Inspector Morse (1987) s05e05 Episode Script
Promised Land
(Bell tolls) (Crackle of walkie-talkie) Just coming up the driveway, sir.
Outside the chapeI now.
Right.
End of overture.
Chorus in place.
- What? - The Peter Matthews Funeral Show.
lt's about to begin.
(Church organ music) (Sobbing) Are those his brothers? Must be, yes.
The one on the left, that's Harry.
He's done time.
They're all criminals, the whole Matthews family.
? Abide With Me Bloody newspapers! You're going to have to go and see Kenny Stone, Morse.
Kenny's evidence was A1 .
l guarantee that personally.
Before anybody else does, l mean.
We're the only ones that know where he is.
Well, it's always the same with a supergrass.
No corroboration.
And this new evidence.
Peter Matthews was driving that car, not What's his name supposed to be? Well, it's the first place an inquiry'll look.
Bastard, poncey barristers picking through my files.
There won't be an inquiry.
Will there? l lost one of my best policemen on that raid.
And you lost a good friend.
lf those bastards can shake the Matthews conviction, they'll say the whole lot are unsafe.
And the Abingdon gang'll be out of jail, like that.
Chief Inspector Morse.
- Yes? - The service hasjust finished, sir.
Right.
Peter Matthews may not have fired the gun.
No-one ever said that he did.
But he was there when it was fired.
- That's what matters.
- Like Tommy bIoody Thompson.
He should have got 1 5 years, not two.
Yes, well The higher up the criminal scale, the less the evidence sticks.
And when you get to the top nothing sticks at aII.
What the hell - WeII, I'm damned.
- No comment.
Bernie Waters.
Kenny Stone never mentioned Bernie Waters.
Never once.
- And they didn't take anything? - Not that l can see.
There's nothing to take, for God's sake.
Except the petty cash, and he left that.
How the hell am l going to get a paper out by Friday? Must be kids.
Unless someone You haven't been running exposés? Corrupt councillors, that sort of thing? - The Tilehurst Gazette? - Sorry, l'm afraid l don't l'll put you on our free subscription list.
That is, if l can find it.
You know, l don't usually indulge myself in editorials, Sergeant.
But next week, you wait.
These juvenile delinquents, they won't know what's hit them.
Where the heII have you been? - Tilehurst.
Local paper, turned over.
- Serves them right.
Gutter press.
Look at this, Lewis.
- Oh, isn't that the bookie, Bernie Waters? - Yes.
Now, why do you think he's acting Iike an usher at a wedding? You see that wreath there? The onIy one with no name.
Now, who do you think sent that? Larry Nelson, of course.
What? You think Waters could be working for Nelson? He's got a big staff, our Larry.
He doesn't even have to bIow his own nose.
l just had the Chief Constable on the phone, Morse.
lnquiry.
Under Mr Justice Rowson.
- They were guilty, weren't they? - Of course they were.
But with everyone up in arms against prison conditions, and young Matthews dead with AIDS You know what they say about funerals, Lewis? There's aIways someone who catches his death.
Go and pack your bags, Lewis.
What? Kenny Stone's confession.
They always hold something back.
We have to link Larry Nelson with that raid.
- Where did you set Stone up? - Hereford.
- That's not an overnight, sureIy? - Hereford, New South Wales.
- Ah, come on, sir! l've got my leave coming up.
- Cancelled.
We're going to Gateshead to see the wife's mother.
- See her at Christmas instead.
- We're going to my mam's then.
You have too many relatives, Lewis.
A policeman - ought to be free.
- What do you want me there for, anyway? We're only going to interview him.
l can't carry my own bags, can l? l'm a Chief lnspector.
As a matter of fact, l've got cousins in New South Wales.
MORSE: Of course, if AustraIia hadn't existed, we'd have had to invent it.
LEWlS: But it did exist.
MORSE: I'm taIking about human nature, Lewis.
The need to beIieve in a heaven on Earth.
Somewhere you can put your past behind you and start again.
Think of the convicts coming over the mountains with their tickets of Ieave and seeing this.
A promised Iand.
LEWlS: They had to cIear it first.
You'll never make a good detective, Lewis.
You're too literal.
Kenny Stone must think you're God.
What? Well, it's God gives out the Promised Land.
Like to the peopIe of IsraeI.
What did they set him up as? Some sort of mechanic, l think.
And it's Mike Harding.
His name's Mike Harding now.
MORSE: How much further to Hereford? LEWlS: Four hours or so.
MORSE: Time to change over, then.
Should be pretty bloody grateful, Mike Harding.
- Garden of Eden, this is.
- ln that case, watch out for snakes.
ln the supergrass? Get off! I thought I'd packed the bIoody thing.
- What? - The Rosenkavalier.
lt's playing at the Opera House on Saturday.
l bought the tape so l could brush up on it while we're driving across this godforsaken country.
l can't find it.
Never mind.
We'll find something else to listen to.
(Morse starts engine) ? Country music ? BIue skies up above me ? And the road is bIack ahead ? The meter on the fueI gauge hittin'red ? No money in my pocket but my sweetheart's goIden Iocket's there instead ? A miIIion IoneIy miIes behind me ? 50 more, we'II be in bed ? I just keep on truckin'tiII I'm dead ? Foot's down on the fIoor, my IittIe sheiIa's at the door ? Cops are tryin'to bust me but she knows that she can trust me ? The road is cIear ahead so youjust make up the bed ? I'm coming home - Turn that rubbish off, Lewis, for God's sake.
- l like it.
lt's the worst sort of bastardised, phoney folk music.
lt's not Scots, it's not lrish.
- lt's not even American.
- Sir, it's Australian.
lt's good.
? A miIIion IoneIy miIes behind me, 50 more, we'II be in bed ? I just keep on truckin'tiII I'm dead - (Music stops abruptly) (Silence) I need a drink.
Where is everyone? Do Australians take siestas or what? There are a lot of ltalians over here, l know that.
That there, that says it's a hotel.
WeII, Iet's give it a try.
(Shouting and hollering) (Racing commentary on TV) LEWlS: It's the MeIbourne Cup! - What? - The Melbourne Cup.
lt's like our Derby.
Here's Kingston RuIe Kingston RuIe in front.
The Phantom trying to get up on the inside.
- But Kingston RuIe wins the MeIbourne Cup.
- (Groans of disappointment) - Can l get you blokes something? - l'll have a light beer, please.
- Two? - Orange juice.
(Bar quietens) - What, English? Yes.
LEWlS: As a matter of fact, we're in town Iooking for an oId friend of ours.
Mike Harding? - Another pom? - That's right, yeah.
Well, he'd usually be here for the Cup.
But er Look, you could try his shop down the street.
He may be working.
(Laughter) Orangejuice? What's the matter with you? They don't spell Australian beer with four Xs out of ignorance.
They mean what they say.
And light beer is an invention of the Prince of Darkness.
lt's just the thing on a day like this.
Not too heavy.
ls that your idea of being inconspicuous? Asking for Mike in a bar full of Australians? Well, we've got to start somewhere.
God Almighty! LEWlS: Mowers! For a grass.
Dear, oh dear! MORSE: Those bloody public schoolboys in the High Commission.
Don't they know jokes can kill? (Phone rings) (Phone continues to ring) Business looks good, all those waiting to be done.
Then why isn't he here doing them? Must be a very law-abiding place.
You couldn't leave machines sitting out like that in Hereford, England.
(Car pulls up) Is this him? ls Mike about? - No, it seems not.
- Thought the bastard might get back to work once the Cup was over.
Must've won for once.
You eryou new in town? That's right.
Yeah, well, take my advice.
Get your mower done in Cowra.
You could wait for Mike Harding till your grass was hay.
