Father Brown (2013–…): Season 2, Episode 7 - The Three Tools of Death - full transcript

Please.

No.

ELECTRICAL BUZZING

GUNSHOT

BUZZING

BUZZING

Oh, dear.

My condolences on your wife.

One day left and you
could be joining her.

IMITATES GUN

..Bid thy holy angels welcome her



and lead her home to paradise.

Let her not undergo
the pains of hell

for she put her hope and trust in me

but establish her in that bliss
which knows no ending.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord grant her eternal rest.

Shooting your own mum...

imagine it.
HE LAUGHS

It was an accident.

Bunch of in-breds.
Deserve everything that they get.

Talking of mothers...

I'll be seeing yours tomorrow -

collection day.

Father.



I have offered myself to
Sir Aaron.

Really?

With Miss Alice back home,
he'll need help taking care of her.

How kind of you.

It's the least I could do.

Did you see the marks
on her temples.

Marks?

Reminds me of John XXI.

It is said he believed
that hysteria could be cured

by eating roasted rodents.

How little we have moved on.

Alice?

Talk to me.

Peter, would you be so kind as to
take Alice to the car.

Of course.

How is she?

Well she's still very
disturbed by it all, Father.

She's blocked a lot of it out.

Understandable. Still at least
the police investigation is closed.

The police inspector confirmed
that Alice's gun WAS faulty.

But still she blames herself.

What does the hospital say?

Well, they believe they can make
her better

with this new electric
shock machine of theirs.

Are you thinking of readmitting her?

She's so very withdrawn.

Sir Aaron, can I be of any help?

Well, I think some
spiritual guidance may help.

Mm, I don't think she'd come to me.

Why don't you join Mrs McCarthy
at the house this evening.

I'll see you this evening.

Magnus, would you fetch Miss Alice's
things from the hospital, please?

Oh, and...

and her shotgun
from the police station.

They no longer need it.

Sir Aaron, I was wondering if...
Not right now.

It won't take long...
I said not now.

Time's up.

Oi, Father Dopey,
watch where you're going!

Toffee? You what?

Apparently chewing's
good for anger.

You're a fruit cake!

And a very good day to you too!

What are you doing up there
Mrs McCarthy?

Wasn't my idea.

Well, how could I sit up at front

and leave the Holy Mother
balancing here on the back?

Let me help you down.

It's a wonder I'm alive at all.

He drives like a madman.

Well, there's gratitude for you!

Yes, but you do!

Sir Aaron.

Are you all right?

Oh, it's nothing,
I slipped down the bank.

Silly old fool.
Well, let's go in, I must change.

Who was that man?
Was he a friend of yours?

No, no, no,
he was just asking for directions.

KNOCK AT DOOR

Miss Alice, it's me,
it's Mrs McCarthy.

I'll be right down.

GUNSHOT

They did everything together.

What about yourself,
how are YOU feeling, Sir Aaron?

Well, you know what they say -
life goes on.

I'm a practical man.

I don't believe in indulging
in one's own misery.

Ah, Peter, come and join us.

I'm too busy, I'm afraid.

First class secretary!
Doesn't know how to relax.

Sir Aaron, may I speak with you?

You know, if it wasn't for him

the Housing Trust would have
collapsed long ago.

And sterling work your
charity does in Kembleford.

Yeah, a pity the Catholic Church
doesn't donate towards it.

Now now, Peter. Now now.

Excuse me...What is it you want?

Cheeky little upstart.

I rather like him.

It's Alice. I barely recognise her.

Oh, well,
it's going to take some time.

No, no, no, it's not that,
it's what they did to her.

Now, Peter... You can't send her
back there, you can't.

Can't?

Who on earth do you think
you're talking to?

Look, I'm sorry, I'm just worried...

Just a little too worried
if you ask me.

Is that really such a bad thing?

Am I so unsuitable?

I should have seen it! Sir Aaron...

Well, now you leave me no choice.
I can't have you living
under the same roof as her.

After everything
I have done for you, the Trust.

And you think that
entitles you to...

You have abused my hospitality.

