Midsomer Murders (1997–…): Season 6, Episode 5 - Birds of Prey - full transcript
Investment in a secret invention leads to an apparent suicide in Midsomer Magna, and a plan to steal valuable falcon eggs leads to another death.
BIRD CALLS
BIRD CLUCKS
As long as Charles
is kept out of the way
and no-one sees him in a week
it'll all be done.
That phone never stops ringing.
Refer them to me. I'll handle it.
Are you handling Julian Shepherd?
Let's just ignore him.
No, he's making trouble, George.
I don't want anything to go wrong.
All right. I'll see to it.
ENGINE STARTS
GRAVEL CRUNCHES
PLANK CLANGS
BELLS JINGLE
You'd better come in.
Mr Edmonton, I have to talk to you.
The money I invested, I...
..I need it.
I can't get any sense out of anyone.
Oh, they haven't seen the future.
A new future for the way we live.
I trusted you with my money...
But I can't wait any longer.
You haven't even told us
what this project is.
All I want is what I put in back...
or I'll be bankrupted.
It has to be secret.
That's what holds
this project together.
My simple invention
to support travel
and live in a perfect environment
without fuels, without pollution...
They'll go to any lengths to
get their hands on it, any lengths.
They'll even kill.
I told you you'd make a fortune,
my boy.
And you will, a fortune.
I have to have my money...
..now.
ENGINES WHIRR
KEYS JINGLE
THEME MUSIC
HOOVES CLOP
You're early, Miss Macpherson.
I'm sorry, Mr Pilcher, really.
But I do need some sausages.
Emergency, is it? You'd best come in.
Beef be all right? A pound?
It's pork we want.
I'll be making some later.
My sister forgot to buy them
yesterday.
They were on her list -
pork sausages. She lost it.
Well, why don't you come back,
Miss Macpherson?
Oh, those will have to do.
2.40.
I'll put the porkers aside for you.
There you are, Miss Mac...
I've got the brochures.
Oh, great.
So I'll just order it, shall I?
Yes, fine.
I don't know whether
they'll fit it in the front garden.
I mean,
is 45ft quite big for a yacht?
Pardon?
Brochures, Tom. Africa.
Lions, rhinos, giraffes.
Next year's holiday.
We have talked about this.
Yeah, well,
I'm sure we'll manage something.
It's just a question of when,
isn't it?
It's a wonderful idea in principle.
I want to do this, Tom.
And Cully can
get us a very good deal.
We will, we will. I must go now.
I could go on my own.
I might not come back.
I've always had a crush on that man
from Daktari.
He'll be drawing his pension by now.
Aha. I'm glad I caught you.
You can have a look at these
at work.
What about crime?
It won't go away, Dad.
I didn't realise working
for a travel agent was a conspiracy.
More of a happy coincidence.
Thank you.
BIRDS WARBLE AND TWEET
The swallows are still here.
They should be long gone by now.
Good. He was open.
He didn't have pork, Jane.
Oh, Troy. I thought this book
might be of use to you.
I don't want anyone to think
the Causton CID doesn't know
it's asio from its elbow.
Its what?
Asio, it's an owl.
Well, two to be precise -
the short-eared and the long-eared.
In the event of an identity parade
you'll need to be well up in that.
(SIGHS) It's a waste of time.
It's a crime, Troy.
You are a detective.
I don't expect you to treat it
any differently than any other crime.
I'm looking for DS Troy, sir.
Oh, well, you've found him.
Hi. I'm Constable Pearce.
Sarah. Wildlife Liaison Officer.
Oh, right. Yes, nice to meet you.
Oh! Um...
Is that what you're wearing, Sarge?
Well...
I've got some wellies.
I'm in the car park.
On my way.
Not all bad news, then.
Wildlife liaison.
It's like you said, sir.
A crime is a crime, after all.
Thank you.
Smells good, Jane.
I'm ready for it.
You know I don't eat these.
I went to the butcher especially.
He didn't have any pork.
I was looking forward to them.
Hi. How is he?
Oh. I don't know what
they use in those sedatives, Naomi.
But I wouldn't rush to buy shares
in the drug company.
He was high as a kite again
for most of the night.
But he can only take so much.
Well, I can't control him
when he's like that.
I'll up the dose, then.
Just get it right, sis, OK?
I know what I'm doing.
But you might remember
whose benefit this is all really for.
If I didn't know you better
I would swear you're accusing me
of being an ungrateful bitch.
You wouldn't, would you?
Don't those birds ever get in
the mood to peck someone's eyes out?
No.
Only when I ask them to.
I brought your medicine up,
Mr Edmonton.
And Mallory wondered
if you fancied a bite to eat.
Don't we have the press conference?
Well, I'm still preparing that, sir.
Oh.
I've been working on my speech.
Ah. Excellent.
There you are.
There was a...
There was a man in here
the other day.
Uh, I knew him from...
He came in through the window.
It's locked now.
I don't want any journalists
getting hold of the story
until we're ready.
I should be at a meeting.
People from the city.
Are they here? It's very important.
They're going to invest millions.
Now, they're downstairs.
I shall make sure that
everything's running smoothly.
Well,
what about the conference room?
Has that been swept again for bugs?
Have we got good people in?
The best.
Thank you.
Now you can...
I can't just...
A little rest, I think, eh?
Now, how about a nice nap, hm?
There you are.
PC Angel, sir.
Morning. So what have we got?
Well, looks like he went in
sometime during the night.
It's quite deep here.
The car was right under the water.
Do you know the man?
Julian Shepherd, a local.
He lives up the road
about a mile away.
I, uh, I thought I better call CID.
You see, there's no tyre marks
and no sign of a skid.
He didn't try to brake.
Very observant of you, Constable.
Do his family know?
No. No, he lived alone.
I spoke to the woman
that cleaned for him.
She says she wasn't surprised.
She thought he might
do something like this.
Like what?
Kill himself.
BIRD CHIRPS
They're all here to see
the serrins. How many are there?
Just a pair.
How do they know where they are?
(LAUGHS) They don't. There's
a chance they could see them.
But they might not
and the birds could just go.
But it's worth standing there all day
on the off chance?
They've been around here
for a few weeks.
If they do winter here it's possible
they could breed in the spring.
It wouldn't be a first.
Time for the boots, Sarge?
I should have said, sorry.
Do you think Mr Shepherd
was in trouble?
I know he was.
What kind of trouble?
All sorts.
His wife leaving,
not seeing his children,
the business, the house.
But it all came down to one thing
in the end...money.
The business being?
Books.
Buying and selling.
He had a shop in Oxford
up until two years ago.
I suppose he made
some bad decisions.
I don't know.
You're saying Mr Shepherd
was depressed
because of his
financial difficulties?
Well, wouldn't you be?
It's a long road from being depressed
to committing suicide.
I know that, Mr Barnaby.
It did cross my mind, but...
I suppose I never really believed
that he'd actually...
You go make a cup of tea,
I'll take a look around upstairs.
Right.
BIRD SQUAWKS
Oh, dear. Oh, dear.
Mrs Edmonton?
Yes, can I help you?
Good morning to you.
I'm Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby
from Causton CID.
I'm making a few inquiries
about the death of a neighbour
of yours, Mr Julian Shepherd.
Oh, yes, yes.
I heard about the accident.
It's terrible, terrible.
You wonder why these things happen.
Did you know Mr Shepherd?
Well, not well.
None of us are greatly
into popping round
to borrow a cup of sugar.
You see, apparently he phoned here
several times yesterday.
There was something he wanted
to talk to your husband about.
Did he actually come here?
I certainly didn't see him.
Is Mr Edmonton in?
No, Charles is away at the moment.
Would you know what he wanted
to talk to your husband about?
No, I have no idea.
I have absolutely no interest
in my husband's business affairs.
You'd have to talk to the Major.
Major? Major who?
BELL JINGLES
Major George Hamilton.
And where would I find him?
He lives in the village.
That is beautiful.
Beautiful is not a big enough word.
It's like saying the sea is wet.
Come on.
BELL JINGLES
That's one there.
No, that's a buzzard.
Oh.
What about that one? Definite.
No. That's a red kite.
(SIGHS)
(CHUCKLES)
There he is.
Where?
No, not the bird.
Our friend Moorcroft.
By the Toyota.
A very serious egg dealer.
I've been watching him for some time.
The egg man.
Who's that?
I don't know.
It could be just a twitcher
Moorcroft's pumping for information
or it could be another dealer
or a buyer, a collector.
How much money is there in it?
Oh, um,
some eggs will fetch a few pounds.
Rare ones thousands.
It can add up to serious money.
Serious enough not to care
what species you could
be wiping out in the process.
There. Your first heron, look.
Not bad for your first hour's
twitching.
Where?
(LAUGHS)
Sorry, you've just missed
your first heron.
It's a good job the villains
are bigger, eh, Sarge?
Good morning. Looking for
Major Hamilton. You've found us.
Are you Mrs Hamilton?
Yes.
You'll find him in the study.
You'll hardly miss
the raised voices, I'm sure.
Thank you.
What was he on about?
He said something was wrong.
I put a lot of money
into this thing.
Did you refuse to give him
his capital back, Major,
because that's what
Shepherd told me.
That's quite untrue, I'm sure.
Well, surety is what we need.
I haven't seen Charles Edmonton in
over a month. Where the hell is he?
Charles has been in the States,
he's been in Switzerland
putting into place the last pieces
before the launch.
Now you're gonna
make a lot of money.
What the hell has that got to do
with the opinion of Julian Shepherd
who was quite clearly
mentally deranged?
Major Hamilton?
Yes?
Your wife said I'd find you here.
I'm Detective
Chief Inspector Barnaby.
Are you sure
you don't want anything?
No. No, thank you.
Just taking all this in.
It's not quite what you'd expect
from the outside.
I spent my working life in Africa.
When I retired I brought back
as much as I could.
Eileen has her side of the house.
I have mine.
It's not every house
you can change continents
just by walking through the door.
Well, I'm sure there's many a man
who wished he could at times.
(CHUCKLES) Yes.
(CHUCKLES)
So you did see Julian Shepherd?
Yes. Yesterday morning.
And I spoke to him after lunch
later on the phone.
I must say it's a shock to us all.
We knew that he was...
(SIGHS) Well, he was on the verge
of some breakdown.
There's not point
in beating about the bush.
But none of us ever dreamt
that he'd take his own life.
What did the two of you talk about?
Julian was in a spot of bother
on the financial front.
Well, you know how these things go -
divorce and so on.
(SIGHS) Ruin a man
unless his head's screwed on.
Well, he'd invested money in
one of Charles Edmonton's projects.
Stood to make a great deal
out of it.
But Julian needed
to get his money out.
The launch was only
a few weeks away.
It's damn stupid.
He was throwing away at least
ten times what he'd invested.
Maybe more.
Well, I did my best to persuade him
to change his mind.
And he didn't?
Absolutely not.
And did you give him his money back?
Well, I would have
written the cheque for him today.
Now I don't know what to do.
I presume he has executors.
Well, it'd be up to them
when all this is sorted out.
Terrible business.
We're all very upset.
