White House Farm (2020): Season 1, Episode 3 - Episode #1.3 - full transcript

We are currently treating this
as a case of murder-suicide.

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

All personal effects
will be going with them.

I'm having them all cremated.

Auntie June would have wanted
a traditional funeral.

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

Those bodies, this crime scene,
that was evidence.

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

Wouldn't they have all
rushed to help,

the moment one shot was fired?

The Anschutz have a silencer.



You don't think Sheila did this.
No.

If it wasn't her?

CLOCK TICKS

GRAVEL CRUNCHES UNDERFOOT

Are we really sure
this is a good idea?

Everyone in the county
knows the place is empty,

it's a sitting target for burglary.
Jeremy will be furious.

Frankly,
I'm past caring what Jeremy thinks.

He's going to say
we're helping ourselves. Stealing.

Let him. Uncle Nevill's lawyer
knows we are securing the valuables,

if Jeremy doesn't like it,
he can take it up with him.

There are firearms lying around
the place. Shotguns and whatnot.

I suppose they should be locked up?
Fine, you sort that out.

Peter, you tackle the larger items.



Anything that won't fit in the cars,
at least cover it,

or put it away from the windows.

Do you really think biscuit tins
count as valuables?

They were valuable to Auntie June,
that's what matters.

I take it you still
haven't heard anything?

From the police.
No, I haven't.

What if they've told him?

That you accused him.

They wouldn't do that.

You've obviously got
more confidence in them than I have.

DOOR CREAKS

SIGHS DEEPLY

Ann.

There's something here
you'll want to see.

..in a plastic bag,
the police haven't seen it.

It's the silencer for the Anschutz.

And there's something red on it.

The window latch is broken.

If you shut it just right
from the outside,

it falls back into place and looks
like it was locked the whole time.

Where d'you get this?
The cousin, Ann Eaton.

Miss Bloody Marple strikes again.

The inquest's next week.

If them bodies get released,
Jeremy Bamber plans to cremate them,

that's evidence up in smoke.
Evidence of what?

If the house wasn't secure,
the whole thing's wide open.

Does mean somebody could've entered
and exited without us knowing.

Vanezis says there's no way
Sheila's suicide was staged.

No sign of a struggle,
toxicology shows she wasn't drugged.

Yeah, Nevill Bamber called Jeremy,

told him Sheila was going crazy
with a gun!

If you believe Jeremy.

The phone call he said his dad made
to him, it doesn't make sense.

So, you're accusing him now,
are you? Hey? The son.

If someone's shooting at me,

I don't call my son down the road,
I call 999.

Jeremy didn't dial 999 either.
He goes straight to the phone book,

looks up the number
for the local police station.

When he thinks
his whole family is in danger?

Then, he rings his girlfriend
before finally heading off

to meet the police.
How long did all that take?

Fine.

So, what do you want?
Talk to Bamber again?

Yeah, I do.

All right, I'll talk to him.

Laurel, you can stay here.
Hardy, you can tag along.

CHUCKLES

DOOR BELL RINGS

Sorry to disturb you again, Jeremy.

You know
the Detective Chief Inspector.

Yes, of course.
Jeremy.

Well, yeah, come in. Come in.

I'm just heading into London
for dinner.

I was just getting ready.

I wondered if we could have
a quick chat, then, before you go?

More loose ends?
Just routine.

I'll get dressed, then.

Detective Chief Inspector, this is
Julie Mugford, Jeremy's girlfriend.

She's a brave girl. She helped us
with the identifications.

Pleased to meet you.

I'll put the kettle on.
That'll be lovely.

So, dinner?

Anywhere special?

Er, we're seeing Colin,
the boys' father.

I expect he could use the support.

Still... can't be easy.

What do you say to somebody
who's suffered a loss like that?

I wouldn't know where to start.

You all right, love?

All ready to go here, Sergeant.

If you are.

Thank you.

According to your
initial statement...

Hmm.

..your father rang, and straightaway
you rang Chelmsford police.

Then you called Miss Mugford?
Yes, that's right.

Did it not occur to you
at any point to call 999,

given the urgency?

I suppose I thought a local station
might respond quicker.

On that first call from your father,
you said the line went dead.

Hmm, that's what it sounded like.

Like someone had just
suddenly hung it up, but I don't...

Detective Chief Inspector,
I'm a little bit spaced.

I've been taking Valium.
Understandably.

The phones at your parent's place,
they're all on the same line?

Yeah, they always used to be, but...

..well, you could ask Barbara.

