Midsomer Murders (1997) s05e04 Episode Script
Murder on St Malley's Day
SHARP RHYTHMIC BANGING ALL CHANT: Answer! Answer! Answer! The club demands an answer, Talbot.
BANGING STOPS Now! Have you, or have you not, been discussing club matters with outsiders? I'm not answerable to you, Heywood, or anyone else in this room.
Your first loyalty is to the club, Dan.
Maybe you've forgotten that.
Or maybe you've been spending a little bit too much time in the village.
Desist! Daniel.
Marcus.
Good evening, gentlemen.
You may be seated.
I say 'gentlemen' because that is what members of the Pudding Club should strive to be, no matter how trying the circumstances.
Sorry, sir.
Sorry, sir.
And the circumstances are particularly trying tonight.
As you know, Daniel's grandfather, Sir Walter, is gravely ill.
Tonight, he has taken a turn for the worse.
Sir Walter is a Pudding Club man and one of our most distinguished old boys, so I ask you all to behave with due propriety.
Daniel, I must take you to the Manor immediately.
Our thoughts will be with you and your family, Dan.
I'm sure I speak for everybody here.
Thank you, Marcus.
Papa? Daniel is here to see you.
What is it, Grandad? He wants to know the time.
It's five past midnight, Grandad.
Why does he want to know the time? It's after midnight, Doctor, and therefore the feast day of St Malley, patron saint of Devington School.
Look.
He's smiling.
Oh, of course.
Papa winning the St Malley's Day Race.
Can't we leave the blasted school out of things for once? Don't worry, Papa.
The race will be run as usual.
And Daniel will win it for you.
Won't you, Daniel? I'll do my best, Grandad.
He can't hear you.
I'm sorry.
He's gone.
Quid nunc? What now? A stiff drink, that's what.
It's so good of you to come and give us moral support.
We've been looking forward to it, haven't we, Tom? We thought Toby might be happier at a more traditional school like this.
So when does he start? We haven't taken the plunge yet.
That's why we wanted you to come along, for your input.
Didn't we, George? Ssh.
Parents, pupils, staff and friends of Devington School.
Welcome to the St Malley's Day Race, run today in honour of our beloved friend Sir Walter Talbot, diplomat and distinguished Old Devingtonian, who passed away in the early hours of this morning.
Forti et fideli nihil impossibile.
To the brave and the faithful nothing is impossible.
CLOCK CHIMES Gentlemen, are you ready? ALL: Yes, Headmaster.
Ludlow, the bell.
SILENCE The bell, Ludlow.
BELL SOUNDS Go on, Dan.
Go, Daniel.
You will win this race for your grandfather.
Run as fast as you can.
Go, Daniel.
Go! Go, Daniel! Run, boy! Run! GIRLS SCREAM HYSTERICALLY Mr Carew.
Don't stop, Daniel.
Run.
Run like the wind.
Drinks.
Here they come.
Come on, Mr Heywood.
You can do it.
I can assure you, Mrs Woodard, I am moving heaven and earth to find a place for young Toby.
A word, if I may.
Anthony, may I introduce .
.
Now, Jonathan.
Please.
Excuse me.
That's Anthony Talbot, Sir Walter's son.
He's a diplomat as well.
Yes, you can tell.
Good show, Talbot.
That's the way.
Get off me, Heywood, you yob.
Get off me.
Sorry, Chas, no can do.
It's for the greater good, you see.
Sod the greater good.
BRANCH SNAPS What the hell are you doing here? Bloody maniac.
Have you heard from Archie Bellingham recently? No.
Should I have done? Had the Permanent Secretary on the phone earlier.
He's gone missing.
Missing! Not a word to anyone, Jonathan.
The Foreign Office wants a lid kept on this one.
Daniel! Daniel! For God's sake.
Oh, really, Daniel! Do get up.
If you don't reach the steps, you can't win the race.
Can't you see he's hurt? Somebody get an ambulance.
DOOR SHUTS I thought you were going to stay with your mother.
I changed my mind.
You alright, Julia? Yeah.
Let's cut the waffle, shall we, and get to the point.
There's only one line of investigation worth pursuing.
And what line is that, Mr Talbot? The village.
Midsomer Parva.
What about it? Many years ago, the St Malley's Day Race was the occasion when scores were settled between school and village.
Pitched battles were fought and I'm glad to say the school usually came out on top.
However, nowadays we do things rather differently.
We respect each other's role in the community and that sort of nonsense.
However, there are still some in the village who resent the school.
Are you suggesting the attack on Daniel was part of some feud with the villagers? What other explanation could there be? There were local youths on the village green yesterday.
They verbally abused and threw missiles at the boys taking part in the race.
Verbal abuse is one thing, assault with a deadly weapon is quite another.
Violence is never far away.
We'll certainly look into that aspect of it, Mr Talbot.
I know this could be difficult but do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions about Daniel? What sort of questions? Was he happy at Devington? Happy? He was school captain.
He'd won colours for cricket, rugger, fives.
Of course he was happy.
Only yesterday, at the start of the race, I had the feeling he was a little reluctant to take part.
You may have forgotten, inspector, Daniel's grandfather died in the early hours of yesterday morning.
The boy was tired and upset.
But I assure you Daniel wanted nothing more than to win that race for his grandfather.
And for me.
You reckon Daniel didn't want to take part in the race? Mrs Talbot? I know this is a bad time, but could you spare me a moment, please? I shudder to think of my son lying here side by side with that old monster.
What old monster would that be, Mrs Talbot? Sir Walter.
My father-in-law.
I hear you didn't get on.
Walter didn't get on with anybody.
He commanded, people obeyed.
How did that go down with Daniel? He did his best, for my sake.
Just for your sake? Any shortcomings on Daniel's part were blamed on me.
Shortcomings? I thought that Daniel was doing very well.
Yes, but it was never good enough.
My husband and my father-in-law are very competitive men.
Daniel wasn't like that.
And that caused problems, did it, between Daniel and his father? There were a couple of rows recently, yes.
What about, Mrs Talbot? I believe it was about the school.
And the Pudding Club.
The what? Look, I'm sorry but that's all the talking I can manage for the time being.
Go up to the school, talk to Eckersley-Hyde.
He'll be only too pleased to tell you all about the damn place.
BELL TOLLS Good morning, gentlemen.
How may I help you? I'm Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby.
That's Detective Sergeant Troy.
We're here to see the Headmaster, please.
Very good, sir.
Excuse me, sir.
One of our little rules, I'm afraid, sir.
Grass in Main Quad.
It's out of bounds, sir.
Oh.
Sorry.
You weren't to know, sir.
Chief Inspector Barnaby? And you must be Sergeant Troy.
Marcus Heywood.
Don't worry, Ludlow, I'll take them to the Headmaster.
Very good, Mr Heywood.
If you'll just follow me.
MOBILE RINGS Troy.
OK.
Sir! They've found a knife in Friar's Copse.
Well, you'd better get yourself down there, hadn't you? You knew Daniel well, didn't you? Yes, sir.
Dan was an absolutely excellent chap, a great friend of mine.
The whole school is in shock.
And you were right behind him in Friar's Copse, weren't you? Yah.
But when Daniel got into the woods he was away.
He was incredibly fit.
Did you see, hear anything or anyone suspicious? No.
Just me and Chas battling it out for second place that's all.
Who's Chas? Charlie Meynell, sir.
Don't know if you've come across him.
HEADMASTER: Come.
Thank you, Marcus.
We'll talk again.
Come.
When did you last speak to Daniel? The last time I spoke to Daniel? It must have been 10 minutes or so before the race began.
I went to his room in study cloisters to wish him luck, then I looked in on Ludlow at the Porter's Lodge to make sure all was well.
Then I went out into Main Quad to address the spectators.
How did he seem to you, Mr Eckersley-Hyde? Upset about his grandfather, of course.
They were very close, you know.
What was his relationship with his father like? Excellent, I believe.
Apparently there were some arguments recently about the school.
What teenage boy doesn't argue with his father? And the Pudding Club? They argued about the Pudding Club? I doubt that very much.
What exactly is the Pudding Club? Well, um.
Back in the mists of time, when food in school was less palatable than it is now, some senior boys pooled their resources and arranged to have meals delivered from London.
The catering has improved but the club survives.
It's a tradition, and we're rather keen on tradition here at Devington.
So its purpose is social.
Exactly.
There's a Pudding Club scholarship, but apart from that, members dine once a week on suet pudding and are allowed to walk on the grass in Main Quad.
That's about the extent of it.
Oh, apart from the cufflinks.
The silver spoons.
Only to be worn by members.
So you were here yourself, then? Oh, yes.
I'm an old Devingtonian.
And apart from three happy years at Oxford, Devington School has been my life since I was 12.
Not my career Inspector, my life.
Was Daniel a member of the Pudding Club? Oh, yes.
As were Anthony and Sir Walter.
Anthony was a contemporary of mine here.
We were great, great chums, and still are.
Tell me about the scholarship.
It's awarded to Pudding Club members who show particular promise and wish to join the diplomatic service.
The school has excellent contacts there.
Was Daniel in the running for a scholarship? I was very much in favour of Daniel.
But I don't quite see what this has to do with catching Daniel's attacker.
I'm just filling in the background details, Mr Eckersley-Hyde.
I'd like to look at Daniel's room now, if I may.
I'll take you myself.
Thank you Something of interest? Probably not.
These would normally be by the basin, wouldn't they? Do you have a son, Inspector? No, I have a daughter.
Then you have been spared.
Personal hygiene and the adolescent male are rarely on speaking terms.
I'd like to see Charlie Meynell now, please, if I may and I'd like this room left just as it is until further notice.
Alright.
CLASS BELL Walk.
Walk! I word about Charles Meynell.
UmThere have been disciplinary problems.
I'm sure the boy will come right in the end but he has a bit of a - what's the phrase - a bit of an attitude problem.
I think you should bear that in mind when talking to him.
Thank you.
I will.
Meynell.
Visitor.
Yeah.
Some of the local riff-raff on the village green gave us a bit of lip, but I didn't see any of them in Friar's Copse.
Tell me what happened in Friar's Copse.
I was robbed, that's what happened.
You were robbed? Of the race.
I caught Daniel, got the ball off him, then that creep Heywood jumped me from behind.
Isn't that against the rules? Rules? There aren't any rules.
First one back to the Porter's Lodge with the ball wins, it doesn't matter how you do it.
So what did you do after Heywood jumped you? I strolled back to the school with some of the others.
You gave up on the race? What's the point when you've got the whole Pudding Club on your case? What's the Pudding Club got to do with it? They fixed it so Daniel would win, obviously.
Hey, don't get me wrong.
Daniel was a good bloke.
He was the only one of those arrogant bastards I actually liked.
I take it you are not a member of the Pudding Club.
Me? No way.
And Daniel was only a member because of his Dad.
Have you met his Dad? Yes.
I have.
He's a psycho, right? Daniel wanted out of the club, he hated it as much as me.
There was a huge bust-up between him and his old man over it.
What about Daniel wanting to leave the club? Yes.
You can't leave the Pudding Club once you're in.
It's not done.
It's bad form.
I heard there was a bit of a ruck in the Pudding Club room the night before the race.
What sort of a ruck? Between Daniel and Marcus Heywood.
Heywood accused Daniel of fraternising with the villagers.
Betraying club secrets.
It's pathetic.
They're like kids in a gang.
DOOR KNOCKS Come.
What is it, Ludlow? Message for Inspector Barnaby, Mr Meynell.
Sergeant Troy is in the refectory, when you're ready, sir.
Thank you Weirdo.
