Inspector Morse (1987) s01e03 Episode Script

Service of all the dead

(Bells ring) (Bell tolls) Distant organ Baroque organ piece Time for a quick one before the service, Your Reverence? - Everything all right? - Yes, thanks, Harry.
You'd better get on with it.
Closing chords (Bell chimes) Orchestral piece POLlCE RADlO: CaIIing Inspector Morse.
CaIIing Inspector Morse.
- Yes? - Incident at - Wait a minute.
- (Turns volume down) - Where? - St OswaId's.
ETA required.
OK.
l'll be there in 1 2 minutes.
POLlCE RADlO: HaddIer of Sidmouth Street, Reading.
The index number is Tango, Bravo, 9, N, November.
There is a teIephone number on the vehicIe.
My coIIeague here is getting it.
Can you get in touch with these peopIe and ask them to remove it? It's Iocked up, secure.
No driver about.
(Whispers) (Woman sobs) - Keeping well, Lewis? - Hello, sir.
- Mac.
- Sir.
(Woman sobs hysterically) Oh, dear.
(Sobbing) Ohh.
Ohh.
- Who is he? - A Mr Josephs, sir.
MAN: Harry's the - Harry was churchwarden.
- Hm.
That's his wife outside, sir.
Widow.
Poor Brenda.
Oughtn't we to? Could someone? Please? (Screams) (Door opens) Always best to throw light on the scene, if you can.
Well, Max? One very fierce blow.
Death instantaneous.
- What happened? - Well, nobody actually saw it, but erm lt was right at the end of the service.
Mr Josephs had just brought the collection back here.
There was erma tramp at the service.
He even took communion.
POLlCE RADlO: WiII you get in touch with them? Over.
- Hello, Maddy.
Over.
- HeIIo.
Can you notify for me an elderly vagrant? Swan, they think his name is.
Swan or Swanny.
Sleeps rough, probably, although he's got a few quid on him now, so he may be in a pub.
Yeah, or check the off-licences.
He's wearing an overcoat, but there was a lot of blood about.
He's probably ditched it.
Out.
(Hushed conversation) MORSE: I shaII never understand these reIigious types.
That's because you have no soul, Morse.
Would you slit open your letters with a cross of Christ? lt's pretty high, St Oswald's.
Pretty spiky.
That's what they mean by the ''beauty of holiness''.
- All finished, sir.
- Lewis, go through his pockets, will you? l'll go and get someone to identify him formally.
Er, just a minute, Lewis.
Hold this for me.
Close your eyes now.
(Sucking sound) l really don't think you should speak to Mrs Josephs now.
She's terribly shocked.
- You knew Mr Josephs, did you, madam? - Yes, of course.
l wonder if you and er - Mr Morris, is it? - Yes.
l need two witnesses for formal identification.
lf you and Mrs Rawlinson.
Ruth Rawlinson.
lt wouldn't upset you too much, Mrs Rawlinson? No, no.
l think l can manage it.
And by the way, it's Miss, not Mrs.
Thank you, Miss.
MORSE: Lewis.
- lt's Harry Josephs.
- Thank you, sir.
- ls that all? - Yes, thank you.
Now, Miss.
Just a glance, just so long as you're sure who it is.
Yes.
That'sHarry Josephs.
Thank you very much, Miss.
l expect you'll want to go home now.
RUTH: Would you like me to come with you? MRS JOSEPHS: No, no.
l'll look after her.
Don't worry, Ruth.
You're all right, are you? Oh, yes.
l'm l'm fine.
l'll call you when l've got Brenda home.
WOMAN ON POLlCE RADlO: Go ahead.
MAN ON POLlCE RADlO: We have an oversized Ioad coming to your area.
It wiII be going, finaI destination, to Ormskirk, Lancs.
That'sjust north of LiverpooI.
It's at the eastern side of Bedford at this time All seems pretty straightforward.
Straightforward, perhaps, but pretty? l'm so sorry.
l didn't realise that er lt's just a couple of things, sir.
l don't want to trouble you for long at a time like this.
l was wondering, how many people were there at the service? 1 3.
You don't know, or perhaps you do know, who they all were? Oh.
They could be witnesses, you mean? Oh, dear.
l never thought.
l just said that Mr Josephs was ill, that the service was over.
Then l ran to call an ambulance.
l'm so sorry.
- Never mind.
We'll be able to trace them.
- l doubt if they could add very much, lnspector.
They were all up in the Lady Chapel.
l was the only one who saw anything.
And what did you see, exactly? Not very much.
lt was more hearing some sort of commotion.
Then l saw the vestry curtains shaking, so l went to see what was happening and erand er Did you see this man, Swanny, leaving the church? Not exactly.
l mean, it's quite dark down there.
l saw someone.
l suppose l just assumed that it was him.
1 3.
That's not very many, is it, sir? - Oh, it's not bad for a special service.
- And what was special about it? lt's the feast of the Conversion of St Augustine.
Oh.
Yes, well, thank you very much, sir.
l'll er l'll be in touch.
Yes.
Of course.
Lewis.
Nasty for him, all this.
Nasty, Lewis? Nasty? All for a measly few quid off the collection plate.
lf the bastard had only known.
Lewis, you're in church! Known what? Josephs had a coupIe of hundred quid in his trouser pocket.
Betting slips.
(Coughing) Get in line.
(Coughing) VlCAR: Oh, hello, Jimmy.
Hello, Vicar.
How's How's How's tricks? Seen anything of Swanny recently? Swanny? No.
No.
l've been to Bromsgrove.
(Siren) - Hello, Vicar.
Ah, Taffy, you're quite a pal of Swanny's.
l might be, sir.
When did you last see him? l don't know, sir.
l don't know that l did see him, like.
l don't know that l even know him, see? Get him sobered up.
See what he remembers.
Come on.
(Birdsong) Many guests find it heIpfuI to foIIow the tour with guidebook in hand.