Yes, so I gather.
What precisely
did Julian Shepherd invest in?
I suppose there's no harm.
Basically, it was
a fuel-free transport system.
That was the revolutionary part,
the invention.
Only Charles Edmonton
knew the details.
Not the investors?
No.
That was very trusting of them.
He'd made several fortunes in his
lifetime and not just for himself,
but for those who had the vision
to back him.
Thank you, Major.
Pleasure.
How many?
I've got two more spare.
I thought three peregrine eggs
and...
..I could go to £300.
(SCOFFS)
You know what it takes
to get an osprey egg?
The nesting sites are all secret.
They're watched night and day.
300 quid, come on.
Once I get an osprey
I've completed all the British
Pandionidae and Accipitridae.
It's taken me 20 years.
Can you really get one?
I said I can deliver.
Can you?
(CHUCKLES)
Eddie, old son.
We can sort something out.
This woman up at the hall...
Mrs Edmonton?
She's breeding, you told me, right?
Peregrines, merlins, goshawks.
I don't know exactly.
Oh, come on, Eddie.
You told me you could get in.
You said you'd been in.
To see, that's all.
Well, did you take an egg?
Once.
One egg.
You underestimate yourself, Eddie.
You know your way around.
I've got a buyer
for some fertile eggs.
You get me enough of those
and this...
..could be all yours.
He drowned, that's clear enough.
You're familiar enough with it.
Mucus from the body mixes
with water. This is from his lungs.
It looks like he drove
straight into the river.
No sign of him losing control.
The car wasn't even travelling
at any speed.
What about drink?
No.
So suicide could be right.
I can tell you
what he had for dinner,
I can tell you he wasn't in the
habit of rinsing his hair properly,
but I can't tell you
what he was thinking.
No.
What do you mean
he didn't rinse his hair properly?
There was some gunge at the roots.
Turned out to be conditioner.
So when did he wash his hair, then?
Yesterday morning? Later?
I guess later.
Tom,
there's nothing very suspicious
about a man who doesn't
wash his hair properly.
No, but there's something rather odd
about a man who washes his hair
just before killing himself.
Have we got a deal, then, Eddie?
All right.
I'm trusting you, you know that.
We're trusting each other.
No, Eddie, old son. What I mean is...
..you know more about what I do
than makes me comfortable.
Well, I'm not going to say anything.
No, you're not.
We're working together on this.
If you screw up,
if you put me in it...
..your head could end up
under the wheels of my jeep.
Just so we know where we stand.
I'll see you tonight, then.
(HUMS)
£ CLASSICAL MUSIC
What time's dinner?
About an hour.
I'll have a glass of wine with it.
We have some of that white.
I'll have some red. And get
something decent for a change.
You can flush the last lot down
the sink. It might clear the drains.
And run me a bath nearly to the top.
Turn that bloody music off now!
I can't stand it.
(SIGHS)
PLAYER CLICKS OFF
Goodnight.
What happened to you?
What do you mean?
Well, I can only hope
you're not going to try and claim for
a new suit on your expenses, Troy.
Well, no bother about that.
Good.
I'm glad to see you're prepared to
make sacrifices in the line of duty.
You look like you've
had quite a day. I have.
There's a lot more to
a wildlife crime than you think.
Any chance of you
bringing a little less of it
back into the office
wit you tomorrow?
I don't think wildlife liaison
is treated seriously enough in CID.
We don't spend enough time on it.
Well, after the Road to Damascus
you've been travelling on
with Constable Pearce,
I'm sure you'll do your best
to remedy that.
Very nice.
I enjoyed it.
I've got the pork sausages.
The butcher made them this afternoon.
I don't fancy them tomorrow.
I'll have...a mushroom omelette,
I think.
Well, that'll be fine.
I'm a little short of cash
this evening, and I need to go out.
We haven't been to the post office
today, Mr Darwin.
Oh, that sounds like a fib to me,
Jane. You shouldn't, you know?
She shouldn't fib, should she?
No point hiding things from me.
I know when it's pension day.
COINS SCATTER
(SOBS)
DOOR CLOSES
Hm.
Look at that.
They guarantee to get you
that close to a lion, do they?
I'm not sure if I consider that
a threat or a promise.
I don't suppose they walk
straight up to you, Tom.
Oh, that's something.
The trouble is
I've already been to Africa.
No, you haven't.
Yes, I have. Only today.
Major Hamilton, the Midsomer magnate,
he still lives in Africa.
And it's not at all
like your brochures here.
It's less of your luxury lodges,
more your Heart Of Darkness.
Don't be so silly.
I'm going to have a bath.
Mm-hm.
You read the brochure
and in return I'll clean up
the mess you left in the bathroom
without even mentioning it.
(KISSES HIM)
Almost without mentioning it.
I always clean up.
BIRDS SCREECH
Shut up!
SCREECHING CONTINUES
SHRIEKING CONTINUES
(Shut up!)
ENGINE REVS
Argh!
Ah! Ah!
TYRES SPIN
DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES
He'll want his hot milk.
Mr Darwin, what's happened?
An accident. Just an accident.
We should call a doctor.
No.
I'm all right.
There's nothing broken.
I just need to rest.
I'm going to bed.
Perhaps we should help him.
We better leave him.
We'll see how he is in the morning.
You know how he is if we fuss, dear.
What about his milk?
He'll call if he wants it.
Why don't we have
a nice cup of cocoa?
LIVELY CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYS
Oh, there you are.
I see the years have not diminished
your powers of observation.
Is it all right?
"All right" isn't quite the phrase
that first springs to mind, but...
..it's under control.
Well, that's all that matters,
really.
We haven't done all this
for nothing.
So it's "we" now?
It's always been "we", George.
Always.
Mm.
Troy.
Well, that's better.
You need to wear something practical
for this sort of thing.
Well, there's only so many suits
a man can go through in a week.
Sadly, I'm gonna have to drag
you away from your rural liaison.
What, now? But I think I could
really be onto something here, sir.
Constable Pearce,
you'll have to manage on your own.
I know a dead body is poor recompense
for the call of the wild,
but it's the best I can offer.
Come on.
Parcel for you.
I thought Mr Darwin might like
some of these, they're so pretty.
And if he's not feeling very well -
I think he'd rather be
left on his own just now.
You know how he is.
Maybe we'll take them up later.
I'll put them in some water.
Ooh. Let me help.
Oh, thanks.
Where do you want it?
Uh, through there.
(SIGHS)
It just came. I don't really know
what to do with it.
The label says "With compliments,
the Edmonton Corporation".
What shall I do with it?
See what's inside.
Maisie, I want
to look at the bathroom again.
You didn't clean the bathroom,
did you?
I didn't even come upstairs.
Looking through the house,
I didn't get the impression
Mr Shepherd was the, uh,
tidiest man in the world.
He certainly wasn't.
But he might have cleaned
the bathroom, though, mightn't he?
It looks a very thorough job
to me.
Bleach, bath cleaner...
People do get fussy
about the bathroom.
Not Mr Shepherd.
I don't think he ever even
wiped round the bath.
What is it?
It's a scooter.
Your coffee's there, dear.
He is dead, then?
(SIGHS)
I suppose we ought to ask
Dr Robertshaw
to come and see him now.
It doesn't rule out an accident
or suicide.
There's no evidence.
Well, not yet, there isn't.
And no motive.
But there are reasons why
he might have killed himself.
He was depressed.
He had family troubles, money
troubles - the usual old stuff.
I see your encounter with nature
red in tooth and claw
hasn't made you more sensitive
to the human condition, Troy.
But in this case I don't believe
that the usual old stuff will do.
Either there was something
we don't know about
that pushed him over the edge...
Or someone killed him.
I need to know more.
Chief Inspector Barnaby?
Yep.
James Robertshaw, GP.
Constable Angel
said I'd find you here.
I've got a rather puzzling death.
I would guess the cause of death
will turn out to be
internal bleeding.
How long's he been dead?
Give or take four, five hours.
What are we talking about
with the bruising?
Some kind of accident?
Was he attacked?
Oh. That's for a pathologist.
All I can say is that
whatever did happen to him
it almost certainly
resulted in his death.
I'll leave you to it.
Yes, Thank you, Doctor.
So what have we got, sir?
I don't know.
We're going to need a post-mortem.
You'd better get a key for this room.
We may need forensics in.
His name is Edward Darwin,
Clerk to the Council.
I know him.
I didn't know his name.
I saw him with a man
Sarah's got under surveillance.
The egg man.
The egg man?
We knew he wasn't feeling very well.
I did knock on his door and
ask if there was anything he wanted.
He said there wasn't.
How long was he in his room?
Since yesterday evening.
He didn't come out at all
during that time?
No. We didn't think there
was anything very odd about that.
He was a very private person.
Oh, let me help, Miss Macpherson.
Thank you. I thought you might
like something to eat.
Just put it down here.
There. I'll pour.
And you can help yourselves.
That's very kind. You shouldn't have
put yourself to all that trouble.
Oh, I know you don't eat properly
when you're working.
Mr Darwin... He was a very private
man, Chief Inspector.
Tea, dear.
Could you tell us something
about Mr Darwin's friends?
No. No-one ever came here.
Never.
Does the name Moorcroft,
Sean Moorcroft, mean anything to you?
Cucumber? Some ham?
No. No, thank you.
He would have been interested in
birds' eggs, as well,
like Mr Darwin.
Well, Mr Darwin
was very knowledgeable about birds.
And he was very proud of his eggs.
But he didn't like us
to talk about that.
He said his collection
was very valuable.
I'm afraid it was also very illegal,
Miss Macpherson.
Still, that's not important now,
is it?
I'll have to ask you
not to disturb anything
in Mr Darwin's room, all right?
Oh, yes. That's quite all right.
Will you be taking him with you?
I think we would prefer that.
It may do no harm
to make some attempt
to behave a little more
like the grieving widow...sis.
I've done my grieving, Naomi.
Alzheimer's took Charles' spirit
away from his body
a long time before he died.
And what was left had very little
to do with the man that I married.
Except financially.
I don't know why
you've always had a problem
with the fact I didn't
only marry Charles for his money.
And you stand to do very nicely
out of it, too,
so don't overdo the snide remarks.
KNOCK ON DOOR
Yes?
The undertakers are here.
Good.
Can they do the funeral tomorrow?
Yes, it can be done.
Good. Ask them to come in.
Morning, Sarge.
Oh, you're here. Great.
Have you got the info on Moorcroft?
Yes, two addresses.
A family in Reading
and his girlfriend's flat in Staines.
He spends his time between the two.
But I spoke to Berkshire
and the Toyota's at his now,
so I guess he's there.
They could pull him in any time.
I'd rather do it myself.
See his reactions,
get a look at his house.
I'll contact Thames Valley en route.
They'll probably want to give us
a couple of uniforms for backup.
Oh, you won't need that, Sarge.
Course not. Just routine.
What's he like on violence?
Depends what he's had to drink.
He's well up for some aggro
with a skinful, but sober...
..discretion has a better part.
Bit early for the pub.
Doesn't look like he's up yet.
What's round the back?
Just open fields.
You do the front. You come with me.