This whole place is full of psychos and weirdos.
Early lunch, Troy? Fantastic sausages.
Mrs Bosworth gets them sent from Lincolnshire.
Tell me about the knife they found.
It's a steak knife, sir.
Serrated blade.
Distinctive bone handle.
It was found 30 or 40 yards from the path the boys were running along.
Forensic are checking for prints and blood type.
Well done, Troy.
That's not all.
A chap called Dennis Carter called.
He's a groundsman here at the school, moonlights as the local taxi service.
Anyway, he was driving past Friar's Copse yesterday, roundabout the time Daniel was attacked.
Said he saw something.
What? Wouldn't say on the phone.
He sounded very nervous.
You know what they're like in these villages.
Indeed I do.
You enjoyed that, my lovely? Delicious, Mrs Bosworth.
Can I tempt you to a sausage, Inspector? No, thank you.
Lobsters! School food has improved since my day.
They're not for the boys, silly.
They're for the top table.
Now then, what about pudding? How about a little spotted dick and custard? That would be nice.
I'm sorry, we've got no time.
Shame.
Anytime you fancy trying it, Sergeant, you know where to come.
Smashing lady.
Come on, Troy.
Let's talk to Dennis Carter.
I was on my way back up to the school to mow the first XI cricket pitch, so it must've been about half three.
I was coming through Friar's Copse, this motorbike came round the bend the other way.
He was going that fast, he almost had me in the ditch.
Did you see who it was? I don't like this.
This is not easy, you know.
Who was it, Mr Carter? What's going on, Dad? It's the police from Causton.
This is my daughter, Julia.
What's this about? A boy from Devington School was murdered in Friar's Copse yesterday.
Yeah.
I heard about it.
We're asking people in the village if they might've seen someone or something out of the ordinary.
Did you see anything, Dad? I saw Paul Starkey riding that bloody motorbike away from Friar's Copse, that's what I saw.
Paul Starkey wouldn't murder anyone.
Who's Paul Starkey? Ray Starkey's son, landlord of the Chalk and Gown.
Julia's right.
Paul's not a bad lad.
He's had his moments, but murdering someone that just doesn't fit.
You say Paul Starkey had his moments.
What do you mean, exactly? He's a bit of tearaway, motorbikes and so on.
Then there was that business up at the Annexe.
What's the Annexe? They're allowing girls at the school now.
They board in the village at the Annexe.
Cause nothing but trouble.
What kind of trouble? What kind do you think? Were you in the village yesterday? No.
I was in Causton all day.
I was at Causton bus station.
All day? I missed my bus, then I changed my mind and I came back home.
Psst! Sir.
(WHISPERS) Are you the police? Yes, Sir.
How can we help? In here.
Quickly.
I want to talk to you.
It's about the murder of Daniel Talbot.
"Anthony Talbot "sighted driving to Manor at" What do you have? Let's allow for letting you in, say, 2:53.
As policemen you will appreciate the importance of accuracy in these matters.
You wanted to talk to us about Daniel Talbot, Mr, um Carew.
Dudley Carew.
You must understand that I can only talk in the broadest terms.
Why must I understand that? The eyes and ears of Devington School are everywhere in this village.
"The Royal Family: Are they working for the Kremlin?" by Dudley Carew.
You wrote this, did you, sir? Yes.
I contribute to all sorts of periodicals, but my main area of research is Devington School and its malign influence on 20th century history.
That is fascinating, Mr Carew, but this is a murder .
.
Take the Vietnam War.
Or the invasion of Afghanistan.
In every case, a trail of blood leads back to Devington School.
I have documentary proof that Lee Harvey Oswald was here, in Midsomer Parva, two weeks before he assassinated President John F Kennedy.
Now where's that paper? Someone has been interfering with my filing system.
You! Did you touch anything on this desk? Eh? Did you? I haven't been near your desk.
You were a pupil at Devington School, weren't you, Mr Carew? How do you know? Who told you? That's you in this school photograph.
You're sitting between Anthony Talbot and Jonathan Eckersley-Hyde, if I'm not mistaken.
Yes.
Well.
I was there briefly.
The standard of teaching was abysmal so I left.
Enquiring minds were not encouraged.
And it's much the same now, as poor Daniel would have told you.
What did you want to tell us about Daniel Talbot, Mr Carew? Daniel was a fine young man, an honest young man, and he paid the price for it.
Are you saying you know who killed Daniel? What? No, not as yet.
The picture is incomplete.
All I say is, look at the school, not the village.
That is where you will find the answer.
The school.
Ooh! It's that lovely policeman again.
I think you've been following me, sergeant.
Hello, Mrs Bosworth.
Who's that with her? Martin Fulmer.
In charge of sport at the school.
The one handing out water in the lane.
That's right.
Didn't budge until the end of the race.
Lots of witnesses.
Yes, gentlemen, what can I get you? A small scotch for me, please, and an orange juice.
Sir? There we are.
Thank you I'm Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby, this is Detective Sergeant Troy.
We'd like to speak to your son, Paul, please.
Is he here? No.
He's gone out.
I don't know where he is, I'm afraid.
I reckon Paul Starkey's bolted.
Why would he do that? It's not looking good for him, is it? Looks like the murder weapon came from his Dad's pub.
He was seen driving away from the scene of the crime at high speed, plus he's the local bad boy.
I reckon we should put out an all vehicle alert.
Are you Paul Starkey? Yes.
I'd like a word with you, please.
OK.
Let's go through this again.
You left the pub at 2 o'clock and went for a ride.
That's right, I just rode around.
And on the way back, you drove so fast through Friar's Copse you almost forced Dennis Carter off the road.
Fast? Dennis Carter don't know the meaning of the word.
Paul, I'm going to ask you just once more.
Were you in Friar's Copse yesterday afternoon? No, I wasn't.
I told you.
Can I have a word please, sir? They've found some fresh tyre tracks in Friar's Copse.
Just here.
There? Are you sure? Yes, sir.
Definitely a motorbike.
And cigarette ends.
Starkey's brand.
Starkey is lying.
I'm sure he was in Friar's Copse yesterday afternoon.
So let's arrest him, sir.
But I don't think he killed Daniel Talbot.
It doesn't add up, Troy.
The boys leave the lane and run down the path through the wood here.
Charlie Meynell catches Daniel about here, gets the ball off him, then Charlie is tackled by Marcus Heywood.
Daniel gets the ball back and along the path towards the school.
So he must have been attacked somewhere between here and here.
Right.
Paul Starkey parks his bike here, makes his way through the wood, hides in the bushes, waits.
Along comes Daniel, Starkey jumps out, does the deed.
And then what? Does he run straight back to his bike? No, he does not.
For some reason he goes off in another direction.
Up there.
Look.
Chucks away his knife up there and then, and only then, goes back to his bike.
Sir? Ta.
Oh! Forensic on the knife.
No prints.
The blood matches Daniel Talbot's.
Traces of ammonia, ascetic acid and other chemicals.
A common cleaning agent, apparently.
There's something at the back of my mind about the end of that race yesterday.
COCK CROWS I can't think what it is.
Sir, if we don't formally arrest Paul Starkey we'll have to let him go.
Alright, Troy.
Arrest him.
Can I go home now? 'Fraid not, Paul.
FOOTSTEPS What the hell do you want, Heywood? Get him.
Evening, Mr Meynell.
MR TALBOT: Gentlemen! If I may have your attention, please, for one moment.
The police have arrested the man who killed my son, Daniel.
He's a villager.
But that doesn't mean it's over.
Outsiders will see this as an opportunity to snoop and pry into the affairs of the school.
But you must remember that your first loyalty is to the Pudding Club.
Always.
Loyalty is our greatest strength.
Carry on, gentlemen.
Goodnight, Mr Talbot.
Goodnight, Ludlow.
Mr Talbot.
About this villager that's been arrested.
It's not Paul Starkey is it? Yes, Heywood, it is.
Why? There's something you really ought to know about Paul Starkey, sir.
It's about him and Daniel.
I'll ask the police to interview Marcus Heywood at the Manor, away from prying eyes.
Of course, Anthony.
Anthony, one tiny, tiny thing.
The Pudding Club meeting last night.
What of it? Well, you might have mentioned it to me.
The Pudding Club does not need your permission to meet.
Of course not, Anthony.
But there was a time when you and I worked as a team where the club was concerned.
In harness together, shoulder-to-shoulder.
And now .
.
Look, if you've got something to say, just say it.
You no longer take me into your confidence.
Take poor Archie Bellingham.
It says here he was due back from Kuala Lumpur.
I thought he was posted to Paris with you.
Has it not occurred to you that information like that may be confidential for security reasons? Of course.
Forgive me.
And while we're on the subject, I was the one who spotted Bellingham's potential and I was the one who proposed him for the Pudding Club, very much against your best wishes, I recall.
I'll see you at the Manor.
We got the results back from the lab, Paul.
The tyre tracks match.
It was you in Friar's Copse, wasn't it? You were there at the same time Daniel Talbot was stabbed.
The attacker used a knife from your father's pub.
Now do you understand, Paul, what kind of trouble you're in? I didn't kill him.
I want to believe you.
But you must stop lying to me.
My Dad'll go mad.
About what? Alright.
I was in Friar's Copse because I had a message to meet Dave.
Who's Dave? Dave Winch.
He works up in the kitchens up at the school.
Mrs Bosworth and my Dad, they've got this little deal.
Any surplus left in the school kitchens, my Dad helps her get rid of.
Like leftover lobsters? How did you know about the lobsters? My amazing powers of deduction, Paul.
So you met Winch in Friar's Copse? No.
He never showed up.
I hung around for a bit, then I went home.
You got a message from Dave Winch.
Who gave you the message? One of the barmaids in the pub said he'd phoned up.
I thought that was a bit weird 'cause he usually comes in himself or Marcus Heywood brings the message.
Why would Marcus Heywood deliver messages for Dave Winch? Marcus is always in the Chalk and Gown.
So Marcus goes to the village pub, does he? Yeah, it's out of bounds to the school, but there's a room upstairs Dad let's them use.
Who's them? Boys from the school.
Some of the girls, too.
How do they get from the school to the pub? Dennis Carter takes them in his old banger.
Don't tell Dad I told you.
He'll kill me.
Winch works at the school, doesn't he? So we assume he knows all about the St Malley's Day Race.
Why does he arrange to meet Paul Starkey in Friar's Copse on the one day he knows it will be crawling with people? He never intended to turn up.
Winch set Paul Starkey up.
Or he didn't send the message in the first place.
PHONE RINGS Causton CID.
Yes, he's here.
Anthony Talbot.
My sister Arabella is in the 6th form at Devington, sir, and she and Daniel were, well, an item.
An item? You know, seeing each other.
Why didn't you mention this before, Marcus? It didn't seem important until I heard that you'd arrested Paul Starkey.
What's Paul Starkey got to do with it? Well, he was always pestering Arabella, hanging round the Annexe and so on.
He was sort of stalking her.
Marcus, do you know someone called Dave Winch? I believe he works in the school kitchens.
No.
Why would I know somebody who works in the kitchens? What are you driving at, Barnaby? Do you ever go to the Chalk and Gown, Marcus? The Chalk and Gown is strictly out of bounds.
Do you? Mr Eckersley-Hyde's just told you, sir.
The Chalk and Gown is out of bounds.
Alright, Marcus.
Thank you, thank you very much for your help.
Come along, Heywood.
The boy comes in here to help and what do you do? Make a string of vile insinuations.
I'm making enquiries, Mr Talbot, not insinuations.
