Murder Before Evensong (2025) s01e02 Episode Script

1
So why did you go to the church?
T-To say night prayer.
He said that he'd
been a disappointment.
I spoke to a chap
earlier, and he said
that you went to an art gallery.
Thing is, you'll never
guess what he saw there.
-I saw you talking to Anthony.
-What did he want?
Nothing important.
"Champton vicar visits
victims of gay plague."
Dear me. What were you thinking?
Unless this was a random attack,
the murderer must have assumed
they knew who they
were attacking.
"It's God's will. You
should burn in hell."
Does that answer your question?
What do you two want?
It should have been you!
Reverend Clement! Reverend
Clement! Daily Express.
Can you tell us about
the murder last night?
-Reverend Clement!
-Oh. Uh
-Reverend Clement!
-No. No. I, uh
I'm not right. Uh, no comment!
The Express wanted a quote.
I was enjoying
that. It's catchy.
It's painful.
Fuddy-duddy.
So, what did you tell them?
I said, "No comment."
How exciting!
I've always wanted to say that.
They'll give up in a minute.
Yes, because that's
what they do.
Listen, things are gonna be
difficult enough around here
without the papers
stirring things up.
So if they approach you, you
won't say anything, will you?
Certainly not!
Thank you.
I wouldn't dream of talking
to a rag like the Express.
Look! I told you
Oh.
May I?
How can I help you, Detective?
I'd like to talk to everyone
who knew Anthony Bowness.
And I figured you'd
know where to start.
Well, uh, I expect a lot of them
will be at the
service this morning.
Lord de Floures has said that
we can use Champton House
while Saint Mary's is, uh
A crime scene?
Well, you don't think the
killer's here, do you?
I think it's a
definite possibility.
Right.
I think we're looking
at three options.
Anthony could have been killed
because he
interrupted a robbery.
-Morning.
-Morning.
Or he could have been the
intended victim all along
and we just don't know
yet why he was targeted.
And then there's option three.
The murderer made a mistake
and the person they really
wanted to kill was you.
None of this makes sense,
to take a life in a church,
the house of God.
It's an abomination.
And I ask myself
what purpose did it serve?
Was it God's plan?
Because if it was, I'm not
sure that I can understand it.
I doubt any of us can.
And so for now
I pray.
I pray for the soul
of the departed.
And I pray for whoever
did him wrong
that they receive
justice and mercy.
Happy Easter. Mind
your step there.
Could I have a few words?
Is this about Mr. Bowness?
-Yes.
-Right. See you later.
Mercy for the killer?
That won't go down well.
Yes, well, I don't
believe in retribution.
Alright.
Does "MGM" mean anything to you?
You mean apart from the
flicks? No. Not really.
How did Anthony
ever find anything?
Yeah. I did ask him that once.
He seemed so together.
I had no idea he was so
Yeah. Yeah, no one did.
So, how well did you
know Mr. Bowness?
Not especially.
He kept himself
to himself mostly.
We didn't have a lot in common.
Um, I knew him from the choir,
but that's all, I'm afraid.
Well, he didn't make it easy.
Kept everyone at arm's
length, like he was ashamed.
Mm. Don't think
anybody disliked him.
Hm, you sort of got to have
a personality to be disliked.
Tell me will this
delay the Reverend's plans
to install a toilet
in the church?
You should talk to Edgy.
Edgy?
Patrick Liversedge,
the gamekeeper.
There was some sort of bad
blood between him and Anthony.
You know what they're like.
"They"?
Gypsies.
Right.
Hm. It's Champton House.
Oh! [ Chuckles ] Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. It was
during the war.
Wow. Place was filled
with MoD bigwigs and
all that S.O.E. stuff.
All very, you know, hush-hush.
Yes.
Oh, look at that.
That's Kath and Dora
Sharman on the right.
-Oh, they worked at the house?
-Yeah.
As housemaids before
and after the war
and then for the MoD during it.
In fact, quite a few
women from the village
actually got seconded.
Oh, my God.
-God.
-What is it?
Oh, it's from the
plane that crashed.
-Plane crash?
-Oh, yeah. Yeah.
