Original subtitles

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Hello?

Where are you?

I've been waiting.

Why not say...

Okay.

Okay, all right.

Call me later when you get a chance.

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no, no, no!

I know this is a difficult piece.

That's the point.

It'll impress the judges, but only if it's sung well.

And that's not happening.

You have to come off the line endings together.

At the moment, you sound as if you've got a collective stutter.

Also, someone is singing a semitone flat.

Leo, think it's you?

I don't think it is.

Well, I think it is you.

It's you or Connor.

Right, let's just try that again, please.

From the line to C.

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No!

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-OK. -Get him into recovery.

He seemed fine when we started.

No, he's passed out.

He's passed the time, but it's coming down.

Do you think he'll be able to continue?

No. Um, no, no, I suppose I would better call at night.

How do you feel?

Okay, I'm fine.

Yeah, you hit your head when you fell.

Go and see your GP and get a check-up, yeah?

Come on, Connor.

I'll give you a lift home.

No, no, I'm all right, really.

You're in no fit state to drive.

I'll give you a lift back. Look, I don't need a lift.

I will get a check-up, and I'm all right.

Thank you.

♪

I'll walk you back to the hall.

Stephen.

No, I'll be fine.

Thanks. Can I have a hug?

I thought we were rather good tonight, didn't you, Joyce?

I don't know if Lawrence would say so.

Lawrence?

Lawrence is a perfectionist.

Sounded very good.

I like it, yes.

Did Conor Simpson say anything you know

about feeling unwell before choir practice?

I don't think so.

No.

He did seem a bit quiet, perhaps.

Hey, fancy a quick one?

Why not?

We always do.

Yeah. Well, it's thirsty work, this singing.

Hey!

large G&T.

I could do with a drink after that.

yes and something to eat.

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Turn it off.

I think my heart stops.

Sorry, I was just, uh, I was making some notes in the vestry for tomorrow.

Yeah, I left my folder.

Oh, and I found this.

Must have fallen out of Connor's pocket when he fainted.

I'll drop it off on my way.

Lawrence, I wonder if you realize how hard you're pushing us.

It's not an easy piece.

You said that yourself, and we're all amateurs.

Keen amateurs, but...

I think it's really beginning to come together, don't you?

Come together?

I'm going to win this competition, Stephen.

I don't want it to come together.

I want it to be glorious!

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Glorious!

There was someone lurking in the churchyard earlier.

Took off when I arrived.

Taking a shortcut, perhaps?

No, I don't think so.

Whoever it was seemed very anxious not to be seen.

I think I'll have the wild mushroom risotto.

Don't suppose you're going to take a risk for once?

I mean, there's also buko or the sweet breads.

Or there's...

Chicken pie, please.

And another pint of your excellent bitter.

I'll try the osso bucco next time.

Oh, dear.

Give my best to Lawrence?

Remind him that it's a lost cause?

Francis Crawford.

He's the conductor of the Aston Werry Choir.

Oh, yes.

Well, they usually win.

Hello, Conor?

Conor?

You there?

I don't know

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Connor?

Oh, at last.

PHONE RINGS Oh.

Sorry.

This is Jones.

Jones.

Where, sir?

Look, I'll meet you there.

I'm sorry, Jones.

Um, I'll see you at home, OK?

All right, I'll get a cab.

-No, it's all right. -I can walk there.

Um, take the car.

Oh, that's it.

Will you have the risotto or the chicken pie?

What's Stephen Latimer doing here?

He found the body, sir.

Says he picked up Connor's phone in the church, brought it round to return it.

Well, perhaps he did.

Put someone in the car with him.

Is he the suspect, sir?

He says he isn't.

Apart from that, finding a body can be an upsetting experience.

We don't want him keeling over unattended in the police car, do we?

George.

Oh, it's on.

It's not difficult.

There's a massive blow to the head.

Extensive trauma, resultant shock, causing cardiac arrest.

See that?

What does that matter to her?

Fragmental scalp.

Smears of blood on the handle up to here.

Clean as a whistle from then on.

Killer wiped the handle.

There's a brandy in that glass.

Well, it would be, wouldn't it?

If ain't, brandy's the best pickling.

Looks like there was a struggle.

This got broken.

Mm.

Right.

Let's take a look around.

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You found anything?

Did Simpson have a girlfriend, sir?

I've got no idea.

Why? Well, it's either that or, uh, he was a cross-dresser.

What do you think?

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Anything?

Spare bedroom.

-And? -Looks like it's never used.

Come downstairs.

Something I want you to see.

Connor Simpson wasn't the only one to have a brandy.