I hope you're not one of these chip-on-the-shoulder types who always take the criminal's side, Barnaby.
No, I'm one of those let's-do-the-job-properly types.
It was just totally devastating.
I still can't believe it.
You must have been very fond of Daniel.
I adored Dan.
He was a sweet boy.
Tell me about Paul Starkey.
Well, he just sort of hung around, you know? He's boring.
He seemed to think I fancied him which was just ludicrous.
He's quite a good-looking lad? God, no way.
He's gross.
And anyway, he's from the village.
So, you told him you were going out with Daniel, and what, was he upset? He was really hacked off.
What did he say? Um, he didn't actually say anything, but he was really hacked off, I could tell.
Thank you, Arabella.
You'd better get off to your class now.
What have you got next? French.
I'm totally hopeless at French.
Can I see? Merci.
Mmmm.
Looks fine to me.
Mind you, I was never any good at French either.
Where exactly did you and Daniel go when you went out together? You know, just out.
You ever go to the Chalk and Gown? This is not about breaking school rules, Arabella.
I'm not interested in that.
(SIGHS) I go sometimes with Marcus and the Pudding Club lot.
And Daniel went as well? Sometimes, yeah.
There's nothing else to do around here, is there? CLASS BELL God, I'm late.
Must go.
Troy? Barnaby.
How are you getting along with Paul Starkey? Nothing new, sir.
We're not dealing with a criminal mastermind here.
Ask him about Arabella Heywood, Marcus Heywood's sister.
Ask him what about her, sir? Whether he knows her.
How well.
Don't make a big thing of it.
OK.
Got you.
Mr Meynell.
Oh, it's you.
You're taking a bit of a risk, aren't you? Walking across the grass like that? Not really, no.
Oh.
Congratulations.
You're a member of the Pudding Club, are you? I was invited to fill the vacancy left by Daniel Talbot.
I thought you hated the Pudding Club.
God no.
It's a hell of an honour, actually.
You told me that Daniel wanted to leave the Pudding Club.
Did I? I don't remember saying that.
How about the row between Daniel and Marcus Heywood the night before the race? What row? Charlie, you told me yourself there was a fight in the Pudding Club room which Eckersley-Hyde had to break up.
I must have been mistaken.
I wasn't there, was I? Look, I've got to go.
I'm supervising junior prep.
Excuse me.
Mr Ludlow? Good morning, sir.
Good morning to you.
I wonder, could you do me a favour? How long have you worked here, Mr Ludlow? About 35 years, sir.
I left the village school, did a few years in the army and then came here.
You must be very attached to Devington.
Yes, sir.
I am.
Particularly as my father was Porter here before me.
So it runs in the family, does it? Like the Talbots.
My father was Porter when Sir Walter Talbot was a pupil.
Sir Walter was a great man.
Did a lot for the school.
And Anthony Talbot is keeping up the tradition.
Oh, yes.
Very much so, sir.
I suppose if anyone knows what goes on in this school, it'd be you.
I do my job, sir, and leave it at that.
What about the Pudding Club? I have the honour of being steward of the Pudding Club.
What does that involve? Not a lot.
I take the puddings to the club room, tidy up afterwards, same as my father did.
On the night before the race, was there a fight in the Pudding Club room? I don't think so, sir.
They make a fair bit of noise alright, but it's just high spirits.
It's hard to get people to talk about the Pudding Club, isn't it? There's not much to say, if truth be told.
You must remember, sir, the school is in mourning at the moment.
Oh, of course.
I wonder, would you mind seeing if Marcus Heywood is in his room, Mr Ludlow? Yes, sir.
Sorry, sir.
He's not there.
Oh well, it's not a problem.
I'll speak to him later.
Arabella Heywood certainly did not write this card, Troy.
Wrong writing.
I don't think she ever went out with Daniel at all.
Why was she trying to make out she was? I don't know.
Trying to incriminate Paul Starkey? To cover for her brother? Maybe Marcus Heywood and Charlie Meynell were in it together.
They've both benefitted from Daniel's death, didn't they? Marcus is captain of the school and Charlie got into the whatsit club.
But then we get back to the problem of the knife, Troy.
Witnesses saw Meynell and Heywood making their way back towards the school.
Neither of them would've had the time to double back and drop the knife where we found it.
So it can't have been anyone taking part in the race.
I don't see how it could be.
They're all accounted for.
Are you hungry? Now you mention it.
Get yourself up to the school, drop in on Mrs Bosworth.
And talk to Dave Winch.
See if he really left a message for Paul Starkey at the pub.
Afternoon, Dennis.
Can I have a word, please? I'm due back at work.
This won't take a moment.
Tell me about the pub run.
The what? When you pick boys up from the school and take them to the Chalk and Gown.
I don't know anything about that.
I've got better things to do with my time, Dennis, than make trouble for you, but that's exactly what I will do if you are not straight with me.
Alright, alright.
They phone me from the school.
Who phones you? Nowadays it's usually that Marcus Heywood.
I go up behind the school and wait for them to climb over the wall then run them to the Chalk.
They go in through the back door.
Did Daniel Talbot ever go to the Chalk and Gown? No.
I never took him there.
Where did you take him? To Dudley Carew's.
What was he doing at Carew's? How should I know? I swore to Daniel I wouldn't tell a soul.
Thank you, Dennis.
You were right to tell me.
He was the best of that lot, was Daniel Talbot.
I thought you'd come here.
I saw you talking to my Dad.
Where's Mr Carew? In Causton.
There's a meeting of the Flat Earth Society.
May I come in? You sent this to Daniel, didn't you? I'm sorry.
(SOBS) It's alright.
It's a relief to talk about it.
Where did you meet Daniel? Here.
Everyone in the village thinks that Dudley is a loony but he's a really good person to talk to.
I used to come in when my Mum and Dad were splitting up.
Then one evening Daniel came round to see Dudley.
That was the first time we met.
What did Daniel want with Mr Carew? To talk.
About the school mostly.
How he hated it and wanted to leave, stuff like that.
Anyway, I came round one evening, Daniel was here, and Dudley was in a terrible state.
How do you mean? It was something Daniel had told him.
What? Neither of them would say.
But that's when he started talking about running away.
And you were going to run away with him.
I think that someone was watching him.
That's why he decided to run away on St Malley's Day.
Everyone would be up at the school.
And you were waiting for him at Causton bus station.
I think you'd better go now, my dear.
Come and see me later.
Will you be alright? Yes, I'll be fine.
You came alone? Yes, I came alone.
Mr Carew, why was Daniel Talbot planning to run away? I told you before - the picture is incomplete.
Look at the school.
Look at the Pudding Club room.
Do you mean the Pudding Club scholarship? Scholarship? Conspiracy, more like.
Please, Mr Carew.
No more conspiracy theories.
I'm talking about money.
The acquisition of wealth.
That's the true purpose of the Pudding Club.
And how is this money acquired? Diplomats enjoy many privileges.
Immunity, freedom of movement, diplomatic bag.
Use your imagination.
Never mind wild allegations, can you give me some details, facts? Sir Walter's health had been deteriorating and with it his influence over the school.
And a struggle for control of the Pudding Club has been raging.
Archie Bellingham was a victim of that struggle.
As was poor Daniel.
Archie Bellingham is missing A-ha.
.
.
but Daniel Talbot was murdered.
I know Daniel was frightened.
I saw him at the start of the race.
The start of the race? Yes, I was with friends.
You were at the school for the St Malley's Day race with friends? In that case, how can I trust you? How do I know you're not working for them? For God's sake.
The Pudding Club has strong links with the police force! I've said all I'm going to say.
So now you must leave.
Go! Go! I don't know how you can eat.
There's a lot to be done.
And one of us has got to be in a fit state to do it.
Miranda, Anthony, forgive me for disturbing you.
I didn't realise you were having dinner.
It's alright, I've had just about all I can stomach.
This won't take long.
What's so important, Jonathan? Leaky roof in the science block? Graffiti in the junior common room? What is it, Jonathan? The Pudding Club meeting last night.
Not that again.
Charles Meynell tells me he was elected to club with you as his proposer.
Yes, that's right.
Are you thinking of putting Meynell up for the scholarship? No.
I'm awarding him the scholarship.
He's sound.
He's got potential.
The Heywood boy is nothing but a feckless oik.
He isn't up to it.
But to go ahead without consulting me, Ants.
How many more times do I have to tell you, would you please stop calling me that.
And would you stop wittering on to all and sundry about how we were best friends at Devington.
My recollection is that we were very far from best friends.
I have always been your friend.
The school flourishes and you flourish with it because of me.
Frankly, Jonathan, without my support, I think you'd be hard pushed to find a job teaching dogs to bark.
Veritatem dies aperit.
Time reveals the truth.
COCK CROWS Morning, Mr Fulmer.
What can I do for you? Move your heavy roller for a start.
You've left it slap bang in the middle of the 1st XI pitch.
I never did.
Go and see for yourself.
Damn hooligans.
Oh, my God.
When's he going to be moved, sergeant? There's a 1st XI match against St Elphin's on Saturday.
We've got more important things than cricket on our minds.
If Carew's left any dents I'll need time to flatten them.
You're going to have to be patient.
He's lying where the spin bowlers pitch it.
Mr Carter, please.
Please! What happened, sir? Smothered with a meat pudding, flattened by the roller and bashed about the head, though not necessarily in that order.
Think it could be accidental, sir? This is no time for jokes, Troy.
Sorry.
When do we have to let Paul Starkey go? Remember the cleaning fluid on the steak knife? Apparently it's used in cleaning silverware.
So why would you use it on a stainless steel steak knife? So it could have come from the murderer.
Exactly.
So if forensics can find a drop of that same cleaning fluid on the roller or on Carew's body, we'll know it's not Paul Starkey.
Poor old loony Carew.
I wonder how many will mourn him.
Mourn him.
The whole school is in mourning.
Troy, we are going to Friar's Copse.
It was something Ludlow said to me yesterday.
The whole school is in mourning.
I knew what's been bothering me about the St Malley's Day Race.
What's that, sir? All the boys that took part were wearing black arm bands in memory of Sir Walter Talbot.
OK.
They were all wearing black arm bands.
But At least they were when they set off.
Go! Go! Go! Go! And then I remembered, Daniel wasn't wearing his black arm band when he got back to the school.
So what happened to it? Probably came off in the struggle, sir.
Exactly.
Which means it's probably still somewhere in the wood.
Which means we have been looking in the wrong place.
Now this is where Charlie Meynell caught Daniel.
And then Charlie Meynell was tackled by Marcus.
And Daniel gets the ball back.
We've been assuming, haven't we, that Daniel carried on along the path back to the school.
He did, didn't he? He was trying to get away, Troy, not go back to the school.
What if he took a diversion? By the time Daniel got to here he'd be out of sight of the others, wouldn't he? There's a track through here, sir.
Footprints here, sir.
Yes! Hey, hey.
Black armband.
We're getting somewhere at last, Troy.
Sir! Signs of a struggle here.
Yes, this is where Daniel was attacked.
But what did he come here for? See? I think he'd hidden his holdall here.
He came back for it, but someone was waiting for him.
So what did they do with the holdall? Whoever stabbed him took it back to his room while everyone was in the Main Quad.
There was fresh mud and tree bark on it.
And they didn't have time to unpack it properly either because his toothpaste and his razor were still in it.
It's ironic.
Daniel gets wounded but he manages to escape from his attacker.
What can he do? The only way he can get help is to go back to the place he was trying to escape from.
Where he's welcomed like a hero.
DOOR KNOCKS Come.
Excuse me, Headmaster, the police are about to remove Mr Carew from the cricket pitch.