The, um The S.O.E. chaps
used to fly across to France.
They'd rendezvous
with the resistance.
They'd drop off agents,
supplies, weapons,
and then come straight back,
but they used to take off
and land right by the house.
So Anthony and I
Yeah, we used to watch them
from my bedroom window.
-So what happened?
-Oh
Yeah. No. It was,
um It was late.
Must have been around 11:00.
Anyway, we heard
the engines fire up,
so we raced over to
the window, and
So, he took off
okay, and then she
They said it was
faulty wiring, a spark,
and she just, you
know, exploded.
Well, they didn't
stand a chance.
Anyway, a few days later,
Anthony found this,
said he wanted to keep it.
A reminder that the
war was real.
Yeah.
Have we got any of that
lavender honey left?
Well, it sh
should be in here.
"Visit the Lavender
Fields of Provence."
Don't you think it's time?
Ohh.
Yow.
I've heard stories,
is all I'm saying.
What sort of stories?
Well, outsider comes to
a small rural community.
There are always secrets
which he uncovers,
and it always ends
badly for him.
First of all, Anthony
wasn't really an outsider.
And, second, it's
not "The Wicker Man."
Who said anything about Anthony?
So tell me about
Patrick Liversedge.
Well, uh, Edgy was a
boxer once upon a time.
Fairs and the
bare-knuckle circuit.
I hear he was pretty good at it,
but when he got back from the
war, he was too old to fight.
So he got a job
as the gamekeeper.
Not at first.
He was a debt
collector for a while.
There were rumors,
pub gossip mostly,
that he did more than
just collect the money.
Handed out punishments, too.
And he was very good at that.
Can we have a word?
Did you know Anthony?
What's the mood
like in the village?
-How worried are you?
-No comment!
I didn't know him, to be honest.
Even though you were both
working at Champton House.
We said hello and that.
You know, polite-like.
Margaret Porteous seemed to
think that you didn't get on.
Oh, is that right?
Yeah. "Bad blood"
is what she said.
And I would say she's got
a very good imagination.
When was the last time
you saw Mr. Bowness?
Ahh.
That would be the
open day, I suppose.
When?
In the morning. I was
doing the parking.
Okay.
Only Mrs. Porteous says she saw
you talking to him much later.
Oh, if that's what she said
-What were you talking about?
-I don't remember!
It's understandable, Edgy.
These last couple of days,
I've certainly forgotten things.
It's the shock.
-Yeah. Thanks, Reverend.
It is upsetting.
You get all churned up like.
Sorry.
-Don't do that.
-Do what?
-You filled the silence.
-Well, I don't see how
You let him off the hook
and you reassured him.
-No. I was simply
-I don't want them reassured.
I want them off balance.
Because that's
when they're likely
to say something interesting.
You know, people quite
often tell me things
that they're ashamed of,
but they don't want
others to know.
You don't have to trick them.
Not everybody wants to confess.
I mean, how long is the
church going to be closed for?
Different jacket. All my
gardening stuff's there.
How am I meant to
prune my roses?
It's most inconvenient.
For Mr. Bowness,
too, I should think.
What's it meant to be?
A sophisticated garden party.
They look like they're
waiting for the bus.
-Hello.
-Mrs. Clement.
I saw the sign outside,
and I couldn't resist.
Aren't I the fortunate one?
Stella. High-class
ladies fashion.
So inviting. So literal.
We have all the
labels here, you know.
Country Casuals.
Sreekovil. Yaga, of course.
I can see. Very impressive.
Can I interest you
in anything today?
No. Just looking.
I understand.
Quality items like these
don't suit every budget.
Sometimes I have a
sale rail. Come again.
You never know. You
might get lucky. Hm.
I did want to say this.
Take on my son
you take on me, too.
Good to know.
I think I'm gonna like it here.
Marvelous display!
-Excuse me!
-No. I told you.
I understand. I'm
sorry about earlier.
Some reporters can
be a bit pushy.
A bit?
We try not to be like
that at the Telegraph.
We find it pays to be
a bit more respectful.
Get more that way, I think.
Don't you?