You know, I suppose,
if you want to be sure.

Barbara is...?

Barbara Wilson,
she's my dad's secretary.

She virtually ran the place for him.

When the siege was on,
our people got BT to check the line.

See if they could hear
what was going on in the house.

The line was still open at the time.

We're just wondering
how that might have happened,

given how you heard it cut off?

Maybe it was something else
I heard on the line.

It does sound quite different
when the line goes dead.

You get a dial tone.
Yeah, again, it was...

I'm sorry, I'm so sorry,
the whole thing's a bit of a blur.

You know, getting a call like that,
it's pretty upsetting.

Can you recall what time
all this was, exactly?

Err...

..I think I must have
called Chelmsford

around 3:20 in the morning.

But again,
you could just ask BT, surely,

they'd give you
a more accurate answer.

I'm afraid they don't record
local calls,

that's why we need your help
putting it all together.

Perhaps Julie can remember
the exact time you called her?

It's just like Jeremy said,
he called me at...

..I don't know, half past three,
or so.

Mm.

I think that's all sorted.

Thanks for the tea, Miss Mugford.

And thanks again for your time,
Mr Bamber.

Not at all.

Greatly reassuring to see
the police being so thorough.

Thank you.

So, happy?

The girlfriend, she knows more
than she's saying.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, you're
a pain in the bloody arse, Jones.

We're done here.

You see, I don't get the point.

I mean, you feed all these
starving people in Africa,

and then next year,
they're all gonna be starving again,

so what then? Another concert?

So, what shall we do? Let them die?

I think we should make them all
self-sufficient.

I think we should teach them
to put on their own concerts.

Jeremy, you're awful.
What?

We could even lend them Bob Geldof.

Actually, fuck him,
they can keep him.

Colin, are you all right?

I'm going over there
to get the bill.

Colin.

Poor Colin.

I wish I could do something.

He won't let himself be angry.

Angry at Sheila, you mean?

He doesn't blame her
for what happened.

Sometimes, I think I can feel them.

The boys' spirits.

Are you serious?
Hmm, I am.

I think I am.

Are they happy?

I don't know.

Do you... speak to them?

Not with words, nothing like that.
How, then?

I just get this feeling.

Do you think
they're watching us now?

I don't know. Maybe.

You should tell Colin.

Yeah. Maybe I will.

But not yet.

I fear I may have over-indulged...

just a little bit.

Shame Julie couldn't stay.

Ah, she's a busy girl,
always working.

Night, then.

Er, Jem.

Look, I erm...
I know you have your other ideas...

..about the funerals,
about how you want things done.

You mean the cremations?
Hmm.

Look, I've already had my
bloody cousins nagging me about...

No, no, I don't want
to join that chorus.

What you do with your parents,
that's...

that's your business,

but I was thinking, you know,
Sheila should be with the boys.

They should be together.

You're right. You're right.

They should be.

So, can I have your permission
to bury her with the boys?

You may.

Straight after the cremations...

..her ashes are all yours.

Do you want a glass of water?

Argh, dry throat.

Sexy, young model. Drugs, murder.

Tabloids couldn't have dreamt
of a better story.

They'll find something else
to excite them soon enough.

Yeah, well, in the meantime,

there's a lot of eyeballs
on these headlines.

And not just the rabble, either.

Sliced it.

So, everything in hand?
Yeah, as good as sorted.

Coroner will file a preliminary
report tomorrow

and it should be done and dusted.

Good.

I'll pass it up the line.

Only thing you need to worry about
is your putting.

CHUCKLES

I spoke to a man at BT.

He says if Nevill rang out
and the line was left open -

not hung up -

then the person he phoned wouldn't
be able to use their own phone

to call out until the line reset.
How long is that, then?

That's where it gets a bit tricky.
Simple answer is about ten minutes.

Then Jeremy is lying. He said
he called the police straightaway.

And Julie backed him up.
So they're both lying.

Unless the line was cut off.

But we know it was open.

Sheila might have phoned out.

In the midst of a raging psychosis?
PHONE RINGS

Detective Sergeant Jones speaking.

Yep, I'll be right there.

Ann Eaton again.

Says she's got something else
for me.

David found it,
in the cupboard under the stairs.

What, just sitting there?

Stuffed into a plastic bag actually,
but, otherwise, yes.

Nevill stored it
attached to the gun, as a rule,

so it wouldn't get lost.
When was this, that you found it?

Saturday morning.
After consulting Nevill's solicitor,

we went round
to secure the valuables.