Mr Moorcroft!
I'm glad we caught you. Argh!
CRASH
All right! No need to break my arm
over birds' eggs.
Constable Pearce can deal
with the eggs.
I want to talk to you
about Eddie Darwin.
I don't know any Eddie Darwin.
You certainly do, Mr Moorcroft.
Or did. In fact, you were one of the
last people to see Mr Darwin alive.
For God's sake, Bernard,
the man's just died.
I've no idea what's happening.
You read the paper.
He's bloody bankrupt!
You know we got bloody scooters
sent to us.
What kind of a joke is that?
What's that got to do with
launching the project?
As soon as I know more
I'll let you know.
The truth is I'm as much in the dark
as you are.
I had a drink with him.
He went his way, I went mine.
You talked about bird-spotting.
That's right.
I suppose you know Mr Darwin
collected birds' eggs.
I didn't. Naughty man, eh?
It's against the law, that.
Mr Moorcroft, an examination
of your car has revealed two things.
The first is blood.
Stains on the carpet,
front passenger side.
Some attempt has been made
to wash the stains out very recently.
Well, it's probably mine.
I lead an outdoor life.
I'm forever knocking myself about.
I never think about a bit of blood.
Two convictions for assault
seem to confirm that.
Although,
the blood you don't think about
usually belongs to someone else.
That was a long time ago.
But not so long ago
you were fined for trading
in birds' eggs and wild birds.
And, uh,
this was also found in your car.
A feather. Big deal.
A peregrine feather?
Like I said, I'm an outdoor guy.
I get plenty of shite on my shoes.
This is another piece
of peregrine feather.
It was in the pocket of clothes
Edward Darwin was wearing
when he was hit by a vehicle.
We will be able to find out
whether these two feathers
came from the same bird.
And if the blood in your car
came from Mr Darwin
we'll also be able to establish that.
It would be a lot easier if you
told us what happened that night.
Brodie, Brodie. Good girl.
MOBILE RINGS
Hello?
Oh, good. Is it all finished?
It's all done.
Yes. The last one went through.
You're home and dry.
Good.
PHONE BEEPS
Good girl.
The deal was
Darwin would steal fertile eggs.
Moorcroft had a buyer.
If he got enough
he'd get this osprey egg.
But he was definitely
up at the hall last night?
Moorcroft met him in the pub
then dropped him by the wall
round the estate.
They met in the pub car park
an hour later.
And the eggs? No,
Darwin said something spooked him.
He didn't get near the birds.
Moorcroft dropped him back
at the Macphersons'.
What sort of state was he in?
He told Moorcroft
he'd fallen off the wall.
He'd torn his clothes, hurt himself,
he just wanted to get home.
That's what Moorcroft said.
Do you believe him?
Yeah. Moorcroft's scared rigid
at the moment.
Whatever happened to Eddie Darwin,
he's telling what he knows.
Good girl, good girl.
Come on, Brodie. Come on, Brodie.
Come on, Brodie.
BELL JINGLES
(WHISTLES) Good girl.
Come on.
BELL JINGLES
You could have chosen a better time,
Mr Barnaby.
I'd normally take any attempt
to steal eggs very seriously indeed
but with my husband's funeral
to organise
it isn't exactly at the top
of my list of priorities.
I won't intrude on your time
more then necessary.
I'm very sorry to hear
about your husband.
Yes.
I'm not quite sure what
it is you're expecting to achieve.
I've already told you.
The birds were not disturbed and no
eggs were stolen from the incubator.
And whilst
I do take considerable pride
in communicating with my falcons
and my hawks
I doubt whether anybody would
get very far by interrogating them.
Good, right.
So there are the beds.
Mrs Edmonton,
I have good reason to believe
that Eddie Darwin
was in this building
the night he was involved
in a road accident, a hit-and-run.
That accident resulted in his death.
And I want to find out where
he was and what he was doing.
Well, not only do my birds not talk,
but none of them, as far as I know,
has a driving licence.
So if you will excuse me,
I have a lot of things
to be getting on with.
Thank you.
If Eddie Darwin did get in here
why didn't he take any eggs?
Mrs Edmonton flies these birds
all over the estate.
He could have picked the feather up
anywhere.
He lost his bottle,
never did get in here.
WINGS FLAP
BIRD HOOTS
The feather was in his pocket,
wasn't it?
It's not impossible it got there when
he was climbing a tree or a wall.
But it wasn't just any feather,
was it?
It was a feather left by a peregrine.
And Darwin was heading this way
to steal peregrine eggs.
Ooh.
Not a sport for vegetarians.
(HUMS)
£ Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika. £
(KISSES THE PAPER)
Hi. How's it going?
Well...
I've come to a conclusion.
It's not enough.
(CHUCKLES)
I mean, I want more money.
Yeah.
Yes, I don't think you're really
in a position to refuse, are you?
£ Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika
£ Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo
£ Yizwa imithandazo yethu, Wa!
£ Nkosi sikelela
£ Nkosi sikelela! £
(SIGHS)
£ Sikelel, sikelel, sikelel, sikelel
£ Sikelel, sikelel, sikelel
£ Abu! £
We're all waiting, Mallory.
When somebody dies,
somebody the birds had respect for,
at some point you need to tell them.
I think they probably know.
Death matters to them, like life.
(SIGHS)
I suppose I should thank you.
I don't expect thanks.
What do you expect?
BIRDS CHIRP
Hi.
Hiya.
Is this all right?
I mean, have forensics finished?
No, no. I thought I'd come in here
and destroy all the evidence
and generally get in everyone's way.
You spoke to the boss.
Yeah.
And look at these.
Mr Darwin was a very meticulous man.
Details of every egg he bought,
every egg he sold.
Addresses of the dealers.
I think if we put this together
with what I'm holding over
Sean Moorcroft -
For the osprey egg? You can help me
threaten more than that, can't you?
Obstructing the police,
that sort of thing?
I've been having some horrid dreams.
They'll go away.
It'll soon be over.
No, it won't, Eleanor.
We've been very bad.
You know we have.
Soon be finished.
I hope we won't be
troubling you much longer.
We need to talk to Mr Barnaby.
PRIEST: "'I am the resurrection
and the life', saith the Lord.
'He that believeth in me, though
he were dead, yet shall he live.
And whosoever liveth and believeth
in me shall never die'."
We didn't know what had happened.
We knew he was hurt, of course.
He just went to bed.
I didn't like to interfere.
Mr Darwin never liked us
to interfere. He'd shout at us.
Is that why you didn't
call for a doctor?
Well, he told us not to, you see?
It was my decision, Mr Barnaby.
Jane didn't have
anything to do with it.
Don't say that, Eleanor.
Weren't you concerned?
Not at first. A little later on.
I went in to see him...
He was still dressed.
He was still conscious then?
Oh, yes. I helped him get his
clothes off and put his pyjamas on.
You could see he was bruised.
Yes.
There.
Goodnight, Mr Darwin.
We couldn't have any idea
how badly he was hurt. Could we?
He became delirious,
saying the strangest things.
Could you make out anything
he was saying?
Somewhere he was,
a place he'd run away from.
It frightened him.
No, it was the body that frightened
him, the one in the freezer.
I think you'd popped out, dear.
It was where the birds were.
The birds were flying
and there was a freezer.
That's what he said.
And there was a man in it.
(LAUGHS) It was all nonsense.
This all keeps coming back
to Casement Hall, doesn't it?
The birds eggs and nest eggs
and now there's a...
..cuckoo in the freezer,
a dead body.
It was Charles Edmonton.
They're burying him today.
This morning.
They're not burying him this morning,
they're cremating him this morning.
Round about now.
We did the right thing. At least
it's all over and done with.
DOOR CLOSES
I'm sure it is, dear.
ENGINE REVS
PRIEST: "In sure and certain hope
of the resurrection to eternal life
through our Lord Jesus Christ,
we shall change our vile body
that it may be like
unto his glorious body.
According to the mighty working
whereby he is able
to subdue all things to himself."
TYRES SQUEAL
"I heard a voice from heaven
saying unto me..."
Stop this now.
SURPRISED WHISPERS
Charles was a great man,
people trusted him.
He invented a way of packaging milk
that halved production costs
round the world.
He'd invented
a prefabricated building system
that could put up a house in a week
right from the foundations to
running water and central heating.
That doesn't tell me why his body
was in the deep freeze, Major.
I was trying to explain who he was.
Why he was being disposed of
so quickly and so secretly.
Well, in the past few years
he's made mistakes, big mistakes.
I didn't realise
when I first joined him
that he was very nearly bankrupt.
He was spending millions
on development.
And he wasn't as well as
he might be. In what way?
What was the matter with him?
Alzheimer's.
By the time he was diagnosed
he'd done considerable damage
to his financial position.
And if it got out before Mallory
consolidated her own position...
Is that a euphemism for fraud?
Absolutely not.
What was going to "get out", Major?
A scooter.
I've seen one of those before.
This was the project
that he'd been working on for years.
A great secret.
Charles Edmonton invented a scooter?
Basically.
Well, we had no idea.
There was a great deal of money
at stake.
Enough to kill for?
No-one got killed.
Charles Edmonton died
of a heart attack.
I am merely the accountant,
Chief Inspector.
Right. Thank you, Major Hamilton,
thank you.
The officer will see you
back downstairs.
But for now you're to have
no communication
with Mrs Edmonton or her sister, OK?
There'll be a lot more questions.
I quite understand.
Another one?
Three people have died.
Julian Shepherd wanted to take money
out this mad project
and couldn't.
A man who broke into Casement Hall
and saw the body of Charles Edmonton
in the freezer.
Someone knew
Darwin had seen that body.
Somebody wanted to shut him up.
Because Mrs Mallory Edmonton
wanted another couple of days
to defraud the investors
and shareholders.
But Darwin got away.
Yeah.
Well, at least that begins
to make sense.
But what about the funeral?
There really is a death certificate,
isn't there? All in order.
Except the doctor
who signed the certificate
is one Naomi Sinclair,
Edmonton's sister-in-law.
She's downstairs now.
Hotfoot from the crematorium.
Let's get them all into the nick
for questioning.
It's time they found out
the privileges are over.
I have nothing to say,
Chief Inspector,
until my solicitor arrives
and as he's travelling from London
that could be rather a long time.
This is absolutely pointless.
You refuse to answer?
No.
I refuse to be questioned
without the legal representation
to which I'm entitled.
That is not the same thing.
Troy, could you take Mrs Edmonton
down to the custody sergeant?
I'm sure he can find a cell for her.
(LAUGHS) Well, I really don't
need to be locked up, Mr Barnaby,
but whatever you wish.
I don't know what crime
you're intending to charge me with
but I do assure you a police cell
isn't going to intimidate me.
It's got nothing to do with
intimidation.
You are a suspect
in a murder investigation.
Oh, I see.
Oh, I see.
You think I murdered Charles.
Well, yes.
I can see why some
fairly stupid policeman
might have leapt to that conclusion.
You know I'd really credited you
with more intelligence. Shall we go?
I don't understand
what Mr Shepherd has got to do
with my brother-in-law's death
or me.