I do.
You're going to
France? Both of you?
I've got a little bit aside,
you know, for a rainy day.
I've always wanted
to go to Provence.
To see the lavender fields?
Originally, yes, but
just never happened.
So I thought
if not now, when?
Another?
-Oh.
Yes.
You know, she's doing
all this for me.
She knows how important it is.
She's making sure there's
nothing left undone.
The least I can do in
return is take care of her
so that the time we have
left is as good as it can be.
Thank you.
Sterling work
yesterday, I thought.
On the harmonium.
Oh.
Not quite the fruity
tones of the church organ,
but needs must, I suppose.
Yes. Well, thank you, Stella.
And then the interview with
the police straight after.
Such excitement.
Really? You think so?
Absolutely.
Unless you've got
something to hide, that is.
Yeah. Well, I suppose.
I mean, I'm sure you told them
about seeing Anthony the
night before he died.
I was cycling home.
I saw you coming
out of his cottage.
I must say it all
seemed a little furtive.
But I'm probably just
imagining things.
Hm.
I expect so.
Are you coming?
Ned.
-Excuse me.
-Ned!
Can you just wait a minute?
-Sorry. Harry?
-Oh.
I just wanted to say I was
sorry to hear about your dad.
Thanks, Kath.
He lived a good life.
And I know he must have
been so proud of you.
Anyway, I just wanted
to, you know
Seems Patrick Liversedge
has a bit of form.
I thought he might.
Dating back to the '50s,
a couple of arrests for ABH
and one for demanding
money with menaces.
-Convictions?
-None that I could find.
Also, I got a list
of the phone calls
made to and from
Anthony Bowness' phone
the month before his death.
Right.
The day before Anthony
Bowness was killed,
five phone calls
were made to him.
Okay. And?
That number's a direct line
to the editor of The Gazette.
Ned Thwaite.
Ned. I'm sorry!
Please!
Ned!
Ned.
Look. I know. I promised.
I said I wouldn't see him,
and for a long time I didn't.
Honest.
But, Anthony, he needed me.
I couldn't just abandon him.
It doesn't work like that.
I had no choice.
How long?
A couple of months.
And you kept it
secret. All that time.
Nothing happened.
I swear.
I never meant to deceive you.
And I would never do
anything to hurt you.
Forgive me.
Please?
Alex.
Gin and tonic.
Meeting someone?
Just dropped in for a quick one.
Well, I'll get this.
-Thank you.
-Cheers.
Listen, I know it's
probably nothing,
but I saw you with Anthony
at the end of the open day.
And it looked like
you were having a row.
Were you?
He was just being a bit arsey.
Why?
My guess, he was pissed
off with Parkers.
They'd had a row, and he
ended up taking it out on me.
You know, kick the cat.
Surprising how
often that happens.
Take care walking home.
Haven't you heard?
There's a killer about.
Daniel!
Oh! Dear me. That's
rather horrid.
Did you hear anything?
No. Not a peep.
Right. That's it.
They've gone too far this time.
How dare they upset
you like this.
That's my job.
I can't believe
he's in the paper.
Good morning, ladies.
Morning, Rector.
Oh, it's okay, Rector.
We was only chop sing.
Stamps, please, Mrs.
Braines. 21st and 22nd.
Your orders arrived, too.
Those fancy pens.
But, you know, paper won't
arrive before Thursday.
Gay plague pastor?
Ugh. You know what they're like.
"His support for the
gays is controversial,
even among those
closest to him."
Well, they could have
got that from anywhere.
"He was always one
for lost causes,
said his mother, Audrey, 67."
He said he was
from the Telegraph.
What time will you be home?
Not late. Why? What
have you got planned?
Peace offering.
Jane, you really don't have to.
I know, but I want to.
Yeah, okay. Alright.
Well, I've got to go.
Okay. Bye.
Hey. Thanks for coming in.
Oh. I feel a bit of a
fraud, to be honest.
-Oh.
-I took a look like you asked,
but I'm afraid I couldn't
see anything unusual.
Ah, right.
-Canon Clement.
-Detective.
And it was pinned to a dead rat?