Get out of it! You from England? That's right.
- Do you Iike it here? - It's grand weather.
Yeah, for bushfires.
lf you see Mike, tell him he's just lost another customer.
See ya! (Phone rings) Is this pIace expecting a royaI visit or what? LEWlS: If it is, the Hardings must be repubIicans.
Not made much of a job of fading into the background, has he? How many children has he got? There were two when they left England.
(Television on) Er, is Mr Harding in? - Mike Harding? - No.
What about Mrs Harding? You just missed her.
She had to go and see Gran.
- Where's that? - OId peopIe's home.
(Phone rings) - Go ahead.
Hello? Dad! Dad, where are you? She's OK, l suppose.
No, she had to go and see Gran.
Somebody rang.
Are you coming home? WeII, when? There's a bloke here who wants to talk to you.
Thanks.
Mike? Morse.
Morse, Thames Valley.
How are you? Mike? Not much use us coming aII this way - if he won't even talk to us.
- Not everyone delights in the sound of his own voice, Lewis.
l scared him, that's all.
He can't exactly have been expecting to hear from me.
Excuse me, please.
Keep her steady, Charlie.
Anne? What the hell's been going on here? Sash! Sash! - Anne, there's nothing you can do now.
- ls she going to be all right? We'll have to see what the doctor says.
l'm sure she'll be OK.
You go and have a cup of tea.
l'll come and get you.
All right? - Thanks a lot.
- Pleasure, sir.
Has someone found out? What? About us.
Has someone discovered where we are? No, no.
No-one knows who doesn't have to.
- How many's that? - Seven, two of whom are in this room.
Then what are you doing here? And who did this to my mother? We're just two old friends from England come to look you up, - see how you're doing.
- Fine.
We're doing fine.
Now, go away.
- Sugar? - Two.
Please.
Sorry.
l've been here so long, l've forgotten my manners.
Thanks.
ls er ls your mother going to be OK? This is her second one.
She's never really got her speech back from the first.
LEWlS: My auntie had a stroke.
She Iost her speech.
- She was right as rain in six months.
- Doesn't rain here.
l'm s-sorry.
lt's the heat.
l just can't come to terms with it somehow.
lt leaves me Not cold, surely? (Sighs) Wrung out.
Kids out here, you know, they get worms.
You have to worm them.
l thought you'd forgotten all about us.
Never.
Am l going to wish you had? l hope not.
l just want a word with Mike, that's all.
Mike's gone fishing.
l don't remember him fishing in the old days, Anne.
- No, it's new.
- Come on Where's the river if it doesn't rain? He took off suddenly last week.
Losing streak? He was always too fond of the horses.
He's not fond of them, he loves them.
Do you know where he is, Anne? He's done it before.
Whenever there's trouble, he just disappears.
Comes back eventuaIIy.
Does he owe any money? Ten years and still no change.
Kenny Stone started as a stable lad, Lewis.
He was hoping to be ajockey, but someone stole the tea money from the tack room.
That wasn't Mike.
He'd have given anything to stay there.
You see, Lewis, how important it is to get the facts right? One wrongful accusation couId Iead to a whoIe Iife of crime.
lt was only ever petty crime with him.
There was nothing petty about the Abingdon bank raid, Anne.
Mike was an also-ran, Mr Morse.
He was there because other peopIe toId him to be.
You know that as weII as I do.
You're very loyal.
Well, what else should l be? When you got Mike to grass We persuaded him, Anne.
You and me together.
This is what you wanted.
Yeah, well You saved him from one sort of prison, but you condemned us both to another.
Sentence for life.
That's what you gave us, Mr Morse.
A reaI oId-fashioned marriage.
I'm stuck with him and he's stuck with me.
Did you ever marry? No.
You should try it.
Anne! - Could you come? - Excuse me.
Doesn't sound like much of a new life - you gave her.
- No.
A promised land full of promissory notes.
- So you reckon she does know where he is? - Of course.
She's protecting him, as aIways.
Protecting him from what? Himself.
Why should a woman like that waste her life on a man like him? What do you reckon about this? About what? - About who frightened the old lady.
- I don't know.
Let's hope it's a coincidence.
A smaII pIace Iike this, the IocaI poIice shouId have a pretty good idea.
LEWlS: That's what we need.
MORSE: What for? Driving round Australia.
You can buy them second-hand.
Where are you going? l just want to find out how much they go for.
Lewis! Yeah, you buy them cheap in Sydney, and then spend a year driving aII around, Iooking.
It takes a year, apparentIy.
We haven't got a year, Lewis.
Mr Justice Rowson's inquiry starts next Monday week.
- And when did you look in again? - Half three.
About.
We're supposed to check them every hour.
He must have really scared her, Scott.
- He? - Well, no woman would - l mean, an old lady - l think we both know who you mean, Sal.
- Did you see him round this afternoon? - What? Mike.
Mike Harding.
Mike? Well, no, l didn't mean that it was - Are you sure? - Listen, Scott Did anyone come in between half two and half three that you didn't know? Watch carefully, Lewis.
- A kangaroo cop leaping to a wrong conclusion.
- The doors to the verandah she liked to keep open to catch the breeze.
So Mike could have just walked straight in off the road? - lt wasn't Mike, l'm sure.
- What about these gentlemen? Did you see them walk in? No.
Suspicious characters.
They drink orange juice.
Only when they're driving.
Glad to hear it.
Scott Humphries.
Hereford poIice.
I hear you're friends of Mike and Anne's? Word gets around pretty fast in Hereford.
lt's a small town.
Anyone drinking orange juice on Melbourne Cup day.
- Did you see Mike this afternoon? - No.
Pity.
He's going to need a good alibi.
Do you mind me asking why you didn't teII the Hardings you were coming? We were just passing through and l remembered this is where Mike and Anne lived Well, you've got to be going a long way from anywhere to be passing through Hereford, mate.
What are you feIIas doing in AustraIia, anyway? British Government Commission.
Looking at the way you fellows ranch cattle.
With the change of climate coming, the greenhouse effect, we think there'll be more cattle-ranching in Britain.
l hope you haven't brought Mad Cows Disease with you.
Do you think he bought that? What do you think he thought we were? Policemen? How is she? She's not too good.
Will she recover, do you think? I don't know.
Where's Anne? AmbuIance coming in.
You've never had visitors from England before.
How long have you known them? I don't know the younger one.
Morse, ten years.
- ls he the reason Mike's gone walkabout? - What? What is he, Anne? An old flame or something? - lf you only knew.
- Knew what? lt makes sense to me.
Your old flame turns up For God's sake, Scott! Come on, Anne.
Mike's mad at you and he takes it out - on your mother - Don't be ridiculous! Come and tell him, Mr Morse.
He thinks Mike's the one beat up my mother.
Mike's not a violent type.
- The opposite.
- Oh, yeah? Well, you should have seen what he did to the TAB at Martin's Creek the Iast time he went AWOL.
TAB's like our betting shops.
He was very angry with himself for losing so much.
Did your mother keep any money in her room? l look after all the old people's valuables for them.
LEWlS: JeweIIery? - Just her rings, and she's still wearing those.
So, if Mike knew there was nothing to take, what would he be looking for? We'll have to call in the Ds from Trumble, Anne.
Your mother's not too well.
lt's a serious offence.
- They're going to want to talk to Mike.
- Well, we all want to talk to him.
l need to get back.
Can you give me a ride to town? MORSE: Of course.
- Sash, will you call me? - Sure.
You ever hear of cattlemen drinking orange juice, Sash? What do you want here? lnformation.
Mike told you everything he knew.
This is something he may not have known he knew.
l certainly didn't.
Someone turned up at a funeral recently.
Someone l wasn't expecting.
Someone who might just lead me to Larry Nelson.