Connor's glass smashed when he fell.

After the attack, the killer brought his own

glass, that one, back here, washed it up, put it away.

And, Jones, there's more, much more.

Look at this.

Human?

No, it's pigs.

Look it out.

Oh!

Oh, come on!

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It looks as if our Mr. Simpson had a

more complicated life than anyone imagined.

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DC Jones tells me you came around here to return a mobile phone.

Is that right?

The door was open.

Called, but no one answered.

And I saw him.

I thought he'd fainted again.

And I saw the blood.

Then his mobile phone rang.

The one you phoned?

Yeah.

Who was it?

I don't know.

But was it a man or a woman?

A woman.

She just said, hello, Connor, are you there?

Then she hung up.

Caller's number withheld.

I'm the man.

Mr. Latimer, how well did you know Connor Simpson?

Well, we weren't great friends or anything.

Now, you were there when he fainted, weren't you?

I seen the jumpy.

I thought Lawrence might be the cause.

He's very eager, isn't he, to win the Four Choirs competition?

Look, the Four Choirs competition is a big issue

with Lawrence, but Frances Crawford's no better.

Why are they such enemies?

Frances was recently appointed organist at Causton Cathedral.

Nice job, nice stipend, nice house and the cathedral close.

Lawrence wanted the job.

He accused Frances of lying on his CV.

And did he?

Wouldn't put it past him.

I used to sing in the Aston Wary Choir.

I'd have had an easier time as a galley slave.

Is that why you switched allegiance to Midsomer Worthy?

That's right.

Nothing to do with Carolyn Armitage.

Oh, I'm sorry. I couldn't help noticing, you

know, after the choir practice, you and she.

Carolyn and I used to be close.

And now she's married.

She made a bad choice.

It was spur of the moment, wasn't it?

Go on.

If the killer had gone round intending to murder

Simpson, he would have taken a weapon with him, but he didn't.

That's why he used the fire iron.

Well, that sounds right to me.

What about this pig's heart and the note?

Crime of passion?

Well, people in love do do desperate things.

Hey, look.

There he is again.

Who?

-I don't know yet. -Pull up.

Stop the car.

Hey, you!

Police!

Police? Yes, I'm Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby.

What are you doing here?

Twitching.

-What? -I'm a bird watcher.

Barn owls are nesting up there in the hollow tree.

I was after a photograph.

I might have got one too if you hadn't rushed in shouting your head off.

It's Sam Judd, isn't it?

He's the estate manager at Hartsmead.

He used to be.

I was laid off.

For what reason?

No reason.

Giles Armitage fired me.

Reckons he can handle the estate on his own.

The place is going to rack and ruin.

Damn fool.

He deserves all he gets.

Why did you run?

Well, you were chasing me.

I didn't know you were the police.

The funny things happen in graveyards.

Were you here earlier?

No.

Were you here earlier going across the graveyard with your tripod?

Not me.

I was over at Hartsmead.

There's a pair nesting in a barn.

I've only just got here.

So if it's all the same with you, I'd like to.

Carry on twitching.

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Where have you been?

Out?

Where have you been?

Choir practice, as you know.

Stephen Latimer breathing down your neck.

Giles, please.

Stephen and I finished a long time ago.

I'm not sure he thinks of it like that.

Have you spoken to the bank yet?

I will.

Giles, you fired Sam Judd without bothering to consult me.

To save money.

Since when things have only got worse?

This is our home, but it is also a business I can't manage on my own.

Caro, you should stop worrying, for God's sake.

It'll be fine.

I know what I'm doing.

Oh, you're doing something, are you?

I hadn't noticed.

I show the punters around, running commentary and all.

In a bored monotone?

I've seen visitors fall asleep standing up.

I didn't sign up for this, Caro, to be a meet and greet monkey.

What did you sign up for, Giles?

among other things.

I signed up for this.

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Hello?

Yes, this is Conor.

Who is it?

Very good question.

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The bark for breakfast, is it?

It's Lawrence's instructions.

All yours.

That man is a fanatic.

Oh, what's this?

Hand-delivered.

I'm late.

You should have fun, don't you?

You are right.

Thank you.

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Now, either Sam Judd was lying, or I saw someone else here last night.

Take a look around.

OK, sir.

Is Mrs. Barnaby all right?

-Yes, she is. -Thank you.

She felt less certain when it turned out

everyone in the choir got the same letter.

Have you seen Carolyn?

No.

She's probably on her way.

Uh, now it appears that...

Hello.

Thank you.

Now, it seems that everyone has received

a letter like this with your morning mail.