(Knock at door) Oh, you did give me a start.
Oh, l'm sorry.
l'd erlike to talk to you, if you've got a minute? Perhaps over a drink? lt's very kind of you, but l have to get home.
l look after my mother.
She must have one hot meal a day.
- She can't sleep if she eats at night, so - l see.
- Was it something urgent? - No, no, no.
You're a regular at St Oswald's, l take it? l've been in the choir since l was 1 2.
They'll give me a medal soon.
Yes.
l like music.
Not church choirs so much, but Jazz? Humphrey Littleton? George Melly? Music.
Shall we go? You were a friend of the Josephs? That's why you stayed after the service.
l'd have stayed anyway.
lt's my job to tidy up.
- Oh, really? - l'm the church cleaner.
Someone has to do it and it's good for my soul.
And, yes, Brenda's one of my very best friends.
Well, look, it's not important, and l certainly don't want to pester Mrs Josephs with it, but Mr Josephs gambled, didn't he? The church and the turf are old friends, you know.
TOUR GUlDE: .
.
in disrepair and the Iand badIy negIected.
(CIears throat) It became his Iife's work to restore the manor to its originaI gIory.
But how could he afford it? Ah.
l mean, he was unemployed, l understand, and Mrs Josephs works as a nurse at the Radcliffe, yet he was gambling big sums.
- Does he have private money? - No.
The vicar didn't seem to want to discuss it.
lt's a very funny thing, but as soon as someone doesn't want to discuss something, l do.
Lionel would never speak ill of the dead.
l would prefer not to, too.
l'm sure you would, but l'd rather not ask Mrs Josephs.
Money was going missing from the collection.
Nothing was ever proved, but as the churchwarden's responsible for counting it Thank you.
lt's quite dreadful the way society discards people when it no longer wants them.
A man like that, a hero, just thrown on the scrapheap, as though he was no use to anyone.
- Was he a hero? - He was in the Marines.
He felt trapped, so he gambled to make enough money to But, of course, it never works like that.
So he drank because he lost, and Well, he's free now.
l don't know whether to be sad or happy.
Drinking, as weII? He lost his licence last year.
Perhaps you should be happy.
lf it's any consolation, he must have been happy yesterday.
He had a couple of hundred pounds on him.
His last big win, l imagine.
l don't think anything will console me for Harry's death.
(Phone rings) (Phone drowns speech) Morse.
Oh, hello, Max.
How are you? What? Are you sure? Good God.
Well, thanks a lot, Max.
Still no sign of Swanny, sir.
But the old Welsh tramp thinks his name used to be Swanpole.
The heII with that.
Swanny, SwanpoIe, he may have nothing to do with it.
- Josephs was dead before the knife went in.
- What? Max says there was enough morphine in his stomach to kill an elephant.
MAX: Yes, it was certainIy meant to kiII.
- A substantial dose.
- ln what form? White powder.
Morphine comes as white powder.
- l mean, how did he take it? - By mouth.
- Well, yes.
Yes, but - Oh, you mean, in what form was it ingested? - Max! - Well, l can't, of course, be absolutely certain, but l'd venture the tentative opinion that the form was liquid.
But not your sort.
Winenot beer.
How long would it have taken to affect him? Oh, l couldn't possibly say, not exactly.
- lnexactly? - He'd be unconscious in 40-50 seconds, depending on his constitution.
- And to kill him? - Six minutes.
Does it mix easy, sir, morphine and wine? Now that's what l call an intelligent question.
You'd have to swizzle it up a bit, but, yes, it soon disappears in wine.
Do you want to see? l've got the contents of his stomach here.
No.
How do you get morphine, Max? l write myself a prescription and go to Boots.
lt must have been during the service.
Thank you, Lewis.
l had got that far.
What l don't understand is why anybody should want to kill him twice.
- Do you think it was some sort of ritual? - All church services are rituals, Lewis.
Yeah, but l mean like a black mass.
There was a big piece in the Sunday papers about black masses.
Oh, yes? You think the Reverend Lionel Pawlen was indulging in orgies on the altar with Miss Rawlinson and Mrs Josephs? Of course, he may not have been killed twice.
But he was.
l mean, by the same person.
One person sIipped him the morphine, you mean, and another stabbed him, acting separately? Possibly.
The left hand not knowing what the right was doing.
- Isn't that pretty Iong odds, sir? - Very long odds, indeed.
- You can win, if you're professional enough.
- Josephs was an amateur.
£5 to win on the favourite, love.
Where are those betting slips? - There you go.
- Thank you.
Excuse me, Miss.
Routine enquiry.
You wouldn't remember the man who wrote these out, would you? Aged about 45 lt's Harry.
Harry Josephs.
He's in here all the time.
What about him? - He erm He's met with an accident.
- Oh.
Oh, dear.
Poor Harry.
ls he all right? - Did he have a big win here yesterday? - Harry? No.
Why? ls he all right? - l'm afraid not.
- Oi, do you think l could have a bet? - Go ahead.
Go ahead.
- Cheers.
Thanks.
What's happened? - Heart attack, was it? - No.
Has he had any kind of big win recently? No, he's never had much luck at all, really.
l'm afraid he's been murdered.
Pretty much the loser all round, Harry Josephs.
So where did the 200 quid come from? - Somewhere.
- Thanks.
- You know what, Lewis? - No, what? We need inspiration.
Divine inspiration.
BRUCKNER: Locus lste Locust iste A Deo A Deo factus est Locus iste A Deo A Deo factus est A Deo A Deo Deo Deo (Hushed) A Deo, Deo Factus Est ln the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
ALL: Amen.
The Lord be with you.
ALL: And with thy spirit.
Almighty God, unto whom all hearts be open, aII desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid, cIeanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit that we may perfectly love thee and worthily magnify thy holy name.
Through Christ our Lord.
PAWLEN: Amen.
