The Doctor Blake Mysteries (2013) s04e08 Episode Script
The Visible World
Derek? - 'Lucien.
' - We need to talk.
Somewhere public.
Come alone.
You don't trust me? You will listen to what I have to say, and then this is over.
Public enough for you? Inside.
All of this, Derek? All of this, just to put me back in the field? We're going to war in Indochina, Lucien.
I can stop it, but I need men on the ground, experienced men.
Add an Asian wife, you're quite an asset.
I am not an asset.
Neither is my wife.
Your attention, please.
My name is Dr Joanna Bainbridge, and it is my privilege to welcome you to the Ballarat Observatory.
We shall now open the observatory roof.
What we are about to witness is what is called an annular eclipse.
The moon doesn't totally block out the sun.
Please ready your projectors.
Primitive people believed eclipses to be the work of gods.
I'll tell you what you're going to do.
You're going to quit your practice, you're going to leave Ballarat and come with me.
- No.
- We belong together, Lucien! No, we don't.
.
.
will appear as a ring of fire around the dark moon.
No more games.
This ends now.
You do what I tell you, or I will take everything that you've got -- your wife, your daughter, your granddaughter, your precious housekeeper, all of them.
Lights, please.
They're all dead, Lucien.
Lights! Get the lights! Get out of the way.
Rose -- ambulance, police.
Now! Special Branch are going to be all over this.
It happened when the eclipse was in full swing.
The room was dark.
There was a gunshot.
- Do we know where Lucien is? - No.
He got Rose to call me, then he disappeared.
Best we keep that to ourselves, understood? Detective Inspector Llewellyn Sullivan, Special Branch.
- You must be Frank Carlyle.
- That's right.
I'm not going to lie to you, Chief Superintendent -- the army is going to be following this one very closely.
My role here is to make sure that everyone does their job.
Is that going to be a problem? I think we can manage that.
Your police surgeon signed off yet? He'll be here soon.
I'll get out of your way, then.
Inspector.
Iris.
Where's Mrs Blake? - She left a couple of hours ago.
- Do you know where she went? Lucien! Mei Lin, where were you? I was out.
What's happened? Alderton is dead.
I went to meet him.
He was supposed to be on his own.
- There was another man with him.
- Did he kill Derek? I just I don't know.
The thing is, while he's still out there Mrs Blake? It's Frank Carlyle.
Mrs Blake.
I've just been past your surgery.
You weren't there.
Any reason why you buggered off from a crime scene? Well, needless to say, you're needed for the autopsy.
As you can imagine, there's plenty of official interest in this one.
You lock the door behind us and you stay inside until I get back, yes? Frank, Alderton was threatening Mei Lin.
I arranged to meet him, alone, and there was another man there.
Who? Sergeant Robert Hannam.
Hannam severed a man's windpipe a few years back in our morgue.
- Never convicted.
- National security.
Surprise, surprise.
Anyhow, the lights went out, they attacked me.
When the lights came back on, Alderton was on the floor.
Hang on -- why would this Hannam bloke turn around and attack Alderton if they were both after you? I'm still trying to work that out.
A friend of yours? Once.
How well did you know him? You see that? - That was a serious wound.
- Yes.
Japanese bayonet, on a roadside in Chiang Mai.
This was your work? I still can't believe he survived.
Looks like cause of death was a single wound to the base of the skull, most likely from a blade of some kind.
But I was just thinking about it -- it must have been very thin and round.
At least five inches long.
Yes.
Whatever it was, it passed through the cervical vertebrae into the spinal canal.
Into the skull through the foramen magnum.
Into the medulla, severing the brain from the spinal column.
It's a very lucky strike.
Or very accurate.
- Meaning? - This is textbook.
Whoever killed Alderton has a military background, I'd say, Special Services.
That, or medical training.
The eclipse was at its height when I heard the gunshot.
Would it surprise you to know that the cause of death wasn't a gunshot wound? - What was it, then? - We're not disclosing those details at the moment.
The dead man was a Major Derek Alderton.
Was he known to you, Miss Bainbridge? It's Dr Bainbridge.
The military was hoping for permission to use our equipment to track satellites.
Major Alderton was part of those discussions.
We've gone through Major Alderton's possessions.
Is that your letter? You know it is.
So the day before Major Alderton dies, you send him a letter in which you describe him as 'a threat to humanity.
Everyone would be better off if you just upped and died.
' Because he had sent me a letter calling me a stupid woman who thought she was more important than the country that raised her.
Said he'd have me discredited, and there was nothing I could do about it.
Could I see that letter? I destroyed it, along with all his other correspondence.
Where were you standing when the lights came back on? I was nearby.
What, you weren't operating the telescope? That's not recommended during an eclipse.
Besides, the telescope has been experiencing some mechanical difficulties at the moment.
There was another man, kneeling over the Major when the lights came back on -- well-dressed, sandy hair, a beard.
I expect you'll be wanting to speak to him about it.
Why is that, Doctor? Proximity.
Isn't that obvious? Earlier, when I mentioned that there were no bullet wounds in the body, you didn't seem surprised.
Well, there didn't seem sufficient blood for it to be a gunshot wound, certainly not one that would kill him.
You sound fairly definite about that.
Before I became an astrophysicist, I studied medicine for five years.
- Jean.
Um - What? I thought Mei Lin would be safer here, with us.
Of course.
This man, it's the same man that I threatened with Christopher's gun? Yes -- Sergeant Robert Hannam.
Do you really think that Derek Alderton was going to kill you? I'm absolutely certain of it.
I'm sorry.
Derek didn't tell me about you, or that our daughter was alive.
And then he started threatening me.
He said he'd send me back to China.
He would kill her.
We dug this out of the back wall of the observatory.
According to your report, there was no trace of a bullet wound or gunshot residue on the body, which leads me to the question of who fired that gun, and why.
I did.
And you conveniently forgot to inform me of this? I told you they attacked me.
Lucien, that place was packed, and you decided to shoot him? It was dark, he knocked my hand.
Frank, he was trying to convince me -- force me -- to rejoin the Service.
He was using Mei Lin and our daughter as bargaining chips.
I called him to arrange a meeting.
Well, obviously you didn't trust him.
For bloody good reason! We spoke, Hannam arrived, the lights went out.
