White House Farm (2020): Season 1, Episode 2 - Episode #1.2 - full transcript

My sister Sheila,
she ought to be in a bloody nuthouse

for what she's done here.

Jeremy. Your sister,
your parents, the boys.

They're all gone. Dead.

You said everything
would be all right.

You're saying
it's murder suicide, then?

I'm not just saying it,
that's what happened.

Daughter killed them all
then she shot herself.

You're looking after the family,
all right?

SOFT CHUCKLING

What's this, then?



MAN: Looks to me
like a second bullet wound.

What, so she's been shot twice?
You ever seen that happen?

Not that I can recall.

I don't know where to start.

Perhaps you can tell me
about Sheila.

When you met.

It would've been ten years back,
I suppose.

She was doing a secretarial course
in London.

We moved in pretty quick

and we got married
a couple of years later.

Her parents,
they bought us a place.

Like a reward, I guess,
for doing the right thing.

The right thing
in their eyes anyway.

Bambs was pregnant.



That was with the twins?

No, we lost that pregnancy.

The boys, they came after.

But by that time,
the marriage was breaking up.

We'd just argue. We'd argue.
The most terrible arguments.

Was Sheila violent when you argued?

Well, she put her hand
through a window once.

And she would... She'd throw things.

And smash things.
Things that I loved.

Later, she had a nervous breakdown.

They put her in a hospital.
Her parents did, I mean.

When she was ill like that...

..did you ever think
she was a danger to the boys?

Do you think I'd've left them
with her if I believed that?

She was their mother.

Well, since her last breakdown,
I had the boys full-time.

But she drove them
up to the farm on Monday?

No, I did.

No, I took them.

And I left them there.

COLIN CRYING

It's hard, but we need to go
and make a formal identification

of the family and the boys.

I couldn't do that.

Some people find it helps,
gives them closure -

No, I can't. I can't do that.

You're telling me
my boys are dead, OK?

And I accept that...

..but I don't wanna see them
like that.

I wanna remember them
as they were.

Right. I think that's enough
for the time being.

I will need someone
to identify them.

Someone who knew the whole family.

No, I can't face it.

Fine. I'll do it.

Nevill and June
were like my second parents,

it's the least I can do for them.

I'll go with you.

Are you sure?

Ann's doing it, Jules.
I don't think they need you -

No, I want to. I want to help.

Things had been going well recently,
for you and Jem?

Getting serious?

SHE SCOFFS

I don't mean to pry, it's just...

I am family,
but for you it can't be easy,

being dragged into this.

Something so shocking
and completely out of the blue.

It wasn't completely
out of the blue.

Sheila'd been acting crazy all week.

Did you see her, then? At the farm.

Jem said so.

Sorry for the wait, ladies.

The way this'll work is

I'll show you them one at a time,
just the face,

and you confirm
it's who we think it is.

I only need one of you
to give me the yes,

so if the other disagrees
or has anything to add,

you just speak up, all right?

Mrs Eaton?

I just erm...

I don't know how I'm gonna go.
Seeing the boys again.

I'll do it. I said I would.
You didn't even need to come.

One is enough.

I keep thinking
everything looks so normal.

Like, I had breakfast, made tea.

So this can't have happened
because this isn't normal.

HE EXHALES
I have to tell you something, Col.

It was getting late
yesterday evening

and we were bringing
the last bales in...

..and I saw some rabbits.

The first thing I thought

was to grab the Anschutz,
you know, and sort 'em out.

But by the time I got back,
they'd gone,

so I went back inside
and I put the gun down.

And then I heard some voices...
in the kitchen.

Mum, Dad and Sheila.

Upset.
You know, like they were arguing.

What did they say to her?

Jem.

Mum said that the kids
needed a proper home.

Somewhere stable.

She said...

Col, she said that they'd find
a foster family through the church.

They couldn't do that.

I've got shared custody
of those boys.

I know, I know.

I should've said something.

But I didn't.

The whole thing,
it rattled me and so...

..I forgot about the gun.

I just left it out there,
on the bench, you know?

The gun that she used.

It was just a mistake.

They're all gone.

My whole family are gone
because I left that gun out.

Hey, hey. You've got...

You've got family, Jem.
Yeah.

You've got me
and we've got each other.