Can't you remember anything about him? Mind if l had a drink? Swanpole.
Swanpole.
Funny sort of name, innit? People use all sorts of names.
Feel better that way, like.
You never know who's after you.
l'll be after you, if you can't tell me a bit more about this Swanny.
lf l didn't have such a terrible thirst Oh, God bless you, sir.
When you've remembered.
l did hear Swanny was the vicar's relation.
What? Of Old Pawlen? Whatever his name is.
His brother.
That's what l heard.
Oh, God bless and keep you, sir.
The blood of Christ.
CHOlR: Agnus Dei The blood of Christ.
The blood of Christ.
Agnus Dei The bIood of Christ.
See who's last in line? LEWlS: It's the churchwarden.
The blood of Christ.
- (Moans) - Ah, shut up.
(Choir continues) Sir, if the stuff was in the wine, he'd be dead, too.
The whole congregation'd be dead.
LEWlS: Look at that.
Talk about ritual.
He's ritualising away the evidence.
lt must have been Pawlen.
Nobody else could have put the stuff in the wine.
How did he do it without killing everyone else? (Chuckles) Where's his swizzle stick to mix it up? He doesn't need one.
He's crafty.
He arranges it so the wine runs out just before Josephs, so he has to go and get some more, already poisoned.
- He puts that in the cup - Chalice.
The word is ''chalice'', Lewis.
A poisoned chalice, indeed.
What? Never mind.
You were being quite intelligent there.
Go on.
Well, that's it, really.
He gives Josephs the erchalice.
From which he, and he alone, then has to drink, thus murdering himself, as well as Josephs.
- Very clever.
- No, he only pretends to drink.
Then wipes the rest of the stuff away, like we just saw.
l don't know.
lt's so elaborate.
Well, the whole thing's elaborate.
A knife and the poison.
Of course, if we knew why he'd done it - Who? - Whoever did do it.
Well, one person didn't do it.
No, this is a mass murder, Lewis, obviously.
(Chuckles) A High Mass murder! Come on.
No bloodstains.
Nothing.
What a swindle! Peter, come here.
lt's all right.
l shan't bite.
This is the house of God, Peter.
Murder is a very terrible act.
You mustn't treat it as a joke.
PETER: I'm very sorry, sir.
PAWLEN: Off you go.
- And don't run! - Peter! - Yes, Dad? - Don't disappear.
We're going home soon.
PETER: OK.
l saw you in the congregation, lnspector.
Any sign of Swanpole? No, sir.
Nothing.
Tell me, this service now, was it the same one as on the day of the murder? Oh, no, no.
This was a solemn High Mass.
That was a simple one.
So, you didn't have all thosepeople with censers and so on? No.
No, l administered single-handed.
Why? - Hello.
- Hello.
Mr Josephs, as churchwarden, he was the last to take communion? Yes.
Who was next to him? His murderer, l'm afraid.
lt's a terrible thing to take the sacrament with murder in your heart.
Terrible.
My one consolation in this messy business is that Harry died in a state of grace.
Are the flowers coming on Wednesday or Thursday? MORSE: Of all the sanctimonious twaddle! He did it.
l know he did it.
But why? Blackmail, Lewis.
Pawlen fancies his choirboys.
MORSE: Josephs had a joint account with his wife.
See if he had one all of his own.
- See if that's how he financed his betting.
- Right.
They're not allowed to tell us that sort of thing.
ln any case, l don't see lt's all right.
The manager drinks in my pub.
When you've finished, get over to Morris's, the organist.
See if you can pick up anything there.
WOMAN: Who is it? - Chief lnspector Morse.
ClD.
Who? lnspector Morse.
Oxford ClD.
I'II press the buzzer.
(Buzzer) Hello.
Mrs Rawlinson? Yes, l'm afraid l didn't quite catch your name.
That silly contraption.
- Morse.
lnspector Morse.
- Will you come in, lnspector? l'm afraid l haven't quite mastered that buzzer thing yet.
My daughter had it put in while l was away in Switzerland.
- Switzerland? - Yes.
The Wahnfried Clinic, Lausanne.
We hope they might be able to do something about my wretched arthritis.
Can l get you something? There's some sherry, l believe, in that cupboard in the corner, if you'd like to help yourself.
l'm afraid l can't quite reach.
- lt's Ruth you've come to see, l suppose? - Well, yes.
lt's about this awful business at the church? Yes, Ruth's been most helpful.
Are you sure you won't have a sherry? l usually have one at this time of the day.
Ruth gets it for me.
You could keep me company.
Where can she have got to? Let's erboth have a drink, shall we, while we're waiting? Oh, you are kind.
Just a very smaII one for me.
(Car door slams) Whoa! All right? Mr Morris, l'm sorry to bother you, but we need some clarification - l'm sorry.
l didn't realise.
- lt's not that it's bad for arthritis.
lt's bad for her.
Alcohol's a depressant and she gets very l'd rather she wasn't involved in all this, anyway.
- Couldn't you have come to see me at work? - l thought you'd come home after the service.
l'm sorry.
What do you want to know? Er lt's a bit delicate.
Erm Mr Pawlen .
.
he's not too fond of his choirboys, is he? Oh, l think he likes them well enough.
Oh, you mean Good heavens, no.
Lionel? (Laughs) No, no, no.
What on earth gave you that idea? - lt just crossed my mind.
- You've been reading too many Sunday papers.
He's not married.
Nor am l, but l'm not a pervert, l assure you.
As a matter of fact, l'm not married, either.
Perhaps l could take you for dinner? - Well, you're very kind.
- I'm free this evening.
How about you? You mustn't let your mother dominate your life.
l try not to, but Tonight? Thanks all the same, but some other night, perhaps.
Now l really must go and make her tea.
lt's 20 minutes late already.
We have quite a few Cambridge men.
Before that, he was Stamford Grammar School.
l'm afraid l don't know him as well as l should.
