Original subtitles

Hi, Mum!

Mum!

Eddie!

Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?

I know how much you love surprises.

Oh!

Oh, you look really well. You too, Mum.

No more dark colours for you, eh?

And I wasn't going to miss the Olimpicks, was I?

Oh, of course.

Well, you must be desperate to see your old room.

Why have you moved Dad's chair? Oh, I was just... cleaning.

No, it's all right! I'll move it back later.

Let's get you upstairs, shall we? I kept it tidy for you.

Feels more like a village fete than the Olimpicks.

Ho-ho, don't be fooled, Miss Palmer.

Once a year, on Olimpicks Day,

the relations between Hambleston and Kembleford

become positively gladiatorial!

Shin-kicking...

"Dwilly" -flonking...

What on earth's that?

You'll see. Morning, Father. Mrs Devine!

Surprise! Mr Devine! How wonderful to have you back.

Thanks, Father. And this is Brenda. Mum's told me all about you.

Oh... Ha-ha! The famous trophy!

Such a wrench to hand it back.

The village let Mum hold on to it after '52

when the games were suspended.

Ronald's last Olimpicks.

Chief Inspector! Sergeant!

Father. Brenda.

Mrs Devine.

Ah! New hat, Father?

A gift from Mrs Devine.

Saw it at Bourton market. Couldn't resist.

Oh, this is my son, Eddie.

You remember Chief Inspector Sullivan don't you?

Vaguely.

Eddie.

Enjoy the games, everyone.

Right, I fancy a cuppa.

Eddie? Sure.

When is Mrs Devine going to tell us about her

and Chief Inspector Sullivan?

She'll tell us when she's ready.

More pertinently, when is she going to tell Eddie,

given what drove him to leave Kembleford two years ago?

Hmm.

Mrs Devine told me

he got angry with her for clearing out her late husband's shed.

Eddie felt that she was trying to erase his father's memory.

Truth is, they were grieving in different ways.

They were very close before Ronald's passing,

so it was all most... unfortunate.

Well, he seems all right now.

MEGAPHONE: This is a message for Stanley Mossop.

Perhaps time has mellowed him.

Stanley, your friends want you to know that the game of hide-and-seek

is now over!

Missed you in the library yesterday, Bren.

Yeah, well, I was reading this weird play with Mrs Devine.

An Ideal Husband - Oscar Wilde. She's making excellent progress.

Who's this handsome man, then? Hi, Shirley.

Oh, I know. Bit of a shock.

Took a tumble on a slippery floor.

One good thing now - my shoes stay looking brand-new.

Eddie!

Hello, Mr Fleming!

Looks even more like his dad now, eh, Isabel?

Mm-hm.

I found Dad's photos from '52.

Good Lord.

Brian is Kembleford's finest ever Olimpian.

Well, Ron was pretty good in his day.

What happened there? The heat got to me.

Did you still win?

Not that one, no.

Oh...

That was always his favourite - the wife-carrying.

We won it three times in a row in the '30s.

I'll tell you what, Isabel. How about you and me do it this year?

In Ronald's memory? Can you do that?

FATHER BROWN: Since the war, yes.

The rules were changed, because of the shortage of husbands.

Why not?

I'm delighted to declare the 1955 Kembleston Olimpicks open!

And may the better village prevail!

The Kembleford captain, Dr Geoffrey Fleming,

will now say a few words on safety.

But first, I think we should all congratulate him

on the news of his MBE for services to medicine!

Won't stop me thrashing him in the barrel-rolling, though!

LAUGHTER

Injury, fainting, alcohol poisoning...

As doctor on hand, I've dealt with them all here over the years.

And, of course, these are the first games

since we lost Thomas Taverner so tragically to heatstroke in 1952.

How hot was it in '52?

Like an oven. Oh!

Please remain vigilant.

Should you observe anyone in difficulty,

come and see me at once. Thank you.

CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS

Losing to you in 1952 still rankles with your brother, it would seem.

Winning has always meant more to Brian than it does to me, Father.

