Midsomer Murders (1997) s05e02 Episode Script
A Worm in the Bud
CHILD: The children walked through the woods for hours and hours.
The trees got bigger and bigger and it was getting dark.
There was lots of thunder and animals made horrid rustling noises in the night - foxes and wolves and a huge big bear.
There's no bears.
There was then, with fangs to eat you.
Can we go back, Julie? The bear's coming.
Run, Sean.
Julie.
Julie! Come back.
Bear's got me.
Julie.
Where are you? I'll tell.
Aaaaaargh.
Stay there.
I understand the feelings of the Midsomer Worthy community.
Setwale Wood has been a place of recreation for generations.
Children play there, people walk their dogs, picnic, and I'm sure all sorts of things.
But none of that alters the fact that the land belongs to Mr Harrington.
As for this long list of objections, nothing warrants an injunction to prevent Mr Harrington selling his wood, or Whitley Estates felling it.
With all due respect, your honour.
Ms Sullivan.
Whenever a barrister addresses the bench with those words it is because he, or she, is about to show no respect at all.
Please, don't.
CLERK: All rise.
TROY: Where do they get these judges? The man burgled his way through every village in the county.
We catch the criminals, we offer up the evidence.
Not everyone likes what happens in court.
Maybe the judge is right - give the boy one more chance.
Oh, look! A squadron of pigs over Causton? It's not finished.
They move in next week.
Setwale Wood will be flattened in a fortnight.
Over my dead body.
Suits me.
Not the way, Simon.
There are those who prefer your body alive and kicking.
Right, Ms Sullivan? I'm a police officer and I want you two to walk away from each other in opposite directions.
Now.
Or I'll arrest you both.
Nice day for it, Rector.
OK, off you go.
I've got to talk to Mummy.
I've already heard.
You should have seen the look on Simon's face.
He really thought that bitch of a barrister would beat me.
Anyway, the whole thing'll be done in a couple of weeks and the money in the bank.
You'll be relieved.
Come on, Caroline.
We can put the separation behind us.
The boys'll have a proper home again.
The way it was.
The way it was is what worries me.
What do you mean? Susan Bartlett.
How do I trust you again if you're screwing her? I'm not.
I'm not, Caroline.
Susan Bartlett stood between us through six years of marriage.
If she's still there, forget it all.
You can sell your precious farm and pay me what you owe.
No point going through it all again.
I'm not losing because some old judge can't see past the end of his nose.
Setwale Wood belongs to James.
Whatever we say about the environment or the local community it means sod all.
One of the intriguing things about English Common Law is it's a mess.
The further back you go, the bigger the mess.
I don't think a history lesson's going to solve things.
We don't need a solution.
Just the mess.
was part of Midsomer Abbey.
It was sold off after the dissolution.
According to these half of any profit made from Setwale Wood, cash or kind, can be claimed by the abbot's successor.
That's the rector.
This wouldn't stand up for five minutes.
This is ammunition for months of legal wrangling.
Harrington will be bankrupt before a chain-saw starts buzzing.
Why keep it back till now? Pointless telling the rector he might have a financial interest in the wood, if you were getting Abbey Farm anyway.
This is about saving Setwale Wood, Bernadette, not forcing James out.
So you buy Abbey Farm and save the environment.
A perfect end.
I've got to go.
Cows don't care what time you get home, Simon, either the ones in the milking parlour or the one in the house.
Sorry, Victoria.
Didn't see you.
My fault.
Not nice when neighbours drag you into a courtroom.
So you'll understand I'm a bit preoccupied.
I do, James, perfectly.
As your mother might put it - preoccupied as a newt.
HORN BLARES We ran all the way to the road, all the way home.
They'd never have caught us.
Hi.
Hi.
It's filthy out there.
(BOTH) Hello, Dad.
Hello.
James Harrington has just missed me.
He was on the wrong side of the road, not even looking.
What happened in court? He can cut the wood.
I wish he'd lost, but at least it might put a stop to it all.
We nearly found the robbers' hideout in the wood, Dad.
There was a lady they knocked out.
Their dog came after us.
Julie! there's no robbers in Setwale Wood.
Don't go on about it.
She must have seen them hiding.
Then they hit her so they could escape.
That's enough.
You frightened the life out of your brother.
I don't want to hear any more of your stories.
Come on, both of you upstairs.
It's not my bedtime.
It is tonight.
Go on, off you go.
CHILDREN LAUGH AND SING THUNDER PEELS HORN BEEPS What the hell are you doing? There's a footpath there, not a car park.
You'll know what trespass is.
Mr Harrington, you'd be very unwise to allow them to start felling trees.
Just a bit of preliminary work.
They move in next week.
But that hasn't got anything to do with you or anybody.
We will be going back to court.
You've fired all your guns.
Oh, no.
And you don't know how much the next salvo's going to cost you.
WOMAN: Hello, Julie.
What are you up to? She's doing it again.
Hmm? Victoria Bartlett, garden inspection.
Every time she tells me how well it's doing she means 'must try harder'.
She does it to everybody.
Not everyone lives opposite her.
Julie's still sulking.
She normally forgets these stories after five minutes.
I've got to exercise the hounds so she can come with me.
I'll go up where they were playing, have a look.
It's only encouraging her, Sam.
No, cold light of day.
It'll put an end to it all.
We done? I could do with a drink.
Ah, marvellous, ladies.
Delightful.
Hannah, I do think a gun in church Oh! Well, I could hardly leave it outside.
That would be terribly irresponsible of me.
I must go.
I think we can expect news of Setwale Wood.
Bernadette - um, Ms Sullivan - feels there are legal avenues still to explore.
Ms Sullivan only bought a house here a year ago.
Mostly she's in London.
She means to help.
Hannah's family has been here for hundreds of years, like mine.
I love the wood as much as anyone, but I don't see things the way my son does.
And if there's no other way for James to save his farm, I can't blame him.
He's got forestry people up there already.
We'll have to move quickly.
Oh, dear.
Hello, Victoria.
Bernadette.
I didn't mean to interrupt.
Oh, it's alright.
I'm just clearing up.
I'll leave you two to conspire alone.
Yes, the documents are in the vestry.
I did see the lady.
Julie, stories aren't lies, but they're not the truth either.
It's not a story.
Come back.
Chaser.
Pharaoh.
Come here.
Come here.
Rufus, come here! Come here, boy.
I want you to go straight home and tell your mother to phone the police and an ambulance.
What's wrong? Tell her to phone the kennels too.
We'll need the lorry to take the hounds back.
But we were going to walk.
Just go and do it, Julie.
Troy.
Sir! Over here.
Do we know who she is? Susan Bartlett.
Local farmer's wife.
Same one.
We met him yesterday, throwing a punch outside court.
It's a positive ID, is it? Yes.
Mr Fielding knows her.
He found the body? His dogs did.
He was exercising the Midsomer Hunt pack.
He's the kennel master.
Mr Fielding.
I'm Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby.
I pulled her out.
I couldn't leave her in there.
I knew there was nothing I could do for her.
She must have been dead since yesterday afternoon.
How do you mean, since yesterday afternoon? My daughter saw the body.
We didn't believe her.
Your daughter saw the body dead? Yeah.
But not in the pond.
Somewhere in the bushes.
I just thought it was one of her stories.
Sorry.
I'm really sorry.
Just tell me where the bitch is? Really, Mr Harrington, I won't have that kind .
.
Leave the sanctimonious clap trap.
The police have cordoned off the wood.
They won't let me on my own land, they won't say why.
Where's the Sullivan woman? II think she's gone.
Goneto London.
I'll have her.
Simon.
All of you.
We're a heifer short in the top field.
In the barn.
Looked a bit lame.
You couldn't tell me that, Jonah? Weren't here for me to tell.
I'll print out a list of cows ready for AI.
Can you check it before they go out? Now, Jonah.
Should be an e-mail to confirm the bulls.
I don't need guff to tell me a cow's bulling.
It's never right that thing.
Cows know when they're for serving.
That's the Lord's work, that is.
"There shall not be male or female barren among you, or any of your cattle.
" Have you seen Susan this morning? Is she still in bed? I just came to leave her eggs.
She comes and goes when she comes and goes.
About as predictable as you in that department.
Susan? Where are you? Susan? HORN BLARES Move it.
Move it now, you idiots.
Get out of my way.
Mr Bartlett! Move it now or I do it myself.
Mr Bartlett, you may remember me.
We met yesterday.
I'm Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby.
This is Detective Sergeant Troy.
And I need to talk to you.
Where would your wife have sent this from, Mr Bartlett? She had a laptop in the house.
She had her own e-mail address, did she? Where was she? I mean what The body was found in Setwale Wood this morning.
It appears she drowned.
We'll know more after the post-mortem.
I will have to ask you to confirm her identity, sir.
Poor Susan.
I just never thought Shall we .
.
Shall we go up to the house, sir? Obviously there are questions I need to ask you.
Yeah.
See what else you can get here.
TROY: Mr Bloxham? You don't live on the farm? When was the last time you saw Mrs Bartlett? Yesterday.
What time was that? After morning milking.
You didn't see her after that? Not here I didn't.
I saw her yesterday.
Early.
That was the last time.
I was going out, she was coming downstairs.
She wasn't in when you got back from the court? I don't know.
I assumed she was.
I went straight to bed myself.
The court case had been a bit of a shock.
We needed to take stock, so we'd been talking till late.
And you were where? At Bernadette Sullivan's - she's the barrister for the campaign.
What time did you get home? You had separate bedrooms? Dairy farmers work unsociable hours.
It was better for Susan.
Who else was at this meeting? It wasn't a meeting exactly, it was more of a debriefing.
Bernadette and me.
What was this 'truth' that's being referred to in the e-mail? "I must face up to the truth now.
No more pretending.
" What was that? Susan and I had been trying to start a family for the last eight years, ever since we were married.
Didn't happen.
And you think that's what she means? I knew the truth a long time ago but for Susan there was always another consultant, another drug, some high-tech science mumbo jumbo.
There was never going to be a baby.
She wouldn't accept it.
I didn't know how bad her depression had got.
He last saw his wife What about Bloxham, was he here all day? On and off.
Last saw Mrs Bartlett at 12:00 on his way to the village.
She was leaving the Harrington farm.
Bartlett was just about to go into court with this man Harrington.
Not the best time to drop in for a cup of coffee, was it? Susan Bartlett only went to Abbey Farm when her husband wasn't around.
Do I detect a euphemism? Bloxham reckons they were at it.
That's better, Troy.
Don't start discussing matters of the flesh with delicacy and discretion, I'll never know what you're talking about.
PHONE RINGS Oh, hello, Simon.
What is!? Alright.
What's happened? Just tell me.
You sure about all this? Oh, yes.
I saw her.
In the bushes.