Thank you, Ludlow.
A troubled end to a troubled life.
He was not the happiest of men, sir.
Still, mors omnia solvit.
Death resolves everything.
Marcus Heywood and Charlie Meynell have been giving us the runaround since the very beginning, haven't they? Sir.
Thank you.
Forensic report.
Traces of cleaning fluid on the roller and Carew's clothing.
We can release Paul Starkey then.
Yes, sir.
By the way, I know where Charlie Meynell and Marcus Heywood will be tonight.
Quiet, please! Quiet! Right.
Well we're here today to celebrate Charlie's admission to the Pudding Club.
There was a time when I thought Charlie wouldn't come up to scratch.
But I'm pleased to say he seems to have come good in the end.
Try and sound as if you mean it, Heywood.
ALL: To Charlie.
Glad you seen sense about young Paul, Inspector.
Evening, Mr Ludlow.
DRUNKEN SINGING Private party.
Locals? That's right, yeah.
Someone's birthday, I think.
SINGING CONTINUES Why aren't you singing? Because I don't feel like it.
That's all.
Come on, Marcus.
don't be a bad loser.
Sorry, what have I lost? You know.
No, I'm afraid I don't.
Now that Daniel's gone, I'm the one.
Charlie, you are so totally the one.
You thought you'd get the scholarship, but I'm afraid it's going to be me now.
Anthony Talbot's as good as told me.
You're wrong.
And take your hands off my sister.
Actually, I rather think she's got her hands on me.
Sorry, folks.
I shall go and have a word.
Don't worry, Mr Starkey, we will attend to it.
That's enough.
Mr Starkey, will you ask Dennis Carter to take these ladies and gentlemen back to where they belong, please? Right away.
Out.
Quick as you can.
Straight out.
Not you two.
C'mon! You heard him! Right.
You two have got a choice.
Either you start telling me the truth, or I will throw the book at you.
TROY: Keep it going, guys.
Out! My parents would kill me.
Mine too.
Right.
I'll be up to the school first thing tomorrow morning and I want your cooperation please, or I'll charge you both.
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.
Here we go, boys.
Keep up, keep up.
That's it.
Come on, boys.
Quickly now.
I want to see you swimming not splashing.
Oh, my God.
THUNDER PEELS DOOR KNOCKS Come.
What news, Ludlow? The police have confirmed it's Mr Bellingham's body, Headmaster.
And the boys? Somewhat shaken, but Mrs Bosworth is preparing them a special breakfast.
Do you wish to inspect Mr Bellingham's body, sir? No, I do not, Ludlow.
I suppose I better phone Anthony and break the news.
Yes, sir.
Mr Talbot will be most upset about Mr Bellingham.
Indeed he will, Ludlow.
I'm afraid there's more bad news, Headmaster.
Marcus Heywood has disappeared.
Oh, no.
What are we to do, Ludlow? You'll get us through, Headmaster.
Will I, Ludlow? Yes, sir.
I'm sure of it.
You're up to it, sir.
Look, Pudding Club cufflinks.
So that's the missing diplomat? Yes.
Must've been dead over a week.
Look, he's taken a massive blow to the head.
Similar to Dudley Carew.
(GASPS) Are you alright, Troy? AhYeah.
I've just been talking to Charlie Meynell.
Apparently, Marcus Heywood has gone missing.
I think I know where to start looking for young Marcus.
Where's Marcus, Arabella? How should I know? That story you told me about you and Daniel Talbot being an item, that was a lie, wasn't it? Marcus made me say it.
Why? Marcus said that Daniel was going out with a girl in the village.
He said that if it came out it would look really bad for the Pudding Club.
So he told me to say that I was going out with Daniel.
And Paul Starkey wasn't pestering you, was he? You were pestering him.
We all thought Paul Starkey killed Daniel, we were trying to help.
Lying to the police during a murder investigation.
That's serious, Arabella.
Marcus said it might help him get the scholarship.
Where is he? In my room.
The Headmaster told me he was going to put me up for the Pudding Club scholarship but that Daniel was up for one as well, which I thought was really unfair.
Why? Well, because it's Sir Walter who decides and he's Daniel's grandfather.
Obviously, I didn't stand a chance.
Anyway, Daniel started behaving all weird.
He talked about leaving the Pudding Club and about leaving the school and so on.
And there were these rumours he was seeing a village girl, so I told the Headmaster.
And what did he say? He said I'd done the right thing.
He said that he'd speak to Daniel's father and they would sort it out between themselves.
He said I'd done myself a lot of good.
Tell me about the day of the race.
The Headmaster told the Pudding Club to make sure Daniel won the race.
But that idiot Charlie Meynell caught the ball.
I managed to get it off him.
So I lobbed the ball to Daniel but the sad bastard wouldn't run.
Go, Dan.
Then, thank God, he came to his senses and took off.
Now I had to try to keep up with Daniel, make sure nobody got to him, but I was completely knackered and by the time we got to Friar's Copse, Charlie Meynell was ahead of me, so I just about managed to keep them both in sight then Charlie caught Daniel.
So I gave Charlie a slap or two, and sat on him until Daniel was out of sight.
What did you do then? I left the path, looking for a quiet place to have a cigarette, then I heard someone coming through the woods in my direction.
There wasn't time to run, so I waited.
I couldn't believe my eyes.
(SNIFFS) Mr Heywood, I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention seeing me in the Copse this afternoon.
To anyone.
And I'll say nothing about the cigarettes.
Alright, Ludlow.
It was bizarre.
He was wearing these white gloves that he uses to polish the Pudding Club spoons.
Anything else? Oh, wait a minute.
He was carrying some sort of bag.
But what I couldn't work out was how Ludlow got to Friar's Copse so quickly.
Because he was in the Porter's Lodge at the start of the race.
You know, it's a physical impossibility.
Did you actually see him at the Lodge? No, but he must have been there because he starts the race.
He's the one that rings the bell, you know, it's sort of his big moment.
Why didn't you tell us this before? Ludlow came to see me that night in my room.
He told me that Paul Starkey had killed Daniel and I shouldn't try to complicate matters.
Just wanted to refresh your memory, Mr Heywood, about the need for discretion.
There's nothing wrong with my memory.
I sincerely hope not, Mr Heywood.
He said that Anthony Talbot would be very pleased.
So I thought, great, Pudding Club scholarship in the bag.
And then Anthony Talbot tells Charlie Meynell he's getting it.
After all I'd done.
It should have been me, shouldn't it? I was so totally up for it.
I was perfect.
Why did Daniel change his mind and pick up the ball, sir? What he really wanted was to be last so he could leave the race without being noticed.
But the Pudding Club ruined that.
The only other option was to be in the lead.
Exactly.
Build up a big lead, make sure he wasn't being watched, get away from the path, pick up the bag, change.
I think the idea was to cut across to the main road, get the bus to Causton.
But Ludlow was waiting for him.
But then old Eckersley-'whatsit', the headmaster, saw Ludlow in the Porter's Lodge just before the race.
He was lying.
Look at the School.
That's what Dudley Carew said.
It looks like the old fella was right.
Mr Ludlow? Hello? Sir, look at this.
Automatic timer.
Looks brand new.
He could have linked that to the electric bell.
And the school clock.
Didn't you say Eckersley-Hyde waited for it to strike 3:00? Yes, and there was a slight delay before the bell went off.
CLOCK CHIMES Ludlow, the bell.
The bell, Ludlow.
BELL SOUNDS I've just remembered something else Carew said to me.
Look at the School.
Look at the Pudding Club room.
There's no switch here.
Sir.
Stuff for polishing silver.
And one of Ludlow's gloves.
Sir.
It's the other glove.
Under the panelling? So it must be .
.
Listen.
KNOCKS HOLLOW I suppose there's no point in me telling you the Pudding Club room is out of bounds to non-members.
None whatsoever.
Ah.
I'm afraid Ludlow has been under pressure of late.
Mistakes are creeping in.
Look at this lot.
Yes, Sergeant.
Look at this lot indeed.
Gold from South America, bronzes from Africa, ivories from Afghanistan.
All stolen by Pudding Club members in the diplomatic service.
A-ha.
I hear the paranoid tones of Dudley Carew.
He was right though, wasn't he? He was wrong in one important respect.
This is not for our personal enrichment.
It is for the school.
And the Pudding Club.
Charitable works? Sir Walter was a visionary.
Under his leadership, the club became an elite within an elite, the crAeme de la crAeme, dedicated to furthering the aims and ideals of Devington School.
And what ideals are those? Honour.
Service.
Patriotism.
Old-fashioned values like that.
It's still theft, Mr Eckersley-Hyde, whatever you do with it.
What about Anthony Talbot? I'm afraid he didn't share Sir Walter's high ideals.
He saw the Pudding Club as a means of making money for himself.
And Daniel was caught up in the middle of all this, was he? Yes, Daniel was a sensitive and intelligent boy but his father bullied him mercilessly.
As a result, Daniel turned against the school and everything it stood for.
I thought perhaps I might succeed where his father had failed.
I revealed to Daniel the true heart and soul of Devington School.
I don't understand.
All this belongs to the Pudding Club? It belongs to the school.
It belongs to all of us.
See this? It was once in a museum in Kabul.
The museum was ransacked and burnt to the ground.
Thanks to the Pudding Club, this piece is safe, here, with us.
You mean it's stolen.
Saved.
All of this - saved.
And then sold.
To provide scholarships and books and computers and playing fields.
And my grandfather started this.
You can continue the tradition, Daniel.
Trust me.
No.
For the sake of the school.
I don't want anything to do with it.
I failed.
Daniel confided in Dudley Carew, of all people.
In the end, sad to say, Daniel just wasn't up to it.
So he decided to run away.
Yes.
The day before the race, he packed a bag and hid it in Friar's Copse.
Ludlow followed him, and then came and asked me what to do.
And what did you say, sir? I told him to do his duty as Steward of the Pudding Club.
Which is? Tidying up.
Archie Bellingham? You see this? Years of planning went into acquiring this.
Then Anthony and Bellingham decided that they should have it.
Bellingham was a petty thief.
A second-rater.
Typical of the sort Anthony was bringing into the club.
Not up to it.
Where is Mr Ludlow now, sir? Doing his duty.
Tidying up.
BELL RINGS I've come to see Mr Talbot.
Ludlow, what on earth are you doing here? Pudding Club business, Mr Talbot.
Not now, Ludlow.
I'm busy.
Sir Walter's door was always open for me, day and night.
Well, mine isn't.
Please leave.
I'm afraid this can't wait.
My God.
You have been very remiss, Mr Talbot.
It was you.
Very remiss indeed.
I'm calling the police.
Ludlow, for God's sake, try and get a grip of yourself.
Ludlow, for God's sake, what's the matter with you? Ludlow! Ludlow! There must be some sort of arrangement we can come to for goodness sakes man.
I'm sure we can come to some sort of arrangement.
There is no need to behave like this, Ludlow.
I beg you, please don't hurt me.
Miranda! Miranda! Call the police.
SIRENS WAIL As I always thought, Mr Talbot, sir.
Just not up to it.
Don't go.
You were Daniel's friend, weren't you? Yes.
Well, I'm pleased to meet you at last.
What's your name? Julia.
I'd better go.
You don't have to.
Stay for a bit.
Alright.
Charlie Meynell was right.
What about, sir? The Pudding Club.
He said they were like kids in a gang.
In the end it wasn't about money, it was about who was in and who was out.
Who was the leader.
Who was top dog.
School.
Supposed to be the happiest days of your life.
That's what they say, Troy.
I never did get that.