But you knew what was going on,
didn't you?
The financial cover-up?
All I knew was how much trouble
Mallory was in.
Charles had frittered away so much
before anyone realised
something was wrong.
I'm talking millions.
So the answer was to lock him up,
keep him sedated?
I treated him as I would treat
any patient with Alzheimer's.
He died under your regime, Doctor.
I treated him properly
and discreetly.
How do your medical ethics square
with keeping a body in a deep freeze
so you can put a false date
on a death certificate, then?
I shouldn't have done that.
That was a mistake.
Mallory was panicking.
How did Charles Edmonton die, Doctor?
A heart attack.
The date may be false,
but it's a true diagnosis.
Well, I hope it is...
..for your sake.
My client has answered all questions
which relate to her husband's death
and the circumstances
surrounding the funeral.
That's just the beginning.
Unless you which to charge Mrs
Edmonton with something pertinent
to all these other areas of inquiry
it's not so much the beginning,
Chief Inspector, as the end.
Mrs Edmonton told you, she's never
heard of this man, Darwin.
And as for Mr Shepherd, she met him
on two or three occasions,
either in her husband's company
or Major Hamilton's.
You're on a fishing expedition,
Chief Inspector.
And you know as well as I do
that there's no reason
for my client to remain
in your keepnet any longer.
Heart attack,
that's what killed him.
Could Edmonton's heart attack
have been induced?
I doubt it.
He did have a pretty dicky ticker.
I wouldn't say she was doing
anything unusual. She kept notes.
So it was natural causes, was it?
I'm afraid so.
Unlike our friend in the river.
You were right.
About what?
It's on your desk.
I popped it in this morning.
I looked for the microorganisms
that should have been in the system.
They'd have entered his body
as soon as he went into the river
and took in water.
Not a trace.
But he did drown?
No question about that, but Shepherd
probably drowned in the bath.
Which would have made it
extremely difficult
for him to drive his car
into the river.
Or even to rinse his hair.
Just off.
No, Troy. We're both off.
But I was gonna go and see Sarah-
No, I want you to get a SOCO unit
round to Shepherd's place right away.
They need to take that bathroom
to pieces.
Then Casement Hall, the Hamiltons
and Naomi Sinclair's, too.
What am I looking for?
Anything that ties in to Shepherd
on the night he died.
I am going to
talk to Eleanor and Jane Macpherson.
You think they know something?
I know they didn't tell me the truth.
John, head straight upstairs
in the bathroom.
Take it apart inch by inch.
You lot, downstairs.
Those are the two account numbers.
I just need to find out
how much is in each.
Yes, the password is Phophonyane.
P-H-O-P-H-O-N-Y-A-N-E.
How much?
And when was that transferred
to South Africa?
I just need to check that
the bank here sent the right amount.
Thank you so much for your help.
I hope this will all be over
very soon.
And when it is...
..I hope I never have to set eyes
on you again in my life.
ENGINE REVS
I told myself he'd be all right.
I told myself we'd call a doctor
if he wasn't better in the morning.
We both said that.
But I knew I wouldn't,
Chief Inspector.
What I really thought deep inside
was that he would go to sleep
quietly and painlessly
and he wouldn't wake up.
And our lives would be
as they were before he came.
We'd be free of him!
He took our house,
he took our money,
he made us his servants.
We were terrified of him, you see?
But we couldn't say.
We were too...
..frightened.
And too ashamed.
Done.
And I hope that's that.
A day in a police cell, George.
You must be pleased with yourself.
Oh, come on now, old girl.
I did say
the sea might get a bit choppy.
We'll weather the storm.
They were here, too, the police.
They've searched the house from
top to bottom. What do you mean?
Don't worry. They didn't
find your little hidey-hole.
Oh, I've always known where it was.
A plane ticket to Johannesburg.
And that's where
most of the money is already.
You're going back, aren't you?
I was gonna tell you.
Were you? When you got there?
I thought...
..given time, after I'd set up
a business, you'd come around.
And that's what I've done.
I've bought a lodge,
a really classy lodge.
No, it's not gonna
be like the last time.
Look, I can't stay here, Eileen.
You know that.
There's nothing here, nothing for me.
Nothing for you?
I have lived with nothing
for the best years of my life.
A place I loathed, people I loathed.
I loathed you, too!
I gave up what I wanted then.
You had to do the same for me
when you retired.
I can't stay here! I'm suffocating!
You think I'm going to let you
walk out on me now?
Well, you're not gonna stop me.
Not now.
I'll stop you.
Whatever it takes to do it,
I'll stop you, George.
ENGINE REVS
(SIGHS)
MEN LAUGH
MAN COUGHS
A pint, please.
MEN MUTTER
Sit down.
It'll do you no good at all.
Vernon, sit down
and finish your drink.
FIRE CRACKLES
Off already, Major?
Don't you want a drink
with your old business associates?
Leave it alone.
Nothing to say, Major?
Look, I'm sorry that this happened.
A lot of people lost money.
I wish it could have been otherwise.
You knew, you bastard!
There's no point, Vernon!
Say you knew it, Hamilton. Admit it.
All crap, just like you.
I mean,
what do we really know about you?
Tell us exactly what regiment
you belong to, Major Hamilton?
Or is that crap, too?
It was a high-risk investment.
You thought you'd make a lot of money
by sitting on your arses
and doing nothing.
Well, look on it as a lesson.
At least you walk away
with something.
Oh, I walked away with something!
ENGINE STARTS
FIRE ROARS
When did you find him?
This morning, first thing.
I called the police straightaway.
No point in calling the doctor.
You saw nothing last night?
I went to bed.
I didn't know where he was.
I didn't care.
You didn't hear him come in?
When I saw him this morning
the first thing I felt was...relief.
I thought,
"It's over. It's finally over".
You smashed his belongings,
you dragged the contents of his room
into the garden,
you set fire to the lot of it,
you went to bed, you say.
Meanwhile, Major Hamilton was killed
and his body thrown onto the fire
which you'd just lit.
He wasn't a major, you know?
He was a sergeant in the Pay Corps.
All those years in Africa,
that's all he ever was, a clerk.
Why were you so angry yesterday,
Mrs Hamilton? What happened?
He was going back.
After everything he said
he was going back.
And he was going to take everything.
All the money we had.
All the money he promised we'd have.
This is a lot of money.
I don't know where they stashed it.
But George knew about these things.
The creditors won't see a penny.
You thought it was a good idea,
did you,
for him to be involved in fraud?
Why not?
What did anyone ever give me
for leading an honest life?
George was lying to me.
He was going to take every penny
and go back to Africa.
So you had to stop him.
I didn't kill him.
If I'd had the guts to kill him
I'd have done it years ago.
Still...
..someone stopped him.
I can't say I'm sorry.
But it wasn't me.
She must have done it.
You think Mrs Edmonton killed him?
Mallory? Of course not.
She believed George
was getting some money out for her.
Though she was never
going to see half of it.
No.
It was her sister, Dr Sinclair.
Mallory!
Where are you, Mallory?
KNOCK ON DOOR
Sir. You better see this.
We didn't know
Naomi had another car.
The grey wouldn't be a bad match
for the paint on Darwin's coat.
Finally, some evidence.
I have reason to believe evidence
material to a murder investigation
is about to be destroyed, sir.
No, Troy. Just breaking in.
GLASS SHATTERS
Neighbours said
she left about half an hour ago.
Came in,
then drove straight off again.
Surgery?
No, uniforms are there now.
DEVICE BEEPS
ELEANOR: Don't ignore me, Naomi.
Naomi!
It's George now, isn't it?
I've pushed it out of my mind before.
Julian Shepherd.
I mean, I couldn't believe that...
But I know
and I have to know how Charles died.
The police will be here, Naomi.
And how can I lie
about the things that I know?
DIAL TONE
"All very mysterious."
"I pushed it out of my mind,
but I know."
Did you really think
that I wouldn't, Naomi?
No-one can prove anything.
I see. Now that Major Hamilton
is dead, no-one can prove anything?
Mm. I hear that.
Do you hear yourself, Naomi?
People have died!
Major Hamilton, Julian Shepherd,
that man who broke in
just to steal some eggs.
Oh. I thought
you'd approve of that one.
All those little chats with the Major
when you should have been
looking after Charles.
You didn't even like the man!
I didn't have to.
We just wanted more than
a few crumbs from your table.
Did you kill Charles?
Oh, you're not telling me
you really cared?
You never understood, did you?
I wanted to protect the man
he'd been, the man I loved!
It was never just about money!
A pretty speech, Mallory. You could
always afford the prettiest things.
Is there in my life you don't resent?
I don't care about your life.
I've got the money to live my own
now.
Oh. Oh, that's a turn-up.
I never thought I'd see the day
when you were afraid
of your little sister.
But what I need now is for you
to disappear, as well as me.
You see, you're going to be
the main suspect in several murders.
I don't dislike that.
And if you're never seen again
everybody will always believe
that you got away with it -
the murders and the money.
Oh. Very neat.
Sorry, Naomi. I can't do that.
Oh. You're going to betray
your only sister?
That's not nice.
No...
When I said "disappear"
I didn't mean a flight
to foreign shores and a new name.
It's too late for that.
It's the only way now.
What are you doing?
What are you doing?!
Sorry.
No! No! No!
BIRDS SHRIEK
No!
SHRIEKING INTENSIFIES
Ah! Ah!
Ah!
No! (GASPS)
(SCREAMS)
Ah!
(CONTINUES SCREAMING)
You take the house.
WOMAN SCREAMS
BIRD SHRIEKS
Troy.
Any news on the car?
Oh, yes.
Darwin's blood, threads
from his clothes and I got this...
Hi, Sarge. Sir.
Hm.
Hiya.
I owe you a drink sometime.
Moorcroft was so afraid
of what he got involved in
he delivered his whole network.
Right. Great.
Well, I don't know when.
I get off about...
But it depends what's happening.
Oi.
You can get off about now.
Oh, right. Cool.
Cool?
I mean, thank you, sir.
OK.
There we go, my lovely.
OK.
BELL JINGLES
Is this an arrest?
No. No, it's not.
But I guess you'll have to
face a court at some point.
How is my sister?
Well, let's just say she's not
being as cooperative as you are.
No.
But however much
I help with the money
I'm not going to testify
against her.
I can't do that, I won't.
I really did have no idea.
I'm just gonna say goodbye.
To the birds?
I don't think
I'll ever feel free again.
But they can be.
I wish that we could all just...
..fly away when the time comes.
I don't know what it's like.
I've never even seen it
in the supermarket before.
I thought it would
set the right sort of mood.
Mm. It's not bad.
No, it's very good.
What is it?
Ostrich.
I thought you wanted to see the
animals, not eat them. (LAUGHS) I do.
But it was the only thing
I could find that was African.
Well, I say African. The ostrich
farm was just outside Cheltenham.
The wine is south African. Cheers.
Joyce, what have you done?
Since you were never going to
look seriously at the brochures...
..I took the dates and Cully did it.
We're booked.
We're going to Botswana in April.
Here's to our holiday.
Joyce...
It looks as if these people
are sitting on top of an elephant.