There's so much paperwork these days.
- You keep files on all your vicars, though? - Yes, well, l suppose they are files, but When you say it like that, lnspector The file on Lionel Pawlen, that doesn't happen to mention any scandal, does it, sir? Well, now, l rather assumed that's why you came to see me, but l can assure you there's nothing whatever in Pawlen's character to suggest any violence.
Rather the contrary.
lt wasn't violence l was thinking of.
Ah.
This is delicate ground.
The Church, l'm afraid, has a great deal of trouble with unfounded rumour.
What was it? Choirboys? Nothing was ever proved.
Quite the contrary.
But the atmosphere became so poisoned in his last parish l must emphasise there was never a shred of evidence or we'd not have employed him at St Oswald's.
- She'd got nothing on underneath.
l could see.
- Lucky you.
Paul Morris is a widower, right? Mrs Josephs is just there for the time being, he says, till she gets over her shock.
- Well, if you ask me - Thanks, Lewis, l've got the picture.
- What about the bank? - Oh, you were dead right there.
Pawlen's been paying Harry Josephs £500 a month for the last five months.
A special account.
lt must be blackmail, like you said.
Yes.
Yes, Josephs knew about the choirboys.
Pawlen got fed up with paying him off.
But what about this tramp, Lewis? Where the hell is this tramp? l don't know.
Don't keep saying that.
Come on.
l need a beer.
LEWlS: l've been thinking.
There was an awful lot of that morphine in Josephs' body.
lt would have needed a lot of wine to dissolve it.
- He was last in line.
- All the same Perhaps he always emptied it, so Pawlen knew that he'd be safe.
l hadn't thought of that.
But why kill him twice? Panic? Didn't keel over as expected? Started to call for help? Pawlen did him with the first thing to hand.
- And the tramp? - l've just asked that question, Lewis.
But suppose he is Pawlen's brother? l'm not supposing anything, until l've had two pints of beer.
- Your round, Lewis.
- lt's always my round.
Then it's your lucky day.
l've just gone off the beer.
- What's the matter? - l've decided to have an early night.
All those questions you were asking, we'll try them on the Reverend first thing in the morning.
Nice to see you again.
Morning.
l hope we can see you Wednesday.
- Good morning, sir.
- lnspector l have a couple of questions l'd like to ask you, about your brother, for instance.
My brother? Yes, l'm sure you won't mind coming down to the station, sir.
No.
No, of course not.
l l'll just erm My clothes.
MORSE: HeIIo.
- Good morning.
l didn't see you in church.
That's because l wasn't there.
Oh, we'll convert you yet, l hope.
You'll have to give me a lot of attention, then.
Choral music MORSE: How's your mother? RUTH: Quite a good night, thanks.
l only had to move her twice.
She can't always turn without help.
- Well, what does she do when you're not there? - Oh, l'd never leave her on her own.
Sir, don't you think we? - Get a nurse.
- We couldn't afford that.
Choral piece Sir, look out! (Rings) Hello.
Oh, lnspector.
No.
No, l'm afraid she isn't here.
She's gone to see Brenda Josephs, l rather think.
Just say l called, would you? Goodbye.
(Doorbell) - What are you doing here? - You wanted to know about the school.
LEWlS: There were two brothers.
The other one iswas called Simon Oliver, a couple of years younger than the vicar.
MORSE: What was this bloke's name? LEWlS: Dr Starkie.
- I hope he's not too oId to remember.
- He sounded aII right on the phone.
- How long's he been retired? - 1 2 years, he said.
Pawlen.
From ''Paul''.
St Paul, probably.
Or possibly ''Pavo''.
How's your Latin, lnspector? Hm? "Pavo", Sergeant? l've no idea, sir.
Pavo, pavonis.
A peacock.
Now, of the two, Simon was the one with the peacock nature.
l don't mean a bird-brain.
No, by no means.
He was the brighter of the two, in both senses.
LEWlS: A bit of a sharp dresser, was he? Snazzy.
What l used to call snazzy.
Do people still say ''snazzy''? l erthink so.
LioneI, on the other hand, was sober, hard-working.
Beta every essay.
But then he had to work hard, whereas Simon, when he applied himself, alpha.
Shame, really.
- What is? - Simon wouId have made the better cIergyman.
Bishop material, l'd say.
The school hasn't had a bishop for a long time.
What happened to Simon? Oh, what always happens to peacocks.
They start with fine feathers and lots of peahens.
Then, when the feathers begin to moult Simon took to the drinking trough.
Broke his mother's heart.
ls she still alive? No, she died soon after the father.
The boys were left well enough off, but Simon l wonder what has become of him.
The old aunt died last year.
She must have left them quite a bit, too.
You don't know if Lionel left anything to the school, do you? - He wasn't married, was he? - No, no.
As a matter of fact, sir, boys will be boys, as you know better than anyone.
And l was wondering l'm glad to say that the school has always been singularly free of that sort of thing.
- All the same, sir? - No.
There was never any suggestion of that with either of the boys.
l can assure you.
Morse, that's a good Oxford name.
- ls it? - Same as Morris.
Morse.
Morris.
Both from the French ''Maurice''.
''Swarthy.
'' You're the wrong branch of the family.
Not in charge of British Leyland! lt's Austin Rover now, sir.
Oh.
lt was Lionel Pawlen's intention, as expressed to me, to give most of the money away.
And not a penny for Simon Pawlen? The aunt specificaIIy stated that she did not wish that he should benefit ''by so much as a farthing''.
l understand he once borrowed from her.
Wellhe had no legal or, under the circumstances, moral claim whatever.
- Then why was he going to bring a case? - He found an unscrupuIous Iawyer.
There are such people about, lnspector.
Someone who knew he couldn't win the case, but who could bring about the maximum amount of public embarrassment.
- Blackmail? - It came to that.
I advised LioneI against it.