Hanging outside the front door.
Well, whoever it was has
a taste for the Gothic.
And access to a dead rat.
Someone like Patrick Liversidge.
Maybe there's some truth to
the pub gossip after all.
I'll, uh, get it
tested. You never know.
I spoke to Alex De
Floures last night.
He said that Anthony had rowed
with his father at the open day.
Bernard never mentioned a row.
Didn't, did he?
Uh, listen, um
yesterday I came down
on you a bit hard.
It's fine. I shouldn't
have jumped in.
You were right.
There are other ways of
getting people to talk.
Well, the collar helps.
Listen, I'm going
over to The Gazette.
Ned Thwaite was all over
Anthony's phone records.
You want to tag along?
Hmm.
Yes. Oh.
-Hello, Kath.
-Hello, Rector.
Mr. Thwaite. DS Vanloo.
Can we have a word?
Er, yeah. Yeah, sure. We'll
have to walk and talk.
Anthony Bowness was a pain.
On and on about his bloody
Champton at war stuff.
He was always here wanting
to go through the archive.
And that's a problem?
It is if you don't pay for it.
Look, we've been putting a
paper out every week since 1907.
That's a lot of back numbers,
and it takes up a lot of space.
I've been trying to put
it all on microfiche,
but it's expensive, so I
started charging for access.
Only Anthony Bowness thought
that because he was
De Floures' cousin,
he should somehow
get it for free.
He's taken editions
home with him
like it was his own
private archive.
So you denied him access?
Yeah. Didn't stop
him from coming,
making a fuss. Last
week he went off on one.
Actually made the
receptionist cry.
Well, I wasn't having
that, so I gave him a call.
Told him not to
come here anymore.
Nothing sinister.
Do you know specifically
what he was researching?
Something about the war.
Appears to be a popular
subject right now.
New copy for page seven.
Doing a piece myself actually.
The one that got away.
Oh, Captain Philip Kerly.
He was at Champton
running SOV operations.
He was a suspected double agent,
but it appears he hightailed
it back to Germany
before he could be unmasked.
They covered it up at the time.
Double agents. Bad for
morale. And it stayed covered.
Is that why Kath
Sharman was here?
Yeah. Yeah. That's right.
I was, uh, I was hoping she
could help me with my research.
Flight logs and stuff.
Waste of time sadly.
Apparently, 40 years
plays havoc on the memory.
Look, if that's If
that's everything
A Reverso?
Yeah. That's right.
It was, uh, it was a
wedding gift from Jane.
When I was a kid, I
saw John Mills with one
in Above Us the Waves.
It might just have been the
coolest thing I'd ever seen.
Right. Okay. Well, uh
Well, look, I, uh, I
really do have to go.
What?
Unbelievable.
I don't know why,
I don't know why ♪
I guess these
things have gotta be ♪
I gotta a new rose,
I got her good ♪
Don't forget,
the Batrawdans are
coming for lunch.
And they're bringing Henrietta.
I'm not marrying
Henrietta Batrawdan.
-Why not? She's a lovely girl.
-Or anyone else.
You have to marry
somebody, Alexander.
You know, if you're so worried,
why don't you
concentrate on Honor?
Last time I looked, she
was very much single.
Because you are next in line.
God forbid the De
Floureses die out.
Right?
Would it be so terrible?
You might want to
tidy yourself up.
Well, she can't
confirm Ned's story.
She wasn't in that day.
But she did say that Anthony
had kicked up a fuss before.
And then generally,
he was a right divvy
who needed taking
down a peg or six.
So there's that.
Right. You coming?
-I might have something.
What?
There was a note about
MGM in Anthony's house.
Of course I know Mr. Bowness.
He comes in every
couple of months.
Buying or selling?
Selling. Is there a problem?
I'm afraid Mr. Bowness
was murdered.
The day before yesterday.
Jesus.
Sorry.
When was the last
time you saw him?
Uh, a couple of weeks ago.
He brought this in.
Luigi Loir, from about 1863.
-Very nice.
-And you're sure it's genuine?
Of course.
I have each item individually
appraised and verified.