I want you packed
and gone by the morning.

I was just going to check on Alice.

There's no need, Father.

No need.

I'm just going up.

Alice?

Please speak to me.

I only ever wanted
what was best for you.

Joan of Arc.

What?

What you let them do to me.

It's like being burnt alive.

Good night, Mrs McCarthy.
Good night, Father.

Good night, Sir Aaron.

Good night, Sir Aaron,
God bless you.

Going somewhere?

So you think you can help Alice?

I'll do my best.

The last thing she needs right now
is to be force-fed religion.

Alice was baptised a Catholic by me.

Of course! Get them while they're
young, eh, Father?

Atheist.

BANGING

Alice.

Please may I have your gun?

Thank you.

Your father says you're having
trouble with your memories.

Are you doubting what happened?

No.

I know...

I killed Mummy.

The gun was faulty.

But I'm still to blame.

Ever since I was little,
it was drummed into me,

never point your gun at anyone.

So why did I point it at my mummy?

Why? Perhaps if you went
back into the clearing.

No.

I could come with you.
I said no!

Alice...

Oh, where are you off to now,
Father?

And what are you hoping
to find under there?

Oh! Oh!

He was certainly hit
with some force.

The back of his skull
is completely caved in.

Oh, well, look who's here.

Keep searching for the weapon.

Father Brown.
I don't think it's hidden.

I'm sorry? I think the weapon's
under your feet.

He hit the ground there.

So...

the killer bound him by his hands,

threw him out the window,
and then proceeded to drag his body

under the brush.

I'll show you up.

Ah, very kind.

Looks like he put up a fight.

But why, when he was
thrown out of the window,

are there three tools of death?

Rope, knife, gun.

You can leave the detective work
to me, thank you, Father.

Empty.

Motive, but no suspect.

A little slow off the mark
for you, Father.

The chauffeur's gone AWOL -
drove off late last night...

in Sir Aaron's car.

Ah.

Like I said.
Leave the detective work to you.

Precisely.

He was such a lovely man,
so generous.

The ladies at the institute
used to call him Father Christmas.

He was tied up?

Yes, his hands were bound.

But...

Alice.

There you are.

Miss Alice, I thought
you should know that

we've found your father's car
in town.

Magnus must have left it there
and fled.

After all Sir Aaron did for him!

No-one else would even employ him.

I thought he was
a reformed character.

An innocent man wouldn't flee in the
victim's car and then go on the run.

He's always been very trustworthy.

He's also an ex-convict
with a history of firearms.

Alice...

I think we should talk. Actually,
I need you at the station

to look at the mug-shots of the man
you saw in the lorry.

Surely that can wait.

No.
He could be working with Magnus.

I'll be back as quickly as I can.
I'll take care of her.

THUMP
Oh!

PICKS OUT TUNE ON PIANO

I hate crucifixes.

Now...

I ain't never cut up
a priest before,

but there's a first
time for everything.

Unless...

you keep shtoom to the
coppers about seeing me.

Deal?

No.

Listen, I'm deadly serious.

All these silly threats.

Silly threats? I'm a vicious killer!

You're scared,

you're scared of being hung
for a crime you didn't commit.

Too right!

If the coppers know I've been round,
they'll fit me right up!

But if you confessed your sins
to me here and now,

I'd be duty bound to
keep shtoom, wouldn't I?

How'd you know I was a Catholic?

You said crucifix not cross.

How about it? Act of contrition?

Well, I don't know.
I mean, there's so many

and, well, I've been
a very naughty boy.

I keep seeing him. Who?

Daddy.

Tied up like an animal.

Alice, don't.

Why haven't they arrested
Magnus yet?

I can't take it any more.

It'll get better.

Make it go away,
make love to me again.

Peter?

It's not that I don't want to.

It just feels like I'm taking
advantage. That's ridiculous.

After everything that's happened,
it doesn't seem right.

To make love to a mad woman,
you mean?

That's not what I'm saying.
I'm not mad!

Alice... Don't touch me.

You're just like everyone else.
That's not true.

Prove it.

Look, Alice...

Come on, prove it.

