A Touch of Frost (1992) s05e03 Episode Script

Bless me, Father.
Sorry, I didn't realize anyone was there.
How long since your last I'm going to kill someone.
I didn't hear that.
I haven't got a choice.
Killing is the only way.
I suppose crazy thoughts flash through most of our mind's at some point in our lives.
We don't mean them.
And the sooner we put them out of our heads the better.
I have no choice.
I've told you.
Pray for me Father.
Salva me, fons pietatis.
I don't think you mean that.
To take another's life is the gravest of mortal sins (Car horn) (Car horn) (Car horn) Well don't just leave the bloody thing there! I'm late, you cow! Dave Pearson, he was a good lad.
He won't be doing any more damage to my malt whiskeys.
Yeah, that's true.
I'm on a limited offer myself.
Don't be daft.
You're fitter than I am.
That was never saying very much, Jack, even fifteen years ago.
No, that's true Inspector Frost.
I thought I saw you.
Er, yes, erm Rosalie Martin.
Rosalie Martin.
Of course.
My husband's buried here.
I was just putting some new flowers on his grave.
This is Chief Superintendent Fairclough.
Ex-Chief Superintendent.
Hello.
I meant what I said.
Sorry? Getting in touch.
Oh.
I thought perhaps you'd like to come to dinner? Well, that would be very nice.
Why not.
Next Friday? Friday? Yes, thank you, that would be very nice.
Right, bye.
Yes, thank you again, bye.
I might have got the wrong end of the stick, but I thought you were shacked up with a certain Kitty of fond remembrance? Shut up.
I'm only staying there, aren't I.
Oh pardon me.
Easy mistake to make.
Yeah, now it's just that I met this Rosalie Martin.
You see, I was working on a case, and you know, and I met her and she came into the station to thank me and she brought in a cake.
Takes a lot for a woman to bake a cake these days.
You must be fitter than you look.
Hey.
Hey, what do you mean by that? A week late with Bristol Computers' parts.
Don't look at me.
I'm not.
But I am looking at you to get down to Bristol, take Gerry Ryan out for a meal, and keep on the right side of him.
I can't just drop everything.
Monday.
This afternoon, James.
This isn't the time to put our best customer's back up.
Whatever you've got on, the business comes first.
Come on, Alec.
I'll tell him you're on your way.
Mr.
Barr.
Richard, I'm sorry.
I completely forgot.
If another time No, I can find half an hour.
Come inside.
You're finished here, Sheridan.
And you won't just be out of a job.
I'm gonna hit you so hard, that pretty face'll be marked for life.
Did you have a good holiday, Jack? Good holiday? I never want to see a jug of sangria for the rest of my life.
Mulletts been on the ball during my absence.
Memo on the amount of soap being used in the washrooms, that's Horn-rim Harry's delicate way of referring to the khazi.
Well, if there's a Mr.
Big smuggling it out, it aint me.
So, stick that.
Oh, he'd never suspected you of nicking soap.
You're not taking the 'washroom', I hope, out of a superior officer, ex Sergeant Toolan.
CID.
Who shall I say.
Ah.
It's a Rosalie Martin, Jack.
Says can she have your phone number, is that the Rosalie Martin.
Shhh, yes, yes, yes Go on, isn't it your shout for the tea? Hello.
Yes it's me, yes.
I'm sorry about that.
Yes, it was my fault, I forgot.
My number is Nothing else you fancy? Will you get the bloody tea! It's too late, I've put up with all the threats, all the whining and the tears, and it's all going to be different now.
Well it is going to be different.
I'm making it different! I'm leaving him.
Look, I'm sorry, I just don't know Don't you change your mind now, sweetheart! He knows.
Well, of course he knows.
I told him.
Jack! Viva Espagna! Sangria! Are you going to get this Chinese.
I asked you to go half an hour ago.
You weren't watching that.
I'm on my way.
Are you going to tell me what's wrong? There's nothing wrong.
You've hardly spoken since you came in.
You haven't heard a word I've said.
What you want, a meal or an argument? I can't do both.
We'll eat.
First.
(Phone ringing) Hello? Get stuffed, sweetheart, you know what I want, and you know what happens if I don't get it.
After the break tonight's movie is "Gunfight At The OK Coral".
Goodnight.
I'm going to have an early night.
Yeah, ok, all right then.
I'll finish this and stay up and watch the film, eh.
Right.
Just don't wake me up.
Okay.
Unless of course Thing is, Kitty, I've got to go back to the flat tomorrow, sort things out, you know.
You know the rules.
You do what you like when you like.
Just one request.
Oh yeah? Video the film.
You got time for coffee? No thanks.
George Toolan's waiting.
I've got more than two cups.
Yes I know, but you know how it is.
You start doing that, the next thing you know they want the odd weekend off.
Of all the cars in all the world, you had to bump into mine.
Yes and that's the worst Peter Lorre impression I've ever heard.
It's Bogart.
Oh, yeah, Bogart.
If you need me just whistle.
Yeah.
Oh, dear.
Probable cause of death.
Well she's got white foam in her mouth so she drowned.
A rough guess as to the time Couldn't have been all that long, could it? Body hasn't blown up.
Rigor mortis wearing off, is it? Any chance you could get on with your job, Inspector, and leaving me to get on with mine.
Yeah, all right, if you insist.
Have you noticed her hands? A very expensive training and many years' experience Iead me to hazard the opinion that she has one attached to each arm.
Really.
All right, carry on.
Oh well, come on, George.
It's just here, Sir.
It's the same material as her dress.
This is probably where she jumped.
Well, photograph it and bag it.
Then see if Forensic can make a match.
No doubt of that.
Won't be many of what she's wearing in Denton.
You couldn't afford one, Sir, even on an Inspector's salary.
Really? I'll have you know that this jacket was hand-made in Saville Row.
Not for me, I must admit.
But it was hand-made.
The car belongs to a Mrs.
Jeanette Barr.
Date of birth is the fifteenth of the fourth, sixty-four.
She's the right age.
