Original subtitles

Wow.

Come on, come on, come on, come on.

All right, let's see if this will stay up this time, unlike last year.

Will you check the mince pies?

I want to get the brownie butter done in plenty of time.

Oh, just a piece of bendy wire, please.

Lydia.

Lydia.

Lydia!

Bendy wire.

Oh, yes, yes.

Will you pull yourself together?

You've got a home here for as long as you want.

Stop being silly.

♪

♪

Oh, my God!

♪

♪

♪

Ah, where's Mr. Seymour, my old teacher?

Welcome to Drake.

♪

Alfie!

Hello.

Hello, Alfie.

Hello.

Lovely dog.

Aren't you a lovely dog?

You ready?

Yeah.

Come on, Alfie.

-If... -If there are any problems...

Merry Christmas to you, too, chaps.

If there are any problems, any problems at

all, don't feel you can't call me, all right?

I want to make a...

Tom!

Mwah!

Do not feel just because it's Christmas you can't give us a call, OK?

Anything serious happens, I want to know about it.

-Understood? -I got the message, sir.

What are you looking for, an escape from the in-laws?

Now, don't you overdo things this evening, all right?

Things have a habit of happening around Christmas

time, and you may have to be a razor sharp in the morning.

Yes, sir.

Oh, sir, are you?

Oh, come on, Mummy, please.

When any of my friends go home with their

girlfriends, their parents always put them in the same room.

I mean, you know what the score is.

You can do what you like in your grubby little

flats at university, but when you're in my

house, it's a no bonking till you've tied the knot raw.

I'm sure Emily can survive without your attentions for a couple of days.

Oh, no.

Oh.

-Oh. -For God's sake.

Oh.

-Oh. -Aunt Lydia. -Aunt Lydia.

Will you stop this silliness now?

I will not have you ruining Christmas.

Do you understand?

Oh, I don't believe it.

Wait till you meet the rest of the family.

Listen, I'm sorry about the sleeping arrangements.

Doesn't matter, really.

Still, would have been nice.

You'll just have to grab the opportunities as they arise.

Come on, Alfie.

Time for a bit of fresh country air.

Five minutes.

Be careful.

Are you quite sure we haven't met before?

Oh, not as far as I know.

What was your surname again?

Hyde.

Hyde.

Is that with an I or a Y?

Er, an I.

-Hyde... -with an I.

I told you we should have left earlier.

Like we're in a hurry to get there.

Phoebe, darling, do you think you could try being a little positive this time?

Christmas, you know, the season of goodwill, that sort of thing.

Oh, come on!

Where's the fire vicar?

My God, I think it's my brother

Thank you.

Hello, Ralphie.

Hello.

Kill him.

Oh, Dominic, they're lovely.

Absolutely lovely.

Mm, gorgeous.

So who's here?

Just Aidan with his latest.

Why don't you go and introduce yourself?

Her name's Emily.

Apparently, she can't bear the thought of a night without sex.

But apart from that, she seems quite ordinary.

Jennifer.

-Ah. -I'm Dominic.

You must be Emily.

Hello.

Don't worry.

The first time at Dracut Hall's always a bit of an ordeal.

They're all quite barmy.

Aren't you, Lydia?

Any more bad vibes lately?

You can mock.

I'm very sensitive to these things.

So how's the crossword going?

13 down.

Bit of a stinker.

No sign of him yet.

Enjoy it while you may.

I heard that.

You will try to be patient with him this year, won't you?

He doesn't always know what you're saying.

Not much he doesn't.

What do you think of the tree?

They're really very realistic these days.

It's lovely.

And no needles on the carpet.

He's brought the monopoly

♪

♪

Where were the cases?

Howard?

Ross?

Ross!

The beard!

And the hair, it's amazing!

Be careful, that one's breakable.

Is everything alright?

Everything's absolutely fine.

Rush!

It's been too long, far too long.

-Come on, everybody. -You'll get soaked.

Let's get you inside.

I'm coming back.

Howard, don't dilly-dally.

OK, Digby, get yourself sorted out, and we'll all meet in the hall for drinks.

Oh, Dominic, come and meet Ross, our long-lost brother.

How do you do?

Hello there.

Good friend, and a very useful bridge partner.

Come on.

The whole thing could do with rewiring, to be

absolutely frank, but it all costs so much these days.

Anyway, the switches at the other end of the landing are fine.

It's just that these ones don't always function.

Oh, and be a bit canny with the sockets in your room.

They can be slightly, you know, temperamental.

Here we are.

It is so good to have you here.

everybody together again after

so long.

-Well... -Come on, I'll help you unpack.

Please, there's really no need.

No, I'd like to.

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

How does it fit?

♪

What do you think?

♪

♪

♪

How it

It's out of bounds.

I remember.

I hope you're going to behave yourself this year.

Yes, Aunt Jennifer.

I'll do my very best.

Hmm.

Oh, hello.

Pick a card.

Any card.

Now, close your eyes and visualize the card in your mind's eye.

Visualize it, think it, project what you see.

Yes, I'm definitely feeling something.

Any luck at all?

Yes, the six of hearts, I believe.

I think you've got a bit of a mischievous streak in you, Howard.

I like that in a man.

Just now, when Jennifer was talking to you,

she mentioned something being out of bounds.

Oh, Uncle Ferdie's studio.

The late Uncle Ferdie.

That's your uncle, is it?

Mine, Aidan's, Phoebe's.

He was a magician.

Well known in magic circles, and indeed the magic circle itself.