Now, obviously, we're going to get a statement from each of

you, but before that happens, may I offer you a few words of advice?

Best advice might be to withdraw from the competition.

Are you serious?

It's taken weeks to get you anywhere near

competition standard, and you want to chuck it in?

This is a death threat, Lawrence.

A death threat.

You don't really think someone's plotting to knock us off one by one, do you?

It's a practical joke.

It's got to be.

A joke?

Leo, you didn't see Connor stretched out on the floor and covered in blood.

There wasn't much to laugh at.

We ought to think carefully whether to stay in the competition.

You seem very keen to pull out, Steve.

I'm keen to stay alive.

Please.

I've been a member for six years, and we've never won the four choirs.

Well, seven is my lucky number, and I'm going to sing.

All right.

All right, let's see a show of hands.

Good.

Now all we need is another tenner.

♪

Uh, George.

George, here, please.

When's the post-mortem?

Tomorrow.

Full report the day after that.

I could give you the results over dinner.

What dinner?

Dinner at your place.

Joyce and Kath arranged it.

Oh, that dinner.

Yes.

Yes.

Mr. Clarke,

we do need to take statements from

everyone who received a letter, including you, sir.

Just stepped out for a smoke?

You were standing next to Conor Simpson, weren't you, when he fainted.

Had he said anything about, uh, you know, feeling unwell?

Not a word.

Do you think he was anxious about something?

Well, if he was, he wouldn't have said anything to me.

I mean, he was just an acquaintance, someone I saw in choir practice.

How long have you been a member of the choir, then?

A while.

Sir, have a look at this.

Sam, do you have the tripod?

That's what I thought when I found this.

But why here?

You're right.

From this position, you can't see the hollow tree.

Get statements from the choir members.

Meet me up at the hall in half an hour.

I want to find out why Carolyn Armitage wasn't at the meeting.

So why would he put his camera here?

I've got no idea, Jones.

I look forward to hearing your theory.

Coro!

You say every member of the choir got one?

Yeah, some of us.

Well, then it's obviously someone with a warped

sense of humor and too much time on their hands.

Carol, we need to talk.

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Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby, search of Ketcham, Giles Armitage.

Afternoon, sir.

Afternoon. I was hoping to have a word with your wife.

About Connor Simpson's death, I imagine.

We were so shocked when we heard about it.

Look, I'm afraid Carolyn's out on the estate somewhere.

With a mobile phone?

No signal, I'm afraid.

Can I give her a message?

Yes, yes, you can.

Could you ask her, please, if she'd get in

touch with me as soon as possible on that number?

Of course.

Giles, you haven't been robbed, have you?

The manner of speaking, though London being

reframed or cleaned, costs a small fortune.

How do you think I felt?

Coming back and finding you'd married.

I don't know how you felt.

I know how I felt.

Feelings change, Stephen.

People change.

Look, we're inside of the hall.

You'd better go.

If Giles sees you, there'll be trouble.

Giles.

Giles can go straight to hell.

It's a wasted journey, Jones.

Apparently, Mrs. Armitage is unavailable.

Isn't that her?

Yes, it is.

That's Stephen Latimer with her.

You're trespassing, Latimer.

Get off my land and stay away from my wife.

Oh, for God's sake, Charles.

You know how pathetic you look, hanging around her like a whipped dog.

Oh, stop them, Jones, before someone gets hurt.

Hey!

Come on, you two!

Come on!

All right, that's enough

You all right?

Absolutely wonderful, sir.

What are you waiting for?

A drying wind.

And permission to go home and change, sir.

Well, my place is closer than yours, unfortunately.

Sam Judd hiking across the estate as if he owns it.

He's birdwatching, Giles.

Hartsmead's a second home to him.

Not now.

Tell him to keep off.

Carolyn Armitage.

Oh, hello.

What?

Yes.

Well, yes, all right.

-I can meet you there. -But tell me.

Okay.

No, I won't say anything, but...

why?

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What?

Oh, good Lord.

I bought that.

When you were a lot slimmer.

Which is why it might fit Ben.

Oh, sole, oh, sole mio,

love you forever.

A tenner.

Right. Let's go and have a chat with Lawrence Barker.

Does it fit?

Yes, sir, it does, yeah.

Unfortunately.

The choir is short of a tenor.

Mrs. Barnaby heard you singing in the bath.

She thinks you would be a useful addition to the choir.

And so do I.

I'm always the one.

No, no.

There must be some other way.

There must!

All right, all right, all right, it's your call.

Leave it to me.

I've crossed the business with Connor since it's terrible.

They said that he surprised the bugler.

Well, it's a possibility, yes.

