Original subtitles

- Terrific rates.

But the question is, do they take wee dogs?

You think?

- Oh, I just presumed he'd like chocolate,

it never occurred to me to ask 'em first.

Do you talk to your dog a lot, Mr.?

- Macbeth, Hamish, uh, no I don't really

talk to my dog.

Rhetorical question, Miss?

Oh, Mrs.? - Laura'll do.

Laura McDuff.

Now, what was your question again?

- I think along this guest list there's just

one little one where they took dogs.

- Oh they'll take your dog.

I just hope he's not fussy about the company he keeps.

I need to go!

Find yourself another place to stay, Mr. Macbeth.

!

- Oh! - I missed you!

- Terrific rates, Jock.

Come on.

- Mr. McDuff!

Yes?

- Is she ready yet Mr. McDuff?

Is she ready?

- If she was ready, I wouldn't be stood over her

like a half-shut knife now would I?

- Mr. McDuff, there is a man and his dog

sitting at the harbor as we speak,

and this man, Mr. McDuff, has phoned for lodgings!

- I won't have her head up for hours yet.

- Damn it McDuff I told this man that

I would send the house car for him!

- I am applying good purpose and rational thought

to a mechanical problem here Mr. McPhail,

and eventually, by the application of

good Protestant rational thought,

I will solve this problem.

Now, if you think it will speed things up,

by dousing the vehicle's entrails

with your so-called holy water,

by all means go ahead!

- This is no time for disputation, Mr. McDuff!

If we don't get to that man soon,

he'll turn them against us!

- I agree Mr. McPhail.

But listen very carefully.

Tell this man to go and find the Busy B.

And when he finds here, to go aboard and speak

to my sister Barbara.

- Your sister, I never thought!

- Of course not, you're a Catholic.

Mrs. Scott?

- Yes? - Yeah I've been trying to get

to Saint Columbus, a chap on the phone said

you can maybe run me up?

- If you'll give me a minute to clean up,

we'll be on our way. - Ah.

Are you okay?

- It's too much pulling and hauling I think.

- So what's wrong with her?

- Oh, anything and everything.

Thanks Bron.

She's going for scrap I'm afraid.

I'm just trying to save what I can.

- Eh, it's a shame. - Yes, it is.

Still, I'm off to the mainland tomorrow

to look for a replacement.

- Well listen, I can hang you on,

if you want to finish what you're doing?

- No, no, I have all I'm going to get.

My husband.

He's a special constable in Laggan Laggan.

Do you know anything about the Jewish religion Mr. Macbeth?

- Not a lot, no.

- Their clergy are called rabbis,

and their churches synagogues.

Their holy book is the Torah,

and Jewish men assume full religious responsibility

at the age of 13, their Bar Mitzvah.

Try and remember all that.

- It's up to scratch then Mr. Macbeth?

- Yeah, it's perfect. - Excellent.

Now, dinner's not till seven,

but I can get our housekeeper Claire,

to do you a sandwich now, if you want?

- No no I'll be okay till supper.

Think I'll get a bit of walking in before then.

- As you wish Mr. Macbeth.

Is that Mr. McDuff, you said?

Any relation to a Laura McDuff at all?

- He has a daughter by that name, but,

Laura's been gone for over 10 years.

- No I met this one down at the harbor,

she was picked up by a lady in a camper van.

- Well, I think I'll shove off now,

let you get yourself settled in.

- How long will you away for?

- A few days.

There are three or four boats I want to look at.

- Are you sure you're up to it Barbara, you look tired.

- Sure I'm up to it!

You worry too much!

Oh, and I told Duncan,

to bring the groceries around tomorrow.

- You need not troubled him.

- Oh he won't mind, and you'll need the extra

now that Mr. Macbeth is here.

- Your sister's right McDuff.

We have to look after our guest.

Thank you Barbara for picking him up.

- My pleasure Angus.

What does he think of the place?

- He said it was perfect.

