Alleyn Mysteries (1990–1994): Season 2, Episode 3 - Scales of Justice - full transcript

𝒯𝓇𝒶𝓃𝓈𝓁𝒶𝓉e 𝓊𝓃𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓉 E𝒩𝒢LI𝒮H

Walter…

Walter?

Why are you crying?
Are you hurt?

It's my hands!
They're all warty!

Show me

Show me your hands, Walter

They're all mucky

Put your hands in the water

Don't be afraid

The water will
wash them clean...



.. if you believe

I'd be grateful if you could
send the manuscript to me here

Yours faithfully,
Emily FitzAllen Pride

Now, a letter to
Dundas & Critchley

Solicitors and
Commissioners for Oaths

Dear Mr Dundas,

I agree that what is taking
place at Portacarrick,

the report of which
you sent to me,

constitutes unwarranted
commercial exploitation,

for which permission has
neither been sought nor given

I'll go, Miss Pride

It's from Portacarrick

Shall I open it for you?

Yes, please, Miss Godwin



This way, sir

Good. Thank you, Chief Inspector

For all your help

Perhaps I shouldn’t tell
you this, but Cairo

pronounced themselves
more than satisfied

All part of the service, sir

Oh, by the way, I managed
to intercept these

before they were forwarded

to the Canal Zone.
Personal stuff

Oh, thank you, sir

Officially you're with us
till the end of the month

Shall I tell Scotland
Yard that you're back?

Er, no. Damn fool idea, I agree

I have the report to
write, sir, and...

Well, I have promised someone I'd
write it in congenial surroundings

Wise man

- Care for a drink?
- Thank you

I am writing to you on a
matter of some gravity

The fact is, my life
has been threatened

Last year, when my sister died,

I inherited some
property in Argyll,

part of Portacarrick town,

as well as the island lying
off it in Carrick Loch

As an English landlord I expected to
inherit a certain Celtic resentment

However, of late, resentment
has turned into threat

I do believe someone in
this idyllic backwater

means to do me harm

Cissie?

- Hello, Angus - Hi, Cissie

- Always something, Angus - Aye

- Always something - Aye,
it's a lump of a building

I'll be going over on the afternoon boat,
then, Major. I'll be back about five

She's coming here

Another damn ultimatum
from London

She's coming here

She shouldn’t come here.
She's not welcome here

It won't change our plans.
We'll still catch the train

I'll just pick you up at
Gerard's in an hour or so

The train leaves at five

Who is this woman, anyway?

Emily Pride. She
was my instructor

Oh, yes?

I owe her a great deal. She...
helped me during the war

I'm sure she did

She taught me colloquial French

And how many other women do you
have tucked away in your past?

Oh, lost count

Mind you, not many of 65

Well, why the urgency?

Her life's been threatened

Miss Emily

There you are, Roderick

Where have you been?

Three years ago, on
Portacarrick island,

some poor child had his warts cured
by washing them in a pool there

Such cures are a
known phenomenon

He also claims to
have had a vision

of a lady in green

Unfortunately some press
reporter got hold of it

The newspapers went to
town, as you can imagine

Now the place is being commercialized,
vulgarized beyond belief

And I won't have it

- Can you stop it?
- My solicitor tells me I can

I've no objection to
people visiting the place

in the superstition
they can be cured

What I object to is its
being sold to people

as some sort of
quasi-religious rite

Look at this

The Poems of Elspeth Cost

An Ode To The Pixie Falls

Ye plashing Falls,
their secret own

Iron and water, earth and stone

Pixie Falls. Ye gods

My sister tolerated
such nonsense because

she claimed the water
cured her headaches

No doubt she believed it

She died six months
after her cure,

so she can hardly be claimed as one
of its enduring triumphs, can she?

Miss Emily

Miss Emily, please. How has
your life been threatened?

This is the latest one

Come and have a cup of tea. There's
something I want to show you

- Angus?
- Ah. Good day, Miss Cost

I see the Major's
had another letter

Aye

From London

Aye

- The woman's coming here.
- Really? When?

The day after tomorrow.
That's what she says, anyway

I see

Then we’d better be reedy
for her, hadn’t we?

What is it?

A mystery

And that's the point

We can guess, that's all

Just as we can only guess
at any of the riddles

surrounding the Celtic religion.
We don't know

Why did you want me to see it?

Because I take the
past seriously

I value it

The cult being cooked up at
Portacarrick is a pernicious fake

I won't have money being made
out of people's gullibility

- I won't - I can
appreciate that but...

You don't actually have to
go to Portacarrick, do you?

Oh, yes I do

Suppose this person really
means to do you harm

I'm quite aware I should
take steps to protect myself

What would be
adequate protection?

