ Life happens, Tom.
But it doesn't happen the same for everyone.
Take Danny.
I mean, he's not exactly had a great time.
~ Well, that's no excuse for attacking people.
~ No, but .
.
it does make you think about how lucky we are.
Which got me thinking about your Dreams Of Spain brochure.
I told you, that was junk mail.
Yeah, I know, but .
.
maybe it might not be such a bad idea.
A new start.
~ A new start? ~ We could do it.
Spain, I mean.
We could fund it by selling this place, couldn't we? ~ We? ~ Well, your hotel, your decision.
I'm gonna go.
I've got to be somewhere.
Melody Carver had been in contact with Winning for over a year.
Mostly texts, but regular.
Also I found some invoices for recording sessions at a studio in Causton.
~ Winning was managing Melody? ~ It's hard to say.
I can't find any trace of a contract or evidence he was making money from her.
Maybe it wasn't money that he wanted.
~ Winning was obsessed by Johnny Carver.
~ And the lost album.
But why would he think Melody could help him? Winning knew that her dad found Johnny's body.
Maybe he thought Melody could lead him to the recording.
So he gets it, then what? Someone kills him for it.
Do some digging.
Find out who had an interest in the recording, other than Winning - someone who would kill to get their hands on it.
I'll go and speak to Melody.
Come on.
No way.
Melody knew she wasn't to go anywhere near Winning.
And yet, it seems, she did.
Yeah, but she knew what he was like.
Just another crook out to exploit musicians.
Maybe I spoke to him a few times.
You did more than speak to him.
He was funding your studio sessions.
What the hell's he on about? Dad, it was nothing.
Just a few songs that I wanted to put down.
That's all.
And you let Winning produce them? He knew what he was doing.
And they sounded good.
Hold on a minute.
He wouldn't have paid for those sessions without getting something in return.
What did he want, Melody? He said he wanted to hear it, just once, and then he'd get it back to me.
Get what back? Your brother's last recording.
You gave it to Winning? Dad, I'm so sorry.
I didn't think.
How did you know where to find it? Eventually I persuaded Frank to tell me.
At least he talks about Johnny! You called Toby from the phone box.
He said to bring the tape to his office.
~ You didn't listen to it? ~ No.
He promised me he would just listen to it once and then I would have it back the next day.
~ Where was the harm? ~ But you didn't get it back, did you? And where is it now? Preliminary report on Grey.
What's all this? Johnny Carver's file.
Do you want to see the Path report? Not much to it.
"Victim sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the right side of the forehead and at close range.
" They didn't discover much gunshot residue around the wound.
~ Should they have? ~ I'd expect more with a close-range shot.
But these things vary.
It's such a shame what happened to him.
Let's say that Winning was killed because he had the master tape.
Presumably, the killer would have taken it from his house.
But what if Winning made a copy before he died? ~ The missing laptop.
~ If Brian Grey got hold of that, then maybe the killer came after him.
Why kill Grey for the laptop? Why go after a copy when you've got the real deal on the master tape? Presumably, the recording is far more valuable if it's the only one.
Not that valuable.
Johnny Carver's hardly The Beatles.
What if there's something on that recording the killer doesn't want anyone to hear? Ballad Of Midsomer County She led him on through The Midsomer green wood Till they came to a hut By a juniper tree She said, "Sir, won't you Come sit by my fire? You'll eat like a king" Aargh! Argh, argh! Argh.
Safe to say I'm fairly confident about identifying the murder weapon.
This wasn't here yesterday.
Another gift from your killer? "Lived in a hut by a juniper tree.
" I'm beginning to go off that song.
I came downstairs, saw the door was open, and that's when I found him.
What time was this? Not long after seven.
And when did you last see him? Around four, yesterday afternoon.
You didn't see him in the evening? No.
~ Thank you.
~ He went out to meet someone.
I must have been asleep when he got back.
He was a very kind man, taking me in like he did.
Thank you.
A good friend.
Do you mind? Excuse me.
Madam.
We need to find out who he met.
I'm way ahead of you.
He was buying the hotel? That's what it looks like.
I'll check this out.
You finish up here.
I'll see you back at the station.
Forensics are just about done.
Forensics.
Can we let them go? No.
Not yet.
Danny Carver was anti-war.
Yet he had a gun? It was nothing important.
Nothing important? It looks to me like you were selling him your hotel.
Frank expressed an interest.
I felt it was only polite to hear him out.
He had the contracts.
He only had to sign them to complete the deal.
I'm no estate agent but surely your hotel is worth more than the price on this.
Any reason why it was so cheap? She wanted a quick getaway.
Junk mail, eh? Tom.
So when were you going to tell me? After you'd gone? Leave a note by the bed? Text from the airport? Things haven't been right between us for a long time, Tom.
So let's fix it.
~ I don't think we can be fixed.