Yeah, and she's got the right clothes to go with the right car, and all hasn't she? She wasn't attacked? Doesn't look like it.
I wonder how tall she was? Does it say? No it doesn't, but I'll soon find out.
Suicide? A possibility.
I'll tell you one thing.
She didn't come for a swim.
No towel.
Next of kin? Her husband.
A Mr.
James Barr.
Uniform are trying to get hold of him.
All right.
That's the house to go with the Mercedes.
Yes.
Very nice too.
Must have run out of washing up liquid.
Well, given the circumstances of Mrs.
Barr's death and the fact that Mr.
Barr seems to be missing, I think we've got no alternative.
Jack, Jack, Jack! What? Uniform have spoken to the neighbors.
He was here this morning.
You don't have to do that.
(Car door) Who are you? And what the hell are you doing in my house? We're police officers Mr.
Barr, Denton CID.
We have been trying to contact you.
Where's my wife? Can you think of any reason why your wife might have wanted to take her own life? She wasn't beyond a crazy gesture, she took an overdose once, after a row.
It wasn't enough to just a way of the answer's no.
All right.
Look, it's probably not the way you do these things, but I need a drink.
Yeah, all right.
Thank you, George.
So what time did you get in last night? Midnight, half-past.
I'd been drinking.
Pubs, clubs? Pubs.
And I did a lot of walking around, trying to think.
You're going to find out sometime, Jeanette was seeing this bloke.
And you thought that she was with him? I see.
When did you see her last? Yesterday morning, nine o'clock.
I was off to work.
We didn't really speak.
She seemed all right.
I mean we weren't exactly asking after each other's health.
You were working all day.
A Saturday.
We're going through a bit of a hectic period.
All hands on deck.
So when you came home and found she wasn't there, weren't you worried that something might be wrong? No.
Why should it? She couldn't stop telling me how happy she was about the new man in her life.
And that she was going to leave me.
Why would I think that she was going to go out and, and kill This man, do you know who he is? Richard Sheridan, he's a designer.
Doing some work for us.
Did she say that she would be staying the night with him? No.
But she must have been.
Maybe he dumped her.
I told you, Jeanette was capable of some pretty daft stunts if she couldn't get her own way.
She's hardly likely to jump off a bridge just to seek attention, though, is she? Look, it doesn't make any sense to me either.
I've told you that.
There's not much more.
I don't know what she's been doing, where she'd been.
The last few weeks the only conversation's been a couple of screaming rows about Sheridan and money.
It doesn't seem important now.
Right.
I assume you'll be staying at home.
If you intend leaving Denton, you will inform us, won't you? You see we've met before, Mr.
Barr.
I don't know how to tell you this, but you'll recognize me eventually.
Better now.
I was one of the investigating officers, ten years ago, when your first wife, Harriet, was killed.
So anyway, there was a break in at the Barr's house.
They lived in Shepley then.
A vicious little sod by the name of Michael King.
Bit of a Left here! Anyway he was a bit of a panicker, he thought the house was empty but low and behold, Mrs.
Barr number one comes out of the bedroom, so she ends up with three broken ribs and a ruptured spleen.
Did he go down for it? Yeah, well he's still inside now.
His mother's still running a campaign to prove he was innocent.
Any doubts at the time? No, not really.
But you didn't like James Barr.
No well, he didn't loose much sleep then.
He doesn't seem to be much different now, does he? Did Mrs.
Barr show any signs of depression at all, Mr.
Sheridan? No, she was never a candidate for that.
Jackie, please, just wait, Jackie Jackie please listen to me.
I won't be interrupting again, Inspector.
Jackie, please! Wasn't there another way? We don't investigate people's death by appointment, sir.
Now did you see Mrs.
Barr yesterday? No.
I hadn't seen her Jackie, please! Jackie, please listen! Before you go Mrs.
Sheridan, could you tell me what time your husband was here last night.
Look, apart from going out for half an hour for a Chinese takeaway.
You don't expect me to lie for you as well? I don't know how long he was out.
At least two hours.
Jackie, I was here.
Jackie, come on.
Surely you can bloody tell them.
You were screwing Jeanette Barr.
Why should I help you? Jackie, look, now listen to me, it was a mistake.
Oh yes, my mistake for thinking your brain was in your head.
Now I know how you beat off designers who are clearly more talented than you.
The Inspector would appreciate it if you were to come back inside, sir.
Why did you do this? Jeanette jumps in the river and my own brother thinks I must have pushed her.
I'm not saying that.
Look, we're all in shock, James.
Well, Inspector Frost isn't.
And he's looking at me Iike I must be guilty of something.
Nonsense.
No one is accusing you of anything.
She killed herself, that's what the police told you, When I heard the news, I thought you were still in Bristol.
Will you shut up about Bristol? I didn't go.
I wasn't there.
She um she'd just told me that she was screwing that bastard Sheridan.
Come on, whatever happened, whatever made her it's not your fault.
(Doorbell) You should have told me about Sheridan, straightaway.
James, you are telling me everything now? Alec! James! It's Father Sullivan.
Mr.
Barr, I've just heard, I'm so sorry.
Thank you, would you come in.
Father, I'm Alec Barr, James' brother.
I hoped he wasn't on his own.
When someone drowns, especially in a filthy river like that, you expect to find them grasping mud, weeds, and so on, anything that's in the river, inadvertent action in the death throes.
Lack of it doesn't mean anything in itself.
But she had been in the mud on the river bed, not even dirty finger nails.
Really.
No question she drowned, but I noticed a particularly distinct smell from the water in the lungs and stomach.
Forensic will give us the analysis, but it's a highly perfumed soap of some kind.
Bubble-bath, bath oil.
A great deal sweeter than river water.
I imagine she died in the bath.
Almighty God, our Father, we firmly believe that your Son died and rose to life.
We pray for our sister Jeanette, who has died in Christ.
Raise her at the last day to share the glory of the risen Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
(Doorbell) We weren't exactly doing the housekeeping.
Jeanette had a row with the cleaner.
Told her to sod off.