- For God's sake.
- lf Mike can make one simple connection lt's a question of justice, Anne.
Finally doing justice.
Whose funeral? Peter Matthews.
What's happened? We have a bit of a problem in British prisons.
With AlDS.
Larry's the one that should have been in prison all these years, Anne.
You know that as well as l do.
Fresh information would mean a new trial.
lt could do, yes.
- ln England, with Mike in the witness box.
- Yes.
Cross-examination, journalists He can give evidence behind a screen.
You think a screen will make a difference? l thought 1 2,000 miles would make a difference.
No, Mr Morse.
Sorry.
lt may not look much, what we have here, but we've survived.
And l want to keep it that way.
Thanks for the offer.
My family needs me at home.
l suggest you go on home yourself.
Anne! You can't think l've come halfway round the world to give up this easily.
What are you afraid of? No-one here will know anything about it.
You don't know what it's like, waking up every morning, seeing the sunshine, then suddenly remembering.
Ten years of wondering who'll come round the corner.
You can't be frightened here, sureIy? Those people have long memories.
You have my personal guarantee, Anne.
What more do you want? Well, we'll see what Mike says.
He'll say what l say.
You heard what your friend said.
There's a lot of people going to want to talk to him.
Scott Humphries is no friend of ours.
l thought that was obvious.
lf Mike won't come to me, and you won't tell me where he is, l'll have to go to Mr Humphries and tell him everything.
You're a bastard, Morse.
AIways were.
We made a pretty good team last time.
Are you going to heIp me or not? l don't know where he is.
lf l did, l still wouldn't tell you, but l don't.
What now? We've got to find him.
Whether she's lying or not, we've got to find him.
Offer her a lift, Lewis.
Use your fabled northern charm.
l'm going to visit the Hereford police.
Yeah, well, l knew you weren't cattlemen.
Not in those shoes.
The thing is, there's a lot of money involved, or we'd have left it to a local contact.
- Oh, yeah? How much? - l am not at liberty to say.
But my cIient is not going to Ieave a penny of it to Mike Harding unIess she can be sure he's changed his ways.
She doesn't want to see it all going to the bookies.
Well, she'd better give it to Anne.
He's still gambling.
Well, she won't be pleased to hear that.
Nor that he attacks old women.
What makes you so sure about that? That wasn't his styIe in EngIand.
Oh, l don't know.
Maybe the sun's got to him.
Look, they have a row.
She's stronger than he is.
He takes it out on someone eIse Iike a bIoke at the bar.
Or Lily Marchant.
ln the circumstances, don't you think that Anne - shouId have some sort of protection? - You're a private detective.
- Do you fancy the job? - l just thought We run a one-man station here, Mr Morse.
Haven't got time for domestic quarrels.
lf Mike's crazy enough to attack his mother-in-law, don't you think it's possibIe he might turn on his wife or famiIy next? My colleague - could take over in the morning.
- We'll see what we can do.
Who is this little old lady of yours? Why is she so rich when l'm not? l'm afraid l'm not at liberty to say.
You amateurs have your little secrets, eh? There's a son, isn't there? David? - Dave left home.
- What's he doing? He's working as a roustabout at a place called Kalumba.
About an hour away.
- What do you want with Dave? - My client might skip a generation, - Ieave it to the kids instead.
- Oh, yeah? Yeah, well, he might know where Mike is.
They were aIways pretty cIose.
lf it's only an hour, l might make a visit.
That's an hour by plane, mate.
And you'II have to wait tiII tomorrow morning cos there's no lights on the landing strip.
Thanks.
Stop! Stop! There's Karen.
Karen! Karen! - Where are you going? - l've got to do my lengths.
Where were you? Sorry, Iove.
Where are the twins? l took them over to Eileen's.
- Has Dad caIIed again? - No.
- Well, did he say where he was? - No.
Well, what did he say? Nothing.
(Phone rings) Hello? Oh, Phil, hi.
lt's you.
No, he's not here.
Sorry, no, I don't.
No, I Yeah, I know, PhiI.
Yeah, PhiI, I know.
Look, I've got to go.
It's the twins.
Yeah, OK.
Goodbye.
God, look at this place.
Turn my back for two minutes and they make it a pigsty.
- l'm sure she'll be OK.
- What? - Your mum.
- Oh, yeah.
Thanks.
How long's she been out here, Mrs Harding? She came out after Dad died.
lf you're supposed to be my friend, you'd better call me Anne.
Oh, right.
Sorry.
Anne.
Well, l have to fetch the twins now, Sergeant.
Thanks for the lift.
Oh, right.
Thank you, Lewis.
l knew you'd come in useful.
Do you happen to know Anne's mother's name? Her real one? Marchant.
Lily Marchant.
- Why? - She takes the Tilehurst Gazette.
Anne had it at the house.
So what? Peter Matthews is front-page news.
She made out she didn't even know he was dead.
Why on earth would she lie about that? Something else occurs to me.
The Tilehurst Gazette was done over the week before we came out, remember? Nothing taken, not even petty cash.
What would you look for in a newspaper office, if not petty cash? - Liars.
- Names and addresses.
What? Subscription lists.
- Go on.
- WeII Suppose somebody knew that Mrs Marchant was Anne's mother? And that she'd come out to AustraIia but they didn't know where.
And they wanted to know, because they needed her son-in-law's new name and address urgent.
And whoever burgled the office found Lily Marchant's name, came out here, found out she couIdn't speak, so ransacked the room.
And if this person or persons unknown is or are after him Then Anne's right to be afraid after all.
l'm sorry about this afternoon.
lt's OK.
Are you doing your lengths tomorrow? lt's a late start at school.
Ooh, watch out, Hayley Lewis.
Good night.
When's Dad coming home? l don't know, love.
Soon, l hope.
Good night.
(Door opens) What the hell are you doing here? Well, your friend Mr Morse thought you might need some protection.
So, how Iong's your shift? l'm quite capable of looking after myself, you know.
l've done it for ten years.
lt's for your own safety, honestly.
Yours and the kids'.
How can you bear to work for a bastard like Morse? He's trying to help you.
He's trying to help himself.
He's a bastard.
l suppose l should offer you some coffee, Sergeant.
Or is it tea? A cup of tea would be nice, thanks.
And my name's Robert.
My friends caII me Robbie.
Yeah, l can imagine that.
What are your dollies called, Tracey? (Tracey mumbles) Do you like my truck? - ls it a Tonka? - Yeah.
? Country music (Sheep bleating and dogs barking) (Morse drowned out by music) Dave! There's a guy to see you! l'll take over.
- Can we go where we can hear ourselves talk? - What do you want? lt's about your father.
What about him? l want to talk to him.
Who are you? My name's Morse.
Oh.
You.
Then, with great solemnity, he recited the following fine moral lesson.
''A pudding thief, as l've heard tell, quite lost to noble feeling, spent all his days and nights as well in constant pudding stealing.
He stole them here, he stole them there.
He knew no moderation.
- He stoIe the coarse.
He stoIe the rare.
(Phone rings) He stole without cessation.
He stole the steak and kidney stew, that housewives in a rage hid'' No, he's stiII here.
Why are you calling? Don't stop.
WeII, of course you had to.
lt'll be OK.
We just have to keep our nerve.
No-one's going to find out anything.
''He stole the infant's pudding, too.
'' Yeah, and stay away from here, please.
- l love you, too.
- (Lewis resumes reading) Do you want some more tea, Robbie? Do you remember much about England? l remember my name.
Stone.
l remember yours, too.
You got us out here, right? l suppose so.
Yeah, well, they all hate you for it.
What about you? No, l think it's good.
England's finished.
ls it? Crowded little island somewhere off Europe.
