Father Brown (2013–…): Season 9, Episode 3 - The Requiem for the Dead - full transcript

Have you fixed that squeaky gate
yet? Not yet, Mrs McCarthy.

Well, chop, chop.

How are we getting on?
You're doing a lovely job.

That's nice.

Mrs Simpson.

Yes, Mrs McCarthy.
A dandelion. OK, I'll sort it.

Mr Gracy? Clear that up.

Now, Father, is this bench
going to be dry in time...

Oh, Mrs Banks.

I was just telling Mrs Banks about
our recent spate of vandalism.

Don't get me started.



I only hope that the hoodlums are
caught before our judges arrive,

otherwise all our efforts
will be in vain.

I'm so sorry.
If I'd known you were coming...

It's fine. So what do we get
if we win this "Best Kept Village"?

We get the satisfaction of living in
a place we can be very proud of.

Not to mention beating Hambleston.

Ah. So nothing, then.

No. It can't be.

Mrs Banks.

Sidney. Go with her.

What is he doing here?

I'll have a word.

Ned. You ought not to be here.
I've told you, now get gone.

Good riddance is all I can say.



All right, the show is over.
Come on, everyone, back to work.

Dad, there's three motors out there
need doing by lunchtime.

Forget it.

Daniel?
What's happened?

She's had a bit of a shock.

Ned Hannigan. He's in the village.
Ah, Dad. Don't be stupid.

Stay with your mum.

I'll go.

Which emergency service
do you require? Police.

Someone's about to get hurt.

I don't need an escort, Father.

I have a duty of care
to all my parishioners.

Where will you go?

Somewhere no-one knows my name.

I think you'll be surprised at how
many people do know your name.

The Maggie Banks case
was national news.

Where is she?
John, come on, mate.

Last chance, Hannigan.

Tell me where she is
or you're a dead man.

Mr Banks, put that down.

He has to tell me where he hid my
daughter's body.

HORN HONKS

No!

No! Oh...

All right, you two, break it up.

That's enough.

You be quiet, you're good at that.

All right.
You're coming down the station.

Inspector Mallory.
Just look. Ruined!

Do you have any idea how much time,
how much effort,

not to mention the expense?

Perhaps we could discuss this later,
Mrs McCarthy?

Right. Let's get that cleaned up.

I was just a kid
when I was arrested.

14 years inside, not one fight.

Out five minutes and this happens.

I'm not one to condone violence,

but the Banks family
have suffered a great deal.

Thought I could slip in
without anyone seeing me.

Didn't expect half the village
to be there.

I didn't mean to upset anyone.

And yet you continue to withhold
the whereabouts

of Maggie Banks's body.

I don't understand.

It's not too late.
I could hear your confession.

I already confessed.
I've been punished.

You confessed to the police.
What about God?

Have you asked Him for forgiveness
for the sake of your immortal soul?

Look, I'm late. I've got to go.
Thanks for that.

Late for what?

Wait.

Where is he?

Ah, morning, Inspector.

I'm afraid I don't know.

Mr Hannigan has taken his leave.

Good. Let's hope that's
the last we see of him.

The orphanage sent him
to work on Mr Gracy's farm.

Boarding out, they called it.

Child labour, I call it.

Whatever. Anyway, apparently at some
point he got friendly

with Maggie Banks.

Then one day they went off together
and she never came home.

What happened?

Nobody really knows.
Police found blood in the woods,

and on Ned Hannigan's jacket.

But from the moment he was arrested
he never said a word.

Except to plead guilty to murder.

They were dark days
for Kembleford.

Best left in the past.

Oh, all that needs clearing up.

Where is Mr Gracy?

Well, isn't that just perfect.

Disappeared.

Daniel.

Is my Dad with you?
No. Police took him to cool off.

Although I'd have thought he'd been
released by now.

Oh. Speak of the devil.

Where have you been?
Where's your mum? Kitchen.

Sorry about him.

No. You've all been under
tremendous pressure.

I better get back to work.
Loads on and it's just me, so...

If you need a hand, let us know.

I know my way around an engine.

She's gone. What?

Yeah, pan boiling over,
the back door's wide open.