What were her clothes like? I couldn't see exactly and then we were frightened and we ran.
I saw a shoe.
Thank you, Sean.
And you couldn't see who this person was? A lady.
Do you think she'd been hurt? She could have been knocked out.
Like by a robber.
But later I thought it was - like she was asleep, you know.
The dog was a Jack Russell.
I didn't know him but I would remember.
If you got all the Jack Russells together, I could pick him out.
We'll think about the dog later.
Now, for the moment I don't want you to say anything to anyone.
No one at all.
It has to be a secret.
Can you do that for me? We could help.
We could find things.
You've been a great help already.
Thank you, Julie.
You two go upstairs and play.
Inspector Barnaby's got a lot to do.
Come on, Sean.
Goodbye.
Bye, Julie.
Bye, Sean.
I don't know what to say.
She's been telling so many tales lately, making things up, all about the woods.
If only we'd listened, if we'd just PHONE RINGS MACHINE: Hi, there.
I can't get to the phone just now.
Please leave a message.
BARTLETT: Bernadette, I need to talk to you, something terrible Susan I was trying to get hold of Bernadette, to tell her that Don't you have more important things to see to? II don't know Susan's dead.
If there's anything you can do to stop people believing her suicide was your fault, you should do it.
I know you didn't have much time for her in life lately, but I'd like to think that in death you can do something more decent than rush off into the arms of your mistress.
Oh, it's you.
Chief Inspector Barnaby, right? You've got a bloody cheek.
Don't think you're going to get away with it.
My woods, my timber - that's what the judge said.
Shall we start again, Mr Harrington? We don't seem to be on the same track.
I need to ask you some questions.
You won't let me into Setwale Wood.
I'm the one with the questions.
There is a police investigation going on in Setwale Wood.
Nobody is allowed in until I'm satisfied the scene has been preserved and the evidence is safe.
Evidence of what? Do you know Mrs Susan Bartlett? What kind of a question is that? I haven't got time to waste.
Can you say when you last saw Mrs Susan Bartlett, please? I wouldn't know.
I pass her in the street.
I don't talk to the woman.
Mrs Bartlett's body was found in a pond in Setwale Wood this morning.
She was dead.
The wood belongs to you.
Shall we come inside then you can tell me what the Susan Bartlett you don't talk to was doing here yesterday morning.
She was here.
What time? She didn't stay.
I had to be in court.
She popped in, that's all.
Did she make a habit of popping in? Of course she didn't.
So why yesterday? The row over Setwale Wood.
She thought there could be a last ditch compromise between Simon and me.
A waste of time.
You saw that yourself.
Let me make something clear to you.
I'm investigating a suspicious death.
At the moment you're one of the last people to have seen Susan Bartlett alive.
You think somebody killed her? Did anyone have a reason to? For God's sake, I didn't.
Then the truth shouldn't be a problem, should it? Simon and I grew up together.
We weren't always at each other's throats.
We were friends.
Susan and I were an item in our teens.
Then I was away, agricultural college.
Next thing she's marrying Simon.
A whirlwind romance.
Like hell.
He was at her behind my back all the time.
A long time ago.
I was still in love with her.
My wife, Caroline, knew eventually.
Didn't make for much of a marriage.
Mrs Bartlett.
Can we get up to date? Susan was Yes? She made a play for me.
All these years later.
So it happened.
I needed to find out how I felt.
And I did.
I realised I'd stopped loving her a long time ago.
I knew what was really important - Caroline, the boys.
So I ended it.
Yet she was here on the day she died.
I'd told her it was over.
She didn't get the message.
I told her again.
Where were you last night? I was in the pub.
Couple of pubs.
I came home.
Had another drink.
Went to bed.
Can anyone confirm that? Not once I left the last pub.
You're wasting your time here.
Don't husbands usually top the list of suspects? There's no one on the top of any list as yet, Mr Harrington.
Doesn't mean to say there won't be.
I may not know a lot about farming, but I'm very used to separating the sheep from the goats.
There's no doubt about the cause of death, is there? Or the time? Right, I'll pick the report up tomorrow morning.
Post mortem? Yes.
Susan Bartlett definitely drowned.
And she drowned some time between 10pm and 2am.
No sign of any kind of a struggle.
The suicide note was e-mailed at 9:48.
So the suicide theory fits perfectly.
Except for the fact that Julie Fielding saw Susan Bartlett's body lying in Setwale Wood earlier that afternoon.
If Julie did see the body, it was at least six hours before Mrs Bartlett died.
Well, that gives us something to go on, doesn't it? What? It doesn't make any sense at all, does it? "As I was walking up the stair I met a man who wasn't there.
"He wasn't there again today.
I wish, I wish he'd stay away.
" I spent the night at my flat in London.
I've just walked in.
Was it an accident? Not an accident, no.
The general opinion in the village is suicide.
But that's not your opinion? Other people's assumptions are interesting.
I've made none myself.
You're a barrister.
You understand about suspicious death.
Mr Bartlett says he spent the evening of the Setwale Wood court case here.
Is that right? Yes.
When did he leave? I'm not sure exactly.
And you were with him all that day since .
.
Since the night before.
There was a case to prepare.
It was late.
He stayed the night.
Silence signifies you'd like to know the nature of our relationship.
It would save time.
I didn't make up the spare bed.
Mr Bartlett chose not to tell me that he spent the previous night here with you.
Discretion.
The Bartletts have an image in the community.
Did Mrs Bartlett know about the relationship? Maybe.
I never got the impression she was very concerned what Simon got up to.
She had other things on her mind.
But then you'll know about that.
No.
Like what? Depression.
It was hardly a secret.
Look, I'm sorry about Susan, of course.
But I barely knew the woman.
If she did commit suicide, I don't suppose it's much of a surprise.
But the short version is - Simon was with me from 9:00 in the morning till 10:30 the following night.
He didn't go home at all? Briefly.
To talk to Bloxham.
There's more to say about cows than I've fathomed.
How long was he there? An hour and a bit.
You're surely not suggesting Simon had something to do with his wife's death? That's absurd.
No, I'm sure you're right.
Well, thank you.
Thank you for your help, Ms Sullivan.
Morning.
What's happened? Who is PHONE RINGS Bernadette, why the hell didn't you tell me you were going away? I was trying to get hold of .
.
What did he want? I'll need to take these back, Mr Bartlett.
I'll give you a receipt.
Who the hell do you think it was? Yes!? I'll talk to you later.
Ms Sullivan? Any reason why not? Look, am I going to get an explanation for all this? Why is my house being searched? Why are Susan's things being taken? The laptop that Sergeant Troy has just removed.
Anyone, apart from you and your wife, have access to that? It was hers.
I didn't use it.
Never? Never.
The problem is, the computer was used to send the e-mail, the suicide note.
It was sent when your wife's body had been lying in Setwale Wood for at least six hours, probably longer.
So whoever e-mailed it to you, it wasn't her.
Your wife did drown, sir, but I don't think she killed herself.
I think she was murdered.
Morning, Sergeant.
I need to have a look around the farm, Mr Harrington.
I haven't got a search warrant Help yourself, old son.
Inside, outside.
There are no bodies that I can call to mind, but you never know.
Just one thing.
You won't leave a mess, will you? Mrs Bartlett had a computer, a laptop.
You weren't aware of it? I can't say that I was.
She did bang on about the web.
Gynaecological advice on the web, Tarot card readings.
Not my sort of thing.
There's enough bullshit in Midsomer Worthy without scouring the planet for the stuff.
You didn't have access to this computer? PHONE RINGS Never even seen it.
I haven't been inside Grange Farm for 10 years.
Hello.
Oh, hello, Mother.
Yes, there is a policeman here as it happens.
Are they putting up a schedule in the post office? By all means.
It's my mother.
She's in urgent need of a policeman for some reason.
I'm in need of a drink.
Sergeant Troy.
Don't pull those up, Sean.
There's no flowers on them, Mum.
There would have been.
Can we go for a walk? I'm weeding.
No! No! No! Not those.
Can we? Just once around the village, alright? Hi.
Morning.
Has something happened to Mrs Bartlett's garden, Julie? I didn't want to bother you, but Hannah thought, well, I don't know what Hannah thought.
However horrid, I can't see it has to do with poor Susan.
Really, all I want is to sweep the flowers away and forget about it.
Please leave them for the moment, Mrs Bartlett.
My boss will want to take a look.
Well, do what you must.
As far as I'm concerned there's only one way to deal with other people's unpleasantness.
Plenty of hot tea.
That would be very welcome.
Why are you drawing Bosco? It's elimination.
You can take the sausages.
SHOP DOORBELL RINGS I'm sorry about Susan.
Are you? Come on, Simon, of course I am.
She didn't care about you.
She didn't give a stuff.
You never could take that.
What are you talking about? You were trying to get her back and she wouldn't listen.
She still thought you were the same loser you always were.
You're out of your mind.
Is that why you killed her? Because you begged her and she still wouldn't.
You're a maniac, Bartlett.
You're an animal! Get lost.
I loved her.
Do you even know what that means? You will get what's coming to you.
If the police don't get you, I will.
Come on.
Hello, Sean.
Hello, Julie.
Have you caught anyone? We have to find out what happened first, don't we? What about the dog? Sergeant Troy is hot on the trail of every Jack Russell for miles.
But he won't even know what it looks like.
He is a bit short on local knowledge.
Come on.
Mrs Bartlett.
Mrs Harrington.
I'm sorry about this, Mr Barnaby.
It's somebody's foul idea of a joke.
I know you've more important things and the flowers will grow again.
I'm not saying there is a link with your daughter-in-law's death, Mrs Bartlett, but I'd like to know why anyone would think of doing something so odd.
Is there anyone you would regard as being your enemy or someone your son would? People often fall out with each other.
Your garden's never been vandalised before, has it? No.
And I don't believe anyone we know would respond to such a Susan's suicide.
.
.
by doing such a thing.
I wish it were as simple as it appeared yesterday, Mrs Bartlett, but it isn't.
This is now a murder investigation.
Everyone thinks Susan's death makes it bad manners to stop him destroying the wood.
I've come up with something that could bankrupt the man.
Get on with it, if you want.
What I want! We've been fighting this for the last nine months, Simon.
I don't give a damn about the dissolution of the monasteries.
Well, you should.
It's you that gets Abbey Farm when this is all over.
Look, ever since we met you've banged on about what you could do with more land.
I can make that happen.
I can make sure that when we do get together you'll have everything you've ever wanted.
Come back with me.
You don't want to be here.
It's miserable.
I understand that.
Can't you wait till she's buried? What is the period for abstaining from carnal knowledge of your mistress when your wife dies? If she'd walked out you'd have thrown a party.
It's the same woman.
It's not that simple.
Why not? Unless you killed her.
Of course I didn't kill her.
You're a bit weak in the alibi department, darling.