Aidan never mentioned him.

No one does.

His persona non grata since he's suicided.

Great, it's great for the family.

The state of the place.

Even the decorations, they're the same ones we had when mom and dad were alive.

What's she clinging on to?

Happier times, maybe.

Seems our sister has something of a problem moving on.

It's crazy.

Should be sold.

They could move into somewhere more manageable.

We've been saying the same thing for years.

And frankly, Kate could do with her share of the proceeds.

Me?

She can't go on like this.

A quickie before supper?

I always fancy one of those.

Aidan, who's Uncle Ferdie?

I'm sorry.

It's just it sounds so awful, and you've

never mentioned him, suicide and everything.

He was just a very weak and selfish man, and I don't like to talk about him.

OK?

Okay.

Feelings run a bit high at this time of year.

It all happened just before Christmas nine years ago.

You didn't know about it.

Hit the red wine, is my advice.

It's the only way I get through it.

That and thermal underwear.

♪

Seven.

Right, let's see what you've got.

Proceed directly to jail.

Dad!

Only kidding.

You've won second prize in a beauty contest.

Collect ten pounds.

Hmm.

It's there. It's in Bougainvillea.

Dad, come on.

-Sing it. -Oh, my god.

-She's amazing. -Yeah.

Oh, it was so funny.

She got me.

At least I danced with everyone else.

I loved it.

Anyway, I know mommy and daddy would

dearly love seeing us all gathered here tonight.

In the home they love so much, that we love so much.

Oh, my gosh.

So here is to a very, very happy and special Christmas.

Happy Christmas, everyone.

Happy Christmas.

Happy Christmas.

Oh, crackers.

-Come on. -Take them.

Oh, crackers.

-Oh, crackers. -What are you doing?

Ah.

I got it. You haven't got a life, have you?

What am I thinking?

-Silly me. -One, two, three.

-Ah. -I got it.

I got it.

How can you tell?

Oh, not riddles, please.

Yep.

How can you tell

a heartless liar with blood on their hands?

Yes, Howard, that's not clever or funny.

That's what's on the paper.

They'll each be dead by midnight Boxing Day.

-Let me see that. -No.

No.

Just leave it, I'll go.

Honestly, Howard.

♪

Lydia!

It's just full of stupid, how impractical jokes.

Lydia!

It wasn't me!

You know how sensitive Lydia is.

I don't know what you thought you were doing.

You're not listening to me!

And we're supposed to believe you.

How is she?

I want that boy to apologize.

Right now.

I told you I didn't do anything!

Howard.

Fine.

I apologise.

No more.

It stops here.

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

Well, it's all right for some.

Yeah, it's lucky for some.

Hey, just come for a while.

I can't. I'm on. It'll be a great party.

I'm really, really on.

I'm leaving.

Boring sod.

Yeah, thank you.

-Happy Christmas. -Happy Christmas.

Come on.

There you are.

You go round that side.

Righto.

-Yes. -OK. -Squeeze in with us.

Howard, this is not the time.

We're all freezed today.

Come along.

-OK. -Watch the road.

Careful, Leon, it's very steep.

You go this side.

How much are you paying? Forty-nine pounds.

Anyone.

♪

Come on, Howard.

We would just leave it where it is.

♪

-Oh, hang on. -It's very hot.

-It's not the end of it. -All right.

♪

I can't do it.

Come on, come on.

Leave it.

Leave it.

Come here.

-It's your bedtime. -No.

♪

Aunt Lydia all right?

Yeah, she's just putting the car away.

♪

♪

I think I'll go and see about that coffee.

Oh

Where did we get this one of the cattle service?

♪

♪

I think there might be a bit of a run on the cattle this evening.

Hot water bottles.

Shall I?

Something wrong?

I thought I heard something bangy.

Probably the heating trying to work.

This is a garage!

Go!

Be careful!

Oh, God!

Oh, God!

Take her.

-Yeah, hurry. -Go!

Vivian, where's the remote for the garage door?

-It's not working! -But where is it?

It's...

it's on the little table on the driver's side.

Oh, I just need a minute.

I'll do it.

Oh, God.

I, I switched off the ignition, and I

did not knock the wardrobe over.

Cars do not start on their own, and wardrobes do not fall over by themselves.

That's what I'm saying.

I'm not mad.

We're not saying you are.

It's just when Dominic tried the inside

door, it wasn't locked as you said it was.

And when Emily tried the remote control, the garage door

opened without a problem, and you said it wasn't working.

Well, I'm sure, I'm sure.

It was an accident.

You must have stumbled in, pulled the

wardrobe over, and it hit you on the head.

You were confused, and your imagination ran wild.

Probably because of Howard's little practical joke earlier.

I thought it'd be my fault.

Howard.

Let's have no more of this silliness.

You have just had one of your little flutters.

You really think so?

Of course I do.

And we don't want it spoiling Christmas, do we?

Now come on, it's late.

We're all going to go to bed now and we'll wake up

tomorrow and we'll have a lovely Christmas day, won't we?

Is that you?

♪

♪

Emily?

Emily, are you alright?

Emily!

What's happening? That is a very good question.

Put the ladder back and go to your room.

Sex, Matt.

We've never played to a murderer before, have we?

I know, O.K.

Is there a policeman in the house?

♪

♪

One more inch, I assure you.

Son of a whore, you say?

Don't like to see you.

I'm back!

colors

The third is sick.

I don't know if I'm sure I can.

-Elsie? -Is that you?

