Original subtitles

(keys jangling)

(dog whimpering)

- Come on, Alfie.

Come on.

Come on.

- All right, let's see if this'll stay up this time,

unlike last year.

Will you check the minced pies?

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

(dog whimpering)

(banging)

Little piece of bendy wire, please.

Lydia.

Lydia.

Lydia!

Bendy wire!

- Oh, yes, yes.

- [Jennifer] Will you pull yourself together?

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

Stop being silly.

(dog barking)

(ominous music)

(gun firing)

(dog whimpering)

- [Lydia] Oh my god!

(mid-tempo waltz music)

- There's Mrs Seymore, my old teacher.

Welcome to Draycott.

Look.

Merry Christmas! - Merry Christmas!

(joyful trumpet music)

♪ On Christmas Day in the morning ♪

(engine revving)

(dog barking)

- Alfie!

- Hello!

Hello, Alfie!

Hello.

Lovely dog.

Aren't you a lovely dog?

- [Aidan] You ready?

- Yeah.

- Come on, Alfie.

- Come on, Alfie.

Come on.

- If there any problems.

Merry Christmas to you, too.

Yeah, if there are any problems, any problems at all,

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

I want to make-

- Tom!

- Pam.

Do not feel, just because it's Christmas,

you can't give us a call, okay?

Anything serious happens, I wanna know about it.

Understood?

- I think I got the message, sir.

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

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

Things have a habit of happening round Christmas time,

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

- Yes, sir.

Oh, sir?

Ah, you've...

- Oh, come on, Mommy, 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-til-you've-tied-the-knot rule.

I'm sure Emily can survive without your attentions

for a couple of days.

(Lydia whimpers)

God's sake.

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 'til you meet the rest of the family.

Listen, sorry about the sleeping arrangements.

- Doesn't matter.

Really.

- Still, would've been nice.

- We'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.

- [Lydia] Are you quite sure we haven't met before?

- Not as far as I know.

- What was your surname again?

- Hide.

- Hide.

Is that with an I or a Y?

- An I.

- Hide with an I.

(pencil scribbling)

Hmm.

(car horn blaring)

(water splashing)

- I told you we should've left earlier.

- [Phoebe] Like we're in a hurry to get there.

- Phoebe, darling, do you think

you could try and be a little positive this time?

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

(car horn blaring)

- Oh, come on!

Where's the fire, vicar?

(Phoebe laughs)

- My God, I think it's my brother.

("I Saw Three Ships")

- [Dominic] Thank you very much.

Hello, hello Alfie.

Hello.

- [Jennifer] Oh, Dominic, they're lovely.

Absolutely lovely.

Gorgeous.

- [Dominic] So, who's here?

- [Jennifer] 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.

- [Dominic] Jennifer.

Ah, I'm Dominic.

You must be Emily?

- Hello.

- Don't worry.

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

They're all quite barmy.

(Emily laughs)

Aren't you, Lydia, hmm?

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 them 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 he's saying.

- Not much he doesn't.

- What do you think of the tree?

They're really very realistic these days.

- It's lovely, Mom.

- And no needles on the carpet.

(car horn blaring)

("Joy To The World")

- Oh.

He's brought the Monopoly.

- Ross?

Ross!

The beard, and the hair.

It's amazing!

Is everything all right?

- Everything's absolutely fine.

- [Jennifer] Ross!

It's been too long.

Far too long.

Come on, everybody.

You'll get soaked.

Let's get you inside.

(apprehensive music)

Kate, 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 cost 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-

- Dangerous? - Temperamental.

Here we are.

It is so good to have you here.

Everybody together again, after

so long.

(stairs creaking)

(tense suspenseful music)

Come on, I'll help you unpack.

- [Ross] Please, there's really no need.

- [Jennifer] No, I'd like to.

(door creaking)

(door creaking)

(exploding)

(bouncy happy music)

- [Ferdy] How does it fit?

- Ta-da!

What do you think?

(laughs)

- Perfect.

- [Jennifer] Howard!

It's out of bounds.

- I remember.

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

Howard?

- Yes, Aunt Jennifer.