Hope you can convince Barnaby.
I don't want anything more to do with James or Setwale Wood.
Or me? I didn't say that.
I could drop you off if you'd like, Mrs Bartlett.
No, I'd rather walk.
I have to go to the rectory.
There's Susan's funeral.
Bye, Mr Barnaby.
You've known Mrs Bartlett a long time? Forever.
When we were kids there was hardly a day we didn't meet, usually in the wood.
There's the ruins of a cottage there.
We didn't think anyone else knew it.
Of course everybody did.
It's even marked on the map.
This thing with the flowers, Victoria Bartlett's garden, you believe it was a lot more than just a tasteless joke, don't you? They were burning witches here up until the 17th century.
One of the things the witches were accused of was putting the evil eye on people.
It wasn't the evil eye which killed Susan.
I only mean it makes a statement, a warning if you like.
Mr Barnaby, I'm not easily frightened.
But when I saw those flowers laid out in the shape of a dead body, another dead body, it made my blood run cold.
Can we go home? I don't expect Mr Barnaby just goes home before he's finished detecting.
I bet he does.
He's a chief inspector.
There's another one.
DOG BARKS Sausages, Sean.
This is the one from the wood.
It is.
I'm going to investigate.
I don't like it here, Julie.
DOG BARKS He's eaten them all, Julie.
No one comes here.
No one.
I know who you are.
You come again and I'll have you.
You will know the winepress of the wrath of God.
We can establish the e-mail was sent using the phone line at Grange Farm.
But that doesn't get us very far.
There was no password.
Anyone who knew about PCs, even at a basic level, could have got in.
But you'd need to know it was there.
And you'd need to get into the house If you weren't there already.
The house was empty.
If Simon Bartlett left Bernadette Sullivan's when he said he did.
She's not likely to lie she's a barrister, isn't she? I can see, Troy, that despite your experiences at Causton Crown Court, you still have a touching faith in the legal profession.
You think she is lying? I think all sorts of people are lying, Troy.
Susan Bartlett's phone calls? Pretty well all to the gynaecologist at St Thomas's in London.
She phoned Harrington a lot.
The calls only last a few seconds.
There's one very odd call she received the day before the murder.
We traced it to Mrs Caroline Harrington in Causton.
I wouldn't have thought they had much to chat about.
You didn't take a pound of sausages this morning did you, Sam? Course I did.
I always take a pound of raw sausages to work, everybody does.
I don't want to be the odd one out, do I? I must have used them.
Come on kids.
Tea.
Come on.
Looks interesting.
It's just dogs.
It's all the Jack Russells we followed to find the lady.
When did you do this, Julie? Today.
You followed people? We did find the dog.
I'm sure.
In an old house that's falling down That's it.
No more! From now on you don't leave the house or the garden on your own.
You go to school and then you come home.
But Mr Barnaby said You don't understand these things.
It's not a game.
Now go and sit up.
Playing detective.
It's got to stop.
Sam, we've got to find a better way of stopping it than shouting.
I don't want them out on their own.
What's the matter? Susan Bartlett didn't kill herself.
Someone murdered her.
Julie and Sean are out there following Hi, how's it going? Shut up.
I'll tell you when I see you.
Don't keep me waiting.
Any trouble and you know what's going to happen.
James! If you're in there HORN BLASTS .
.
I want to talk to you.
James.
I've got the card.
Chief Inspector Barnaby lives in Causton.
We've got to tell him about Mr Bloxham's Jack Russell.
We're not allowed.
It'll just have to be a secret, like he said.
There's things we need to talk about, James.
What? It's not a conversation to have here.
I don't care.
We're celebrating.
There's money in the bank from now on.
And every time I draw some, it's going to make me feel so very good.
Shut up.
Let's have another drink? No more.
I'll take you home.
We'll have one at the farm.
You do what you like.
Night, mother.
Bad manners to leave a wake early, I know, but you can put a long face on with the best of them.
Can't you keep him under control? No, Hannah.
That's why I left him.
James.
Hmm? There's something I need to tell you.
Come in and have a drink then.
I don't want one.
Well, I do.
Oh! Sod off then! DOOR LATCH OPENS, DOOR CREAKS Come on.
Two halves to Causton, please.
No school today? We're doing something important.
Better not hang about then.
There you go.
Yes, that's James, my son.
You won't need a doctor to pronounce him dead.
I have to ask you more questions.
I'll be in the yard.
George is still alive.
At least we might be able to save him.
George? It's the dog.
Number seven.
I'm starving.
Hello.
Hello.
I'm Julie Fielding and this is my brother, Sean.
Is this where Chief Inspector Barnaby lives? Yes it is, but I'm afraid he's at work at the moment.
We've come a long way on the bus about clues and everything.
Well, you'd better come in.
I'm sure I can get hold of him for you.
Are you Mrs Inspector Barnaby? Yes, I suppose I am.
I'm ever so hungry.
He'll need to be kept warm.
Don't feed him today.
Something in the morning and if he's sick again, stop.
I'll bring him through.
Mr Fielding.
Oh, I couldn't get hold of a damned vet.
Anyway, Sam's forgotten more about dogs than they've ever known in that practice.
What happened to the dog? Something knocked him out.
Whatever it was, it was strong.
He's sicked up most of it.
It's all round him.
Poison? No symptoms that I recognise.
It just knocked him out cold.
Nothing to tell you what it was? An odd smell on his breath.
It reminded me of something but .
.
nah, it's gone now.
Sir, have you got a minute? We found his car, still outside the pub.
His mother said he was in there with his wife - ex-wife.
I'm not sure what we're supposed to call her.
Whatever she was yesterday, 'ex' covers it today.
So, Caroline Harrington gave him a lift home, did she? Yeah.
That means she was the last person to see him alive.
So far anyway.
Right.
I'll talk to her in Causton.
In the meantime, there's a lot of dog vomit in there.
Mr Fielding will show you where it is.
Dog vomit? Yes, could you collect it up? Much as you can.
His mobile's off.
The station says he's gone out to Midsomer Worthy.
I didn't want to tell him there.
It's got to be a secret, you see.
Can I have some more cake? I'm glad you like it.
I could eat loads.
Sean, it's rude to just ask for more.
I'll take it as a compliment.
Thank you.
Your parents do know you're here? They found his body.
Like Susan.
Drowned.
Everyone knows.
If you need a lawyer, I'm not cheap.
Look, I am sorry about yesterday.
You don't get told your wife's been murdered.
For God's sake, how am I supposed to handle something like that? The police are going to think it was me with everything that They can't prove anything.
What aren't you telling me? I went to Abbey Farm last night.
That's clever.
I didn't know someone was going to kill James.
He wasn't even there.
I'm frightened, Bernadette.
I went to the farm.
I went home.
I was on my own.
He could have been there dead when I was.
Did anyone see you at Abbey Farm? No.
Then you weren't there.
And you weren't on your own, you spent the night with me.
An alibi from an eminent barrister should even shut Barnaby up.
Forget it all.
Problem solved.
I called at the house and there was no one there.
You just missed Mr Fielding.
He was here.
Look, you go on home.
I'll take these two over to him at the kennels.
Harry.
May we see some detecting? Please.
Come on.
In the car.
Can we put the siren on? No, you may not.
See you later, Joyce.
It was Mr Bloxham's Jack Russell, honestly.
In.
PHONE RINGS MACHINE: Hi.
We can't come to the phone right now.
Leave a message and we'll get back to you.
Come and eat this evening.
You won't feel much like cooking.
Call me.
I panicked.
I thought the police would come to me.
They'd think I did it.
That's ridiculous, Simon.
Then I realised it was stupid.
Setting up a false alibi with Bernadette.
Stupid! I went home and for the first time I saw things clearly.
I do know, Simon.
It's no different for anyone.
When your father died .
.
If we'd been happy.
If the last few years hadn't been such a .
.
It was me.
I shut her out.
Maybe you should go away for a bit.
Jonah can run the farm.
If I cleared out her things .
.
No! I don't want that.
Alright.
When someone dies, you don't want to let go.
But you will have to.
I do have to let go.
I don't know why Susan died, why James did.
But there is a poison that's going to stay with me for the rest of my life, unless I do something about it.
Is that what Bernadette wants? Bernadette? I can't say I like the woman, but clearly when this is over, you and she .
.
No! Oh! I thought I think I've just discovered I don't like her very much either.
In fact, there's something about her that .
.
I'm selling the farm.
What? As soon as Susan's funeral's over, Grange Farm goes on the market.
Simon, you can't throw away a lifetime's work.
And what about all the other lifetimes? Your father's, your grandfather's, down the generations.
We are a part of Midsomer Worthy.
We matter here.
It's madness.
No.
The answer is no.
I can buy another farm.
I can't buy my way out of what's going on in here.
Denise will go ballistic.
Anything could have happened.
Why didn't the school They're safe now.
So there's somebody out there who's killed two people.
That's what you think? We don't know.
Julie and Sean have seen things, they are witnesses, aren't they? Nobody knows that.
Look, I'll make sure the house is patrolled, OK? This dog business.
I don't hold out much hope there.
Julie's very sure, though, isn't she? Julie.
Julie.
Tell Mr Barnaby all the names of the hounds you know.
Go on.
That's Barnard, that's Chaser, that's Sable - he's got more black.
There's Pharaoh, Tess, Floppy - with the funny ears.
Brandy - she had pups at Christmas.
That's Kestrel, and ET.
You want something? You've got a Jack Russell terrier? What if I have? Can we go inside? I still need to find anyone who was in Setwale Wood on the day Susan Bartlett died.
People see things.
On their own they don't mean much but the smallest thing can help.
And now there may have been another murder.
I wasn't there.
Your dog was seen in the wood in the afternoon at a time when we know Mrs Bartlett's body was already there.
Plenty of Jack Russells round here.
There's a good chance this was yours.
He goes where he wants.
Anywhere there's vermin.
Plenty in Setwale Wood.
And you weren't with him? No.
We haven't found anyone who saw Mrs Bartlett after you did, Mr Bloxham, when she drove out of Abbey Farm.
Next one'd be him who killed her.
DOG BARKS This your dog? Here, boy.
DOG SNARLS, BARNABY WINCES Charlie don't like people very much.
Here.
Tablespoon, twice a day.
See off any infection, that will.
What is that? Herbs.
Nature's remedies.
Thank you.
If you do happen to remember anything, Mr Bloxham.
"O, God, who knowest us to be set in the midst "of so many and great dangers, "that by reason of the frailty of our nature "we are not always able to stand upright.
Grant to us such strength, as may support us in danger.
" The cause of death is clear.
Asphyxia.
The direct result of liquid animal waste entering the breathing passages.
He had consumed a great deal of alcohol and valerian.
The root of valeriana officinalis.
It's a sedative used for nervous conditions.