You're supposed to be looking after
her. Yeah, I've been working.

If you hadn't left me to do
everything.

Let's calm down.
She can't have gone far.

Mrs Banks? Mrs Banks?

Maybe we should head back.
They might have already found her.

Mr Hannigan?

Possible murder weapon here, sir.

Bag it up.

Could that be a fingerprint?

Where?

There.

Somebody get me a magnifying glass.

Yes, sir.

What were you two doing out here
in the woods anyway?

Right. Well, excuse us if we don't
shed any tears, won't you?

Of course. However,
under the circumstances,

I'm afraid I need to take your
fingerprints.

For elimination purposes.

Of course.

And I have to ask, Mr Banks,

where did you go after leaving
the police station this afternoon?

Straight home.

And that's when you realised
Mrs Banks was missing?

We went immediately
to look for her.

Thank you.
Your testimony is not required.

And when you were looking
for Mrs Banks,

did you see Mr Hannigan?

No.

Did you see anyone else?

No.

And when you returned,
Mrs Banks was here?

You were here all along,
weren't you, love?

I was in the greenhouse.

I don't know why they didn't think
to look in there

before getting all worked up.

You left a pan boiling over
to go to the greenhouse?

Yes. Silly me.

I completely forgot about it.

No harm done.

Is there a reason
you're still here, Padre?

After all that poor family
has been through,

it should be little wonder if one
of them finally snapped.

We mustn't jump to conclusions.

Here, isn't it true that Mrs Banks
did time in the loony bin?

She spent time in
a psychiatric hospital,

if that's what you mean.

I thought that's what I said.

Look at this.

There's an inscription in it.
"To Ned. From Gracy".

So?Well, this was only published
last year.

He surely hasn't stood by him
all this time?

When he was here earlier,

Mr Hannigan said that he was late
for something.

For what, I wonder?
I don't know.

But he clearly had
an appointment to keep.

And Banks's garage isn't the only
property that borders the woods.

Gracy's Farm.

But Mr Gracy told him
to leave Kembleford.

We all saw that with our own eyes.

He told him to leave the church.

We don't know what else was said.

Thanks, Inspector.

If we think of anything,
we'll let you know.

I think they believed us.

How often did you visit him?

Couple of times a year maybe.
Kept it quiet, like.

Didn't think people'd understand.

At first I thought maybe
I could get him to talk.

But he never did.

He weren't a bad kid.

I know how that sounds
after what he did.

What was he like? Young Ned.

He was easy going, sociable.

Bit of a clown sometimes.

He had his quiet days too, when
he was more serious, thoughtful.

But he was always very polite.

And he worked hard.

Maggie Banks was smitten with him.

You knew they were spending time
together?

I did see 'em sneaking off.

I didn't see no harm in it. If I'd
have known what was going to...

It wasn't your fault.

Yeah, well.
You tell John Banks that.

The last time you visited him
was just before he was released?

Yeah.

Did you offer him
a place back here?

No. He wouldn't have accepted
even if I had.

He knew he could never come back.

And yet he did.
What changed his mind?

I've no idea.

Do you know anyone who might have
arranged to meet him?

No. As far as I know, I'm the only
one who ever visited him

in 14 years.

Except...

Except?

That last time I went, there was one
other name on the visitor's log.

Daniel.

Daniel Banks.

SCREAM

Mrs Banks?

There. He was there.

Who?

Ned Hannigan.

Maybe I should telephone
Dr Gilbert?

No. Please.

If anyone finds out about this,
they'll put me back in that...

That place.

Besides, if Daniel and John
are left alone together,

who knows what'll happen?

Why? Do they not get along?

John's...stuck in the past.
In his grief.

He can't see beyond it.
Daniel has no patience for it.

But, then,

he's never even cried
for his sister.

Well, Grief affects us all
differently, I suppose.

Daniel thinks we can all move on.

Hannigan's dead.

But his answers have died with him

and I don't know how John's
going to cope with that.

And you? How are you coping?

Apart from seeing dead men?

I found it helped
to plan the funeral.

For when we finally found her.

It made things feel more...real.

I was going to fill the church
with flowers. Maggie loved flowers.