Have you noticed any difference in Connor recently?

Seemed a little, well, short-tempered when he recovered from his faint.

Really?

Really? Well, just a sea of faces to me and a sound.

The moment it's a sound, there could stand some improvement.

Look, I know there's always been a friendly rivalry between the choirs.

But just lately, it seems more like musical warfare.

Well, I think you'll find that Crawford is responsible for that.

-Is he? -In what way? -He's pompous.

He's aggressive.

He's smug.

And he's a pretty poor conductor.

Who landed the plum job of organist at Causton Cathedral.

With a dubious CV and a sycophantic smile.

Tell me, uh, Mr. Barker, if the Aston Wherry Choir is such a thorn

in your flesh, why have you got a picture of their church on your wall?

Not my choice.

I bought it.

This is my wife, Ellen, Detective Chief

Inspector Barnum, Detective Constable Jones, Causton CID.

Mrs. Barker, isn't it one of Connor Simpson's?

The tower's embedded with flint.

He liked the way the light struck it.

Were you a friend?

Why do you ask that?

Mrs. Barker?

No, not really.

I like his work.

Lawrence doesn't.

Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt.

I just came to pick up these.

Is that you, Rainbow?

Mm.

Children's entertainer.

Birthday parties, mainly.

Are you the fairy on the front?

Fairy, pixie, butterfly, whatever you order.

My personal choice was Ophelia, but, um, the

Royal Shakespeare Company weren't very impressed.

Come to think of it, nor were the Causton players.

I hear you're a useful lyric tenor.

Why don't you come to the next rehearsal?

We'll find out how good you are.

Do you think there was some tension between Mr. and Mrs. Barker?

Oh, just a bit.

She'd been crying.

How could you tell?

I've been married a long time, Jones.

He knows something's wrong, Barnaby.

He knows we've got something to hide.

things could be the way they were.

No one has to know.

If Crawford hadn't lied and wheedled to cheat me out

of the cathedral job, things could have been different.

A new start for us.

No.

It's too late.

Oh, I'm sick of hearing that.

I'm sick of asking bloody where he...

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I thought choir practice would be over by now.

Uh, Lawrence will still be there.

The least I can do is make my apologies.

Give her a miss, hmm?

We could, uh, we could make a meal.

Get a bit drunk.

Like it used to be.

It's never been like it used to be.

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Yes, well, it's a passable voice.

It's richer than Connor, so that's all to the good.

He's a charmer, isn't he?

You've noticed.

Right.

Uh, I dare say you all want to get away.

So let's just have one last go at our farmer piece.

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the mother,

See ya.

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Sam!

Oh

Peace.

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I've been here for a while.

15 hours, maybe more.

Give you a better estimate after the post-mortem.

Method?

Shot from close range of the 12 bore.

Standard game loading by the look of it.

Everyone around here uses that.

No sign of a cartridge, I suppose.

Ah, you're thinking fingerprints.

No. Well, I don't think he was shot here.

In fact, I'm sure of it.

Well, the body was moved.

When the heart starts pumping, blood stops flowing.

There's no significant blood spill here.

There was no rain here last night, was there?

Exactly.

May I?

Oh, just.

I know.

Crows, they always go over the eyes.

Sir!

We need some suckers.

Straight away, sir.

It looks like he was dragged through here.

Didn't find his camera.

Not in the churchyard, sir.

I suppose we'd better ask permission to search on Hartsmead land.

Sorry, Jones, I didn't quite catch what you said.

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That's blood.

Take a look.

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Sir.

Sam Judd's hat.

Killed here, then moved.

Somebody improvising.

-Yeah. -Step back.

I found this in the photographic vest Sam Judd was wearing.

Get it developed as soon as possible, yeah?

And get a search warrant for the Hartsmeade estate.

Sir?

Retrospective authorization.

-Charles. -Charles.

Is that you?

Go back to sleep.

You'll feel better if you sleep.

I can't remember.

What?

Anything.

Am I ill?

-Why am I in bed? -No, no, no.

You must rest.

You'll feel better if you rest.

Mr. Barnaby, I hope you haven't come to talk to my wife again.

Only she is, um, Sam Judd was killed yesterday, Mr. Armitage.

Killed?

No, he was murdered.

God.

He was taking photographs of owls roosting in your barn when he was attacked.

He was murdered on my land?

I'm afraid so, yes.

Then maybe, um, well, he used to be our estate

manager, and maybe he fell foul of the local poachers.

God, this is terrible.

I've really come to give you a warning.

What?

Put you on your guard.

Oh, yes.

Yes, thank you.