So what if the bedroom's in a state? What about all the new clothes that had been ripped up.
And the photograph of you and your wife, smashed.
I thought the cow's been out spending my money again.
So I tore them up.
And the mirror? It's my mirror.
Was Mrs.
Barr there while you were having this violent spree? I didn't see her all day.
I told you that.
Well it's obvious that your house hasn't been cleaned for a long period, weeks.
Our marriage was breaking up.
It does seem rather odd though, doesn't it, that the one room in the house that was cleaned very thoroughly, very recently, was the en suite bathroom.
She wasn't incapable of wiping the bath.
I see.
Well a preliminary examination of a bottle of bubble-bath found in there matches the contents of your wife's stomach and lungs.
She was drowned.
But not in the river.
She drove there.
No, no.
Somebody drove her there.
She was dried and she was dressed and she was driven to the river.
The killer wanted to make it look like suicide.
But the bruises left by his hands where he pushed her head under the water in the bath are still visible.
She died in her own house.
You were in that house, yesterday, arguing violently.
All right, but I didn't go back.
Do you know what I think? I think that she threatened to tell your wife what was going on between you.
And you had to stop here doing that at all costs.
Not at all costs.
Look, I didn't kill her.
I was at home when I said I was.
If you just tell Jackie what's happening she tell you.
Why? Is her opinion of what time you got in last night somehow dependant about what happens in here? No, of course it isn't.
(Knock on door) Yes! Jack, have you got a minute? Yes.
What is it? Jackie Sheridan's statement.
She's in the interview room by reception.
Right, thank you.
Is this a true version of events? It is.
All right.
Well, I won't be pursuing the matter of wasting police time, but perjury would be a very different thing.
If I felt I could get him locked up for anything, I would, and it would almost be worth risking a spell in Holloway for the satisfaction.
Almost, but not quite.
I see, all right, George, show Mrs.
Sheridan the way out would you.
Jack.
Yeah? strange one just been on the phone.
A priest.
Oh yeah, what does he want to do, issue me with my last rites? A bloke walked into his confession and told him he was going to kill someone.
Oh really, what did he do, told him not to and gave him three Hail Mary's.
He said he met you briefly at James Barr's today.
Father Sullivan's his name.
All right, you're free to go.
Then I don't need any of this then.
Just a minute, Mr.
Sheridan.
This case is far from over.
And if I were you, and I wanted to prove that I wasn't in a ladies bedroom, or bathroom, I'd take all the help that I could get.
Do you think this man was James Barr? I'm sorry, but I don't know, I was trying to take in what he was saying, get him to talk, I'd barely started, and he'd gone.
But you can't say it wasn't James Barr? No, I can't say that either.
Even if I could I don't think I'd this isn't an easy for me.
There's something about what happened, it's probably just all an appalling coincidence.
But you don't think so.
No.
You see in my job coincidences are little pieces of evidence that you can't explain.
When you put them all together you start to get an explanation.
So, did the voice sound familiar? I keep going over it.
Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn't.
You see I'm fairly new to the parish.
Anyway putting a face to a sin isn't why you hear confession.
It's not what you are thinking.
It's the way I'd be thinking.
Anyway, this man, our would-be killer, is he a regular? I mean, does he come in once a week to confess to a murder or an armed robbery? He meant what he said.
I suppose if you did know who he was, that would present a greater problem, wouldn't it? Because you wouldn't be able to tell me.
The secrecy of the confessional.
A bit like that film.
That one with what's his name, Gregory Peck And I'm wasting your time.
No, no, Father.
No, you're not.
But you must get the odd nutter in here, mustn't you? I mean we always do, every time we get a bit murder we have a queue right the way round the block, they all want to confess.
I know something about the truth, Inspector.
I know what it sounds like.
But if I'm not wasting your time, you're wasting mine.
Yes well, Iook do you think you could write it down for me, what he said, word for word? I'll try.
That's all right is it? You're not under oath or sworn to secrecy, anything like that? An oath can't justify a priest refusing to help in a murder enquiry.
If there is any connection between what happened in the confessional and Jeanette Barr's death, then I should have been able to say something, to do something to stop it.
You just concentrate and try to remember what the man said.
The connection, if there is any, we'll find it eventually.
Montgomery Cliff.
I'm sorry, you what? It was Montgomery Cliff not Gregory Peck.
Ah, yes.
Yeah your right.
Do you remember the title of the film? "I Confess" There was definitely someone in the garden.
It seems that a man stood here for some time, apparently watching the kitchen.
There are several very good prints that SOCO have taken casts from.
I reckon these were done yesterday.
Well there was very heavy rain on Friday night.
So anything earlier wouldn't be here.
And just up here, sir, is where we think he came over.
there's a gate in the back that's normally locked, and that satellite dish would have hidden him from the house.
Forensic are finished up here sir.
James.
James.
It's Inspector Frost.
What now? I'd like you to come down to the station, sir, so we can continue our conversation about the night your wife died.
I'll have George Myerson there as soon as you arrive.
Oh yeah, who's that? Our solicitor.
Oh very good.
George, get Mr.
Barr's shoes.
Thank you.
Thank you sir.
I went to the house in the afternoon.
You know I did.
That's when I saw Sheridan.
You climbed over the fence in the afternoon.
You could have easily have done it at night.
Well, I didn't.
We've got two sightings of a vehicle answering the description of your car.
That night.
Right place.
Right time.
I wasn't there.
I didn't go back again.
Why didn't you tell us that you saw Mr.
Sheridan? Why did you wait for us to prove that it was you that was in the garden? It thought it best not to be near the place.
Dumb.
But once I'd said it, I thought if I changed my story, Iook, I wasn't thinking.
My wife's just died.
Well, I've been through the evidence at considerable length.
And I can find no satisfactory answers as to where you were or what you were doing at the time that your wife was killed.
If you're innocent you don't need an alibi! Well, we'll let the jury make that decision.
Shall we? Are you sure that there's soap in the Ladies.
Yes, I'm sure, sir.
Look, sir, we've found tire tracks that match James Barr's car.