TEACHER: Don't run in the corridor, boy.
Why aren't you in lessons, boy? Closed Captions by CSI
BANGING STOPS Now! Have you, or have you not, been discussing club matters with outsiders? I'm not answerable to you, Heywood, or anyone else in this room.
Your first loyalty is to the club, Dan.
Maybe you've forgotten that.
Or maybe you've been spending a little bit too much time in the village.
Desist! Daniel.
Marcus.
Good evening, gentlemen.
You may be seated.
I say 'gentlemen' because that is what members of the Pudding Club should strive to be, no matter how trying the circumstances.
Sorry, sir.
Sorry, sir.
And the circumstances are particularly trying tonight.
As you know, Daniel's grandfather, Sir Walter, is gravely ill.
Tonight, he has taken a turn for the worse.
Sir Walter is a Pudding Club man and one of our most distinguished old boys, so I ask you all to behave with due propriety.
Daniel, I must take you to the Manor immediately.
Our thoughts will be with you and your family, Dan.
I'm sure I speak for everybody here.
Thank you, Marcus.
Papa? Daniel is here to see you.
What is it, Grandad? He wants to know the time.
It's five past midnight, Grandad.
Why does he want to know the time? It's after midnight, Doctor, and therefore the feast day of St Malley, patron saint of Devington School.
Look.
He's smiling.
Oh, of course.
Papa winning the St Malley's Day Race.
Can't we leave the blasted school out of things for once? Don't worry, Papa.
The race will be run as usual.
And Daniel will win it for you.
Won't you, Daniel? I'll do my best, Grandad.
He can't hear you.
I'm sorry.
He's gone.
Quid nunc? What now? A stiff drink, that's what.
It's so good of you to come and give us moral support.
We've been looking forward to it, haven't we, Tom? We thought Toby might be happier at a more traditional school like this.
So when does he start? We haven't taken the plunge yet.
That's why we wanted you to come along, for your input.
Didn't we, George? Ssh.
Parents, pupils, staff and friends of Devington School.
Welcome to the St Malley's Day Race, run today in honour of our beloved friend Sir Walter Talbot, diplomat and distinguished Old Devingtonian, who passed away in the early hours of this morning.
Forti et fideli nihil impossibile.
To the brave and the faithful nothing is impossible.
CLOCK CHIMES Gentlemen, are you ready? ALL: Yes, Headmaster.
Ludlow, the bell.
SILENCE The bell, Ludlow.
BELL SOUNDS Go on, Dan.
Go, Daniel.
You will win this race for your grandfather.
Run as fast as you can.
Go, Daniel.
Go! Go, Daniel! Run, boy! Run! GIRLS SCREAM HYSTERICALLY Mr Carew.
Don't stop, Daniel.
Run.
Run like the wind.
Drinks.
Here they come.
Come on, Mr Heywood.
You can do it.
I can assure you, Mrs Woodard, I am moving heaven and earth to find a place for young Toby.
A word, if I may.
Anthony, may I introduce .
.
Now, Jonathan.
Please.
Excuse me.
That's Anthony Talbot, Sir Walter's son.
He's a diplomat as well.
Yes, you can tell.
Good show, Talbot.
That's the way.
Get off me, Heywood, you yob.
Get off me.
Sorry, Chas, no can do.
It's for the greater good, you see.
Sod the greater good.
BRANCH SNAPS What the hell are you doing here? Bloody maniac.
Have you heard from Archie Bellingham recently? No.
Should I have done? Had the Permanent Secretary on the phone earlier.
He's gone missing.
Missing! Not a word to anyone, Jonathan.
The Foreign Office wants a lid kept on this one.
Daniel! Daniel! For God's sake.
Oh, really, Daniel! Do get up.
If you don't reach the steps, you can't win the race.
Can't you see he's hurt? Somebody get an ambulance.
DOOR SHUTS I thought you were going to stay with your mother.
I changed my mind.
You alright, Julia? Yeah.
Let's cut the waffle, shall we, and get to the point.
There's only one line of investigation worth pursuing.
And what line is that, Mr Talbot? The village.
Midsomer Parva.
What about it? Many years ago, the St Malley's Day Race was the occasion when scores were settled between school and village.
Pitched battles were fought and I'm glad to say the school usually came out on top.
However, nowadays we do things rather differently.
We respect each other's role in the community and that sort of nonsense.
However, there are still some in the village who resent the school.
Are you suggesting the attack on Daniel was part of some feud with the villagers? What other explanation could there be? There were local youths on the village green yesterday.
They verbally abused and threw missiles at the boys taking part in the race.
Verbal abuse is one thing, assault with a deadly weapon is quite another.
Violence is never far away.
We'll certainly look into that aspect of it, Mr Talbot.
I know this could be difficult but do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions about Daniel? What sort of questions? Was he happy at Devington? Happy? He was school captain.
He'd won colours for cricket, rugger, fives.
Of course he was happy.
Only yesterday, at the start of the race, I had the feeling he was a little reluctant to take part.
You may have forgotten, inspector, Daniel's grandfather died in the early hours of yesterday morning.
The boy was tired and upset.
But I assure you Daniel wanted nothing more than to win that race for his grandfather.
And for me.
You reckon Daniel didn't want to take part in the race? Mrs Talbot? I know this is a bad time, but could you spare me a moment, please? I shudder to think of my son lying here side by side with that old monster.
What old monster would that be, Mrs Talbot? Sir Walter.
My father-in-law.
I hear you didn't get on.
Walter didn't get on with anybody.
He commanded, people obeyed.
How did that go down with Daniel? He did his best, for my sake.
Just for your sake? Any shortcomings on Daniel's part were blamed on me.
Shortcomings? I thought that Daniel was doing very well.
Yes, but it was never good enough.
My husband and my father-in-law are very competitive men.
Daniel wasn't like that.
And that caused problems, did it, between Daniel and his father? There were a couple of rows recently, yes.
What about, Mrs Talbot? I believe it was about the school.
And the Pudding Club.
The what? Look, I'm sorry but that's all the talking I can manage for the time being.
Go up to the school, talk to Eckersley-Hyde.
He'll be only too pleased to tell you all about the damn place.
BELL TOLLS Good morning, gentlemen.
How may I help you? I'm Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby.
That's Detective Sergeant Troy.
We're here to see the Headmaster, please.
Very good, sir.
Excuse me, sir.
One of our little rules, I'm afraid, sir.
Grass in Main Quad.
It's out of bounds, sir.
Oh.
Sorry.
You weren't to know, sir.
Chief Inspector Barnaby? And you must be Sergeant Troy.
Marcus Heywood.
Don't worry, Ludlow, I'll take them to the Headmaster.
Very good, Mr Heywood.
If you'll just follow me.
MOBILE RINGS Troy.
OK.
Sir! They've found a knife in Friar's Copse.
Well, you'd better get yourself down there, hadn't you? You knew Daniel well, didn't you? Yes, sir.
Dan was an absolutely excellent chap, a great friend of mine.
The whole school is in shock.
And you were right behind him in Friar's Copse, weren't you? Yah.
But when Daniel got into the woods he was away.
He was incredibly fit.
Did you see, hear anything or anyone suspicious? No.
Just me and Chas battling it out for second place that's all.
Who's Chas? Charlie Meynell, sir.
Don't know if you've come across him.
HEADMASTER: Come.
Thank you, Marcus.
We'll talk again.
Come.
When did you last speak to Daniel? The last time I spoke to Daniel? It must have been 10 minutes or so before the race began.
I went to his room in study cloisters to wish him luck, then I looked in on Ludlow at the Porter's Lodge to make sure all was well.
Then I went out into Main Quad to address the spectators.
How did he seem to you, Mr Eckersley-Hyde? Upset about his grandfather, of course.
They were very close, you know.
What was his relationship with his father like? Excellent, I believe.
Apparently there were some arguments recently about the school.
What teenage boy doesn't argue with his father? And the Pudding Club? They argued about the Pudding Club? I doubt that very much.
What exactly is the Pudding Club? Well, um.
Back in the mists of time, when food in school was less palatable than it is now, some senior boys pooled their resources and arranged to have meals delivered from London.
The catering has improved but the club survives.
It's a tradition, and we're rather keen on tradition here at Devington.
So its purpose is social.
Exactly.
There's a Pudding Club scholarship, but apart from that, members dine once a week on suet pudding and are allowed to walk on the grass in Main Quad.
That's about the extent of it.
Oh, apart from the cufflinks.
The silver spoons.
Only to be worn by members.
So you were here yourself, then? Oh, yes.
I'm an old Devingtonian.
And apart from three happy years at Oxford, Devington School has been my life since I was 12.
Not my career Inspector, my life.
Was Daniel a member of the Pudding Club? Oh, yes.
As were Anthony and Sir Walter.
Anthony was a contemporary of mine here.
We were great, great chums, and still are.
Tell me about the scholarship.
It's awarded to Pudding Club members who show particular promise and wish to join the diplomatic service.
The school has excellent contacts there.
Was Daniel in the running for a scholarship? I was very much in favour of Daniel.
But I don't quite see what this has to do with catching Daniel's attacker.
I'm just filling in the background details, Mr Eckersley-Hyde.
I'd like to look at Daniel's room now, if I may.
I'll take you myself.
Thank you Something of interest? Probably not.
These would normally be by the basin, wouldn't they? Do you have a son, Inspector? No, I have a daughter.
Then you have been spared.
Personal hygiene and the adolescent male are rarely on speaking terms.
I'd like to see Charlie Meynell now, please, if I may and I'd like this room left just as it is until further notice.
Alright.
CLASS BELL Walk.
Walk! I word about Charles Meynell.
UmThere have been disciplinary problems.
I'm sure the boy will come right in the end but he has a bit of a - what's the phrase - a bit of an attitude problem.
I think you should bear that in mind when talking to him.
Thank you.
I will.
Meynell.
Visitor.
Yeah.
Some of the local riff-raff on the village green gave us a bit of lip, but I didn't see any of them in Friar's Copse.
Tell me what happened in Friar's Copse.
I was robbed, that's what happened.
You were robbed? Of the race.
I caught Daniel, got the ball off him, then that creep Heywood jumped me from behind.
Isn't that against the rules? Rules? There aren't any rules.
First one back to the Porter's Lodge with the ball wins, it doesn't matter how you do it.
So what did you do after Heywood jumped you? I strolled back to the school with some of the others.
You gave up on the race? What's the point when you've got the whole Pudding Club on your case? What's the Pudding Club got to do with it? They fixed it so Daniel would win, obviously.
Hey, don't get me wrong.
Daniel was a good bloke.
He was the only one of those arrogant bastards I actually liked.
I take it you are not a member of the Pudding Club.
Me? No way.
And Daniel was only a member because of his Dad.
Have you met his Dad? Yes.
I have.
He's a psycho, right? Daniel wanted out of the club, he hated it as much as me.
There was a huge bust-up between him and his old man over it.
What about Daniel wanting to leave the club? Yes.
You can't leave the Pudding Club once you're in.
It's not done.
It's bad form.
I heard there was a bit of a ruck in the Pudding Club room the night before the race.
What sort of a ruck? Between Daniel and Marcus Heywood.
Heywood accused Daniel of fraternising with the villagers.
Betraying club secrets.
It's pathetic.
They're like kids in a gang.
DOOR KNOCKS Come.
What is it, Ludlow? Message for Inspector Barnaby, Mr Meynell.
Sergeant Troy is in the refectory, when you're ready, sir.
Thank you Weirdo.
This whole place is full of psychos and weirdos.
Early lunch, Troy? Fantastic sausages.