A popular cure for insomnia.
It's in any chemist.
It's not dangerous? Normally, no.
But 'normal' isn't the word for what's in Mr Harrington's system, or what the dog threw up.
But it looks to be a very concentrated form of valerian.
And Susan Bartlett? I've been back.
The same.
Enough to kill? Not in a healthy adult.
We're talking paralysis, unconsciousness.
"Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings.
" JULIE: She could have been knocked out.
Like by a robber.
But later I thought it was, like she was asleep.
Julie Fielding said she was asleep.
I thought she said that because she didn't really understand what 'dead' meant but she was telling us exactly what she saw.
Tom, I know you're not a great believer in coincidences, but I was struck by where Mrs Bartlett was found.
Setwale Wood? Valerian has had various names in its long and ancient history but in the Middle Ages it was called setwale.
Harrington was drunk when he got home.
He wouldn't have noticed if his whiskey tasted a bit strange.
And Susan Bartlett was taking pills and potions like there was no tomorrow, some with valerian in.
Small doses, but it wouldn't have been hard to substitute the concentrated stuff.
That puts it pretty close to home.
Doesn't it? What's Simon Bartlett's alibi for last night? Ms Sullivan confirms he was with her.
(WINCES) Jonah Bloxham's dog.
Anything else from Abbey Farm? I found these.
Harrington's life was insured for 400,000 pounds.
Two policies.
The premiums on these must have been a bit hefty.
Are they still active? The insurance company say yes.
He wasn't paying for them, his wife was.
She has been since the separation.
You'd been separated from James for one, nearly two years now, yet you still kept up the payments on his life insurance.
That seems unusual.
It's just something I did.
And he had no contact with the insurance companies.
All the correspondence came straight to you.
Did you discuss it with him? There was no point talking to James about money.
It only meant a row.
As for correspondence, he ignored every envelope that came through the door.
It still seems a lot of insurance for a man so very close to bankruptcy.
We were trying to sort things out, to get back together.
I really didn't kill him for this money, Mr Barnaby.
I have to ask these questions Mrs Harrington.
To make sense of things.
You find people's lives make sense, do you? It would be very nice if they did.
It's not my experience.
Sergeant Troy spoke to you after the death of Susan Bartlett to confirm the time you met your husband after the court case.
Yes.
You did not tell him that you'd made a phone call to Susan Bartlett on the previous day.
No.
Well, was there a reason for the call? I heard that James was seeing her.
I wanted to know the truth.
What did she say? She laughed.
That all? I slammed the phone down.
I decided I didn't want to know after all.
In the end it didn't matter whether anything had happened, only that it wouldn't happen again.
That's what I wanted to say to him last night, but he was too drunk to listen.
If I had any inclination to kill Susan I would have done it years ago.
I won't say it didn't cross my mind.
Then.
MUFFLED: went to Harrington's farm and killed him.
He done Susan Bartlett, too.
He took her body to the woods in his ATV.
Search the farm.
The call was logged at 1 o'clock this morning.
It was made from the phone box in Midsomer Worthy.
Nothing on identity? Anonymous male, that's all.
The man was on for less than a minute.
He didn't say very much.
Simon Bartlett went to Harrington's farm and killed him.
He also killed Susan Bartlett and he used the ATV to get her body into Setwale Wood.
Makes sense.
And the motive? Jealousy.
A crime of passion.
He kills his wife, then he kills her lover.
Sounds very Mediterranean, Troy.
I just drove up there.
James wasn't there.
I turned round and came home.
I knew that I was under suspicion for Susan's death.
I was afraid if I said I'd been at Abbey Farm, you'd think .
.
Why? Why did you go there? I wanted to talk to him.
"If the police don't get you, I will.
" You do remember saying that, don't you? That wasI didn't know what I was saying.
I didn't mean it.
Alright.
So you came home.
You were never at Ms Sullivan's at all? No.
Why would she lie about it? I thought - I believed! - it was to protect me.
Now I'm not so sure.
What do you mean? Well, she wasn't just giving me an alibi.
She was giving herself one.
What is it, boy? Skipper! There behind the bale.
The whiskey is spiked with valerian.
Stronger than anything the lab's seen.
What about the rest? The hair on the ATV is human.
They'll be able to match it to samples of Susan Bartlett's hair.
So whoever made that call was right.
That's how he moved her.
We're up against a top barrister here, sir.
We'll have to tread carefully.
So will she.
She's up against me.
Simon Bartlett is my client.
I'd like to know precisely why he's been arrested.
You're under a misapprehension as to why you're here.
You provided Simon Bartlett with a false alibi for the night of James Harrington's death.
You won't need legal advice from me to understand the implications of that.
You do admit he wasn't there? I made a mistake.
Not something a distinguished lawyer should make a mistake about.
Oh, my mistake's much dumber than that.
I believed a weak man was something else.
I believed he wasn't in love with the dull, stupid woman he married.
When he told me he'd been at Harrington's I saw the fear.
I lied for him.
It seemed more reliable than a marriage licence.
Knowing he could have murdered James Harrington and his own wife? Simon couldn't kill anyone.
We have evidence that says he did.
Then look at it again.
Charges against you don't stop with wasting police time and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
If Mr Bartlett is a suspect, then so are you.
I'm not some criminal you've pulled in off the street, Chief Inspector.
I find criminals in very unexpected places, Ms Sullivan.
It may even be if Mr Bartlett isn't a suspect, you still are.
He seems to think that you could have killed his wife and his neighbour.
Setwale Wood.
You know a lot about that.
I've wasted enough time on it.
You know what 'setwale' means? It's a plant.
Valerian.
Somewhere, it's referred to as 'the devil's herb'.
Is that the same plant? What's this all about? In 1652, a woman was burned as a witch, apparently because she tried to kill her neighbour with 'the devil's herb'.
Witchcraft didn't kill Susan Bartlett or James Harrington.
No.
But both bodies contained large amounts of valerian.
You were trying to stop Harrington felling the wood, using some old feudal laws, whatever.
Why did you need to know anything about herbs and potions? It interested me.
Where did you get the information? Church records, the library.
A local historian wrote a piece about the Bloxham family back in the '50s.
As in Jonah Bloxham? He's a descendant.
The woman they burnt as a witch was called Mary Bloxham.
Even after the War the villagers went to his grandfather for remedies.
Old people trusted him more than the doctor.
The ATV.
There couldn't have been any forensic just sitting there on Bartlett's ATV.
Bloxham spent a morning cleaning it.
"Like "as the arrows "in the land of the giant CHILDREN LAUGH ".
.
even so "are the young children.
" You bring the car round, Troy.
There's something I'd better leave the lab to look at.
What is it? Nature's remedy, Troy.
It's from Bloxham, for the dog bite.
You didn't take it? I'm afraid I did.
We got here early enough to save the house but Mr Bloxham's touch and go.
Where is he? In here.
He's not badly burnt but he's taken in a lot of smoke.
He's unconscious.
He's got a nasty crack on his head.
He's fine.
Like nothing's happened.
You know, I think I know what knocked him out.
I recognise the smell.
It's Valerian.
I remember it from when I was a kid.
My dad used to say the gypsies used it to deal with unfriendly dogs.
It doesn't stay in the system or leave any after effects but he must have taken a hell of a lot to do that.
You think that started it? It's old enough to be lethal.
The way the fire spread, there must have been something on the carpet.
They thought the paraffin heater started it but the thing hadn't been used for years.
This has been stripped.
There were lots of pictures, old black-and-white photographs.
It didn't register at the time, but he didn't want me to see.
And he wasn't the only one.
MRS HARRINGTON: When we were kids there was hardly a day we didn't meet.
I'm letting the garden get out of hand.
Time I did some clearing up.
Me too, Victoria.
High time.
What is it? What's the matter? You'll be cross.
Of course I won't.
You were before.
What is it, Julie? Look inside, Troy.
I'll try the garden.
No one here, sir.
All the doors are open.
Mr Barnaby! I saw your car.
This doesn't make any sense.
But, well, I had to say something.
Julie was looking out of her bedroom well, she's very sure .
.
Best in her own words, Mrs Fielding.
Julie? Mrs Harrington took her away.
And she had her shotgun pushing in her back.
Out.
Out! Hannah, this is madness.
Causton's right.
The main road.
No.
Not the main road Where do you think she's going? There's the ruin of a cottage there.
It's even marked on the map.
Left.
Setwale Wood.
Left.
Go on.
That's it.
GUNSHOT No further to run, Victoria.
You frightened me, Hannah.
You murdered my son.
You killed Susan, too.
I knew as soon as I heard the word valerian.
Remember how you'd pick the plants with Jonah? You'd catch rabbits and squirrels, see how long they stayed unconscious.
Mostly they died.
Not a very nice hobby for the prettiest girl in Midsomer Worthy.
Your parents were relieved when you discovered boys.
Poor Susan.
Wasn't there an easier way to get rid of her? No.
Despite everything, he wouldn't leave her.
And finally you knew there'd never be a Bartlett heir.
My God, is that it? He didn't have the guts to kick her out.
So you did it for him.
I put my son first.
I looked at James, a drunk, who couldn't keep his life together because of her.
She was dangerous.
But if she'd delivered grandchildren? The Bartletts have farmed here for 500 years.
You don't let that disappear.
There's a debt to the future.
For God's sake, Hannah, even your waster of a son could produce children.
Is that why you killed him? I didn't want to.
He saw my car here.
He was blundering about in the wood, drunk, I suppose.
I don't know what he was doing.
But he knew, once the police came.
He phoned me.
He wanted money from me.
He wanted me to pay him to keep quiet.
That way.
That's not all he wanted.
He wanted to rub our noses in the dirt.
To destroy us.
It would be a good idea if you put the gun down, Mrs Harrington.
I'd like to go home now, Mr Barnaby.
We're really not friends any more.
We've been friends all our lives, Mr Barnaby.
I wouldn't even let a dog of mine suffer more than it had to.
Susan Bartlett had to be replaced.
By Bernadette Sullivan? Any woman who could provide a grandchild.
But Harrington worked it out.
He put the flowers in Victoria's garden.
Not to say, "You're next.
" Just, "I know you did it.
" But why would Bloxham frame Simon Bartlett? He found out what she'd done, but he wasn't part of it.
Yes, she learned all about valerian from him some 40 years before.
But Bloxham was trying to incriminate Simon because Simon was about to break his mother's heart.
By selling the farm? Yes, the farm was everything to Bloxham, too.
He grew up there.
And Victoria, she was five years younger than him, but she was like a kid sister.
Hannah said she idolised him.
And he loved her.
But they couldn't stay kids forever.
So he turned the only time he was happy into a private world.
He had to protect it.
Even Simon was expendable.
Victoria didn't see it like that.
Thank you for waiting for me, Mr Barnaby.