Then Wednesday, I repossessed
all of Mr Bedford's furniture.

He was in that tin bath.
when I called.

Thursday, went
and worried Jed Bosworth -

he's falling behind
with his payments.

Yesterday? Yesterday...?

Yesterday I went and put
the frighteners on Sir Aaron.

And that's all!

Toffs are always the worst,
you know.

He owes a fortune to every
building contractor in this county.

Anything else?

Then I went and paid his
chauffeur's mum a visit.

Mrs Magnus.

Did you hurt her?

No!

Just had a strong word!

Her son came through, paid all her
back rent and the interest.

And then of course
I knocked you off your bike.

Ego te absolvo ab omnibus
censuris, et peccatis

in nomine Patris, et Filii,
et Spiritus Sancti. Amen. Amen.

What, is that it? No penance?
Nothing on me knees?

Rocking horse?

Oh, yeah, went and collected it
off some kid.

Only decent thing in the house.

Mum had fallen behind with her loan.

So you took her child's toy?

You absolve sins, I collect debts!

That's what I do, mate!

Oh, sorry about your bike.

Don't you want your crucifix?

You can keep it.

Nutty as a fruit cake.

What you looking at?

Father?

Hello?

Mrs Magnus, haven't seen Father,
have you?

No, sorry.

Oh!

Oh, that hurt.

He can't have got far,
you take this side,

I'll start here, every door.

Ignore them.

Father.
Been looking for you everywhere!

(Found out Magnus was
hiding in the church.)

Have you told the police?
Do I look like a grass?

Anyway, he clobbered me
and scarpered.

He did it, didn't he?

Well, it certainly looks
as if he stole the money.

What have you done?

Poor old faithful Bucephalus,
rest in peace.

I'll see what I can do.

Mrs Magnus.

Father, I suppose
you've heard the news.

Yes.

I can't believe he's gone back
to his old ways.

When was the last time you saw him?

Er, this morning.
He stayed last night.

But I've no idea where he is now.

Well, if you do see him again,

tell him to meet me at the barn
at the Armstrongs at 8:00pm.

Meet you?

I won't turn him in.

Better to confess to God
than to the police.

KNOCK AT DOOR

Mum!

Alice, I know you're scared,

but I'm not going anywhere.

You think I'm pathetic.

No, I think we should wait, that's
all, out of respect for your father.

Look, if it wasn't for him,
I'd still be a farm hand.

Before I went to hospital,
you'd have married me.

Mrs McCarthy,
why are you hiding in there?

Fornication.

I caught them at it once already.

I see.

And I will not let Miss Alice be
taken advantage of for a second time.

Keep up the good work, Mrs McCarthy.

Father,
we were beginning to get worried.

Speak for yourself.

I'll see you back at the house.

Daddy's favourite spot.
I can see why.

So what's it going to be
this time, Father?

A sermon about grief?

Don't tell the Bishop, but I'm not
very keen on sermons - too boring.

Do you still have gaps
in your memory?

Yes.

But I meant what I said, I'm
not going back to the clearing.

What are you afraid of?

The truth.

Perhaps I'm not supposed to remember.

An experienced shot does not
aim their gun by accident.

You're saying it's intentional?

I don't know what to think any more.

Maybe I am sick in the mind.

It won't last for ever you know -
this self-loathing, it will pass.

And be replaced with what?

He loves you. Does he?

Is he my saviour?

And what about God?

Where does he fit in all of this?

Where do you want him to fit in?

I don't know if I believe any more.

But if he does exist,

it's rather evident he's turned
his back on me, don't you think?

He'll be there...

when you want him most.

I like you, Father, I always have...

..but you're an idealist.

Magnus, it's Father Brown.

Magnus.

Magnus?

So...can you help me, Father?

Hopefully, if you tell me the truth.

I heard you paid
your mother's back rent -

that was an awful lot of money.

It's not what you think.

Sir Aaron let me take the car
last night to go and see her,
I was worried.

When I got in, there was an envelope
of money on the driver's seat.

It had my name on it,
I was sure it was from Sir Aaron.

