Midsomer Murders (1997–…): Season 7, Episode 3 - The Fisher King - full transcript

Excuse me.

Hello, Vanessa. Miriam.

Are you OK?
Yeah.

Sure?
Yes.

Do you want to have a drink?

My dear boy, there's
a world of difference
between this sort of thing

and ACADEMIC archaeology.

I mean, you're not claiming to be
an archaeologist, are you?

My father was the archaeologist.

As a popular account of pagan
culture, I found it entertaining.

He's from the Ashmolean Museum.
Your notion that Midsomer Barrow



contains a Celtic ritual spear
and chalice is simply fanciful.

Are you saying that the dig
at the barrow never took place?

As an academic archaeologist,
I have to base my assumptions
on DOCUMENTED finds.

I don't have the luxury of fiction.
Fiction?!

Hello, Gareth.
Good evening, Vanessa.

This is better than Indiana Jones.
I must be returning to Oxford. Bye.

Well done, David.

All publicity is good publicity.

Are you coming to the pub?
No, thanks.

I'm off out later.

Vanessa?

Yep.

What do you reckon? She's got you
right round her little finger.

That's what I reckon.



What's wrong with a lass
your own age?

Son, if there's one thing
I do know about, it's women.

Yes, Dad. I KNOW.

So, what's it about?

The mythology associated
with Midsomer Barrow

where the Celts use symbols
and rituals to connect
with the spirits of nature.

You mean it's a load of
heavy twaddle?

Well, there's no way my mother will
allow you to use the Barrow.

What do you want to use it for?
The Summer Solstice festival.

The longest day and shortest night.

Isn't that what the shindig
on the common's about? Yes.

But the Barrow was built
to celebrate the Solstice.

A unique moment occurs when
a flaming arrow shot into the sun

can release a regenerative power.

My father was the archaeologist
who first explored it.

David seems to think
it's some sort of pagan Viagra.

So, what's wrong with having
the Solstice festival at the Barrow?

My father died there.

Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know.

There's your rustic swain,
waiting patiently.

Good night, Gareth.

Harry.

Flash git!

Gareth didn't buy one.
That's family for you.

Couldn't you talk to him
about the Solstice?

Leave it, David.
It's not fair to Anne.

Maybe I'll ask her myself.

David, we have to get a divorce.

I'm going to see a solicitor.
No, Miriam.

It's no ordinary night.

Wait and see.

Oh, thank you

And what delights does the day
hold in store for you, love?

I thought I'd go to that talk
at the library.

Is that the one Cully mentioned?
Yes.

Arthurian legend. History or myth.

Camelot comes to Causton.

Don't mock.
No, I'm not. I'm not.

There's a walk
to Midsomer Barrow afterwards.

Has Arthurian connections,
apparently. Has it?

Well, you've got a lovely day
for it.

You have a good time.

Isn't he a beauty? Sired
by the same ram as the shearling

that won Best of Show last year.

I'm meeting Vanessa Stone
this afternoon.

You're having a lot of meetings
with her. I like her style.

I'm considering going in to business
with her.

Just not sure what the romance
with Harry Green is all about.

Harry's a nice boy.

Like his father?

She's not showing much interest
in the mill house.

Is she using him
to pull a fast one on the tenancy?

We're not going to evict
Nathan and Harry.

If the mill's a success, it might be
a good idea to have room to expand.

Vanessa and I could do well.

I won't turn my friends out
of their homes. They'll get over it.

Don't be ridiculous, Mother!

It's about time you stop carrying
a torch for Nathan Green.

And so you can see how the myth
of the Fisher King was incorporated

into Arthurian legend.

And when the Celts converted
to Christianity,

and became part of the story
of the Holy Grail...

In the Arthurian story,
a young knight comes to the court
of the Fisher King.

He must ask the King
about the Holy Grail

in order to bring healing
to the land.

When he fails to ask the question,
the kingdom remains a wasteland.

There is another connection to the
Fisher King myth close to here.

But more of that at the end
of our walk to Midsomer Barrow.

Now I think we should take a short
break and help ourselves to coffee.

Excuse me. I thought you might be
interested in this.

Thank you.

My husband wrote it. You may know
of his father, the archaeologist.

The late Paul Heartley-Reade.
Indeed I do.

I shall look forward to reading it.
Thank you.

We should introduce ourselves.
Jane Willows. Joyce Barnaby.

I'm the arts officer.
Of course.

You organise these talks, don't you?
He's enjoying himself.

He's from Norway.

He's come here to do some research
in the archives.

The Fisher King.

How was the talk?

Nice man. Norwegian archaeologist.
Per Hansen.

Don't know him. Any good?
I enjoyed it.

Anyway, I gave him a copy
of your book.

You never know. He might review it.

Enjoy your fishing.

It'll cost a bit more doing it
this way but there are grants.

And by restoring a heritage site,
I get free publicity for the bakery.

You've got it all worked out.
Of course.

I've been thinking...

..rather than you raising money
to buy the mill...

..maybe we should be
partners instead.

I don't want a partner. We could
open a restaurant in the mill house.

Gareth, we had an agreement.

So?

Things change.