I remember.

I remember her picking the heads off
Mrs Fortesque's sunflowers.

I suppose that's it now.

There really won't be a funeral.

I'm really sorry I wasn't a better
friend to you back then.

When she passed.

I suppose I just didn't know
what to say.

But if there is anything I can do
now to make amends, anything at all.

HORN HONKING

Oi, road hog! Get out the way.

Sidney! Mind Father Brown!

What is it?

Mrs Banks, I'm arresting you
for the murder of Ned Hannigan.

It's open and shut, Padre.

I don't want any interfering.

Has she confessed?

No.Then it's hardly open and shut.

As a father, I'd happily turn
a blind eye.

But, as a police officer,

I have no choice
but to charge her with murder.

Not that it's any of your business,

but that fingerprint
on the victim's watch,

made in his blood,

it was hers.

You know she has a history of...

They won't hang her.

Just send her back
to the nut house.

I'd like to see her, please.

I know how it looks, Father.

But I didn't do it.

Tell me what happened.

I saw him through the window.

Why did you run after him?

I...

I wanted to know if he was real.

What happened in the woods?

Mum?

Did anyone see you?

Right, come on. Let's get you home.

He was dead when I found him,
I swear.

I believe you.

And I promise,

I will get to the bottom of this.

And about time. Well?

She's been charged.

I have to go back to the Presbytery

for my weekly telephone call
with the Bishop.

Sidney, would you be so good
as to arrange a visit

with Mr Daniel Banks?

OK.

According to Mr Gracy,

Dan visited Ned in prison shortly
before he was released.

Why on earth would he do that?

I don't know.

But do you remember when we arrived
at the garage

shortly before we knew
that Mrs Banks was missing?

Yeah, I remember.
He was heading out.

I assumed just to look for his dad.

That's what I assumed.

But what if what we saw
was him coming back.

Coming back from where?

Is it possible
that Daniel Banks arranged

to meet Ned Hannigan
on the day of his release?

Is that why Ned came back
to Kembleford?

Leave it with me.

She grows for all
the flower shows, you know,

Chelsea, Harrogate and so on.

And she says she has far more
than they need,

so with any luck, fingers crossed...

Listening to him
going over and over it,

where the blood was found, where
there was a sign of a struggle,

where they were going to dig next.

Year after year after year,
it was enough to drive anybody mad.

I thought Hannigan being dead
would put an end to it,

but it's just made things worse.

Is it true you went to see him
in prison?

Who told you that?

Only once.
When I heard he was getting out.

I didn't want him coming back here
upsetting Mum, winding Dad up.

So what, you went to see him
to scare him off?

I told him if he came back here,
my dad would kill him.

I only meant to scare him,
I never thought...

Listen, Dan.

If there's something that
you know than can help your mum...

Dad told Mallory he came straight
home from the police station.

Right?

I rang the station
an hour before that

and they said he'd just left.

It's a ten-minute walk.

So where was he?

I don't know.

I went looking for him,
but the next time I saw him was

when you were there and he came
walking out the woods.

Nothing appears to be missing.

Has any of this vandalism
taken place in Hambleston?

No, as far as we're aware
it's been limited to Kembleford.

I knew it. Sabotage.

They're trying to jeopardise
our chances of winning

the Best Kept Village.

I'll take the theory
into consideration.

Wait. Something has been taken.
A plate of my scones.

They were there. Freshly baked.

I'll get on to Scotland Yard
immediately.

It appears we have a master criminal
on our hands, Goodfellow.

Perhaps a cup of tea.

Thank you.

What's going on?

Oh. When did that happen?

Have you spoken to Daniel Banks?

Yeah, but it's not him
you want to be talking to.

It's his dad.

I was just walking.

In the woods?

It's where I feel closest to her.

For 14 years, I wondered what
I would do if he came back.

How I would force him
to tell me where she is.

Well, now it's happened, and
I realised how foolish that was.

Because he's never
going to give her up.

And then I knew there was one
last thing that I had to do.

Start again.

From the beginning,
every inch of the map,

every section until I find her.

And what if you don't?

Oh, she's in there somewhere.