(WINCES) Bloxham's damned dog.
Closed Captions by CSI
The trees got bigger and bigger and it was getting dark.
There was lots of thunder and animals made horrid rustling noises in the night - foxes and wolves and a huge big bear.
There's no bears.
There was then, with fangs to eat you.
Can we go back, Julie? The bear's coming.
Run, Sean.
Julie.
Julie! Come back.
Bear's got me.
Julie.
Where are you? I'll tell.
Aaaaaargh.
Stay there.
I understand the feelings of the Midsomer Worthy community.
Setwale Wood has been a place of recreation for generations.
Children play there, people walk their dogs, picnic, and I'm sure all sorts of things.
But none of that alters the fact that the land belongs to Mr Harrington.
As for this long list of objections, nothing warrants an injunction to prevent Mr Harrington selling his wood, or Whitley Estates felling it.
With all due respect, your honour.
Ms Sullivan.
Whenever a barrister addresses the bench with those words it is because he, or she, is about to show no respect at all.
Please, don't.
CLERK: All rise.
TROY: Where do they get these judges? The man burgled his way through every village in the county.
We catch the criminals, we offer up the evidence.
Not everyone likes what happens in court.
Maybe the judge is right - give the boy one more chance.
Oh, look! A squadron of pigs over Causton? It's not finished.
They move in next week.
Setwale Wood will be flattened in a fortnight.
Over my dead body.
Suits me.
Not the way, Simon.
There are those who prefer your body alive and kicking.
Right, Ms Sullivan? I'm a police officer and I want you two to walk away from each other in opposite directions.
Now.
Or I'll arrest you both.
Nice day for it, Rector.
OK, off you go.
I've got to talk to Mummy.
I've already heard.
You should have seen the look on Simon's face.
He really thought that bitch of a barrister would beat me.
Anyway, the whole thing'll be done in a couple of weeks and the money in the bank.
You'll be relieved.
Come on, Caroline.
We can put the separation behind us.
The boys'll have a proper home again.
The way it was.
The way it was is what worries me.
What do you mean? Susan Bartlett.
How do I trust you again if you're screwing her? I'm not.
I'm not, Caroline.
Susan Bartlett stood between us through six years of marriage.
If she's still there, forget it all.
You can sell your precious farm and pay me what you owe.
No point going through it all again.
I'm not losing because some old judge can't see past the end of his nose.
Setwale Wood belongs to James.
Whatever we say about the environment or the local community it means sod all.
One of the intriguing things about English Common Law is it's a mess.
The further back you go, the bigger the mess.
I don't think a history lesson's going to solve things.
We don't need a solution.
Just the mess.
was part of Midsomer Abbey.
It was sold off after the dissolution.
According to these half of any profit made from Setwale Wood, cash or kind, can be claimed by the abbot's successor.
That's the rector.
This wouldn't stand up for five minutes.
This is ammunition for months of legal wrangling.
Harrington will be bankrupt before a chain-saw starts buzzing.
Why keep it back till now? Pointless telling the rector he might have a financial interest in the wood, if you were getting Abbey Farm anyway.
This is about saving Setwale Wood, Bernadette, not forcing James out.
So you buy Abbey Farm and save the environment.
A perfect end.
I've got to go.
Cows don't care what time you get home, Simon, either the ones in the milking parlour or the one in the house.
Sorry, Victoria.
Didn't see you.
My fault.
Not nice when neighbours drag you into a courtroom.
So you'll understand I'm a bit preoccupied.
I do, James, perfectly.
As your mother might put it - preoccupied as a newt.
HORN BLARES We ran all the way to the road, all the way home.
They'd never have caught us.
Hi.
Hi.
It's filthy out there.
(BOTH) Hello, Dad.
Hello.
James Harrington has just missed me.
He was on the wrong side of the road, not even looking.
What happened in court? He can cut the wood.
I wish he'd lost, but at least it might put a stop to it all.
We nearly found the robbers' hideout in the wood, Dad.
There was a lady they knocked out.
Their dog came after us.
Julie! there's no robbers in Setwale Wood.
Don't go on about it.
She must have seen them hiding.
Then they hit her so they could escape.
That's enough.
You frightened the life out of your brother.
I don't want to hear any more of your stories.
Come on, both of you upstairs.
It's not my bedtime.
It is tonight.
Go on, off you go.
CHILDREN LAUGH AND SING THUNDER PEELS HORN BEEPS What the hell are you doing? There's a footpath there, not a car park.
You'll know what trespass is.
Mr Harrington, you'd be very unwise to allow them to start felling trees.
Just a bit of preliminary work.
They move in next week.
But that hasn't got anything to do with you or anybody.
We will be going back to court.
You've fired all your guns.
Oh, no.
And you don't know how much the next salvo's going to cost you.
WOMAN: Hello, Julie.
What are you up to? She's doing it again.
Hmm? Victoria Bartlett, garden inspection.
Every time she tells me how well it's doing she means 'must try harder'.
She does it to everybody.
Not everyone lives opposite her.
Julie's still sulking.
She normally forgets these stories after five minutes.
I've got to exercise the hounds so she can come with me.
I'll go up where they were playing, have a look.
It's only encouraging her, Sam.
No, cold light of day.
It'll put an end to it all.
We done? I could do with a drink.
Ah, marvellous, ladies.
Delightful.
Hannah, I do think a gun in church Oh! Well, I could hardly leave it outside.
That would be terribly irresponsible of me.
I must go.
I think we can expect news of Setwale Wood.
Bernadette - um, Ms Sullivan - feels there are legal avenues still to explore.
Ms Sullivan only bought a house here a year ago.
Mostly she's in London.
She means to help.
Hannah's family has been here for hundreds of years, like mine.
I love the wood as much as anyone, but I don't see things the way my son does.
And if there's no other way for James to save his farm, I can't blame him.
He's got forestry people up there already.
We'll have to move quickly.
Oh, dear.
Hello, Victoria.
Bernadette.
I didn't mean to interrupt.
Oh, it's alright.
I'm just clearing up.
I'll leave you two to conspire alone.
Yes, the documents are in the vestry.
I did see the lady.
Julie, stories aren't lies, but they're not the truth either.
It's not a story.
Come back.
Chaser.
Pharaoh.
Come here.
Come here.
Rufus, come here! Come here, boy.
I want you to go straight home and tell your mother to phone the police and an ambulance.
What's wrong? Tell her to phone the kennels too.
We'll need the lorry to take the hounds back.
But we were going to walk.
Just go and do it, Julie.
Troy.
Sir! Over here.
Do we know who she is? Susan Bartlett.
Local farmer's wife.
Same one.
We met him yesterday, throwing a punch outside court.
It's a positive ID, is it? Yes.
Mr Fielding knows her.
He found the body? His dogs did.
He was exercising the Midsomer Hunt pack.
He's the kennel master.
Mr Fielding.
I'm Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby.
I pulled her out.
I couldn't leave her in there.
I knew there was nothing I could do for her.
She must have been dead since yesterday afternoon.
How do you mean, since yesterday afternoon? My daughter saw the body.
We didn't believe her.
Your daughter saw the body dead? Yeah.
But not in the pond.
Somewhere in the bushes.
I just thought it was one of her stories.
Sorry.
I'm really sorry.
Just tell me where the bitch is? Really, Mr Harrington, I won't have that kind .
.
Leave the sanctimonious clap trap.
The police have cordoned off the wood.
They won't let me on my own land, they won't say why.
Where's the Sullivan woman? II think she's gone.
Goneto London.
I'll have her.
Simon.
All of you.
We're a heifer short in the top field.
In the barn.
Looked a bit lame.
You couldn't tell me that, Jonah? Weren't here for me to tell.
I'll print out a list of cows ready for AI.
Can you check it before they go out? Now, Jonah.
Should be an e-mail to confirm the bulls.
I don't need guff to tell me a cow's bulling.
It's never right that thing.
Cows know when they're for serving.
That's the Lord's work, that is.
"There shall not be male or female barren among you, or any of your cattle.
" Have you seen Susan this morning? Is she still in bed? I just came to leave her eggs.
She comes and goes when she comes and goes.
About as predictable as you in that department.
Susan? Where are you? Susan? HORN BLARES Move it.
Move it now, you idiots.
Get out of my way.
Mr Bartlett! Move it now or I do it myself.
Mr Bartlett, you may remember me.
We met yesterday.
I'm Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby.
This is Detective Sergeant Troy.
And I need to talk to you.
Where would your wife have sent this from, Mr Bartlett? She had a laptop in the house.
She had her own e-mail address, did she? Where was she? I mean what The body was found in Setwale Wood this morning.
It appears she drowned.
We'll know more after the post-mortem.
I will have to ask you to confirm her identity, sir.
Poor Susan.
I just never thought Shall we .
.
Shall we go up to the house, sir? Obviously there are questions I need to ask you.
Yeah.
See what else you can get here.
TROY: Mr Bloxham? You don't live on the farm? When was the last time you saw Mrs Bartlett? Yesterday.
What time was that? After morning milking.
You didn't see her after that? Not here I didn't.
I saw her yesterday.
Early.
That was the last time.
I was going out, she was coming downstairs.
She wasn't in when you got back from the court? I don't know.
I assumed she was.
I went straight to bed myself.
The court case had been a bit of a shock.
We needed to take stock, so we'd been talking till late.
And you were where? At Bernadette Sullivan's - she's the barrister for the campaign.
What time did you get home? You had separate bedrooms? Dairy farmers work unsociable hours.
It was better for Susan.
Who else was at this meeting? It wasn't a meeting exactly, it was more of a debriefing.
Bernadette and me.
What was this 'truth' that's being referred to in the e-mail? "I must face up to the truth now.
No more pretending.
" What was that? Susan and I had been trying to start a family for the last eight years, ever since we were married.
Didn't happen.
And you think that's what she means? I knew the truth a long time ago but for Susan there was always another consultant, another drug, some high-tech science mumbo jumbo.
There was never going to be a baby.
She wouldn't accept it.
I didn't know how bad her depression had got.
He last saw his wife What about Bloxham, was he here all day? On and off.
Last saw Mrs Bartlett at 12:00 on his way to the village.
She was leaving the Harrington farm.
Bartlett was just about to go into court with this man Harrington.
Not the best time to drop in for a cup of coffee, was it? Susan Bartlett only went to Abbey Farm when her husband wasn't around.
Do I detect a euphemism? Bloxham reckons they were at it.
That's better, Troy.
Don't start discussing matters of the flesh with delicacy and discretion, I'll never know what you're talking about.
PHONE RINGS Oh, hello, Simon.
What is!? Alright.
What's happened? Just tell me.
You sure about all this? Oh, yes.
I saw her.
In the bushes.
What were her clothes like? I couldn't see exactly and then we were frightened and we ran.
I saw a shoe.