That's right.
It's an elephant-back safari.
Won't it be wonderful? Cheers.
Closed Captions by CSI
BIRD CLUCKS
As long as Charles
is kept out of the way
and no-one sees him in a week
it'll all be done.
That phone never stops ringing.
Refer them to me. I'll handle it.
Are you handling Julian Shepherd?
Let's just ignore him.
No, he's making trouble, George.
I don't want anything to go wrong.
All right. I'll see to it.
ENGINE STARTS
GRAVEL CRUNCHES
PLANK CLANGS
BELLS JINGLE
You'd better come in.
Mr Edmonton, I have to talk to you.
The money I invested, I...
..I need it.
I can't get any sense out of anyone.
Oh, they haven't seen the future.
A new future for the way we live.
I trusted you with my money...
But I can't wait any longer.
You haven't even told us
what this project is.
All I want is what I put in back...
or I'll be bankrupted.
It has to be secret.
That's what holds
this project together.
My simple invention
to support travel
and live in a perfect environment
without fuels, without pollution...
They'll go to any lengths to
get their hands on it, any lengths.
They'll even kill.
I told you you'd make a fortune,
my boy.
And you will, a fortune.
I have to have my money...
..now.
ENGINES WHIRR
KEYS JINGLE
THEME MUSIC
HOOVES CLOP
You're early, Miss Macpherson.
I'm sorry, Mr Pilcher, really.
But I do need some sausages.
Emergency, is it? You'd best come in.
Beef be all right? A pound?
It's pork we want.
I'll be making some later.
My sister forgot to buy them
yesterday.
They were on her list -
pork sausages. She lost it.
Well, why don't you come back,
Miss Macpherson?
Oh, those will have to do.
2.40.
I'll put the porkers aside for you.
There you are, Miss Mac...
I've got the brochures.
Oh, great.
So I'll just order it, shall I?
Yes, fine.
I don't know whether
they'll fit it in the front garden.
I mean,
is 45ft quite big for a yacht?
Pardon?
Brochures, Tom. Africa.
Lions, rhinos, giraffes.
Next year's holiday.
We have talked about this.
Yeah, well,
I'm sure we'll manage something.
It's just a question of when,
isn't it?
It's a wonderful idea in principle.
I want to do this, Tom.
And Cully can
get us a very good deal.
We will, we will. I must go now.
I could go on my own.
I might not come back.
I've always had a crush on that man
from Daktari.
He'll be drawing his pension by now.
Aha. I'm glad I caught you.
You can have a look at these
at work.
What about crime?
It won't go away, Dad.
I didn't realise working
for a travel agent was a conspiracy.
More of a happy coincidence.
Thank you.
BIRDS WARBLE AND TWEET
The swallows are still here.
They should be long gone by now.
Good. He was open.
He didn't have pork, Jane.
Oh, Troy. I thought this book
might be of use to you.
I don't want anyone to think
the Causton CID doesn't know
it's asio from its elbow.
Its what?
Asio, it's an owl.
Well, two to be precise -
the short-eared and the long-eared.
In the event of an identity parade
you'll need to be well up in that.
(SIGHS) It's a waste of time.
It's a crime, Troy.
You are a detective.
I don't expect you to treat it
any differently than any other crime.
I'm looking for DS Troy, sir.
Oh, well, you've found him.
Hi. I'm Constable Pearce.
Sarah. Wildlife Liaison Officer.
Oh, right. Yes, nice to meet you.
Oh! Um...
Is that what you're wearing, Sarge?
Well...
I've got some wellies.
I'm in the car park.
On my way.
Not all bad news, then.
Wildlife liaison.
It's like you said, sir.
A crime is a crime, after all.
Thank you.
Smells good, Jane.
I'm ready for it.
You know I don't eat these.
I went to the butcher especially.
He didn't have any pork.
I was looking forward to them.
Hi. How is he?
Oh. I don't know what
they use in those sedatives, Naomi.
But I wouldn't rush to buy shares
in the drug company.
He was high as a kite again
for most of the night.
But he can only take so much.
Well, I can't control him
when he's like that.
I'll up the dose, then.
Just get it right, sis, OK?
I know what I'm doing.
But you might remember
whose benefit this is all really for.
If I didn't know you better
I would swear you're accusing me
of being an ungrateful bitch.
You wouldn't, would you?
Don't those birds ever get in
the mood to peck someone's eyes out?
No.
Only when I ask them to.
I brought your medicine up,
Mr Edmonton.
And Mallory wondered
if you fancied a bite to eat.
Don't we have the press conference?
Well, I'm still preparing that, sir.
Oh.
I've been working on my speech.
Ah. Excellent.
There you are.
There was a...
There was a man in here
the other day.
Uh, I knew him from...
He came in through the window.
It's locked now.
I don't want any journalists
getting hold of the story
until we're ready.
I should be at a meeting.
People from the city.
Are they here? It's very important.
They're going to invest millions.
Now, they're downstairs.
I shall make sure that
everything's running smoothly.
Well,
what about the conference room?
Has that been swept again for bugs?
Have we got good people in?
The best.
Thank you.
Now you can...
I can't just...
A little rest, I think, eh?
Now, how about a nice nap, hm?
There you are.
PC Angel, sir.
Morning. So what have we got?
Well, looks like he went in
sometime during the night.
It's quite deep here.
The car was right under the water.
Do you know the man?
Julian Shepherd, a local.
He lives up the road
about a mile away.
I, uh, I thought I better call CID.
You see, there's no tyre marks
and no sign of a skid.
He didn't try to brake.
Very observant of you, Constable.
Do his family know?
No. No, he lived alone.
I spoke to the woman
that cleaned for him.
She says she wasn't surprised.
She thought he might
do something like this.
Like what?
Kill himself.
BIRD CHIRPS
They're all here to see
the serrins. How many are there?
Just a pair.
How do they know where they are?
(LAUGHS) They don't. There's
a chance they could see them.
But they might not
and the birds could just go.
But it's worth standing there all day
on the off chance?
They've been around here
for a few weeks.
If they do winter here it's possible
they could breed in the spring.
It wouldn't be a first.
Time for the boots, Sarge?
I should have said, sorry.
Do you think Mr Shepherd
was in trouble?
I know he was.
What kind of trouble?
All sorts.
His wife leaving,
not seeing his children,
the business, the house.
But it all came down to one thing
in the end...money.
The business being?
Books.
Buying and selling.
He had a shop in Oxford
up until two years ago.
I suppose he made
some bad decisions.
I don't know.
You're saying Mr Shepherd
was depressed
because of his
financial difficulties?
Well, wouldn't you be?
It's a long road from being depressed
to committing suicide.
I know that, Mr Barnaby.
It did cross my mind, but...
I suppose I never really believed
that he'd actually...
You go make a cup of tea,
I'll take a look around upstairs.
Right.
BIRD SQUAWKS
Oh, dear. Oh, dear.
Mrs Edmonton?
Yes, can I help you?
Good morning to you.
I'm Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby
from Causton CID.
I'm making a few inquiries
about the death of a neighbour
of yours, Mr Julian Shepherd.
Oh, yes, yes.
I heard about the accident.
It's terrible, terrible.
You wonder why these things happen.
Did you know Mr Shepherd?
Well, not well.
None of us are greatly
into popping round
to borrow a cup of sugar.
You see, apparently he phoned here
several times yesterday.
There was something he wanted
to talk to your husband about.
Did he actually come here?
I certainly didn't see him.
Is Mr Edmonton in?
No, Charles is away at the moment.
Would you know what he wanted
to talk to your husband about?
No, I have no idea.
I have absolutely no interest
in my husband's business affairs.
You'd have to talk to the Major.
Major? Major who?
BELL JINGLES
Major George Hamilton.
And where would I find him?
He lives in the village.
That is beautiful.
Beautiful is not a big enough word.
It's like saying the sea is wet.
Come on.
BELL JINGLES
That's one there.
No, that's a buzzard.
Oh.
What about that one? Definite.
No. That's a red kite.
(SIGHS)
(CHUCKLES)
There he is.
Where?
No, not the bird.
Our friend Moorcroft.
By the Toyota.
A very serious egg dealer.
I've been watching him for some time.
The egg man.
Who's that?
I don't know.
It could be just a twitcher
Moorcroft's pumping for information
or it could be another dealer
or a buyer, a collector.
How much money is there in it?
Oh, um,
some eggs will fetch a few pounds.
Rare ones thousands.
It can add up to serious money.
Serious enough not to care
what species you could
be wiping out in the process.
There. Your first heron, look.
Not bad for your first hour's
twitching.
Where?
(LAUGHS)
Sorry, you've just missed
your first heron.
It's a good job the villains
are bigger, eh, Sarge?
Good morning. Looking for
Major Hamilton. You've found us.
Are you Mrs Hamilton?
Yes.
You'll find him in the study.
You'll hardly miss
the raised voices, I'm sure.
Thank you.
What was he on about?
He said something was wrong.
I put a lot of money
into this thing.
Did you refuse to give him
his capital back, Major,
because that's what
Shepherd told me.
That's quite untrue, I'm sure.
Well, surety is what we need.
I haven't seen Charles Edmonton in
over a month. Where the hell is he?
Charles has been in the States,
he's been in Switzerland
putting into place the last pieces
before the launch.
Now you're gonna
make a lot of money.
What the hell has that got to do
with the opinion of Julian Shepherd
who was quite clearly
mentally deranged?
Major Hamilton?
Yes?
Your wife said I'd find you here.
I'm Detective
Chief Inspector Barnaby.
Are you sure
you don't want anything?
No. No, thank you.
Just taking all this in.
It's not quite what you'd expect
from the outside.
I spent my working life in Africa.
When I retired I brought back
as much as I could.
Eileen has her side of the house.
I have mine.
It's not every house
you can change continents
just by walking through the door.
Well, I'm sure there's many a man
who wished he could at times.
(CHUCKLES) Yes.
(CHUCKLES)
So you did see Julian Shepherd?
Yes. Yesterday morning.
And I spoke to him after lunch
later on the phone.
I must say it's a shock to us all.
We knew that he was...
(SIGHS) Well, he was on the verge
of some breakdown.
There's not point
in beating about the bush.
But none of us ever dreamt
that he'd take his own life.
What did the two of you talk about?
Julian was in a spot of bother
on the financial front.
Well, you know how these things go -
divorce and so on.
(SIGHS) Ruin a man
unless his head's screwed on.
Well, he'd invested money in
one of Charles Edmonton's projects.
Stood to make a great deal
out of it.
But Julian needed
to get his money out.
The launch was only
a few weeks away.
It's damn stupid.
He was throwing away at least
ten times what he'd invested.
Maybe more.
Well, I did my best to persuade him
to change his mind.
And he didn't?
Absolutely not.
And did you give him his money back?
Well, I would have
written the cheque for him today.
Now I don't know what to do.
I presume he has executors.
Well, it'd be up to them
when all this is sorted out.
Terrible business.
We're all very upset.
Yes, so I gather.
What precisely
did Julian Shepherd invest in?
I suppose there's no harm.
Basically, it was
a fuel-free transport system.