All right.

All right.

You're not sleeping on my bed, doc.

-Yes! -Yes!

I'm going downstairs.

Be quiet, naughty boy!

I'll be right back.

Who have you got to?

Alfie?

Alfie!

Alfie!

Oh! Oh! Oh!

Are you all right?

Lydia?

I like this wrapping paper.

Ooh, lovely smellies.

Thank you, Father Christmas.

Don't mention it.

An electric carving knife?

It's from mum.

Apparently, dad discovered them recently and thought you should have one.

It's no reflection on your carving abilities.

Hello.

Sorry to disturb you, sir.

I hope you finished opening your stockings.

What's happened?

They'll each be dead by midnight boxing day.

Apparently this boy, Howard, admitted being responsible.

But now he's denying it.

Now his aunt, Mrs. Jennifer Carter, who

seems to own this place, she doesn't believe him.

She claims the boy was responsible and

that Miss Villiers' fall was just an accident.

That's where they found her.

Yeah, head at that end, feet, well, that end, obviously.

About 5 past 2 out cold.

She's at Causton General.

Do we know if the landing lights were turned on?

They were not, sir.

The switch nearest Miss Villiers' room isn't working.

Looks like the whole place could do with rewiring.

Or knocking down.

You wanted to see me?

Oh, you must be Howard.

Howard, this is Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby.

How do you do?

How do you do?

Um, I'd like to make it clear, Howard, not accusing you of anything.

But before we get into any kind of investigation, I

want you to realize that wasting police time is an offense.

And the courts take that very seriously, very seriously, indeed.

So if you did have anything to do with this,

anything at all, now is the time to tell us.

You won't get into any kind of trouble if you tell us the truth.

It has nothing whatsoever to do with me.

Can you tell me why, initially, you admitted to it?

I suppose it was a bit like when the police use undue pressure on

a suspect, and he confesses just to get the coppers off his back.

None of them would believe I hadn't done

it, so I admitted to it to keep them happy.

Do you have any idea how this riddle got into the cracker?

A disgruntled employee at the cracker factory, perhaps.

Some kind of industrial terrorism.

But then again, it might be the result of a much more sinister motive.

And when your aunt fell, then?

Great aunt, and I don't believe it was a fall.

A push is more, my guess.

A push?

There's a great deal of anger in this house, and pain.

Don't ask me what about.

I know nothing of the details being

considered far too young and sensitive for such matters.

Thank you.

with blood on their hands.

Anyone here have any ideas who or what this refers to?

It's just one of Howard's practical jokes.

Yes, but just for the moment, could we assume that it's not, please?

I'll ask you the question again.

Anyone here have any idea what this refers to?

Any recent deaths in the family?

Friend?

Uncle Ferdy.

Shut up, Howard. You've caused enough trouble.

Jennifer.

Why not mention Ferdy?

Ferdy was our brother.

That's Kate's, Jennifer's, and my elder brother.

He committed suicide nine years ago.

He fell in love with a manipulative, drug-addicted woman.

They were engaged to be married, and then he found out just what a

deceitful, thieving little gold digger she was, and it broke his heart.

He simply couldn't cope with it.

Gold digger?

Ferdy was due to inherit a large fortune from our Uncle Bart.

When he died, it went to Ross, the next male in line.

Uncle Bart was a stickler for tradition.

Anything more recent?

And there's nothing apart from this riddle to suggest it wasn't an accident?

Nothing at all.

I'm sure she just went downstairs for a glass of water and missed her footing.

It was dark. It could have happened easily.

Sir?

-Happy Christmas. -Thank you, sir.

Sorry to drag you out, sir.

Yeah, the canteen's closed, isn't it?

Do you fancy a spot of lunch?

Well, you've got somebody down there with the old

lady, haven't you, in case she regains consciousness?

By the beds, yes, sir.

Well, follow us home.

Thank you, sir. Actually, you'll be doing us a favor.

One less turkey curry over the next fortnight.

Well, there is one thing we can all be sure of.

Lydia would have not wanted Christmas to be

ruined because she took a tumble down the stairs.

Ah, here you go.

-There you go. -Oh, very nice.

Listen, listen, listen, listen.

There's another one. Question, what does the word mean, Mum?

-Me? -A small mother.

The answer, a very small mother.

Ah.

Lovely stuff.

What did one woman say to the other woman?

You know, I'm sure I put a pound coin in Grandpa's pudding.

But he didn't find it.

You don't think?

It's not funny, Cully.

Mum thinks Grandpa swallowed the pound coin in his Christmas pudding.

Ah, so this is the sensitivity control.

This must be the...

-Ah. -He's wanted one for years.

Geez, coffee's coming.

Oh.

I'm not sure I've got room over to the pudding.

That's too delicious.

Bit lumpier than usual, I think.

Shh.

Ella?

Yeah.

She's just regained consciousness.

Apparently, she's very anxious, sir, and frightened.

Miss Villiers, these men are from the police.

They need to ask some questions.

Miss Villiers, I'm sorry to trouble you.

Somebody.

Yes.

Somebody pushed me.

Did you see who that someone was?

It was dark.

She didn't see them.

She imagined it.

You have to understand, she has been very confused lately.

Well, that's right, isn't it, Dominic?

She has been behaving a little strangely, yes.

And this was before the riddle going on about bad vibes in God knows what.

I'd like to look over her room now, if I may.

I want you to be present while we do that.

What's she saying, someone in the house tried to kill her?