I'll do my very best.

- Oh, hello.

- Pick a card.

Any card.

Now close your eyes, and visualise the card

in your mind's eye.

Visualise 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 Ferdy's studio.

The late Uncle Ferdy.

- 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.

He's persona non grata since his suicide.

Great disgrace 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 onto?

- Happier times, maybe?

Seems our sister has something of a problem moving on.

- It's crazy.

It 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.

- [Aidan] Quickie before supper?

- I always fancy one of those.

Aidan?

- Mmm?

- Who's Uncle Ferdy?

Sorry.

It's just, it sounds so awful,

and you've never mentioned him, the suicide and everything.

- He was just a very weak and selfish man,

and I don't like to talk about him, 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.

(tense ominous music)

(dog whimpering)

(gun firing)

(dice clattering)

- [Barnaby] Seven.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.

- [Douglas] Right, let's see what you've got.

Proceed directly to jail.

- [Joyce] Dad!

- Only kidding.

You've won second prize in a beauty contest.

Collect £10.

- Thank you.

(loud chatter)

- Anyway, I know Mommy and Daddy would dearly love

seeing us all gathered here tonight

in the home they loved so much.

That we love so much.

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

Happy Christmas, everyone!

- [Everyone] Happy Christmas!

- [Jennifer] Oh, crackers!

Come on, let's open them!

(crackers snapping)

- Anyone got a light?

Aidan?

What am I thinking?

Silly me.

- [Howard] "How can you tell..."

- Oh, Howard, not riddles, please!

- Yep.

"How can you tell

"a heartless liar with blood on their hands?"

(tense ominous music)

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

- That's what's on the paper.

- [Howard] "They'll each be dead by midnight Boxing Day."

- [Phoebe] Let me see that.

- [Lydia] No!

No!

No!

- [Jennifer] Just leave it, I'll go.

- [Phoebe] Honestly, Howard.

- Lydia!

It's just one of stupid Howard's practical 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 apologise.

Right now.

- I told you, I didn't do anything!

- Howard.

- Fine.

I apologise.

- No more.

It stops here.

(car engine revving)

♪ The angel of the lord came down ♪

♪ And glory shone around ♪

♪ Fear not said he for mighty dread ♪

♪ Has seized their troubled minds ♪

♪ Glad tidings of great joy I bring ♪

♪ To you and all mankind ♪

♪ To you in David's town this day ♪

♪ Is born of David's line ♪

♪ A saviour who is Christ the Lord ♪

♪ And this shall be the sign ♪

(laughing)

- [Scott] Yeah, well, it's all right for some.

It's lucky for some.

- Just come for a while.

- I can't, I'm on call.

- [Woman] It'll be a great party.

- I'm really, really on call.

- Oh, leave him.

Boring sod.

- [Scott] Yeah, thank you.

Happy Christmas.

- Happy Christmas.

Come on, come on.

- [Dominic] There you are.

- [Kate] Howard, this is not the time.

We'll all freeze to death.

- [Barnaby] Okay, now watch the road, Muriel.

Over we go.

Careful, Muriel, it's very slippery.

There you go.

("Oh Come All Ye Faithful")

- [Phoebe] Oh, please, God, not a power cut.

- [Kate] Come on, Howard.

Inside now.

- All right?

- Yes, fine, fine.

♪ Our God heaven cannot hold Him ♪

♪ Nor earth sustain ♪

- Dad.

(muffled speaking)

- Leave it.

No, leave it.

Anyway, it's your bedtime.

Come on.

- [Kate] Aunt Lydia all right?

- Yeah, she's just putting the car away.

♪ The Lord God Almighty ♪

♪ Jesus Christ ♪

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

- Why don't we get this one at the carol service?

♪ Heaven and earth shall flee away ♪

♪ When He comes to reign ♪

- Hello?

Hello?

Help, help, help!

♪ In the bleak midwinter ♪

♪ A stable-place sufficed ♪

Help, help, help!

Help, help, help!

♪ The Lord God Almighty ♪

♪ Jesus Christ ♪

(banging)

- I think there might be

a bit of a run on the kettle this evening.