And he also said that Laura

got off the ferry along with him.

- I know.

I saw her.

- How are you?

You find a place to stay?

- Yeah, I'm at the church.

- Oh.

And how is everyone at Saint Columbus?

- Well, they seem fine to me.

Are you done?

- Oh I used to live here, I'm thinking of rebuilding.

A holiday home. - Oh all right.

- Ah, Rhona!

- I thought you might be hungry!

- I am, very!

Oh, this is my aunt, Rhona Lindsay.

- Hi.

- Mr. Macbeth.

- That's right.

Well, I'll have to go on.

Uh, it was really nice to see you again!

- Aye, call around any time!

Tomorrow evening if you like.

You're cute.

- Right here?

- It's where I'm staying.

- Well I guess I'll be along then!

Bye!

Come on Jock!

- You've gotten brazen, while you were away.

- 'Ello Barbara!

Barbara!

I'll never manage all this.

- Of course you'll manage it!

And when you've got it down you Mr. Macbeth,

you tell me if Miss Claire Fleming's

not a blue-blooded cook!

- Just eat what you can Mr. Macbeth.

I won't be offended if you leave some.

- He's saying grace, Mr. Macbeth.

The Protestant version.

I've never heard it of course,

but I'm sure it sounds just awful!

- I'm finished.

- Now come now Mr. Macbeth, let's yell it out!

- I'm sorry? - Oh, I spotted you

for one of the faithful the first time I saw you.

It's that look of, what would you call it,

spiritual certainty.

It gives us all away.

- Well actually, I'm, I'm...

I'm Jewish.

- Why damn me!

Begging your pardon Claire!

Jewish?

- I hope you don't mind.

- Oh it's not a problem, Mr. Macbeth.

Most of our boarders turn out to be Jewish.

- So uh, so what's your first name Mr. Macbeth?

, Moishi or something?

- No no no it's uh, it's Hamish.

Hamish?

- I know it sounds odd.

I remember once, um,

just shortly after my bar mitzvah,

I was sitting down in the synagogue,

leafing through the Torah, as you do, as I do,

and um, well I came across this reference to

a ancient, Jewish hero, called Hamish.

And um, when I spoke to my rabbi about it,

he told me that this Hamish character

had been, you know, some great Hebrew soldier.

- Good God.

We live and learn.

Well, you don't mind if Claire and I...

- Nope, certainly, go ahead!

- Bless us oh Lord, in these thy gifts

which we are about to receive from thy bounty.

Through Christ our Lord, amen.

Oh, and bless His Holiness the pope!

- Dammit McPhail, begging your pardon Claire.

I will not have that infernal prince

mentioned in my presence, like we agreed!

- For the love of God, McDuff, it just slipped out!

- That was a low blow, Father.

- That's a fine smelling cigarette, Hamish.

- Aye sir, it's herbal.

I try to stay off the old tobacco you know.

- Puts me in mind of the old incense,

we priests wafted around the church

during certain services.

Wonderfully pungent.

- It dulls the senses you mean.

So that you and the rest of your craft,

can continue hoodwinking your poor, ignorant congregation.

- You don't have to talk some tosh McDuff.

We of the more ancient faiths,

appreciate the importance of ritual, and ceremony.

Isn't that right Hamish?

- Well... - Have you ever been

to a Protestant service?

- Why I-I-I-I...

- Ah, dreadful affairs.

I was at one once, many moons ago admittedly but,

I don't suppose it's changed much.

Ah, it was a requiem.

Oh sir, talk about dour, we are talking

drabness raised to the level of an art form.

And then this desiccated old stick of a minister got up

and droned on and on about Hell and tortured souls

writhing in agony.

I tell you I was ready to open a vein right there and then!

- I will not sit here and listen to your

malignant chatter, McPhail.

We do not need priests, or ceremonies,

or damned incense, begging your pardon Claire.

We do not need bishops, or cardinals,

or P-O-P-E-S's.