I've put months of work in to this.

This has cost me a fortune. With
solicitors, planning applications.

I'm not saying don't do it.

I'm saying let's combine
our talents.

I know you like me.
No!

Gareth!

Come on.

Why let pretty boy stand
in the way of a good business deal?

How dare you!

Hello, Harry.

Are there many trout
in Parson's Pool?

Not if the pike's been up there.

I'm after him now.

Good luck.

You must know the area well
if your daughter lives here.

She hasn't been here that long.

She wanted a change of scene
after her divorce.

There it is. Look.

Midsomer Barrow.

There are different versions
of the story. Either...

an old king must die... You've been
coming on to me since we first met.

Gareth!
It's make your mind up time.

You're sleeping with the wrong guy.

..that the myth
of the Fisher King...

Get off!
..to Midsommer Barrow.

Get off me!
..different versions of this story.

Excuse me.

Gareth, get off me!
Do you think she's all right?

Get off me!!
Oh, my God!

That's my daughter.
Who's that with her?

Gareth Heldman.

Do you mind?
No, of course not.

There's a bridge further upstream.
I must see if she's OK. Go.

Dead man's name was Gareth Heldman.
36. Single. Local landowner.

Ran the family estate.

Georgie Bullard reckoned he was
killed by stab wounds to the thigh.

It cut his femoral artery.

He bled to death?
He has bruising around the face.

He put up a fight before he was
killed. No murder weapon, though.

- There's only this.
- He was killed with THAT?

No, Scott.
It's some kind of spearhead.

It must have taken considerable force
to break it off.

It made an interesting reaction
with the victim's blood.

It was made from a primitive iron.
Harry Green, sir.

The river keeper.
Thank you, Constable.

Harry Green?

I'm Detective Chief Inspector
Barnaby. This is Sergeant Scott.

What happened to your face?
Oh, nothing. An accident.

It looks like you've been in a fight.
I slipped on some river stones.

Can anyone corroborate that?
Only the rock I smashed my face on.

Did you see Gareth Heldman
by the river yesterday?

No.
Or anyone else?

Only David. He's often by the river
of an evening.

David Heartley-Reade.
Yes, we know David Heartley-Reade.

He found the body. He says that
he saw you spear fishing.

Was this part of your spear?

Yes, but where's the head?

You tell me.
I left it by the river.

Odd way to fish.

A spear.
Not for pike.

They lurk at the bottom.
Spearing them is the easiest way.

What was this spearhead like?
Made of iron.

It was old and heavy but perfect
balance. Where did you get it?

My dad found it years ago.

Where did you go, Harry,
when you left the river? Home.

Well, can anyone corroborate that?

No.

My dad wasn't there.

So, you saw no-one else
here yesterday?

Oh, there was some women
visiting the Barrow.

Yeah, I know all about them.

I've been punished.

I always knew it would happen
but not like this!

Did you see anything?
Anything out of the ordinary?

I was with Cully's friend
from the library. Jane Willows.

We saw the man arguing with a woman
on the other side of the river.

It was her daughter, Vanessa.

Did you hear what they were saying?
No. It looked like a lovers' tiff.

Then they went off
in opposite directions.

Jane went after her daughter to see
if she was OK. Excuse me. Sure.

What about the rest of the group?
Per told us to take a moment
alone on the Barrow

to soak up the magic.
And did you?

What?
Soak up the magic?

Yes, Tom, thank you. I did.

Did you see a young man with a spear
on the other side of the river?

I was lying on the grass
with my eyes shut,
enjoying the peace and quiet.

Not a very good witness, I'm afraid.

Polly. Thank you.

Harry.

What happened?

I got in a fight.

What about?
What do you think?

I saw him trying it on with you.

What? You were at the river?
I told you I wasn't standing for it.

You hit him?

I didn't kill him.

Someone stabbed him.

I believe you saw Gareth Heldman
with your daughter, Vanessa. Yes.

My wife says...
You've met Joyce, haven't you?

She says that they were arguing.

That's why I went after her.

What did you think
they were arguing about, Mrs Willows?

Miss. I never married.

Erm... I don't know what I thought.
Just... erm...

a mother being anxious.

Did you see your girl's boyfriend,
Harry Green, by the river? No.

Did you talk to Gareth Heldman?
Hardly.

I was just thinking
about my daughter.

And did you catch her up?
Yes, thank goodness.

She gave me a lift home.

Mrs Heartley-Reade?
Yes?

Detective Sergeant Scott,
Causton CID.

About Gareth's death?

Yeah.

Your husband found the body.

Can you confirm his movements
yesterday afternoon?

He went fishing. He came home
in a terrible state.

Gareth was his cousin.

Did they get on? Gareth wasn't
terribly interested in family.

So, what are these? An Iron Age
ceremonial spearhead and chalice.

Three thousand years old. They would
have belonged to a Celtic chieftain.

David's father found them
in Midsomer Barrow 30 years ago.

Eczema. Too many years grubbing
about in the earth.

Professor Hansen, your talk was about
a legend connected with the Barrow.

The Fisher King.

Perhaps you could fill me in briefly.
The Fisher King was a wealthy lord.