Anything else you're not telling me? I'm sorry.
That's it, Frank.
Sergeant? - Anything I can do, Doc? - Find Hannam.
Cheers.
Calling me at work, an intimate drink in romantic surroundings.
Not getting sentimental, are we? Not at all.
This is where I take all the girls.
I'm actually trying to find someone.
- Ha! Work.
- Hm.
- Is this about the observatory murder? Well, you were there.
Did you see him? Just before the eclipse.
He was at the observatory, near me.
Is this your killer? Well, he might be.
We're finding it difficult to get any information.
Did you see anything else that might help us? Only that he headed into the car park and got into a green Studebaker sedan.
Does that help? Is Lucien alright? Well, you know the Doc.
When he's not fixing things up - He's making a complete mess of everything.
- Mm.
So when can I write about this? Ah, probably never.
Sometimes I wonder why I bother.
The Soviet Union has three working satellites, the US, five.
More are scheduled for launch next year by both sides.
And you're meant to be assisting the military - with their observational program? - There are other objects in the sky.
Studying those might be a better use of our limited resources.
Look, I was excited at first.
NASA had just been set up.
We were going to make amazing discoveries.
We were going to show people the wonders of the universe.
But it didn't happen that way? They started telling us where we could look and when, what of our results we could publish and what we couldn't.
Major Alderton became quite adamant.
And all the letters that you sent him? They were friendly at first.
Are you aware of the Society for Social Responsibility in Science? I'm a communist spy now, am I? No, but you are a member of a suspect organisation.
Well, you can thank Major Alderton for me joining.
I hadn't thought about it until I dealt with him.
You think I killed him.
Major Alderton was stabbed -- back of the head, into the base of the brain.
And that would take a certain skill set, and you've had five years' medical study.
Let me show you something.
I was studying to be a surgeon, but then I developed rheumatoid arthritis, so I had to find something else to do with my time.
It takes a very thin blade to do that kind of damage, and as you can see, I can barely hold a pencil.
Mei Lin? You alright? I never wanted any of this.
Perhaps it would have been better if we'd never found one another.
You wait inside for a moment.
Dr Blake? I'd like a word, if I may.
Detective Inspector Llewellyn Sullivan.
Do you mind if I come in? Please.
Thank you.
I read your autopsy report.
Interesting.
I felt like I should make the effort to meet you in person.
Frank Carlyle thought it would be best for me to, um, steer clear of the investigation, given I was there.
And that you knew him.
Well.
And even with all of that, I'm not sure that Carlyle got it right.
Regarding the Major, I've been asking my own questions.
And? Well, it seems, within his own branch of the Service, there was growing reservations about his recent conduct and judgement.
You think they may have It is possible.
I understand that you served in Intelligence with the Major.
I'm just a country doctor, Mr Sullivan.
I thought you knew that.
Indeed.
Doctor, I spoke to Rose It's alright, Charlie.
Please, join us.
- Fancy a drink? - Ah.
Thank you.
So, tell me, how did you get on? Well, we know Joanna Bainbridge had medical training, and that Hannam was driving a green Studebaker.
- Robert Hannam? - Yes.
You leave it to me.
Let's just hope he hasn't gone to ground, because if he has, we'll never find him again.
I mean, you've met the man.
Where do you think he might have gone? Hard to say, but I do know this -- wherever he is, he'll be working out the most efficient way to tie up any loose ends.
Of which you are one.
Yes.
Is there anything else about this case that I should know? No.
To service.
I think, given the circumstances, I should probably take the lead on this.
Yes, I agree.
Put the towel down and step up against the wall, please.
Step back against the wall, please, Doctor.
Alright.
I was here yesterday.
- Sergeant? - Thank you, miss.
That'll be all.
If you wouldn't mind.
Our superintendent tells me that you were armed when you had your meeting with Major Alderton yesterday.
Look, what about Hannam, have you put any effort into locating him? And what about Dr Bainbridge? Weren't you going to speak with her? Dr Bainbridge suffers from rheumatoid arthritis.
She can barely grasp a pencil.
Yes, but have you checked with her doctor? - There are treatments available - Sir? Frank, this is lunacy! - What the bloody hell is going on? - Someone's trying to frame me! Well, they're doing a pretty decent job of it, aren't they? Yes, they are.
- Look, I know you have to lock me up.
- Yes, I'm afraid so.
Maybe we could use that, turn it to our advantage - Doctor, I'll need your belt and tie.
- Superintendent, is this really - Just do it.
- We right, Chief Superintendent? Alright, Doctor? Let's start from the beginning.
- Davis? - I gave Dr Harvey that blade, boss.
She's running the tests you wanted now.
Good.
- Do you really think he did it, sir? - Not sure yet, son.
Wouldn't be the first time he's killed a man, I can tell you that much.
I didn't realise you were there.
- If you're hungry, I can - Do you hate me? I know I would.
Is there anything you need? I think I might go and get some air.
Don't call out.
Don't do anything.
Where's Blake? I don't know where he is.
You can do that all you like, I don't know.
I need to see him.
Maybe you should make an appointment.
You tell him, we need to meet, but he leaves the police out of it.
Yeah, I understand.
Well, I'll do that as soon as I can.
Thank you very much.
Thank you for calling, Charlie.
Can I see him? Mrs Blake, I assume? Mind if I have a word? We found the knife in Mei Lin's room and Lucien was there.
- Did he hurt you? - No.
- Show me your hands.
- They're only bruises.
Here.
At least this will keep you occupied.
- The house isn't safe, you know.
- Yes, I've already thought of that.
- And do you know where to go? - Yes.
I'll take Mei Lin with me.
No, he was never in the room without me.
We found him there alone today, Mrs Blake.
I gave him the key.
Yesterday afternoon, your husband came to see you.
Was there any period of time THEN when he was in your room without you? No! I went out.
When I got back, he was waiting for me.
- So he was there before you arrived? - He was outside the room! What was your husband's reaction when you told him that Derek Alderton was threatening you and your family? He was displeased.
Enough to harm the man? Failure to answer our questions truthfully may result in charges laid against you, and that may also reflect poorly on any attempt made by you to become a naturalised Australian citizen.
He was looking after me.
That's the only reason that he was angry.
Lucien is a good man.