Saturday?

It took you two days to call me?

I rang the station immediately,
left a message.

I didn't get it.
Who did you speak to?

An officer, I don't recall his name.

There's scratches on the barrel,
and blood...

If this was on the gun
at the time of the murders,

then that would explain why they
didn't all wake up immediately.

Who's touched this?
I have. David, obviously.

If the silencer was on the gun
at the time of the murders,

the last thing we need is you lot
contaminating the evidence.

There's...

..a hair on it. Is it yours?

I didn't see anything earlier.

I need something to put this in.
That'll do. And some tape.

I want to come down
to the station with you,

when you show this
to the Detective Chief Inspector.

You leave this with me now,
you've done enough.

RADIO PLAYS,
JEREMY BAMBER SINGS ALONG

Caught me.
GIGGLES

You sure this fits
the murder weapon?

99%.

So, how'd you find this?

I didn't. Ann Eaton did.
Oh, you're taking the piss!

If we put a rush up this,

we could get the lab results
before the inquest.

Do you ever wonder how Miss Marple
keeps coming up with new evidence?

Stuff our boys haven't found?
She's looking and we're not?

Right now,
Jeremy's inheriting the lot.

Real estate,
a successful farming business,

half a bloody caravan site,
for Christ's sake!

If he got done for murder,
who do you think would benefit?

If this silencer was on the gun...
That's a big if!

There's blood on it.
It's a hunting rifle!

When I told you
to look after the family,

I didn't think you'd start believing
every bloody word they said.

Look...

..Ann Eaton has got a stake in this,
I agree,

so I'm taking it
with a pinch of salt,

but it's got to be worth testing,
hasn't it?

Fine. Send it down,
but you know the drill.

It's murder-suicide,
so bottom of the pile.

I'll settle for that.

I just got a call from Jeremy.
He wants me to come round.

Why?

Says he wants a copy of the keys
at White House.

Do you think the police
have spoken to him?

I don't know.
Tell him you're busy.

I'm going to keep
behaving normally with him.

The last thing I want
is to let him intimidate me.

Fine.

Then I'll come with you.
No.

I'm going to deal with him my way.

DOOR BELL RINGS

Hello, Julie.
Jeremy asked me to pop round.

Yeah, the key,
you can just leave that with me.

You know, people have been
bringing food all week,

I can't fit any more in my fridge.
I thought maybe you could use it.

Could I bring them in?
Jeremy's friend's arriving today.

He's travelled all the way
from Greece, so...

I won't stay, I'll just put these
in your fridge and I'll be gone.

I've been meaning to ask
how it went in the morgue?

It must have been dreadful,
I imagine.

No, not really.

They were all so peaceful.

Except Mr Bamber.

I brought some leftovers for Crispy,
too. Do you mind if I put them out?

Erm, there's no point in doing that.

No, no, we'll pick you up.

We'll pick you up.
No, I can't wait to see you.

Yeah, no, I've got to sort
something out here, right now.

OK, see you, then. Bye.

Ann, excellent timing. I need
a copy of that key for White House.

How could you?
How could I what?

That poor little dog.

SNORTS
Shit.

It was pining for Mum,
it was kinder.

Rubbish, that's rubbish.

Come on, Ann,
you didn't like him either.

But Auntie June did.
She loved him and you killed him.

Yeah, you're right.
She did love that bloody thing,

she loved him
more than she loved me.

That's not true.
No?

She loved the dog more than me,
she loved Sheila more than me,

she loved you more than me.

And you expect me to keep
that snappy little piece of shit

around my house,
reminding me of it?

The fact that my mum loved me
less than a bloody dog.

Auntie June was a good woman.

I want that key.

TRAIN TRACKS RUMBLE

TRAIN APPROACHES

Brett!

You old bastard.
Here he is! You look amazing.

You look amazing.
Oh, that feels good.

How's it been?
Really good.

THEY MUTTER INAUDIBLY

So, travelling in style?

Greek food, Greek music,
everything Greek style!

Even... look. Check this out.
Amazing, right?

I'm Julie.

Hi, I'm Brett,
but don't go spreading it around.

Awful business with your family.
You all right?

Hm-hm. Better now you're here.
Come on, I've got stuff to show you.

Amazing, good to see you.

TRAIN CHUGS

So, why are they even sending
plumbers to Libya, anyway?

Because the whole place is a toilet.
I really can't talk about it.

Who's for another round?
Oh, yeah.

Get us a couple of bottles,
will you, darling?

There you go.