There's no such thing

I think a gun is the answer

What?!

You could obtain a permit for
me and give me some instruction

I'm not going to fiddle a
firearms licence for you

I'm certainly not going to teach
you to be quick on the draw

Why not?

Please. Don't go

Tea

There's a simple solution
to all this, of course

What's that?

You could come with me

I'm sorry, I can't

Why not?

I have a report to write

For someone who's not exactly disgraced
himself in the Intelligence service

you're very transparent
sometimes, Roderick

Am I?

It's understandable, I
suppose, that you prefer

the youth and, no
doubt, the beauty

of this so-called report,

to the concerns of your old
teacher, however serious they are

That's emotional
blackmail, Miss Emily

On a former comrade in arms

Perhaps one is cruder where
one's own concerns are at stake

The solution, as
you say, is simple

Don't go. Let your
lawyers deal with it

Then, when I get back, we'll go
through their reports together

and hammer out a plan

It's a long time now since
you and I formulated plans

That would be nice

We'll do that, then, shall we?

I'd forgotten how persuasive
you can be, Roderick

I must go

By the way, my report...

she's called Agatha Troy and
she's an artist, and...

I'm impressed. You must, of
course, not let her down

I do have a report to write

You've got a most fetching tan

You don’t look so bad yourself

Behold

Oh, very lovely

For walking the wolds in the
footsteps of Girtin and Turner

Not working for you,
watercolouring for me

- When do we leave?
- 20 minutes ago

If you've managed to
sort out your friend

I think I've done
extremely well,

considering she's the most stubborn
woman in the whole universe

Apart from you, of course

Damn. Not this time
in the morning

Patrick?

I thought you were
going to meet Jenny

Yeah, right, Mother.
I'm getting up

Margaret?

He's not addressing
his ruddy troops

Please. He's got so many
responsibilities running this place

For God’s sake, it's not my fault.
He's not my father

- Are you still in bed?
- Yes

Don't be so damn cheeky

What's the matter, Keith?

- It's that Cost female
- What about her?

She's downstairs

- Could you...
- Yes. Of course

Bloody woman

So, you're agreed,
then, Mrs Ballantyne?

Council of War for the interested
parties here this evening

Yes, about five o'clock. I'll tell Keith.
You know how involved he likes to feel

Yes, quite

Well, if you tell Major
Ballantyne, I'll tell Dr Nairn

Oh, have you seen the Doctor?

Yes. Just a check-up

My asthma's gone

Pixie Falls saw to that

Oh, good

Well, if you're sure

It's no bother

I make it my business
to tell Dr Nairn

Your business. What
isn't your business?

- Good morning - Good
morning, Miss Cost

Mrs McBride

Put one of those in
MacPherson's window

Thank you

Alistair?

It's that wretched Cost female

A vulgariser and a
pernicious gossip

- There's to be a meeting - Good

Well, I'll get on with my sermon

On what?

Worshipping false idols

Aye. Well, good

And no compromise, Alistair

Jenny!

Jenny!

A lot's changed

- So have you, Jenny
- I should hope I have

I'd be disappointed if two years in Paris
hadn’t rubbed off on me one way or another

Come on

The boat leaves for the
island in 20 minutes

and it'll bring you
back in the afternoon

I shall pray for you

Perhaps today will bring
us another miracle

Perhaps. We don’t expect,
we only hope, Mr MacPherson

That is the voice of wisdom

Bless you

I shall pray for you all

You make sure those kitchens are fit for a
surgeon to operate in, if you don't mind

More pilgrims?

Will that be the last of them?

Aye, that's the question

She's coming here,
Provost, from London

Every one of my guesthouses depends
on this damnable Englishwoman

She could close
Portacarrick down

It won't do, will
it, Mr MacPherson?

It won't

Meeting tonight at five

- Yes, in the back room
- Thank you very much

- Hello, Jenny - Hello, Dulcie

- Minister - Good evening

- Dr Nairn - Jenny

- What's all that about?
- Council of War

Because Miss Pride’s coming?

Not everybody’s
against her, surely?

- Nearly everyone
- What about you?

Good afternoon

You mustn't give an
inch, MacPherson

- Who's he?
- The Provost of Portacarrick

Come to defend commerce?

That's it

I do hate it, you know, all this

- Sherry, Mr MacPherson?
- Oh, yes, please

Bloody rabbits

So, Miss Pride

She'll be staying
here at my invitation

The question is,
what we say to her,

what we present her with as a body.
Yes?

Absolutely, yes

Good. So, as the whole thing
began with a miracle,

perhaps we should start
with you, Minister

- With me?
- Yes

I think we’d all like to hear the fact that
you don't deny the truth of these cures

You don’t deny them, do you?