Thank you, Sean.
And you couldn't see who this person was? A lady.
Do you think she'd been hurt? She could have been knocked out.
Like by a robber.
But later I thought it was - like she was asleep, you know.
The dog was a Jack Russell.
I didn't know him but I would remember.
If you got all the Jack Russells together, I could pick him out.
We'll think about the dog later.
Now, for the moment I don't want you to say anything to anyone.
No one at all.
It has to be a secret.
Can you do that for me? We could help.
We could find things.
You've been a great help already.
Thank you, Julie.
You two go upstairs and play.
Inspector Barnaby's got a lot to do.
Come on, Sean.
Goodbye.
Bye, Julie.
Bye, Sean.
I don't know what to say.
She's been telling so many tales lately, making things up, all about the woods.
If only we'd listened, if we'd just PHONE RINGS MACHINE: Hi, there.
I can't get to the phone just now.
Please leave a message.
BARTLETT: Bernadette, I need to talk to you, something terrible Susan I was trying to get hold of Bernadette, to tell her that Don't you have more important things to see to? II don't know Susan's dead.
If there's anything you can do to stop people believing her suicide was your fault, you should do it.
I know you didn't have much time for her in life lately, but I'd like to think that in death you can do something more decent than rush off into the arms of your mistress.
Oh, it's you.
Chief Inspector Barnaby, right? You've got a bloody cheek.
Don't think you're going to get away with it.
My woods, my timber - that's what the judge said.
Shall we start again, Mr Harrington? We don't seem to be on the same track.
I need to ask you some questions.
You won't let me into Setwale Wood.
I'm the one with the questions.
There is a police investigation going on in Setwale Wood.
Nobody is allowed in until I'm satisfied the scene has been preserved and the evidence is safe.
Evidence of what? Do you know Mrs Susan Bartlett? What kind of a question is that? I haven't got time to waste.
Can you say when you last saw Mrs Susan Bartlett, please? I wouldn't know.
I pass her in the street.
I don't talk to the woman.
Mrs Bartlett's body was found in a pond in Setwale Wood this morning.
She was dead.
The wood belongs to you.
Shall we come inside then you can tell me what the Susan Bartlett you don't talk to was doing here yesterday morning.
She was here.
What time? She didn't stay.
I had to be in court.
She popped in, that's all.
Did she make a habit of popping in? Of course she didn't.
So why yesterday? The row over Setwale Wood.
She thought there could be a last ditch compromise between Simon and me.
A waste of time.
You saw that yourself.
Let me make something clear to you.
I'm investigating a suspicious death.
At the moment you're one of the last people to have seen Susan Bartlett alive.
You think somebody killed her? Did anyone have a reason to? For God's sake, I didn't.
Then the truth shouldn't be a problem, should it? Simon and I grew up together.
We weren't always at each other's throats.
We were friends.
Susan and I were an item in our teens.
Then I was away, agricultural college.
Next thing she's marrying Simon.
A whirlwind romance.
Like hell.
He was at her behind my back all the time.
A long time ago.
I was still in love with her.
My wife, Caroline, knew eventually.
Didn't make for much of a marriage.
Mrs Bartlett.
Can we get up to date? Susan was Yes? She made a play for me.
All these years later.
So it happened.
I needed to find out how I felt.
And I did.
I realised I'd stopped loving her a long time ago.
I knew what was really important - Caroline, the boys.
So I ended it.
Yet she was here on the day she died.
I'd told her it was over.
She didn't get the message.
I told her again.
Where were you last night? I was in the pub.
Couple of pubs.
I came home.
Had another drink.
Went to bed.
Can anyone confirm that? Not once I left the last pub.
You're wasting your time here.
Don't husbands usually top the list of suspects? There's no one on the top of any list as yet, Mr Harrington.
Doesn't mean to say there won't be.
I may not know a lot about farming, but I'm very used to separating the sheep from the goats.
There's no doubt about the cause of death, is there? Or the time? Right, I'll pick the report up tomorrow morning.
Post mortem? Yes.
Susan Bartlett definitely drowned.
And she drowned some time between 10pm and 2am.
No sign of any kind of a struggle.
The suicide note was e-mailed at 9:48.
So the suicide theory fits perfectly.
Except for the fact that Julie Fielding saw Susan Bartlett's body lying in Setwale Wood earlier that afternoon.
If Julie did see the body, it was at least six hours before Mrs Bartlett died.
Well, that gives us something to go on, doesn't it? What? It doesn't make any sense at all, does it? "As I was walking up the stair I met a man who wasn't there.
"He wasn't there again today.
I wish, I wish he'd stay away.
" I spent the night at my flat in London.
I've just walked in.
Was it an accident? Not an accident, no.
The general opinion in the village is suicide.
But that's not your opinion? Other people's assumptions are interesting.
I've made none myself.
You're a barrister.
You understand about suspicious death.
Mr Bartlett says he spent the evening of the Setwale Wood court case here.
Is that right? Yes.
When did he leave? I'm not sure exactly.
And you were with him all that day since .
.
Since the night before.
There was a case to prepare.
It was late.
He stayed the night.
Silence signifies you'd like to know the nature of our relationship.
It would save time.
I didn't make up the spare bed.
Mr Bartlett chose not to tell me that he spent the previous night here with you.
Discretion.
The Bartletts have an image in the community.
Did Mrs Bartlett know about the relationship? Maybe.
I never got the impression she was very concerned what Simon got up to.
She had other things on her mind.
But then you'll know about that.
No.
Like what? Depression.
It was hardly a secret.
Look, I'm sorry about Susan, of course.
But I barely knew the woman.
If she did commit suicide, I don't suppose it's much of a surprise.
But the short version is - Simon was with me from 9:00 in the morning till 10:30 the following night.
He didn't go home at all? Briefly.
To talk to Bloxham.
There's more to say about cows than I've fathomed.
How long was he there? An hour and a bit.
You're surely not suggesting Simon had something to do with his wife's death? That's absurd.
No, I'm sure you're right.
Well, thank you.
Thank you for your help, Ms Sullivan.
Morning.
What's happened? Who is PHONE RINGS Bernadette, why the hell didn't you tell me you were going away? I was trying to get hold of .
.
What did he want? I'll need to take these back, Mr Bartlett.
I'll give you a receipt.
Who the hell do you think it was? Yes!? I'll talk to you later.
Ms Sullivan? Any reason why not? Look, am I going to get an explanation for all this? Why is my house being searched? Why are Susan's things being taken? The laptop that Sergeant Troy has just removed.
Anyone, apart from you and your wife, have access to that? It was hers.
I didn't use it.
Never? Never.
The problem is, the computer was used to send the e-mail, the suicide note.
It was sent when your wife's body had been lying in Setwale Wood for at least six hours, probably longer.
So whoever e-mailed it to you, it wasn't her.
Your wife did drown, sir, but I don't think she killed herself.
I think she was murdered.
Morning, Sergeant.
I need to have a look around the farm, Mr Harrington.
I haven't got a search warrant Help yourself, old son.
Inside, outside.
There are no bodies that I can call to mind, but you never know.
Just one thing.
You won't leave a mess, will you? Mrs Bartlett had a computer, a laptop.
You weren't aware of it? I can't say that I was.
She did bang on about the web.
Gynaecological advice on the web, Tarot card readings.
Not my sort of thing.
There's enough bullshit in Midsomer Worthy without scouring the planet for the stuff.
You didn't have access to this computer? PHONE RINGS Never even seen it.
I haven't been inside Grange Farm for 10 years.
Hello.
Oh, hello, Mother.
Yes, there is a policeman here as it happens.
Are they putting up a schedule in the post office? By all means.
It's my mother.
She's in urgent need of a policeman for some reason.
I'm in need of a drink.
Sergeant Troy.
Don't pull those up, Sean.
There's no flowers on them, Mum.
There would have been.
Can we go for a walk? I'm weeding.
No! No! No! Not those.
Can we? Just once around the village, alright? Hi.
Morning.
Has something happened to Mrs Bartlett's garden, Julie? I didn't want to bother you, but Hannah thought, well, I don't know what Hannah thought.
However horrid, I can't see it has to do with poor Susan.
Really, all I want is to sweep the flowers away and forget about it.
Please leave them for the moment, Mrs Bartlett.
My boss will want to take a look.
Well, do what you must.
As far as I'm concerned there's only one way to deal with other people's unpleasantness.
Plenty of hot tea.
That would be very welcome.
Why are you drawing Bosco? It's elimination.
You can take the sausages.
SHOP DOORBELL RINGS I'm sorry about Susan.
Are you? Come on, Simon, of course I am.
She didn't care about you.
She didn't give a stuff.
You never could take that.
What are you talking about? You were trying to get her back and she wouldn't listen.
She still thought you were the same loser you always were.
You're out of your mind.
Is that why you killed her? Because you begged her and she still wouldn't.
You're a maniac, Bartlett.
You're an animal! Get lost.
I loved her.
Do you even know what that means? You will get what's coming to you.
If the police don't get you, I will.
Come on.
Hello, Sean.
Hello, Julie.
Have you caught anyone? We have to find out what happened first, don't we? What about the dog? Sergeant Troy is hot on the trail of every Jack Russell for miles.
But he won't even know what it looks like.
He is a bit short on local knowledge.
Come on.
Mrs Bartlett.
Mrs Harrington.
I'm sorry about this, Mr Barnaby.
It's somebody's foul idea of a joke.
I know you've more important things and the flowers will grow again.
I'm not saying there is a link with your daughter-in-law's death, Mrs Bartlett, but I'd like to know why anyone would think of doing something so odd.
Is there anyone you would regard as being your enemy or someone your son would? People often fall out with each other.
Your garden's never been vandalised before, has it? No.
And I don't believe anyone we know would respond to such a Susan's suicide.
.
.
by doing such a thing.
I wish it were as simple as it appeared yesterday, Mrs Bartlett, but it isn't.
This is now a murder investigation.
Everyone thinks Susan's death makes it bad manners to stop him destroying the wood.
I've come up with something that could bankrupt the man.
Get on with it, if you want.
What I want! We've been fighting this for the last nine months, Simon.
I don't give a damn about the dissolution of the monasteries.
Well, you should.
It's you that gets Abbey Farm when this is all over.
Look, ever since we met you've banged on about what you could do with more land.
I can make that happen.
I can make sure that when we do get together you'll have everything you've ever wanted.
Come back with me.
You don't want to be here.
It's miserable.
I understand that.
Can't you wait till she's buried? What is the period for abstaining from carnal knowledge of your mistress when your wife dies? If she'd walked out you'd have thrown a party.
It's the same woman.
It's not that simple.
Why not? Unless you killed her.
Of course I didn't kill her.
You're a bit weak in the alibi department, darling.
Hope you can convince Barnaby.