And to ask if we can have a look around the

estate, you know, looking for possible forensic evidence.

-Is that all right? -Whatever you need.

Thank you.

So, uh, will we be seeing Mrs. Armitage at choir practice tonight?

Oh, I'm afraid not.

She, um, rolled the quad bike out on the estate by a concussion.

Is she all right?

No, she's fine.

The doctors prescribed a strong sedative.

She's dead to the world right now.

Hello, Jones.

What?

Right, yeah.

Just stay where you are.

We're on the way.

There's been a break-in at Connor Simpson's cottage, sir.

You were supposed to put a watch on that place.

Apparently, a house alarm started up nearby.

The PC went to investigate, came back to see someone running off.

He was only gone for a few minutes.

Let's take this out.

No need to stop you.

You were running some checks on Connor Simpson, weren't you?

Any results?

Complete blank, sir.

It's as if he didn't exist before he moved to Midsomer Worthy.

And now someone burgles the dead man's cottage.

Looking for what?

Every man keeps something of his past, Jones.

Who are you going to call, anyway?

I forget.

♪

Who's to blame?

Is it me?

Is it you?

I don't know.

Somebody's to blame.

And it must be me

♪

Any luck?

Nothing, sir.

Photos of the area, mostly.

Maybe he used them as a reference for his paintings.

And some of the man himself.

Well, maybe we've been looking in the wrong places.

OK, uh, put that one on the police computer.

Get someone down to the morgue to take his fingerprints.

Well, well.

Either Simpson himself removed these photographs for some reason, or.

The break-in.

Yeah.

Where'd you find this album?

Over there.

All right.

This is Ellen Barker.

I can't take your call, but leave a message and I'll get back to you.

Hi, it's me, Ellen.

Um, we have to talk.

I know things have happened, bad things, but

there's nothing I can do to change that now.

I'm scared.

I'm really scared.

Everything's gone wrong.

It's all such a mess.

Yes, sir. A pint of bitter and a large brandy.

Thank you.

Large brandy?

Love life not going well?

Impending defeat in the four choirs?

You need something to keep your spirits up.

You'll be the one drowning your sorrows.

Oh, I don't think so.

Experience will tell, Barker.

If you're working with amateurs, it's a good idea to

steer away from the more difficult pieces in the repertoire.

How do you know we're seeing something difficult?

It's always the desperate man who makes that sort of mistake.

No.

No, no, no.

We've got someone reporting back to you.

A spy.

Oh, dear.

You are getting paranoid.

Drink up.

Yeah.

Sir, I'm a bit of a large brandy.

Large is it?

You can't win by honest means, so you cheat, just like the cathedral job.

Fake a CV, ingratiate yourself with the dean.

Anything else, sir? Nothing so sad as a poor loser.

I got the job because I'm a better musician than you

and will win the four choirs for just the same reason.

So I don't need this.

Thanks all the same.

This isn't for you.

This is for you.

Hey!

I'll kill you, bugger!

I'll kill you!

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Mr. Crawford, I'm Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby from Causton CID.

You took your time.

Sebastian.

It was a completely unprovoked attack.

I hope you've arrested him.

Oh, I'm sure that would suit your purpose, sir, the

four choirs competition being just a day or so away.

But I've read the witness statements,

and unprovoked is not how they describe it.

So we won't be bringing any charges against either of you.

That's outrageous.

I shall take the matter further.

Please feel free, sir.

But I wonder how the dean and chapter would feel

about their organist being involved in a pub brawl.

You have a very pleasant living here, don't you, sir?

You're very lucky.

Luck wasn't the issue.

It was talent.

And a very impressive CV, I'm told.

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Well, it's not perfect.

Well, it's not a complete disaster, either.

Right, let's see what we can do with the madrigal piece.

Is that what passes for praise?

It is where Lawrence Barker's concerned.

Right, I'll give you the note.

Bless my heart.

Right.

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Who's that?

Johann Sebastian Bach by Elias Gottlieb Haussmann.

It's a local treasure.

So we thought we'd put it on the front of our program.

Local?

Well, the original's up at the Hartsmead Hall.

It's their prime exhibit.

You said she was pointing.

No.

Well, she seemed to.

At what?

The choir.

Anyone in particular?

Not that I could see.

And Leo Clark Carter, weren't you fainted?

Yes, luckily.

I wonder who she was pointing at.

Well, why don't you ask her?

Well, yes, I'm going to try.

Well, I called the hall just now.

Giles Armitage informed me that she was

seeing a specialist sometime tomorrow morning.

And she might be available to speak to me after that.

Still nothing on Connor Simpson, sir.