He suffered a wound to his thigh.
The Dolores blow.

That's how our victim was killed.

Here. Perhaps you should look
at this.

David Heartly-Reade.

He it was who found the body.

No. How very apt.

How do you mean "apt"?
A symbolic death at the Barrow
and the expert finds the body.

All myths and legends boil down
to human nature in the end.

There's a little bit of the pagan
left in all of us, don't you think?

I'm buying the old water mill
on the Heldman estate.

Is that what you were arguing about?

Yes. We'd been negotiating for weeks
and yesterday he threatened
to go back on his word.

He changed the deal.
Is that all it was about?

So far, Mrs Stone, you are the last
person to see Gareth Heldman alive.

I shouldn't speak ill of the dead
but Gareth wasn't a nice man.

Did he assault you?

He thought we should be partners.
I disagreed.

Because you've already got
a boyfriend, haven't you?

According to Harry Green.
Yes.

He's a bit young. I'd have thought
Gareth Heldman was more your type.

And what makes you think you know
what my type is?

Did Harry see you with Gareth?
Come running to your rescue?

I didn't even know Harry
was at the river.

Where did you go,
after your argument with Gareth?

Back to my car. Then I gave
my mother a lift home to Causton.

Apparently, Harry uses
an old iron spear for fishing.

Have you ever seen it?
No. Why?

We haven't found
the murder weapon yet.

And you don't know how Harry
got that bruise on his cheek?

Why are you so interested in Harry?

Everyone who came into contact
with Gareth Heldman at the river
is a suspect, Mrs Stone.

Hello, I'm Detective Chief
Inspector Barnaby and this is...

Come in. Come in.
I've got something to show you.

It's from the Barrow. The ceremonial
spear my father found. It has to be.

Is that what was used
to kill Gareth?

We have to take this for forensic
examination. Where did you find it?

Lying there. On the hall table.
The front door was open.

You mean someone just walked in
and left it? Yes.

Here's the original drawing
my father made in his diaries.

Roger Heldman gave my father
permission to excavate the Barrow.

It was his land.

When was this?
30 years ago. More.

The spear and the chalice were in
a stone chamber inside the Barrow.

My father left them exactly
as he found them. Why do that?

So a colleague could see
them in situ.

In Celtic mythology, the spear and
the chalice are highly symbolic.

Well, there's the spear...
Where's the chalice?

There's one in the Ashmolean Museum
identical to the drawing
in the diary

but supposedly from another site.

Dr Lavery, the man who found
the Ashmolean Chalice,

knew David's father and he's not
at all happy about David's book.

But now the spear has been found.

One of those pointless
academic disputes.

Why were these treasures just left
inside the Barrow?

That night, there was an accident.

The entrance to the Barrow collapsed
and Roger was killed.

My aunt had the chambers
sealed up again.

Your aunt being Anne Heldman,

Gareth's mother, yes?
Yes.

And she's never been back
to the Barrow since.

And your father?

He left when I was a few months old
and never contacted my mother.

We heard eventually
that he had died in a car crash.

Does the diary mention anyone who
might have known the spear was there?

Nathan Green.

He was paid to do the heavy digging.

Nathan Green might have taken
the spear and what?

Passed it on to his son to... erm...
fish with?

Do you think that the killer
left it here? Maybe.

But why here? Why this house?

Midsummer Solstice is drawing near.
A moment of mystic power.

The spear is a sign that we must
seize that moment.

Mr Heartley-Reade, someone may be
trying to incriminate you.

But equally, for all I know, you may
have placed the spear there yourself.

Have you found the report
on Roger Heldman's death?

Yes, sir. It's accidental.

I've asked for a copy
of the police file as well.

When they can find it
under the dust.

Georgie Bullard confirms the
spearhead as the murder weapon.

Both the deaths may be linked to
the spear as well as to the Barrow.

Perhaps they both have
"mythic significance".

The policeman asked
about your fishing spear.

He said it was missing.

So you told them I took a pop
at Gareth because I was jealous?

Why didn't you tell the police you
had a fight if that's all it was?

Because I'm their No.1 suspect.
That's why.

Harry, you would tell me,
wouldn't you, if...?

You think I killed him?
No!

But I don't understand. I didn't...
How COULD you?!

What's up, son?
It doesn't matter.

She's dumped you.

I knew she would now she found
she can't buy the mill after all.

It's nothing to do with that.

Anyway, she can still buy it.

Anne won't sell!

Why not?

Because she knows I'm not happy
about it.

Now you can find a nice girl
your own age. Your own sort.

Businesswoman!

Furthering her ambition.
That's the business she's in. Dad!

Who do you think killed Gareth, Dad?

I've no idea.

But like you say, he had it coming.

Took after his father. Treated
everyone like he owned them.

Even his own mother.

Oh, you're after me, I suppose.
No, we've come to see your father.

Mr Nathan Green?

Yeah? I'm DCI Barnaby.
This is Detective Sergeant Scott.

You'll know this is
about Gareth Heldman.

Could you tell us please
where you were on the afternoon
Gareth Heldman was killed?

I was doing odd jobs
about the place. On your own?

Yeah. So?