Hot water bottles.

Shall we?

Something wrong?

- I thought I heard something banging.

- Probably the heating trying to work.

(banging)

- [Lydia] Help, help!

- It's the garage!

- [Lydia] Help, help!

- [Dominic] All right, I'm at the door!

Be careful!

Oh my God!

Take her?

(bat clattering)

(coughing)

(banging)

(coughing)

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

- It's not working!

- But where is it?

- It's on the little table,

driver's side.

- I just need a minute.

- [Emily] I'll do it.

- Oh God.

(coughing)

(garage door creaking)

- 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.

- But I'm sure...

- It was an accident.

You must have stumbled and 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.

- [Jennifer] 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?

(owl hooting)

(bells chiming)

(fire crackling)

(tapping)

- Aidan?

Is that you?

(doorknob rattling)

(door creaking)

(Emily screams)

- [Aidan] Emily?

Emily.

Are you all right?

Emily!

- [Digby] What's happening?

- That is a very good question.

(ladder clattering)

Put the ladder back and go to your room.

Sex mad!

- [Man] We've never played to a murderer before, have we?

- I know.

Is there a policeman out?

(dramatic music)

(alarm blaring)

(dog barking)

- Monday.

- [Lydia] Okay, I can't do it.

No, I can't!

- [Jennifer] For Ferdy's sake...

(creaking)

- [Lydia] I have known such evil.

(scratching)

Alfie, is that you?

All right, all right.

You're not sleeping on my bed, though.

Yes, yes, I can hear you.

You're going downstairs.

Be quiet, naughty boy.

Now, come on.

Alfie?

Come on.

Where have you got to?

Alfie?

Alfie!

Alfie?

Alfie?

(screams)

- [Jennifer] Lydia, is that you?

Are you all right?

Lydia?

- I like this wrapping paper.

Ooh, lovely smellies.

Thank you, Father Christmas!

- [Cully] Don't mention it.

- Electric carving knife.

- It's from Mom.

Apparently Dad discovered them recently,

and thought you should have one.

It's no reflection on your carving abilities.

(phone ringing)

- Hello?

- Sorry to disturb you, Sir.

I hope you've finished opening your stocking.

- 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 Villier's fall was just an accident.

- This is where they found her?

- Yeah.

Head at that end, feet, well, that end, obviously.

About five past two, 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 Villier's room isn't working.

Looks like the whole place could do with rewiring,

or knocking down.

(Barnaby chuckles)

- 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?

I'd like to make it clear, Howard.

I'm not accusing you of anything,

but before we get into any kind of investigation,

I want you to realise that

wasting police time is an offence,

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 had nothing whatsoever to do with me.

- And 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 down-

- Um, great aunt, and I don't believe it was a fall.

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 have any idea what this refers to?

Been any recent deaths in the family?

A 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 traditiion.

- 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've happened easily.

(bell chiming)

- [Scott] Sir?

- [Barnaby] Happy Christmas.

- And to you, Sir.

Sorry to drag you out, Sir.

- 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 bedside.

Yes, Sir.

- Well, follow us home.

- [Scott] Thank you, Sir.

- Actually, you'll be doing us a favour.

One less turkey curry over the next fortnight.

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

Lydia would've not wanted Christmas to be ruined

because she took a tumble down the stairs.

(crackers snapping)

(party horn blowing)

- "Question: What does the word 'minimum' mean?

"Answer: A very small mother!"

(groaning)

- I'm sure I put a pound coin in Grandpa's pudding.

Well, he didn't find it.

- Well, you don't think...

(laughs)

- It's not funny, Cully.

- Mom thinks Grandpa swallowed

the pound coin in his Christmas pudding.

(Scott laughs)

- So this is the sensitivity control.

And this must be the-

(loud beeping)

Ah.

- He's wanted one for years.

- [Cully] Cheese?

Coffee's coming.

- Oh.

I'm not sure I've got room.

Overdid the pudding.

Just too delicious.

- Bit lumpier than usual, I thought.

- Shh!

(phone ringing)

- Oh, excuse me.

Hello?

Yeah.