Real mystery man.

He circulated his photo in the print.

We're standing in line, as usual.

Oh, keep at it.

He was an artist, wasn't he?

What did he try in the art world?

Dealers, galleries, that sort of stuff.

Oh, Lawrence Barker used his tuning fork at rehearsals last night.

Oh.

Did he, indeed?

-That's lucky. -You can get the wine.

Joyce, I'm on police business.

It's just the wine.

I'm not asking you to cook dinner.

All right. All right. What are you giving him?

Haven't decided yet.

Ossobuco and sweetbreads, perhaps.

What, bones and offal?

Doesn't George get enough of that at work?

Don't get any cheap stuff

♪

Carol, drink this.

It'll make you feel better.

Drink it.

You have to drink it.

Okay.

I'm so sorry.

♪

I assume, George, that the post-mortem on Conor Simpson was routine, wasn't it?

He's a perfectly healthy chap, apart from the fractured skull, of course.

I gather he wasn't the only one to pass out in church.

I rang Giles Armitage to find out how Carolyn was.

Is she better?

Under sedation.

But you were there, George, weren't you?

What's your professional opinion then?

What did you think of her?

I did an examiner.

Husband wanted to get her home, but she seemed unfocused.

There was a sort of foggy look around the eyes.

I'd have thought it was something more powerful than a mere sedative.

Tom, this wine is spectacular.

What is it?

Good grief.

This must have cost 20 quid a bottle.

25.

No cheap stuff here.

I don't suppose that Carolyn Armitage is

with your practice by any chance, is she?

I know what you're asking me to do, Tom, and it's strictly unethical.

Yes, but will you do it?

I expect you'd get some sort of warrant if I said no, wouldn't you?

Definitely.

It's our last rehearsal tomorrow.

I'd love it if you came.

Tell me what you think.

Well, me, you'd trust my ear, would you?

I'd trust you to say what you think.

-Hi. -This is Cully.

I'm not here at the moment, so please leave a message.

Hello, darling.

Just confirming the weekend.

So good you're going to be here for the choir competition.

I'm getting nervous already.

See you then.

Bye.

Speed dial.

What?

Speed dial.

♪

♪

♪

Oh

Hello.

Oh, Tom, it's Kath.

I checked our records.

You said that Giles Armitage claimed his wife has seen a doctor?

Yeah.

Well, it wasn't a doctor from this surgery.

And no one here has ever prescribed a tranquilizers or sleeping pills.

Thank you.

Well, you didn't hear it from me.

Oh, no.

♪

♪

Is this going to take long?

I'm trying to prepare the concert.

Just long enough to warn you about the penalties for common assault, sir.

Francis Crawford went pleading to the police, did he?

Trying to get me arrested.

Well, he made a complaint, sir, yes.

But I don't think it'll come to anything.

I'd like to break his neck.

Oh, please don't, sir.

No, this is quite enough.

What is it?

It's Connor.

Oh, for God's sake, Alan, Connor's dead.

It's not Connor, though I know how much you'd like it to be him.

Good.

Farting glitter.

Found some of that in Colin's cottage.

In the bath.

It started as an affair.

Just sex.

Plain and simple.

Except it was neither plain nor simple, really.

He was mad about me.

He wanted me to go away with him.

And I wanted so much to get away from it.

I knew he had secrets.

He would never talk about the past.

It wasn't the past I cared about.

It was the future.

Well, I have enough money to start a new life.

The life you deserve.

Did he tell you where the money was coming from?

Yeah.

And to be honest, I didn't much care

I'm sorry.

I should have left you years ago.

A failed actress.

A failed wife.

Things could be different, Ellen.

Even now.

I don't love you.

I don't know that I ever did.

I'm in love with a dead man.

Lawrence.

Have you dropped this Connor Simpson's cottage?

No, no, no.

-No. -Here's mine.

There's only one music shop in Causton, and they know you very well.

You bought a new tuning fork two days ago.

There was a police watch on the place.

I thought I'd have to give up.

♪♪

I knew I didn't have much time.

I just wanted to destroy any evidence of Ellen's affair with Connor.

I didn't want you to find out about it.

I didn't want anyone to find out about it.

I thought that with Connor dead, then perhaps Ellen and Ike.

I still love her, Mr. Barnaby.

I didn't kill Connor.

No, I don't believe you did.

Mr. Barnaby?

What will happen to Conor's things, to his possessions?

Oh, well, that depends on whether he made a

will, whether he's got relatives, or he's got his own.

There's a painting of Midsomer Down.

He did it for me.

He told me so.

He had it framed the day before he died.