And Mr. Bowness' paperwork,
the provenance and such
like, was always excellent.
He was a pleasure.
Mostly.
-"Mostly"?
About six months ago,
he, um, started to be
more pushy on the price.
He got quite aggressive,
saying he needed to
make more from the deal.
I mean, really, who's the
one with the overheads?
Did he say why he wanted more?
I just thought he
was being greedy,
which surprised me
because he never struck me
as the greedy type.
It felt wrong while Mum
and Dad were still alive,
trying to find my real parents.
Disrespectful? Sort of.
You didn't want to
hurt their feelings.
They gave me everything.
But it's like
there's this blank.
I mean, looking
at all this stuff,
and last night,
when people were telling me
all those stories about Dad,
I realized how little I know.
-About?
-How they came to adopt me.
I mean, I know they came
here in 1947 from Norfolk.
They didn't tell
you anything else?
Just my father died
before I was born.
And my mother, you know,
they weren't married,
so she couldn't
Not in those days.
And beyond that
You know, if you start digging,
you might not like
what you find.
He was right.
Anthony didn't seem
the greedy type.
If enough money is involved,
I find most people
are the greedy type.
-Cynic.
-Probably.
I really thought we were
gonna find something,
you know, concrete that would
-Blow the case wide open?
-Yeah.
It doesn't work that way.
Mostly it's just spaghetti
against the wall.
You throw it, watch
and see what sticks.
Scales are falling from my eyes.
Sadly, the eureka moment
doesn't happen very often.
I imagine it's pretty
good when it does, though.
I'll let you know.
Do you think they'll
want to talk to me?
Of course they will.
So just stick to the
story and we'll be okay.
But why would they think we
had something to do with it?
Because anything bad,
someone always thinks we
had something to do with it.
No one likes us, son.
That's just the way it is.
They never have.
They never will.
So we look after our own.
Always remember that.
Do me a favor. Take
a look at this.
Oh. It's Anthony's.
It was on him when
he was killed.
We can't make head
or tail of it.
Can I hang on to it?
Sure, if anything
leaps out, let me know.
Well, I can't
promise, but, uh
Spaghetti against the wall, eh?
Yeah.
Sir, the preliminary
forensic reports are back.
Oh. It's fine. Come on.
Well, they found traces
of lateral meristematic
and dermal tissue in the wound.
Plant matter.
-Plants?
-The stem, apparently.
Uh
The secateurs.
-Sorry?
-This is the flower room.
The secateurs are kept
here without fail.
Stella insists.
So where are they?
Well, if the secateurs
were the murder weapon,
they could be anywhere.
I doubt the killer
hung on to them.
But it makes it all spur
of the moment, doesn't it?
If you intend to kill, don't
you bring the weapon with you?
So who knew they were there?
Any member of the
church, I imagine.
Wasn't a secret.
Well, then that's where we're
gonna find the killer, Daniel.
In your congregation.
Afternoon.
Um, probably about four hours.
He hasn't changed either.
Bishop, I didn't
know you were coming.
A flying visit.
Your mother's been
taking care of me.
Spilling the beans
in all sorts of ways.
-Has she? Indeed?
-Most enlightening.
My lord. You are too kind.
Much as I'd love to
hear more stories,
time and tide.
Will you excuse me?
I think the study now, do you?
So how are you?
Bearing up. Thank you, Bishop.
It's a heavy burden
you're carrying.
I'm dealing with it.
What else can you do?
Indeed.
Still, there's a
lot of publicity.
Something like this, it's
bound to attract attention.
People talk.
Even though it'd be
better if they didn't.
What would be better is if
they didn't have anything
to talk about in
the first place.
Well, I'm sure we all wish
there hadn't been a murder,
but, uh
I'm not talking
about the murder.
I'm talking about ill-advised
photo opportunities.
My visit to the AIDS patient?
Well, it's a it's
a delicate situation.
But seeing their vicar
mixing with people like that,
it's upsetting the congregation.
I'm sure you understand.
I'm beginning to.
Good.
Then I'm confident that's
the end of the matter.
Do thank your mother for me.
I particularly enjoyed
hearing about your childhood.