No, I don't

I thank God for them

- Good - Thank you, Minister

For them. For them in themselves

But it's... Well...

It's all the rest. All the um...
fiddle-faddle

The publicity and the
subsequent commercialisation

That's what Alistair
objects to, quite frankly

And so do I

May I ask a question,
Mr Cruickshank?

Please

Our Lord performed
miracles, did he not?

Yes

Did he perform them out of
the sight of other men?

Was he ashamed of them? No

On one celebrated occasion more
than 5,000 people were present

The gospel writers
wrote about them

- Publicity, you see - What?!

I have been plagued with
asthma most of my life

And now I'm cured

Why should others not benefit?

Why should we not
spread the word?

I'm sorry, but it won't
wash, Mr MacPherson

Oh, won't it?

Our Lord did not
set up turnstiles

He didn’t sell 5,000
brass tokens to people

to go and collect
their bread and fish

Besides which...

Yes?

Och, it doesn’t matter

What were you going to say?

Never mind, never mind

I'm sorry, Mr MacPherson,
but there it is

I don’t think you
can take that line

Oh, can't I?

This is the livelihood of
the people of Portacarrick

Exactly! And very
laudable, I'm sure

Just don’t bring God into
it, if you don’t mind

All right. All right

Now, where have
we got to so far?

Dr Nairn, what does a
man of science say?

I'm keeping out of this

Oh, that's very helpful.
Come off the fence!

Are they cures or
are they not cures?

Major, if you want
answers, ask the patients

If they feel better, fine. A
remission of symptoms, fine

Cures are more
difficult, I'm afraid

My God

I am cured

For 30 years I've suffered

You examined me yourself
this afternoon, Dr Nairn

Clear as a bell

Come along, Doctor. You said so

There has been a significant
remission certainly

In other words, a miracle!

Bloody jargon

Witchy woman

Witchy woman

You see? You can do it

What?

Do you realise I've never
seen you relax before

Mr Alleyn, excuse me. There's
a telephone call for you

Here we are, sir

Hello?

Oh, Mr Alleyn, I've
found you at last

Miss Godwin? Is anything wrong?

Miss Emily's gone to Scotland

To Portacarrick. By herself

From what she told me, I
felt sure that you thought

she wouldn't

Wouldn’t you care for someone
to accompany you? Surely...

Certainly not. I shall, however,

require admission
to the enclosure

Of course

Tokens

No, no, no, no. That's not necessary.
Please take as many as you like

I should like seven, please.
There's seven shillings

No, it's not necessary

I would be obliged if you
would take the money

Thank you

I hope you walk
over a bloody cliff

All gone. All gone

I'm sure it'll help

Hello. Miss Cost's just
slipped out for a minute

Oh, there she is now

This is surely hell itself

Oh, Cissie, I've just
finished the costumes for...

You have my letter, Miss Cost?

Yes...

Miss Pride

- You understand it?
- Of course

Your lease is due
for renewal when?

In three months

Well, you may have it again,
and on the same terms,

provided all this... goes

That is to say, anything
which advertises

the supposed properties
of the water in the pool

My work has been praised in
discriminating quarters, you know,

as a worthy continuance
of the folk art tradition

That is not the point

- It gives a lot of pleasure
- I dare say

Especially to the ailing

None of this is at issue

My work has been conceived
in a spirit of reverence

And you sell it

You do, don't you?

Yes, but...

Then you are advertising the
waters and profiting from it

And that is the point

But I myself am a living witness

Perhaps

And when the island is restored
to its natural condition,

nobody will be prevented from
visiting the little glen

I am, however, concerned with

the commercial exploitation
of people's belief

I won't have it. Is
that understood?

Yes

This festival of yours...

You can't stop us

Pixie Falls ground
is sacred ground

You be careful

You can't prevent people celebrating.
You can't prevent them

Besides, we have permission

The Provost

We have hundreds of people...

Hundreds of people coming

You...

This is your doing

Cissie

You wicked woman

Can I do anything for you?

Can I do anything?

No, I think it's best
that you leave her now

You may have your festival.
It'll be the last

But you may have it

This is the first time we've
managed a few days together

without something else
in the background

Since that phone call it's
been the same as ever

You've been like Jeremiah
with the toothache

I'm sorry. I just can't
get out of my head

that she might be in
some sort of danger

It sounds as if she's been
in danger all her life

She probably enjoys it

She's never asked
for help before

She asked for advice. You
gave it, she ignored it

Good night

She's badly shaken up

There's bruising, concussion
is a possibility,

strongly denied by
Miss Pride, I may say

These things can be
dangerous at her age

You're never quite sure
what might initiate

But she is an appalling patient,
so she'll probably be fine

She has been quite
awkward, actually

It takes vitality to
be that difficult

And practice

Indeed. I'll call
again this afternoon

Thank you for looking after her

It's been an education

Old lady better, is she?