We used to meet on the down.

It was a special place for us.

Please.

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

Our conductor is not a happy man.

And with good reason.

Hey, Jones, look, there.

Just a mistake.

♪

♪

The tripod marks we found on the tomb?

Audio surveillance.

Twitching with a difference.

Knowledge is power.

Have I got that right?

You eavesdrop on Midsomer Worthy Choir and that gives you the edge.

It helps to know what kind of standard you're up against.

Well, Midsomer worthy are good, but not good enough.

You'll do anything to win, won't you?

Sneaking around the church with your expensive

surveillance gear, playing postman in the dead of night.

And please don't put me to the bother of getting a

DNA saliva test, because that doesn't come cheap either.

Barker has been accusing me of doctoring my CV to get the cathedral job.

All lies, of course.

But I need to win this competition.

Need to show people that I don't have to cheat.

I'm a good conductor, very.

And sending death threats is just part of the game, is it?

I'll be charging you with issuing those death threats.

Oh, Barnaby, please.

And if you're very lucky, you might get bail.

So did you eavesdrop on every

Midsomer Worthy choir rehearsal?

So you'd be snooping around Midsomer Worthy

on the night that Conor Simpson was murdered?

I've heard.

You didn't think I had anything to do with that.

Yes, I know what's at stake, and yes, I know what has to be done.

No.

Stay away.

Leave it to me.

Leave it to me.

Morning, sir.

Morning.

Ah, sir.

What?

Sam Judd's photo is back from the lab.

Oh, at last.

These were on the front of the film.

Charles Armitage, Connor Simpson.

And Leo Clark.

Judd was following them, wasn't he?

Making a record of their meetings.

Looks like.

So Judd might have taken other photographs like this, wouldn't he?

Yes, but.

What's that?

Carolyn Armitage.

Must have been on her way to meet him.

So if Judd had picked up his photos from the high

street and was on his way to show them to Carolyn Armitage.

He was killed for those photos.

Now, look at this.

Who's that?

Is that Giles Armitage?

We've got to talk to Mrs. Armitage.

However indisposed she may be.

Come on, way to go.

That's right.

Just keep walking.

It's going to be fine.

It's all going to be just fine.

That's right, a few more steps.

I've lost him.

Bye.

It's all right.

It's all right, darling.

It's all right.

Keep going, baby.

Keep going.

Keep going, baby.

That's right.

Let's keep going.

Look.

♪

Yeah, where'd you come from?

♪

Thank you.

Oh.

♪

Right.

Mr. Armitage, when did you first decide that you had to kill her?

You've got it wrong, Barnaby.

I've got it wrong, have I?

You just tried to drown your wife.

No.

She was trying to kill herself.

I was trying to save her.

You ran off.

I wasn't running from you.

I didn't even know you were there.

I was running to get help.

I can't swim.

It's going to be your story.

It's not a story.

It's the truth.

I want to speak to my solicitor.

And so you shall, Mr. Armitage.

So you shall.

In the meantime, I'm arresting you.

And later on, I'll be charging you with the attempted murder of your wife.

Get him out of here.

Let's go.

Sir, the man had finally come up with a match on Conor Simpson.

Seems he did have a past, after all.

His name wasn't Simpson, it was Pearson.

Conor Pearson.

And he had form, too.

Went down for five, served three.

What for?

Art forgery.

Seems he specialized in old masters.

Did he now?

Is that still a 24-hour watch on his cottage?

Yeah.

Lift it.

Remove all the scene of crime to make a show of it.

I can't remember.

Just moments, fragments.

You were being drugged with rohypnol.

Short-term memory loss is one of the side effects.

Why would he drug me?

We know you were on your way to meet Sam when he was killed.

It seems pretty certain that Sam was going to show you photographs like these.

He must have thought they would mean something to you.

But what?

I knew Giles gambled.

I knew he had money problems.

Did you know Connor Simpson and Leo Clark were friends of your husband's?

No.

But what difference does it make?

I'm not sure.

Will it come back, my memory?

I hope so.

At the moment, we're as much in the dark as you.

So, are you telling me he tried to kill me?

Poor Giles.

Is she all right?

She will be.

I said I could go in once you'd left.

So why don't you?

She needs a friend right now.

Shouldn't Lawrence have arrived by now?

And where's your father?

He'll be here.

♪

♪

♪

♪

Got it.

Yes.

A pastel sketch by Elias Gottlieb

Haussmann was portrait of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Am I right, Mr. Clark?

Hey, we're on last.

Gives us a chance to assess the opposition.

Shouldn't Lawrence be here by now?