Simon Oliver Pawlen would only have come back and back.
lndeed, l rather gathered from something Lionel said that his brother had given him a Iot of troubIe in the same sort of way before.
Oh, had he? OK? OK.
- l hope she'll be all right there on her own.
- Of course she will.
lt's just what she needs.
She's been under terrible stress.
Anyway, l shall be going down.
Tomorrow, probably.
- Are you sure you won't have another cup? - No, thanks.
l have to get back to Mother.
- All right.
Take care of yourself.
- You too.
PETER: Come on.
We can get her! MR MORRlS: Peter! Look where you're going.
Organ Organ prelude l shan't be a minute.
l'm just coming to the end.
MAN: That's all right, Paul.
You take your time.
LEWlS: Not in.
MORSE: Thank you, Lewis.
l had managed to deduce that.
MORSE: What does he do when he's not playing the organ? LEWlS: He teaches down at the comprehensive, but it's the holidays.
l hope he hasn't gone on his holidays without informing me.
He's probably at Mrs Josephs.
lt's time we talked to the pair of them.
Milk cancelled ''till further notice''.
Come on, Lewis.
- Where are we going? - To the scene of the crime.
Or the scene of the crimes.
(Creaks) Pawlen must have been carrying these as ballast.
They weigh a ton.
Come on.
Come on! (Morse sighs) l don't like this kind of church.
- What are we looking for? - l don't know.
(Keys jangle) Lewis, do you know what all those keys are for? No.
LEWlS: Have you been up there? MORSE: No.
- Do you want to go? - No.
Well, there's nothing down here, so (Morse pants) (Gasps) 57.
You go ahead.
l need a breather.
There you go, sir.
Fresh air.
Magic.
LEWlS: Woo! God, what a view! You can nearIy see ScotIand.
What the hell did l come up here for? The view! Are you all right? Fine.
Fine.
Just not so fit as l should be, that's all.
- lt's the beer.
- Just shut up about beer.
What's the matter? l'm scared of bloody heights, you stupid sod! (Wind whistles) Oh, my God.
Sir! What is it? l'm afraid you'll have to come and see for yourself.
(Dull thud) All right.
Just here.
She's coming right away, sir.
MORSE: Thanks.
l don't know why they let Morse stay on this case.
lt's a murder a minute.
- Murder, sir? - Yes.
Not suicide, following the vicar's example? He could have hanged himself, then leapt off the tower.
- Hanged himself? - He was garrotted.
Garrotted, then shoved.
- Lewis, see if they've found the boy yet.
- What boy? - He's got a 1 2-year-old son.
- Oh, dear.
At least l hope so.
Afternoon, Miss.
lnspector Morse is just over there.
l'll take your bike.
Oh, thank you.
Sir! There's no-one in the house, sir.
They're going in with the next-door neighbour now.
This is very good of you.
Really.
l couldn't think who else to ask.
- lt's all right.
- You're sure? lt's Paul Morris.
RADlO: Are you receiving me now? Yes, I'm receiving you now.
Over.
Excuse me.
lt's my boss.
- What the heII is going on here, Morse? - l wish l knew.
Mayor and Corporation, is it? First grouse of the year, l sincerely hope.
Who is it this time? The organist.
Name of Morris.
His son sings in the choir.
We can't find him.
Oh, my God.
l'm sure boys come into this somewhere.
Harry Josephs was blackmailing Pawlen about something and l saw Pawlen ruffling Morris's lad's hair right in there, after Josephs was dead.
Felt free, you mean? Could be.
But what about this tramp? Swanpole? Swanpole.
lt's such an unusual name.
l should have asked Dr Starkie at Stam Of course.
- He is Pawlen's brother.
- What? SO Pawlen.
lt's an anagram.
- Would you mind telling me what you mean? - The vicar.
- He had a ne'er-do-weII brother- Simon OIiver.
- Simon Oliver? Supposed to be a great womaniser.
Took to the bottle.
- You know.
- l'm glad to say l don't.
But where is he, whatever his name is, and where is the boy? WOMAN: l hope Peter's OK.
POLlCE OFFlCER: Oh, l expect so.
- Nothing.
We know the car's at St Oswald's.
- Mum, look.
- His new skateboard's gone.
- So it is.
MORSE: There's someone eIse gone missing, too.
Morris's girIfriend.
- Who's she? - The murdered churchwarden's widow.
Oh, my God, Morse.
- lt has to be here somewhere, the missing clue.
- Bloody well find it, then.
(Horn) Enjoy your dinner, sir.
LEWlS: Sir.
Miss Rawlinson thinks she might know where Mrs Josephs is.
l don't know exactly.
- Shejust said "somewhere on the river".
- Which river? The Thames.
She taIked about Cookham and MarIow.
- Mrs Josephs? - Yes? There's a telephone call for you.
Hello.
Paul? Oh, it's you.
What do you want? Lewis.
And you.
- Ruth, could you do something for me? - Of course.
Would you show me exactly what you heard and saw that day? l was there.
Brenda was here.
Paul was at the organ, of course.
And Lionel was at the altar.
Lewis, go and stand by the altar.
Can you see the vestry from there? Just about.
Yeah.
Did you hear anything? No.
The organ was playing.
l didn't know anything was wrong till l saw Lionel suddenly rush down the aisle.
And the others? l don't think anyone heard anything.
Perhaps they weren't supposed to hear anything.
- What? - Nothing.
Who were they, these others? l really don't know.
Not regulars.
Americans, l think.
Tourists? We get them all the time.
They treat church services as part of Olde England, like Shakespeare.
All very quaint.
So, apart from you, the vicar, the organist, the churchwarden and his wife and this tramp, all the others were just a bunch of American voyeurs? - Oh, l didn't mean to be unkind.
- Did they take communion? l think so, yes.
Yes, some of them did, l'm sure.
Let's get out of here.
This place gives me the creeps.