You're way too modest, Geoffrey.

If I'd have beaten Brian,

I'd be shouting it from the rooftops!

We all measure success in different ways.

Excuse me.

Will you be competing in the stone-lifting

again this year as usual, Mr Redshaw?

Yes, Father.

And trying not to come last, as usual.

Got a good feeling about

Hambleston's chances this year, though.

Did you hear Patty Denmore pulled out?

Father... Who's that?

That's Ursula Fanshaw.

Hambleston's prodigious shin-kicker.

Yaaah!

Ha!

Luckily, we have Brian Fleming.

We also have a champion in the dwile-flonking.

Oh, dwile-flonking - that's how you say it!

Right, well, who's this champion, then?

Me!

Excuse me, Miss Palmer.

The azaleas you gave us are flourishing, Miss Denmore.

That's good, Father.

Is it true that you've pulled out of the games?

Afraid so. Three nights of stomach cramps.

Got no strength for my gardening work,

let alone a barrel-rolling race.

And I was determined to win today.

WOMAN GASPS CUP CLATTERS AND THUDS

Brian?

William said he saw you putting something

on your shin-kicking shoes. Steel tips.

Don't be daft.

Take 'em out, then.

Oh, you little cheat, Fleming.

Someone's done that! Under competition rules,

you're disqualified from the games.

Otherwise I'm pulling my team out.

Get away! He's obviously set me up.

I'm afraid I have to trust William here.

What?

You vindictive little...

Anything to stop me beating you!

Hey, hey, hey!

I could arrest you for that.

I can't believe Brian did that.

Something caught your eye. Mm?

Morning, Shirley. Dr Fleming.

Might I trouble you for a tea?

Course.

Good to see you. How are you feeling?

Well, I won't be winning the shin-kicking this year, but hey-ho.

Well, if you feel any discomfort, any at all,

come and see me at once. Of course.

MEGAPHONE: Anyone who would like their photograph taken with

the Olimpicks trophy should speak to Albert Finley.

Please remember to return the trophy afterwards.

That chemist planted those steel tips and my brother knows it!

Care for a hand, Mrs Devine? Oh, yes, thank you, Chief Inspector.

How is he?

Certain he was framed.

Actually, I meant Eddie.

Oh! Doesn't suspect a thing.

So, er, do you think you'll tell him?

Yes, of course. Just not today,

not when there are so many reminders of Ronald. I understand.

We must be very, very careful.

I know.

That all right, Mrs Devine?

Perfect, Chief Inspector.

All together now...

One, two, three!

Shot, Father!

APPLAUSE

Glad someone knows what's going on.

One, two, three..

Oh!

Forfeit, Father. You have to drink a beer.

Yes.

That is the most I've ever seen Father Brown drink!

Come on, Sergeant. Fight!

Owww!

You're going to lose to a woman!

Owww! It's jolly sporting of Sergeant Goodfellow

to stand in for Brian.

Come on, Sergeant!

Oww!

Come on, Sergeant!

Argh!

APPLAUSE

MEGAPHONE: An update from the tea tent.

Mrs Gently's Victoria sponge has now sold out.

Mrs Duckett's suet pudding is, however, still available.

Ready, Sergeant? Yes, sir. But to be honest,

I'm not a huge fan of spinach. Never mind.

Three, two..

Wait!

What?

Ready?

Three, two, one, go!

CHEERING

Come on, Sergeant! Kembleford's honour is at stake!

The winner of the spinach-eating contest is Ursula Fanshaw

for Hambleston.

SHE SPLUTTERS

Ursula?

SHE COUGHS

Miss Fanshaw?

SHE GASPS AND FALLS SILENT

Quite an achievement to choke on spinach leaves.

Ursula Fanshaw

didn't choke to death.

This is deadly nightshade.

Indistinguishable from spinach,

apart from the fine hairs on the leaf.

The spinach contained poison, Father?

If it had been in your bowl too,

you'd know about it by now, Sergeant.