She's just regained consciousness.

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

- [Doctor] 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

and 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.

- For God's sake.

- 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.

- Thank you.

- Just down the corridor.

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

- Oh, just a friend, and bridge partner.

A sad old waif and stray they took pity on for Christmas.

- How long have you known them?

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

- 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 Uncle Ferdy.

They never really took it seriously.

- You think that's what

"the blood on their hands" was referring to?

- Maybe.

But Aunt Lydia was closer to Ferdy than anyone.

She was 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.

(floorboard creaking)

- You all right?

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

Ah, not you, Phoebe, please stay here.

I'd like to speak to you as well.

Won't be a sec.

I need you and Dominic to go through

what happened in the garage, 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 Ferdy'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 Ferdy died.

Mom had brought me and Howard down for the weekend.

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 your spending months

at the end of piers in 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 threw 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 and 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 Claire in the first place.

- What happened?

- It was as if she recognised 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.

- [Jennifer] Who is it?

- [Phoebe] 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.

- [Claire] Oh, but I-

- He 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, Aidan.

Let's get that hutch cleaned out.

- [Phoebe] And then it happened.

- [Ferdy] Alfie!

(upbeat happy music)

- Oh!

- Alfie!

You little scoundrel!

- [Claire] Oh, he's gorgeous.

How old is he?

- About 12 weeks.

Oh, I'm sorry, you must be 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.

- [Ferdy] Let's go to the studio.

We can 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.

- [Jennifer] I really can't see that ghastly woman

has anything to do with this.

- If you could humour me a little, Mrs Carter,

how did you establish that she was,

as you say, a gold-digger?

- A valuable Art Deco statuette

went missing from the drawing room.

Ferdy's assistant, fiancee,

was caught red-handed trying to sell it.

We then discovered she had an extensive criminal record

for theft and drugs.

Okay?

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 for more light or something.

- [Barnaby] 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 Diana Snape.

- Means nothing to me.

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

- Excuse me.

DS Scott.

Yeah.

I'm at the house now.

Thank you.

It's the hospital, Sir.

(slow sombre music)

I'm afraid there were some unforeseen complications.

Miss Villiers died 10 minutes ago.

- [Emily] 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,

realised she couldn't get round

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.

- [Emily] And she heard the adjoining door close 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-

- 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.

- Gets out of the car,

closes the car door, and turns towards the garage door.

(garage door creaking)

- 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 carol service.

- 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'd 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,

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

- It'll get done, one way or another.

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

'til his 21st birthday, and he gets £100,000.

- And Aidan doesn't smoke.

- Of course not.

- Mrs Frears?

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

- 30 years, 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.

- [Kate] It's still jointly owned with Ross and me.

- [Scott] You don't need the money?

- No.

- 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.

(tense ominous music)

- Go on.

Open it.

(Jennifer sobbing)

(floorboards creaking)

- 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.

(creepy ominous music)

- 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 Villiers.

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

- No.

I'm a Buddhist.

- [Barnaby] 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.

- 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?

- So who's next, Sir?

- I want to phone Bullard,

see if he remembers that suicide.

And then we'll talk to the boy.

We'll talk to Howard next.

- [Jennifer] Oh, for God's sake, stop pestering everyone.

Give me the cards.

Give me the cards!

- I really don't mind.

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

It's not a problem.

- [Scott] Howard, could you come through, please?

Go on, then.

Show us one of your tricks.

- All right.

I'm gonna ask you to pick two cards.

- Hi, George.

Happy Christmas.

I'm sorry about the timing of this.

Listen, Ferdy 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 was no sign of a struggle.

I suppose it's possible.

It wouldn't be very easy to fake.

- [Barnaby] 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.

- All right.

How did you know which cards I was gonna 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 you 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 Carter.

We've finished the interviews for today.

You planning to do some shooting?

- Tomorrow, why?

- Well, don't you think

it'd be a good idea to give it a miss?

- There'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 this year, you do not attend.

Thank you.

- Ridiculous.

- What exactly are we 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?

- Or maybe, she wanted to get the right spelling

because she knew that she was gonna write it down soon.