You always will. We always will.

DMC reckon the press have already
got the names of the victims,

so you can go ahead
and confirm them.

And the perpetrator?

Tomorrow she'll be
on every front page in the country,

but for now they want us to avoid
a confirmation that she's done it.

Until the coroner's report's in.
After that, well...

Bloody hell.

Detective Chief Inspector?
We're ready when you are.

Evening, all.

I am Detective Chief Inspector
Thomas Jones.

'As you're aware,
a major incident has occurred

'at a farm just outside the town
of Tolleshunt D'Arcy in Essex.'

'After an unavoidable delay,

'due to the concerns about firearms
in the house,

'officers entered the premises

'and found all five occupants
deceased.'

'Obviously, I won't pre-empt
the coroner's findings,

'except to say that
we are currently treating this

'as a case of murder suicide.'

INDISTINCT CHATTER

CROWD CLAMOURING

ALL TALKING AT ONCE

MAN: Can you confirm
that your ex-wife was the killer?

CLAMOUR CONTINUES

CROWD CONTINUES SHOUTING

So, our shooter,
Sheila Jean Caffell, 28.

Ex fashion model,
currently unemployed.

Recently discharged
from St Andrew's,

a posh little psych hospital
up in Northamptonshire.

We spoken to anyone up there?

They'd been treating her
following a major psychotic episode,

but she has a long history
of schizophrenia, so...

Violent?
Well, the doctor said no,

but she'd been getting regular
injections of an anti-psychotic

and they'd just dropped the dose
by 50%.

That's what's set her off, then.
Doctor didn't think so, but -

But he didn't rule it out either,
am I right?

Sheila's mum
was seeing the same guy.

What, the same headshrinker?

Yeah, June Bamber,
also hospitalised at St Andrews,

for psychotic depression, May '82.

Press are gonna wet themselves.

Things like that
do run in families.

But these two aren't related.
Not by blood anyway.

Hey? Sheila's ex, Colin Caffell,
told me that she was adopted.

Her and the brother both,
from different birth parents.

It's like an episode of Dallas.

LAUGHTER

Anything from you, Ron?

Post-mortems are scheduled
for 9:00am tomorrow,

so we'll know more
when they're done.

Nothing we don't already know, then.

Well, I think that's us done.

Says here one of the uniforms
at the scene

may have seen movement
from inside the house.

Upstairs window.
And your point, Stan?

As we discussed, Guv,
it looks like Sheila was shot twice,

which doesn't sit so well
with suicide,

so I'm thinking,
could someone else have been present

and exited the house before
the firearms squad set up a cordon?

There was a full security inspection
carried out

as soon as the premises
were secured.

The place was locked
from the inside,

no sign of forced entry,
no means of exit.

So, no-one went in, no-one went out.
As we discussed.

Well, gentlemen, if Stanley's done
playing Sherlock Holmes,

I think we'll wind this up.

As we discussed. I told him...

Ann? Your brother's here.

So, they asleep?
More or less.

How do you talk to a child
about something like that?

How do you explain it to anyone?

We all need time. To process it.

Accept that it actually happened.
If it did happen.

Sorry?
I don't know. I just...

Do you really believe
Sheila was capable

of doing something like that?

Apparently, she was very ill.
Far worse than we knew.

Ill or not, she was gentle,
a gentle person.

Hard to believe that any mother
would hurt her children.

But it does happen.

You can't smoke in here.

Since when?
1979.

Morning, all.

Stanley.
Didn't expect to see you here.

I'm minding the family.

Thought they should know
how we're getting on.

All right.
I'm due back in Goldhanger for 11,

so let's get started.

We not waiting for the DCI, then?

Taff can't make it. I'm standing in.

I did ask for someone
from ballistics to attend.

I called it through,
no-one available.

But they're happy for you
to take the residue swabs yourself,

given that it's a murder suicide.

Well, if ballistics are happy
and Peter's willing,

I see no problem.

Very well.

All five victims died as
a direct result of gunshot wounds.

We have a total of 25 such wounds.

25 shots fired from a rifle

with a magazine
that holds ten rounds.

I'd say some shots
were fired wildly,

while others were accurate
and lethally precise.

Calculated to cause death.

Any idea of the order of deaths?