Hold on, if that bowl was poisoned,

then given Ursula swapped it with Geoffrey...

She wasn't the intended victim.

Poor, poor woman.

How long were the spinach bowls left unattended for?

As long as Father Brown's dwile-flonking. 15 minutes?

Hmm. So someone must have added the poison

to Dr Fleming's bowl in that 15-minute window.

And picked it.

Deadly nightshade.

Poisonings are usually calculated affairs.

This one was impulsive.

Why would anyone want to murder such a respected man as Dr Fleming?

Quite. And the killer would have had to have passed through

either the first-aid tent or the tea tent to get out here. Hmm.

Well, Shirley was in the tea tent. You could ask her what she saw.

And Dr Fleming was in the first-aid tent when I left.

What about the man who was helping you prepare the spinach -

about half an hour after he'd attacked Dr Fleming?

Brian's no murderer.

Were you with him for the whole time?

Me? Mrs Devine confirms that she found you

in the spinach-eating tent - alone.

I'd gone in there to calm down.

You clearly harbour a deep jealousy of your brother

which we all witnessed spill into violence.

Look, I was framed and Geoffrey knew it!

And, anyway, that wasn't a fight.

You should have seen us as kids.

Show me your hand.

That from the spinach?

I must have accidentally touched the poison

when I straightened the spinach bowls.

Brian Fleming, I'm arresting you on suspicion of murder.

What?

BRIAN: He's got his MBE

and I'm an odd-job man, barely making ends meet.

Who's going to believe me?

You are a skilful handyman

with a reputation for scrupulous honesty.

Geoffrey winning in '52 hurt, I'm not going to lie.

He'd never beaten me in a race before.

I was desperate to put him back in his place.

That's why I was so angry earlier.

But I didn't try and kill him, Father.

And I didn't cheat either.

I believe you, Brian.

Can you think of anyone who might have wanted Geoffrey dead?

Everyone loves him, don't they?

Though I did see him arguing earlier,

in the first-aid tent.

Father, Patty's feeling a little shaken.

Ursula's passing has hit us all hard.

I've just come from Brian. He's protesting his innocence.

It gives me no pleasure to say it,

but there has always been jealousy on my brother's side.

Enough to want you dead?

I understand you two argued...

..just before the poisoning.

Oh, it was nothing.

At my check-up last week,

Dr Fleming said my blood pressure was up

and prescribed some pills.

After I took them I got those stomach cramps.

And you think Dr Fleming's pills forced you out of the Olimpicks?

Well, I told her she was experiencing side effects.

How did that make you feel?

Angry.

Not angry enough to want to kill him, though, Father.

If the Chief Inspector is wrong about Brian, and I believe he is,

then the person who tried to poison you is still here.

You need to be very careful.

Point taken, Father.

Can you think of anyone else here who might have a grudge against you?

No.

And did you see anyone leave this tent

15 minutes before the spinach-eating?

Not that I recall.

Yes, Shirley said she didn't see anyone come out

into the spinach-eating tent either during those 15 minutes.

Refreshments?

Gosh, thank you, Eddie.

Most kind.

Well, someone poisoned the spinach.

So either Shirley or Dr Fleming missed them,

or they're lying. Or Brian really did try and poison his brother.

What's all this Sherlock Holmes stuff about, Mum?

Oh, I just help Father Brown out a bit.

Your mother's insights have proven invaluable over the past year.

New dresses,

rearranged furniture,

now this.

All change for Mum since I've been away, isn't it?

I'm going to have a wander.

I might stretch my legs as well.

What's Eddie going to say

when he hears Mrs Devine's biggest news of all?

I hope she chooses her moment carefully.

Hmm.

It's been almost three years since Ronald passed,

but I'm not sure how much Eddie has moved on.

Dr Fleming didn't help his team much, did he?

Banning his best athlete, and getting the other one ill.

Agreed!

Is his erratic captaincy

linked to the attempt on his life?

Still can't believe that man died in the heat.

Poor Thomas.