I'm sure everyone will be
very relieved to hear that

She's not a popular woman,

but I'm sure no-one
wishes her bodily harm

Naturally I'm glad
you're here, Roderick,

and I am delighted to meet the celebrated
Miss Troy at last. Of course I am

I still don’t see why
this trolley business

should be considered sinister

It was probably an accident

How can you possibly know that?
You were warned it might happen

Nothing much has happened and
everyone's making such a fuss

I dare say it was a bit fussy
of me coming all this way

Perhaps I'll go back, shall I?

I've made him angry

Yes, I think you have

He's not tremendously fond
of overnight sleepers

Nor, indeed, am I

I didn’t mean he
was making a fuss

Or you!

It's just everyone else

Well, I'm not going back to bed

Will he insist I go back to bed?

I think he just wants you to
take his advice, that's all

Men always do

But I've got to a reasonably
advanced age by ignoring most of it

And you haven't got to
be doing what you do

by taking men's
advice, have you?

All I said was I think he looks
too nice to be a policeman

What on earth's the
matter with you?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing

I've got Roman law to learn

Was it something I said?

- Everyone's a bit on edge, I think
- You're telling me

Oh, I telephoned the
Doctor and he's very happy

to let Miss Troy
have the cottage

Thank you

- Hello, Dulcie - Jenny

You'll be Mr Alleyn

How do you do? I'm Dulcie Cruickshank.
The minister is my husband

- Pleased to meet you
- How's the patient?

- Impossible - Good for her.
That's the spirit

Festival of the Waters

- Do I take it you disapprove?
- Disapprove?

The wretched Miss Cost
is having a rehearsal

this afternoon for
this heretical rubbish

- Will you be going?
- Certainly

So will Alistair. We want to know
what tune the Devil is playing

- Morning - Morning

I think I've persuaded her
she shouldn’t leave her room

That's impressive

Miss Williams thinks she's
found a cottage for you

How nice

This is an experiment for us. We've
not let the old cottage before

Don't be shy telling us of
any inadequacies, will you?

- I'll try to be bold
- Excellent

You found Miss Pride
in good spirits?

Very defiant

I welcome her visit
on aesthetic grounds

I think what they've done
to the island is a disaster

Let alone the dubious morality
of selling hope to the afflicted

Let's hope it was
wise of her to come

So, you're convinced
it was an accident

Now, look. It is
an absolute rule

the trolley is chocked
up when not in use

I can institute
safety procedures

It takes one pea-brained
idiot to balls things up

It doesn't look like an
accident to me, Major

You're a bit posh for
a copper, aren't you?

I've met your type before

Swanky armored regiments, thinking
they're cavalry with horses still

I'm still a copper

Yes

I really don't think
this is a good idea

Please, Miss Troy, I
am perfectly capable

Ah! Mrs Ballantyne?

I would appreciate it if you
could find me an old cushion

Oh, yes, of course, Miss Pride

One doesn't know how long this
rehearsal of Miss Cost's might last

- Superintendent. Alistair
- Hello

- Young Mrs McDonald, is it?
- Aye, she's due any hour now

You'll have a new member of
your church by tomorrow morning

There's your man
from Scotland Yard

Superintendent Campbell?
Roderick Alleyn

I got your message,
Chief Inspector

You understand, I'm only here
as an old friend of Miss Emily

Very tactful, Chief Inspector.
Thank you

Needed to be said, I expect.
Now you've said it

Yes

And Miss Pride’s accident?

No accident, you think?

I tried the trolley. Somebody
must have aimed it at her

Any idea who might have done it?

Alistair, if the wretched woman is
going to be practising sacrilege,

of course you've got to be here

You have to see what
she's intending to do

It's her going on
about illicit sex

in the heather I can't bear

What am I supposed
to do about that?

Come on

Thank you

- Cissie, this is for you
- Right

Mind what you do with
that sword, James

Right, Walter, you know what
to do with that. That's right

Cushion

Thank you

Cissie, we're ready to start now

- Tell him - Wally

- Walter - Wally

You can do the music now

Come along, now

Cissie?

In the sorrow of his
disfigurement...

In the sorrow of
my disfigurement

To the Falls his steps he bent

To the Falls...

my steps are bent

There to cool his sorrow's fever

as he knelt beside the river

There to cool my sorrow's fever

as I knelt beside the river

Kneel, Walter

"Be not afeared,"
sayeth the lady

"Be not afeared,"
sayeth the lady

Bright she was, and pure

Leave your hands in yonder water

it will effect a cure

So, in the sparkling
waters blessed

I washed my poor, warty skin

When I awoke from
night's sweet rest,

gone was my disfiguring

Miss Cost! Wally! Come on!