Who cares? Dave, the Hereford policeman, Scott Humphries Oh, yeah, what about him? He seems to beIieve it was your dad that terrified your gran.
Yeah, well, Scott Humphries is a goon.
He says your dad can be quite violent.
Is he ever vioIent at home? With Mum? But there's a lot of aggro? Yeah, you could say that.
And you take your dad's side? Look, l don't take anybody's side.
When l left home, l left for good.
Why did you leave, Dave? l don't know, l just wanted to get away.
Who from? Mum, Dad, Scott Humphries, the whole bloody lot of them.
Dave, l badly need to know where your father is.
- And if you do know - Look, l told you, l don't.
And l don't care.
l don't believe that.
That you don't care.
He'll turn up.
Boomerang Bill, that's what we call him.
He always comes back.
He's a compuIsive, stuck in habits he can't break.
- Where did you get that? - School psychiatrist.
The only intelligent person there.
She reckons Dad loses on purpose.
Because he feels trapped.
lf there's no escape, what the hell does it matter what you do? Do you feel trapped? Why should l? l got out.
lt's a big country.
There's a lot to explore.
lt's wilderness, unmapped.
l like that.
But it's so empty.
That's why l like it.
You can listen to yourself, really hear your heartbeat.
lf your father does get in touch, you'll let me know? Yeah, maybe.
Any message for your mother? Er You can tell Karen l love her, if you like.
(Phone rings) Hello? Yeah.
Dave! Phone.
Hello? Hello? l'm afraid she's a lot worse this morning.
The doctor doesn't want to move her out of lntensive.
Mum? Mum! I did 1 2 Iaps of freestyIe, six Iaps of backstroke and four Iaps of butterfIy.
Mum! (Creaking) Dad? (Car door opens outside) LEWlS: She's probabIyjust pIaying truant.
ANNE: Karen's never missed a day of schooI in her Iife.
Karen! Karen! What the hell's been going on in here? Oh, it's always like this.
She hasn't been home.
l'm sure she hasn't.
- Gone to friends? - But Eileen tried everywhere.
Anyway, she's in strict training.
She does her lengths, and she comes directly home to change for school.
What's this? (Karen sobbing) Mum, it's me.
I'm with someone.
He says he won't hurt me.
Hejust wants to speak to Dad.
He says if he can't speak to Dad in 24 hours Mum, pIease, you must teII Dad.
You must teII him to come home.
Why did you have to come here? Why couldn't you leave us alone? He's ruined my Iife once.
Oh, my God! Karen! All right.
All right.
Lewis? Hope this isn't going to be a wasted trip, Scotty.
The old lady's dead, Glenn.
- Oh, shit! - And we still can't find Mike Harding.
- You lied! You lied to me! - No! - Someone in England knows where we are.
- We don't know that.
No more crap, Morse.
What really brought you out here? l've told you.
l want to stop a lot of villains who belong in jail from getting out.
And I want Mike to give the evidence that wiII naiI Larry NeIson and put him in there with them.
And I want Mr Justice Rowson to hear the truth, the whoIe truth.
Truth?! When you lie the whole time? When you're lying now? Anne, l don't care and it doesn't matter whether you believe me.
But someone eIse certainIy does want to see Mike urgentIy.
Someone who's not as polite as we are.
Someone who's prepared to attack an old lady and kidnap a young girI in order to get to him.
Now, it's vital for his own and Karen's safety that we find him first.
l'm going to the police.
All right.
Good.
But we'll have to tell them, Anne, who you and Mike and we really are.
The first thing they're going to want to know is where Mike is.
Are you going to tell them? Are you going to offer me a ride to the station or do l have to walk? God knows why, - but she's stiII Iying.
- What? She knows where Mike is.
This morning, before all this, he phoned her.
Thank you, Lewis.
(Morse starts engine) So, first your husband disappears.
Then your daughter.
- And you're telling me there's no connection? - l don't know.
- There couId be.
- Look - Why did Mike leave home? - We had a row.
- A row? - Yes.
- A big row? HUMPHRlES: It's happened before.
- More than once.
- Where does he usually go? Nowhere special, l don't think.
He just drives around.
lsn't it Karen we should be worrying about? Did you say something? We should get something on the local news.
Tonight.
It's the onIy way we can communicate with the kidnapper and Mike Harding at the same time.
Make it the national news.
Mike could be anywhere.
Why not the BBC World Service? Assuming that the man that's got Karen is the same man that attacked Mrs Marchant, he mustn't know that she's dead, whatever happens.
He may panic.
- So a news bIackout on the murder and LEWlS: SOS.
Thank you, Lewis.
An SOS, of course, for Mike Harding saying that his daughter is dangerously ill.
The kidnapper wiII understand but Mike won't.
l thought you ran a one-man station.
Yeah, l thought so, too.
Who's the pain in the arse? Private detective from England.
Drinks orange juice.
Funny how all this should have started the minute a pommy teetotaller pain in the arse blows into town, eh? Look, we have to find this man before You don't have to do anything, mate.
You've just got to sit back and let the professionals get on with the job.
ANNE: He is a professionaI.
We're here on confidential business.
Been a little economical with the truth with one of our fine Australian policemen, Chief lnspector.
Can I see your authority from the New South WaIes PoIice? l'm afraid the business is so confidential, l have to keep it even from them.
If you want to check with the High Commission They're in Canberra.
l'm afraid even the British High Commission can't give you the right to carry out an investigation in New South Wales.
(Phone rings) Yep? Yeah, it's Gary, Tim.
Can we erm GARY: Oh, yeah.
Right.
OK.
Scotty, Gary will get the details of the Hardings' car while the Chief lnspector and l have a quiet little word together.
OK.
That was Tim.
He said we've got to go with the urgent missing person, but keep the kidnap back and say the girI's dangerousIy iII.
- Just what you suggested, sir.
- Yes, sir.
You did, sir.
Didn't you, sir? What a clever pommy bastard you are, sir.
OK, Mrs Harding.
What's the make of car, please? Erm Um Panel van.
Holden.
And colour? Green.
- Registration? - NUH 689.
? Country music ? How you must be proud ? Cos I've got 1 8 wheeIs of Iove heading for your front door ? 1 8 wheeIs of Iove heading for your front door ? 1 8 big wheeIs of Iove heading for ? Yes, your front door That was 1 8 WheeIs Of Love Heading For Your Front Door by Breaker, Breaker and the Road Train.
Great track.
It's 2:52 here on the Best in the West 2KR, your station.
Now, here is an SOS message for Mike Harding of Harding Mower Repairs in Hereford, traveIIing in a green HoIden paneI van, rego number NUH 689, Iast seen in the Hereford area.
Hasn't anyone told you, Chief lnspector? Transportation stopped 1 20 years ago.
Jesus.
I mean, if you've got to go on sending your crims abroad, why not New Zealand? Nobody would notice there.
The Hardings liked the sound of Australia.
Yeah, well, l don't like the sound of them.
Have you any idea who this Larry Nelson might have sent? Could be one of 20 people.
Probably someone l don't even know.
So we're looking for an Englishman in Australia.
Oh, well, it shouldn't be too difficult.
They let just about anyone in these days.
Poms are a smaII minority.
So, almost the first thing this Anne Harding did when you got here - was tell you a lie? - A small one, but not the only one.
Lewis? Her husband phoned her this morning.
She said if they both kept their nerves, nobody wouId find out anything.
lsn't she taking this thing seriously? Her mother's dead.
Her daughter's been kidnapped.
lt was before she knew about either of those.
But she hasn't changed her tune since.
- lf you ask me, her daughter's perfectly safe.
- What? Well, in my experience, when two people go missing from a small Australian town, they're together.
Especially if there's family trouble.