Why didn't you tell the police?

Well, I heard this morning
he'd been robbed and murdered, I...

I got scared.

With him dead and me with the
money...

You'd be the main suspect.

Exactly, why would I kill him,
Father?

I mean, he was good to me.
Then who did kill him?

I wasn't the only one
in the house with a motive.

Peter?

So he could marry Miss Alice.

I wasn't thinking of him.

Since killing her mother,
she's not been right.

She adored her father.

Not after what he did...

the electric shocks.

Know anything about these?

Magnus, this is Inspector Sullivan.
You told them!

No. I know you're in there.

Magnus, what are you doing?

Give yourself up. I'm not swinging
for something that I never did.

Magnus, no!

Stay where you are.

After him, go on!

Argh!

How did you know where to find him?

I saw you talking to his mother,
so had you followed.

What's happened?

We've arrested Magnus.

And broke his arm in the process.

It was his own fault, resisting
arrest. Are you all right?

Of course she's not all right.

These thugs are out there
attacking people.

Talk about a police state.

Oh, Godless and a communist!

Look, despite certain people's
intuition that Magnus is innocent,

the facts say otherwise.

Yes, well, the money from the safe
was left on the seat of the car,

so Magnus may have been framed.

Framed?

I hardly think that's
the money that was stolen.

No, I found them by the lake.

In the ashes of a fire.

Why would someone
want to burn old coins?

Old coins turned into buttons.

Magnus' jacket?

Solid silver.

Think Magnus can afford
a jacket like that?

No.

But I could.

They're from the blazer
I bought you.

The one you wore last night.

Did I?

And you've been near a fire.

Why would you burn your jacket,
Mr Royce?

I...

I just did.

Well, why?

Alice... Peter?

I'm sorry. I knew it!

Were you disposing
of incriminating evidence?

Answer him.

Answer him!
What was on the jacket, Mr Royce?

Blood?

No. How could you?

How could you!

Peter Royce, I'm arresting
you on suspicion of murder.

You are not obliged to say
anything unless you wish to do so...

OK, OK! Alice, I love you.

..whatever you say will be
taken down in writing and may be
given in evidence.

Will you be letting Magnus go now?

No. I suspect they
were in it together.

Together?

Explains your three tools of death.

One had a gun, the other a knife,

tied Sir Armstrong up
with the rope,

robbed him, killed him. Simple.

Except that he wasn't tied up
with the rope.

It was the cord from
his own dressing gown.

They adapted their plan.

Using cord to bind someone's wrists
is much easier

than using a thick piece of rope.

Is he ready to go?

Father Brown has decided
to stay a little longer.

Nobody tells me anything.

Sid.

Have you mended my bicycle
already?

Nah, lost cause,
threw it in the canal.

Anyway, I hear the murder's
been solved.

I think Magnus is innocent,

which means there's still too many
tools of death for one person -

a gun, a knife, and a rope.

Now it's important
that you eat something.

When I think how
that monster deceived you.

Well, I suppose that's
where atheism gets you.

Now, you make a start on that
and I'll go get the tea.

Looks like you were wrong. Sorry?

Peter's not my saviour.

Perhaps you're wrong
about other things too.

Alice, I know how it must seem...
Save your breath.

God doesn't exist.

Do you really believe that?

I've been awake all night,

waiting for some guidance,

for him to answer me.

As always, nothing!
What were you asking him?

If you wanted an answer,
there must have been a question.

What was it, Alice?

Whether I should go to the police

and confess.

It's my fault that
they didn't catch Peter sooner.

I lied to the police,
I withheld information.

About your father's death.

The night he was killed,

I went to apologise
for upsetting him

about my treatment.

But I found him tied up.

Was he alive?

He was drunk.

I went to get a knife
to cut him free.

Ah! Daddy, who did this to you?

No, Alice, Alice...

Look, I'll explain everything
tomorrow.

Just tell me...
I must ask you to leave.

..how long have you been there?
Just talk to me.

Don't say anything to anybody,
will you? Please don't.

I don't... Alice, please!

I must ask you to leave.

Please.