I am sorry.
I'm sorry about everything.
Mrs Beazley, they're heading back downstairs.
Also, the boss is going to place an officer at the house for you.
I'll be fine, Charlie.
I'll make my own arrangements.
Very well.
Will you be alright? Yes, of course.
I'll be fine.
As I said, Dr Harvey, I'm very sorry, but I'm under strict instructions.
- Dr Harvey.
- I want to speak with Dr Blake, but apparently, I'm not allowed.
Yes.
He's currently indisposed.
What have you got? The wound on the body matches the size and shape of the weapon.
The blood type on the weapon matches that on the towel, AB positive.
- Major Alderton? - Also AB positive.
And considering only 3% of the population has that particular blood type The knife was obviously the weapon used to kill Alderton.
It's not a knife.
It's a small, thin rod with a base that could be a handle, but it's intended for some other purpose.
It's precision-engineered and calibrated, as the measurements on the side of the rod indicate.
Where does it come from? Some complex, highly accurate machine.
Please tell Dr Blake to let me know if there's anything else he needs.
Of course.
Doctor.
- Boss, this is stupid.
- Davis You know the Doctor has nothing to do with any of this.
- You can't just stick him down in the cells.
- He's right, Frank.
I mean, I want to smack the bloke most of the time, but I don't remember asking for either of your opinions.
Motive, necessary skill -- are they present? Yes, sir.
Means, opportunity, subsequent behaviour -- do they all line up? Yes, sir.
Given that, if this was anybody else, - what would you be doing? - Locking him up.
You keep your personal feelings out of this and you follow the trail of evidence.
A failure to do so will result in disciplinary action.
Am I clear? - Yes, sir.
- Sir.
Good.
Doc? Charlie.
What can I do to help? You know how you can help me, Charlie? Trust me.
Dr Harvey thinks the murder weapon was some sort of part from a complex machine.
- A machine? - Mm.
Like a telescope, perhaps, hm? Interesting.
Makes it opportunistic.
Someone was there, they saw a chance, they took it.
Mind you, that's a helluva thing to do on the spur of the moment, isn't it, in near-total darkness.
Of course, it might also explain how I could have killed him, correct? Well Yes.
Bloody hell, Charlie.
Is Rose about? Tell her to go and talk to that maid.
Someone got into that room.
Doc, she's not police.
Well, she should be, she asks enough questions.
- Alright.
- Alright.
Also, tell Dr Harvey to look through Bainbridge's medical records -- anti-inflammatories, anything that might help with her symptoms.
Then go back to the observatory and ask her about that bloody telescope.
Will do, Doc.
And, Charlie .
.
thank you.
Please! Look out! Sir, look out! You alright? Why did you attack me? - I thought that man had come back.
- Who? A man came today, and he said he'd .
.
kill me if I told anyone.
This him? Yes.
You told my boss there was no way you could hold a knife.
You seem to have a pretty good grip to me.
There it is.
What is it, Doctor? This tool allows me to adjust the aperture.
How long has it been missing? Two days.
So, before the eclipse? That morning, I came in, and it was gone.
I'm going to lose all this, aren't I? All of this.
My entire life's work.
Everything I've ever believed in.
He was going to take it from me, the whole universe .
.
just because he could.
Lights, please.
Doctor? What's that? I'm guessing your old station boss didn't like you very much.
William Munro.
Created a dossier on you.
Very detailed.
He also managed to track down your agency file.
How many men did you kill, Doctor, during your service? Two.
Bao Cheng in Taipei, Victor Gennardy in Macau.
I've been wondering if their deaths have anything to do with this.
You remembered their names.
It's the least I can do.
How did you do it .
.
just walk away from the Service, become that simple country doctor? Believe it or not, Mr Sullivan .
.
I love what I do.
Still, a big change.
I'm afraid it's not looking good, Lucien.
Quite.
But explain to me -- please explain to me -- how I killed him.
Well, accepting the fact you've got more than enough motive Ah.
.
.
you arranged to meet Major Alderton at the observatory.
You took a gun with you for protection.
But you managed to find a weapon there that they couldn't trace back to you.
You improvised, as per your training.
Then, when the eclipse was at its height, you made your move.
Lucien .
.
if there's anything that you can tell me, anything at all that will help you get out of here, now is the time.
I've been speaking to Frank.
About what, exactly? About your transfer to Melbourne.
Special Branch have requested a much more thorough conversation with you.
They arrive at ten o'clock tomorrow morning.
Get some sleep.
You're going to need it.
Thank you, Cec.
Jean, would you like to finish my shandy? Why not? Do you actually like it? It's an acquired taste.
Lucien saved my life when he put us on that boat.
Neither of us would have survived the occupation.
Remembering that helped me afterwards, when I had to keep going.
I can understand why he married you.
What is it? Goodnight, Jean.
Derek Alderton was in love with me .
.
and I slept with him before the war.
He was a nice man, and I had fun.
Life was like that then.
I didn't see him for 17 years.
I was in a camp in Hong Kong when I saw him again.
Why are you telling us all this? He'd changed, become cold .
.
vicious.
He wanted to sleep with me again, and he tried to turn me against my husband.
You should know that we're charging your husband with the murder of Major Alderton.
I thought only Chinese law was corrupt.
Do you actually think he'd kill Derek right there, in public? You just told us why.
Jealousy only works if you love someone.
Lucien doesn't love me .
.
not anymore.
I followed them to the observatory.
I walked into the room when it was dark.
And when Derek tried to kill Lucien, I stabbed him.
Alright.
What sort of knife did you use? It wasn't a knife, it was part of the telescope, a kind of thin rod with a handle, up through the vertebrae and into the base of the skull.
Wait a minute.
Your husband told us that he left the observatory to go to you at your hotel.
Ask him if I was there when he arrived.
I kept the weapon in my pocket.
When he was gone, I hid it in the mattress.
Is Lucien still downstairs? Why, has he confessed? No.
No, he hasn't.
Well, then.
Mei Lin.
Frank, what's going on? A complication.
No (!) Not her? She confessed.
She got all the details right.
Special Branch? Off the table, I'm afraid, for you, at least.
What the hell do we do now? Where's Mei Lin? - She confessed.
- What? To Alderton's murder.
I I know.
We need to work quickly.