Mrs Bosworth gets them sent from Lincolnshire.
Tell me about the knife they found.
It's a steak knife, sir.
Serrated blade.
Distinctive bone handle.
It was found 30 or 40 yards from the path the boys were running along.
Forensic are checking for prints and blood type.
Well done, Troy.
That's not all.
A chap called Dennis Carter called.
He's a groundsman here at the school, moonlights as the local taxi service.
Anyway, he was driving past Friar's Copse yesterday, roundabout the time Daniel was attacked.
Said he saw something.
What? Wouldn't say on the phone.
He sounded very nervous.
You know what they're like in these villages.
Indeed I do.
You enjoyed that, my lovely? Delicious, Mrs Bosworth.
Can I tempt you to a sausage, Inspector? No, thank you.
Lobsters! School food has improved since my day.
They're not for the boys, silly.
They're for the top table.
Now then, what about pudding? How about a little spotted dick and custard? That would be nice.
I'm sorry, we've got no time.
Shame.
Anytime you fancy trying it, Sergeant, you know where to come.
Smashing lady.
Come on, Troy.
Let's talk to Dennis Carter.
I was on my way back up to the school to mow the first XI cricket pitch, so it must've been about half three.
I was coming through Friar's Copse, this motorbike came round the bend the other way.
He was going that fast, he almost had me in the ditch.
Did you see who it was? I don't like this.
This is not easy, you know.
Who was it, Mr Carter? What's going on, Dad? It's the police from Causton.
This is my daughter, Julia.
What's this about? A boy from Devington School was murdered in Friar's Copse yesterday.
Yeah.
I heard about it.
We're asking people in the village if they might've seen someone or something out of the ordinary.
Did you see anything, Dad? I saw Paul Starkey riding that bloody motorbike away from Friar's Copse, that's what I saw.
Paul Starkey wouldn't murder anyone.
Who's Paul Starkey? Ray Starkey's son, landlord of the Chalk and Gown.
Julia's right.
Paul's not a bad lad.
He's had his moments, but murdering someone that just doesn't fit.
You say Paul Starkey had his moments.
What do you mean, exactly? He's a bit of tearaway, motorbikes and so on.
Then there was that business up at the Annexe.
What's the Annexe? They're allowing girls at the school now.
They board in the village at the Annexe.
Cause nothing but trouble.
What kind of trouble? What kind do you think? Were you in the village yesterday? No.
I was in Causton all day.
I was at Causton bus station.
All day? I missed my bus, then I changed my mind and I came back home.
Psst! Sir.
(WHISPERS) Are you the police? Yes, Sir.
How can we help? In here.
Quickly.
I want to talk to you.
It's about the murder of Daniel Talbot.
"Anthony Talbot "sighted driving to Manor at" What do you have? Let's allow for letting you in, say, 2:53.
As policemen you will appreciate the importance of accuracy in these matters.
You wanted to talk to us about Daniel Talbot, Mr, um Carew.
Dudley Carew.
You must understand that I can only talk in the broadest terms.
Why must I understand that? The eyes and ears of Devington School are everywhere in this village.
"The Royal Family: Are they working for the Kremlin?" by Dudley Carew.
You wrote this, did you, sir? Yes.
I contribute to all sorts of periodicals, but my main area of research is Devington School and its malign influence on 20th century history.
That is fascinating, Mr Carew, but this is a murder .
.
Take the Vietnam War.
Or the invasion of Afghanistan.
In every case, a trail of blood leads back to Devington School.
I have documentary proof that Lee Harvey Oswald was here, in Midsomer Parva, two weeks before he assassinated President John F Kennedy.
Now where's that paper? Someone has been interfering with my filing system.
You! Did you touch anything on this desk? Eh? Did you? I haven't been near your desk.
You were a pupil at Devington School, weren't you, Mr Carew? How do you know? Who told you? That's you in this school photograph.
You're sitting between Anthony Talbot and Jonathan Eckersley-Hyde, if I'm not mistaken.
Yes.
Well.
I was there briefly.
The standard of teaching was abysmal so I left.
Enquiring minds were not encouraged.
And it's much the same now, as poor Daniel would have told you.
What did you want to tell us about Daniel Talbot, Mr Carew? Daniel was a fine young man, an honest young man, and he paid the price for it.
Are you saying you know who killed Daniel? What? No, not as yet.
The picture is incomplete.
All I say is, look at the school, not the village.
That is where you will find the answer.
The school.
Ooh! It's that lovely policeman again.
I think you've been following me, sergeant.
Hello, Mrs Bosworth.
Who's that with her? Martin Fulmer.
In charge of sport at the school.
The one handing out water in the lane.
That's right.
Didn't budge until the end of the race.
Lots of witnesses.
Yes, gentlemen, what can I get you? A small scotch for me, please, and an orange juice.
Sir? There we are.
Thank you I'm Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby, this is Detective Sergeant Troy.
We'd like to speak to your son, Paul, please.
Is he here? No.
He's gone out.
I don't know where he is, I'm afraid.
I reckon Paul Starkey's bolted.
Why would he do that? It's not looking good for him, is it? Looks like the murder weapon came from his Dad's pub.
He was seen driving away from the scene of the crime at high speed, plus he's the local bad boy.
I reckon we should put out an all vehicle alert.
Are you Paul Starkey? Yes.
I'd like a word with you, please.
OK.
Let's go through this again.
You left the pub at 2 o'clock and went for a ride.
That's right, I just rode around.
And on the way back, you drove so fast through Friar's Copse you almost forced Dennis Carter off the road.
Fast? Dennis Carter don't know the meaning of the word.
Paul, I'm going to ask you just once more.
Were you in Friar's Copse yesterday afternoon? No, I wasn't.
I told you.
Can I have a word please, sir? They've found some fresh tyre tracks in Friar's Copse.
Just here.
There? Are you sure? Yes, sir.
Definitely a motorbike.
And cigarette ends.
Starkey's brand.
Starkey is lying.
I'm sure he was in Friar's Copse yesterday afternoon.
So let's arrest him, sir.
But I don't think he killed Daniel Talbot.
It doesn't add up, Troy.
The boys leave the lane and run down the path through the wood here.
Charlie Meynell catches Daniel about here, gets the ball off him, then Charlie is tackled by Marcus Heywood.
Daniel gets the ball back and along the path towards the school.
So he must have been attacked somewhere between here and here.
Right.
Paul Starkey parks his bike here, makes his way through the wood, hides in the bushes, waits.
Along comes Daniel, Starkey jumps out, does the deed.
And then what? Does he run straight back to his bike? No, he does not.
For some reason he goes off in another direction.
Up there.
Look.
Chucks away his knife up there and then, and only then, goes back to his bike.
Sir? Ta.
Oh! Forensic on the knife.
No prints.
The blood matches Daniel Talbot's.
Traces of ammonia, ascetic acid and other chemicals.
A common cleaning agent, apparently.
There's something at the back of my mind about the end of that race yesterday.
COCK CROWS I can't think what it is.
Sir, if we don't formally arrest Paul Starkey we'll have to let him go.
Alright, Troy.
Arrest him.
Can I go home now? 'Fraid not, Paul.
FOOTSTEPS What the hell do you want, Heywood? Get him.
Evening, Mr Meynell.
MR TALBOT: Gentlemen! If I may have your attention, please, for one moment.
The police have arrested the man who killed my son, Daniel.
He's a villager.
But that doesn't mean it's over.
Outsiders will see this as an opportunity to snoop and pry into the affairs of the school.
But you must remember that your first loyalty is to the Pudding Club.
Always.
Loyalty is our greatest strength.
Carry on, gentlemen.
Goodnight, Mr Talbot.
Goodnight, Ludlow.
Mr Talbot.
About this villager that's been arrested.
It's not Paul Starkey is it? Yes, Heywood, it is.
Why? There's something you really ought to know about Paul Starkey, sir.
It's about him and Daniel.
I'll ask the police to interview Marcus Heywood at the Manor, away from prying eyes.
Of course, Anthony.
Anthony, one tiny, tiny thing.
The Pudding Club meeting last night.
What of it? Well, you might have mentioned it to me.
The Pudding Club does not need your permission to meet.
Of course not, Anthony.
But there was a time when you and I worked as a team where the club was concerned.
In harness together, shoulder-to-shoulder.
And now .
.
Look, if you've got something to say, just say it.
You no longer take me into your confidence.
Take poor Archie Bellingham.
It says here he was due back from Kuala Lumpur.
I thought he was posted to Paris with you.
Has it not occurred to you that information like that may be confidential for security reasons? Of course.
Forgive me.
And while we're on the subject, I was the one who spotted Bellingham's potential and I was the one who proposed him for the Pudding Club, very much against your best wishes, I recall.
I'll see you at the Manor.
We got the results back from the lab, Paul.
The tyre tracks match.
It was you in Friar's Copse, wasn't it? You were there at the same time Daniel Talbot was stabbed.
The attacker used a knife from your father's pub.
Now do you understand, Paul, what kind of trouble you're in? I didn't kill him.
I want to believe you.
But you must stop lying to me.
My Dad'll go mad.
About what? Alright.
I was in Friar's Copse because I had a message to meet Dave.
Who's Dave? Dave Winch.
He works up in the kitchens up at the school.
Mrs Bosworth and my Dad, they've got this little deal.
Any surplus left in the school kitchens, my Dad helps her get rid of.
Like leftover lobsters? How did you know about the lobsters? My amazing powers of deduction, Paul.
So you met Winch in Friar's Copse? No.
He never showed up.
I hung around for a bit, then I went home.
You got a message from Dave Winch.
Who gave you the message? One of the barmaids in the pub said he'd phoned up.
I thought that was a bit weird 'cause he usually comes in himself or Marcus Heywood brings the message.
Why would Marcus Heywood deliver messages for Dave Winch? Marcus is always in the Chalk and Gown.
So Marcus goes to the village pub, does he? Yeah, it's out of bounds to the school, but there's a room upstairs Dad let's them use.
Who's them? Boys from the school.
Some of the girls, too.
How do they get from the school to the pub? Dennis Carter takes them in his old banger.
Don't tell Dad I told you.
He'll kill me.
Winch works at the school, doesn't he? So we assume he knows all about the St Malley's Day Race.
Why does he arrange to meet Paul Starkey in Friar's Copse on the one day he knows it will be crawling with people? He never intended to turn up.
Winch set Paul Starkey up.
Or he didn't send the message in the first place.
PHONE RINGS Causton CID.
Yes, he's here.
Anthony Talbot.
My sister Arabella is in the 6th form at Devington, sir, and she and Daniel were, well, an item.
An item? You know, seeing each other.
Why didn't you mention this before, Marcus? It didn't seem important until I heard that you'd arrested Paul Starkey.
What's Paul Starkey got to do with it? Well, he was always pestering Arabella, hanging round the Annexe and so on.
He was sort of stalking her.
Marcus, do you know someone called Dave Winch? I believe he works in the school kitchens.
No.
Why would I know somebody who works in the kitchens? What are you driving at, Barnaby? Do you ever go to the Chalk and Gown, Marcus? The Chalk and Gown is strictly out of bounds.
Do you? Mr Eckersley-Hyde's just told you, sir.
The Chalk and Gown is out of bounds.
Alright, Marcus.
Thank you, thank you very much for your help.
Come along, Heywood.
The boy comes in here to help and what do you do? Make a string of vile insinuations.
I'm making enquiries, Mr Talbot, not insinuations.
I hope you're not one of these chip-on-the-shoulder types who always take the criminal's side, Barnaby.
No, I'm one of those let's-do-the-job-properly types.