It's always nice to
get a bit of context,
don't you think?
That was fun, wasn't it?
Well, you could have
tried a bit harder.
-Why?
-I don't know, good manners.
Because it's important to Pa.
What's the matter, Alex?
The police nosing
around, asking questions.
Well, that is sort of their job.
The thing is,
you can't choose what
secrets get out, can you?
You'll be okay.
They just want to
find the murderer.
Anything else is irrelevant.
I'm going up to the house.
I thought lamb chops tonight?
Whatever you like.
Well, this is where Anthony
did a lot of his research.
This was his hiding place.
There are records here of
the house and the village
that date back to the 1700s.
I mean, it's Yeah,
there's all sorts.
Yeah. Feel free to
have a poke around.
Huh. A church.
May I take this?
Yeah, help yourself.
Oh, my goodness.
That's us me and Anthony.
God, I didn't know he had this.
Is that you riding the horse?
Yeah, I used to
ride all the time.
Mm. Wow.
Did you know he
was writing a book?
No.
No, that's the first
I've heard of it.
Maybe you could try
to get it published.
Kind of a legacy.
Yeah, I'd like that.
And now you're
giving me a heartache ♪
Fools game ♪
It's a shame, shame ♪
It's a heartache
and I feel the pain ♪
Bernard, can you explain
how I saw this painting
for sale in a gallery
just a few hours ago?
Hmm.
Well, Anthony was He
was quite clever, really.
So we have a, um,
you know, a fair collection
of paintings here, and, um
Well, he was careful.
It was only the middle-
to low-ranking ones
that he had copied so as
not to draw attention.
But how did he convince the
gallery owner they were genuine?
Because they were.
The copies are
are hanging here.
You see, it's not illegal
to copy a painting,
only to pass it off as
the genuine article,
which, of course, he didn't do.
So the only person
he defrauded
Was me. Yeah.
Alex told me that
you'd had a row
with Anthony at the open day.
Is that what it was about?
-Yes.
One of the visitors been
looking round the house
and he'd seen the painting.
Told me there was an
identical one in the gallery.
So I contacted the
gallery and they told me
where they got
the painting from.
Then I confronted Anthony
and said I was gonna
go to the police.
-What did he say?
-He rather called my bluff.
He said I wouldn't tell anyone
because I didn't want
to risk a scandal.
And, of course,
well, he was right.
Amazing, really.
You know, after everything
I'd done for him.
Instead of being
grateful, he just
He resented it.
I imagine you were pretty angry.
Damn right I was.
-The bishop was nice.
-Hmm.
Very smart car he's got.
-Does he?
-And a chauffeur, too.
Actually, it's the gardener.
He doubles up when the bishop
wants to make an impression.
He's a powerful man, Daniel.
And I think you should
do what he says.
I couldn't help overhearing.
Through the door.
Just keep your head down.
Don't rock the boat.
I see.
And even if I think
You have a nice
life here, Daniel.
A beautiful church, friends.
A roof over your head.
Don't mess it up.
And what if I think
the bishop is wrong?
What do I say to those people
out there who are all alone
and who need someone right
now to be by their side?
You're right. I do
have a nice life.
But it comes with a
commitment, doesn't it?
To do what's hard because
it's the right thing to do.
Shouldn't that be what
the church is for?
I remember when
it was the miners
and you were there
on the picket line.
Now it's the homosexuals.
You have an admirable
commitment to helping others.
Thank you.
What a shame it didn't
extend to your own family.
Thanks for the chops.
I've been looking so long
at these pictures of you ♪
That I almost believe
that they're real ♪
I've been living so long
with my pictures of you ♪
That I almost believe ♪
That the pictures
are all I can feel ♪
Ned, supper.
I'm, uh, just cleaning up.
Remembering you,
fallen into my arms ♪
Crying for the
death of your heart ♪
You were stone
white, so delicate ♪
Lost in the cold ♪
You were always so
lost in the dark ♪
Remembering you
how you used to be ♪
Slow drowned,
you were angels ♪
So much more than everything ♪
Hold for the last time,
then slip away quietly ♪