She was pushed down the stairs, Aunt Jennifer.

I'm not sure what else you'd call it.

I'll see if she's all right.

Especially after the garage incident.

Someone tried to gas her.

We should have mentioned it earlier.

Well, would you mention it now, please?

It was about here.

This is where you heard the shouting?

Yes. And the door to the garage is through here?

Yes, that's right.

Yes, down the corridor.

May I ask you, sir, what's your connection to the family?

Oh, just a friend and a bridge partner.

Sad old waif and stray.

They took pity on for Christmas.

How long have you known them?

I don't know, about six, seven years.

Are you all right?

This family, I didn't think it could get any worse.

They all know that they should have done more to help and not Ferdie.

They never really took it seriously.

You think that's what the blood on their hands was referring to?

But Aunt Lydia was closer to Ferdy than anyone.

She wasn't the only one who was really sympathetic.

She can't be blamed.

If anyone was unsympathetic to Ferdy, it was Jennifer.

I remember a breakfast when we were staying here for a few days.

All right

Emily, could I talk to you for a minute, please?

-Not you, Phoebe. -Could you stay here?

I might speak to you as well.

I'll be a sec.

I need you and Dominic to go through what happened in the carriage, please.

So if you could wait downstairs for me

in the sitting room, I'll be along shortly.

Phoebe, I couldn't help overhearing you talking to Emily just now.

And you were talking, I think, about the

family's feeling of guilt about Furley's suicide.

And you were about to describe what happened at a breakfast, was it?

Phoebe?

Listen, I need to get the background to all of this.

I was only 12 at the time.

I have a daughter, Phoebe.

And in my experience, girls of that age

can be as perceptive as many a grown up.

Now, this breakfast you were talking about, when was it?

About nine years ago,

it was a couple of months before Uncle Ferdie died.

Why don't you go join them and sit around that way?

Mom had brought me and Howard down for the weekend.

Anybody would think there was something wrong.

Ross was still working in the city then, before he went all peculiar.

Impeccable family.

And for some reason, she's mad about you, despite you

spending months at the end of Pears and Blackpool, or God knows where.

And she has persuaded her brother in the

city to offer you a job, a very good one.

I mean, what more do you want?

Here we all are, trying to sort out your

life, and you just throw it back in our faces.

I've sorted out my life.

I'm a professional magician.

Oh, for God's sake.

It's what I do, Jennifer.

Yes, and I think we have all been very tolerant, but there comes a point.

I mean, what age are you?

Look, we're not saying you shouldn't carry it

on as a hobby, if you must, but please, Ferdy.

I mean, pantomimes in summer seasons.

You don't have the faintest idea what I'm talking about, do you?

Not a clue.

I don't think Aunt Jennifer really understood what made Ferdy tick.

Do you think it's possible that someone might have

thought that she was responsible, in some way, for Ferdy's death?

Well, she was hardly what you'd call sympathetic.

But then, if she'd had her way, he'd never

have met the loathsome Clare in the first place.

What happened?

It's as if she recognized that she was a bad lot the moment she saw her.

It was the next time that we were down.

I remember I was watching out for Dad.

Couldn't wait to go home.

Who is it?

I don't know.

A woman.

♪

-Yes? -Hello.

I'm here for the interview with Ferdinand Villiers.

What interview?

For the assistant, the magician's assistant.

My name's Claire English.

Oh, I'm terribly sorry.

You've had a wasted journey. He's not looking for an assistant.

Oh, but I really should have phoned you.

I'll have a word with him.

Anyway, as I say, I'm very sorry you've wasted your time, but I must get on.

Excuse me.

Come on then, let's get that hutch cleaned out.

And then it happened.

Alfie!

-Alfie! -You little scoundrel.

Oh, he's gorgeous.

How old is he?

About 12 weeks.

I'm sorry, you must be, um, Claire.

You're here for the assistant's job.

Oh, it's all right.

I enjoyed the drive, anyway.

I beg your pardon?

Well, I've already been told there's no vacancy.

I'm terribly sorry.

There must be a misunderstanding.

The job is there, if you're interested.

Oh!

Well...

Well, yes.

Yes, I am.

Good. Well, let's go to the studio and talk.

Love at first sight.

Well, at least from Ferdy's point of view.

Hook, line and sinker.

Whirlwind romance, engaged, set the wedding date.

And then he discovered that she was just out for what she could get.

It broke him.

I really can't see that ghastly woman has anything to do with this.

If you could humor me a little, Mrs. Carter, how did

you establish that she was, as you say, her gold digger?

A valuable art deco statuette went missing from the drawing room.

Ferdy's assistant, fiance, was caught red-handed trying to sell it.

We then discovered she had an extensive

criminal record for theft and drugs, OK?

This is Lydia's bedroom.

I just stand here, do I?

If you'd be so kind, yes, please.

What's the matter?

Nothing.

No, it's just that lamp's normally on the bookshelf.

She must have moved it across from all light or something.

A letter writer, your auntie?

Not as far as I know.

Certainly didn't receive much post.

It's a wedding video.

Peter Bunting to Dinah Snape.

It means nothing to me.

Well, I don't know all my aunt's friends.

Excuse me.

Dear Scott.

Yeah.

I'm at the house now.

Thank you.

It's the hospital, sir.

Uh, I'm afraid there were some unforeseen complications.

Miss Villiers died 10 minutes ago.

Oh.

♪

I tried the remote.

It's still here.

And the garage door opened.

Seemed to be working perfectly.

Can I get this right?