Nobody saw he was in difficulty until it was too late.

By the time Dr Fleming was alerted,

he'd gone.

Oh. What was he like?

Thomas? Mm.

He was a teacher... and a charmer.

His poor wife was heartbroken.

She moved back to Scotland afterwards.

What is it, Eddie?

Someone's removed a photo.

The one of Brian falling over.

Interesting.

I know someone who can make you a copy if you have the negatives.

Yeah, Mum's got them. I'll go find her.

Ah, Father. I thought you should know...

Brian turns out to be the sole beneficiary

of Geoffrey's life insurance policy. Oh.

It's family loyalty, I suppose.

But the Chief Inspector says the game's up.

Thank you, Sergeant.

MEGAPHONE: Ladies and gentlemen.

Everyone can breathe a sigh of relief.

The police have apprehended Ursula's murderer.

Chief Inspector Sullivan has now charged Brian Fleming.

On that basis, Dr Fleming and I believe the games should now resume.

It's what Ursula, fierce competitor that she was, would have wanted.

LIGHT APPLAUSE

This is seriously dangerous. I know.

Look, about Eddie...

We really must be very...

Eddie! Er...

Er, let... let me say...

I'm not trying to take the place of your father, who...

..I had the most... utmost respect for...

Er...

HE SIGHS

MEGAPHONE: Sadly, we are now out of sausage rolls.

A reminder to please keep dogs on a lead at all times.

Thank you.

Eddie...

Eddie... I was waiting for the right moment to tell you.

Tell me what?

That you're only doing this cos of how much you miss Dad?

What would he say to you now?

Mrs Devine?

Are you all right?

Yes, I'm fine. SHE SNIFFS

It's fine.

Might I trouble you for the negatives to those photographs?

Oh. Of course.

Thank you. Most kind.

Right. Well, I'd better...

Um...

Oh, dear.

I fear the cat may be out of the bag.

Hmm. Albert...

MEGAPHONE: The stone-lifting competition will begin

in five minutes.

Five minutes until the stone-lifting competition.

You all right?

I knew about your mum and the Chief Inspector.

They weren't exactly very subtle.

You can say that again.

She would never want to hurt you.

No?

Then why is she carrying on like a 16-year-old?

Here!

This is meant to be my dad's day!

After he passed, she told me that she sometimes felt relieved.

That was bad enough.

Now this.

It's like he never even existed.

All I know is,

your mum talks about your dad all the time.

I lost my mum.

Yeah?

Mm.

And people say that time heals everything.

I'm not sure that's exactly true.

SHE BREATHES HEAVILY

I'm sure that Mrs Devine is talking about her relief

that Ronald would be spared any more suffering.

Right, then. Next up is William Redshaw.

Eh, look out, everybody!

LAUGHTER

HE GROANS

APPLAUSE 12 seconds? 12 seconds!

William is the winner!

Woo! Yes! Yes!

Yes!

BRENDA: You'd think he'd never won anything before.

I'm not sure he has.

Hmm?

Congratulations on a striking victory, Mr Redshaw.

Thanks, Father.

Quite the transformation from your usual struggles in that event.

Well, it just goes to show you how far hard work can...

Medicine?

Aspirin.

Oh.

If I may,

I feel a slight headache coming on. Must be the heat.

Wait...

Amphetamines.

I saw them handed out to soldiers in the trenches.

Nowadays, of course, more usually used for illicit doping.

They transform muscular strength and endurance, do they not?

I'm a laughing stock at sport. I...

I always have been.

The village only made me captain because no-one else

wanted to do the organising.

This year I really wanted to just... win something.

I sympathise.

But how disappointing you felt you needed to break the rules to do so.

And risky, too.

I imagine the stock of amphetamines at your pharmacy is closely audited.

Dr Fleming gave them to me.

Why would Dr Fleming risk his reputation

by supplying drugs to help you cheat?

Unless he risked something even greater

if he did not...

..which would also explain helping you

frame Brian for cheating and sabotaging Patty's prospects.