Who do you think would want to kill Paul Morris? l don't know.
l really can't think.
You see, unless there's something you haven't told me about, l can't see anyone with a motive.
Harry Josephs, now, if he was still alive, he'd have a motive.
Sexual jealousy.
And the vicar himself.
lf he weren't dead, he'd have a motive too, if Paul Morris were blackmailing him.
l wish l could help.
- I reaIIy do.
- You've heIped enough aIready.
How's your mother? Heavens, the time! She'll think something dreadful's happened to me.
- Don't say that.
- Yes.
Not the best way of putting it.
Quite.
Thanks so much for walking me home, lnspector.
l can't go on calling you lnspector.
What's your name? Morse.
People Just call me Morse.
Then, thank you, Morse.
MRS RAWLlNSON: Ruth? Is that you, Ruth? Paul Morris? Who's got anything against Paul? l don't know.
l don't know.
Hold me.
Hold me.
Hold me.
- l'm so frightened.
- There.
There, there, there.
You're perfectly safe now.
You're safe.
You're with me.
VERDl: Falstaff Oh, grow up, Morse.
Go to bed.
- l was thinking - Night thoughts are bred of loneliness and depression.
lgnore them.
There might be something in what you were saying.
- l doubt it.
- About the Pawlen brothers.
There's three of them in on the plot to kill Harry Josephs.
The two Pawlens and Paul Morris.
Whichever brother it turns out to be, he kills off the other two witnesses.
ln order to think about that, Lewis, l shall have to have another pint.
- LandIord.
- Sorry.
The cask's empty.
- l'll have to go to the cellar and get a new one.
- Hurry up.
My brain's just beginning to work.
LEWlS: You see if I'm right.
Oh, my God, Lewis.
The cellar.
- The vault.
We didn't look in the vault, did we? - This has got to be it.
lt doesn't look like there's been anyone down there for years.
Do you want me to go first? No, it's all right.
l'm not afraid of depths.
ls this boat free? Can l go out in it? Yeah, sure.
Do you think you can handle it on your own, love? Yes, of course l can.
All right.
MORSE: Eurgh! MORSE: Are they still on coke? No, oiI.
There's a big tank at the back of the churchyard.
They ought to sell that lot, then.
Oh, Christ.
Oh, there's nothing here, sir.
Thank God for that.
l thought perhaps MORSE: The boy.
- Yeah, well, shall we er? - Yes, Lewis.
- Lewis.
- Yeah? Up that end just now, - were you as scared as l was? - I was a bit spooked, yeah.
Right.
So wouId anyone be.
No-one likes coffins, unless you're an undertaker.
So, if anyone was going to hide a body down here, they'd use this end, wouldn't they? But there isn't anywhere.
Get digging, Lewis.
Choral piece MORSE: Hold it! Hold it.
Dona Dona Dona, dona Dona, dona Eis pacem A reason.
There must be a reason.
Unless he's mad.
No, l don't think he's mad.
Psychopathic, yes, but not mad.
Not mad, at all.
- Hello.
- Hello.
Am l allowed a kiss in the morning or is it only after hours? ls that all? - ls that all you came for? - l wish it were.
No, something crossed my mind.
Did Lionel Pawlen always wear specs? Always.
Hm, l thought so.
There goes another theory.
- Gold rims? - Yes.
Hello.
Can you hold the line, please? Yes, they were in his pocket.
Really? That's rather odd, isn't it? Suicides always take off their specs before they jump.
lt's as if they were going to sleep.
Good heavens.
Oh, well, l suppose, in a way Tell me, are you still cleaning in the church? Yes, of course.
Oh.
l was wondering l thought The house of the Lord must always be ''swept and garnished''.
- (Phone rings) - ''Garnished.
'' Hello.
Can you hold on, please? Nice word, ''garnished''.
Yes, it is, isn't it? What day do you actually get to garnish, Ruth? Sorry to keep you.
Wednesdays.
On my way home from work.
Were you thinking of asking the cleaner for a drink? How did you guess? Then thanks.
Good.
See you this evening, then.
Look after yourself, Ruth.
Where did you get that about suicides and glasses? l got it off the back of a matchbox.
lt happens to be true.
lf you ever find a suicide with smashed glass in his face, it's murder.
- Remember that.
- l will.
(Hooter) Do you think we're making any progress with this case, sir? Good question.
But as my old history master used to say, ''Having looked that problem squarely in the face, let us now pass on.
'' SERGEANT: Came to stay for a week, she said.
Looks more like a month to me.
Women LEWlS: Looks like she was expecting a visitor.
She had a phone call that evening at dinner from a man.
LEWlS: But no sexual assault? - No, no.
Nothing like that.
SERGEANT: Nothing much in there, sir.
SO.
She keeps writing SO.
SERGEANT: Boyfriend's initiaIs? St Oswald's, more like.
Right.
Well, she went a lot, every Sunday and a couple of times during the week as well.
She had to take her husband.
He'd lost his licence.
And then his life.
Well, thank you, Sergeant.
There's nothing here for us that l can see.
- Lewis? - Nothing.
Off we go, then.
Wait a minute.
Let me see that diary again.
What day was Harry Josephs murdered? LEWlS: Wednesday 26th.
Well, look at that.
Remember your Sherlock Holmes, Lewis? ''ls there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention? To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.
'' - The dog did nothing in the night-time.
- That was the curious incident.
l see.
lt's blank, Lewis.
The day is completely blank.
- Where did Pawlen bank? - The Midland.
Ring them.
Tell them we're on our way.
- Do we reaIIy have to go so fast, sir? - Yes.
- l'm sure the bank manager'll still be - Who's Ieft, Lewis? 1 3 people at that service.
Five of them are now dead.
Josephs, his wife, the vicar, the organist and the organist's son.
Six of them have passed on in their tourist coach to Blenheim Palace, Stratford-on-Avon, Bath, Salisbury Cathedral Miss Rawlinson and Simon Pawlen.