- 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

Lydia didn't move the lamp to get extra light on the desk,

but so that she could get at something behind the lamp.

Excuse me.

Open sesame.

- [Scott] Keen diarist.

- [Barnaby] Give thanks, Scott, give thanks.

Christmas Eve.

That was her 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."

And she's not wrong.

"Someone knows what happened.

"I knew such evil would never just fade away.

"I told..."

Didn't finish.

- [Jennifer] How many diaries?

- They go back 15 years, Mrs Carter.

We'll have to read through them all.

- [Digby] 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.

- May I ask, please, that you all

stay here for the time being,

and I wish you a good night.

- "Such evil"?

- Oh, shut up, Ross.

- "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.

- Oh, and you think you,

you, can take the moral high ground?

- Stop it!

Just stop it!

- [Jennifer] Is that what you think?

After drifting round 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 the millions you inherited.

- [Ross] "Family house"?

- [Jennifer] Oh, 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.

(guns firing)

- Come on, Alfie.

Walkies.

Come on.

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

- [Aidan] Come on.

(beeping)

- [Douglas] Look at that.

- [Muriel] It's an old nail.

- [Douglas] Yes, it's an old one.

Some of the original laborer's cottages, I'm sure.

Daniel.

(beeping)

- What have you got?

- It's not the diaries, 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 Aidan.

- Exactly.

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

Now, if the executor saw this, he's down £100,000.

I'd call that a motive.

- What did you find out about Claire's suicide?

- It looks like she did it after Ferdy topped himself.

She drove off to Pritchard's Wood,

put a hosepipe on the exhaust, and gassed herself.

- Family?

- 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 seem 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.

- [Cully] Dad!

- Typical.

- Ooh, that's hot.

Thank you, thank you.

- [Douglas] Of course I didn't swallow it.

It was a damn stupid thing to do.

I could have choked.

A pound coin!

- [Muriel] Douglas!

- [Douglas] Well, I shall tell Joyce,

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

- [Barnaby] Oh, Douglas, Muriel.

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

Police business.

- [Douglas] Again?

- [Barnaby] Sorry!

(church bells chiming)

- [Vicar] Oh, just along here.

Oh here, here we are.

Claire English.

- Do you know who leaves the flowers?

- No, no, I don't.

But 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 must get on.

If you'll excuse me.

- Ah, yes, yes.

Thank you for your time.

- Happy Christmas.

- Happy Christmas.

So what do you think?

- [Scott] Serious devotion?

- It's Peter and Diana's wedding.

That's me.

- Could you stop it now, please?

- And that's you, and you're smoking.

- [Aidan] 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 recognised me.

- You're telling me that

Lydia never mentioned this tape before?

- He thinks I killed Lydia

to stop her telling the executors!

- Well, it's £100,000.

That'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?

- [Barnaby] Where's your mom, Aidan?

- She's at the shoot, why?

(foreboding music)

- I thought she'd agreed not to go.

- She changed her mind.

- Aidan, you Uncle Ferdy 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.

You see?

Who else from here is out on the shoot?

- I don't know.

Just Digby, I think.

- Just Digby.

See if the others are here.

- [Dominic] Mr Barnaby.

- Sir, everyone's here except,

oh, you found Mr Jones.

(guns firing)

- This is more like it.

- Where'd you get these cartridges?

I've just had a dud.

- No!

(gun firing)

- Classic shooting accident.

The shooter puts a 20 bore cartridge in by mistake.

The 20 bore cartridge being smaller than a 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 wouldn't 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.

(radio chatter)

- We are sure they were suicides, are we?

Could Ferdy and Claire's deaths have been staged

to look like suicide?

Then someone discovered it was murder,

and decided to take their revenge.

It 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.

But whatever the motivation, our problem is

that anyone could have got into that coatroom,

and dropped the cartridge into Jennifer's coat pocket.

Anyone, anytime.

- 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.

- [Howard] 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.

- They key is in the manner of the incidents.

(knocking)

- 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-

- Shut up, Howard.

- We're all thinking it.

Do you know what happened, Aidan?

All those years ago?