Barbarians

Filthy barbarians

This is sacred ground

You defile it with your presence

Your filthy practices will
be punished, believe me

I...

.. will... punish... you

I will...

punish...

I will...

I'll be just down the corridor

That is quite unnecessary

Nevertheless, that's
where I'll be

You still think I shouldn't
have come, don't you?

You think this is
some whim, don't you?

How little you know me

It is much, much more

Good night, Miss Emily

Good night

Oh, dear

And you've still got
a report to write

- That reminds me - What?

Oh, nothing much

For you. From Egypt

Thank you

One can't go to Egypt and come
back without a dung beetle

No?

The dung beetle gets a
small piece of dung,

rolls it up a slope, lets it roll
down again till it's a perfect sphere

Ancient Egyptians thought a
great dung beetle in the sky

did the same thing
to the sun every day

How entirely reasonable

A scarab, you mean

Oh, Rory, it's beautiful

With the sun in its claws

It's perfect. Thank you

I... think I'd
better catch my boat

I think perhaps you’d better

Emily?

Superintendent, I
found her out there

All I've done is dragged
her out of the water

I never thought
anybody'd be mad enough

to take it this far

What's happened? Miss Pride?

No

My God!

Miss Cost

But why are you so angry?

I ask you not to come up
here in the first place,

I ask you to take the most basic
precautions, you ignore me

But here I am

I slipped out to put up
a notice, that's all

Then I went for a walk.
All is well

All is not well.
Someone's been killed!

What?

Who?

Miss Cost

And she was almost certainly killed
because she was mistaken for you

A direct result of your
most incredible obstinacy

Yes, I see, well...

You've made that very clear

- Rory, what's happened?
- Miss Cost...

Patrick?

What's all this about?

The Inspector was only asking
me to look after Miss Pride

I made no promises

I know that

- It's not that - So what is it?

Elspeth Cost is dead

That's what he told me

They think she was
murdered, you know

- How do you know?
- God, everything's such a mess

What is?

- It scares me rigid to think what...
- What?

I don’t know

I don’t know!

That's the trouble.
All guesswork

Here I am. Rules of evidence

- Teaching myself to respect evidence
- Evidence for what?

There's no evidence

Forget it. It's nothing

Overactive adolescent
mind, probably

Sorry

Sir?

Any footprints up there?

We’d better not confuse
the ground any further

Sorry

- We shouldn’t be tramping about up here
- No, I suppose not

Sir!

Possible murder weapon

Witchy woman

Witchy woman!

You're very good at that, Wally

Did you throw a stone
at Miss Pride?

It's a secret

Notice is given that the
owner of this property

wishes to disassociate herself

from any claim that
may have been made

for curative properties
of the spring

She also gives notice
that the property will be

restored to its natural state

She's not scared of sticking
her neck out, is she?

She could teach a
giraffe, believe me

Mind you, it just confirms what we've
both been thinking, doesn't it?

That somebody might have thought that Miss
Pride was standing under that umbrella,

not Miss Cost at all

Oh, yes

When did she put this
up, do you think?

This morning

Somebody tore it down

The beads!

She...

She must have come up here
to get her glass beads

What's the matter, lass?

She lent them to me to
represent the waters

If I hadn’t have dropped
them yesterday, well...

.. none of this would
have happened, would it?

I'll drop by, see her later on.
OK?

Doctor?

Any thoughts on time of death?

8... 8.15

Look, I saw Miss Cost earlier

She was headed up this
way from the shop

- When was this?
- It would be about 7 o'clock

I was on my way over
to young Mrs McDonald

She was having a baby. It was
a nice easy home delivery

I was hardly needed

Did you see Miss Cost again?

No, I finished at 7.30,
went back to Portacarrick

Did you see anybody else?

There was the McNabb boy, Wally

He was running around pretending to
be an aeroplane, as far as I remember

Do you have any idea, Doctor,
professionally, on Wally?

Well, I'm not qualified, but...

No, sorry, I'm not qualified

What would happen to
him, do you think, if...

I doubt he’d be held
responsible for his actions

That's not a professional
opinion either, by the way

Ladies and gentlemen

Please! Ladies and
gentlemen, please

I do understand your frustration

The police are investigating
something very serious

A leading member of the
community has been killed

Until the police have finished
their inspection of the site,

I'm afraid it's...

- What's happened? Do you know?
- No. Only that she's been killed

- Patrick said you’d spoken to the police
- Not really

Is he all right?

What a horrible business. What
a wretched, horrible business

I hope you will bear with us.
Thank you very much

I heard nothing in the night.
Nothing

I've always slept well

Nothing has ever disturbed my
sleep or spoilt my appetite

You haven't forgiven me,
have you, Roderick?