Perhaps that is enough?

And just leave her? No!

It was my job to look after her
and I let her down.

Because I wasn't paying
enough attention.

What about the child you still have?

He may be a man now
but he still needs you.

Perhaps now more than ever.

PHONE RINGS

S'cuse me.

Hello.

Yes, that's right.
Banks's garage, yeah.

Yeah, um, Tuesday's fine.

Yeah.

About noon.

What if...

Look. Mrs Simpson's contact
from Harrogate came good.

Isn't it wonderful?

Yes, remarkable.

What if the reason Ned Hannigan
never revealed

the location of the grave is that
he doesn't know where it is?

OK.

There are two key pieces
of evidence against Ned Hannigan.

Mr Gracy's testimony that he saw him

and Maggie Banks go into
the woods that morning.

And the blood-stained jacket,

that Mr Gracy found
in one of his barns.

So it was Gracy's word
against Hannigan's?

No, Ned Hannigan never claimed
to be innocent.

He pled guilty in a court of law.

But perhaps he took the blame
on behalf of somebody else.

Somebody he was loyal to.

The only person who ever showed him
any kindness.

Inspector Mallory.

I am here for an update on
the robbery at the Presbytery.

Do you have suspects?

Mrs McCarthy, it's not a robbery
if nothing was taken.

My scones were taken.

Nothing of value.

Which were on one
of my best China plates.

A family heirloom, as it happens.

Now I am going to give you
a full description.

Notebook.

You've got five minutes.

Right. You start that side,
I'll start this.

Oh, there was just one other thing.

The destruction of
the village flower display.

An unfortunate accident
in the line of duty.

Oh, indeed, and one I'm sure
you wouldn't want

the Kembleford Gardeners'
Association to pay for.

Now I have a breakdown here
of all the damaged plants

and their estimated value,
which we can go through together.

Oh, and I'm sure we can reach an
appropriate financial settlement.

Mrs McCarthy, if you wish to make
a complaint in writing,

then, please, be my guest.

But I'm a very busy man with
a lot of important work to do

and I really must insist...

Oh, indeed, indeed.
Very busy, important.

Thank you for your time.

Men working on the farm swore that
Mr Gracy was there the entire day.

So what does that mean?

It means Ned Hannigan
killed Maggie Banks.

And we are no closer to finding out
who killed Mr Hannigan.

Well, someone's lying.
We've just got to figure out who.

What on Earth is that?

No idea.

Apparently it was found in his
pocket at the time of his arrest.

It was in his bag.

Are they stars?

Gemini.

What if everyone is telling
the truth?

Mr Hannigan?

I want to talk to you.

You'll find me at St Mary's Church.
I'll be waiting.

FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING

Ned.

How did you know?

I telephoned the orphanage
this afternoon.

They confirmed my suspicions.

Ned Hannigan had a twin brother,
Bryn Hannigan,

who ran away after his brother
was boarded out.

They looked for him, of course,
but they never found him.

All these years,

you're the first person
to figure it out.

A few things gave you away.

Starting with the bandage, when you
took the bandage off your hand

and dressed your brother's,
you finished off with a knot.

Now I was trained to tuck in,
not tie.

And then there's your bag.

It's under your seat, by the way.

I presume that was what
you were looking for

when you broke into
the Presbytery.

A risky gamble,

until you consider that it contained
all you owned in the world.

Mrs Banks saw you.

Fortunately for you,
she didn't believe her own eyes.

And then there is
the wooden disc.

It's a curious object.

I believe it is
the constellation Gemini.

"The Twins", in Greek mythology.

Castor and Pollux inseparable
in looks and actions.

Bryn made it.

He was good at stuff like that.

It must have been very hard,

living like that for all that time.

Two brothers sharing one life.

Both answering to Ned.

Taking it in turns
to be invisible.

How did you do it?

Truth is we got used to it.

After a while, we stopped thinking
of ourselves as two separate people.

It was always, "Gracy told us to do
this," or "We forgot to do that."

You took equal responsibility
for each other's actions.

Which is why you ended up in prison
for a crime you didn't commit.

He was all I had, Father.

I'd have done anything for him.

How did he die?