What do you have on him, William?

I'll tell you, Father...

..on condition that...

..you let me lift that trophy if Hambleston triumph.

I will leave the confession of rule-breaking

to your own conscience.

Everyone thinks that Geoffrey Fleming is this perfect doctor.

But I know otherwise.

He was the one that put poor Shirley in that wheelchair.

Go on.

Oh! What do you know

about Miss Warner's relationship with Dr Fleming?

Um, not much.

Um, I mean, when she was serving his tea, her hand was shaking.

I wondered if she might have been a little bit scared of him.

Thank you. That is most helpful.

I don't suppose you've seen her in the library

reading any books about medicine?

That's all she reads. Great big thick things.

MEGAPHONE: Mrs Devine and partner, please can you head

to the start line for the wife-carrying championships?

Oh, gosh!

HE SIGHS

PANTING: I'm so sorry.

I was supposed to be racing with Brian.

Well, if you can't find anyone,

the points will be awarded to Hambleston!

Why don't you pair up with Mrs Devine, Chief Inspector?

That's not be fair. He has jurisdiction for Hambleston too.

Quite.

Come on, sir.

Kembleford need all the points we can get.

CHANTING: Kembleford! Kembleford!

Go on, Chief Inspector.

I'll represent Hambleston at a later event, Mr Redshaw.

Three, two, one...

WHISTLE

CHEERING Come on! Chief Inspector!

Now, if you want a slice of cake, Father,

you'll have to wait, cos I can't find the knife.

Oh.

Miss Warner,

I wonder if I might I ask you a question?

Anything you like, Father.

Do you blame Dr Geoffrey Fleming for your condition?

What do you mean?

After your fall, Dr Fleming prescribed pain killers.

And when you went to the chemist to collect them,

Mr Redshaw told you he was baffled

as to why the doctor hadn't sent you for X-rays straight away.

You don't question your doctor, do you?

That's true.

But Mr Redshaw is persuaded

that had your fracture been diagnosed earlier,

you would still be able to walk.

I gather you've been doing some reading at the library lately.

Yes.

And this week I found my proof.

That Dr Fleming is responsible for your disability.

I lost my job, my independence.

At times it's felt like I've lost my whole future.

And it's all thanks to him.

And today you had to watch him being applauded.

I wanted to scream,

tell everyone what he's done to me.

But you didn't,

because you had another plan for revenge.

I didn't try to poison him, Father.

I'm going to report him to the General Medical Council.

I've written a letter.

All I need now is the courage to send it.

CHEERING

Come on, Chief Inspector!

Come on, sir!

CHEERING

Yes!

LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE

Your attention, please!

My mother and Chief Inspector Sullivan

have been secretly... carrying on together.

And my father would be turning in his grave.

Just thought you should all know.

I'm sorry. I hated keeping it from you.

You knew?

True happiness is impossible to conceal, Mrs Devine.

And also, you two were about as subtle as a brick.

Mm.

Oh, no.

But what do I do about Eddie?

He's not quite ready to accept change.

But he will do when he sees how happy you are.

Gosh, I hope you're right.

Any progress, Father?

Yes, I've established that Dr Fleming was guilty

of medical negligence over his treatment of Shirley Warner.

But did that provoke her enough to try to poison him?

Red geraniums.

Interesting.

With Hambleston still out in the lead,

it's now time for the penultimate event - the toe-wrestling.

Chief Inspector Sullivan has agreed to represent Hambleston on this one.

He will be up against a late replacement

for Brian Fleming - Eddie Devine.

ALL MURMUR

Didn't waste any time, did you?

It was not like that. No?

How many other widows have you got grieving on your shoulder, then?

I can't look.

CHEERING

GROANING

Back shortly.

GROANING

EDDIE: Yes!

APPLAUSE

HE SIGHS

Hello, Thomas.

Oh...

Poor girl.

HE GRUNTS

Some say red geraniums are a symbol of deep love...

..and passion.

You were in love with Thomas Taverner.