- l reckon the girl's with her father.
- In my experience, fathers don't kidnap their own children, except in divorce cases.
- lt could explain a lot, though, sir.
- Yes, sir.
- Explain everything, sir.
- For God's sake, why would he get his daughter to record a message in which she pretends to be kidnapped? ln which she says we have to find Mike Harding? To scare the hell out of his wife.
lt's the sort - lt happens.
- lt's ludicrous.
Mr Morse, you've been very helpful.
lf you'd like to call around in the morning, l'll let you know how we're getting onsir.
You are a visiting private inquiry agent, remember? (Glenn slams door behind him) That's NUH 689.
Now, Iisten, a bit of bad news for you, Mike.
Your daughter Karen is seriousIy iII and she'd Iike to hear from you soon.
It's important, so give her a caII, eh? As soon as you can.
OK.
The news with Trevor Goodwin wiII be aIong shortIy.
But in the meantime, here's a track off Bobby Smythe's debut aIbum McAllister's an idiot.
Well, it is his territory.
You don't have any jurisdiction.
You can't keep crime within bureaucratic boundaries.
- God, it's hot in here.
- Well, switch on the air conditioning.
l don't know how to work it.
Three positions.
Low, medium, full blast.
- Lewis.
- Yep? Don't say that.
You're not an AustraIian.
Why is she lying? To protect him, you said.
- From whom? - Us.
But we don't represent any kind of threat.
Perhaps we do.
Well, then, what? When he phoned, she seemed to think he might be losing his nerve.
You don't think he's the sort who might go and top himseIf, do you? No.
Wrong odds.
No, when it comes to the Great Perhaps, Mike Harding'll follow Pascal.
Who's that? A tipster? Pascal, Lewis.
Blaise Pascal.
A French phiIosopher of the 1 7th century.
Not much use to us, then.
He said that there were no good and sufficient reasons to either believe or disbelieve in the truths of religion.
lt was just a toss-up whether there was a God and an afterIife and aII that.
- Oh? - But The safer bet is that there is one.
Because if there is, you win.
And if there isn't, it doesn't matter anyway.
Neat, don't you think? l think you're suffering from a serious shortage of beer.
A real gambler will always choose life over death, Lewis.
What do you thinkabout God and that? Do you think there's a God? l think there are times when l wish to God there was one.
A just God.
A God dispensing justice.
I'd Iike to beIieve in that.
l'm off for a swim.
l'll see you at dinner.
The Rhine Riesling's very popular.
Just a moment, just a moment.
No.
No, that's the one.
The Mount Adam Chardonnay.
We'll have that.
My doctor says l can't eat that - any more.
- And you a cattIeman! l suppose l'll have to have chicken.
l hate chicken.
What do l have to do? Go over and see that girl over there.
She'll give you a portion to cook.
Cook? - l have to cook myself? - Afraid so.
- What the hell are you doing here? - l caught the mail plane in.
Listen, Dad's in trouble.
He called just after you left.
l think l know where he is but l haven't got a car.
Aren't you going to call them? Who? The Aussie detectives, McAllister and Warrender.
- Certainly not.
- But sureIy they The boy came to see me.
And I want to see his father about my business, which is not within McAllister's jurisdiction, just as the kidnap, as you so kindly pointed out, is not within mine.
- lt could be risky.
- l'm quite capable - of looking after myself.
- ShouIdn't we Iet them decide what's best? This isn't an Oxford college.
Why don't you get back to your steak, Lewis? lt should be just about leathery enough for you by now.
You told me you didn't know where he was.
l thought if Dad didn't want to see you, that was his business.
l think it's time someone started telling me the truth.
- Hi.
- l don't think you're supposed to be here.
l was just wondering how Anne is.
WeII, Scott's taken her down to the hospitaI.
- They're giving her something to help her sleep.
- Oh, right.
Good thing, probably.
Well, good night.
Yep, l hope so.
- ls she all right? - Yeah, she'll be fine.
She's not your average sheila.
She's had a lot to put up with.
You don't know the half of it.
What are you up to? Don't know.
lt's a bit early for bed.
- You don't fancy a beer, do you? - Yeah, why not? I'm pretty fed up in Britain.
- Yeah? - lt's very long hours.
- Too much all the time.
- And you have to work for that bugger Morse.
Doesn't help.
He's an arrogant bastard.
l don't know how you put up with him.
Well, youget used to him.
No, l couldn't take it.
l mean, no offence, but a sergeant with you mob is some sort of gofer.
l mean, Christ, does he expect you to pick up his undies when he drops them on the floor? Not quite.
Yeah, but you have to call him sir.
Yeah, well l call him a lot of things.
Look, mate, l got 400 square mile of territory, all mine.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
l know half the people by name.
And they all know me.
Scott Humphries carries bags for nobody.
Now - What's the pay like? - The pay? Lousy.
- Do you want another schooner? - Yeah, yeah, why not? Hey, Blue! Where the heII are we? Oh, look, it's not far now.
Just keep on going.
We haven't seen a house for 1 5 miles.
What makes you so sure he'll be there? lt's where he always ends up.
Where no-one can get to him.
My wife My wife, she's not from the north.
No? No.
l met her when l came down south, you see.
- But she's a good Iass, for aII that.
- Lucky.
Yeah, well, a wife.
You need a wife in this job.
With all the stress and that.
You need the stability, man.
Yeah.
Well, that's easier said than done, Robbie.
l mean She's got to be um You know, she's got to be l mean Oh, yeah.
Troubles of the heart.
That's aIways been my probIem.
Troubles of the heart.
Go another one? (Radio plays) - ls this his van? - Yeah.
- Must be down in the quarry.
- Why would he come here? He's got an old caravan down there.
Come on.
(Radio static) Ah, yeah, weII, you know, oId back troubIe (They drive off) (Lewis yawns) lt's the tin roofs, man.
What about 'em? l don't think l'd You knowl don't think l'd ever get used to them.
Everyone says that.
A couple of months, they think they've never seen anything else.
- ls that right? - Yeah.
lt's what's under the roof that matters, Robbie.
lf you've got the right woman, this is the best little country in the world.
The right woman Why is it that the right woman is always shacked up with the wrong man, eh? Eh? Come on, Robbie.
What are you doing? l thought you'd gone to sleep.
Dad! Dad! Dad, it's me.
Dad.
God, what was that? Come on, son.
What did he actually say when he called, Dave? l don't know, he was sort of apologising to me.
Have you got any idea why? No.
For not being a good dad, l don't know.
Nothing He wasn't making any sense.
l thought he was off his head.
And when was this? When exactIy was this, Dave? Just after Mr Morse left.
So What time did you leave the farm? Noon, l suppose.
Which is about the time, according to your offsider, that Mike Harding rang his wife to tell her how much he loved her.
l can't believe he killed himself.
- lt's just not - The gun was in his hand, Morse.
OnIy one shot had been fired.
lf Larry Nelson went to the trouble of sending a hit man to finish him off, do you think he'd be stupid enough to leave a trail? He'd make it look like suicide.
Nelson's got to him first and we've come all this way for nothing.
Well We'll see what Forensic says.
Though that may take a bit of time.
There are so many bloody footprints around, we can't tell who the hell's been here.
lt's supposed to be a New South Wales inquiry, Morse, not a British one.
Whoever the kidnapper is, we mustn't let him know - that Mike Harding's dead.
- But he killed him.
lf he killed him, how come he's still got the girl? You can worry about your bloody pom inquiry, mate.
l've got to worry about her.
See you back in town.
What's happening to me, Lewis? l don't know what l'm doing any more.
Well, if he did kill himself, maybe we should try and find out why.
Perhaps it's Anne.
Maybe that's why he did it.
Anne? l think she could have been seeing someone.