I don't want anything more to do with James or Setwale Wood.
Or me? I didn't say that.
I could drop you off if you'd like, Mrs Bartlett.
No, I'd rather walk.
I have to go to the rectory.
There's Susan's funeral.
Bye, Mr Barnaby.
You've known Mrs Bartlett a long time? Forever.
When we were kids there was hardly a day we didn't meet, usually in the wood.
There's the ruins of a cottage there.
We didn't think anyone else knew it.
Of course everybody did.
It's even marked on the map.
This thing with the flowers, Victoria Bartlett's garden, you believe it was a lot more than just a tasteless joke, don't you? They were burning witches here up until the 17th century.
One of the things the witches were accused of was putting the evil eye on people.
It wasn't the evil eye which killed Susan.
I only mean it makes a statement, a warning if you like.
Mr Barnaby, I'm not easily frightened.
But when I saw those flowers laid out in the shape of a dead body, another dead body, it made my blood run cold.
Can we go home? I don't expect Mr Barnaby just goes home before he's finished detecting.
I bet he does.
He's a chief inspector.
There's another one.
DOG BARKS Sausages, Sean.
This is the one from the wood.
It is.
I'm going to investigate.
I don't like it here, Julie.
DOG BARKS He's eaten them all, Julie.
No one comes here.
No one.
I know who you are.
You come again and I'll have you.
You will know the winepress of the wrath of God.
We can establish the e-mail was sent using the phone line at Grange Farm.
But that doesn't get us very far.
There was no password.
Anyone who knew about PCs, even at a basic level, could have got in.
But you'd need to know it was there.
And you'd need to get into the house If you weren't there already.
The house was empty.
If Simon Bartlett left Bernadette Sullivan's when he said he did.
She's not likely to lie she's a barrister, isn't she? I can see, Troy, that despite your experiences at Causton Crown Court, you still have a touching faith in the legal profession.
You think she is lying? I think all sorts of people are lying, Troy.
Susan Bartlett's phone calls? Pretty well all to the gynaecologist at St Thomas's in London.
She phoned Harrington a lot.
The calls only last a few seconds.
There's one very odd call she received the day before the murder.
We traced it to Mrs Caroline Harrington in Causton.
I wouldn't have thought they had much to chat about.
You didn't take a pound of sausages this morning did you, Sam? Course I did.
I always take a pound of raw sausages to work, everybody does.
I don't want to be the odd one out, do I? I must have used them.
Come on kids.
Tea.
Come on.
Looks interesting.
It's just dogs.
It's all the Jack Russells we followed to find the lady.
When did you do this, Julie? Today.
You followed people? We did find the dog.
I'm sure.
In an old house that's falling down That's it.
No more! From now on you don't leave the house or the garden on your own.
You go to school and then you come home.
But Mr Barnaby said You don't understand these things.
It's not a game.
Now go and sit up.
Playing detective.
It's got to stop.
Sam, we've got to find a better way of stopping it than shouting.
I don't want them out on their own.
What's the matter? Susan Bartlett didn't kill herself.
Someone murdered her.
Julie and Sean are out there following Hi, how's it going? Shut up.
I'll tell you when I see you.
Don't keep me waiting.
Any trouble and you know what's going to happen.
James! If you're in there HORN BLASTS .
.
I want to talk to you.
James.
I've got the card.
Chief Inspector Barnaby lives in Causton.
We've got to tell him about Mr Bloxham's Jack Russell.
We're not allowed.
It'll just have to be a secret, like he said.
There's things we need to talk about, James.
What? It's not a conversation to have here.
I don't care.
We're celebrating.
There's money in the bank from now on.
And every time I draw some, it's going to make me feel so very good.
Shut up.
Let's have another drink? No more.
I'll take you home.
We'll have one at the farm.
You do what you like.
Night, mother.
Bad manners to leave a wake early, I know, but you can put a long face on with the best of them.
Can't you keep him under control? No, Hannah.
That's why I left him.
James.
Hmm? There's something I need to tell you.
Come in and have a drink then.
I don't want one.
Well, I do.
Oh! Sod off then! DOOR LATCH OPENS, DOOR CREAKS Come on.
Two halves to Causton, please.
No school today? We're doing something important.
Better not hang about then.
There you go.
Yes, that's James, my son.
You won't need a doctor to pronounce him dead.
I have to ask you more questions.
I'll be in the yard.
George is still alive.
At least we might be able to save him.
George? It's the dog.
Number seven.
I'm starving.
Hello.
Hello.
I'm Julie Fielding and this is my brother, Sean.
Is this where Chief Inspector Barnaby lives? Yes it is, but I'm afraid he's at work at the moment.
We've come a long way on the bus about clues and everything.
Well, you'd better come in.
I'm sure I can get hold of him for you.
Are you Mrs Inspector Barnaby? Yes, I suppose I am.
I'm ever so hungry.
He'll need to be kept warm.
Don't feed him today.
Something in the morning and if he's sick again, stop.
I'll bring him through.
Mr Fielding.
Oh, I couldn't get hold of a damned vet.
Anyway, Sam's forgotten more about dogs than they've ever known in that practice.
What happened to the dog? Something knocked him out.
Whatever it was, it was strong.
He's sicked up most of it.
It's all round him.
Poison? No symptoms that I recognise.
It just knocked him out cold.
Nothing to tell you what it was? An odd smell on his breath.
It reminded me of something but .
.
nah, it's gone now.
Sir, have you got a minute? We found his car, still outside the pub.
His mother said he was in there with his wife - ex-wife.
I'm not sure what we're supposed to call her.
Whatever she was yesterday, 'ex' covers it today.
So, Caroline Harrington gave him a lift home, did she? Yeah.
That means she was the last person to see him alive.
So far anyway.
Right.
I'll talk to her in Causton.
In the meantime, there's a lot of dog vomit in there.
Mr Fielding will show you where it is.
Dog vomit? Yes, could you collect it up? Much as you can.
His mobile's off.
The station says he's gone out to Midsomer Worthy.
I didn't want to tell him there.
It's got to be a secret, you see.
Can I have some more cake? I'm glad you like it.
I could eat loads.
Sean, it's rude to just ask for more.
I'll take it as a compliment.
Thank you.
Your parents do know you're here? They found his body.
Like Susan.
Drowned.
Everyone knows.
If you need a lawyer, I'm not cheap.
Look, I am sorry about yesterday.
You don't get told your wife's been murdered.
For God's sake, how am I supposed to handle something like that? The police are going to think it was me with everything that They can't prove anything.
What aren't you telling me? I went to Abbey Farm last night.
That's clever.
I didn't know someone was going to kill James.
He wasn't even there.
I'm frightened, Bernadette.
I went to the farm.
I went home.
I was on my own.
He could have been there dead when I was.
Did anyone see you at Abbey Farm? No.
Then you weren't there.
And you weren't on your own, you spent the night with me.
An alibi from an eminent barrister should even shut Barnaby up.
Forget it all.
Problem solved.
I called at the house and there was no one there.
You just missed Mr Fielding.
He was here.
Look, you go on home.
I'll take these two over to him at the kennels.
Harry.
May we see some detecting? Please.
Come on.
In the car.
Can we put the siren on? No, you may not.
See you later, Joyce.
It was Mr Bloxham's Jack Russell, honestly.
In.
PHONE RINGS MACHINE: Hi.
We can't come to the phone right now.
Leave a message and we'll get back to you.
Come and eat this evening.
You won't feel much like cooking.
Call me.
I panicked.
I thought the police would come to me.
They'd think I did it.
That's ridiculous, Simon.
Then I realised it was stupid.
Setting up a false alibi with Bernadette.
Stupid! I went home and for the first time I saw things clearly.
I do know, Simon.
It's no different for anyone.
When your father died .
.
If we'd been happy.
If the last few years hadn't been such a .
.
It was me.
I shut her out.
Maybe you should go away for a bit.
Jonah can run the farm.
If I cleared out her things .
.
No! I don't want that.
Alright.
When someone dies, you don't want to let go.
But you will have to.
I do have to let go.
I don't know why Susan died, why James did.
But there is a poison that's going to stay with me for the rest of my life, unless I do something about it.
Is that what Bernadette wants? Bernadette? I can't say I like the woman, but clearly when this is over, you and she .
.
No! Oh! I thought I think I've just discovered I don't like her very much either.
In fact, there's something about her that .
.
I'm selling the farm.
What? As soon as Susan's funeral's over, Grange Farm goes on the market.
Simon, you can't throw away a lifetime's work.
And what about all the other lifetimes? Your father's, your grandfather's, down the generations.
We are a part of Midsomer Worthy.
We matter here.
It's madness.
No.
The answer is no.
I can buy another farm.
I can't buy my way out of what's going on in here.
Denise will go ballistic.
Anything could have happened.
Why didn't the school They're safe now.
So there's somebody out there who's killed two people.
That's what you think? We don't know.
Julie and Sean have seen things, they are witnesses, aren't they? Nobody knows that.
Look, I'll make sure the house is patrolled, OK? This dog business.
I don't hold out much hope there.
Julie's very sure, though, isn't she? Julie.
Julie.
Tell Mr Barnaby all the names of the hounds you know.
Go on.
That's Barnard, that's Chaser, that's Sable - he's got more black.
There's Pharaoh, Tess, Floppy - with the funny ears.
Brandy - she had pups at Christmas.
That's Kestrel, and ET.
You want something? You've got a Jack Russell terrier? What if I have? Can we go inside? I still need to find anyone who was in Setwale Wood on the day Susan Bartlett died.
People see things.
On their own they don't mean much but the smallest thing can help.
And now there may have been another murder.
I wasn't there.
Your dog was seen in the wood in the afternoon at a time when we know Mrs Bartlett's body was already there.
Plenty of Jack Russells round here.
There's a good chance this was yours.
He goes where he wants.
Anywhere there's vermin.
Plenty in Setwale Wood.
And you weren't with him? No.
We haven't found anyone who saw Mrs Bartlett after you did, Mr Bloxham, when she drove out of Abbey Farm.
Next one'd be him who killed her.
DOG BARKS This your dog? Here, boy.
DOG SNARLS, BARNABY WINCES Charlie don't like people very much.
Here.
Tablespoon, twice a day.
See off any infection, that will.
What is that? Herbs.
Nature's remedies.
Thank you.
If you do happen to remember anything, Mr Bloxham.
"O, God, who knowest us to be set in the midst "of so many and great dangers, "that by reason of the frailty of our nature "we are not always able to stand upright.
Grant to us such strength, as may support us in danger.
" The cause of death is clear.
Asphyxia.
The direct result of liquid animal waste entering the breathing passages.
He had consumed a great deal of alcohol and valerian.
The root of valeriana officinalis.
It's a sedative used for nervous conditions.
A popular cure for insomnia.
It's in any chemist.