We've also found footprints in the garden and some on the other side of the garden gate that match a pair of his shoes found in his house.
Now he said that, he wasn't anywhere near the house all day, till we showed otherwise.
Yes there's extensive evidence, but nothing that actually places James Barr at the scene of the death.
It's circumstantial.
It's very circumstantial, I can't see any jury throwing that out.
The Barrs are a powerful family, Jack.
And they'll be buying in some expensive legal advice.
It wasn't helpful to break into the house, or take the man to a pub.
I shan't be using the conversation in the pub, will I? If Barr's lawyers can find any way to question, how this case has been handled they'll make something of it.
They'll also fight very hard for bail.
They'll probably get it.
That's a good idea.
Well he's unstable.
We could keep an eye on him.
And harassment will help no one.
All right, go ahead, charge him.
Good.
But there is the other matter, of course.
The death of Barr's first wife.
Yes, that had been on my mind too.
I don't know much about it, but I get a letter every couple of months from the mother of the man convicted of the murder.
Michael King, isn't it.
Yes, I get those too.
Actually, my old guv'nor, Charlie Fairclough, he got the best.
Elsie King dropped about a ton of manure on his front lawn.
She seem to have accused everyone in the County of corruption, even the Chief Constable.
Now the murdered woman's husband is to be charged with killing his second wife.
Think about it, Jack.
Harriet Barr was killed by a burglar.
We had an excellent case, and he was sent down.
Well, I hope your right.
Otherwise, you've put the wrong man away.
For ten years.
(Phone ringing) Frost.
Hello Jack, it's Rosalie Martin I was just checking No, I'm all set for tonight.
Of course I didn't think you'd forgotten, however an overnight crime wave or something.
No, eight thirty, I'm looking forward to it.
Good, bye.
Right, I'll see you then.
I can't think in a tidy room.
You understand that, Jack.
Yes.
Sometimes I walk round and round in here and suddenly, I don't know what it is, something, an idea, something scratching at the back of my mind and I can almost smell my way to the right file.
Yeah? I always thought that was mice.
You can't smell what's in a computer.
No true.
Marvelous.
Well, I've got a rare treat for you.
The Shepley archives.
Michael King.
Ten years ago.
Should smell like old Camembert by now.
Well come on, where do we start? It's all in date order.
After a fashion.
Not only old files being reactivated, Jack.
Go on, what do you mean? I've been long past active for years.
I'd have put you down the same.
If people in this station stuck their noses into their work half as much as they stuck their noses into other people's business Hornrim Harry's success rate would be on the Richter scale.
Where is it? Here you are.
That lot.
You must be joking.
And if you're not back in a fortnight, I'll send down a sniffer dog.
Sorry.
Idiot! That was your fault.
Hi, emergency on the bottle front.
Bit of a football casualty.
You're pissed.
Yes, I just needed to What you need is a way to persuade a court that you didn't kill your bloody wife.
That's what we all need.
And Alec can't do it for you on his own.
I'll get my head round it tomorrow, it's not been easy, Fiona.
Everything's easy for you.
It's not for us.
What do you think all this is going to do to Simon and Lucy? You might not have produced your own children, but you could think about ours.
James, we're all upset, Fiona doesn't mean it.
Yes I do.
Fiona, we must stick together as a family, that's what matters, try and imagine how James is feeling.
Don't you ever get sick of apologizing for him? Handbag didn't give us much.
Plenty of bills, clothes mostly, a hotel.
There is a diary.
Any revelations? No, she didn't write down much.
A few initials.
Sometimes Sheridan, along with the initials of a hotel, sometimes just the hotel's BA, the Bedford Arms, a place near Oxford.
The Hotel bill's from there.
Sheridan says that's where they went.
Yeah well, far enough away not to be noticed by anyone, I suppose.
Is that it? The hotel bill's for a meal and a room.
The only odd thing is it's dated ten days before the murder.
Sheridan said he hadn't seen her for three weeks.
Right.
All right, get round there and get it sorted.
Barr's lawyers are going to use Sheridan to cast doubt on our evidence.
You tell him his wife's not interested in how many times he was at it just that he was at it.
I want his story straight.
Oh, by the way, if I don't see you later, have a good evening.
Is that a 'pointed remark'.
I don't know what you mean.
Good, because if I get one more knowing bloody look from anyone in this station, I'm going to recommend your transfer to uniform.
Charlie? Jack Frost.
Fine no fine, how are you? Listen, I've got to have a word with you.
Father will you hear my confession.
I was just about to lock up.
I've got to talk to someone.
CID is a plain clothes detective.
So what sort of things do you detect, Jack.
Stolen cars, burglaries? You name it, I do it.
I don't guarantee to catch anyone though.
Unfortunately, that's all too true, isn't it.
I beg your pardon? We're told how hard the police work.
But all we ever hear is, no resources.
Yeah well And when the people get caught the judges always seem to be on the side of the criminal.
Even if you try to protect yourself, you're the one who's most likely to end up in jail.
We're not even safe in our own homes now.
No that's true, especially if you consider rape or murder.
There you go, even the police admit it.
Do you realize that most women are raped by people they know.
And most people are murdered by people they know.
So statistically, you're safer with a complete stranger.
Discipline and complaints.
Open up.
Now! What are you doing to my guests, Jack? No one's drinking.
They've all brought their cars.
You should have warned them in advance that I was a copper.
But then of course we might have been alone.
Would you get me some more orange juice, it's in the fridge.
Yes ma'am.
Thank you.
Oh, dear, this is no way to do it.
I should have known better.
What? Well, I wanted to see you on my own.
To talk, not about anything in particular, but without, I don't know, without feeling there were things about myself I couldn't say.
But I lost my nerve and invited, it was like looking up the recipe for disaster and doubling the quantities.
Well then, next time cut down on the invitations.
I wanted you to carve.
Yes, of course, right.
What's that? Oh excuse me.
That's you getting me excited, that is.
My bleeper.
Oh, I don't believe this.
All right, what's going on.
I just got an urgent call.