Robert Hannam? Well, I spoke to a mate in Special Branch.
He's missing.
They're starting to panic.
Very loyal, he was there at the time of the murder and we know he's dangerous.
But, why? Why would he kill Alderton? What about Dr Bainbridge? Well, there's her moral objection to the military use of scientific work.
Repeating prescriptions of cortisone, for her hands, apparently.
He was going to end her life's work.
I think that really got to her.
- She told you this yesterday? - Yeah.
But I really don't think she's involved.
- Which leads us to Mei Lin.
- She confessed.
She's trying to protect you, that's all.
She knew what the murder weapon was.
I told her.
She came to the morgue this morning, said you'd sent her.
She asked questions, I gave her answers, then she left.
Also, that piece from the telescope went missing the morning before the eclipse.
Sounds well planned to me, quite impressive.
Yes.
Jean, what did Hannam say? He said he wanted to talk with you, without the police.
Of course.
Charlie, you and Alice, go talk to Bainbridge.
We need a blood test to confirm whether or not she is using cortisone.
Rose, Hannam might be hiding and sleeping rough but he's still got to eat.
So, stores, markets.
See if anyone matching his description has been stocking up on canned goods, other non-perishables.
Get this one back to the Colonists' Club so I know she's safe.
Get yourself to the club! I'm staying here.
Alright.
We know what we've got to do.
Let's meet back here in two hours.
Charlie, eyes open, yeah? You sent them away to keep them safe, didn't you? How long do you think we'll have to wait? Not long.
Hands where I can see them, and I want that gun of yours.
Sergeant Hannam.
Right on time.
I'll leave that there in good faith.
You fancy a cuppa? Thank you, Jean.
Why did you kill Major Alderton? Because he betrayed our friendship.
He used my family against me, and he seduced my wife.
So I chose a very public venue to get my revenge, relying on hand-to-hand combat skills I haven't had to use in years against two men, despite the fact I had a loaded revolver concealed just under my jacket.
Then, of course, I 'tended' to the Major -- checked for a pulse, that sort of thing -- before finally fleeing the building.
Does that sound at all plausible to you? Really? And what about you, Robert? You've killed before.
- Only on orders, Doctor.
- Were you ordered to kill me? If necessary.
The Major thought you would agree to his proposal.
And if I didn't? If you posed a threat, I would silence you.
And you didn't question that? Alright.
Jean, I Robert, I Tell me this.
Why .
.
why would someone want to kill Alderton? Because he had become a liability.
- To whom? - To us.
You know, he mentioned a war in Indochina, and that he believed he held the key to a peaceful solution.
I don't know what he believed.
I don't even think he knew anymore, certainly not what the brass told him to believe.
You're saying, he thought he was above following orders? I'm saying he made mistakes, Doctor .
.
bad decisions, decisions that cost men their lives.
So they tried to send him to Canberra, to a desk.
He refused.
I see.
Sergeant, someone followed us to that observatory.
They knew they knew we would be there.
How? Your phone's been bugged for months, Doctor.
Lucien, you in there? Don't be a bloody idiot.
We had no idea he was coming.
Thank you for the tea.
Lucien, are you alright? Yes, I'm fine.
Where's Hannam? He was here.
He's not the killer.
Then who the hell is? What are YOU doing here? Improvising, seeing the plan fell through.
There WAS a plan? Yes.
To see if someone would approach us at the station.
Then we decided we'd try to lure Hannam out.
Frank organised to have me transferred to Melbourne.
You see, that would have put me out in the open.
Where you were going to use yourself as live bait? Some plan.
Yes, well, it doesn't matter now.
We thought it would force someone to show their hand, but it hasn't bloody happened.
Yes, it has.
Mr Sullivan.
Now, don't shout.
Don't shout, don't shout.
No-one can hear you.
Major Alderton created an awful mess, and I'm the one that has to clean it up.
Don't! I'll try and make this as quick as I can.
Sullivan.
Mei Lin! Hang on.
It's alright, Mei Lin.
It's alright.
You're going to be alright.
Lucien! I've got you.
It's alright.
I've got you.
I've got you.
Derek Alderton had become a liability.
But he refused to retire.
So I decided to sort it out, right? It's why you murdered him, yes.
Derek Alderton knew the rules, Lucien.
We follow orders unconditionally.
That's our world.
And if you don't, you become expendable.
You know that better than anyone.
It's your world, not mine.
So, how did you figure it out? Quite simple, really.
At the end of the day, it was all just a question of time and space.
Think about where we all were in relation to one another.
A crowd between us, distance to cover in darkness, all in the span of just a few seconds.
There's no way Hannam or Dr Bainbridge could have traversed that distance, that space, in the time available to them.
There had to be someone else in that room, someone we didn't know about.
Once you'd killed Alderton, all that was left to do was to plant the evidence with a little help from Iris.
You remember Iris, Frank -- from the Soldier's Hill Hotel.
I wonder, Mr Sullivan .
.
did you pay her for her stellar contribution? Well, domestic wages are hard to get by on.
It seems the only thing you didn't take into account was just how many people you could blame for this.
Did I miss anything? No.
I think that just about covers it.
Boss? The military police are here.
I'll get that, sir.
Hey, Sullivan Drop the gun! Drop it! Drop it! It's over, Sergeant.
Sergeant Robert Hannam, 3rd Regiment, 4th Division.
Army No.
26052.
Why did Derek hate you so much? You used to be such good friends.
Those years we spent together .
.
in the camp .
.
that place .
.
we all came out very different men, certainly, I did.
And Derek? They broke him.
I witnessed the whole thing.
It was just It was just awful.
He gave up.
He He wanted to die.
You know me.
I couldn't have that.
So I saved him.
I, um I kept him alive, and I don't think he ever forgave me for that.
I'll get it.
And you never told anyone? No.
No.
I didn't think it was right, somehow.
He's here.
Thank you, Jean.
I'm ready.
Six hours until the ship leaves, which is plenty of time to get us down to the port and boarded.
Here are passports for you and your family.
It's been arranged they'll meet you at the consulate in Hong Kong.
Thank you.
I'll make sure she gets on board safely.
I can't thank you enough, Frank.
Mei Lin, I It's time for both of us to start our lives again.
You travel safe.