No

Why not?

Why don’t you tell me the real
reason why you came up here?

My sister

It was my sister

She was cruelly exploited

She was an innocent. She was a
good person, I was simply clever

How was she exploited?

She had a malignancy,

which was operable

She came here

That ridiculous Cost woman
persuaded her to stay

Stuffed her head with
nonsense about the pool

By the time she returned to London
her condition was no longer operable

Miss Cost filled her
with false hope

She killed my sister

I'm not sorry she's dead

You’d better not express
that opinion anywhere else

I'm prepared to shout
it from the rooftops

No, please don’t

They hate me

Yes, I'm afraid they do

I'm still determined to stop it

No-one is going to profit
from another tragedy

such as my sister's

You're a very brave woman

That's why some of us love you

I want you to do
something for me

I don't want you
to leave this room

Promise?

Please, don’t let anyone
into her room. Anyone

- Unless it's me, of course
- Of course

- Troy will relieve you later
- OK, that's fine

Thank you

God

- Inspector Fox?
- That's right

Welcome to bonnie Scotland

Let me out!

I'm locked in!

Chief Inspector, I've done
something dreadful, I'm afraid

I've locked her in

She appears to be trying
to smash her way out

I could murder her

The very man

Mr Alleyn is putting you in
protective custody, ma'am

He says - begging
your pardon, ma'am -

that you were the best
teacher he ever had

and he doesn't want your
death on his conscience

And what's more, I
don't want him to have

your death on his conscience

This is Constable Menzies

He has strict instructions
from Mr Alleyn

as to what you may or may not do

Good evening, ma'am

There you are. Lovers' Hollow

You could say it has
connections with the victim

- Really? You surprise me - I could
show you the station log book

Miss Cost was always complaining
about disgusting behaviour

The lads at the station called
her Old Mother-Never-Had-It

Sir!

Sir!

Excuse me

Excellent. I wonder
what he was doing here

- Who's that?
- The tippling major from the hotel

He smokes those like a chimney

Perhaps that hoof
print will confirm it

- I'll take a cast of that
- Good man

I'll leave you to it

There you go, Major

What do you think,
Miss Williams?

I think Wally'll have
told Miss Troy the truth

He's a very literal boy.
Not devious

Something's troubling
him, though

God

What, Miss?

If Wally were involved,
I'm just thinking what

a pointless mess it would be

His life's blighted
enough as it is

He can't be ruled out on
those grounds, I'm afraid

Thank you

Now...

Let's assume, just
for the moment,

that Miss Pride was the
intended victim, not Miss Cost

Where does that lead us?

Miss Pride threatens
to close the pool

Whose livelihood is affected?

First of all, I suppose the Ballantynes
- the Major, wife, stepson

They appear to have put their
life savings into this... pile

Who else?

Dr Nairn

He runs a private nursing home

He must benefit from these
boatloads of invalids

Nearly all the tradesmen were
doing well from these visitors

Aye. MacPherson's coining it in

He's got three
guesthouses and a chippy

What about the McNabbs?
Wally and his father

I'd say they have a
very great deal to lose

Miss Troy was able to befriend
young Wally this afternoon

Wally admitted he was on the
hillside early this morning,

and that was confirmed by
Dr Nairn's sighting of him

Wally says that he didn’t see Miss Cost,
but says that he did see Miss Pride

He also admitted to throwing
a stone at Miss Pride

He says, however, it
was the "ither" day

and it was a "wee yin",
which didn’t hit her

Whatever that means

Anything else?

Yes

This word was cut out of the front
page of last week's Sporting Chronicle

What it said was: Death
of favourite at Ayr

Good

Called to the bar already?

Excuse me. Mrs
Ballantyne, I wonder,

could you spare me a moment?

Yes, of course

What were your relations
with Miss Cost?

She was an interfering busybody

Lonely people often are

Lonely?

You didn’t know Miss Cost

Mrs Ballantyne, I think there are a
lot of lonely people on this island

I was just thinking
that perhaps Miss Cost

invented the story
of the green lady,

embroidered it, if you like,
because she was lonely,

to give her life some meaning

I always thought it was a
lot of old damn nonsense

Oh, the cult was nonsense,
of course, but...

.. the green lady was real

Wally's a simple lad.
He tells the truth

"She wore a green dress
and she was beautiful"

It was you, wasn't it?

Patrick thinks it's
me that's changed,

but it's not

It's everything

Look at him now

He and Margaret used to be
so thoroughly sane and nice

They really did

I think they took on too much...

For God’s sake, Mother, anything
would have been better than this

I know what's going on.
I'm not blind

Oh, Patrick. Do you think
I'm the first woman

to get tired of being
pushed around by a drunk?