It was just totally devastating.
I still can't believe it.
You must have been very fond of Daniel.
I adored Dan.
He was a sweet boy.
Tell me about Paul Starkey.
Well, he just sort of hung around, you know? He's boring.
He seemed to think I fancied him which was just ludicrous.
He's quite a good-looking lad? God, no way.
He's gross.
And anyway, he's from the village.
So, you told him you were going out with Daniel, and what, was he upset? He was really hacked off.
What did he say? Um, he didn't actually say anything, but he was really hacked off, I could tell.
Thank you, Arabella.
You'd better get off to your class now.
What have you got next? French.
I'm totally hopeless at French.
Can I see? Merci.
Mmmm.
Looks fine to me.
Mind you, I was never any good at French either.
Where exactly did you and Daniel go when you went out together? You know, just out.
You ever go to the Chalk and Gown? This is not about breaking school rules, Arabella.
I'm not interested in that.
(SIGHS) I go sometimes with Marcus and the Pudding Club lot.
And Daniel went as well? Sometimes, yeah.
There's nothing else to do around here, is there? CLASS BELL God, I'm late.
Must go.
Troy? Barnaby.
How are you getting along with Paul Starkey? Nothing new, sir.
We're not dealing with a criminal mastermind here.
Ask him about Arabella Heywood, Marcus Heywood's sister.
Ask him what about her, sir? Whether he knows her.
How well.
Don't make a big thing of it.
OK.
Got you.
Mr Meynell.
Oh, it's you.
You're taking a bit of a risk, aren't you? Walking across the grass like that? Not really, no.
Oh.
Congratulations.
You're a member of the Pudding Club, are you? I was invited to fill the vacancy left by Daniel Talbot.
I thought you hated the Pudding Club.
God no.
It's a hell of an honour, actually.
You told me that Daniel wanted to leave the Pudding Club.
Did I? I don't remember saying that.
How about the row between Daniel and Marcus Heywood the night before the race? What row? Charlie, you told me yourself there was a fight in the Pudding Club room which Eckersley-Hyde had to break up.
I must have been mistaken.
I wasn't there, was I? Look, I've got to go.
I'm supervising junior prep.
Excuse me.
Mr Ludlow? Good morning, sir.
Good morning to you.
I wonder, could you do me a favour? How long have you worked here, Mr Ludlow? About 35 years, sir.
I left the village school, did a few years in the army and then came here.
You must be very attached to Devington.
Yes, sir.
I am.
Particularly as my father was Porter here before me.
So it runs in the family, does it? Like the Talbots.
My father was Porter when Sir Walter Talbot was a pupil.
Sir Walter was a great man.
Did a lot for the school.
And Anthony Talbot is keeping up the tradition.
Oh, yes.
Very much so, sir.
I suppose if anyone knows what goes on in this school, it'd be you.
I do my job, sir, and leave it at that.
What about the Pudding Club? I have the honour of being steward of the Pudding Club.
What does that involve? Not a lot.
I take the puddings to the club room, tidy up afterwards, same as my father did.
On the night before the race, was there a fight in the Pudding Club room? I don't think so, sir.
They make a fair bit of noise alright, but it's just high spirits.
It's hard to get people to talk about the Pudding Club, isn't it? There's not much to say, if truth be told.
You must remember, sir, the school is in mourning at the moment.
Oh, of course.
I wonder, would you mind seeing if Marcus Heywood is in his room, Mr Ludlow? Yes, sir.
Sorry, sir.
He's not there.
Oh well, it's not a problem.
I'll speak to him later.
Arabella Heywood certainly did not write this card, Troy.
Wrong writing.
I don't think she ever went out with Daniel at all.
Why was she trying to make out she was? I don't know.
Trying to incriminate Paul Starkey? To cover for her brother? Maybe Marcus Heywood and Charlie Meynell were in it together.
They've both benefitted from Daniel's death, didn't they? Marcus is captain of the school and Charlie got into the whatsit club.
But then we get back to the problem of the knife, Troy.
Witnesses saw Meynell and Heywood making their way back towards the school.
Neither of them would've had the time to double back and drop the knife where we found it.
So it can't have been anyone taking part in the race.
I don't see how it could be.
They're all accounted for.
Are you hungry? Now you mention it.
Get yourself up to the school, drop in on Mrs Bosworth.
And talk to Dave Winch.
See if he really left a message for Paul Starkey at the pub.
Afternoon, Dennis.
Can I have a word, please? I'm due back at work.
This won't take a moment.
Tell me about the pub run.
The what? When you pick boys up from the school and take them to the Chalk and Gown.
I don't know anything about that.
I've got better things to do with my time, Dennis, than make trouble for you, but that's exactly what I will do if you are not straight with me.
Alright, alright.
They phone me from the school.
Who phones you? Nowadays it's usually that Marcus Heywood.
I go up behind the school and wait for them to climb over the wall then run them to the Chalk.
They go in through the back door.
Did Daniel Talbot ever go to the Chalk and Gown? No.
I never took him there.
Where did you take him? To Dudley Carew's.
What was he doing at Carew's? How should I know? I swore to Daniel I wouldn't tell a soul.
Thank you, Dennis.
You were right to tell me.
He was the best of that lot, was Daniel Talbot.
I thought you'd come here.
I saw you talking to my Dad.
Where's Mr Carew? In Causton.
There's a meeting of the Flat Earth Society.
May I come in? You sent this to Daniel, didn't you? I'm sorry.
(SOBS) It's alright.
It's a relief to talk about it.
Where did you meet Daniel? Here.
Everyone in the village thinks that Dudley is a loony but he's a really good person to talk to.
I used to come in when my Mum and Dad were splitting up.
Then one evening Daniel came round to see Dudley.
That was the first time we met.
What did Daniel want with Mr Carew? To talk.
About the school mostly.
How he hated it and wanted to leave, stuff like that.
Anyway, I came round one evening, Daniel was here, and Dudley was in a terrible state.
How do you mean? It was something Daniel had told him.
What? Neither of them would say.
But that's when he started talking about running away.
And you were going to run away with him.
I think that someone was watching him.
That's why he decided to run away on St Malley's Day.
Everyone would be up at the school.
And you were waiting for him at Causton bus station.
I think you'd better go now, my dear.
Come and see me later.
Will you be alright? Yes, I'll be fine.
You came alone? Yes, I came alone.
Mr Carew, why was Daniel Talbot planning to run away? I told you before - the picture is incomplete.
Look at the school.
Look at the Pudding Club room.
Do you mean the Pudding Club scholarship? Scholarship? Conspiracy, more like.
Please, Mr Carew.
No more conspiracy theories.
I'm talking about money.
The acquisition of wealth.
That's the true purpose of the Pudding Club.
And how is this money acquired? Diplomats enjoy many privileges.
Immunity, freedom of movement, diplomatic bag.
Use your imagination.
Never mind wild allegations, can you give me some details, facts? Sir Walter's health had been deteriorating and with it his influence over the school.
And a struggle for control of the Pudding Club has been raging.
Archie Bellingham was a victim of that struggle.
As was poor Daniel.
Archie Bellingham is missing A-ha.
.
.
but Daniel Talbot was murdered.
I know Daniel was frightened.
I saw him at the start of the race.
The start of the race? Yes, I was with friends.
You were at the school for the St Malley's Day race with friends? In that case, how can I trust you? How do I know you're not working for them? For God's sake.
The Pudding Club has strong links with the police force! I've said all I'm going to say.
So now you must leave.
Go! Go! I don't know how you can eat.
There's a lot to be done.
And one of us has got to be in a fit state to do it.
Miranda, Anthony, forgive me for disturbing you.
I didn't realise you were having dinner.
It's alright, I've had just about all I can stomach.
This won't take long.
What's so important, Jonathan? Leaky roof in the science block? Graffiti in the junior common room? What is it, Jonathan? The Pudding Club meeting last night.
Not that again.
Charles Meynell tells me he was elected to club with you as his proposer.
Yes, that's right.
Are you thinking of putting Meynell up for the scholarship? No.
I'm awarding him the scholarship.
He's sound.
He's got potential.
The Heywood boy is nothing but a feckless oik.
He isn't up to it.
But to go ahead without consulting me, Ants.
How many more times do I have to tell you, would you please stop calling me that.
And would you stop wittering on to all and sundry about how we were best friends at Devington.
My recollection is that we were very far from best friends.
I have always been your friend.
The school flourishes and you flourish with it because of me.
Frankly, Jonathan, without my support, I think you'd be hard pushed to find a job teaching dogs to bark.
Veritatem dies aperit.
Time reveals the truth.
COCK CROWS Morning, Mr Fulmer.
What can I do for you? Move your heavy roller for a start.
You've left it slap bang in the middle of the 1st XI pitch.
I never did.
Go and see for yourself.
Damn hooligans.
Oh, my God.
When's he going to be moved, sergeant? There's a 1st XI match against St Elphin's on Saturday.
We've got more important things than cricket on our minds.
If Carew's left any dents I'll need time to flatten them.
You're going to have to be patient.
He's lying where the spin bowlers pitch it.
Mr Carter, please.
Please! What happened, sir? Smothered with a meat pudding, flattened by the roller and bashed about the head, though not necessarily in that order.
Think it could be accidental, sir? This is no time for jokes, Troy.
Sorry.
When do we have to let Paul Starkey go? Remember the cleaning fluid on the steak knife? Apparently it's used in cleaning silverware.
So why would you use it on a stainless steel steak knife? So it could have come from the murderer.
Exactly.
So if forensics can find a drop of that same cleaning fluid on the roller or on Carew's body, we'll know it's not Paul Starkey.
Poor old loony Carew.
I wonder how many will mourn him.
Mourn him.
The whole school is in mourning.
Troy, we are going to Friar's Copse.
It was something Ludlow said to me yesterday.
The whole school is in mourning.
I knew what's been bothering me about the St Malley's Day Race.
What's that, sir? All the boys that took part were wearing black arm bands in memory of Sir Walter Talbot.
OK.
They were all wearing black arm bands.
But At least they were when they set off.
Go! Go! Go! Go! And then I remembered, Daniel wasn't wearing his black arm band when he got back to the school.
So what happened to it? Probably came off in the struggle, sir.
Exactly.
Which means it's probably still somewhere in the wood.
Which means we have been looking in the wrong place.
Now this is where Charlie Meynell caught Daniel.
And then Charlie Meynell was tackled by Marcus.
And Daniel gets the ball back.
We've been assuming, haven't we, that Daniel carried on along the path back to the school.
He did, didn't he? He was trying to get away, Troy, not go back to the school.
What if he took a diversion? By the time Daniel got to here he'd be out of sight of the others, wouldn't he? There's a track through here, sir.
Footprints here, sir.
Yes! Hey, hey.
Black armband.
We're getting somewhere at last, Troy.
Sir! Signs of a struggle here.
Yes, this is where Daniel was attacked.
But what did he come here for? See? I think he'd hidden his holdall here.
He came back for it, but someone was waiting for him.
So what did they do with the holdall? Whoever stabbed him took it back to his room while everyone was in the Main Quad.
There was fresh mud and tree bark on it.
And they didn't have time to unpack it properly either because his toothpaste and his razor were still in it.
It's ironic.
Daniel gets wounded but he manages to escape from his attacker.
What can he do? The only way he can get help is to go back to the place he was trying to escape from.
Where he's welcomed like a hero.
DOOR KNOCKS Come.
Excuse me, Headmaster, the police are about to remove Mr Carew from the cricket pitch.
Thank you, Ludlow.
A troubled end to a troubled life.
He was not the happiest of men, sir.