Miss Villiers went out through that corridor, yes?

She closed the door behind her.

And then she heard the car's engine starting up again.

That's what she said.

I think that was it.

Yes, she'd just gone down the corridor when she heard it.

That's what she said.

So she came back into here.

She saw the wardrobe, realized she couldn't

get around to the ignition to turn the engine off.

So she tries her remote on the garage

door, but it doesn't work when she tries it.

And she heard the adjoining door closed behind her.

And then when she tried it, she said it was locked.

But it wasn't locked when you tried it.

Well, no.

And leading up to all this, Lydia had driven herself

back from the carol service alone and put the car up.

-No, no, no. -I was with her.

Well, she liked to drive.

She was a very independent woman.

That's why she had the automatic door put

in, so she could come and go when she wanted.

And you got out of the car before she put it away, did you?

Yeah, that's right.

Well, with all that stuff here, you can't get out on the passenger's side.

And you went into the house through the front door?

Yes.

Straight away?

Yes.

Everyone was getting out of the Range Rover, and I followed them in.

Emily saw me.

You were taking your coat off?

That's right.

I'm so sorry.

Really.

Just leave it, please.

The Aga needs more coke.

Thank you.

Gets out of the car,

closes the car door and turns towards the garage door.

Still works.

If what Lydia said was true, someone was

not with the others when she put this car away.

We were all in the hall

or kitchen, except for Ross.

I think he was in his bedroom.

He didn't go to the carousel.

Was Ross the only one who didn't go?

Digby didn't go either.

He was asleep on the sofa when we got back.

Can you tell us, Mrs. Carter, who'll benefit from Lydia's will?

I will, but I won't benefit much.

She only had a few thousand.

I wish it were more.

Have you got financial problems?

Well, I couldn't help noticing the house, it,

well, it looks as if it could do with some attention.

It'll get done, one way or another.

Well, if necessary, my son is due to inherit a

substantial amount of money, and that'll go towards it.

Inherit from who?

Uncle Bart's estate.

Aidan just has to continue not smoking till

his 21st birthday, and he gets 100,000 pounds.

And Aidan doesn't smoke?

Of course not.

Mrs. Frears.

So how long had your Aunt Lydia been living here, then?

30 years or more.

She moved in after our parents died.

It was decided we needed a guardian.

So who owns the house now?

Well, all three of us.

But Jennifer's always felt most strongly about the place.

So we said she could stay on with Lydia.

That's very generous of you.

Still jointly owned with Ross and me.

Don't need the money.

We can check your bank records if we need to, Mrs. Frears.

I believe the overdraft is currently running at some £30,000.

Alfie, sit.

Go home.

Open it.

They must have sold it.

She's just wiped away all evidence he ever even existed.

It was my birthright!

You?

Well, I expect this sort of behaviour from Howard, but really...

We weren't very sympathetic toward Ferdy.

Well, I guess I've always felt that we should have

helped him more through his depressions, his breakdown.

I never thought that he would actually.

Yes, yeah.

Just one more question, Mr. Billiards.

You didn't go to the carol service, did you?

No.

I'm a Buddhist.

Where were you when the others came back?

I was in my room.

-Anyone see you? -Not straight away.

I came down when I heard all the fuss about Lydia.

Emily, what did you make of Lydia?

I only met her on Christmas Eve, but I liked her.

She was a bit weird, but you know.

Weird how?

Just generally.

Well, like wanting to know how my name was

spelt and then writing it down in her little book.

Just generally.

Not one single piece of equipment.

Didn't you know you should encourage your children's interests?

Howard, why don't you show me one of your card tricks?

Yes, I think it's a little different.

So who's next, sir?

I want to phone Bullard, see if he remembers that suicide.

And then we'll talk to the boy.

I'll talk to Howard next.

Sure.

For God's sake, stop pestering everyone.

Give me the cards.

Give me the cards!

I really don't mind.

Well, we all like doing card tricks at his age.

Not a problem.

Howard, could you come through, please?

Go on then, show us one of your tricks.

All right

I'm going to ask you to pick two cards.

Hi, George.

Happy Christmas.

I'm sorry about the timing of this.

Listen, Ferdie Villiers, you knew him, didn't you?

Slightly.

Terrible business.

Listen, there's no chance, is there, that the

suicide was faked and that, in fact, it was a murder?

Well, there's no sign of a struggle.

I suppose it's possible.

It wouldn't be very easy to fake.

Yes, that's what I thought.

You know the woman committed suicide?

What woman?

The fiancee.

Claire, I think it was.

The two cards you picked, the six of hearts and the seven of spades,

which you put back in the pack separately, will now have come together.

Six of hearts and the seven of spades will now miraculously be side by side.

They're not here.

You did put them back in the pack?

You saw me put them back in the pack, Howard.

Are you sure you didn't pocket them?

Yeah.

Chief Inspector, could I ask you to

check the sergeant's right-hand jacket pocket?

How did you do that?

I don't normally explain, but it's quite simple.

Hardly a trick at all.

I slipped the cards into your pocket as we came from the drawing room to here.

First step. How did you know I was going to ask you to do a card trick?

I forced you to.

I sat here looking sad and fiddling with the cards, and you felt sorry for me.

You thought asking me to do a trick would cheer me up.

How did you know which cards I was going to pick?

I forced you there as well, obviously, getting you to

pick the cards I wanted you to pick, which weren't,

incidentally, the six of hearts and the seven of spades.

They were the six of spades and the seven of hearts.