Could you identify this for us,
please?

That's my fishing spear.

That was used to kill Gareth Heldman.

Harry says you found it. Years ago.

That's right. Was that when you were
working on the archaeological dig?

What's this about?

That was taken from the Barrow
30 years ago.

People round here are always
turning up old stuff.

You're not mixing me up with that.
With what?

That spear disappeared
on the night Roger Heldman died.

Dad?

I believe that you were there.

So what did you see?

It was an accident.
I had nothing to do with it.

Did you take the spear?

Oh, come on.
We need to know what happened.

Paul Heartley-Reade said he'd found
something precious.

So I went back up to the Barrow
that night.

It was Heldman's land.

I wanted to take something of his.
Something PRECIOUS.

Planned to sell it?

No.

What exactly did
you have against him?

I didn't kill him.

Then why didn't you just come
forward and say what you'd seen?

I had no idea that
there was anyone else out there.

Did you recognise
who it was running away?

You've never said a word
of any of this.

If Roger Heldman was murdered,
there were plenty
who were glad to see him dead.

Did you see who it was?

I know who had most reason.
Paul Heartley-Reade.

David's father.

Well, he wasn't David's father,
was he?

What are you on about? Everyone knew
Roger Heldman was David's father.

There you go, Mum.
Oh, thanks very much.

Vanessa?
Hmm?

Talk to Harry again, please.

Maybe.

I'm sorry about...
the death of your son.

Can you think of anyone
who would want to kill him?

No.

What about your nephew,
David Heartley-Reade?

I know why you're asking.
Nathan called me.

Is it true?

That my husband was David's father?
Yes.

Does David know?

Yes. And Gareth knew too.

Though he never talked
about it openly.

When Paul, my sister's husband,
abandoned her,

my sister blamed me.

Why did she blame you?

Because I turned a blind eye to...

Roger's fornication.

I'm sorry but I'm going to have
to ask you

about the death of your husband
as well that night at the Barrow.

That was 30 years ago.
Nevertheless...

Do you think he and Nathan had
some kind of struggle?

A fight maybe which caused
the entrance to collapse?

Nathan? No.

He admits he was there.
He stole the spear.

If you only knew.

No-one had
a truer friend than Nathan Green.

What about Paul Heartley-Reade?

He certainly had reason to... erm...

resent your husband.

Yes, Paul was bitter and resentful.

He never forgave my sister
and abandoned her shortly after.

But she never stopped loving him.

They were childhood sweethearts.

There they are.

That's Paul and my sister.

And me.

I'm the only one left.

Go buy him the other half.
Sir?

When you told Anne Heldman, Nathan
had stolen the spear from the Barrow,

she showed no surprise at all
that he was even there.

Did you notice that?

No.

You go and have a friendly chat.

See what you can find out about the
relationship between Anne and Nathan.

Right.

Drink?

There's something
I should have told you.

Gareth and I had a flaming row
that day.

I hit him.

So, go on. Arrest me.

Did you kill him?
No.

Not that it seems
to matter to anyone.

Why did you lie
when we asked you before?

I knew you wouldn't believe me.

So you did see him
with your girlfriend?

And you thought,
"She's two-timing me." No!

Well, he's more her age.
He's loaded too.

She never liked him.

It didn't stop him
from trying it on with her, though.

So you stuck one on him, did you?

Yeah.

All right. Cheers.

Cheers.

So, what's the deal between your dad
and Anne Heldman?

I never quite worked that one out.
Bit of a ladies' man, is he?

Yes. As it happens.

But I don't reckon
it was ever a full-on thing.

They're like... proper devoted.

Any idea why?
No.

I stopped being interested
in Dad's women years ago.

What has my paternity got to do
with Gareth's death?

Probably nothing
but you did share a father.

I'm sorry Gareth's dead
but he wasn't the brotherly type.

Gareth was the legitimate son and
he would have inherited that estate.

How did you feel about that?

I own this house, Mr Barnaby.

Proof that inheritance has little
to do with paternity.

Do you know of anyone who held
a grudge against the Heldman family?

Not now. No.

How about Nathan? Nathan Green?

Apparently, there was no love lost
between Nathan and Roger Heldman.

I'd be interested to know why.
Why was that?

My mother once told me that Nathan
had a teenage sweetheart
who worked at Priory House.

She ran away without a word.

She was just a child.

Your other father,
Paul Heartley-Reade,

do you think he killed Roger Heldman?

No. He was in Oxford that night
staying with a colleague.

And anyway, Roger Heldman's death
was an accident.

I wouldn't be too sure of that.

We have some new evidence
that was never shown to the coroner.

Harry.

Harry, I've come to apologise.

It's a bit late for all that.

You know I never meant it.

We both know what Gareth was like.
I'm glad you hit him.

Forgive me. Please?

They've been asking my dad all sorts
of questions too.

You see? We're all suspects.
It means nothing.

You know I love you.

I really do.

Oh, Harry.

Anne, I've come to ask you
something.

Something important.
I know what you've come to ask.

And the answer is no.

We need to restore spiritual harmony
to this family.

My son is dead.

Murdered.

But it's because he's dead.