Still, mors omnia solvit.
Death resolves everything.
Marcus Heywood and Charlie Meynell have been giving us the runaround since the very beginning, haven't they? Sir.
Thank you.
Forensic report.
Traces of cleaning fluid on the roller and Carew's clothing.
We can release Paul Starkey then.
Yes, sir.
By the way, I know where Charlie Meynell and Marcus Heywood will be tonight.
Quiet, please! Quiet! Right.
Well we're here today to celebrate Charlie's admission to the Pudding Club.
There was a time when I thought Charlie wouldn't come up to scratch.
But I'm pleased to say he seems to have come good in the end.
Try and sound as if you mean it, Heywood.
ALL: To Charlie.
Glad you seen sense about young Paul, Inspector.
Evening, Mr Ludlow.
DRUNKEN SINGING Private party.
Locals? That's right, yeah.
Someone's birthday, I think.
SINGING CONTINUES Why aren't you singing? Because I don't feel like it.
That's all.
Come on, Marcus.
don't be a bad loser.
Sorry, what have I lost? You know.
No, I'm afraid I don't.
Now that Daniel's gone, I'm the one.
Charlie, you are so totally the one.
You thought you'd get the scholarship, but I'm afraid it's going to be me now.
Anthony Talbot's as good as told me.
You're wrong.
And take your hands off my sister.
Actually, I rather think she's got her hands on me.
Sorry, folks.
I shall go and have a word.
Don't worry, Mr Starkey, we will attend to it.
That's enough.
Mr Starkey, will you ask Dennis Carter to take these ladies and gentlemen back to where they belong, please? Right away.
Out.
Quick as you can.
Straight out.
Not you two.
C'mon! You heard him! Right.
You two have got a choice.
Either you start telling me the truth, or I will throw the book at you.
TROY: Keep it going, guys.
Out! My parents would kill me.
Mine too.
Right.
I'll be up to the school first thing tomorrow morning and I want your cooperation please, or I'll charge you both.
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.
Here we go, boys.
Keep up, keep up.
That's it.
Come on, boys.
Quickly now.
I want to see you swimming not splashing.
Oh, my God.
THUNDER PEELS DOOR KNOCKS Come.
What news, Ludlow? The police have confirmed it's Mr Bellingham's body, Headmaster.
And the boys? Somewhat shaken, but Mrs Bosworth is preparing them a special breakfast.
Do you wish to inspect Mr Bellingham's body, sir? No, I do not, Ludlow.
I suppose I better phone Anthony and break the news.
Yes, sir.
Mr Talbot will be most upset about Mr Bellingham.
Indeed he will, Ludlow.
I'm afraid there's more bad news, Headmaster.
Marcus Heywood has disappeared.
Oh, no.
What are we to do, Ludlow? You'll get us through, Headmaster.
Will I, Ludlow? Yes, sir.
I'm sure of it.
You're up to it, sir.
Look, Pudding Club cufflinks.
So that's the missing diplomat? Yes.
Must've been dead over a week.
Look, he's taken a massive blow to the head.
Similar to Dudley Carew.
(GASPS) Are you alright, Troy? AhYeah.
I've just been talking to Charlie Meynell.
Apparently, Marcus Heywood has gone missing.
I think I know where to start looking for young Marcus.
Where's Marcus, Arabella? How should I know? That story you told me about you and Daniel Talbot being an item, that was a lie, wasn't it? Marcus made me say it.
Why? Marcus said that Daniel was going out with a girl in the village.
He said that if it came out it would look really bad for the Pudding Club.
So he told me to say that I was going out with Daniel.
And Paul Starkey wasn't pestering you, was he? You were pestering him.
We all thought Paul Starkey killed Daniel, we were trying to help.
Lying to the police during a murder investigation.
That's serious, Arabella.
Marcus said it might help him get the scholarship.
Where is he? In my room.
The Headmaster told me he was going to put me up for the Pudding Club scholarship but that Daniel was up for one as well, which I thought was really unfair.
Why? Well, because it's Sir Walter who decides and he's Daniel's grandfather.
Obviously, I didn't stand a chance.
Anyway, Daniel started behaving all weird.
He talked about leaving the Pudding Club and about leaving the school and so on.
And there were these rumours he was seeing a village girl, so I told the Headmaster.
And what did he say? He said I'd done the right thing.
He said that he'd speak to Daniel's father and they would sort it out between themselves.
He said I'd done myself a lot of good.
Tell me about the day of the race.
The Headmaster told the Pudding Club to make sure Daniel won the race.
But that idiot Charlie Meynell caught the ball.
I managed to get it off him.
So I lobbed the ball to Daniel but the sad bastard wouldn't run.
Go, Dan.
Then, thank God, he came to his senses and took off.
Now I had to try to keep up with Daniel, make sure nobody got to him, but I was completely knackered and by the time we got to Friar's Copse, Charlie Meynell was ahead of me, so I just about managed to keep them both in sight then Charlie caught Daniel.
So I gave Charlie a slap or two, and sat on him until Daniel was out of sight.
What did you do then? I left the path, looking for a quiet place to have a cigarette, then I heard someone coming through the woods in my direction.
There wasn't time to run, so I waited.
I couldn't believe my eyes.
(SNIFFS) Mr Heywood, I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention seeing me in the Copse this afternoon.
To anyone.
And I'll say nothing about the cigarettes.
Alright, Ludlow.
It was bizarre.
He was wearing these white gloves that he uses to polish the Pudding Club spoons.
Anything else? Oh, wait a minute.
He was carrying some sort of bag.
But what I couldn't work out was how Ludlow got to Friar's Copse so quickly.
Because he was in the Porter's Lodge at the start of the race.
You know, it's a physical impossibility.
Did you actually see him at the Lodge? No, but he must have been there because he starts the race.
He's the one that rings the bell, you know, it's sort of his big moment.
Why didn't you tell us this before? Ludlow came to see me that night in my room.
He told me that Paul Starkey had killed Daniel and I shouldn't try to complicate matters.
Just wanted to refresh your memory, Mr Heywood, about the need for discretion.
There's nothing wrong with my memory.
I sincerely hope not, Mr Heywood.
He said that Anthony Talbot would be very pleased.
So I thought, great, Pudding Club scholarship in the bag.
And then Anthony Talbot tells Charlie Meynell he's getting it.
After all I'd done.
It should have been me, shouldn't it? I was so totally up for it.
I was perfect.
Why did Daniel change his mind and pick up the ball, sir? What he really wanted was to be last so he could leave the race without being noticed.
But the Pudding Club ruined that.
The only other option was to be in the lead.
Exactly.
Build up a big lead, make sure he wasn't being watched, get away from the path, pick up the bag, change.
I think the idea was to cut across to the main road, get the bus to Causton.
But Ludlow was waiting for him.
But then old Eckersley-'whatsit', the headmaster, saw Ludlow in the Porter's Lodge just before the race.
He was lying.
Look at the School.
That's what Dudley Carew said.
It looks like the old fella was right.
Mr Ludlow? Hello? Sir, look at this.
Automatic timer.
Looks brand new.
He could have linked that to the electric bell.
And the school clock.
Didn't you say Eckersley-Hyde waited for it to strike 3:00? Yes, and there was a slight delay before the bell went off.
CLOCK CHIMES Ludlow, the bell.
The bell, Ludlow.
BELL SOUNDS I've just remembered something else Carew said to me.
Look at the School.
Look at the Pudding Club room.
There's no switch here.
Sir.
Stuff for polishing silver.
And one of Ludlow's gloves.
Sir.
It's the other glove.
Under the panelling? So it must be .
.
Listen.
KNOCKS HOLLOW I suppose there's no point in me telling you the Pudding Club room is out of bounds to non-members.
None whatsoever.
Ah.
I'm afraid Ludlow has been under pressure of late.
Mistakes are creeping in.
Look at this lot.
Yes, Sergeant.
Look at this lot indeed.
Gold from South America, bronzes from Africa, ivories from Afghanistan.
All stolen by Pudding Club members in the diplomatic service.
A-ha.
I hear the paranoid tones of Dudley Carew.
He was right though, wasn't he? He was wrong in one important respect.
This is not for our personal enrichment.
It is for the school.
And the Pudding Club.
Charitable works? Sir Walter was a visionary.
Under his leadership, the club became an elite within an elite, the crAeme de la crAeme, dedicated to furthering the aims and ideals of Devington School.
And what ideals are those? Honour.
Service.
Patriotism.
Old-fashioned values like that.
It's still theft, Mr Eckersley-Hyde, whatever you do with it.
What about Anthony Talbot? I'm afraid he didn't share Sir Walter's high ideals.
He saw the Pudding Club as a means of making money for himself.
And Daniel was caught up in the middle of all this, was he? Yes, Daniel was a sensitive and intelligent boy but his father bullied him mercilessly.
As a result, Daniel turned against the school and everything it stood for.
I thought perhaps I might succeed where his father had failed.
I revealed to Daniel the true heart and soul of Devington School.
I don't understand.
All this belongs to the Pudding Club? It belongs to the school.
It belongs to all of us.
See this? It was once in a museum in Kabul.
The museum was ransacked and burnt to the ground.
Thanks to the Pudding Club, this piece is safe, here, with us.
You mean it's stolen.
Saved.
All of this - saved.
And then sold.
To provide scholarships and books and computers and playing fields.
And my grandfather started this.
You can continue the tradition, Daniel.
Trust me.
No.
For the sake of the school.
I don't want anything to do with it.
I failed.
Daniel confided in Dudley Carew, of all people.
In the end, sad to say, Daniel just wasn't up to it.
So he decided to run away.
Yes.
The day before the race, he packed a bag and hid it in Friar's Copse.
Ludlow followed him, and then came and asked me what to do.
And what did you say, sir? I told him to do his duty as Steward of the Pudding Club.
Which is? Tidying up.
Archie Bellingham? You see this? Years of planning went into acquiring this.
Then Anthony and Bellingham decided that they should have it.
Bellingham was a petty thief.
A second-rater.
Typical of the sort Anthony was bringing into the club.
Not up to it.
Where is Mr Ludlow now, sir? Doing his duty.
Tidying up.
BELL RINGS I've come to see Mr Talbot.
Ludlow, what on earth are you doing here? Pudding Club business, Mr Talbot.
Not now, Ludlow.
I'm busy.
Sir Walter's door was always open for me, day and night.
Well, mine isn't.
Please leave.
I'm afraid this can't wait.
My God.
You have been very remiss, Mr Talbot.
It was you.
Very remiss indeed.
I'm calling the police.
Ludlow, for God's sake, try and get a grip of yourself.
Ludlow, for God's sake, what's the matter with you? Ludlow! Ludlow! There must be some sort of arrangement we can come to for goodness sakes man.
I'm sure we can come to some sort of arrangement.
There is no need to behave like this, Ludlow.
I beg you, please don't hurt me.
Miranda! Miranda! Call the police.
SIRENS WAIL As I always thought, Mr Talbot, sir.
Just not up to it.
Don't go.
You were Daniel's friend, weren't you? Yes.
Well, I'm pleased to meet you at last.
What's your name? Julia.
I'd better go.
You don't have to.
Stay for a bit.
Alright.
Charlie Meynell was right.
What about, sir? The Pudding Club.
He said they were like kids in a gang.
In the end it wasn't about money, it was about who was in and who was out.
Who was the leader.
Who was top dog.
School.
Supposed to be the happiest days of your life.
That's what they say, Troy.
I never did get that.
TEACHER: Don't run in the corridor, boy.
Why aren't you in lessons, boy? Closed Captions by CSI