I just said they were after you put them back in the pack, and you accepted it.

It's all to do with the power of suggestion.

It's a big part of magic, persuading

people they've seen things that they haven't.

Well, it's a bit sneaky.

I do my best.

May we start the interview now?

Did he ask you about Ferdy?

Yes.

What did he say?

What is there to say?

You all right, darling?

George Bullard tells me that Claire, the

fiancee, she committed suicide just after Ferdy did.

We'll need to find out about that, get the details.

Mrs. Gardiner, we've finished the interviews for today.

Are you planning to do some shooting?

Don't worry.

Why?

Well, don't you think it'd be a good idea to give it a miss?

It's a Boxing Day shoot every year.

It's tradition.

But the threat in the riddle did mention more

than one person being dead by midnight Boxing Day.

All those shotguns going off is not exactly the

safest place in the world for you to be, is it?

Now, I suggest that, uh, this year you do not attend.

♪

What exactly were you looking for, sir?

You know what Emily was saying about Lydia

wanting to know how to spell her name right?

What do you think all that was about?

I don't know.

A snob thing?

Yeah. Or maybe she wanted to get the right spelling

because she knew she was going to write it down somewhere.

We know that Lydia wasn't much of a letter writer.

That is true, but she wrote something, didn't she?

A diary, perhaps?

Oh, wouldn't that be nice?

Maybe, maybe you didn't move the lamp to get extra light on

the desk, but so that you could get at something behind the lamp.

Excuse me.

The Princess and I.

Keen diarist.

Give thanks, Scott.

Give thanks.

Christmas Eve, it was the last entry.

They all say the riddle was a practical joke.

I wish it was.

I just discovered my diary for the year of Ferdy's death is missing.

No, she's not wrong.

Someone knows what happened.

I knew such evil would never just fade away.

I told you.

How many diaries?

They go back 15 years, Mrs. Carter.

You'll have to read through them all.

Lydia has been keeping a secret diary.

I wonder if they say anything about Ferdy's death.

Unfortunately, the diary for that particular year is missing.

Her last entry, though, in the current diary, that's very interesting.

She says, I knew such evil

would never just fade away.

Got any idea what she meant by that?

None whatsoever.

She was an extremely mixed up person, as I think you're now aware.

Uh, may I ask, please, that, uh, you all stay here for the time being?

And, uh, I wish you a good night.

Such evil.

Oh, shut up, Russ.

Such evil?

What did she mean by that?

I beg your pardon?

Are you going to explain it to us?

Because we've all been wondering what happened for quite a long time now.

What, and you think you, you, can take the moral high ground?

Stop it!

-Just stop it! -Is that what you think?

After drifting around the world for nine years because you

were too weak and too pathetic to face what happened here?

Jennifer. No, no, let's get this all out.

Well, let me tell you, while you have been

contemplating your navel, I have been looking after

Lydia, bringing up a child, trying to keep the family house together.

And without a penny of a million to you, it's already.

-Family house? -I know.

It means nothing to you.

But some of us had to cope with what happened.

I mean, we couldn't run away.

Anyway, you know, Lydia was nine parts

mad by the time she fell down those stairs.

Oh, and thank you very much for ruining this Christmas.

I am so glad you came.

If you feel so blameless, then why aren't you going on the shoot tomorrow?

♪

Well, Lydia just died.

In case you hadn't noticed, I thought it

might be an idea to show her a little respect.

And it has nothing to do with you being scared.

This isn't helping, Ross.

Jennifer, no one's saying that you've

got anything to fear at the shoot tomorrow.

It's just perhaps not such a good idea.

Of course, I have nothing to fear.

Anyway, I didn't say we weren't going on the shoot.

As far as I'm concerned, it's still on.

Absolutely.

Good for you.

Jennifer.

I'm going, and that's final.

Come on, Alfie.

Walkies.

Come on.

I don't think he likes the sound of guns.

Come on.

It's a lonely nail, Jesse.

It's a, it's a, it's helpful.

I mean, your age is in probably 1920s or something.

Some of the original laborers' cottages, I'm sure.

Daniel?

No, it's not the diary, sir, it's the video.

Now, look, that's Emily, but that's not what's interesting.

You see the bloke there in the morning suit

with his back to the camera, the one who's smoking?

That's Aiden.

Exactly.

It's only the back view, but you can tell it's him.

Now, if the executor saw this, he's down 100 grand.

I call that a motive.

What do you find out about Claire's suicide?

It looks like she did it after Ferdy topped himself.

She drove up to Pritchard's Wood, put a

hose pipe on the exhaust, and gassed herself.

Family?

Mm, it's a bit patchy.

Oh, I've asked George Bullard to dig out the

reports, see if he can find who identified the body.

And it seems she was buried at Malham Cross.

I'll see you in the car.

Joyce, I'm sorry about this.

There's a couple of things we've got to check out.

I'll be back as quick as I can, I promise.

-Dad! -Typical. -Oh, this is hot.

Thank you. Thank you.

Of course I didn't swallow it.

It was a damn stupid thing to do.

A pound coin, Doubtless.

Well, I shall tell, Joyce.

I think I'll let her stew a bit first.

No, Douglas, you're...

I'm sorry, I've got to nip out.

Police business.

Good.

Sorry.

Oh, just along here, um, oh, here, here we are.

Clare English.

You know who leaves the flowers?

No, no, I don't.

They're normally fresher than that, being by the path, you notice.

It always seems to be a fresh bunch.

Oh, really?