We are a faith, based on reason.

- Reason my ass, I beg your pardon Claire.

Religion is irrational per se,

so if you're going to believe in it

you might as well have a little bit of magic

in the proceedings. - Ah!

Magic, that's exactly my point.

Abri-ca-bloody-dabra, begging your pardon.

Charlatans, deceiving good people Macbeth!

- Deceiving?

Don't you call me a deceiver, or by God I'll--

Damned youngsters, what will they be up to next I wonder?

- There was no sign.

- The man's not a fool, McPhail.

- No.

- Why don't I get my coat, and Hamish can see me home.

And we can talk on the way.

- Hamish? - Yeah sure.

- 20 years ago, Enoch McDuff's wife, Fiona,

she was found dead at the foot of these cliffs,

and as far as the people on this island are concerned,

Enoch killed her.

- So what happened back there, was a regular thing?

- No, no.

No we've had nothing like that for a long time.

Well not since Laura left.

- I'm so sorry Angus.

- Well it's a pane of glass.

- How did he end up living in the church?

- When his house burnt down.

Rhona Lindsay, that's his wife's sister,

she took Laura in but,

there was nowhere for Enoch to go.

So I asked Father McPhail to help and he did.

But ever since Enoch moved in,

the local people stopped coming to the church.

They go to Saint Martin's, on the other side of the island.

- And no congregation, no money.

- Well that's right.

In order to maintain the church,

we need money from boarders,

we need the money you're giving us, Hamish.

- Well I'm not leaving, I like the place.

I like the rates,

and I especially like the cooking.

Claire?

- Sorry Hamish but I think there's someone in there!

- Everything okay? - Fine.

Seems to be.

Must have been my imagination.

- Well I'll take a scout around outside before I go.

North a!

- And most Protestants say in faithful verse, never end.

Praise be to you for revealing your--

- Jock!

Thank you.

- In the name of the father, and the son,

and the holy spirit, amen.

- Good morning.

- Good morning.

- Lochdubh.

Can't say I've ever heard of the place.

- Tell me were you on the job when McDuff's wife died?

- I was, hmm.

So what happened?

- No one knows for certain, in the legal sense, I mean.

- So why does everyone suspect McDuff then?

- He had a pocket watch, it was solid gold,

it had been in the family for years.

The day before she died, Fiona McDuff,

borrowed 50 pounds from her sister Rhona.

She told her she was going to sell the watch

on the mainland, and pay her back

the 50 pounds out of the proceeds.

Well she was on her way,

to sell the watch on the day she died.

She told her sister that.

We found the 50 pounds on her but not the watch.

Now who else would take the watch and leave

the 50 pounds, that's what the inquiry team asked.

Along, with the rest of the evidence.

- Do you think he did it?

- I'm Enoch McDuff's brother-in-law Mr. Macbeth.

Some people think that debars me from having an opinion.

At least, an honest one.

- I'm only asking for an honest opinion.

- Hello!

Enoch, heh.

- Duncan!

You're looking a bit the worse for wear.

- I uh, overslept, and then I remembered

I had to bring the groceries.

- Barbara has gone, has she?

- She has, yes.

And so should I, if I'm to make 11 o'clock service.

It was nice meeting your Mr. Macbeth.

- You too.

- Oh and uh, in answer to your question,

I'm inclined to think, no.

- 11 o'clock service.

Never had one of that.

- Well I'm on for a refill, fancy one?

- Ah yes thank you, I will, Hamish.

Hamish, I was heartened to hear you're staying on.

You're a credit to your faith.

You must sit down and tell me all about

Judaism before you leave.

- That's a definite.

- Claire.

Enoch?

- I finished.

- Is it my eyesight, or is that a crack

in the roof up there?

- I can't see anything.

- Then it must be my eyes.

Where's Hamish?

- He's um, eating out.

- Ah, that's very impressive.

you're saving this first?

- Don't hold your breath.