Discipline and Complaints walked in here half an hour ago.
I tried to get hold of Mr.
Mullett.
That's what it's about.
It's the soap.
They caught up with him at last.
Jack, they're in your office.
Inspector Frost, we've met once before.
All right, cut the introductions.
What's this all about? I'm Detective Superintendent Bailey.
This is DI Moore.
We're investigating a number of matters relating to CID at the old Shepley Station during nineteen eighty-five and six.
One of the cases concerns the murder of Harriet Barr.
Strangely the files are on your desk.
I've just charged James Barr with the murder of his second wife.
I'm in the middle of an investigation, so get out of my office.
This is my investigation.
Precisely, the other way round.
You are suspended from duty, effective immediately.
You will surrender your warrant card.
You will leave this office and this station.
You will talk to no one and take nothing with you.
You will make yourself available for interviews as and when required.
Inspector, I talked to James Barr last night.
He came in for confession.
Oh, well I hope he feels better.
Did he confess to the murders of both Mrs.
Barr's or was is just the most recent one? Still, I don't supposed he mentioned the first one as he was absolved last time round.
I'm trying to help.
I listened to him talk about his marriages, his job, his family.
All kinds of stuff.
He's not had it as easy as you'd think.
And he's not a man with murder in his heart.
He's a killer.
Maybe twice.
Anyway if he needs a character reference, I'll send his solicitors around to see you, shall I? Here's the confession, the man in the confessional you wanted me to write it down.
Right, thank you.
Listening to James last night in the confessional, I know it wasn't his voice I heard.
So he didn't drop round to tell you what he was going to do.
He's not as daft as we thought, is he? Anyway Father, I'm off the case.
I'm under investigation for falsifying evidence.
One confession too many you might say.
You don't have to uproot yourself, Sergeant, you'll be working in here.
I've taken what I need, sir.
Then you can bring it back.
It's an order, not a suggestion.
I'm sorry you've all been moved.
This is now Discipline and Complaints.
Off-limits to Denton CID.
Don't bother.
I've heard it all and I'm not impressed.
If Inspector Frost's clean, then the quicker we get on, the sooner he'll be back.
And as far as the investigation into the murder of Jeanette Barr is concerned it may be relevant to what we're looking at.
So it's no longer a Denton job.
I'll be taking over.
Sergeant Toolan will be attached to D and C.
Now hang on a minute, sir.
Order not suggestion.
Superintendent Bailey has cleared it with your chief.
There's no shortage of loose ends to tie up.
Starting with Sheridan.
Sort out whether he saw her ten days before her death at the Bedford Arms.
He still says he didn't.
If there's a hole in his evidence, James Barr's lawyers might pull their boy through.
I know, sir, Inspector Frost Is off the case.
Remember it.
This place is in chaos.
They're shifting CID out en masse.
What they're doing is setting up is a station within a station.
No one is to go in there.
Including me.
Not very good for Denton's image is it, sir? The image of the station is not my chief concern right now.
What about you? What have you done about representation? Someone from the Federation maybe? A solicitor perhaps? No that's not my style.
Jack, try and keep your style Under control? I don't always like the way you do things but whatever our disagreements, I have the highest regard for your integrity.
And I shall be making that clear at the highest level.
Don't try too hard, sir.
(Knock on door) Yes! Mr.
Mullett, I'd like to make a start, with Inspector Frost.
Yes, superintendent? I am concerned that Inspector Frost has no communication with any officers here.
Are you telling me that when one of my senior officers is suspended I can't speak to him? It makes it tidier.
Let me remind you, Superintendent, that this is my station.
I have a responsibility for the people who work here, and I intend to ensure that Inspector Frost feels he's being treated properly.
I expect your investigation to be conducted by the book.
And you can rest assured, I know that book very well indeed.
In the middle of a current murder investigation,.
you spent four hours yesterday Iooking for files on Harriet Barr and Michael King.
A case that was wound up ten years ago.
Yes, well, when I've got something on my mind, I deal with it.
Harriet Barr's death was on my mind.
So having found the files, you then went to see ex-Chief Superintendent Fairclough.
Yes, because I found a statement that contradicted evidence from a main witnesses against Michael King.
Do you know why this piece of evidence didn't reach the courtroom? No.
Well, you say it wasn't in the file that went to the DPP, but in another file, where it had apparently sat, quite undisturbed, for nearly ten years.
Yes.
But, when I entered your office Steven Mitchell's statement was on your desk.
As I told you, I found it in an envelope that was hidden in the back of the file.
I spoke to Mitchell this morning.
Yes, I'd have done the same thing myself.
At Chief Superintendent Fairclough's suggestion? What? Mr.
Mitchell remembers all this very well.
He remembers coming forward to make his statement.
He also remembers being told he wouldn't be required to give evidence.
When he queried this, he was told to forget he saw Michael King on the night of Harriet Barr's murder.
Unless he wanted to go down for a couple of years too.
And who told him that? Inspector Pearson.
Oh Come on, there's a bandwagon rolling here, isn't there.
Let's get Michael King out of prison and do a couple of coppers at the same time.
All we know at the moment is, we've got to ask James Barr some questions, also there's some questions to be asked about unreliable evidence.
Now I don't know why Inspector Pearson chucked out Mitchell's statement.
He may have a good reason to have done so.
But I tell you this, you can accuse Pearson of anything because we buried him last week.
That's as may be, Inspector, if I was worried about a bit of iffy procedure, that might be just about to resurface as a miscarriage of justice making sure it wasn't there wouldn't be a bad move.
But it was me that was opening up the case on James Barr's first wife.
When you found conflicting evidence why not go straight to your senior officer? I did.
And both Mr.
Mullett and I agreed that the death of Jeanette Barr raised doubts on the earlier investigation.
I'm talking about the point at which you located this conflicting evidence evidence you say you knew nothing about at the time.
Yes that's right.
And I still say You didn't attempt to contact either your DCI or the Chief Superintendent.
Instead you went to see your old guv'nor.
Yes.
Yes, I went to see what he remembered.