I'd need more information about
the crime scene to determine that.

I'm sure that will be forthcoming,
if required.

In the meantime?

First up, Ralph Nevill Bamber.

61, shot eight times,
including four closely grouped shots

fired into his head,
presumably in quick succession.

Another to the jaw
and one to the mouth,

as well as a number
of blunt trauma injuries

to his face, neck and arm,
which are clearly defensive.

Inflicted with the rifle butt?

Given the shape of the contusions,
I'd say that's highly likely.

Kelly. And then there are these.

STRAINING

Burns?
Mmm.

But at this point I can't give you
any idea what caused them.

Maybe he was tortured.
A poker, perhaps.

Oddly, there are no corresponding
marks on his pyjama top,

even though the burned area
was covered by his shirt,

so they are something of a mystery.

He's heavy.
He's a big man.

But we're saying he was bludgeoned
into submission by Sheila,

who was built like
Twiggy's thinner sister?

I've seen women show
incredible strength when riled.

And if he was already wounded...

It's probable he was,

in which case
he might well have been

a less formidable opponent.

Again, I would need more evidence
about the crime scene

before determining that.

Next, June Bamber.

Also 61, shot 7 times.

In her neck, her right forearm,
her right knee,

twice in the chest
and twice in the head.

The last shot,
placed directly between her eyes

and fired at close range,
was the cause of death.

The boys, Nicholas
and Daniel Caffell, both six.

Nicholas was shot three times,
Daniel five.

All shots closely grouped,
likely fired in quick succession.

The only saving grace I can find
about this horrible business

is that they appear
to have died instantly.

And Sheila? Two marks on her.
Both bullet wounds.

How does that work?

Well, I've experienced
four or five such cases

in the course of my career.

That's the first bullet.

Trajectory upwards and backwards,

finishing up here,
to the side of the spine.

But it didn't kill her?

No. Essentially,
it was a serious flesh wound.

She'd have been quite capable
of pulling the trigger a second time

and inflicting this wound,
which killed her instantly.

The body,
any sign it's been manipulated?

What are you getting at, Stanley?

Could she have died somewhere else
and been moved?

Hypostasis is clearly evident,

so there's no doubt
she died where she was found.

If you're asking, "Could her suicide
have been stage managed?"

I doubt it,
unless she was heavily drugged

or otherwise incapacitated.

So, Peter, can I tell the guv
we're done and dusted?

I'll want toxicology
before I make a final report,

but based on the evidence available,

I see nothing to contradict
the murder suicide theory.

Well, that's it, then.

Well done. Good work.

Taff'll be well pleased.

Stan.
Guv asked you to mind the family.

Candles and sandals.

So, you mind the bloody family.
All right?

Never seen this place look so tidy.

Keeping busy.
If I slow down, I think I'll scream.

I take it you've not seen these.

Might make you reconsider
the screaming.

"Neighbours revealed
that Sheila Bamber,

also known as Bambi
due to her long shapely legs,

had slid into a twilight world
of hard drugs."

If she wasn't of sound mind,
then she started taking drugs,

it might explain what happened.

I always tried to downplay it.
Would've destroyed Mum and Dad.

So, did she take drugs
in front of the boys?

What do you think?
I don't know, I rarely saw her.

Well, what makes you think
I'd know about her drug taking?

Come on, Jeremy,
I know what you get up to.

Look, give it a couple of days.

The police'll be able to tell you
exactly what she was on.

Once they cut into her fatty tissue.

It all gets stored there, you know.

Jem? Erm...
Detective Sergeant, good morning.

I'm afraid I've got a meeting,
with my parents' lawyer, so -

Don't worry,
it shouldn't take too long.

Just tying up a few loose ends.

Well, sit down, please.

SOCO are finishing up
at the farm today

and the boys have asked if
you'd like their help cleaning up.

There are a lot
of blood-stained items.

Anything with blood on,
you can burn. I want it all gone.

We'll be replacing the door
we smashed down

getting into your parents house.

Putting in an alarm.

I can meet you over there tomorrow.

Give you the new key,
show you how the alarm works.

I couldn't go back in there again.

OK. I assume you've seen the papers.

A lot of rumours flying around
about your sister.

I'm no expert on her private life.

You know, she lived in London,
we moved in different circles.