Changed my mind.

Don't see the point anymore.

- Well, you certainly seem to know what you're doing.

- Oh it does.

I'm an architect.

- You're joking!

What you mean like university qualifications, etc., etc.?

Of course.

- Good god and you can still lob a brick through

a church window and frighten the people inside,

what is the world coming to?

- I didn't mean to break the window.

I was aiming for the door.

As for the people inside, the object of

the exercise was to frighten the life out of them.

We are talking about a murderer.

And two people who choose to ignore that fact.

- Yeah but it's not fact though is it?

I mean if it was a fact then the law--

- The law?

On this island?

That's my father's drunken brother-in-law.

- There were other policemen here.

- Yeah but listening to Duncan Scott

do you suppose he was honest with them?

My father married a woman, 15 years his junior.

She was beautiful, and he came to hate her for that.

She even had to dress to suit him,

the plainer the better!

Somebody would have told the police.

- My aunt told them.

And she kept on telling anyone

that we'd have the inquiry reinstated,

but she's no Duncan Scott, she's no policeman.

For instance, do you know who found my mother?

- No.

.

The woman who subsequently found my father a home.

The woman who's now looking after him.

- And you think she was involved?

- Why not?

- Because you just after telling me your,

your father was a jealous man.

Jealous men don't normally bump off their wives

to be with the other woman, do they?

- Do you know what, he actually expected me

to go on living here with him?

I begged him to let me live with my aunt a little bit.

He wouldn't.

"This is my home," he said.

So one day I,

I came in,

and I took out a box of matches.

And I never had a home after that.

He took my mother, and he took my childhood.

You could say this,

fix the church window and,

tend to perspective.

- Aye.

- I must say I'm not a mad ax woman.

- I bet.

- Have I frightened you with all this talk of arson?

- No no no.

- Do you have someone?

In Lochdubh?

- It's about, unrequited, but no one.

.

That was the place?

That's the place.

Was it an accident?

I think I should ask that.

It's possible.

- But not a suicide.

I mean you don't uh,

borrow money then plan to sell a watch

if you're gonna, for that kind of end.

- Well I suppose not.

Laura's got you wondering, has she?

- It's more, professional curiousity really.

- Constable?

I'd hardly put you in the Charlie Chan bracket, Hamish.

- I know, it's...

What was Claire doing here when she discovered the body?

- She'd come to gather shellfish.

You think he did it?

- I hope not.

Why'd you take him in then?

- I'm supposed to be a Christian!

Hate the sin but not the sinner!

And, he had nowhere to go.

Well he's got a sister.

They seem to get on. - Ha, more than get on,

Enoch all but raised Barbara.

At the time these things happened,

Barbara Scott was not in the best of health.

- What kind you mean?

- Mental health.

She couldn't carry children full term,

and the strain of course, the trying caused, breakdowns.

- Now Laura seemed to think that uh, Duncan Scott may have

influenced the inquiry team in Enoch's favor.

- Laura's a bitter young woman.

And while that's understandable, it undermines any theory

she has about what happened here.

- So you don't think Enoch murdered his wife

in order to be with Claire then?

- You honestly think that a fine example

of Catholic womanhood would take up with an old

Protestant bigot like Enoch McDuff?

- Well maybe that's bigot in you.

- Me a bigot?

Never!

I hold firm views, that's all!

Firm views, based on the fact that we Catholics

were here first and are therefore the true faith.

- Yeah but we Jews were here before you Catholics.

- I know that.

I can answer your point.

But it would require a long-winded theological repost

that would bore you rigid.

Now I'd like to get back, are you coming?

- No, I'm off to speak to Rhona Lindsay.

Want to come along?

- I doubt that I'd be welcome there.

- Okay.

That's her, that's my sister.

- She never tell you why she needed the money?

50 pounds? - No.

- There's tea in the pot Father.

- Where's Hamish?

I thought he might like to come out with me.