The detectives in Chief Superintendent Fairclough's firm were all very loyal to him.
How far do you take that loyalty, Inspector? Charlie Fairclough was one of the best detectives this county's ever seen.
He put away more serious villains than you've had ladders in your tights.
In the days when men were men and women did the typing and made the tea.
Just a turn of phrase, ma'am.
Yes well, try this turn of phrase, Inspector.
There's more than one dubious conviction down to your old guv'nor.
I'd have liked to keep this investigation out of sight until I was ready on all of them, but I've been forced to move.
Just like you.
So this case comes first.
But don't worry, you were around for some of the others.
And so was your friend, George Ayre.
The man who saw Michael King in Shepley at ten o'clock.
You might be surprised just how often his evidence puts people away in Charlie Fairclough's cases.
Then again you might not.
(Phone ringing) Charlie? I thought they'd have told you not to speak to me.
Superintendent Bailey's not going to be amused.
Yes, well it's not the first time I've disobeyed an order to get to the truth and that's what you're going to tell me, the bloody truth.
The King case is down to two conflicting sightings.
One from his mate, a thief.
The second from a thief who wasn't his mate.
There's a bigger smell.
I know what Michael King was.
Can you remember a single thing that said King did not kill Harriet Barr? I mean have you got James Barr confessing to it? They've had a word with George Ayre, at Strangeways.
The same George Ayre you couldn't place Iast time I mentioned him.
It was his evidence that sent Michael King down and he's sticking to his story.
Why shouldn't he? Charlie that Ms.
Bailey is a clever detective.
She's had a word with George's missus, of course she thinks very highly of you.
She told her you often slip her fifty quid you know, just to help out.
You run a pension fund for all your old grasses? George did me some favors.
Oh yeah.
Charlie, do you know something? You were the one man who persuaded me that this job was worth doing.
And when crap piles up, I remember what it's like to work with a real copper.
I respected you too much then so smell a fit up.
But I certainly smell one now.
Jack, you know what's happened to the force.
Sorry, 'service'.
The Mulletts have inherited the earth.
The villains are walking out of court with grins all over their faces, ready to sue any copper that breathed on them.
You don't get results without getting your hands dirty.
Now the rules say you're on a charge if you've got dirty fingernails.
All right, save your long speeches for your memoirs.
What about the villians we can't touch? The ones having lunch with their stockbrokers when there's a murder, or an armed robbery, or a ton of coke going through the docks? I got a lot of those people sent down, Jack.
Our guv'nor thanked us for it, remember? The Politicians thanked us for it.
And the good citizens slept easier in their beds.
So some of the evidence wasn't kosher.
In that case the copper who set it up shouldn't complain when he finds himself on the slab.
I was doing what everybody wanted us to do.
Putting villains behind bars.
And don't tell me you've never moved a bit of evidence where it might do some good? All right, All right so I did bend the rules occasionally but I never broke them and threw all the bits away.
That Michael King? Come on, he was hardly a crime boss, was he? A killer.
When he walked from that GBH, he made us look stupid.
He made you look stupid.
There was no need to fit him up for murder.
What are they going to do to me, Jack? Stop inviting me to reunion dinners? They might have to kick somebody out for the press and the do-gooders.
You'll do.
Do you know, there's never a day goes by without a gaze out the window and wonder what I'm going to do with what's left.
The job was everything.
Even with a family.
Now I'm just filling in time.
What have you got, Jack? A medal in a drawer.
I should think hard before you hold your hand up for the sacrificial lamb.
You know where I live.
Always keep your door locked, George.
People get mugged this way.
Jack, you know I'm not allowed to talk to you.
I don't want to be landed in it.
Well, neither did I, did I? But I am, right up to my neck.
I didn't ask to work with them.
No, but I'm bloody glad you are.
Come on, what's green mean, green, green.
Sheridan's adamant that he wasn't at the hotel that day.
He was at home with the wife.
A very handy missus for alibis.
So how was Superintendent Bailey? Well, I'd like to be able to say that she's every sort of cow under the sun, but unfortunately I think she's quite a good copper.
Now that Mrs.
Sheridan gave quite a good performance as a woman scorned, and she's his only alibi.
She was dodgy once you'd better check the hotel.
I have.
I've been on the phone.
The manager clearly knew Mrs.
Barr, and Sheridan by sight.
The description of the man she was with that day is a bit hazy, but it wasn't Sheridan.
What about the bill? I've got it here somewhere, I think.
Here we are.
It's for a meal, and a double room for the night, he thinks they left by six that evening.
Oh well, thank you very much George, well done.
What? Well so far all you've given me is she could be having bloody lunch with her bank manager.
Anyway I'd rather see the real thing, this is a photocopy.
I know but that's what was in her bag.
That's interesting.
James Barr, what do you think of him? Oh, I don't know, Father Sullivan's a bit concerned but.
This is dead as far as DI Moore is concerned, isn't it? I think I'll keep it.
Jack, if I were you I'd stay out of this.
Well thank goodness you're not me, George.
Just take it easy.
Yeah I think I will.
I think in fact, I'll take it very easy tomorrow.
I might go for a drive in the country.
Stop off somewhere you know, have a spot of lunch.
I hope everything was satisfactory, sir.
Very nice.
The waitress told me you were asking for some information about guests who have stayed here.
I have to say that we are not in the habit of discussing our guests with all and sundry.
The Bedford Arms has a reputation as one of the best Yes well most hotels I know who rent rooms by the afternoon have a reputation as a knocking shop.
I'm a policeman.
Sit down.
Perhaps we could um Perhaps we could take a walk, or Yes, just as you like.
If someone books a room for the night, and checks out early, it's hardly my business.
There are emergencies.
Mr.
Ragdale, and Jeanette Barr's been coming here over a period of months with a man she was having an affair with.
They left at six o'clock every evening, now what do you call that, a predictable emergency? If you have the information you want, I really don't see the point of this.
I spoke to your Sergeant yesterday about Mrs.
Barr's last visit here.
With a different man.
Yes.