The past is crying out to be laid
to rest.

The wound has never healed.
Please, Anne.

I will not allow it.

I have a claim on this land too,
you know.

What?

Rightfully, I don't need
to ask your permission.

Oh, you ARE Roger's son.

You must allow us to use the Barrow.

Do what you want.

You will anyway.

Roger always did.

According to your statement,

Paul Heartley-Reade was staying
in Oxford with you
the night Roger Heldman died.

That was years ago.

Surely you're not raking
all that up again?

We are investigating the murder
of his son, Gareth Heldman.

There may be a connection.

Now, can you confirm
that he stayed here? Oh, yes.

Definitely.
Were you friends?

We were colleagues.

I understand that you have here
in the collection a Celtic chalice

that, shall we say, resembles one
which Paul Heartley-Reade

says he found in the inner chamber
of the Midsomer Barrow.

Not that old chestnut!

Our chalice was uncovered
by one of my students

on a site I was supervising
in Suffolk.

Look. I'll show you.

Come on.

Listen to me, David.
I've been to see a solicitor.

I'm prepared to come
with you to the Solstice,

but it's not going to make
any difference to us.

Our marriage is over.

Wishful thinking.

Goodness knows. We're all tempted.

Are you suggesting Heartley-Reade's
diaries are invented?

Exactly.

Though that's not what his son
wants to believe.

Dr Lavery, there was another witness
to what was inside the Barrow.

The only other person to enter the
Barrow was Heldman. Nathan Green.

He did the digging.

He saw the spear and the chalice.

He left the chalice but he admits
he stole the spear.

And that spear was used to kill
Roger Heldman's son, Gareth.

Who are you?

Forgive me. Per Hansen.

The back door was open.
I couldn't resist.

Such a beautiful old house.

What do you want?

Your wife very kindly gave me a copy
of your book.

I wanted to ask you about it.

Oh, I see.

Well, erm...

..what is it you wanted to know?

I was intrigued by the illustration
of the chalice.

It bears a striking resemblance
to one I've seen in the Ashmolean.

Which Dr Lavery found during a dig
in Suffolk.

But which you claim comes
from Midsomer Barrow.

Yes.

The spear has already
come to light. Really?

How can you be sure?
A local man admits he stole it.

'At the time
of my father's excavation.'

I don't think I can go on.

We got through it before, didn't we?

This isn't the same.

I'm here.

I'm still here.

You're the archaeologist,
Professor Hansen.

Perhaps you'd be kind enough
to give me your take on this.

More than happy to help.

Could Dr Lavery somehow have taken
the chalice from Midsomer Barrow

and then secretly buried it
at his own excavation elsewhere

ready for a student to find it?

Anything is possible.

What would he stand
to gain by such a fraud?

Reputation.

But then, perhaps Lavery is right
and those diaries are a hoax.

Like the Piltdown Man.

But why?

It's what archaeologists dream of.

An untouched site that offers up
significant treasures.

I don't just mean
that they're valuable.

I mean artefacts that are symbolic.

That can be interpreted.
Written about. Lectured upon.

Reputation.

A life, Mr Barnaby.

A fulfilled life.

But based on fraud.

Perhaps.

To us.

Our moment is near.

Everything will change tonight,
Miriam.

Drink.
I can't.

If we connect with the ancient earth
mysteries tonight,

the gods will absolve the past.

There are no rites or rituals
that can change anything for us.

Miracles can happen, Miriam.

The Fisher King will show us
the way.

I don't want to do this, Nathan.
You must.

I haven't set foot on the Barrow
since that night. I'll be here.

Stay with me, Nathan.

Hello, Anne.

I'm so glad you've come.

I'm sorry if David upset you.

He really does appreciate you
allowing us on the Barrow.

And your coming here tonight
is even better.

Will you light the bonfire?

Come on.

Welcome.

Light the fire.

At this place of mythic power
and wisdom,

we lend our strength to the sun.

Let the festivities begin.

There. Suitably pagan.

According to David's book,

Midsummer's Eve is when all the
Earth's feminine energy is released.

A very good night for sex,
apparently.

Go home now, then, shall we?

Mr Barnaby.

You've got a good crowd, haven't you?
They lend strength to the magic.

To our ceremony of communal healing.

And you needn't worry
the sun won't rise, need you?

That's what the ancient Celts
worried about. The sun will rise.

The world will change tonight.

Keep an eye open for that, will you?

Scott!

That looks good.
Yeah.

What planet are we on, sir?

He can't be serious, can he?

Our killer may be in that crowd.

Hello.
Hello, Joyce. Hello.

Miss Willows. Mr Hansen.

I really fancy one of those
sausages. Yes. Me too.

One for you?
No, thanks.

I'll come with you.
I'll have one more.

Would you like some?
It's Jane Willows, isn't it?

Yes.
You don't recognise me.

Of course.

Have you moved back
to Midsomer Priors? How are you?

Oh, I... I'm very well.

We're very well.

Oh yes, of course.

My daughter, Vanessa.

She owns the bakery in the village.

Your daughter?

Erm... have you seen Nathan?

No.

He's here.

Please. In my own time.