I'm bankrupt.

So for you, it was the business.

Connor Simpson wanted to start a new life with Ellen

Barker, and Giles Armitage had to

be Giles Armitage, didn't it?

Because he had access to the houseman.

Gambling, that's where we all met.

I don't think Charles was a bad player, really.

He just...

he just never got the run of the cards.

We went to a bar one night after the game.

We'd all lost, but Charles was in for thousands.

You could always sell hearts, Mead.

So the bloody houseman.

So Karen would never agree.

What's the houseman?

Pitcher Karen inherited.

Famous, unique, worth a packet.

I knew that Connor was a painter, but I didn't know he'd done time for forgery.

So his absence would be noticed.

Definitely.

Unless there were two of it.

It was a conspiracy, wasn't it, between the three of you?

Armitage removed the picture, saying it was being

reframed, along with several others that needed attention.

Connor Simpson was to copy it, and your job was to ship it out.

Giles already had a buyer in America.

Then Armitage would replace the portrait with a copy.

But things didn't go quite according to plan, did they?

Because Connor Simpson had ideas of his own.

Once he got hold of the pastel, Connor

realized he didn't have to keep his side of the deal.

He could keep the original.

And what could we do about it?

Very clever.

It's being clever that got him killed.

So you upped the pressure on him.

Threats, big time.

But things got out of hand, didn't they?

And you found yourself capable of cold-blooded murder.

I came round to the cottage after choir practice.

No.

Sorry.

I was going to talk to him, but he wasn't having it.

What are you going to do?

Go to the police?

Tell them I've stolen something you already stole?

And after you'd killed him, you washed up your brandy glass and put it away.

And then I started looking for the pastel.

When Stephen Latimer arrived, I ran out the back way.

And Sam Judd?

It started by following Giles, trying to get evidence of his gambling.

Some sort of revenge for having been sacked, I suppose.

The three of you were meeting on a regular basis, and you smelt a conspiracy.

And those photographs he took, they were potentially damning evidence.

He had a shot of us with the house.

That's what he told Caroline.

That's very impressive.

How long would it take to finish it?

Two or three weeks.

Can't you do it quicker than that?

So after one murder, the second didn't seem so difficult.

♪

Carolyn Armitage went to meet Judd, and she heard the shot.

We didn't know what to do.

Giles took her back to the hall, but we realized

we couldn't keep her in the lock and key for long.

And then I had the idea of chemical handcuffs.

Rohypnol.

It seemed to work fine.

She didn't know what day it was.

But we realized we couldn't keep her drugged forever.

It'll have to look like an accident.

It's getting late, sir.

Oh, yes, yes.

You go to the church, Jones.

I'll put Johann Sebastian under lock and key.

There's a couple of things I need to do.

-There. -There he is.

Yeah, he's on his way.

Lawrence.

No, Mr. Barnaby.

What about Lawrence?

You want to know how you'll get to the

point where you're going to kill your wife?

It happens, bit by bit, like a game of consequences.

You get married and you're happy.

Then, after a while, you're...

not quite so happy.

In fact, things aren't working out the way you thought they would.

You think running an estate's glamorous.

You're a farm laborer.

You're a navvy.

And then when the season starts, you're a bloody tour guide.

So you look for ways to take the edge off a diversion.

It could be booze or women.

You win a little, you lose a little.

Then you lose a little more, then you

lose a lot, and so you come up with a plan.

A victimless crime.

But the plan goes wrong.

It keeps going wrong, and you're making it up as you go along.

And then suddenly, out of nowhere, you're

making up the bit where someone has to die.

Why, Carolyn...

has to die.

There is another version of that story, one

in which there were no excuses.

Where on earth is Lawrence?

Cully, could you go and see if you can find out what happened?

It's too late.

We're on.

What are you going to do?

Withdraw, I suppose.

Your conductor gone missing?

Sparing himself the humiliation, perhaps?

Well, he knew you couldn't win.

Oh, for heaven's sake, we know these pieces backwards.

All that hard work, all the bullying from Lawrence.

It's only a matter of beating time.

Come on, we can do this!

Oh, go on then.

Come on!

You're on police bail, remember.

I'll see you very soon.

♪

There you go.

Needs reframing, I'm afraid.

Thank you.

Hope it doesn't cause any friction.

Lawrence is gone.

He's gone?

Yes, he finally accepted that it's over between us.

He packed a few things and left.

But what about the choir, the competition?

He said.

He said he didn't care.

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

I'm sure we're all afraid, haven't heard it all before.

The deserved winners of the Four Wise Trophy are Midsomer,

♪

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♪

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