Obviously I was as shocked as anyone by news of Mrs.
Barr's tragic death.
Yes, I bet you were.
I bet she was a good tipper, wasn't she? Did Mrs.
Barr usually ask for a copy of the bill? No.
But she did on this occasion.
Now Mrs.
Barr's only slightly less disorganized than I am.
Why would she want a copy of the bill when she's already got the original? Mrs.
Barr always settled the account herself, but on this occasion the gentleman did, cash.
She asked me to give her a copy of the bill when they left that afternoon, without the gentleman knowing.
Really? Thank you, Mr.
Ragdale.
May the Lord be with you.
And with Thy Spirit May almighty God bless you, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Hello, I've been looking at this confession you gave me.
Doesn't say very much, does it? Ever thought of getting advice on your mood swings, Inspector? Hmm? So, you're back on the case? No, no, I'm still suspended.
This bit's a bit interesting, 'Salva me, fons pietatis'.
Latin is it? Yeah, 'pietatis' it's from the old funeral mass.
'Save me, O source of pity'.
Something like that.
I didn't think you did that any more, did you? Yes, it must be somebody with a very long memory, or someone who spends a lot of time Iistening to Verdi's Requiem.
But no, it's not what you'd expect.
From James Barr? No.
Tell me something, Father.
What makes you think that James Barr didn't do it? You see I can't speak to anyone, I can't speak to my officers or any of the witnesses and that includes James Barr.
But I know he talked to you the other night for a long time about all sorts of things.
James knows nothing about the murder.
And he's genuinely appalled that the death of his first wife's being investigated again.
I'd like to know what he said.
Exactly what he said.
Look, you know I'm trying to help, that doesn't mean I can just go and repeat his confession.
I can get suspended too, you know.
The other day you were pouring out guilt after someone came in and asked forgiveness because they were going to kill someone.
Well, maybe, they went out and did just that, I don't know, maybe you should have said something to stop them.
I don't know.
I'll tell you what I do know, James Barr is probably going to go to prison.
Now if you have a reason why he shouldn't, you'd better decide whether you're going to help me find the truth or not.
Hello Sister Agnes Hello Father.
So this is where they park all the old priests, is it? Yeah, before I got to priest college I thought they just beamed us straight up.
The church has a job retiring us.
You lose your parish, you lose your family.
They say it happens to you in your late forties.
What celibacy really means, not sex, but a woman that you love, that you're going to grow old with, kids.
Yes, well you don't have a monopoly on that.
Father Clarke, this is Inspector Frost.
How do you do, Father? You're the policeman, who wants to know what people say in confession.
Well, I have to tell you, it's none of your business.
Are you a Catholic? No.
They that say ignorance is no excuse in the eyes of the law, it's no excuse in the eyes of the Lord either.
Yes.
Father, I don't suppose I gather that what Father Sullivan wants me to talk to you about, is something that was said to him in confession, but it wasn't said to me in confession.
Not that I have any idea what was said to Father Sullivan.
But if we haven't too much idea what we're talking about, well there can't be any sin in that.
We'd like some tea, for the whisky.
About James Barr, Father.
James was an altar boy, when I could get hold of him, he always had something infinitely more interesting to do.
His wife said he was a bit, well a bit obsessive about his religion.
You're saying but not when he was a kid thought? At eleven this world is infinitely more interesting than the next.
What about his brother? Alec.
Yes.
Alec.
He was the religious one.
That's right.
I put him in the choir.
I had to find something for him to do.
I felt uncomfortable with all his piety.
A boy at that age should be looking for mischief, not telling his rosary.
What you're saying was James didn't want to know about the church, yet you couldn't get Alec out of the place.
Surely you've got that the wrong way round? I was booked in for senility, but it hasn't come through yet, Inspector.
But I do need more prompting things are starting to get a little vague.
So how did they get on together, James and Alec? There were problems.
I think the Barrs were having financial difficulties.
It all hit Alec very hard.
And his behavior was difficult, very difficult.
What happened Father? He became very jealous of his brother.
It started with toys being broken, books torn up.
And I believe James's pet was killed.
Then he set light some clothes, and gutted James' bedroom.
It was all very hard for the family.
How long did this go on for? Well Alec spent some time at a special school.
He came back a spotty adolescent, but still with too much piety and not enough faith, and healthily more interested in girls than what his brother was up to.
Go on, was there still something wrong.
He made a point of taking James's girlfriends off him.
But he grew out of it eventually.
He'd still sneak into confession if he felt he'd done something bad, thinking I wouldn't know who it was.
And always insisting that I conduct the proceedings in Latin.
Thanks for coming, Charlie.
Yes, well, that doesn't mean there's anything to say.
Are you off to see Ms.
Bailey? That's right.
And I'm not going to say much to her either, practically nothing in fact.
No, you've just got to keep your mouth shut that's all.
That's about the size of it.
You and Alec Barr.
You really believe he did it? Twice, Charlie, twice.
This is where we found Jeanette Barr's body.
You used to return to the scene of the murder, remember.
I often do it.
You know, these investigations they can drag on for months, years sometimes.
You tend to loose sight of what it's all about, how it all started.
It started with a real man or woman, a body whose life has been beaten out of it.
That's why we're here, for that man, or that woman.
I know you've been talking to a priest, Jack, but sermons are not your style.
If I don't get back on the case, Alec Barr is going to walk.
It's down to Bailey now.
She's not close enough.
We've got one final crack at him, that's all.
And I need to take it.
So you want me to go and get you off the hook tell Bailey it was all down to me.
Well, it was all down to you Charlie.
That woman's body wouldn't have been down there if you hadn't screwed up the first time around.
If you hadn't wanted to fit someone up instead of carrying out a proper investigation.
You might not think that you owe Michael King anything for those ten years, but you think about those two dead women.
This is unfinished business, Charlie.
Let me finish it.
I have to point out that you are entitled to legal representation.
Next time round, Superintendent.
You, stand over there.
As far as this session is concerned I am prepared to make a brief statement which you can consider on or off the record.
There's nothing 'off the record' in any investigation of mine.