Yes.

Oh, well, I, I must get on, if you'll excuse me.

Ah, yes, yes. Thank you. Thank you for your time.

Happy Christmas.

Happy Christmas.

So what do you think?

Serious devotion.

It's Peter and Diana's wedding.

It's me.

Cheers!

Could you stop it now, please?

And that's you.

And you're smoking.

Where did you get it?

I think you know where we got it from, Aidan.

We got it from Lydia's bedroom.

It was in her video machine.

She knew the Snapes.

They must have sent her a copy.

That's why she kept saying she recognized me.

You're telling me that Lydia never mentioned this tape before?

He thinks I killed Lydia to stop her telling the executors.

That's 100,000 pounds.

It's quite a motive.

Just a minute.

If he'd gone to the trouble of killing her so she

couldn't show anyone the evidence, why not take the evidence?

Where's your mom, Aiden?

She's at the shoot.

Why?

I thought she'd agreed not to go.

She changed her mind.

Your uncle Furley died from a shotgun wound.

Claire, his fiancee, was killed with car fumes.

Someone tried to kill Lydia with car

fumes, and now Jennifer is out there on a shoot.

Do you see?

Who else from here is out on that shoot?

I don't know.

Just Digby, I think.

Just Digby.

See if the others are here.

♪

Mr. Barnaby.

Sir, everyone's here except them.

Oh, you found Mr. Jones.

This is more like it.

Where'd you get these cartridges?

I've just had a dad.

NOOOOO

♪

Classic shooting accident.

The shooter puts a 20-bore cartridge in by mistake.

The 20-bore cartridge, being smaller than the 12-bore,

doesn't lodge in the breech, but slides a few inches down the barrel.

The gun doesn't go off when the trigger's pulled.

Shooter breaks the gun.

The unused cartridge doesn't eject.

Puts in a 12-bore on top of the cartridge, which sits perfectly.

And the next time, he pulls the trigger.

She would have noticed that the cartridge was smaller?

In the heat of the shoot, looking up all the time, waiting for the next bird?

No, no, George.

Someone put that cartridge in her pocket deliberately.

We are sure they were suicides, are we?

Could Ferdy and Claire's death have been staged to look like suicide?

Then someone discovered it was murder and decided to take their revenge.

Makes more sense in terms of motivation for all of this.

What about Digby and Kate?

It was Ross who gained.

And he doesn't seem to have been interested

in helping them financially or any other way.

Well, whatever the motivation, our problem is

that anyone could have got into that code room

and dropped the cartridge into Jennifer's coat pocket.

Anyone, any time.

What about the garage?

If we think that was a genuine attempt on Lydia's life by the

murderer, then Ross is the only one whose whereabouts we can't

be sure of when the others were coming back from the carol service.

Magic. It's all to do with the power of suggestion.

It's a big part of magic, persuading people.

They've seen things they haven't.

is in the manner of the incidents.

I almost forgot.

You asked for details on who identified the body of Claire English.

Any use?

Oh, yes, George.

Thank you.

She was provoked.

My mother was provoked into going to the shoot.

Someone put that cartridge in her pocket.

Well, judging by the various modus operandi,

I think we can assume the motive was revenge.

Leave it, Howard.

I wonder what your mother did to herself.

Shut up, Howard.

We're all thinking it.

Do you know what happened, Aidan, all those years ago?

Where's Mr. Jones?

He was here a short time ago.

I think he went into the kitchen.

The kitchen.

-Thank you. -Stay where you are.

-Any joy? -No.

You check the rest of the downstairs.

Mr. Jones!

♪

♪

When exactly did you last see him, Mr. Jones?

It must have been about the time he went up to the chute.

And no one seen him since then?

How did he get here?

-Has he got a car? -He came by taxi.

He's done a runner.

I think so, yeah.

Get him to the station.

Put out a description.

And check his home address, of course.

I'm going out to the garage.

♪

Yeah, any news, I'm on the mobile.

He left the second remote for me to find in his bedroom.

There were two remotes, that's how he did it.

He was a magician, an illusionist.

Dominic. Yeah, and a very good one, too.

I guess that's how he got to know Ferdy.

I caught a glimpse of his sleight of hand skills, but earlier, it

just didn't occur to me that he could kill Jennifer from half a mile away.

He couldn't have done it.

He was their friend, for heaven's sake.

Dominic helped get Lydia out of the garage.

You think so?

You were the one who heard Lydia calling for help, weren't you?

Did you see Dominic open the door between the corridor and the garage?

No, I got there just after he'd opened it.

In fact, you could say Dominic rushed to get there first.

Get out!

So you can't be sure whether the door wasn't locked, as Lydia claimed.

All right. All right.

I'm at the door.

Be careful.

Help me.

He came in here in front of Emily to swap the two remotes.

So that when a few moments later, Emily tried

the one she assumed Lydia had tried just before,

she found it was, in fact, working.

Which, of course, casts further doubt on Lydia's account.

But he couldn't have done that stuff in the garage.

He came through the front door.

Are you sure?

I saw him.

I'm sure I did.

False memory created in Emily's mind by

Dominic's considerable powers of suggestion.

You're saying she agreed he went

through the front door just because he said so?

Yeah, by some clever bit of manipulation.

He knew she liked him.

She wasn't expecting him to try to trick her, was she?

And remember, she was a guest at someone

else's house, wanted to make a good impression.

She wouldn't want to contradict him, would she?

Well, with all that stuff.

He was easy.

He was confident.