That was the revolutionary part,
the invention.
Only Charles Edmonton
knew the details.
Not the investors?
No.
That was very trusting of them.
He'd made several fortunes in his
lifetime and not just for himself,
but for those who had the vision
to back him.
Thank you, Major.
Pleasure.
How many?
I've got two more spare.
I thought three peregrine eggs
and...
..I could go to £300.
(SCOFFS)
You know what it takes
to get an osprey egg?
The nesting sites are all secret.
They're watched night and day.
300 quid, come on.
Once I get an osprey
I've completed all the British
Pandionidae and Accipitridae.
It's taken me 20 years.
Can you really get one?
I said I can deliver.
Can you?
(CHUCKLES)
Eddie, old son.
We can sort something out.
This woman up at the hall...
Mrs Edmonton?
She's breeding, you told me, right?
Peregrines, merlins, goshawks.
I don't know exactly.
Oh, come on, Eddie.
You told me you could get in.
You said you'd been in.
To see, that's all.
Well, did you take an egg?
Once.
One egg.
You underestimate yourself, Eddie.
You know your way around.
I've got a buyer
for some fertile eggs.
You get me enough of those
and this...
..could be all yours.
He drowned, that's clear enough.
You're familiar enough with it.
Mucus from the body mixes
with water. This is from his lungs.
It looks like he drove
straight into the river.
No sign of him losing control.
The car wasn't even travelling
at any speed.
What about drink?
No.
So suicide could be right.
I can tell you
what he had for dinner,
I can tell you he wasn't in the
habit of rinsing his hair properly,
but I can't tell you
what he was thinking.
No.
What do you mean
he didn't rinse his hair properly?
There was some gunge at the roots.
Turned out to be conditioner.
So when did he wash his hair, then?
Yesterday morning? Later?
I guess later.
Tom,
there's nothing very suspicious
about a man who doesn't
wash his hair properly.
No, but there's something rather odd
about a man who washes his hair
just before killing himself.
Have we got a deal, then, Eddie?
All right.
I'm trusting you, you know that.
We're trusting each other.
No, Eddie, old son. What I mean is...
..you know more about what I do
than makes me comfortable.
Well, I'm not going to say anything.
No, you're not.
We're working together on this.
If you screw up,
if you put me in it...
..your head could end up
under the wheels of my jeep.
Just so we know where we stand.
I'll see you tonight, then.
(HUMS)
£ CLASSICAL MUSIC
What time's dinner?
About an hour.
I'll have a glass of wine with it.
We have some of that white.
I'll have some red. And get
something decent for a change.
You can flush the last lot down
the sink. It might clear the drains.
And run me a bath nearly to the top.
Turn that bloody music off now!
I can't stand it.
(SIGHS)
PLAYER CLICKS OFF
Goodnight.
What happened to you?
What do you mean?
Well, I can only hope
you're not going to try and claim for
a new suit on your expenses, Troy.
Well, no bother about that.
Good.
I'm glad to see you're prepared to
make sacrifices in the line of duty.
You look like you've
had quite a day. I have.
There's a lot more to
a wildlife crime than you think.
Any chance of you
bringing a little less of it
back into the office
wit you tomorrow?
I don't think wildlife liaison
is treated seriously enough in CID.
We don't spend enough time on it.
Well, after the Road to Damascus
you've been travelling on
with Constable Pearce,
I'm sure you'll do your best
to remedy that.
Very nice.
I enjoyed it.
I've got the pork sausages.
The butcher made them this afternoon.
I don't fancy them tomorrow.
I'll have...a mushroom omelette,
I think.
Well, that'll be fine.
I'm a little short of cash
this evening, and I need to go out.
We haven't been to the post office
today, Mr Darwin.
Oh, that sounds like a fib to me,
Jane. You shouldn't, you know?
She shouldn't fib, should she?
No point hiding things from me.
I know when it's pension day.
COINS SCATTER
(SOBS)
DOOR CLOSES
Hm.
Look at that.
They guarantee to get you
that close to a lion, do they?
I'm not sure if I consider that
a threat or a promise.
I don't suppose they walk
straight up to you, Tom.
Oh, that's something.
The trouble is
I've already been to Africa.
No, you haven't.
Yes, I have. Only today.
Major Hamilton, the Midsomer magnate,
he still lives in Africa.
And it's not at all
like your brochures here.
It's less of your luxury lodges,
more your Heart Of Darkness.
Don't be so silly.
I'm going to have a bath.
Mm-hm.
You read the brochure
and in return I'll clean up
the mess you left in the bathroom
without even mentioning it.
(KISSES HIM)
Almost without mentioning it.
I always clean up.
BIRDS SCREECH
Shut up!
SCREECHING CONTINUES
SHRIEKING CONTINUES
(Shut up!)
ENGINE REVS
Argh!
Ah! Ah!
TYRES SPIN
DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES
He'll want his hot milk.
Mr Darwin, what's happened?
An accident. Just an accident.
We should call a doctor.
No.
I'm all right.
There's nothing broken.
I just need to rest.
I'm going to bed.
Perhaps we should help him.
We better leave him.
We'll see how he is in the morning.
You know how he is if we fuss, dear.
What about his milk?
He'll call if he wants it.
Why don't we have
a nice cup of cocoa?
LIVELY CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYS
Oh, there you are.
I see the years have not diminished
your powers of observation.
Is it all right?
"All right" isn't quite the phrase
that first springs to mind, but...
..it's under control.
Well, that's all that matters,
really.
We haven't done all this
for nothing.
So it's "we" now?
It's always been "we", George.
Always.
Mm.
Troy.
Well, that's better.
You need to wear something practical
for this sort of thing.
Well, there's only so many suits
a man can go through in a week.
Sadly, I'm gonna have to drag
you away from your rural liaison.
What, now? But I think I could
really be onto something here, sir.
Constable Pearce,
you'll have to manage on your own.
I know a dead body is poor recompense
for the call of the wild,
but it's the best I can offer.
Come on.
Parcel for you.
I thought Mr Darwin might like
some of these, they're so pretty.
And if he's not feeling very well -
I think he'd rather be
left on his own just now.
You know how he is.
Maybe we'll take them up later.
I'll put them in some water.
Ooh. Let me help.
Oh, thanks.
Where do you want it?
Uh, through there.
(SIGHS)
It just came. I don't really know
what to do with it.
The label says "With compliments,
the Edmonton Corporation".
What shall I do with it?
See what's inside.
Maisie, I want
to look at the bathroom again.
You didn't clean the bathroom,
did you?
I didn't even come upstairs.
Looking through the house,
I didn't get the impression
Mr Shepherd was the, uh,
tidiest man in the world.
He certainly wasn't.
But he might have cleaned
the bathroom, though, mightn't he?
It looks a very thorough job
to me.
Bleach, bath cleaner...
People do get fussy
about the bathroom.
Not Mr Shepherd.
I don't think he ever even
wiped round the bath.
What is it?
It's a scooter.
Your coffee's there, dear.
He is dead, then?
(SIGHS)
I suppose we ought to ask
Dr Robertshaw
to come and see him now.
It doesn't rule out an accident
or suicide.
There's no evidence.
Well, not yet, there isn't.
And no motive.
But there are reasons why
he might have killed himself.
He was depressed.
He had family troubles, money
troubles - the usual old stuff.
I see your encounter with nature
red in tooth and claw
hasn't made you more sensitive
to the human condition, Troy.
But in this case I don't believe
that the usual old stuff will do.
Either there was something
we don't know about
that pushed him over the edge...
Or someone killed him.
I need to know more.
Chief Inspector Barnaby?
Yep.
James Robertshaw, GP.
Constable Angel
said I'd find you here.
I've got a rather puzzling death.
I would guess the cause of death
will turn out to be
internal bleeding.
How long's he been dead?
Give or take four, five hours.
What are we talking about
with the bruising?
Some kind of accident?
Was he attacked?
Oh. That's for a pathologist.
All I can say is that
whatever did happen to him
it almost certainly
resulted in his death.
I'll leave you to it.
Yes, Thank you, Doctor.
So what have we got, sir?
I don't know.
We're going to need a post-mortem.
You'd better get a key for this room.
We may need forensics in.
His name is Edward Darwin,
Clerk to the Council.
I know him.
I didn't know his name.
I saw him with a man
Sarah's got under surveillance.
The egg man.
The egg man?
We knew he wasn't feeling very well.
I did knock on his door and
ask if there was anything he wanted.
He said there wasn't.
How long was he in his room?
Since yesterday evening.
He didn't come out at all
during that time?
No. We didn't think there
was anything very odd about that.
He was a very private person.
Oh, let me help, Miss Macpherson.
Thank you. I thought you might
like something to eat.
Just put it down here.
There. I'll pour.
And you can help yourselves.
That's very kind. You shouldn't have
put yourself to all that trouble.
Oh, I know you don't eat properly
when you're working.
Mr Darwin... He was a very private
man, Chief Inspector.
Tea, dear.
Could you tell us something
about Mr Darwin's friends?
No. No-one ever came here.
Never.
Does the name Moorcroft,
Sean Moorcroft, mean anything to you?
Cucumber? Some ham?
No. No, thank you.
He would have been interested in
birds' eggs, as well,
like Mr Darwin.
Well, Mr Darwin
was very knowledgeable about birds.
And he was very proud of his eggs.
But he didn't like us
to talk about that.
He said his collection
was very valuable.
I'm afraid it was also very illegal,
Miss Macpherson.
Still, that's not important now,
is it?
I'll have to ask you
not to disturb anything
in Mr Darwin's room, all right?
Oh, yes. That's quite all right.
Will you be taking him with you?
I think we would prefer that.
It may do no harm
to make some attempt
to behave a little more
like the grieving widow...sis.
I've done my grieving, Naomi.
Alzheimer's took Charles' spirit
away from his body
a long time before he died.
And what was left had very little
to do with the man that I married.
Except financially.
I don't know why
you've always had a problem
with the fact I didn't
only marry Charles for his money.
And you stand to do very nicely
out of it, too,
so don't overdo the snide remarks.
KNOCK ON DOOR
Yes?
The undertakers are here.
Good.
Can they do the funeral tomorrow?
Yes, it can be done.
Good. Ask them to come in.
Morning, Sarge.
Oh, you're here. Great.
Have you got the info on Moorcroft?
Yes, two addresses.
A family in Reading
and his girlfriend's flat in Staines.
He spends his time between the two.
But I spoke to Berkshire
and the Toyota's at his now,
so I guess he's there.
They could pull him in any time.
I'd rather do it myself.
See his reactions,
get a look at his house.
I'll contact Thames Valley en route.
They'll probably want to give us
a couple of uniforms for backup.
Oh, you won't need that, Sarge.
Course not. Just routine.
What's he like on violence?
Depends what he's had to drink.
He's well up for some aggro
with a skinful, but sober...
..discretion has a better part.
Bit early for the pub.
Doesn't look like he's up yet.
What's round the back?
Just open fields.
You do the front. You come with me.
Mr Moorcroft!
I'm glad we caught you. Argh!
CRASH
All right! No need to break my arm
over birds' eggs.