You too, Lucien.
Jean .
.
there's something I need to ask you.
' - We need to talk.
Somewhere public.
Come alone.
You don't trust me? You will listen to what I have to say, and then this is over.
Public enough for you? Inside.
All of this, Derek? All of this, just to put me back in the field? We're going to war in Indochina, Lucien.
I can stop it, but I need men on the ground, experienced men.
Add an Asian wife, you're quite an asset.
I am not an asset.
Neither is my wife.
Your attention, please.
My name is Dr Joanna Bainbridge, and it is my privilege to welcome you to the Ballarat Observatory.
We shall now open the observatory roof.
What we are about to witness is what is called an annular eclipse.
The moon doesn't totally block out the sun.
Please ready your projectors.
Primitive people believed eclipses to be the work of gods.
I'll tell you what you're going to do.
You're going to quit your practice, you're going to leave Ballarat and come with me.
- No.
- We belong together, Lucien! No, we don't.
.
.
will appear as a ring of fire around the dark moon.
No more games.
This ends now.
You do what I tell you, or I will take everything that you've got -- your wife, your daughter, your granddaughter, your precious housekeeper, all of them.
Lights, please.
They're all dead, Lucien.
Lights! Get the lights! Get out of the way.
Rose -- ambulance, police.
Now! Special Branch are going to be all over this.
It happened when the eclipse was in full swing.
The room was dark.
There was a gunshot.
- Do we know where Lucien is? - No.
He got Rose to call me, then he disappeared.
Best we keep that to ourselves, understood? Detective Inspector Llewellyn Sullivan, Special Branch.
- You must be Frank Carlyle.
- That's right.
I'm not going to lie to you, Chief Superintendent -- the army is going to be following this one very closely.
My role here is to make sure that everyone does their job.
Is that going to be a problem? I think we can manage that.
Your police surgeon signed off yet? He'll be here soon.
I'll get out of your way, then.
Inspector.
Iris.
Where's Mrs Blake? - She left a couple of hours ago.
- Do you know where she went? Lucien! Mei Lin, where were you? I was out.
What's happened? Alderton is dead.
I went to meet him.
He was supposed to be on his own.
- There was another man with him.
- Did he kill Derek? I just I don't know.
The thing is, while he's still out there Mrs Blake? It's Frank Carlyle.
Mrs Blake.
I've just been past your surgery.
You weren't there.
Any reason why you buggered off from a crime scene? Well, needless to say, you're needed for the autopsy.
As you can imagine, there's plenty of official interest in this one.
You lock the door behind us and you stay inside until I get back, yes? Frank, Alderton was threatening Mei Lin.
I arranged to meet him, alone, and there was another man there.
Who? Sergeant Robert Hannam.
Hannam severed a man's windpipe a few years back in our morgue.
- Never convicted.
- National security.
Surprise, surprise.
Anyhow, the lights went out, they attacked me.
When the lights came back on, Alderton was on the floor.
Hang on -- why would this Hannam bloke turn around and attack Alderton if they were both after you? I'm still trying to work that out.
A friend of yours? Once.
How well did you know him? You see that? - That was a serious wound.
- Yes.
Japanese bayonet, on a roadside in Chiang Mai.
This was your work? I still can't believe he survived.
Looks like cause of death was a single wound to the base of the skull, most likely from a blade of some kind.
But I was just thinking about it -- it must have been very thin and round.
At least five inches long.
Yes.
Whatever it was, it passed through the cervical vertebrae into the spinal canal.
Into the skull through the foramen magnum.
Into the medulla, severing the brain from the spinal column.
It's a very lucky strike.
Or very accurate.
- Meaning? - This is textbook.
Whoever killed Alderton has a military background, I'd say, Special Services.
That, or medical training.
The eclipse was at its height when I heard the gunshot.
Would it surprise you to know that the cause of death wasn't a gunshot wound? - What was it, then? - We're not disclosing those details at the moment.
The dead man was a Major Derek Alderton.
Was he known to you, Miss Bainbridge? It's Dr Bainbridge.
The military was hoping for permission to use our equipment to track satellites.
Major Alderton was part of those discussions.
We've gone through Major Alderton's possessions.
Is that your letter? You know it is.
So the day before Major Alderton dies, you send him a letter in which you describe him as 'a threat to humanity.
Everyone would be better off if you just upped and died.
' Because he had sent me a letter calling me a stupid woman who thought she was more important than the country that raised her.
Said he'd have me discredited, and there was nothing I could do about it.
Could I see that letter? I destroyed it, along with all his other correspondence.
Where were you standing when the lights came back on? I was nearby.
What, you weren't operating the telescope? That's not recommended during an eclipse.
Besides, the telescope has been experiencing some mechanical difficulties at the moment.
There was another man, kneeling over the Major when the lights came back on -- well-dressed, sandy hair, a beard.
I expect you'll be wanting to speak to him about it.
Why is that, Doctor? Proximity.
Isn't that obvious? Earlier, when I mentioned that there were no bullet wounds in the body, you didn't seem surprised.
Well, there didn't seem sufficient blood for it to be a gunshot wound, certainly not one that would kill him.
You sound fairly definite about that.
Before I became an astrophysicist, I studied medicine for five years.
- Jean.
Um - What? I thought Mei Lin would be safer here, with us.
Of course.
This man, it's the same man that I threatened with Christopher's gun? Yes -- Sergeant Robert Hannam.
Do you really think that Derek Alderton was going to kill you? I'm absolutely certain of it.
I'm sorry.
Derek didn't tell me about you, or that our daughter was alive.
And then he started threatening me.
He said he'd send me back to China.
He would kill her.
We dug this out of the back wall of the observatory.
According to your report, there was no trace of a bullet wound or gunshot residue on the body, which leads me to the question of who fired that gun, and why.
I did.
And you conveniently forgot to inform me of this? I told you they attacked me.
Lucien, that place was packed, and you decided to shoot him? It was dark, he knocked my hand.
Frank, he was trying to convince me -- force me -- to rejoin the Service.
He was using Mei Lin and our daughter as bargaining chips.
I called him to arrange a meeting.
Well, obviously you didn't trust him.
For bloody good reason! We spoke, Hannam arrived, the lights went out.
Anything else you're not telling me? I'm sorry.