- What are you talking about? - Well l was drinking with Humphries last night.
l think they could have been having a thing.
Maybe Mike found out.
Humphries? That's not possible, surely? He's He's a policeman.
He's an Australian policeman.
He Anyway, you heard her tell Mike she loved him.
Well, maybe it wasn't Mike on the phone.
And McAllister's right.
We still don't know where the girl is.
- What does it matter what the row was about? - You lied to me So l lied! One more lie.
What difference did one more make? We've been living a lie from the moment we came here.
- What do you mean? - Ten years ago, Morse, your trial, your confession, what you got was lies.
- Lies? - Kenny said you'd beIieve him.
And you did, didn't you? Your poIiceman friend was dead.
And you wanted convictions.
The more the merrier.
So between us all, we killed an innocent man.
Peter Matthews? But Peter Matthews - was guiIty.
- Peter Matthews wasn't driving the car.
He wasn't anywhere near the raid.
He was sitting at home with his mother.
He was a horrible man.
But he thought he was irresistibIe.
And if you did resist, he didn't like it.
He used to make passes at me.
And l told him to get his clammy hands off.
One day, he got annoyed.
I got annoyed.
And he started pushing me, slapping me about.
And then Kenny came in.
The car was driven by someone else.
LEWlS: Who? Larry Nelson's son-in-law.
We shopped the whoIe gang except the one cIosest to Larry.
lt was our insurance.
We thought we'd be safe.
Oh, my God.
Kenny must have thought you'd found out.
He aIways came back before.
Whatever happened, he always came back.
(Phone rings) Yep? Mum? ls Mum there? He says l can only speak to Mum.
lt's Karen.
Get a trace on it.
Karen, Iove, it's me.
- Are you all right? - I'm OK, Mum.
- Mum, he says - Karen? - Who's there with you? - The 24 hours is up.
- Karen - He said 24 hours and it's up.
He's going to kill me.
Mum, you've got to taIk to Dad.
Say he still hasn't come back yet.
- Keep it going as long as possible.
- You have to find him.
We don't know where he is, love.
- (Karen sobs) - We're Iooking everywhere for him.
You know what he's like when he goes off like this.
He could be anywhere.
He was very depressed.
You know, about the way things were, about Dave leaving.
Karen, where are you? You tell him l'll do anything.
Tell him l'll take your place.
This is Chief lnspector Morse, Thames VaIIey CID.
I'm the man that put the Abingdon bank robbers in jail.
l'd like to talk to you.
l want to talk to Kenny Stone.
l'll bring him with me.
All right, stay there.
l'll call you back.
Just what the hell do you think you're up to? An English voice, but who the hell was it? Stop.
- That one.
- What about him? - You remember the van when we arrived? - What van? A camper.
The sort you go round AustraIia in.
lt was parked outside the old folks' home.
The driver of that, that's him.
MORSE: That's PauI, the younger brother.
He's got no record, nothing at all.
What colour? - Caucasian.
- No, no, the van.
Oh, erm - Mustard.
- PIates? I don't know.
It's not famiIiar It Iooked quite oId.
Second-hand, probabIy.
Well, nobody buys those things new any more.
Get a message out right away, Gaz.
Mustard-coloured camper van.
l'm on my way.
What are you planning to do? Talk to him.
l don't know Get the girl away from him.
- That's what matters.
- And in the meantime? We wait.
l'll pay you back.
Eugowra? Right, great.
Yep.
Thanks.
Mustard camper sighted at Eugowra, Glenn.
That gives us about half an hour.
He's heading for that siding at Bangaru.
- Where the bloody hell's Bangaru? - Here.
Tim's sending all the available cars.
- Sharpshooters? - You bet.
You don't have to do this, you know.
lt really isn't our territory.
But it's my fault, though, isn't it? When justice miscarries, Lewis, when injustice is not only done but seen to be done l've always prided myself l've never sent anyone to prison who didn't belong there.
You blame yourself too much, you know that? You're always blaming yourself.
l've a lot to blame myself for.
Three deaths, to start with.
Peter Matthews.
Lily Marchant.
Mike Harding.
He did kill himself.
And it was because of me.
You don't know that.
l can't prove it, no.
Anne was right, though.
Ron Pigot and l, we started in the force together.
When he was shot in that raid, l wanted revenge.
lt's a powerful emotion.
lt blinds you.
l let myself be blinded.
l have to make amends.
I stiII think it's too risky.
l'm old and unmarried and .
.
don't understand human nature.
What does it matter? How oId are you? l forget, Robbie.
l could come with you.
Thanks, but l'm the one he wants.
(Door opens) Sure you don't want a gun? There have been enough deaths in this already.
Morse is approaching.
Put your hands up! I don't want you.
l want Kenny Stone! Where is he? MORSE: PauI, the girI's got nothing to do with it.
Let her go.
lt's vengeance you want, isn't it? Well, l'm as responsible as Kenny ever was.
Take it out on the guilty, - not the innocent - Keep your hands up! What's he doing? l haven't got a weapon, Paul.
l want us all to get out of this alive if possible.
Peter didn't get out alive.
Are you alone? Yes, l'm alone.
You try anything, and the girl is dead.
Do you understand me? Do you understand? Let her go, PauI.
l'm keeping her till l see Kenny Stone.
l can't bring Kenny, Paul.
Why not? Because it's not him you want, it's me.
l want to see Stone! l was the one that sent your brother to jail.
If there was anything I couId do to bring him back, I'd do it.
I'm sorry.
You're sorry? You sent my innocent brother to jail and you're sorry? l shall never forgive myself, Paul.
You have to believe that.
Have you ever Have you ever watched anyone die of AlDS? No.
He choked He choked to death.
He couldn't clear his lungs.
He got so thin, he couldn't stand up.
He used to be big, remember? He fought with everything he had but hehe couldn't win against that, could he? - You sent him to his death.
- Yes.
You're a murderer.
No.
lt's only murder if you mean to kill.
But I thought he was guiIty.
You killed him.
Don't you think it's time to stop the killing? What? This chain of revenge and death.
lt must break sometime.
And there is a way we can stop it.
Don't know what you're talking about.
lf it hadn't been for Larry Nelson, there wouldn't have been a raid, would there? A poIice officer, a friend of mine, wouIdn't have got kiIIed.
No-one wouId have gone to prison.
And Peter would be alive today.
There was a man at your brother's funeral, Bernie Waters.
What about him? - Why was he there? - He's a friend of the family.
- Long time? - No.
Pay for the funeral, did he? What's that got to do with you? - Did he? - So what if he did? With Larry Nelson's money? Yeah, l dare say! Funny Nelson only took an interest when your brother was dead.
What do you mean? Nelson's son-in-law was driving the car in the Abingdon bank raid, Paul.
He was the one that Peter went to prison for, the one he died for.
Shut up.
Larry NeIson wanted your brother dead.
He wanted a martyr so he couId get his own gang out.
Shut up! So, how do you feel about Larry Nelson now, Paul? l don't know what you're talking about! lt's all lies! You're only doing this to protect Stone! But l want him! Do you understand? l want him now! You bring him here, or l'll kill her! No! - Don't shoot her! Shoot me! - Anne! What's going on? - Shoot me! - Get the hell out of there! Let her go! - Anne! - Get back, Anne! What is this? Bastard! Oh, God.
Was Scott Humphries the reason Mike left? Did he know why you were both here? l never told him.
l never told anyone.
l never imagined you would.
You're loyal.
You always were.
l wasn't very loyal to Mike.
l think you were.
Amazingly so.
Are many marriages like ours? Enough.
How would l know? l'm responsible for everything, aren't l? Aren't I, for coming here? Will you come to England? We started it.
We'd better finish it.