It's not dangerous? Normally, no.
But 'normal' isn't the word for what's in Mr Harrington's system, or what the dog threw up.
But it looks to be a very concentrated form of valerian.
And Susan Bartlett? I've been back.
The same.
Enough to kill? Not in a healthy adult.
We're talking paralysis, unconsciousness.
"Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings.
" JULIE: She could have been knocked out.
Like by a robber.
But later I thought it was, like she was asleep.
Julie Fielding said she was asleep.
I thought she said that because she didn't really understand what 'dead' meant but she was telling us exactly what she saw.
Tom, I know you're not a great believer in coincidences, but I was struck by where Mrs Bartlett was found.
Setwale Wood? Valerian has had various names in its long and ancient history but in the Middle Ages it was called setwale.
Harrington was drunk when he got home.
He wouldn't have noticed if his whiskey tasted a bit strange.
And Susan Bartlett was taking pills and potions like there was no tomorrow, some with valerian in.
Small doses, but it wouldn't have been hard to substitute the concentrated stuff.
That puts it pretty close to home.
Doesn't it? What's Simon Bartlett's alibi for last night? Ms Sullivan confirms he was with her.
(WINCES) Jonah Bloxham's dog.
Anything else from Abbey Farm? I found these.
Harrington's life was insured for 400,000 pounds.
Two policies.
The premiums on these must have been a bit hefty.
Are they still active? The insurance company say yes.
He wasn't paying for them, his wife was.
She has been since the separation.
You'd been separated from James for one, nearly two years now, yet you still kept up the payments on his life insurance.
That seems unusual.
It's just something I did.
And he had no contact with the insurance companies.
All the correspondence came straight to you.
Did you discuss it with him? There was no point talking to James about money.
It only meant a row.
As for correspondence, he ignored every envelope that came through the door.
It still seems a lot of insurance for a man so very close to bankruptcy.
We were trying to sort things out, to get back together.
I really didn't kill him for this money, Mr Barnaby.
I have to ask these questions Mrs Harrington.
To make sense of things.
You find people's lives make sense, do you? It would be very nice if they did.
It's not my experience.
Sergeant Troy spoke to you after the death of Susan Bartlett to confirm the time you met your husband after the court case.
Yes.
You did not tell him that you'd made a phone call to Susan Bartlett on the previous day.
No.
Well, was there a reason for the call? I heard that James was seeing her.
I wanted to know the truth.
What did she say? She laughed.
That all? I slammed the phone down.
I decided I didn't want to know after all.
In the end it didn't matter whether anything had happened, only that it wouldn't happen again.
That's what I wanted to say to him last night, but he was too drunk to listen.
If I had any inclination to kill Susan I would have done it years ago.
I won't say it didn't cross my mind.
Then.
MUFFLED: went to Harrington's farm and killed him.
He done Susan Bartlett, too.
He took her body to the woods in his ATV.
Search the farm.
The call was logged at 1 o'clock this morning.
It was made from the phone box in Midsomer Worthy.
Nothing on identity? Anonymous male, that's all.
The man was on for less than a minute.
He didn't say very much.
Simon Bartlett went to Harrington's farm and killed him.
He also killed Susan Bartlett and he used the ATV to get her body into Setwale Wood.
Makes sense.
And the motive? Jealousy.
A crime of passion.
He kills his wife, then he kills her lover.
Sounds very Mediterranean, Troy.
I just drove up there.
James wasn't there.
I turned round and came home.
I knew that I was under suspicion for Susan's death.
I was afraid if I said I'd been at Abbey Farm, you'd think .
.
Why? Why did you go there? I wanted to talk to him.
"If the police don't get you, I will.
" You do remember saying that, don't you? That wasI didn't know what I was saying.
I didn't mean it.
Alright.
So you came home.
You were never at Ms Sullivan's at all? No.
Why would she lie about it? I thought - I believed! - it was to protect me.
Now I'm not so sure.
What do you mean? Well, she wasn't just giving me an alibi.
She was giving herself one.
What is it, boy? Skipper! There behind the bale.
The whiskey is spiked with valerian.
Stronger than anything the lab's seen.
What about the rest? The hair on the ATV is human.
They'll be able to match it to samples of Susan Bartlett's hair.
So whoever made that call was right.
That's how he moved her.
We're up against a top barrister here, sir.
We'll have to tread carefully.
So will she.
She's up against me.
Simon Bartlett is my client.
I'd like to know precisely why he's been arrested.
You're under a misapprehension as to why you're here.
You provided Simon Bartlett with a false alibi for the night of James Harrington's death.
You won't need legal advice from me to understand the implications of that.
You do admit he wasn't there? I made a mistake.
Not something a distinguished lawyer should make a mistake about.
Oh, my mistake's much dumber than that.
I believed a weak man was something else.
I believed he wasn't in love with the dull, stupid woman he married.
When he told me he'd been at Harrington's I saw the fear.
I lied for him.
It seemed more reliable than a marriage licence.
Knowing he could have murdered James Harrington and his own wife? Simon couldn't kill anyone.
We have evidence that says he did.
Then look at it again.
Charges against you don't stop with wasting police time and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
If Mr Bartlett is a suspect, then so are you.
I'm not some criminal you've pulled in off the street, Chief Inspector.
I find criminals in very unexpected places, Ms Sullivan.
It may even be if Mr Bartlett isn't a suspect, you still are.
He seems to think that you could have killed his wife and his neighbour.
Setwale Wood.
You know a lot about that.
I've wasted enough time on it.
You know what 'setwale' means? It's a plant.
Valerian.
Somewhere, it's referred to as 'the devil's herb'.
Is that the same plant? What's this all about? In 1652, a woman was burned as a witch, apparently because she tried to kill her neighbour with 'the devil's herb'.
Witchcraft didn't kill Susan Bartlett or James Harrington.
No.
But both bodies contained large amounts of valerian.
You were trying to stop Harrington felling the wood, using some old feudal laws, whatever.
Why did you need to know anything about herbs and potions? It interested me.
Where did you get the information? Church records, the library.
A local historian wrote a piece about the Bloxham family back in the '50s.
As in Jonah Bloxham? He's a descendant.
The woman they burnt as a witch was called Mary Bloxham.
Even after the War the villagers went to his grandfather for remedies.
Old people trusted him more than the doctor.
The ATV.
There couldn't have been any forensic just sitting there on Bartlett's ATV.
Bloxham spent a morning cleaning it.
"Like "as the arrows "in the land of the giant CHILDREN LAUGH ".
.
even so "are the young children.
" You bring the car round, Troy.
There's something I'd better leave the lab to look at.
What is it? Nature's remedy, Troy.
It's from Bloxham, for the dog bite.
You didn't take it? I'm afraid I did.
We got here early enough to save the house but Mr Bloxham's touch and go.
Where is he? In here.
He's not badly burnt but he's taken in a lot of smoke.
He's unconscious.
He's got a nasty crack on his head.
He's fine.
Like nothing's happened.
You know, I think I know what knocked him out.
I recognise the smell.
It's Valerian.
I remember it from when I was a kid.
My dad used to say the gypsies used it to deal with unfriendly dogs.
It doesn't stay in the system or leave any after effects but he must have taken a hell of a lot to do that.
You think that started it? It's old enough to be lethal.
The way the fire spread, there must have been something on the carpet.
They thought the paraffin heater started it but the thing hadn't been used for years.
This has been stripped.
There were lots of pictures, old black-and-white photographs.
It didn't register at the time, but he didn't want me to see.
And he wasn't the only one.
MRS HARRINGTON: When we were kids there was hardly a day we didn't meet.
I'm letting the garden get out of hand.
Time I did some clearing up.
Me too, Victoria.
High time.
What is it? What's the matter? You'll be cross.
Of course I won't.
You were before.
What is it, Julie? Look inside, Troy.
I'll try the garden.
No one here, sir.
All the doors are open.
Mr Barnaby! I saw your car.
This doesn't make any sense.
But, well, I had to say something.
Julie was looking out of her bedroom well, she's very sure .
.
Best in her own words, Mrs Fielding.
Julie? Mrs Harrington took her away.
And she had her shotgun pushing in her back.
Out.
Out! Hannah, this is madness.
Causton's right.
The main road.
No.
Not the main road Where do you think she's going? There's the ruin of a cottage there.
It's even marked on the map.
Left.
Setwale Wood.
Left.
Go on.
That's it.
GUNSHOT No further to run, Victoria.
You frightened me, Hannah.
You murdered my son.
You killed Susan, too.
I knew as soon as I heard the word valerian.
Remember how you'd pick the plants with Jonah? You'd catch rabbits and squirrels, see how long they stayed unconscious.
Mostly they died.
Not a very nice hobby for the prettiest girl in Midsomer Worthy.
Your parents were relieved when you discovered boys.
Poor Susan.
Wasn't there an easier way to get rid of her? No.
Despite everything, he wouldn't leave her.
And finally you knew there'd never be a Bartlett heir.
My God, is that it? He didn't have the guts to kick her out.
So you did it for him.
I put my son first.
I looked at James, a drunk, who couldn't keep his life together because of her.
She was dangerous.
But if she'd delivered grandchildren? The Bartletts have farmed here for 500 years.
You don't let that disappear.
There's a debt to the future.
For God's sake, Hannah, even your waster of a son could produce children.
Is that why you killed him? I didn't want to.
He saw my car here.
He was blundering about in the wood, drunk, I suppose.
I don't know what he was doing.
But he knew, once the police came.
He phoned me.
He wanted money from me.
He wanted me to pay him to keep quiet.
That way.
That's not all he wanted.
He wanted to rub our noses in the dirt.
To destroy us.
It would be a good idea if you put the gun down, Mrs Harrington.
I'd like to go home now, Mr Barnaby.
We're really not friends any more.
We've been friends all our lives, Mr Barnaby.
I wouldn't even let a dog of mine suffer more than it had to.
Susan Bartlett had to be replaced.
By Bernadette Sullivan? Any woman who could provide a grandchild.
But Harrington worked it out.
He put the flowers in Victoria's garden.
Not to say, "You're next.
" Just, "I know you did it.
" But why would Bloxham frame Simon Bartlett? He found out what she'd done, but he wasn't part of it.
Yes, she learned all about valerian from him some 40 years before.
But Bloxham was trying to incriminate Simon because Simon was about to break his mother's heart.
By selling the farm? Yes, the farm was everything to Bloxham, too.
He grew up there.
And Victoria, she was five years younger than him, but she was like a kid sister.
Hannah said she idolised him.
And he loved her.
But they couldn't stay kids forever.
So he turned the only time he was happy into a private world.
He had to protect it.
Even Simon was expendable.
Victoria didn't see it like that.
Thank you for waiting for me, Mr Barnaby.
(WINCES) Bloxham's damned dog.
Closed Captions by CSI