Yes, and one or the other is in mortal danger.
MORSE: If not both.
- What was the day? - The 26th.
The 26th.
Ah, yes.
The Conversion of St Augustine.
1 3 in the congregation.
Signed Lionel Pawlen.
He was always having odd services.
How do people know when there's a service on? lt's in the monthly parish notes.
- There's nothing for the 26th.
- No? l expect he put up a notice.
Announced it in church, maybe? These notes aren't ''the law and the prophets''.
Have you ever celebrated the Conversion of St Augustine? Yes, l expect so.
- Who'd know about St Augustine? - Try the Archdeacon.
CHURCHWARDEN: It's more up his aisIe.
Yes, there are two St Augustines.
Hippo and Canterbury.
- Which one do you want? MORSE: Either'd do.
Ah.
Just as l thought.
Augustine of Canterbury was born a Christian.
He didn't have to be converted.
Well, what about Hippo? Oh, he was converted.
A celebrated sinner.
''Da mihi castitatem et continentiam, Domine, sed noli modo.
Give me chastity and continence, O, Lord, but not yet! That was his unregenerate motto.
Conversion 386AD.
What day? Hm Oh, bother.
Doesn't say.
l shall have to look that up in the liturgical calendar.
Hm Ah.
There.
There we are.
Funny.
No mention of it.
Try the 26th of last month.
No.
Then what the hell was Pawlen celebrating? A personal devotion perhaps? To chastity? Not bloody likely! (Dog barks) (Howls) Mother! l'm so sorry.
l'm so sorry.
l'm so sorry.
l thought you'd never come.
l'm soso sorry.
- Please - l'll get you a drink.
Thank you.
lt's a bad day.
lt's Thank you.
You're so good to me.
Too good.
Sometimes l think l've ruined your life.
Don't be so silly.
l have a very good life.
Not any more.
Darling Ruth Do you think we could possibly afford to send me back to Switzerland again? - lt's about time you put her in a home.
- Oh, l couldn't do that.
Do yourself a favour.
You're still a very attractive woman, Ruth, when you want to be.
Lionel paid for the clinic last time.
l can't possibly afford it on my own.
Ah.
l see.
l didn't get involved in all this just so your mother could go to Switzerland, you know.
l'll pay you back.
Really.
l'll sell the house when When she Look - l'll think about it.
- Would you? You make it worth my while.
- There isn't time.
- Yes, there is.
When the boss is away, little Ruthie can play.
l thought you could.
Have you heard from Brenda? No.
Well, l expect she's safe enough where she is.
You be careful, Ruth.
This business with Paul Morris, l don't like it.
l don't like it at all.
Don't joke about it.
l'm not joking.
You be careful.
Oh, there you are, sir.
l got what you wanted.
Harry Josephs' keys to the church.
Were they in his pockets? No.
No, what do you mean? - Then where the hell are they? - l don't know.
- What about Pawlen's bank account? - Tell me on the way to the church.
(Horn) £30,000?! - That's what l said.
- Pawlen took out £30,000 in cash? - Yes.
- Well, that's enough to start a new life.
- l should say so.
- lt's certainly enough to kill for.
But why kill Harry Josephs? What are we doing now? This is the killing ground, Lewis.
This is where they all die.
- Not Mrs Josephs.
- lt's where she'll be buried, though.
No, you stay in the car.
Keep your eye on the door.
(Door creaks open) (Key turns in lock) Hello, Ruthie.
What are you doing here? l didn't hear you come in.
Ah, you wouldn't, would you? l was here already, you see.
l was up in the tower.
There's a wonderful view from up there.
I Iove Iooking down on thingsand peopIe.
- You can't stay here.
Someone will see you.
- l've locked the door.
There's no-one else here.
Sit down.
l want to talk to you.
lt's Brenda.
Oh, no.
Yes.
l'm afraid so.
There's just the two of us left now, Ruthie.
But Oh, dear.
Poor Brenda.
(Ruth sobs) Who killed her? Well, you or me? lt couldn't be anyone else, could it? Harry! Let her go.
Let her go! (Morse coughs) l know who you are.
l know who you are, too, you bastard.
Ruth! Ruth? Are you all right? Oh, Jesus.
Don't stop, Mr Morse.
The view is wonderfuI from up here.
Come down! It's not much further.
Come back down.
l want to talk to you.
(Mocking laughter) Not much further.
lt must have been hard work carrying a body up here.
(Wind whistles) Look l understand about your wife and l understand about Paul Morris.
Why did you have to kill the boy? Well, the bastard took my wife.
What if l killed his kid? Look, this is no place to talk it over, is it? lt'll do.
I Iike it up here.
Look, now, that won't solve anything.
(Car door is opened and shut) MORSE: That's That's no way out for a man Iike you, is it? You're not a coward.
You're right.
l fight to the end, not like Pawlen.
Come on.
Let'slet's go down.
Come on.
l'll come when l'm ready.
l know about this, you see.
l was in the jungle.
(Commando yell) (Legs thrash) (Gurgles) - Are you all right, sir? - l don't know yet.
Are you all right? l am now.
MORSE: Why didn't you teII me the truth right from the beginning? RUTH: (Sniffs) I promised LioneI.
MORSE: But after he'd kiIIed himseIf? RUTH: I didn't know what to do.
I l thought l don't know.
l suppose l thought he'd left a note, which would explain everything, and thenHarry said MORSE: You were afraid.
Mr Morse OK? Yeah, l think so.
l'm afraid you've been an accessory before, during and after an act of murder.
l know.
- lt seemed - lt means prison.
Do you realise that? Do you think you'll be able to deal with prison? Oh, l've been in a prison of one sort or another for years.
We were well off once, years ago.
Did Pawlen pay for your mother to go to Switzerland? Yes.
And for the alterations to the house.