That's it, Frank.
Sergeant? - Anything I can do, Doc? - Find Hannam.
Cheers.
Calling me at work, an intimate drink in romantic surroundings.
Not getting sentimental, are we? Not at all.
This is where I take all the girls.
I'm actually trying to find someone.
- Ha! Work.
- Hm.
- Is this about the observatory murder? Well, you were there.
Did you see him? Just before the eclipse.
He was at the observatory, near me.
Is this your killer? Well, he might be.
We're finding it difficult to get any information.
Did you see anything else that might help us? Only that he headed into the car park and got into a green Studebaker sedan.
Does that help? Is Lucien alright? Well, you know the Doc.
When he's not fixing things up - He's making a complete mess of everything.
- Mm.
So when can I write about this? Ah, probably never.
Sometimes I wonder why I bother.
The Soviet Union has three working satellites, the US, five.
More are scheduled for launch next year by both sides.
And you're meant to be assisting the military - with their observational program? - There are other objects in the sky.
Studying those might be a better use of our limited resources.
Look, I was excited at first.
NASA had just been set up.
We were going to make amazing discoveries.
We were going to show people the wonders of the universe.
But it didn't happen that way? They started telling us where we could look and when, what of our results we could publish and what we couldn't.
Major Alderton became quite adamant.
And all the letters that you sent him? They were friendly at first.
Are you aware of the Society for Social Responsibility in Science? I'm a communist spy now, am I? No, but you are a member of a suspect organisation.
Well, you can thank Major Alderton for me joining.
I hadn't thought about it until I dealt with him.
You think I killed him.
Major Alderton was stabbed -- back of the head, into the base of the brain.
And that would take a certain skill set, and you've had five years' medical study.
Let me show you something.
I was studying to be a surgeon, but then I developed rheumatoid arthritis, so I had to find something else to do with my time.
It takes a very thin blade to do that kind of damage, and as you can see, I can barely hold a pencil.
Mei Lin? You alright? I never wanted any of this.
Perhaps it would have been better if we'd never found one another.
You wait inside for a moment.
Dr Blake? I'd like a word, if I may.
Detective Inspector Llewellyn Sullivan.
Do you mind if I come in? Please.
Thank you.
I read your autopsy report.
Interesting.
I felt like I should make the effort to meet you in person.
Frank Carlyle thought it would be best for me to, um, steer clear of the investigation, given I was there.
And that you knew him.
Well.
And even with all of that, I'm not sure that Carlyle got it right.
Regarding the Major, I've been asking my own questions.
And? Well, it seems, within his own branch of the Service, there was growing reservations about his recent conduct and judgement.
You think they may have It is possible.
I understand that you served in Intelligence with the Major.
I'm just a country doctor, Mr Sullivan.
I thought you knew that.
Indeed.
Doctor, I spoke to Rose It's alright, Charlie.
Please, join us.
- Fancy a drink? - Ah.
Thank you.
So, tell me, how did you get on? Well, we know Joanna Bainbridge had medical training, and that Hannam was driving a green Studebaker.
- Robert Hannam? - Yes.
You leave it to me.
Let's just hope he hasn't gone to ground, because if he has, we'll never find him again.
I mean, you've met the man.
Where do you think he might have gone? Hard to say, but I do know this -- wherever he is, he'll be working out the most efficient way to tie up any loose ends.
Of which you are one.
Yes.
Is there anything else about this case that I should know? No.
To service.
I think, given the circumstances, I should probably take the lead on this.
Yes, I agree.
Put the towel down and step up against the wall, please.
Step back against the wall, please, Doctor.
Alright.
I was here yesterday.
- Sergeant? - Thank you, miss.
That'll be all.
If you wouldn't mind.
Our superintendent tells me that you were armed when you had your meeting with Major Alderton yesterday.
Look, what about Hannam, have you put any effort into locating him? And what about Dr Bainbridge? Weren't you going to speak with her? Dr Bainbridge suffers from rheumatoid arthritis.
She can barely grasp a pencil.
Yes, but have you checked with her doctor? - There are treatments available - Sir? Frank, this is lunacy! - What the bloody hell is going on? - Someone's trying to frame me! Well, they're doing a pretty decent job of it, aren't they? Yes, they are.
- Look, I know you have to lock me up.
- Yes, I'm afraid so.
Maybe we could use that, turn it to our advantage - Doctor, I'll need your belt and tie.
- Superintendent, is this really - Just do it.
- We right, Chief Superintendent? Alright, Doctor? Let's start from the beginning.
- Davis? - I gave Dr Harvey that blade, boss.
She's running the tests you wanted now.
Good.
- Do you really think he did it, sir? - Not sure yet, son.
Wouldn't be the first time he's killed a man, I can tell you that much.
I didn't realise you were there.
- If you're hungry, I can - Do you hate me? I know I would.
Is there anything you need? I think I might go and get some air.
Don't call out.
Don't do anything.
Where's Blake? I don't know where he is.
You can do that all you like, I don't know.
I need to see him.
Maybe you should make an appointment.
You tell him, we need to meet, but he leaves the police out of it.
Yeah, I understand.
Well, I'll do that as soon as I can.
Thank you very much.
Thank you for calling, Charlie.
Can I see him? Mrs Blake, I assume? Mind if I have a word? We found the knife in Mei Lin's room and Lucien was there.
- Did he hurt you? - No.
- Show me your hands.
- They're only bruises.
Here.
At least this will keep you occupied.
- The house isn't safe, you know.
- Yes, I've already thought of that.
- And do you know where to go? - Yes.
I'll take Mei Lin with me.
No, he was never in the room without me.
We found him there alone today, Mrs Blake.
I gave him the key.
Yesterday afternoon, your husband came to see you.
Was there any period of time THEN when he was in your room without you? No! I went out.
When I got back, he was waiting for me.
- So he was there before you arrived? - He was outside the room! What was your husband's reaction when you told him that Derek Alderton was threatening you and your family? He was displeased.
Enough to harm the man? Failure to answer our questions truthfully may result in charges laid against you, and that may also reflect poorly on any attempt made by you to become a naturalised Australian citizen.
He was looking after me.
That's the only reason that he was angry.
Lucien is a good man.
I am sorry.
I'm sorry about everything.