And he garnished it with a bit of factual

detail, said she was taking her coat off at the time.

Everyone was getting out of the Range Rover, and I followed them in.

Emily saw me.

You were taking your coat off?

It was a pretty safe bet in the circumstances, wasn't it?

But she linked that real detail with the image he just put in her mind.

So it became one whole memory.

That's right.

Just like the seven of hearts and the six of spades.

But what I think actually happened that night is this.

All right?

-Yes, thank you. -Come on in.

Please.

Sorry.

Dominic was waiting outside the garage door.

It's very hot.

Probably in a minute's time.

Well done.

Did you stick the camera on, darling?

Yeah, I did.

As Lydia pointed her remote, he was using his to close the door.

And he nipped in under the door as it was closing and she was leaving.

Turn the engine back on.

And then...

Must have made it appear like it was maybe just an accident.

Safety net, in case someone found Lydia

before the carbon monoxide had done its job.

♪

Hello! Hello! Now, when the carbon monoxide

didn't work, he waited until the middle of the night.

And, uh, somehow,

Alfie, Alfie, tricked Lydia into leaving

her room and, uh, pushed her down the stairs.

Ah!

Lydia?

I came to Jennifer.

All he had to do was drop the 20 ball cartridge into

the pocket of a shooting jacket and hope for the worst.

Pure evil has walked alongside us in this house.

We're talking about a man who cold-bloodedly

murdered the two people who invited him into

their home, into the warmth of their family, our family.

How can you possibly just sit there being so English, so calm?

It's as though somehow you still blame.

To the Villiers family, happy Christmas.

Give me that.

Hey!

It's just the ramblings of a senile old woman.

You don't possibly think it's of any relevance.

It's time we learned the truth.

Ah, Mr. Carter.

Some dates are marked.

November 30th.

Um, a present for the Villiers family.

Oh, please, carry on.

November 30th.

Claire is full of surprises.

The more I see of her, the more I like her.

It's nice to see one that's genuine.

Today, we were in the drawing room, and she

was looking at a statuette on the mantelpiece.

It's a very valuable piece.

She very kindly offered to get it valued.

They're very collectible.

She's going up to London next week and said she'd pop into the auction rooms.

I explained that the others wouldn't approve.

So it was probably best not to mention it to anyone, not even to Ferdy.

December 2nd.

I had a terrible row with Jennifer today.

I can't believe what she's suggesting.

A criminal record.

Heroin and theft.

Theft? Oh, but Jennifer, a private detective.

I think I was justified, don't you?

Somebody's got to look after Ferdy's interests.

He's obviously not going to.

She'd been very kind to me, offering to.

Offering to what?

Oh, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing.

Offering to what?

I had to tell her she just wouldn't let it drop.

Come on, listen. She's going to make himself a house and move away.

-No. -You know it's true.

Don't, don't, don't.

Then you know what'll happen.

-What? -Some decaying old people's home.

Is that how you want to end your days?

Is that what you want?

I don't care.

I can't do it. I can't. Yes, you can, for Ferdy's sake.

What?

For Ferdy's?

December 6th, after Claire had left for London, we

called the police and said the statuette had gone missing.

Hello?

Yes.

Hello. I, uh, I want to report a theft.

Lydia Villiers.

Apparently, they put descriptions of stolen valuables

on a list which they faxed to dealers and auction houses.

Claire English?

Yes.

Claire said there was some mistake and that I had asked her to get it valued.

I'm arresting you under suspicion of theft.

But when she heard that I was the one who'd reported the theft...

She apparently went very quiet.

It was like she'd given up, they said.

But why Dominic?

And why wait nine years?

Claire's maiden name was Jones.

She was Dominic's sister.

Dominic identified the body, but we think he also

knew Ferdy because of their common interest in magic.

And we suspect that he introduced Claire to

Ferdy when he put her up for the assistant's job.

But why wait till now?

Nine years?

Sir.

It's just a thought, but if he's doing Irela, leaving

the area, whatever, do you not think there might be a

particular place he'd want to visit if he's leaving for good?

Clean away.

♪

♪

♪

Dear old Ferdy was so hopeless with women.

My sister was hopeless with men, or at least picking them.

Hopeless at life in general, really.

And they met.

Found each other.

And the future looked

so bright

for both of them.

Why did you wait nine years?

Well, I didn't know what had actually happened until a couple of weeks ago.

I suspected, but I didn't have any proof.

I got my break last summer.

Lydia let slip that she kept a record of all her bridge games.

That's a silly thing.

Nothing, really.

But it suddenly occurred to me that there might be a diary.

Took me longer to find than it did you.

But when I did...

It was quite an eye-opener.

♪

♪

♪

That should do it.

Dad, are you sure about this?

Oh, yes.

Got your appetite back then, Douglas?

Mm-hm.

Your stomach back to normal, is it?

Still a few twinges.

Actually, we've got a little confession to make to you.

Mm.

I thought you might.

Yeah, it's probably our fault.

But the thing is, Joyce put two pound

coins into your Christmas pud, didn't you?

And, um, well, I'm a bit worried you might have swallowed them.

-Two? -Two.

Well, I honestly don't think you could have done that.

But I think it's best, you know, if we, uh, if we, uh, check.

Yes.

Pull your jumper up.

Up, could you?

Well, Douglas, looks like surgery there.

Don't tell him, my dear.

Any chance of a mince pie, Joyce?

In the oven.

There's brandy, butter, and cream on the side.

♪

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,

ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