~ Course we can.
Only, you don't want to.
That's the truth of it.
You're right.
I don't want to.
You know, all I ever wanted to do was to take care of you, treat you nice, be a good husband.
To love you.
But that never did it for you, did it? You were only happy when you were being treated like dirt.
Still a little scrubber after all.
~ What happened last night? ~ I should have made Frank sign, right then.
It was all set up.
~ Why didn't you? ~ Oh Danny Carver interrupted us.
~ What did he want? ~ To talk to Frank.
About what? About his wife coming back.
Dad.
~ What are you doing? ~ We need to get away for a while.
~ Get away where? ~ I don't know.
Coast maybe.
But it's the middle of the festival.
I have shifts.
You've got work.
Listen to me.
You're right.
I need to talk more, be more open and Hey, we'll do that when we're away.
OK? What do you want now? We need you down at the station, Mr Carver.
You stay here.
I'll be back soon.
Johnny Carver had been dead three days before Danny found the body.
I still don't get why we're here.
Johnny had principles.
He was anti-war, anti-nuclear, pro-peace.
Him buying a gun doesn't make sense.
Given that he was about to kill himself, we can assume he wasn't in his right mind.
He was a drug user.
It's more likely he'd take an overdose than shoot himself.
~ You're just speculating.
~ And there was a lack of powder burns.
So? So what if the gun was fired further away? Are you telling me you've pulled a forensic team from a live crime scene to the site of a 25-year-old suicide, in the hope that they might find a minute trace of gunshot residue in a room that is positively teeming with forensic material? And if they find it more than two metres away from that chair.
~ You have no chance.
~ Uh, Dr Wilding.
I hate you.
Toby Winning.
Brian Grey.
Frank Wainwright.
All dead.
All of them knew about Johnny's master tape.
So? Whoever killed them did so to stop Johnny's recording being heard.
And that brings us to you, Danny.
Me? ~ I wouldn't kill anybody.
~ You attacked Frank.
He was a friend.
That was just a mistake.
And what about last night when you confronted him about Heather? Was that a friendly conversation? ~ Just a chat? Or did you get angry? ~ Damn right I got angry! He knew I didn't want her here but he still took her in.
He couldn't see it.
He could never see it.
Her lies.
How she just gets between people and forces them apart.
What people? People like you and Johnny? Johnny and Heather were having an affair.
Is that what happened? Johnny had no self-control when it came to women.
Couldn't resist a pretty face.
I'd like to think he had some guilt about it, though.
And Heather Ohh She adored him.
Thought he was for keeps.
Couldn't see that she was just another groupie to him.
Need to talk to you, sir.
~ Johnny Carver didn't kill himself.
~ What? We're still testing but we're pretty sure the gun was fired at least two metres away.
There's no way Johnny Carver pulled that trigger.
Someone else was there.
That's what's on the tape.
Johnny recorded his own murder.
Was Johnny having an affair with Heather at the time of his death? ~ What? ~ Were they having an affair when he died? Yes.
Why? What's going on? We think your brother was murdered and it was staged as suicide.
Other than Heather, was Johnny seeing anyone else back then? Yeah.
Half the girls in the village were sneaking up to see him.
Hold on.
If you're saying Heather is involved in this I've got to call Melody.
This isn't about festivals or folk songs.
It's about a woman scorned.
~ Find Heather.
Bring her in.
~ Where are you going? ~ There was more than one woman.
~ Melody isn't answering her phone.
Come on! Da-dum, da-da-dum Hello, Melody.
I'm a friend of your father's.
I'm sure Dad won't be too long.
Oh, that's OK.
I'm not in any rush.
Anyway, it gives us some time to get to know one another.
Come on, come on, come on.
Come on! ~ Tell me something about yourself.
~ Like what? Oh, I don't know.
Something you like.
Music.
I hear you're very gifted.
I'm all right.
Nothing special.
OK.
What about boyfriends, then? Look, you may be a friend of Dad's but I don't know you from Adam, so You know me, Melody.
I really don't.
So who are you, then? Melody, you all right? ~ I told her the truth.
~ What the hell were you thinking? She deserved to know.
What did she deserve to know? Melody's dad was Johnny Carver.
Oh, just get away from us! Nobody wants you here! Get back to where you came from.
Melody, please You should never have come back.
When I told Johnny the baby was his, he just couldn't live with himself any more.
Johnny Carver was murdered.
No ~ It was suicide.
Everyone knows that.
~ It was murder.
Mrs Asher? Mrs Asher? Look at me.
I'm a cleaning lady.
~ Where is Claire Asher? ~ Gone.
~ Where did she go? ~ Search me.
One minute she was going through the cleaning rota, the next she was out the door.
~ Did she say anything? ~ No.
~ She got a call, though.
~ Which phone? The one in the office.