A face from the past? I used to be
nursery maid to her son.

Oh, you never said.
I don't have happy memories.

Wonderful.

Excuse me.
Yes?

Do I know you?

I don't think so.

Hmm. I think I will have another one
of these.

Excuse me.

Mrs Heldman...

I've spent months putting together
my proposal for the mill.

Just leave her alone.

This is nothing to do with you.
She is NOT selling.

Nathan.

Why don't you just stop interfering?
Leave it out, Dad.

Anyway...

David seems to reckon
that the place belongs to him.

Roger Heldman's son and heir.
You should try cosying up to him.

You're good at that.

I'm feeling tired.
Would you see me home?

Who's she?

Anne Heldman.

It was her son who was murdered?

Yup.

That's who Jane Willows
recognised tonight.

Jane worked for her years ago.

What did your dad mean? Telling me
to ask David about the mill?

Is it true?

David's claiming the Heldman estate?
No, of course not.

He couldn't care less about it.

He was just desperate to celebrate
the Solstice here on the Barrow.

Yes. So when is the big moment?

Erm... at sunrise.

And we're talking cosmic climax.
Is that it?

Miriam.

Are you all right?

I've got to go. I daren't be
on my own with him.

He believes that if he can
become one with the new sun,

our marriage can be reconsummated.

Right. You're coming home with me.

Listen, I've got to get Miriam
out of here. OK.

Not a word to David. All right?

Don't ask me, mate.

Their marriage has been on the rocks
for ages.

You do know
what you're doing with that?

Oh, yes. The instant the sun appears
on the horizon,

we shall send flaming arrows
into the dawn.

Fire into fire.

That's not really what I meant.

The glorious consummation.

When the Earth Mother joins
the Sky Father. Really?

Then what happens?

The land is made potent again.

Desire fulfilled.

You mean we all get lucky.

Time for us to wend?

No, we must wait for the sunrise.

Oh, God! Must we?
Oh, yes.

Tell me something, Joyce,

before Jane Willows went home,
did she talk to Nathan Green?

No, I don't think so. Why?

Cos I think they're old friends.

Scott, what are you laughing at?

David Heartley-Reade.
He's lost the plot, sir.

Well, his wife left him tonight.

Before sunrise?

Now, how about this for a theory.

Gareth Heldman was having an affair
with Miriam Heartley-Reade

so David killed him.

I'll tell you something.

Roger Heldman was also
Vanessa's father.

Bloody hell! He managed to put it
about a bit, didn't he?

Roger by name, Roger by nature.

Harry, have you seen Miriam?
Sorry, mate. No.

Well, David. Soon the sun will rise
on a new day, huh?

A new Fisher King will be crowned.
Go.

Go!

Sir.

How wonderful.

What's he doing?
He's adding his light to the sun's.

He thinks it'll give him power
to save his marriage.

If it's David...
Don't worry. I won't.

What is it?

Is Miriam here?

David's dead.

The arrow must have been fired
from here, look. Shoosh!

He was desperate to find his wife
last night, sir.

So they could loose off their arrows
simultaneously.

A mystic union with the rising sun.

She wanted nothing to do with it,
sir. What a sensible lady.

We've got two victims. Do you think
we're looking for the same killer?

There was someone here last night
who was by the river
the day Gareth Heldman died.

And she had reason to kill him.
Sir?

Jane Willows. Some years ago
she worked at Priory House.

She was one
of Roger Heldman's victims.

If her daughter Vanessa was fathered
by Roger Heldman,

and I think she was,

and she thought she saw Gareth
Heldman assaulting... his own sister.

Half-sister.

Why would Jane Willows want to kill
David Heartley-Reade?

So Vanessa could inherit
the entire estate.

Mr Barnaby, I've heard.

Vanessa called me. Come in.

So terrible.

How can I help?

What time did you leave the Barrow
last night?

Well, I got back here
just after midnight.

Are you sure you didn't go out
again later? No.

We...

Miss Willows...

did you know that David
Heartley-Reade was actually
Roger Heldman's son?

No.

He's a few years younger than
your daughter. You'd left
by the time he was born.

I don't understand.

Last night, you told my wife
you'd once worked as a nursery maid

for Anne Heldman.

Yes.

And David Heartley-Reade told me
that Nathan Green

was once sweet on a girl
who'd worked for the Heldmans.

And...

..that Roger Heldman
had assaulted her.

I was 16. It was my first job.

You became pregnant with his child?

Vanessa.

And you left the village.

I've never talked about this
to anyone.

So, on the afternoon of Gareth's
murder, when you saw him
and Vanessa arguing,

that must have been
some sort of nightmare for you.

Not only a Heldman, the son
of a man who'd done that to you,

but also her half-brother.

He even looked like his father.

So, did you go after him?

I told you, I went after Vanessa
to see she was safe.

I looked after Gareth as a baby.
I couldn't kill him.

Does Vanessa know
that Roger Heldman's her father? No.

I couldn't bring myself to tell her
that she was conceived like that.

I love her too much.

Never told anyone?

Not even Nathan Green?

Especially not Nathan.

OK, Scott. Come on.

Mr Barnaby.