Constable Pearce can deal
with the eggs.
I want to talk to you
about Eddie Darwin.
I don't know any Eddie Darwin.
You certainly do, Mr Moorcroft.
Or did. In fact, you were one of the
last people to see Mr Darwin alive.
For God's sake, Bernard,
the man's just died.
I've no idea what's happening.
You read the paper.
He's bloody bankrupt!
You know we got bloody scooters
sent to us.
What kind of a joke is that?
What's that got to do with
launching the project?
As soon as I know more
I'll let you know.
The truth is I'm as much in the dark
as you are.
I had a drink with him.
He went his way, I went mine.
You talked about bird-spotting.
That's right.
I suppose you know Mr Darwin
collected birds' eggs.
I didn't. Naughty man, eh?
It's against the law, that.
Mr Moorcroft, an examination
of your car has revealed two things.
The first is blood.
Stains on the carpet,
front passenger side.
Some attempt has been made
to wash the stains out very recently.
Well, it's probably mine.
I lead an outdoor life.
I'm forever knocking myself about.
I never think about a bit of blood.
Two convictions for assault
seem to confirm that.
Although,
the blood you don't think about
usually belongs to someone else.
That was a long time ago.
But not so long ago
you were fined for trading
in birds' eggs and wild birds.
And, uh,
this was also found in your car.
A feather. Big deal.
A peregrine feather?
Like I said, I'm an outdoor guy.
I get plenty of shite on my shoes.
This is another piece
of peregrine feather.
It was in the pocket of clothes
Edward Darwin was wearing
when he was hit by a vehicle.
We will be able to find out
whether these two feathers
came from the same bird.
And if the blood in your car
came from Mr Darwin
we'll also be able to establish that.
It would be a lot easier if you
told us what happened that night.
Brodie, Brodie. Good girl.
MOBILE RINGS
Hello?
Oh, good. Is it all finished?
It's all done.
Yes. The last one went through.
You're home and dry.
Good.
PHONE BEEPS
Good girl.
The deal was
Darwin would steal fertile eggs.
Moorcroft had a buyer.
If he got enough
he'd get this osprey egg.
But he was definitely
up at the hall last night?
Moorcroft met him in the pub
then dropped him by the wall
round the estate.
They met in the pub car park
an hour later.
And the eggs? No,
Darwin said something spooked him.
He didn't get near the birds.
Moorcroft dropped him back
at the Macphersons'.
What sort of state was he in?
He told Moorcroft
he'd fallen off the wall.
He'd torn his clothes, hurt himself,
he just wanted to get home.
That's what Moorcroft said.
Do you believe him?
Yeah. Moorcroft's scared rigid
at the moment.
Whatever happened to Eddie Darwin,
he's telling what he knows.
Good girl, good girl.
Come on, Brodie. Come on, Brodie.
Come on, Brodie.
BELL JINGLES
(WHISTLES) Good girl.
Come on.
BELL JINGLES
You could have chosen a better time,
Mr Barnaby.
I'd normally take any attempt
to steal eggs very seriously indeed
but with my husband's funeral
to organise
it isn't exactly at the top
of my list of priorities.
I won't intrude on your time
more then necessary.
I'm very sorry to hear
about your husband.
Yes.
I'm not quite sure what
it is you're expecting to achieve.
I've already told you.
The birds were not disturbed and no
eggs were stolen from the incubator.
And whilst
I do take considerable pride
in communicating with my falcons
and my hawks
I doubt whether anybody would
get very far by interrogating them.
Good, right.
So there are the beds.
Mrs Edmonton,
I have good reason to believe
that Eddie Darwin
was in this building
the night he was involved
in a road accident, a hit-and-run.
That accident resulted in his death.
And I want to find out where
he was and what he was doing.
Well, not only do my birds not talk,
but none of them, as far as I know,
has a driving licence.
So if you will excuse me,
I have a lot of things
to be getting on with.
Thank you.
If Eddie Darwin did get in here
why didn't he take any eggs?
Mrs Edmonton flies these birds
all over the estate.
He could have picked the feather up
anywhere.
He lost his bottle,
never did get in here.
WINGS FLAP
BIRD HOOTS
The feather was in his pocket,
wasn't it?
It's not impossible it got there when
he was climbing a tree or a wall.
But it wasn't just any feather,
was it?
It was a feather left by a peregrine.
And Darwin was heading this way
to steal peregrine eggs.
Ooh.
Not a sport for vegetarians.
(HUMS)
£ Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika. £
(KISSES THE PAPER)
Hi. How's it going?
Well...
I've come to a conclusion.
It's not enough.
(CHUCKLES)
I mean, I want more money.
Yeah.
Yes, I don't think you're really
in a position to refuse, are you?
£ Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika
£ Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo
£ Yizwa imithandazo yethu, Wa!
£ Nkosi sikelela
£ Nkosi sikelela! £
(SIGHS)
£ Sikelel, sikelel, sikelel, sikelel
£ Sikelel, sikelel, sikelel
£ Abu! £
We're all waiting, Mallory.
When somebody dies,
somebody the birds had respect for,
at some point you need to tell them.
I think they probably know.
Death matters to them, like life.
(SIGHS)
I suppose I should thank you.
I don't expect thanks.
What do you expect?
BIRDS CHIRP
Hi.
Hiya.
Is this all right?
I mean, have forensics finished?
No, no. I thought I'd come in here
and destroy all the evidence
and generally get in everyone's way.
You spoke to the boss.
Yeah.
And look at these.
Mr Darwin was a very meticulous man.
Details of every egg he bought,
every egg he sold.
Addresses of the dealers.
I think if we put this together
with what I'm holding over
Sean Moorcroft -
For the osprey egg? You can help me
threaten more than that, can't you?
Obstructing the police,
that sort of thing?
I've been having some horrid dreams.
They'll go away.
It'll soon be over.
No, it won't, Eleanor.
We've been very bad.
You know we have.
Soon be finished.
I hope we won't be
troubling you much longer.
We need to talk to Mr Barnaby.
PRIEST: "'I am the resurrection
and the life', saith the Lord.
'He that believeth in me, though
he were dead, yet shall he live.
And whosoever liveth and believeth
in me shall never die'."
We didn't know what had happened.
We knew he was hurt, of course.
He just went to bed.
I didn't like to interfere.
Mr Darwin never liked us
to interfere. He'd shout at us.
Is that why you didn't
call for a doctor?
Well, he told us not to, you see?
It was my decision, Mr Barnaby.
Jane didn't have
anything to do with it.
Don't say that, Eleanor.
Weren't you concerned?
Not at first. A little later on.
I went in to see him...
He was still dressed.
He was still conscious then?
Oh, yes. I helped him get his
clothes off and put his pyjamas on.
You could see he was bruised.
Yes.
There.
Goodnight, Mr Darwin.
We couldn't have any idea
how badly he was hurt. Could we?
He became delirious,
saying the strangest things.
Could you make out anything
he was saying?
Somewhere he was,
a place he'd run away from.
It frightened him.
No, it was the body that frightened
him, the one in the freezer.
I think you'd popped out, dear.
It was where the birds were.
The birds were flying
and there was a freezer.
That's what he said.
And there was a man in it.
(LAUGHS) It was all nonsense.
This all keeps coming back
to Casement Hall, doesn't it?
The birds eggs and nest eggs
and now there's a...
..cuckoo in the freezer,
a dead body.
It was Charles Edmonton.
They're burying him today.
This morning.
They're not burying him this morning,
they're cremating him this morning.
Round about now.
We did the right thing. At least
it's all over and done with.
DOOR CLOSES
I'm sure it is, dear.
ENGINE REVS
PRIEST: "In sure and certain hope
of the resurrection to eternal life
through our Lord Jesus Christ,
we shall change our vile body
that it may be like
unto his glorious body.
According to the mighty working
whereby he is able
to subdue all things to himself."
TYRES SQUEAL
"I heard a voice from heaven
saying unto me..."
Stop this now.
SURPRISED WHISPERS
Charles was a great man,
people trusted him.
He invented a way of packaging milk
that halved production costs
round the world.
He'd invented
a prefabricated building system
that could put up a house in a week
right from the foundations to
running water and central heating.
That doesn't tell me why his body
was in the deep freeze, Major.
I was trying to explain who he was.
Why he was being disposed of
so quickly and so secretly.
Well, in the past few years
he's made mistakes, big mistakes.
I didn't realise
when I first joined him
that he was very nearly bankrupt.
He was spending millions
on development.
And he wasn't as well as
he might be. In what way?
What was the matter with him?
Alzheimer's.
By the time he was diagnosed
he'd done considerable damage
to his financial position.
And if it got out before Mallory
consolidated her own position...
Is that a euphemism for fraud?
Absolutely not.
What was going to "get out", Major?
A scooter.
I've seen one of those before.
This was the project
that he'd been working on for years.
A great secret.
Charles Edmonton invented a scooter?
Basically.
Well, we had no idea.
There was a great deal of money
at stake.
Enough to kill for?
No-one got killed.
Charles Edmonton died
of a heart attack.
I am merely the accountant,
Chief Inspector.
Right. Thank you, Major Hamilton,
thank you.
The officer will see you
back downstairs.
But for now you're to have
no communication
with Mrs Edmonton or her sister, OK?
There'll be a lot more questions.
I quite understand.
Another one?
Three people have died.
Julian Shepherd wanted to take money
out this mad project
and couldn't.
A man who broke into Casement Hall
and saw the body of Charles Edmonton
in the freezer.
Someone knew
Darwin had seen that body.
Somebody wanted to shut him up.
Because Mrs Mallory Edmonton
wanted another couple of days
to defraud the investors
and shareholders.
But Darwin got away.
Yeah.
Well, at least that begins
to make sense.
But what about the funeral?
There really is a death certificate,
isn't there? All in order.
Except the doctor
who signed the certificate
is one Naomi Sinclair,
Edmonton's sister-in-law.
She's downstairs now.
Hotfoot from the crematorium.
Let's get them all into the nick
for questioning.
It's time they found out
the privileges are over.
I have nothing to say,
Chief Inspector,
until my solicitor arrives
and as he's travelling from London
that could be rather a long time.
This is absolutely pointless.
You refuse to answer?
No.
I refuse to be questioned
without the legal representation
to which I'm entitled.
That is not the same thing.
Troy, could you take Mrs Edmonton
down to the custody sergeant?
I'm sure he can find a cell for her.
(LAUGHS) Well, I really don't
need to be locked up, Mr Barnaby,
but whatever you wish.
I don't know what crime
you're intending to charge me with
but I do assure you a police cell
isn't going to intimidate me.
It's got nothing to do with
intimidation.
You are a suspect
in a murder investigation.
Oh, I see.
Oh, I see.
You think I murdered Charles.
Well, yes.
I can see why some
fairly stupid policeman
might have leapt to that conclusion.
You know I'd really credited you
with more intelligence. Shall we go?
I don't understand
what Mr Shepherd has got to do
with my brother-in-law's death
or me.
But you knew what was going on,
didn't you?
The financial cover-up?
All I knew was how much trouble
Mallory was in.