(knocking)

- [Barnaby] 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.

- [Scott] Any joy?

- [Barnaby] No.

You check the rest of the downstairs.

Mr Jones?

(tense music)

When exactly did you last see him?

Mr Jones?

- It must have been about the time you went up to the shoot.

- And no one's seen him since then?

- No.

- How did he get here?

Has he got a car?

- He came by taxi.

- He's done a runner.

- I think so, yeah.

Get onto the station.

Put out a description.

And check his home address, of course.

I'm gonna have a look at the garage.

(phone dialling)

- [Scott] 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.

My guess, that's how he got to know Ferdy.

I caught a glimpse of

his sleight of hand skills a bit 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.

(banging)

- [Lydia] Help, help!

- So you can't be sure whether the door wasn't locked,

as Lydia claimed.

(lock squeaking)

- [Lydia] Help, help!

- All right, all right, I'm at the door.

Be careful!

Oh my God!

- He came in here, in front of Emily,

to swap the two remotes,

so that then, 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, cast 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.

- A 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.

That's a 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 in someone else's house,

wanted to make a good impression.

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

- Well, with all that stuff...

- Barnaby] 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...

Dominic was waiting outside the garage door.

(ominous music)

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.

He turns the engine back on,

and then...

Just to make it appear like it was maybe just an accident.

Safety net, in case someone found Lydia

before the carbon monoxide had done its job.

- [Lydia] Hello?

Hello?

Hello?

- And when the carbon monoxide didn't work,

he waited until the middle of the night,

and somehow...

- Alfie?

Alfie?

- [Barnaby] Tricked Lydia into leaving her room,

and pushed her down the stairs.

(Lydia yelling)

When it came to Jennifer, all he had do to

was drop the 20 bole cartridge

into the pocket of her 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 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.

- Aidan!

- 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."

- 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."

- Oh, it's nice to see one that's geniune.

- [Ross] "Today, we were in the drawing room,

and she was looking at a statuette on the mantelpiece."

- It's a very valuable piece.

- [Ross] "She very kindly offered to get it valued."

- [Claire] They're very collectable.

- [Ross] "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, private detectives?

- Oh, 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.

- Offering to what?

- [Ross] "I had to tell her.

"She just wouldn't let it drop."

- [Jennifer] She is going to make him

sell the house, and move away.

- [Lydia] No!

- [Jennifer] You know it's true!

- [Lydia] No, no, no.

- [Jennifer] 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.

- [Lydia] For Ferdy.

- "December 6th.

"After Claire had left for London,

"we called the police

"and said the statuette had gone missing."

- Hello?

Yes,

I want to report a theft.

Lydia Villiers.

(bells ringing)

- "Apparently, they put descriptions

"of stolen valuables on a list,

"which they fax to dealers and auction houses."

- [Policeman] Claire English?

- [Claire] Yes.

- [Ross] "Claire said there was some mistake,

"and that I had asked her to get it valued.

- [Policeman] I'm arresting you under suspicion of theft.

- [Ross] "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 'til now?

Nine years?

- Sir.

It's just a thought, but if he's doing a runner,

leaving the area or whatever,

do you not think there might be a particular place

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

- Clean away.

(car engine roars)

(sombre piano music)

- 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.

But then 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.

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.

(slurping)

(beeping)

- That should do it.

- Dad, are you sure about this?

- Oh, yes.

(slurping)

Got your appetite back, then, Douglas?

- Mmm.

- Your stomach back to normal, is it?

- Still a few twinges.

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

- I thought you might.

- Yes, it's probably our fault, but thing is,

Joyce put two pound coins

into your Christmas pud, didn't you,

and well, bit worried you might have swallowed them.

- Two?

- Two.

Now I honestly don't think you could've done that,

but I think it's best if we check.

- Yes.

- Pull your jumper up.

- Could you...

(beeping)

Oh, Douglas.

Looks like surgery there.

Don't tell him quite yet.

Any chance of a minced pie, Joyce?

- In the oven.

There's brandy butter and cream on the side.

("Ding Dong Merrily On High")

(laughing)

(mid-tempo waltz music)