If you ask me, there's something up between her and Tom.
I mean, she didn't say anything but I can read the signs.
I've got a sixth sense.
A bit spooky.
Maybe I'm psychic.
Anyway, she never really loved him.
Poor Tom tried but Well, between you and me, there was only ever one man for Claire.
Johnny Carver.
~ How do you know that? ~ Maybe I'm psychic, too.
This is DCI Barnaby.
I need a trace on a number.
~ I need it immediately.
~ Fire away.
~ The number is ~ She was mourning Johnny six months later.
And then she up and married Tom.
Talk about rebound.
No, it's OK.
I know it.
Nelson, meet me at Johnny Carver's house.
Ballad Of Midsomer County Come sit by me All you Fine lords and laddies And I'll tell you the tale Of young John Henry He met a fair maiden One bright May morning As he went a-hunting In Midsomer County Fair was the skin Of the Midsomer Maiden Blue were her eyes As blue as the sea And on her fair head Lay a garland of flowers ~ Sweet were ~ He really could sing, couldn't he? He was sitting right there, singing that song, when I arrived.
I could've listened to him all night.
But then .
.
I had other business with him.
I used to watch you and him, from out there.
Those nights when you snuck up to be with him.
Remember? ~ Tom, what is all this? ~ You have no idea .
.
how hard it was for me to be stood out there, seeing him treat you the way that he did.
But you still loved him.
Even after we were married, you still loved him.
You're scaring me.
You don't have to be scared of me, Claire.
I'm your husband.
Round the back.
You see, all I ever wanted to do was to protect you .
.
keep you safe.
That's why I came up here.
To make sure that he understood that.
I didn't mean to kill him.
Only to get him to stop hurting you.
But him.
He just kept running you down.
I couldn't take that any more.
I had to save you from him.
Preserve your honour.
What about the others? Did you kill them to preserve Claire's honour? You wanted to save your own skin.
Let's hear what this is all about.
Midsomer Ballad, take three.
What What the hell are you doing here? You know full well.
Any decency and you'd let her go.
And if you had any taste, mate, you'd see that she's just a All right, steady on, Tom.
Tom? Tom! Oh, my God.
You You shot him.
You wiped the gun, arranged it like a suicide.
But you didn't realise that the tape was still recording.
First I knew about it was when Toby came up to me at the reception.
So you killed him, and Brian, too? What else could I do? Toby wanted me to go to the police and Brian wanted money.
It was a mess.
Tom, what have you done? I told you.
I'm taking care of you.
Which brings us to Frank.
I found the contracts - Frank's name there in black and white.
He was buying the hotel.
He was destroying my marriage.
I couldn't let him do that.
I asked him to buy the hotel.
No.
He forced you into it, Claire.
No.
I wanted to leave you.
You can't leave me, Claire.
Not after everything I've done for us.
~ Don't do it, Tom.
~ I have to.
Can't you see that? Being Claire's husband was what made it all worthwhile.
If I'm not her husband any more, then Argh! Nelson? Nelson! Yeah.
I'm good.
Thomas Asher, I'm arresting you for the murders of Frank Wainwright, Brian Grey, Tobias Winning, Johnny Carver Right.
I've made up her bottle.
It's in the fridge.
And er she likes this book before bedtime.
OK.
And if you need us, you just call.
Sarah, we're gonna be fine.
It wasn't easy when we started out And you thought I'd forgotten our song.
Well, you had forgotten our song.
But then I remembered.
And not only did I remember, I got the original vinyl.
Signed as well.
You went to so much trouble.
Thank you.
You're gonna be late.
The car keys.
~ He's quite the romantic, isn't he? ~ He certainly is.
It couldn't have been easy tracking down an original copy.
Well, he can be very resourceful.
~ That wasn't your song, was it? ~ It's not even close.
~ No.
~ Sarah.
Coming, darling.
~ Have a good night.
~ Thank you.
Don't want this, eh? It's so nice to be out.
~ She's on in two minutes.
~ Oh.
Oh, look, there's Mary and Dora.
Good evening, and welcome to the last night of this year's Lower Crosby Folk Festival.
Hey.
Why don't you try this one? Got a better sound, anyway.
Now, I'm afraid Jay Templeton had to cancel at the last minute.
I've tuned it for you.
We've got something very special for you tonight.
So, as the new festival director, I am delighted to introduce an exciting new talent.
Here we go.
~ Melody Carver.
~ I'm proud of you.
Um this one's for my dad, Danny Carver.
Come sit by me all you fine lords and laddies I'll tell you the tale Of young John Henry He met a fair maiden One bright May morning As he went a-hunting In Midsomer County Pale was the skin Of the Midsomer maiden Blue eyes As blue as the sea And on her fair head Lay a garland of flowers Red were the roses of Midsomer County Young men, don't stray This maiden will lead you away