Please.

I must be the one to tell her.

Oh, yes.

Better make it soon.

I'm going down to the river.

Why not wait? Till you've spoken
to the police.

There's something I have to do
for David.

What if the killer's
still out there?

After a death, the Celts cast
their most precious possessions
into water

as offerings to the gods.

They believed that lakes
and rivers were...

..gateways to the other world.

David believed that too.

I have to give this back to him.

I'm coming too.

Mr Green, I need you to tell me again
exactly what happened at the Barrow

the night Roger Heldman died.

What about last night? Shouldn't you
be out collaring David's killer?

Events of 30 years ago
are connected to the deaths

of Gareth Heldman
and David Heartley-Reade.

I will found out exactly
what happened.

This is stupid.

You left the Barrow with the spear
and went down to the river.

It was ages ago. When you heard
Heldman cry out,

you went back and you saw someone
running away. I don't remember.

I don't believe you, Mr Green.

You thought you saw Anne Heldman
running away. No.

You thought that she had murdered
her husband.

You don't know
what you're talking about.

And you know, I don't think
you've ever discussed it with her.

What's there to say?

Only that I'm certain
that she believes it was you

who murdered her husband.
Me?

How... How could she think that?

In revenge.

After he'd assaulted your girlfriend
Jane Willows.

Anne Heldman did her best
to cover up for you

because she was actually pleased
to be rid of her husband.

You see, Mr Green,
for 30 years you thought
you owed her a debt of honour.

Did you repay that debt last night?

David Heartley-Reade was threatening
to claim the Heldman estate.

Did Mrs Heldman want him killed?

No.

Did you kill him to protect her?

No.

She's grieving for her own son.

She'd never want another death.

Look, this may not be
the time but...

what really happened
between you and David?

Do you want to know?
You're keeping things bottled up.

It might help to let it out.

David's obsession with...

absolution and mystic power.

The Solstice. You must have wondered
what it was all about.

Was he impotent?

Something to do
with who his true father was.

I know nothing about my father.

Mum thinks she's protecting me
but I'm desperate to know.

It's not that, is it?

Partly.

Roger Heldman was my father too.

Oh, my God!

You can't have known.

Of course not. David was doing
a postgrad year
in America when we met.

Right from the start
there was this amazing bond.

We knew we belonged together.
We decided to get married.

We sent our parents postcards.

Miriam...

We thought we could continue to live
as brother and sister.

Did you?
For a while.

Till David discovered all these
myths and legends

that would make it all right again.

So the Solstice...

..was when the gods would give him
permission...

..to have sex with you again.

It drove him mad.

Stop!

Police.

What are you doing here?

I was hoping
to find Mrs Heartley-Reade.

Oh, yeah What exactly did
you want from her?

The diaries.

I wanted to buy them for the museum.
Why the urgency?

You'd be amazed people's actions
after a death.

They suddenly start
throwing things away.

But you said the diaries
were a fraud.

Why would a museum want them?

Dr Lavery, would you tell me
something?

How did you really come by
the chalice?

Was it, in fact, a payment
for the false alibi
you gave Paul Heartley-Reade?

Anne Heldman thought that Nathan
Green had killed her husband.

So when you said that Paul
was with you in Oxford,

she had no reason
to disbelieve your story.

You believed only Paul and Roger
ever entered the inner chamber

but Nathan Green had been there
and had seen the chalice too.

It's my word against his.

I'm not really interested
in the chalice

but you have committed
a serious offence, Dr Lavery.

You provided Paul Heartley-Reade
with a false alibi.

You are an accessory to murder.

It was an accident.

I'll tell you what you do.

You come to the police station
this afternoon and make a statement.

Paul's dead.

What can it possibly matter now?
Oh, it does. It does.

Three o'clock this afternoon.

Goodbye, Doctor.

So Paul Heartley-Reade murdered
Roger Heldman.

How does that bring us nearer
to who killed Gareth or David?

There is one question
we haven't asked ourselves.

Whoever killed Gareth left
the spearhead on David's table.

Why did he do that?
To incriminate David maybe?

There is one other child
of Roger Heldman
who has a claim on the estate.

That's Jane Willows's daughter.
Vanessa? Yes.

Yeah.

Hello, Nathan.

Jane.

My God!

I thought you were...

I should never have run away.
I should have told you.

It didn't take much to work it out.
No, maybe not.

I let you down.

Oh, Jane.

You only had to come to me.

Surely you knew that?

I didn't know how to tell you.

The number of times I've dreamt
about seeing you.

Just to know that you were safe.

You'll never know how much
I missed you.

But I couldn't...
Oh, Jane.

My Jane.

All this time.
35 years.

Why now? My daughter lives
in Midsomer Priors.

Your daughter?

Vanessa.

You mean...?

She is a Heldman, Nathan.

But she's in love with your son.

You knew?
Only last night.

I can't regret the existence
of my daughter.

Vanessa.
No wonder Harry's so besotted.

She knows a good man
when she sees one.

I'd better stay.
No, no. Go on.

Wait for me at the mill.
Are you sure?

OK.

May the river now cleanse the past.

She's not here. She's gone to the
river with Miriam Heartley-Reade.