For ever, this time.
- Are you going back to Sydney? - Yes.
Right.
To tell you the truth, l wish l'd never come.
DAVE: Yeah, weII You shouIdn't think Iike that.
lt's probably better we find out the truth, clear it out of the way, make a new start.
That's That's a very courageous attitude.
lt's Australian, mate.
She'll be right, mate.
Good flight.
Come on.
You'll be late for your opera.
LEWlS: No, it shouId work out quite weII, in fact.
My wife's Ieaving the kids with their gran.
We'll have a couple of weeks to look around.
Right.
Probably hire a van like Matthews had.
See what the rest of Australia's like.
You're sure you don't mind? No.
Why should l? Why don't you stay on a bit yourself? l've got to report back.
Well You'll be able to have a read on the plane without me chattering beside you.
Yeah.
Make a change.
Valerie got one of those last-minute plane tickets.
Gets in eight o'clock tomorrow night.
So l'll be able to take you to the airport and leave the car there, pick up a van.
By the time l've done that, she'll have landed.
Right.
Thanks.
Well, l'll be off, then.
Enjoy your opera.
lt's er It's an hour tiII the matinée.
What are you going to do? l thought l'd take a ferry, have a look around the harbour.
lt's one of the sights, isn't it? Oh, yes.
Well, enjoy yourself.
Right.
See you.
? STRAUSS: Der Rosenkavalier ? Hab' mir's gelobt ? lhn lieb zu haben ? ln der richtigen Weis' ? Daà ich selbst ? Sein' Lieb' ? Zu einer andern
Outside the chapeI now.
Right.
End of overture.
Chorus in place.
- What? - The Peter Matthews Funeral Show.
lt's about to begin.
(Church organ music) (Sobbing) Are those his brothers? Must be, yes.
The one on the left, that's Harry.
He's done time.
They're all criminals, the whole Matthews family.
? Abide With Me Bloody newspapers! You're going to have to go and see Kenny Stone, Morse.
Kenny's evidence was A1 .
l guarantee that personally.
Before anybody else does, l mean.
We're the only ones that know where he is.
Well, it's always the same with a supergrass.
No corroboration.
And this new evidence.
Peter Matthews was driving that car, not What's his name supposed to be? Well, it's the first place an inquiry'll look.
Bastard, poncey barristers picking through my files.
There won't be an inquiry.
Will there? l lost one of my best policemen on that raid.
And you lost a good friend.
lf those bastards can shake the Matthews conviction, they'll say the whole lot are unsafe.
And the Abingdon gang'll be out of jail, like that.
Chief Inspector Morse.
- Yes? - The service hasjust finished, sir.
Right.
Peter Matthews may not have fired the gun.
No-one ever said that he did.
But he was there when it was fired.
- That's what matters.
- Like Tommy bIoody Thompson.
He should have got 1 5 years, not two.
Yes, well The higher up the criminal scale, the less the evidence sticks.
And when you get to the top nothing sticks at aII.
What the hell - WeII, I'm damned.
- No comment.
Bernie Waters.
Kenny Stone never mentioned Bernie Waters.
Never once.
- And they didn't take anything? - Not that l can see.
There's nothing to take, for God's sake.
Except the petty cash, and he left that.
How the hell am l going to get a paper out by Friday? Must be kids.
Unless someone You haven't been running exposés? Corrupt councillors, that sort of thing? - The Tilehurst Gazette? - Sorry, l'm afraid l don't l'll put you on our free subscription list.
That is, if l can find it.
You know, l don't usually indulge myself in editorials, Sergeant.
But next week, you wait.
These juvenile delinquents, they won't know what's hit them.
Where the heII have you been? - Tilehurst.
Local paper, turned over.
- Serves them right.
Gutter press.
Look at this, Lewis.
- Oh, isn't that the bookie, Bernie Waters? - Yes.
Now, why do you think he's acting Iike an usher at a wedding? You see that wreath there? The onIy one with no name.
Now, who do you think sent that? Larry Nelson, of course.
What? You think Waters could be working for Nelson? He's got a big staff, our Larry.
He doesn't even have to bIow his own nose.
l just had the Chief Constable on the phone, Morse.
lnquiry.
Under Mr Justice Rowson.
- They were guilty, weren't they? - Of course they were.
But with everyone up in arms against prison conditions, and young Matthews dead with AIDS You know what they say about funerals, Lewis? There's aIways someone who catches his death.
Go and pack your bags, Lewis.
What? Kenny Stone's confession.
They always hold something back.
We have to link Larry Nelson with that raid.
- Where did you set Stone up? - Hereford.
- That's not an overnight, sureIy? - Hereford, New South Wales.
- Ah, come on, sir! l've got my leave coming up.
- Cancelled.
We're going to Gateshead to see the wife's mother.
- See her at Christmas instead.
- We're going to my mam's then.
You have too many relatives, Lewis.
A policeman - ought to be free.
- What do you want me there for, anyway? We're only going to interview him.
l can't carry my own bags, can l? l'm a Chief lnspector.
As a matter of fact, l've got cousins in New South Wales.
MORSE: Of course, if AustraIia hadn't existed, we'd have had to invent it.
LEWlS: But it did exist.
MORSE: I'm taIking about human nature, Lewis.
The need to beIieve in a heaven on Earth.
Somewhere you can put your past behind you and start again.
Think of the convicts coming over the mountains with their tickets of Ieave and seeing this.
A promised Iand.
LEWlS: They had to cIear it first.
You'll never make a good detective, Lewis.
You're too literal.
Kenny Stone must think you're God.
What? Well, it's God gives out the Promised Land.
Like to the peopIe of IsraeI.
What did they set him up as? Some sort of mechanic, l think.
And it's Mike Harding.
His name's Mike Harding now.
MORSE: How much further to Hereford? LEWlS: Four hours or so.
MORSE: Time to change over, then.
Should be pretty bloody grateful, Mike Harding.
- Garden of Eden, this is.
- ln that case, watch out for snakes.
ln the supergrass? Get off! I thought I'd packed the bIoody thing.
- What? - The Rosenkavalier.
lt's playing at the Opera House on Saturday.
l bought the tape so l could brush up on it while we're driving across this godforsaken country.
l can't find it.
Never mind.
We'll find something else to listen to.
(Morse starts engine) ? Country music ? BIue skies up above me ? And the road is bIack ahead ? The meter on the fueI gauge hittin'red ? No money in my pocket but my sweetheart's goIden Iocket's there instead ? A miIIion IoneIy miIes behind me ? 50 more, we'II be in bed ? I just keep on truckin'tiII I'm dead ? Foot's down on the fIoor, my IittIe sheiIa's at the door ? Cops are tryin'to bust me but she knows that she can trust me ? The road is cIear ahead so youjust make up the bed ? I'm coming home - Turn that rubbish off, Lewis, for God's sake.
- l like it.
lt's the worst sort of bastardised, phoney folk music.
lt's not Scots, it's not lrish.
- lt's not even American.
- Sir, it's Australian.
lt's good.
? A miIIion IoneIy miIes behind me, 50 more, we'II be in bed ? I just keep on truckin'tiII I'm dead - (Music stops abruptly) (Silence) I need a drink.
Where is everyone? Do Australians take siestas or what? There are a lot of ltalians over here, l know that.
That there, that says it's a hotel.
WeII, Iet's give it a try.
(Shouting and hollering) (Racing commentary on TV) LEWlS: It's the MeIbourne Cup! - What? - The Melbourne Cup.
lt's like our Derby.
Here's Kingston RuIe Kingston RuIe in front.
The Phantom trying to get up on the inside.
- But Kingston RuIe wins the MeIbourne Cup.
- (Groans of disappointment) - Can l get you blokes something? - l'll have a light beer, please.