- Constable Macbeth has gone to visit Rhona Lindsay.

- Constable.

- That's right.

And he's very interested in past events.

The body was found at three.

That's right.

- When did she die?

- The estimate was between 10 and 12 that morning.

- How long did it take the emergency services

to get there from the mainland?

- I don't know.

Why?

- Oh I was just wondering about,

life on an island in general, how long it would take

the police to respond to such a situation.

I really appreciate you showing me this.

Jock!

- Oh Hamish!

I didn't hear you.

- Yeah the door was open.

- Uh, since you're here I,

I've been making up a wee shopping list,

for the next few days.

Is there anything in particular

you'd like me to get for you?

- None I can think of.

Except maybe some shellfish, at the local fishmongers.

The fishmongers?

Well we gather our own shellfish here Hamish.

If the tide is right tomorrow,

I'll try and get you some mussels.

- Tide?

- Low tide.

Oh it's the best time.

- Oh, as I said, I like to get mine from the fishmongers.

Is Mr. McDuff around?

Have you cleaned this?

I gave them all a good dusting.

- There's still muck on his sandals!

- I told you, I dusted every graven image in this place!

- Graven image?

Great...

This is Saint Patrick!

And we'll not have muck, on the foot of the man

who drove the serpents out of Ireland!

- That is just plain rubbish.

- Well it happened whether you believe it or not!

- Is that so?

Then you won't mind telling me how it was done,

this banishing of the serpents.

- Well there's not much telling.

The good Saint Patrick here simply,

got up on a rock, pointed out to the sea,

and said "Out snakes!"

And away they went.

- Out snakes, out snakes!

- Or words to that effect, I'm paraphrasing of course.

Not having actually been there at the time!

- They're deaf you imbecile!

They have no ears!

So how could they hear your man saying

"Out snakes, out snakes!" when they have no ears?

They've no ears! - Excuse me.

I was wondering if I could maybe borrow the car.

I promised Claire I'd get that shopping for her.

- Of course you can borrow the car.

Give Hamish the keys Mr. McDuff.

- There's uh, there's not much,

just my reports and some photographs.

Hmm, more whiskey?

- No no, not while I'm driving.

- You're on holiday man, and besides,

who's going to arrest you?

!

- There's a mark on this one, you see that there?

- Yeah probably some hotshots from the mainland.

They knots and crosses, why are you bothering

with all this stuff, Mr. Macbeth?

- Well I've just been told I could possibly be,

living with a murderer, it makes you kind of, intrigued.

- I dare say.

- You said you didn't think he did it.

Why? - Because he's my

brother-in-law, Mr. Macbeth.

Besides, I don't believe he could do it.

Your wife never have any doubts?

- Her brother a killer?

No, not in a million years.

- Yeah they've always been very close, eh?

- Oh yes, very close.

When she was sick we used to fill her up with drugs,

and shoot electric shocks through her.

But for my money it wasn't that that brought her back,

it was him, sitting there,

holding her hand, and praying over her for hours,

and hours.

Do you, like whelks, Hamish?

- No.

But yeah, well, I'm having, shellfish tomorrow.

When is she due back, Duncan?

Your wife?

- You've noticed, I'm not coping Hamish.

- You're missing your wife, there's nothing wrong with that.

- No.

And you know I do miss her Hamish.

I never, thought I would,

not this much.

But I do.

You sure about the drink?

- Yeah, I have to get back.

Got some shopping in the car for Claire.

You, set, that's okay.

Thanks Duncan.

Look at the uniform man.

He's still pegging the screen down so

that suggests they'd not been there that long, right?

- If you say so. - According to Duncan Scott's

report, that would mean this photograph was taken

around five in the evening.

Now look at the tide, this right end?

That means that the low tide would be right about what,

11 o'clock in the morning?

That's right about the same time your mother died.

So?

- So Claire finally says she discovered the body at three,

when she was on her way to collect the shellfish.

- But the tide was halfway in at three.