Somebody help!

Help!

Somebody help!

Help!

Somebody help!

Somebody! Please!

Here! Here!

Somebody help!

Over here!

Here!

What happened?
I don't know.

Sisters?!

That means she and David were...

Did she know?
They found out.

She wanted to escape.
David wouldn't let her.

You don't think Miriam killed him?
Miriam?

Do you think
she could have done that?

No, he was... he was her brother.

She still loved him.

None of this brings us nearer
who killed Dr Lavery.

There's only one person who knows
the truth about Paul Heartley-Reade.

About the spear, about the chalice,
about the excavation and the Barrow.

They're all connected.

I think Anne Heldman holds the key
to this riddle.

Mrs Heldman, we know that neither
you nor Nathan Green

were in any way responsible
for your husband's death.

But there is something
we need to know.

The night of the Solstice,
you saw a man you thought you knew.

There was something about him
you thought you recognised.

Go back to that.
It could be very important.

His laugh. There was something
about the way he laughed.

Paul. He laughed the way Paul
used to laugh.

Paul Heartley-Reade.
Yes. How odd. After all these years.

When Paul left Midsomer Priors,
where did he go?

Scandinavia somewhere.

Like Norway?

Possibly. I don't understand.

Erm... he died in a car crash.

Did you hear anything about
that crash? Any details?

Something more you can tell us
about it? Yes.

The car caught fire. He was...
He was burned?

That's what my sister was told.

Thank you.

Right.

But... erm...

Where to, sir? Causton?
No, Midsomer Priors. Glebe House.

OK?
Yeah.

You're going past it.

What are you doing here?

Who let you in?

This is my house.

I don't think so.

What do you want?

I want my name. I want my house
and I want my work.

I don't understand.

No, but I was here before
and I noticed a letter addressed
with your maiden name.

I knew your parents, Miriam.

And then I understood

what David's ridiculous posturing
at the Solstice was about.

Now, then...

..it should be here somewhere.

I want you to go. Now!

Yes. Here it is.

Not very imaginative, your husband,
was he?

Especially when it came
to plagiarising my work.

He and Lavery both.

Pathetic mediocrities squabbling
like children

over the work your father
FORCED me to abandon.

Leave that.

I'm doing what should have been done
years ago.

Ridding the world
of Roger Heldman's...

Paul Heartley-Reade...

What? I am arresting you
for the murders...

of Gareth Heldman, David
Heartley-Reade...

and Dr James Lavery.

I am also arresting you
for the murder of Roger Heldman.

Paul Heartley-Reade?

Surgery may have given you a new face
but you don't have eczema, do you?

And you didn't want to get
your gloves dirty
while you ate your hot dog.

Because your hands are still scarred
from the burns
when your car caught fire.

How very observant.

You'd already taken your revenge
on Roger Heldman

for what he'd done with your wife.

For you it was who murdered him
at the Barrow all those years ago.

Did you come back to Midsomer
intending to kill again?

No, I came back out of curiosity.
Just to look around.

Why did you kill Gareth Heldman?

The spearhead, the one I discovered
in the Barrow. MY spearhead.

Gareth found it where Harry
had left it in the grass.

He came sauntering over the bridge
with it

after he'd finished trying to roger
Jane's daughter.

Claimed it belonged to him.
Wouldn't even let me look at it.

Just like his father.

So you took it from him?

Hello.

What have we here?

I'm an archaeologist.
Maybe I could tell you what it is.

I think I know what it is.

No!

The next day you found that David
had found Gareth's body.

You left the spearhead on the hall
table hoping to frame David
for Gareth's murder.

It could have worked out nicely.

When we didn't arrest him,
you killed him. Why did you do that?

Was it because of his book?
His book! It was all MY work.

You killed him for that?

How dare he pass my work off
as his own?

David had taken two bows
along with him.

One for himself. One for Miriam.
But Miriam had left.

You found her bow and you made
good use of it.

Why were you so anxious
to support Dr Lavery's assertion
the diaries were a fraud?

It made no sense
after the spear was found

and you knew Nathan had seen
inside the Barrow.

Poor Lavery.

Always a liability.

Just desperate to get his hands
on my diaries, wasn't he?

Because he knew they'd expose him
as a fraud.

You were here
when he came to the house?

Yes. I enjoyed watching him squirm
while you questioned him.

And you followed him to the mill?

I was afraid he intended to kill
poor Nathan Green,

the only other witness who had seen
the chalice and spear in the Barrow.

But you got ahead of him.

Nathan Green did not deserve to die.

He was a good lad.

He worked hard on the dig.

Come on. Time to go.

I love this house.

I was born here.

I was happy and fulfilled
until Roger Heldman took it all.

He left me with NOTHING.

I had to take it back.

Bronze Celtic chalice
and spearhead from the stone chamber
in the heart of Midsomer Barrow.

That's better.

I never realised archaeology
was such a dangerous business.

Is the body count always
this high, sir?

It has been remarked upon.

Three murders just to re-label
an object in a glass case.

Well, there's more to it, Scott,
than merely "re-labelling".

It was a lie.

Now it's the truth.