Come on, tell us the truth.
Jeremy says that...

you're a mercenary who they sent
to Libya to fight the war.

Well, if they did,
and I'm not saying either way,

I wouldn't be telling you now,
would I?

Oh, I love mystery.

He is lethal with a plunger,
our Marcus.

Who is he?
Erm...

Jeremy met him when he was
travelling in Australia.

Looks like they did more
than just meet.

I got the good stuff,
I hope you don't mind.

Don't forget to take a bottle home
to your lovely wife.

Let's have a look at this.

I never made the front page.

All the way down to page four?

'According to inside sources,
police now suspect

'that Sheila 'Bambi' Bamber
was killed in a Mafia hit.

'Her family caught in the crossfire.

'Bambi's drug debt reportedly
exceeding £40,000

'is alleged to be the reason
for the murder of the former model.'

What a load of absolute rubbish.

No Mafia hit on this one,
that's for sure.

Hey, Jules. Jules!

Bloody hell, women!

Leave it.

Hey, Jules. Jules!

What?
Why did you invite him?

Who?
You know who.

You need to be nice.

Brett's gay.

Does it matter?

No.

Jeremy!

People will see.
Yeah? Lucky people.

Lovely spot, Mrs Wilson.

My husband spends
a lot of time on it.

So, Jeremy said you were
Nevill Bamber's secretary.

For the last six years.
Just part-time, but...

..we still spent
a lot of time together.

When was the last time
you spoke to him?

The night before.
Before it happened.

How did he seem?

Erm...

Mrs Wilson?

Mr Bamber had been worried
for quite a while,

like he had the weight of the world
on his shoulders.

I'd asked him if he was ill,
and he said he wasn't, but...

You sensed
there was something wrong?

They were such good people,
the Bambers.

They didn't deserve the worries
they had, with the children.

So, you knew about Sheila's illness,
then?

Mr and Mrs Bamber,
they were so discreet,

but really,
you just couldn't miss it.

You said, "Children"?

You think they had trouble
with Jeremy, too?

When he travelled
to Australia and New Zealand,

he got into some trouble over there.

I've never known what exactly,
but...

..Mr Bamber had to send some money
over, to bail him out of it.

A charming young man, that Jeremy...

..but a worry.

I suppose you know
the rest of the family, too?

Ann and Peter Eaton,
David Boutflour?

Well, yes, they were mostly
quite a close family, so...

You say "mostly".
Were there problems between them?

The Bambers were private people.

I don't want to start
digging all this up...

I understand you're loyal to them,

but this is a police matter
and privacy has to take a back seat.

That Ann, she likes to be in charge.
As does Jeremy.

So, I expect it was always
going to cause problems,

them working together
at the caravan park.

This is the Osea Park?

Yeah, owned by Mrs Bamber
and her sister, Ann's mum.

But Ann and Jeremy,
they sort of ran it together.

All very chummy they were,
until about a year ago.

Something happen between them?

Mr Bamber was going to buy
some land for Ann and Peter Eaton,

and then Jeremy
talked him out of it.

And Ann did not
take that well at all.

She was angry with Jeremy
specifically?

Furious is the word I'd use.

Absolutely furious.

COMBINE HARVESTER RUMBLES

Nobody is living there,
so why does it matter if it's clean?

It matters to me.

I won't let your aunt and uncle's
place go to rack and ruin.

Just stay in the car.

What?!
Just do as I say.

BANGING
Argh, please.

Do you need a hand?

Actually, yeah. Will you hold...

Ann, what a surprise!

This is my good friend,
Brett Collins.

Our solicitor, you know.

You must be the cousin Ann.
So sorry for your loss.

I'm sorry, I don't understand.

MIMICS ACCENT:
Probably the New Zealand accent.

Brett's here to help me.

With what?
Yes!

This massive house,
just for the two of them?

Sheila stayed on-and-off,
and the twins.

Come on, most of the goodies
are upstairs.

I know an antiques dealer in London
who would wet himself for this lot.

You think it's better to sell it
as a whole, then, or piece by piece?

Well, it just depends on
how fast you want your money.

You know, a great many of these
"goodies" are family heirlooms.

They're literally irreplaceable.

Well, we'll have to
charge a premium, then.

JEREMY GROANS

I can't go in there.

Nothing happened in Sheila's room.

WATER RUNS

This house and everything in it
is still subject to probate.

It didn't stop you.

It looks like you've helped yourself
to whatever you fancied.

I did nothing of the sort!