- Exactly.

She told me herself she always

collects shellfish at low tide.

So she was either lying about a reason for being there,

or she was lying about the time she was there.

- You believe me, that she was in on it with my father?

- Maybe, 'cause he's definitely got something to hide.

He took a shot at me yesterday.

- What?

- Missed by a mile.

Mere desperation trying to scare me off the island I think,

'cause he knows I'm a policeman.

- You're a policeman.

- Afraid so.

And talking about policemen I think you may

be right about Duncan Scott being less than impartial.

He showed me a photograph that was marked

right on the tide line.

Made me wonder why they worked all this out years ago.

Suppose your right about Claire too.

Your father gets back his watch

and he decides it's a dangerous item to have.

So what does he do?

This feel a bit, tacky?

- That's from the woman who torched her own house.

Is that hers?

- Yeah.

I was right.

All along I,

I was right.

- This is from your mother to your father,

she's, um, she's telling him that she's leaving him,

she's taking the watch to help pay for a fresh start.

It's telling him that she's leaving him.

This is a written statement by Claire Fleming

saying she was a witness to the murder.

We should see Duncan.

- Hello Claire.

Let me carry that for you.

Mr. Macbeth told me you might

be coming along for the shellfish.

Have you seen Claire?

- She's up the shore.

It seems our policeman friend,

has a taste for shellfish!

- I'll uh, I'll give her a hand, I think.

What's he doing?

- Maybe he's trying to tell me something.

Fucking sod!

It was him that was in Claire's house that night.

- We have to go, she's late.

We have to go, or I'll tell Barbara what you've been up to.

She was going to do it,

then, when I tried stopping her...

- You shouldn't be telling me all this!

- Enoch told me I'd been seen.

Not who had seen me just that I'd been seen.

I knew it was you.

I've known a long time.

- A long time.

- Oh yeah.

Now step off.

- Duncan...

- Please, step off!

- Duncan! - Duncan!

You leave her be!

I gave you my word Duncan!

I promised my silence for Barbara, see!

- Barbara's dead, Enoch.

She, she just went and died on me,

she, she, she went out to the seas and she just died on me.

That's why she has to go over--

- No, Duncan, killing Claire won't help!

She left statements and my statement

goes straight to McPhail if anything happens to me.

What are you going to do?

- What I always said I would do,

if anything happened to Barbara.

I have to clear my name.

- They'll, they'll put me in jail.

- I'm sorry Duncan, very sorry.

- Enoch!

I'm not, a bad man.

I was only, protecting Barbara!

Oh Enoch, please!

Please!

- Is Duncan Scott here? - Back there!

- Show time, McDuff!

How do I look?

- You know what I think about all this, stuff, Angus?

- Very well.

Things will work out Enoch,

I feel it in my water!

- You think so?

- I think so.

And I'll tell you something else I think.

- What?

- I think Hamish has been telling fibs

about being Jewish!

I told you what he was the minute he got here!

And I know I was right.

He simply didn't want you to feel out of place

in the company of three true believers!

- True believers?

What are you inferring, Mr. McPhail?

- That to believe in the true faith is

to be a true believer, Mr. McDuff.

True faith?

True faith?

Who says it's the true faith?

- These good people here for a start, Mr. McDuff.

- I'll be waiting for you when you come off, Mr. McPhail.

- I hope so.

- I knew that Barbara would have to be protected

from knowledge that would destroy her.

I'd already lost one person I loved,

I couldn't bear to lose someone else.

Even Claire could see it was the right thing to do.

What about me?

I was your daughter!

Didn't that matter?

You made me believe--

- No!

I hoped you would believe in my innocence.

When you didn't I prayed to God that

he would give me time to make things up to you.

Now he's given us that time.

The rest's up to you and me.

Please Laura,

stay and build a house.

Come on Jock!

, eh?

- Yeah, sure does.

You a Catholic yourself, Shipley?

- Nah.

Jewish actually.