Alice...

..sorry.

That's all that happened. I swear
I wasn't there when he was murdered.

So why'd you keep
it from the police?

Peter said the police would never
believe something so outlandish,

that they think that I had something
to do with his murder.

And you believed Peter?

I was scared, Father.

Scared I'd have to go
back to that hospital.

You don't know what it's like.

Oh, Alice.

Too farfetched to be true,
if you ask me.

Too farfetched not to be true.

If Peter threw Sir Aaron
out the window,

why would he tie him
to a radiator first?

That don't make sense. No.

Unless he tortured him.

Sir Aaron wasn't tortured.

Oh, what an idiot I've been.

Peter was trying to restrain him.
Restrain him?

He wasn't trying to kill him,
he was trying to save him!

From who?

Rope.

Chipped paint.

Gun.

Gunpowder.

It was his gun.

Peter came in
he was intent on killing himself,

Sir Aaron, no, no!

Leave me alone. No, please!

No! Let me die.

Give me the gun! Give me...!

So Peter had to tie him up.

And later, when the ropes were
cut...

He jumped.

So, Daddy wasn't murdered?

No.

Would you wait for me, please, Sid?

You've got five minutes.

You've come to read me
my last rites?

Why would I? You're innocent.

HE TUTS

I'm sorry?

Sir Aaron really did leave
that money for Magnus, didn't he?

Always the philanthropist.
His final act of charity.

Before he ended it all.

You know?

It wasn't your fault.

HE SIGHS

Yeah...

yeah, it was.
I never should have left him.

Why did you?

After tying him up, I...

I waited for him to fall asleep.

I went to get a bottle...

to steady my nerves, and
keep me going through the night.

'I was only gone a few minutes.'

'Why did he kill himself?'

'Grief?'

Debt?

He owed thousands.

It was all in his suicide note.

What note?

I burned it.

So, let me get this straight,

after he jumped, you tied him up,

and dragged him under a bush
to make it look like murder?

I had to protect Alice!

Blaming herself
for her mother's death,

it almost destroyed her.

If she knew that cutting the ropes
caused her father's death as well,
then...

She mustn't find out anything,
Father!

Father Brown!

'I've killed the ones I love.'

'My life's become a...haze, a blur.'

I'll go round the side!

'I'm sinking.'

Alice!

THUNDER RUMBLES

Alice!

'Suffocating.

'Beyond help.'

'Forgive me.'

WATER SPLASHES

SID PANTS

Come on!

Oh, we're too late, Father!
We're too late!

Alice, can you hear me? Alice?
She's gone. No.

No. Alice, don't die like this.

God is here. He's with you.

Alice? Can you hear me? Alice?

SHE SPLUTTERS

Yeah! Yeah, yeah, yeah!

SHE COUGHS

That's it, that's it, that's it!

Good girl!
It's going to be all right!

SID CHUCKLES

SHE GASPS

GUNSHOT

SECOND GUNSHOT

SHE GASPS

THEY SIGH EXHAUSTEDLY

You warm enough? Hmm.

And how are you feeling today?

I'm not sure, really. Erm...

relieved...that it wasn't my fault.

But I can't stop
thinking about Daddy.

If I hadn't have cut that rope

and sobered him up,
he'd still be here.

Peter, what exactly did the note
that Sir Aaron left behind say?

Just that he was sorry.

For Alice not to worry
about his debts.

Why would he say that?

Well, I guess he knew
his debts would die with him.

He transferred the estate
into Alice's name last week.

So, his suicide wasn't a drunken
moment of madness or despair.

He would have killed himself
the next night, or the next,

or the next.

Your father's death,
like your mother's,

had nothing to do with you.

He planned it.

Thank you.

CAR HORN BEEPS

Ah! Excuse me.

Have you come
to give me a ride home?

Better than that.

Ta-dah!

SID CHUCKLES

HE GRUNTS

Did you honestly think
I threw it in the canal?

Thank you, Sid.
Yeah, just don't break it this time.

Race you back!

THEY LAUGH

CAR STARTS

HORN BEEPS

And off we go again.