- Who made him into a drunk?
- Well, not me

I didn’t want it to happen

It was that stupid woman

That poor, stupid woman

Miss Cost?

Do you want to know
what made him a drunk?

His conscience

His own guilty conscience

Sir?

Yesterday morning?

The morning Miss Cost was killed

Oh, in bed. Awful night

Much consumed

Rabbits

Do you have a licence for that?

- What?
- You need a firearms licence

Oh, it's my pistol.
Service issue

I know that, but the war's over, Major.
You’d better get one

Yes. Yes, of course

You smoke a great
deal, don't you?

Care for one?

Thank you

I tell you something, I
thought of joining the police

when I left my regiment

Took up this damn
poodle-faking instead

Well, there you are

Listen, old boy, I feel I ought
to warn you what they're saying

- They?
- In the cottages down in Portacarrick

Not that I agree, necessarily

- What are they saying?
- The two women hated each other

Old Cost and Miss Pride

Miss Pride was there

Probably blames Cost
for her sister's death

That's what they say

Can't get away from it.
She was there on the spot

Hanging up her damn notice

Well, you should know.
You were there too

You went to the Falls

- No - I put it to
you that you did

Absolutely not

Are you calling me a liar?

What were your relations
with Miss Cost?

Who the hell do you
think you are?

Sticking your nose in like
some bum-sniffing dog

Well, that certainly gives
me some sort of answer

Oh, does it, just?

Are you a sporting man, Major?

Yes

And I see you take The
Sporting Chronicle

This was my wife's
idea, Chief Inspector

Don't be so wet, Alistair

Tell him

It's about Miss Cost

But I'm sure you've found
out for yourself, Inspector

She was a...

You see...

She set her cap at every man of
her age and class in the district

- Including Alistair - I
don't know about that

I do. I saw her off

Then Dr Nairn gave
her short shrift

After that she tried an accountant
on holiday from Dunfermline

I believe our local librarian even
was honoured with some attention

Did she succeed with anyone?

- We think she may have
- Oh, Dulcie

Alistair! She's been killed.
It's important

We think she had an
understanding with the Major

- An understanding?
- But that's not the point

The point is, the way she
was obsessed with sex

She was always
complaining to me about

people making love up
there in the heather

She'd quote time, date, place

She quoted times?

Oh, yes. She went
looking for them

She was a voyeuse

She collected them

Sir?

Well, well

Inspector Alleyn

- I have that postmortem report for you
- Thank you

- Any surprises?
- No, no. Not really

- Time of death?
- 8, 8.15

Pretty much as you thought

By the way, would you say Miss Cost was...
sexually obsessed?

Well, that was certainly
her reputation

I know this is difficult, because
he's probably a patient of yours,

but exactly what time did you
see Wally playing aeroplanes?

7.45. I was back on
the mainland by 8

o'clock. It would have
been about quarter to

Asphyxiation following
cranial injury

Sir, can I have a word with
you for half a minute?

Excuse me

I found the key to it hanging
from one of the bedsprings

The first two and a
half are proper diaries

But in the third...

Just look

Very cryptic

Times, dates, initials

Looks like a game book
at a hunting lodge

And in this instant, the
game was courting couples

She didn’t just write about them,
she took their pictures as well

Crikey

Lovers' Hollow

Any distinguishing features?

Well, you’d have to be a foot
fetishist to recognise this one

Bailey, that last diary...

When does it end?

- Last month - Last month

Was there a later one? Is
that what they were after?

Could anybody have found that?

I can't see how, sir

No sign of any forcing,
or even trying

- Anyway, why not take the lot?
- Exactly

So, if the intruder hasn't got
it, where the hell is it?

7.20. Miss Emily leaves the hotel
followed by Major Ballantyne

7.25. Miss Emily hangs up
her notice at the enclosure

Major Ballantyne
hides behind rock

Excuse me

- Morning - Morning

- Troy!
- Rory

7.30...

Go on

7.30 - Miss Emily leaves.
Major removes notice,

chucking it in the mud

Still 7.30, Mrs Dulcie
Cruickshank arrives

at McDonald's cottage
to assist at birth

7.35 - Major Ballantyne
returns to hotel

So he says

In brackets "own account"

Close brackets

Still 7.35: Dr Nairn comes
out of McDonald’s cottage

He sees Wally McNabb

7.45 - Dr Nairn heads
back to the mainland

Arrives 8 o'clock

Still 8 o'clock. Mrs Cruickshank
leaves McDonald's cottage

and heads for hotel

All right if I start here, sir?

The diary... it's in the post

The damn thing's in the post!

Bailey!

Rory, those timings...