He was He'd been so generous.
l l know it was quite wrong, absolutely wrong, but l Your mother will have to go into a home now.
Poor Mother.
l only did it for her.
(Ruth sobs) Excuse me, sir.
The pathoIogist's arrived.
All right.
Hello.
Hello.
All right.
Harry.
God, Harry.
Oh, hell! - Pardon? - l said, what a sodding awful life this is.
lf they don't take you off this case double-quick, we're going to need a new churchyard.
This is number five, isn't it? - Six.
- Really? lt must be something of a record for Oxford.
- Want to look at him? MORSE: No, thanks.
I've seen enough.
The face is all right.
He doesn't look much like his brother, does he? What? SwanpoIe.
Simon PawIen.
Not much like the vicar at all.
That's not Simon Pawlen.
- What? - That's Harry Josephs.
Excuse me, please.
Thank you.
Excuse me.
Yeah, apparently, he had his hair cut very short and dyed it black.
A change of clothes.
Dark glasses.
- Throat stiII sore, is it? - lt's hard to swallow.
Good beer this, too.
Damn it.
You're saying that they were all in on a conspiracy to kill Simon Pawlen and pass him off as Harry Josephs? Yes.
Pawlen, LioneI Pawlen, was at the end of his tether.
He'd already been driven out of one parish by his brother's slanders.
- What slanders? - You don't want to believe everything you hear.
- Pawlen wasn't interested in boys.
- That was your idea! He wasn't even interested in money, but he had it.
Lots of it.
He told his favoured parishioners what his problem was.
Now, they all did want money.
Paul Morris, he wanted to run off with Brenda Josephs and vice versa.
Ruth, Miss Rawlinson, she Well Her mother was ill and er And Harry Josephs, he wanted a new start away from his wife, away from his debts, away from people whispering about the collection.
And, as he was a psychopath, he said to Pawlen, ''What's the problem? l'll kill him.
l'll kill your brother.
'' And he did.
All the others had to do was to swear they were at a service that never took place during which a churchwarden was murdered.
Only he wasn't.
And a man that nobody knew, except the vicar, was.
After it was all over, Harry Josephshid in Miss Rawlinson's brand-new flat.
l think l'll be more comfortable at home tonight.
You haven't finished your beer.
No, l'm off the beer.
l can't think why.
Did you ever read that, Lewis? Waiting For God-dot.
No.
Any good? ''O'', Lewis.
Waiting For Godot.
You should read it.
lt's a modern classic.
And it had the answer all the time.
How's that, sir? lt's about two tramps.
We had two tramps.
One went into St Oswald's, another came out.
What I stiII don't understand is, why did they have to kiII Simon PawIen twice? Miss Rawlinson will tell you that.
Go and take her statement, then get off home.
Oh, right.
- Good night, then, sir.
- Good night.
(Front door closes) ''Chastity and continence.
'' When did l ever have anything else? LAWYER: Why did Pawlen administer the morphine? To make him unconscious, so we could change his clothes.
lt was Harry's idea and he seemed to know these things, how it's difficult to change a dead man's clothes.
And Brenda was working at the Radcliffe.
- She got hold of the morphine, you see, and - You observed all this? The poisoning, the undressing and dressing, the stabbing with the knife? Oh, no.
I was in the Lady ChapeI with Brenda, Mrs Josephs.
Then how did you know what happened? Harry told me later.
l l didn't want to know the details.
l just promised Lionel l'd say the body was Harry's, if anyone asked.
And they did ask.
Was that not a very wicked promise to make, Miss Rawlinson? Yes.
But l was so sorry for Lionel.
He'd been so kind.
And Harry Harry Were you in love with Harry Josephs? Even so, you must have known that it was a very dreadfuI thing that you and the others were doing.
We're all born in sin or l wouldn't be standing here today.
Come along, Mrs Rawlinson.
Lunchtime.
Oh, thank you, nurse, but l don't really want any lunch today.
Oh, you mustn't be like that.
We all have our crosses to bear, you know.
LioneI PawIen was otherworIdIy.
I think he thought if we found a knife in someone's back, that would be that.
But there's always a postmortem after every suspicious death, so we were bound to discover the morphine.
You think Pawlen killed himself out of remorse? Partly, perhaps, but mainly, l think, because he realised we were onto him.
That's not a very charitable view, lnspector.
l was there at the time, sir.
Your view of Mr Josephs is still more uncharitable, l dare say, since he tried to kill you.
I try not to Iet my feeIings infIuence my investigation, sir.
LAWYER: What, in your opinion, induced Josephs to murder the Morrises, father and son, and his own wife? Jealousy, sir.
Sexual jealousy.
With Lionel Pawlen dead, Josephs felt free to take his revenge on the man and woman who'd humiliated him.
The boy? Well, he couldn't be allowed to live with his father dead.
It wouId have been the turn of Miss RawIinson next.
A great many murders.
All committed by the man we thought was the very first victim.
l myself didn't realise his identity till l saw the tie he was proposing to strangle Miss Rawlinson with.
Exhibit F? Yes, sir.
lt's a Royal Marine Commandos tie.
Josephs had been in the Marines.
Thank you, lnspector.
lnspector, you heard the conversation between Josephs and my client before he attempted to murder her? - Yes, sir.
- Did you, during the course of that conversation, hear anything which might be considered to be mitigating evidence - in the case against my cIient? - l did.
WiII you teII the Court what you heard? l heard her tell him that she wanted no more to do with him.
She was going to go to the police and make a full statement, at which point he attacked her.
Thank you, Inspector.
1 8 months.
Not too bad with remission.
You shouldn't have done that.
Time will fly.
You'll be surprised.
l don't deserve it.
lt'll be an open prison, l'm sure.
- You're not listening to me.
- No.
(Sighs) You've been so kind to me.
l've probably got an ulterior motive.
They er do allow visitors in these places, you know.
Can l come along and see you sometime? Good.
Good.

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