I came here with the full knowledge
of Nevill's solicitor

to secure valuable items.

You think this is yours,
even though they were my parents!

We took things for safekeeping.

You took what you'd carry,
with eyes on the rest. Why's that?

Is it because I'm not blood
and you are? Is that it?

You only ever
cared about their money.

As if you're any different.
You can't wait to move in, can you?

You're glad they've gone.

You dare say that to me!
I know what you did...

What?
I know!

What? What?
You killed them!

You killed them all.

DOOR SLAMS

COMBINE HARVESTER WHIRS

ANN WHIMPERS
Mum?

ANN CRIES

Mum?
Yeah?

Mum!

Mum, what's wrong?
Tell me what's wrong.

Mum, stop! Stop it!

ANN WAILS

ANN SOBS

FOOTSTEPS ON STAIRS

Ready?

Do we have to pick Jeremy up?

I mean,
can't we just meet him there?

No, I promised him.

Why, what is it?

I don't know.

He makes me nervous.

He's been a big help to me.
It's like nothing ever happened.

Like doesn't care.

He can be odd, I know, but he...

It's June.

She messed the guy up,
just like she messed up Sheila.

It's not...

It's not his fault.

I don't want you
to blame him for it.

Please, Heather.

I can't...

DOOR BANGS

Jeremy.
Where's my Valium?

I don't know, why? What's happened?

Jeremy.

She accused me of murder.

Right to my face.

Jer... Who said that?
Your charming cousin Ann.

But, why?
What happened to make her say that?

Jem?

Jeremy?

We need to get ready
for the inquest, remember?

We told Colin.

He'll be driving
all the way from London.

So?

Why is it all about him?
What about me?

I know it's not fair, baby.

You've been through so much,

we just have
to get through this now.

What will Ann think,
if you don't show up?

Do you really want
to give her the satisfaction?

I just saw Bob Miller.

He's making a police submission
to the coroner.

And?
They're saying murder-suicide,

that means the bodies
will be released.

Shit!

Apparently,
they tried to talk the DCI

into asking for an open finding.
But Taff wouldn't have any of it.

We need something
to turn this around.

It'll have to be good,
cos the hearing starts in an hour.

Where are we with the silencer?
We're still waiting.

Well, let's get down there
and hurry them up.

Jeremy.

Jem. It's me.

Look, we've got... We've got to go.

Listen, I don't know
if I can face this on my own.

I need you there.

Jeremy.

SIGHS HEAVILY

We need to take them home.

Put them to rest.

No-one else understands, do they?

No. No, they don't.

Human blood inside, in the baffles.
Sheila?

Sheila's blood group.
So how did that get in there?

Sheila shot herself once
with the silencer on,

then taken it off,
put it in the cupboard,

gone upstairs
to shoot herself a second time?

If it's not Sheila,
we're left with Jeremy.

Why would he take the silencer off?

If it was on the gun
the rest of the time,

why not just leave it there?
It doesn't make sense.

SHOUTING,
CAMERA SHUTTERS

Jeremy!
Jeremy! What do you have to say?

Jeremy.

How tall was she, Sheila?
Five foot seven and a half.

Young lady.

Take your shoes off.

You'll do.
Sit down and shoot yourself.

I'm sorry?
Go on, it's not loaded.

Under your chin, there.

Now, stretch, all the way.

Lie back.

I can't reach it.

He shot all of them
with the silencer on,

including Sheila.

But when he's come
to put the gun in her hands

to make it look like suicide,

he's realised she'd never be able
to pull the trigger with it on.

So he's taken the silencer off,
cleaned it up,

put it back in the cupboard
like it's never been used at all,

but he's left some blood
inside the baffles.

We've got to get to the coroner's.

Miller.
Hi, Stan.

We need to get this stopped.
Change the submission.

Too late, he's just wound it up.
It finished early.

The submission said murder-suicide?

That's what Taff wanted,
and that's what the coroner ruled.

Bodies released to the family.

I'll get it overturned,
there's new evidence.

Mate, there may be,
but the verdict's in,

and unless you've got Taff on-side,
or someone higher,

I can't see it happening.

THEY ADDRESS JEREMY,
CAMERA CLICKS

I want to thank the coroner
for giving us back our family.

Finally, we have the closure
that we need.

My mother and father, my sister,
my nephews,

will all be laid to rest
as soon as possible.

I want to thank everyone
for their support,

and I do hope that now...

..everyone will respect our privacy,

so that we can grieve
for our families...

..and try, somehow, to heal.

Thank you. Thank you.