Is there someone who could tell us?

Frankie, I suppose. Frankie Bidiwi.

Was he her boyfriend?

Sheila's career as a model...
it had tanked.

Even before she went crazy.

Frankie would buy her presents,
he'd pay the bills sometimes.

Sugar daddy.

Your parents
weren't short of a quid.

She didn't go to them?

No, she got plenty from them.

Mind, with Sheila,
plenty was rarely enough.

So, that appointment.

Of course, yeah.
We'll leave you to it.

DOG YIPPING

Oh, looks like he wants to be out.

Jules, can you...?
Here, let me.

One more thing.

The rifle Sheila used, the Anschutz.
Mmm.

She had a lot of experience
with that, did she?

No, I wouldn't say that.

When you first spoke to the police,

you said
she'd done target shooting.

She'd definitely been out on shoots
once or twice, up in Scotland.

Why do you ask?

Like Mickey said,
just tying up loose ends.

Were you fishing for something
back there?

STAN CLEARS THROAT
Sheila had fancy finger nails.

Long, glossed.

And I'm thinking,
unless she was an Olympic shooter,

how did she manage
to reload that magazine twice,

without even chipping a nail?

Good question.

Glad you like it.

REPORTER:
'As investigations continue,

speculation is mounting that
Sheila had incurred huge drug debts.

What role, if any, this played
in the tragedy remains unclear.'

Peter! Thanks for coming.

Word I got is
you're winding up here today.

Thought you might like to look
around the crime scene first.

Answer some of them questions.

We found all 25 bullet casings,

so we do have a pretty good idea
of where they were fired from.

Now, we're thinking
Sheila must've fired from here.

11 shots.

Seven for June,
which leaves four for Nevill.

He was shot eight times in total,

which means he copped four more
in the kitchen.

11 shots also means
Sheila emptied the magazine

then went downstairs to reload

then came back up for a final shot,
to June's head.

And how do we know
the final shot was to June?

Because this blood trail is hers.

Which means
after the first volley of shots,

before the last one,
the killing shot, between her eyes,

June had enough time
to come all the way around here

and back to the other side,
where she died.

But what was she doing?
What's over here?

Mystery number one.

Now...

Sheila's fired ten shots.

Nevill's down, June's injured,

but they're still alive,
so she has to reload.

And the bullets are downstairs.
So she heads down.

Meanwhile, Nevill gets to his feet,
makes his own way down.

Why?
Maybe chasing Sheila.

Equally, he could have been
after the phone.

Jeremy said his dad called him
and the phone cut off.

We also know Nevill was attacked
fairly close to that phone,

bludgeoned numerous times.

But with all that shooting
and mayhem going on,

how is it the boys didn't wake?

So maybe they were shot first.

You said three shots for Nicholas,
five for Daniel.

All fired at close range
in quick succession.

The shell distribution
supports that.

If eight shots
had been fired in here,

then Nevill and June
are up and awake

and Sheila's only got
two rounds left.

That's not enough to stop our Nev,
much less June too.

What the hell's going on here?

I thought this was a clean-up.

What the bloody hell's
he doing here?

I asked him in.

You running this now, Sarge?
No, Guv.

Then why the hell
are you managing my crime scene?!

Those bodies
shouldn't have been moved.

Is that right?
There's something off.

Those bodies, this crime scene.
That was evidence.

Well, you think I've botched this.

Anyone else agree
with the detective sergeant?

Anyone?!

You get this place cleared up.

And you! Outside.

You know how big this is?

I've got the regional
bloody superintendent on my back

and he's got
the Home Secretary riding him.

I've got reporters
coming out of my arse -

I don't think Sheila did it.

You got one shred of evidence?
Because I got plenty.

The woman was a nut job.

This house was locked up
from the inside.

The murder weapon was in her hands.
There's something off.

Yeah. A fucking mad woman
killed her kids!

Shot them in the head.
Do you not care about that?

Look, I'm running this
and I say it's tied up.

So you get behind me
or you'll be gone.

And when I say gone, I mean gone.

Go on, have a bit.
It's bloody brilliant.

I'm fine.

I'm not gonna drink
the whole bottle myself.

Really, I think we're both OK, Jem.

Er, well, I saw their lawyer
about the will.