I saw your initials on the pots.

So?

But he was married,

so you had to keep your love a secret.

And you also had to hide your grief.

And that must have been incredibly hard.

And then today...

..this caught your eye.

SHE MOANS

So you looked more closely...

..and made a shocking discovery.

Thomas didn't have to die.

He could have saved him.

And I couldn't breathe.

You saw Thomas was dying!

He asked for your help! You could have saved him!

That doesn't prove anything.

It proves you're a fraud!

I think I'll survive.

I'd already seen the deadly nightshade.

No-one saw me add it.

Everything was fine

until Ursula switched bowls.

CHEERING

SHE COUGHS

I couldn't say anything without giving myself away.

All I could do was watch...

Miss Fanshaw?

..as that poor woman...

You and the doctor both knew

a dangerous secret about each other.

Stalemate.

SHE GASPS

It should have been you, not her!

You're crazy.

Then report me.

And I'll show the world who you REALLY are.

I've done a terrible thing.

I'm ready to face the consequences.

Good.

But first I'm going to say goodbye to Thomas.

MEGAPHONE: Mrs Hudson, please come to the beer tent

to collect your husband. Thank you.

What is it, Father?

Patty Denmore has just...

Oh, no.

Kindly summon the Chief Inspector!

FOOTSTEPS

Vengeance will not bring Thomas back.

I owe him this.

You loved him profoundly. You owe him nothing.

He was going to tell his wife.

We had it all planned.

Thomas would not want you to sacrifice your future.

Why didn't you help him?

Dr Fleming, confess your sins

and you too will have a chance of redemption.

I'd never beaten Brian at any sport.

I know it shouldn't have bothered me.

Then suddenly, I had a chance.

Doctor...

Help me.

Please.

I'll come back, I promise.

I won the race...

..but what I lost...

I'm so sorry.

And Miss Shirley Warner?

That poor girl came to me two years later

to the day.

The guilt...

..meant I wasn't thinking straight.

I let her down too.

Miss Denmore, you and Miss Warner

are constant reminders of Dr Fleming's failings.

Reminders that will cut

sharper than any knife.

I hope you lose everything.

MEGAPHONE: Contestants in the barrel-rolling,

please come to the start line to collect your barrel.

Will Dr Fleming lose his job?

That, and his reputation,

will depend on whether Miss Warner reports him.

MEGAPHONE: Any remaining competitors for the final event,

the men's barrel-rolling, to the start line immediately, please.

Hey, good luck, Mr Fleming.

I'm sorry. I would have said something.

When? As I was climbing the scaffold?

Father, how can I ever repay you?

Well, that's easy. Win the Olimpicks for Kembleford!

CHEERING

Go on, Brian.

Come on, Brian!

CHEERING

Love you, Ron.

APPLAUSE

So, what do the competition rules say about drug cheats...

..Mr Redshaw?

Miss Warner?

Report me.

It's the right thing to do.

Dad would have loved that.

Yeah, he would.

We owe your father a debt of gratitude, Eddie.

It was his photos that solved this crime.

SHE CHUCKLES

Maybe Kembleford will just keep on winning it.

That would be lovely.

FOOTSTEPS

Eddie? There's a train to London in 15 minutes.

I'm going to take it.

What?

Eddie, wait!

DOOR OPENS

Stay a little longer. Stay as long as you like.

Look, Mum, I've got my life in London.

And you've obviously got a new life here.

I've never told you this,

but before he died, your father made me promise

I wouldn't spend the rest of my days alone.

He said that?

No-one will ever, ever take his place in my heart.

I'm still wearing his ring.

But Chief Inspector Sullivan is a kind and decent man.

And he makes me happy.

I'd better go.

Bye, Mum.

Bye, love.

Gosh, it's hard to say goodbye to them, isn't it?

I have some paperwork to finish.

Of course.

This changes nothing, Father.

No.

Don't worry, Mrs Devine.

Like the prodigal son, Eddie will return,

when he's ready.

Definitely.