Mrs Beazley, they're heading back downstairs.
Also, the boss is going to place an officer at the house for you.
I'll be fine, Charlie.
I'll make my own arrangements.
Very well.
Will you be alright? Yes, of course.
I'll be fine.
As I said, Dr Harvey, I'm very sorry, but I'm under strict instructions.
- Dr Harvey.
- I want to speak with Dr Blake, but apparently, I'm not allowed.
Yes.
He's currently indisposed.
What have you got? The wound on the body matches the size and shape of the weapon.
The blood type on the weapon matches that on the towel, AB positive.
- Major Alderton? - Also AB positive.
And considering only 3% of the population has that particular blood type The knife was obviously the weapon used to kill Alderton.
It's not a knife.
It's a small, thin rod with a base that could be a handle, but it's intended for some other purpose.
It's precision-engineered and calibrated, as the measurements on the side of the rod indicate.
Where does it come from? Some complex, highly accurate machine.
Please tell Dr Blake to let me know if there's anything else he needs.
Of course.
Doctor.
- Boss, this is stupid.
- Davis You know the Doctor has nothing to do with any of this.
- You can't just stick him down in the cells.
- He's right, Frank.
I mean, I want to smack the bloke most of the time, but I don't remember asking for either of your opinions.
Motive, necessary skill -- are they present? Yes, sir.
Means, opportunity, subsequent behaviour -- do they all line up? Yes, sir.
Given that, if this was anybody else, - what would you be doing? - Locking him up.
You keep your personal feelings out of this and you follow the trail of evidence.
A failure to do so will result in disciplinary action.
Am I clear? - Yes, sir.
- Sir.
Good.
Doc? Charlie.
What can I do to help? You know how you can help me, Charlie? Trust me.
Dr Harvey thinks the murder weapon was some sort of part from a complex machine.
- A machine? - Mm.
Like a telescope, perhaps, hm? Interesting.
Makes it opportunistic.
Someone was there, they saw a chance, they took it.
Mind you, that's a helluva thing to do on the spur of the moment, isn't it, in near-total darkness.
Of course, it might also explain how I could have killed him, correct? Well Yes.
Bloody hell, Charlie.
Is Rose about? Tell her to go and talk to that maid.
Someone got into that room.
Doc, she's not police.
Well, she should be, she asks enough questions.
- Alright.
- Alright.
Also, tell Dr Harvey to look through Bainbridge's medical records -- anti-inflammatories, anything that might help with her symptoms.
Then go back to the observatory and ask her about that bloody telescope.
Will do, Doc.
And, Charlie .
.
thank you.
Please! Look out! Sir, look out! You alright? Why did you attack me? - I thought that man had come back.
- Who? A man came today, and he said he'd .
.
kill me if I told anyone.
This him? Yes.
You told my boss there was no way you could hold a knife.
You seem to have a pretty good grip to me.
There it is.
What is it, Doctor? This tool allows me to adjust the aperture.
How long has it been missing? Two days.
So, before the eclipse? That morning, I came in, and it was gone.
I'm going to lose all this, aren't I? All of this.
My entire life's work.
Everything I've ever believed in.
He was going to take it from me, the whole universe .
.
just because he could.
Lights, please.
Doctor? What's that? I'm guessing your old station boss didn't like you very much.
William Munro.
Created a dossier on you.
Very detailed.
He also managed to track down your agency file.
How many men did you kill, Doctor, during your service? Two.
Bao Cheng in Taipei, Victor Gennardy in Macau.
I've been wondering if their deaths have anything to do with this.
You remembered their names.
It's the least I can do.
How did you do it .
.
just walk away from the Service, become that simple country doctor? Believe it or not, Mr Sullivan .
.
I love what I do.
Still, a big change.
I'm afraid it's not looking good, Lucien.
Quite.
But explain to me -- please explain to me -- how I killed him.
Well, accepting the fact you've got more than enough motive Ah.
.
.
you arranged to meet Major Alderton at the observatory.
You took a gun with you for protection.
But you managed to find a weapon there that they couldn't trace back to you.
You improvised, as per your training.
Then, when the eclipse was at its height, you made your move.
Lucien .
.
if there's anything that you can tell me, anything at all that will help you get out of here, now is the time.
I've been speaking to Frank.
About what, exactly? About your transfer to Melbourne.
Special Branch have requested a much more thorough conversation with you.
They arrive at ten o'clock tomorrow morning.
Get some sleep.
You're going to need it.
Thank you, Cec.
Jean, would you like to finish my shandy? Why not? Do you actually like it? It's an acquired taste.
Lucien saved my life when he put us on that boat.
Neither of us would have survived the occupation.
Remembering that helped me afterwards, when I had to keep going.
I can understand why he married you.
What is it? Goodnight, Jean.
Derek Alderton was in love with me .
.
and I slept with him before the war.
He was a nice man, and I had fun.
Life was like that then.
I didn't see him for 17 years.
I was in a camp in Hong Kong when I saw him again.
Why are you telling us all this? He'd changed, become cold .
.
vicious.
He wanted to sleep with me again, and he tried to turn me against my husband.
You should know that we're charging your husband with the murder of Major Alderton.
I thought only Chinese law was corrupt.
Do you actually think he'd kill Derek right there, in public? You just told us why.
Jealousy only works if you love someone.
Lucien doesn't love me .
.
not anymore.
I followed them to the observatory.
I walked into the room when it was dark.
And when Derek tried to kill Lucien, I stabbed him.
Alright.
What sort of knife did you use? It wasn't a knife, it was part of the telescope, a kind of thin rod with a handle, up through the vertebrae and into the base of the skull.
Wait a minute.
Your husband told us that he left the observatory to go to you at your hotel.
Ask him if I was there when he arrived.
I kept the weapon in my pocket.
When he was gone, I hid it in the mattress.
Is Lucien still downstairs? Why, has he confessed? No.
No, he hasn't.
Well, then.
Mei Lin.
Frank, what's going on? A complication.
No (!) Not her? She confessed.
She got all the details right.
Special Branch? Off the table, I'm afraid, for you, at least.
What the hell do we do now? Where's Mei Lin? - She confessed.
- What? To Alderton's murder.
I I know.
We need to work quickly.
Robert Hannam? Well, I spoke to a mate in Special Branch.