.. they don't make sense

Four days now and
still no asthma

Blessed, blessed waters

I saw him at the hotel tonight

He kept looking at me

He stared at my ankles

I was sitting above the Falls

I was feeling the
magic of the water

and then she came out
from behind a boulder

in a green dress

I could hear a man laughing. I
couldn't see him, but I knew

I knew all the wicked
desecration of it!

I am shocked, horrified and sickened
by what I've seen this evening

My hand shakes

But I must write it down

At last I shall speak

I shall tell her... he
could have loved me

I'll make them suffer. I shall
drag their names through the mire

I shall send this to
the proper authorities

Now. Tonight

I am determined

This isn't the end

People are so stupid

Do you know what
they're saying now?

The latest money is that Miss Pride
took a lump of rock to Miss Cost

I think the latest money's in
for something of a surprise

- Hello, Dulcie - Oh, hello

I promised Miss Emily
a return match

Two sessions in one day? You're
a glutton for punishment

Oh, I enjoy a good opponent

Do you need fortifying?

Maybe I do. She's terrific

Rory?

Enter

Yes, Roderick?

Miss Emily, I owe you an apology

You do? Why?

Miss Cost wasn't killed because
she was mistaken for you

She was killed because...

Because she was Miss Cost

- You bitch!
- For God’s sake!

These are private premises

Get out!

Not just yet, Major

Patrick, you're a lawyer

Hardly

Would you say that this fight
is connected in any way

with the death of Miss Cost?

Patrick. How can it be?

Perhaps that's a question that I
should properly put to the Major

What the hell do you mean?

Are you saying I did
away with Elspeth Cost?

First things first, Major

I'm saying it was you who
threatened Miss Emily Pride

You who caused her
grievous bodily harm

And you who followed her to the
Falls that morning. Didn't you?

I was in the bar

Tell him

You smoke too much, Major

Cheroots at breakfast time

You were at the
Falls, no question

But did you go to
kill Miss Emily?

Or did you go to kill Miss Cost?

You're better than I thought

There doesn’t seem to be
any way out, does there?

I thought this was all about
plain, straightforward greed

A stubborn old lady who nearly got killed
because she dared stand up to greed

and grasping vulgarity

There was greed, of course, but there
was also good old-fashioned lust

And Miss Cost, I'm afraid, was...
consumed by it

Wasn't she, Major?

I didn’t touch her

But you met her that
morning, didn't you?

She'd gone to collect her
beads from the Falls,

and she confronted you

A lonely, bitter woman
who you had cast aside

Perhaps she provoked you

Told you things about your wife
you'd rather not have known

Walked away. She was ranting

I didn't touch her

No, you didn’t

No, the man who killed her

was the man she was in love with

Obsessed with

The man she followed

Spied on

A man she grew to hate

because she watched him commit
adultery with another woman

You think this has some bearing
on the death of Miss Cost

Mrs Ballantyne, Miss
Cost was killed

because she threatened to expose
the lover of the green lady

Rejected, she turned
on the man she loved

She would ruin him,
professionally

She had times,
dates, photographs

She put them in the post to
the General Medical Council

She told you what
she meant to do,

so you followed her to the Falls

and you killed her

It's hardly possible

She died between 8 and 8.15.
I left the island at 7.45

Back on the mainland
by 8 o'clock

Troy, could you tell us,
please, exactly when you

saw the Doctor on the
morning of the murder?

I was doing a watercolour

I'd set up by the quayside

I'd just laid a
wash on and I knew

I had ten minutes
before it dried

I heard the clock,
checked my watch

It was 8.30

That's when I saw you return

She can't have seen me at all

She had her back to me

Oh, yes, I did

I saw you reflected in the
windscreen of a parked van

It was 8.30 exactly

8.30, Doctor

That's half an
hour on the island

unadmitted, unaccounted for

He was with me. He was with me!

I'm sorry

Come along, now, Doctor

Don't make it worse
than it already is

Don't come any closer

Come along, now, Doctor

I mean it, Alleyn!

Rory!

Rob?

I'm sorry

You know, Roderick, I'm not convinced
I should have come here at all

I think perhaps I should have
done it all through my solicitors

What do you think?

Well, of course, I did
get one thing right

Who would want to kill me?

Goodbye, Miss Troy.
And thank you so much

Roderick, are you sure you won't
accompany me back to London?

I can't, Miss Emily

I still have that
report to write,

and Superintendent Campbell
has asked me to stay

Did the Superintendent
really ask you to stay?

Did I say Superintendent?

Can't think what came over me

Must have been
someone else I meant

Well, I'd like to stay on

But I don't expect you to

I don't expect you
to do anything

I know you don't

I think that's one of
the many reasons why...

Will you marry me?