Assumed you'd want a report
on where we all stand.

To tell you the truth,

I hadn't given the will
much thought.

How nice for you.
I, on the other hand,

have farm workers
who need to be paid.

I take it you've done well, then.

Aside from the fact
my whole family's dead.

CLEARS THROAT
Go on, Jem.

Well, it's bad news, I'm afraid.

I've been told that
I'm facing massive death duties,

so... I'm gonna be selling the lot.

ASAP.
You can't be serious.

I know it'll be hard for you both...

with mum's share of the caravan park
going to strangers,

but I don't have any choice.

You can't do this.
I'll talk to my lawyer.

I'm teasing.

Your face. I'm teasing.
There's loads of money.

What?! Jesus Christ.

Seems like maybe you do care
about the will.

Just a little bit.

Fine. What does it say, Jeremy?

Well, there's a bit of cash
for you both,

but the land holdings and businesses
all go to me.

As to whether
I'll be selling or not,

well, I'll decide that in good time.

I'd like to have
Auntie June's wedding ring.

What?
She promised it to me and -

When was that?
Years ago.

And it would mean a lot to me,
as a keepsake.

EXHALES
I can't help.

All their personal effects
will be going with them.

Seems a shame to bury
such a lovely piece of jewellery.

It won't be buried,
I'm having them all cremated.

What?
Their bodies aren't whole.

I think it's better that way.

You KNOW Auntie June would've wanted
a traditional funeral.

I don't care.

A traditional burial
in a churchyard.

She's not in charge any more. I am.

And I've made my decision.

You're ex-Army, right?

Infantry. Too much bloody marching.

You ever wonder why

a 50-year-old career cop's
still a DS?

Police isn't that different
from the Forces.

It's all about the team.

Follow orders, back the guv,
play for the team.

And Stan... he never did get that.

You used to call him the cuckoo.
I was a teenager.

Still, you said it. We both did.
So?

So I just want to be sure

our judgement isn't being clouded
by other factors.

We both know what we need to do
and I'm going to do it.

Whether you come with me or not
is up to you.

Watch out!

INDISTINCT CHATTER

Mrs Eaton, the farmhouse was secure.
No-one went in or out.

I don't care. I'm telling you
Sheila was not capable of murder.

She was mentally ill, schizophrenic.

Ill or not, we knew her, you didn't.

And how often had you seen her
over the past five years, eh?

Not much, I'm guessing.

Maybe Christmas?
Your auntie's birthday?

One thing I am sure of,

Sheila knew nothing about guns,
so how she could have shot them all?

Your cousin Jeremy says different.
He said she'd been out shooting.

Well, he's wrong or he's lying.
Why would he do that?

Look, we aren't here
to accuse anyone.

We just...

We're concerned that
you're jumping to conclusions,

treating this as a closed case.

Stop writing.
Why? I want a record of this.

Stop writing or you'll get out.

If you're going to ignore
the vital evidence -

You're helping me out, are you?
Giving me vital evidence?

I am telling you that
Sheila couldn't have done this.

POUNDS FIST ON DESK
Who the hell do you think you are?!

Hey? Miss Bloody Marple?!

Get out of my office!

Ann, I think we should go.

Mrs Eaton. Hold up.

We put an alarm in
over at the farmhouse.

I need to take someone over there,
show 'em how it works.

What business is that of mine?

Jeremy doesn't wanna go in there.

If you will, we could take a walk
through the house.

Have a chat.

INDISTINCT CHATTER

I used to pretend
these were German bunkers.

Drop in a grenade,
clear out the Nazis.

So you took the boys up here?

Yeah, Sheila used to take them.

They'd play fairy rings...
with the tyres.

No grenades required.

It wasn't all bad, you know,
this place.

They had fun here too.

I remember this time...

..Bambs and I decided to walk down
to the seawall together.

Your dad, he had rapeseed
in all the fields.

It was just
the most brilliant yellow.

So I suggested to her
we should take some photos,

you know, for her portfolio.

We were... messing around.

Bambs took off her top.

But...
My mum found you.

It was later, back at the house,

and June said something to her.

Something bad.

Bambs wouldn't talk about it,
but I knew.

Sometimes I wonder
how things went so wrong for Bambs.

And I think maybe it was me,
walking out on her.