He's missing.
They're starting to panic.
Very loyal, he was there at the time of the murder and we know he's dangerous.
But, why? Why would he kill Alderton? What about Dr Bainbridge? Well, there's her moral objection to the military use of scientific work.
Repeating prescriptions of cortisone, for her hands, apparently.
He was going to end her life's work.
I think that really got to her.
- She told you this yesterday? - Yeah.
But I really don't think she's involved.
- Which leads us to Mei Lin.
- She confessed.
She's trying to protect you, that's all.
She knew what the murder weapon was.
I told her.
She came to the morgue this morning, said you'd sent her.
She asked questions, I gave her answers, then she left.
Also, that piece from the telescope went missing the morning before the eclipse.
Sounds well planned to me, quite impressive.
Yes.
Jean, what did Hannam say? He said he wanted to talk with you, without the police.
Of course.
Charlie, you and Alice, go talk to Bainbridge.
We need a blood test to confirm whether or not she is using cortisone.
Rose, Hannam might be hiding and sleeping rough but he's still got to eat.
So, stores, markets.
See if anyone matching his description has been stocking up on canned goods, other non-perishables.
Get this one back to the Colonists' Club so I know she's safe.
Get yourself to the club! I'm staying here.
Alright.
We know what we've got to do.
Let's meet back here in two hours.
Charlie, eyes open, yeah? You sent them away to keep them safe, didn't you? How long do you think we'll have to wait? Not long.
Hands where I can see them, and I want that gun of yours.
Sergeant Hannam.
Right on time.
I'll leave that there in good faith.
You fancy a cuppa? Thank you, Jean.
Why did you kill Major Alderton? Because he betrayed our friendship.
He used my family against me, and he seduced my wife.
So I chose a very public venue to get my revenge, relying on hand-to-hand combat skills I haven't had to use in years against two men, despite the fact I had a loaded revolver concealed just under my jacket.
Then, of course, I 'tended' to the Major -- checked for a pulse, that sort of thing -- before finally fleeing the building.
Does that sound at all plausible to you? Really? And what about you, Robert? You've killed before.
- Only on orders, Doctor.
- Were you ordered to kill me? If necessary.
The Major thought you would agree to his proposal.
And if I didn't? If you posed a threat, I would silence you.
And you didn't question that? Alright.
Jean, I Robert, I Tell me this.
Why .
.
why would someone want to kill Alderton? Because he had become a liability.
- To whom? - To us.
You know, he mentioned a war in Indochina, and that he believed he held the key to a peaceful solution.
I don't know what he believed.
I don't even think he knew anymore, certainly not what the brass told him to believe.
You're saying, he thought he was above following orders? I'm saying he made mistakes, Doctor .
.
bad decisions, decisions that cost men their lives.
So they tried to send him to Canberra, to a desk.
He refused.
I see.
Sergeant, someone followed us to that observatory.
They knew they knew we would be there.
How? Your phone's been bugged for months, Doctor.
Lucien, you in there? Don't be a bloody idiot.
We had no idea he was coming.
Thank you for the tea.
Lucien, are you alright? Yes, I'm fine.
Where's Hannam? He was here.
He's not the killer.
Then who the hell is? What are YOU doing here? Improvising, seeing the plan fell through.
There WAS a plan? Yes.
To see if someone would approach us at the station.
Then we decided we'd try to lure Hannam out.
Frank organised to have me transferred to Melbourne.
You see, that would have put me out in the open.
Where you were going to use yourself as live bait? Some plan.
Yes, well, it doesn't matter now.
We thought it would force someone to show their hand, but it hasn't bloody happened.
Yes, it has.
Mr Sullivan.
Now, don't shout.
Don't shout, don't shout.
No-one can hear you.
Major Alderton created an awful mess, and I'm the one that has to clean it up.
Don't! I'll try and make this as quick as I can.
Sullivan.
Mei Lin! Hang on.
It's alright, Mei Lin.
It's alright.
You're going to be alright.
Lucien! I've got you.
It's alright.
I've got you.
I've got you.
Derek Alderton had become a liability.
But he refused to retire.
So I decided to sort it out, right? It's why you murdered him, yes.
Derek Alderton knew the rules, Lucien.
We follow orders unconditionally.
That's our world.
And if you don't, you become expendable.
You know that better than anyone.
It's your world, not mine.
So, how did you figure it out? Quite simple, really.
At the end of the day, it was all just a question of time and space.
Think about where we all were in relation to one another.
A crowd between us, distance to cover in darkness, all in the span of just a few seconds.
There's no way Hannam or Dr Bainbridge could have traversed that distance, that space, in the time available to them.
There had to be someone else in that room, someone we didn't know about.
Once you'd killed Alderton, all that was left to do was to plant the evidence with a little help from Iris.
You remember Iris, Frank -- from the Soldier's Hill Hotel.
I wonder, Mr Sullivan .
.
did you pay her for her stellar contribution? Well, domestic wages are hard to get by on.
It seems the only thing you didn't take into account was just how many people you could blame for this.
Did I miss anything? No.
I think that just about covers it.
Boss? The military police are here.
I'll get that, sir.
Hey, Sullivan Drop the gun! Drop it! Drop it! It's over, Sergeant.
Sergeant Robert Hannam, 3rd Regiment, 4th Division.
Army No.
26052.
Why did Derek hate you so much? You used to be such good friends.
Those years we spent together .
.
in the camp .
.
that place .
.
we all came out very different men, certainly, I did.
And Derek? They broke him.
I witnessed the whole thing.
It was just It was just awful.
He gave up.
He He wanted to die.
You know me.
I couldn't have that.
So I saved him.
I, um I kept him alive, and I don't think he ever forgave me for that.
I'll get it.
And you never told anyone? No.
No.
I didn't think it was right, somehow.
He's here.
Thank you, Jean.
I'm ready.
Six hours until the ship leaves, which is plenty of time to get us down to the port and boarded.
Here are passports for you and your family.
It's been arranged they'll meet you at the consulate in Hong Kong.
Thank you.
I'll make sure she gets on board safely.
I can't thank you enough, Frank.
Mei Lin, I It's time for both of us to start our lives again.
You travel safe.
You too, Lucien.
Jean .
.
there's something I need to ask you.