He wrote to me when he heard
I was getting out of prison.

Said he wanted to meet in the woods
by the old tyre swing.

We were going to start a new life.

I had to know the truth
about what we'd done.

What he done.

It wasn't my fault.
I thought she wanted to, you know.

But then she ran off.
Fell and cut her leg.

Must have caught an artery
or something,

because there was blood everywhere.

She started screaming.

I tried to calm her down
but she wouldn't shut up, so...

So?

I did what I had to do.

You mean it wasn't an accident?

She was going to get us found out.
We'd have been split up again.

We did get split up again!

I panicked.

You weren't even supposed to be
with her. I know!

You were supposed to be keeping
out of sight. I know!

You left me.

I did you a favour.

Do you have any idea how bad things
have been for me

over the past few years?

Are you being serious?

You've had a roof over your head
and three square meals a day.

I had to go to war just to get fed.

Do you have any idea how bad
things have to get

before that
becomes your best option?

What did you do with the body?

There was an old well shaft
at the edge of the woods.

At least that's what I think it is.

A big deep hole with a wooden lid.

I found it one day by accident
so I knew it was there.

I put her in there
and covered it with branches.

Don't look at me like that.

I did this for us.
If she hadn't have screamed...

Wait, wait. Where are you going?

Where are you going?
I'm going to the police.

What?
I'm going to tell them everything.

Why? You have to pay
for what you did.

Get out of my way.
I can't let you do that.

You can't stop me.

Stop! Stop!

Why couldn't you just let it go?

Why?

And then you switched identities.

I realised that if everyone thought
Ned Hannigan was dead...

..I'd be free to go somewhere
else and start over.

Indeed, and yet you are still here.

I thought if I could give
Maggie back to her family,

it wouldn't make up for
anything, but...

You were looking for the well.

That's what you were doing
when Mrs Banks first saw you.

He said it was on the edge
of the woods.

I've looked the whole way
round, but...

You didn't find it.

No... No. I'm sorry.

Nora Banks has been charged
with your murder.

It's time to tell the truth
and set this right.

No-one's going to believe me,
that it was self-defence.

They'll hang me.

Maybe it's what I deserve.

God forgive me,

I killed my brother.

I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry for all of it.

Ned, are you ready to confess your
sins and ask God for forgiveness?

Yes.

The Banks family do not deserve
to suffer

any more than they already have.

And neither do you.

Perhaps there is another way.

Sergeant. Father.

Anything?

Perhaps if he'd handed himself in
to be questioned properly

instead of this ridiculous cloak
and dagger written confession.

I think he felt he'd been
punished enough.

Where is he, Padre?

I don't know, Inspector.

There's nothing here.
It's hopeless.

I'm sorry, we weren't able
to find her.

Well, at least we got some answers.

That'll have to do.
It's time to move on.

And I'm not going mad,
so that's good.

Indeed.

I remember the day this photo
was taken. We were in
Weston-super-Mare.

That's right. We went crabbing,

and Maggie caught that massive one,
do you remember?

She put it in the picnic basket.

And Dad put his hand in
to get a sandwich.

I forgot how funny she was.

Oh, love.

Oh, Son.

So, you're looking for a well.

The trees used to come
all the way out to here

but it was cleared for timber
in the '40s.

1939, this would've still all been
in the woods.

Here you go. Open it up.

Men.

# Abide with me

# Fast falls the eventide

# The darkness deepens

# Lord, with me abide

# When other helpers

# Fail and comforts flee

# Help of the helpless

# Oh, abide with me

# Swift to its close ebbs out
life's little day

# Earth's joys grow dim

# Its glories pass away

# Change and decay
in all around I see

# O Thou who changest not

# Abide with me. #

Inspector. Father.

Sergeant.

Mr Gracy.

Daniel.

Thank you. For everything.

Is there anything else I can do?

You can join us for a drink.

I think we can help you there.

Well, that was a lovely service,
Father.

I liked the flowers.

Yes. That was quite
the sacrifice, Mrs McCarthy.

Well, it was in a very worthy cause.

I've never really cared
about winning

the Best Kept Village competition.

Besides, there's always next year.