Charles had frittered away so much
before anyone realised
something was wrong.
I'm talking millions.
So the answer was to lock him up,
keep him sedated?
I treated him as I would treat
any patient with Alzheimer's.
He died under your regime, Doctor.
I treated him properly
and discreetly.
How do your medical ethics square
with keeping a body in a deep freeze
so you can put a false date
on a death certificate, then?
I shouldn't have done that.
That was a mistake.
Mallory was panicking.
How did Charles Edmonton die, Doctor?
A heart attack.
The date may be false,
but it's a true diagnosis.
Well, I hope it is...
..for your sake.
My client has answered all questions
which relate to her husband's death
and the circumstances
surrounding the funeral.
That's just the beginning.
Unless you which to charge Mrs
Edmonton with something pertinent
to all these other areas of inquiry
it's not so much the beginning,
Chief Inspector, as the end.
Mrs Edmonton told you, she's never
heard of this man, Darwin.
And as for Mr Shepherd, she met him
on two or three occasions,
either in her husband's company
or Major Hamilton's.
You're on a fishing expedition,
Chief Inspector.
And you know as well as I do
that there's no reason
for my client to remain
in your keepnet any longer.
Heart attack,
that's what killed him.
Could Edmonton's heart attack
have been induced?
I doubt it.
He did have a pretty dicky ticker.
I wouldn't say she was doing
anything unusual. She kept notes.
So it was natural causes, was it?
I'm afraid so.
Unlike our friend in the river.
You were right.
About what?
It's on your desk.
I popped it in this morning.
I looked for the microorganisms
that should have been in the system.
They'd have entered his body
as soon as he went into the river
and took in water.
Not a trace.
But he did drown?
No question about that, but Shepherd
probably drowned in the bath.
Which would have made it
extremely difficult
for him to drive his car
into the river.
Or even to rinse his hair.
Just off.
No, Troy. We're both off.
But I was gonna go and see Sarah-
No, I want you to get a SOCO unit
round to Shepherd's place right away.
They need to take that bathroom
to pieces.
Then Casement Hall, the Hamiltons
and Naomi Sinclair's, too.
What am I looking for?
Anything that ties in to Shepherd
on the night he died.
I am going to
talk to Eleanor and Jane Macpherson.
You think they know something?
I know they didn't tell me the truth.
John, head straight upstairs
in the bathroom.
Take it apart inch by inch.
You lot, downstairs.
Those are the two account numbers.
I just need to find out
how much is in each.
Yes, the password is Phophonyane.
P-H-O-P-H-O-N-Y-A-N-E.
How much?
And when was that transferred
to South Africa?
I just need to check that
the bank here sent the right amount.
Thank you so much for your help.
I hope this will all be over
very soon.
And when it is...
..I hope I never have to set eyes
on you again in my life.
ENGINE REVS
I told myself he'd be all right.
I told myself we'd call a doctor
if he wasn't better in the morning.
We both said that.
But I knew I wouldn't,
Chief Inspector.
What I really thought deep inside
was that he would go to sleep
quietly and painlessly
and he wouldn't wake up.
And our lives would be
as they were before he came.
We'd be free of him!
He took our house,
he took our money,
he made us his servants.
We were terrified of him, you see?
But we couldn't say.
We were too...
..frightened.
And too ashamed.
Done.
And I hope that's that.
A day in a police cell, George.
You must be pleased with yourself.
Oh, come on now, old girl.
I did say
the sea might get a bit choppy.
We'll weather the storm.
They were here, too, the police.
They've searched the house from
top to bottom. What do you mean?
Don't worry. They didn't
find your little hidey-hole.
Oh, I've always known where it was.
A plane ticket to Johannesburg.
And that's where
most of the money is already.
You're going back, aren't you?
I was gonna tell you.
Were you? When you got there?
I thought...
..given time, after I'd set up
a business, you'd come around.
And that's what I've done.
I've bought a lodge,
a really classy lodge.
No, it's not gonna
be like the last time.
Look, I can't stay here, Eileen.
You know that.
There's nothing here, nothing for me.
Nothing for you?
I have lived with nothing
for the best years of my life.
A place I loathed, people I loathed.
I loathed you, too!
I gave up what I wanted then.
You had to do the same for me
when you retired.
I can't stay here! I'm suffocating!
You think I'm going to let you
walk out on me now?
Well, you're not gonna stop me.
Not now.
I'll stop you.
Whatever it takes to do it,
I'll stop you, George.
ENGINE REVS
(SIGHS)
MEN LAUGH
MAN COUGHS
A pint, please.
MEN MUTTER
Sit down.
It'll do you no good at all.
Vernon, sit down
and finish your drink.
FIRE CRACKLES
Off already, Major?
Don't you want a drink
with your old business associates?
Leave it alone.
Nothing to say, Major?
Look, I'm sorry that this happened.
A lot of people lost money.
I wish it could have been otherwise.
You knew, you bastard!
There's no point, Vernon!
Say you knew it, Hamilton. Admit it.
All crap, just like you.
I mean,
what do we really know about you?
Tell us exactly what regiment
you belong to, Major Hamilton?
Or is that crap, too?
It was a high-risk investment.
You thought you'd make a lot of money
by sitting on your arses
and doing nothing.
Well, look on it as a lesson.
At least you walk away
with something.
Oh, I walked away with something!
ENGINE STARTS
FIRE ROARS
When did you find him?
This morning, first thing.
I called the police straightaway.
No point in calling the doctor.
You saw nothing last night?
I went to bed.
I didn't know where he was.
I didn't care.
You didn't hear him come in?
When I saw him this morning
the first thing I felt was...relief.
I thought,
"It's over. It's finally over".
You smashed his belongings,
you dragged the contents of his room
into the garden,
you set fire to the lot of it,
you went to bed, you say.
Meanwhile, Major Hamilton was killed
and his body thrown onto the fire
which you'd just lit.
He wasn't a major, you know?
He was a sergeant in the Pay Corps.
All those years in Africa,
that's all he ever was, a clerk.
Why were you so angry yesterday,
Mrs Hamilton? What happened?
He was going back.
After everything he said
he was going back.
And he was going to take everything.
All the money we had.
All the money he promised we'd have.
This is a lot of money.
I don't know where they stashed it.
But George knew about these things.
The creditors won't see a penny.
You thought it was a good idea,
did you,
for him to be involved in fraud?
Why not?
What did anyone ever give me
for leading an honest life?
George was lying to me.
He was going to take every penny
and go back to Africa.
So you had to stop him.
I didn't kill him.
If I'd had the guts to kill him
I'd have done it years ago.
Still...
..someone stopped him.
I can't say I'm sorry.
But it wasn't me.
She must have done it.
You think Mrs Edmonton killed him?
Mallory? Of course not.
She believed George
was getting some money out for her.
Though she was never
going to see half of it.
No.
It was her sister, Dr Sinclair.
Mallory!
Where are you, Mallory?
KNOCK ON DOOR
Sir. You better see this.
We didn't know
Naomi had another car.
The grey wouldn't be a bad match
for the paint on Darwin's coat.
Finally, some evidence.
I have reason to believe evidence
material to a murder investigation
is about to be destroyed, sir.
No, Troy. Just breaking in.
GLASS SHATTERS
Neighbours said
she left about half an hour ago.
Came in,
then drove straight off again.
Surgery?
No, uniforms are there now.
DEVICE BEEPS
ELEANOR: Don't ignore me, Naomi.
Naomi!
It's George now, isn't it?
I've pushed it out of my mind before.
Julian Shepherd.
I mean, I couldn't believe that...
But I know
and I have to know how Charles died.
The police will be here, Naomi.
And how can I lie
about the things that I know?
DIAL TONE
"All very mysterious."
"I pushed it out of my mind,
but I know."
Did you really think
that I wouldn't, Naomi?
No-one can prove anything.
I see. Now that Major Hamilton
is dead, no-one can prove anything?
Mm. I hear that.
Do you hear yourself, Naomi?
People have died!
Major Hamilton, Julian Shepherd,
that man who broke in
just to steal some eggs.
Oh. I thought
you'd approve of that one.
All those little chats with the Major
when you should have been
looking after Charles.
You didn't even like the man!
I didn't have to.
We just wanted more than
a few crumbs from your table.
Did you kill Charles?
Oh, you're not telling me
you really cared?
You never understood, did you?
I wanted to protect the man
he'd been, the man I loved!
It was never just about money!
A pretty speech, Mallory. You could
always afford the prettiest things.
Is there in my life you don't resent?
I don't care about your life.
I've got the money to live my own
now.
Oh. Oh, that's a turn-up.
I never thought I'd see the day
when you were afraid
of your little sister.
But what I need now is for you
to disappear, as well as me.
You see, you're going to be
the main suspect in several murders.
I don't dislike that.
And if you're never seen again
everybody will always believe
that you got away with it -
the murders and the money.
Oh. Very neat.
Sorry, Naomi. I can't do that.
Oh. You're going to betray
your only sister?
That's not nice.
No...
When I said "disappear"
I didn't mean a flight
to foreign shores and a new name.
It's too late for that.
It's the only way now.
What are you doing?
What are you doing?!
Sorry.
No! No! No!
BIRDS SHRIEK
No!
SHRIEKING INTENSIFIES
Ah! Ah!
Ah!
No! (GASPS)
(SCREAMS)
Ah!
(CONTINUES SCREAMING)
You take the house.
WOMAN SCREAMS
BIRD SHRIEKS
Troy.
Any news on the car?
Oh, yes.
Darwin's blood, threads
from his clothes and I got this...
Hi, Sarge. Sir.
Hm.
Hiya.
I owe you a drink sometime.
Moorcroft was so afraid
of what he got involved in
he delivered his whole network.
Right. Great.
Well, I don't know when.
I get off about...
But it depends what's happening.
Oi.
You can get off about now.
Oh, right. Cool.
Cool?
I mean, thank you, sir.
OK.
There we go, my lovely.
OK.
BELL JINGLES
Is this an arrest?
No. No, it's not.
But I guess you'll have to
face a court at some point.
How is my sister?
Well, let's just say she's not
being as cooperative as you are.
No.
But however much
I help with the money
I'm not going to testify
against her.
I can't do that, I won't.
I really did have no idea.
I'm just gonna say goodbye.
To the birds?
I don't think
I'll ever feel free again.
But they can be.
I wish that we could all just...
..fly away when the time comes.
I don't know what it's like.
I've never even seen it
in the supermarket before.
I thought it would
set the right sort of mood.
Mm. It's not bad.
No, it's very good.
What is it?
Ostrich.
I thought you wanted to see the
animals, not eat them. (LAUGHS) I do.
But it was the only thing
I could find that was African.
Well, I say African. The ostrich
farm was just outside Cheltenham.
The wine is south African. Cheers.
Joyce, what have you done?
Since you were never going to
look seriously at the brochures...
..I took the dates and Cully did it.
We're booked.
We're going to Botswana in April.
Here's to our holiday.
Joyce...
It looks as if these people
are sitting on top of an elephant.
That's right.
It's an elephant-back safari.
Won't it be wonderful? Cheers.
Closed Captions by CSI