It wasn't.
But then I remember that time.

I remember that time
in the rapeseed

and I think...

..your mum did this.

Planted the poison.
Maybe.

But she's a pillar of the community.

And Sheila's the villain.

And that's how she'll be remembered.

The mad model
who murdered her family.

HE GROANS

We won't remember her that way.

HE EXHALES
And that's what matters.

Right?

Col.

COLIN SNIFFLES
Yeah.

MICKEY: Press this to arm it.

When you wanna turn it off,

just enter
your four digit code again.

BEEPING

We also replaced the door

our boys knocked down
coming in here.

That's your new keys.

There was a rug here.

It was burned. Badly blood-stained.

This is where my uncle was found?

That's right.

The rest of them?

Upstairs, in the bedrooms.

I don't understand.

The moment one shot was fired,
wouldn't they have all rushed out?

The Anschutz had a sound moderator,
like a silencer.

There was no silencer on the gun
when we found it.

Well, there should've been.
Nevill always left it on the rifle.

Jeremy says he was shooting rabbits
that afternoon.

He might have taken it off.

Mickey, I'd like Mr Boutflour
to check the outbuildings,

see that they're secure.

Could you take him?
Yeah.

So, you don't think Sheila did this.

No. I don't.

If it wasn't her?

Jeremy.
Why?

It's not right,
the way he's been behaving.

He almost seems glad.

And that's it?

He claims Nevill called him.

Said Sheila had gone wild
with a gun.

I simply don't believe
she would've done that.

So, Jeremy's lying.

And there's only one reason why
he'd lie about that, isn't there?

Detective Chief Inspector's
a busy man.

You have anything more
you need to tell,

about Jeremy or anything else,

you come to me, all right?

DOOR SHUTS

You! With me. Now.

We were friends,
nothing else, I swear.

But you had a key to her flat.

I looked after the place
while she was away.

You're married, right, Frankie?

The missus know about
this house-minding arrangement?

FRANKIE SIGHS
Look. I just try to help, OK?

Poor Bambs.
She had a lot of problems.

What sort of problems?

Money.

Sometimes I helped her that way.
I lent her money.

Drugs. You help her that way?

No. Never.

We'll get toxicology back soon.
Find out if she's been using.

Might bring you in again when we do.
Have another chat.

Look, maybe she did drugs sometimes,
but not from me.

What? Marijuana? Cocaine?

And when she was coked up,
was she violent?

Oh, I can't believe
she'd hurt her boys.

Was she violent?

Sheila, you know, she erm...

She had a kind heart...

..but a terrible temper. Wild.

Look, before she went into hospital,
she got crazy.

Really, really crazy.

Told me she was the Virgin Mary.

And her boys... You know.

She said the devil was in them.
Her boys.

I told her, "No, you're confused,"

but she kept raving about it,
you know, about the devil.

"He's in me, he's in me," she said.
In her boys.

In her mother as well.

And what did the devil want?

Erm... She erm...

She said erm, he could make her
do sex with the boys.

Do some violence together.

You know, hurt people.

CRYING
Crazy. Crazy.

Thank you, Frankie. Thank you.

Not a soul. No sign of disturbance.

So why would the alarm
have gone off?

When we arrived,
the front door was open.

Banging in the wind.

Someone's broken in, then.

It wasn't forced. It was unlocked.

But I've got the only key.

Maybe you left it on the snib
and the wind blew it open.

I didn't.

You'll want to be careful.
There's a lot of valuables in there.

I realise that.

Can we lock up for you now or...?

I can do it myself, thank you.

FLY BUZZING

It's around here.

You say the place was locked up
from the inside,

but watch the latch.

Seems like it was locked
from the inside, but it wasn't.

Someone could've got out

and left it looking
like the house was locked,

but only if they knew
about this window.

And who'd know about that?

Someone who lived here.
Who'd grown up here.

He's just in the shed here.

He's my mum's dog.

None of the family want him
and I can't keep him myself, so...

I could ask around.

I can't see him getting along
without my mum.

This is kinder.

It's your call.

Just seems a shame.

DOG WHIMPERING

Good dog, aren't we?

Good dog.

Good dog.

Good boy.

It's done.

Some dogs do struggle
when their owner passes.

Still, it seems a shame.