Well, that will probably put very serious constraints on your career as a detective.
I'm prepared to co-operate with your enquiry.
However, co-operation brings conditions.
I'm not here to make deals.
I can create enough confusion to have you running round in circles till you've missed two promotions and I've gone to meet my maker.
Or to listen to threats.
If there was any error of judgment under my authority, I take full responsibility.
The only officer I confided in fully is now dead.
My co-operation means you drop any possible charges against any detectives who may have worked for me.
Like Jack Frost.
Jack always played it straight.
I can't agree to that.
Well, you'll have to find someone who can.
Oh, by the way, Superintendent, next time I expect someone of my own rank to be present.
That's the correct procedure.
I don't think retirement precludes that.
I'm sure I'll hear from you.
Okay Mr.
Fairclough, you have your deal, we'll start taking your evidence at 0900 hours tomorrow.
You know where to find us at FHQ.
Welcome back Mr.
Frost Thank you.
Nice to see you back sir.
Thank you.
How are you Jack (Everyone welcoming Jack back) You're a lucky man, Inspector.
Oh, is that what they say now to suspects when they're found innocent? You're lucky.
I thought you'd have been relieved that my only crime was believing in Charlie Fairclough.
But there again, what's one old copper who's taken the wrong road, not many brownie points in that is there? Not like uncovering a network of corruption.
It's only Fairclough's word.
And he was telling the truth.
And that's what it's all about, isn't it? Really the truth, that's where our loyalties are, not in clocking up convictions.
But there again, if the truth doesn't suit you, you can always do what Charlie Fairclough did.
He invented it.
And no-one noticed? You have to trust people that you work with, unless you have a very good reason not to.
There's no other way.
So I'm going to find the truth.
That's what's going to get Michael King out of jail and put away a murderer.
And not by what your opinion is of me.
(Everyone applauding for Jack) Come on, back to work.
It's not Ladies Night at Masonic Lodge! Mr.
Mullett.
Superintendent.
Goodbye.
Darling, Yep.
It's Inspector Frost.
Thank you.
You're back, Inspector.
If you think you can just walk in here and talk to James.
No, no, it's you I wanted to chat to sir.
Thank you very much, Mrs.
Barr.
Yes, well the thing is, I don't think that your brother killed his wife.
You've arrested Sheridan? No, no Mr.
Sheridan's innocent.
He's got an alibi.
Your brother would have had an alibi too had he gone to Bristol, on your instructions.
Mr.
Sheridan wasn't the only recipient of Jeanette's favors, was he? Having an affair with your sister-in-law isn't very nice.
That's more in Father Sullivan's area than mine.
Your brother and your wife, they don't know, I presume? Inspector Don't try and protest.
We' got a witness from the hotel.
It's not what it seems.
No, well it's not for me to judge, is it, sir.
I mean we must face these things ourselves.
Mea Culpa, as they used to say.
Anyway, can you tell me where you were the night your sister- in -law was killed? I was here, my wife was at a charity dinner.
My children were at a party.
Are you reduced to throwing accusations at anyone who spent the evening alone? No not anyone, Mr.
Barr.
Shall I tell you what I've got.
Now I don't know what happened the first time around with Harriet but you got away with it.
You seemed to be getting away with it the second time around.
Be that as it may, Iet's look at it another way, shall we? We've got proof that you spent the afternoon in bed with your sister-in-law.
Now suppose, just suppose that your brother found out.
That would be a pretty powerful motive for him to want to kill her.
Now she was a big shareholder in the company she was trying to screw money out of Barr Electronics.
That's another reason why James would want to kill his wife.
So you see.
If I can't prove anything else since you won't budge, I'm afraid your brother James is looking at somewhere between ten to fifteen years inside.
How do you think he will survive jail? I mean you, you've got through that special school, didn't you? But they'll eat him alive.
My brother is innocent Inspector, and so am I.
All this, all this just shows how desperate you are.
You don't believe a jury will convict James either.
If there's any more of this, I'll have to bring in my solicitor.
There will be more of this.
You know that.
(Phone ringing) Alec Barr.
This is Father Sullivan.
The thing is I I need to speak to you before I go to the police.
What do you mean? What's all this about, Father? I think you know that, Mr.
Barr.
I know my family is under a great deal of pressure.
I'd have hoped even the modern church would give support and prayer.
Instead of which you phone me with some bizarre threat.
I'm not threatening you.
You said you had to talk to me before you talked to the police.
I don't know what nonsense you've dreamed up, but a priest.
Mr.
Barr, I know it was you who came into my confessional the day before James's wife was killed.
I know it was your voice.
You said you were going to kill someone.
I'm quite prepared to testify to that if necessary.
But the best thing for you to do is to go to the police and tell them what happened.
What sort of priest are you? And what sort of brother are you? Anything I said is sacred.
It's a sacrament, you bastard.
You are not going to destroy my family.
I wouldn't let that cow, Jeanette, and I won't let you.
That's why I had to kill her.
All right it's over, Mr.
Barr.
I said it's over.
She didn't care about James, about the family.
A money-grubbing tart.
He'd given her shares in the company, in her name.
His shares.
Didn't tell me.
Our American partners were ready to buy them strip our assets, junk us.
It was business trouble.
She was using that.
She wanted a million pounds to sell back the shares.
And so what if she broke us? And the affair? There was no affair, just that day.
I met her in the hotel, to try and persuade her to sell the shares for a more reasonable sum.
I thought she'd agreed to everything.
She was playing me.
I'd always had she could look at you and make you feel it was blackmail.
That's why she did it.
You see in the end I didn't have a choice.
So it was a question of business.
What about your brother's first wife? That wasn't business was it? That was jealousy.
Because that was the one thing of your brother's that you couldn't make your own.
So you took it from him.
Hey George! Come on, wake up! It's ok.
Well? He's gone, sir.
All right go on, keep them back.
All-powerful and mysterious God, we commend to you Alec, your servant.
Blot out the sins he has committed through human weakness.
This we ask through Jesus Christ Our Lord.