- Two? - Orange juice.
(Bar quietens) - What, English? Yes.
LEWlS: As a matter of fact, we're in town Iooking for an oId friend of ours.
Mike Harding? - Another pom? - That's right, yeah.
Well, he'd usually be here for the Cup.
But er Look, you could try his shop down the street.
He may be working.
(Laughter) Orangejuice? What's the matter with you? They don't spell Australian beer with four Xs out of ignorance.
They mean what they say.
And light beer is an invention of the Prince of Darkness.
lt's just the thing on a day like this.
Not too heavy.
ls that your idea of being inconspicuous? Asking for Mike in a bar full of Australians? Well, we've got to start somewhere.
God Almighty! LEWlS: Mowers! For a grass.
Dear, oh dear! MORSE: Those bloody public schoolboys in the High Commission.
Don't they know jokes can kill? (Phone rings) (Phone continues to ring) Business looks good, all those waiting to be done.
Then why isn't he here doing them? Must be a very law-abiding place.
You couldn't leave machines sitting out like that in Hereford, England.
(Car pulls up) Is this him? ls Mike about? - No, it seems not.
- Thought the bastard might get back to work once the Cup was over.
Must've won for once.
You eryou new in town? That's right.
Yeah, well, take my advice.
Get your mower done in Cowra.
You could wait for Mike Harding till your grass was hay.
Get out of it! You from England? That's right.
- Do you Iike it here? - It's grand weather.
Yeah, for bushfires.
lf you see Mike, tell him he's just lost another customer.
See ya! (Phone rings) Is this pIace expecting a royaI visit or what? LEWlS: If it is, the Hardings must be repubIicans.
Not made much of a job of fading into the background, has he? How many children has he got? There were two when they left England.
(Television on) Er, is Mr Harding in? - Mike Harding? - No.
What about Mrs Harding? You just missed her.
She had to go and see Gran.
- Where's that? - OId peopIe's home.
(Phone rings) - Go ahead.
Hello? Dad! Dad, where are you? She's OK, l suppose.
No, she had to go and see Gran.
Somebody rang.
Are you coming home? WeII, when? There's a bloke here who wants to talk to you.
Thanks.
Mike? Morse.
Morse, Thames Valley.
How are you? Mike? Not much use us coming aII this way - if he won't even talk to us.
- Not everyone delights in the sound of his own voice, Lewis.
l scared him, that's all.
He can't exactly have been expecting to hear from me.
Excuse me, please.
Keep her steady, Charlie.
Anne? What the hell's been going on here? Sash! Sash! - Anne, there's nothing you can do now.
- ls she going to be all right? We'll have to see what the doctor says.
l'm sure she'll be OK.
You go and have a cup of tea.
l'll come and get you.
All right? - Thanks a lot.
- Pleasure, sir.
Has someone found out? What? About us.
Has someone discovered where we are? No, no.
No-one knows who doesn't have to.
- How many's that? - Seven, two of whom are in this room.
Then what are you doing here? And who did this to my mother? We're just two old friends from England come to look you up, - see how you're doing.
- Fine.
We're doing fine.
Now, go away.
- Sugar? - Two.
Please.
Sorry.
l've been here so long, l've forgotten my manners.
Thanks.
ls er ls your mother going to be OK? This is her second one.
She's never really got her speech back from the first.
LEWlS: My auntie had a stroke.
She Iost her speech.
- She was right as rain in six months.
- Doesn't rain here.
l'm s-sorry.
lt's the heat.
l just can't come to terms with it somehow.
lt leaves me Not cold, surely? (Sighs) Wrung out.
Kids out here, you know, they get worms.
You have to worm them.
l thought you'd forgotten all about us.
Never.
Am l going to wish you had? l hope not.
l just want a word with Mike, that's all.
Mike's gone fishing.
l don't remember him fishing in the old days, Anne.
- No, it's new.
- Come on Where's the river if it doesn't rain? He took off suddenly last week.
Losing streak? He was always too fond of the horses.
He's not fond of them, he loves them.
Do you know where he is, Anne? He's done it before.
Whenever there's trouble, he just disappears.
Comes back eventuaIIy.
Does he owe any money? Ten years and still no change.
Kenny Stone started as a stable lad, Lewis.
He was hoping to be ajockey, but someone stole the tea money from the tack room.
That wasn't Mike.
He'd have given anything to stay there.
You see, Lewis, how important it is to get the facts right? One wrongful accusation couId Iead to a whoIe Iife of crime.
lt was only ever petty crime with him.
There was nothing petty about the Abingdon bank raid, Anne.
Mike was an also-ran, Mr Morse.
He was there because other peopIe toId him to be.
You know that as weII as I do.
You're very loyal.
Well, what else should l be? When you got Mike to grass We persuaded him, Anne.
You and me together.
This is what you wanted.
Yeah, well You saved him from one sort of prison, but you condemned us both to another.
Sentence for life.
That's what you gave us, Mr Morse.
A reaI oId-fashioned marriage.
I'm stuck with him and he's stuck with me.
Did you ever marry? No.
You should try it.
Anne! - Could you come? - Excuse me.
Doesn't sound like much of a new life - you gave her.
- No.
A promised land full of promissory notes.
- So you reckon she does know where he is? - Of course.
She's protecting him, as aIways.
Protecting him from what? Himself.
Why should a woman like that waste her life on a man like him? What do you reckon about this? About what? - About who frightened the old lady.
- I don't know.
Let's hope it's a coincidence.
A smaII pIace Iike this, the IocaI poIice shouId have a pretty good idea.
LEWlS: That's what we need.
MORSE: What for? Driving round Australia.
You can buy them second-hand.
Where are you going? l just want to find out how much they go for.
Lewis! Yeah, you buy them cheap in Sydney, and then spend a year driving aII around, Iooking.
It takes a year, apparentIy.
We haven't got a year, Lewis.
Mr Justice Rowson's inquiry starts next Monday week.
- And when did you look in again? - Half three.
About.
We're supposed to check them every hour.
He must have really scared her, Scott.
- He? - Well, no woman would - l mean, an old lady - l think we both know who you mean, Sal.
- Did you see him round this afternoon? - What? Mike.
Mike Harding.
Mike? Well, no, l didn't mean that it was - Are you sure? - Listen, Scott Did anyone come in between half two and half three that you didn't know? Watch carefully, Lewis.
- A kangaroo cop leaping to a wrong conclusion.
- The doors to the verandah she liked to keep open to catch the breeze.
So Mike could have just walked straight in off the road? - lt wasn't Mike, l'm sure.
- What about these gentlemen? Did you see them walk in? No.
Suspicious characters.
They drink orange juice.
Only when they're driving.
Glad to hear it.
Scott Humphries.
Hereford poIice.
I hear you're friends of Mike and Anne's? Word gets around pretty fast in Hereford.
lt's a small town.
Anyone drinking orange juice on Melbourne Cup day.
- Did you see Mike this afternoon? - No.
Pity.
He's going to need a good alibi.
Do you mind me asking why you didn't teII the Hardings you were coming? We were just passing through and l remembered this is where Mike and Anne lived Well, you've got to be going a long way from anywhere to be passing through Hereford, mate.
What are you feIIas doing in AustraIia, anyway? British Government Commission.
Looking at the way you fellows ranch cattle.
With the change of climate coming, the greenhouse effect, we think there'll be more cattle-ranching in Britain.
l hope you haven't brought Mad Cows Disease with you.
Do you think he bought that? What do you think he thought we were? Policemen? How is she? She's not too good.
Will she recover, do you think? I don't know.
Where's Anne? AmbuIance coming in.
You've never had visitors from England before.
How long have you known them? I don't know the younger one.
Morse, ten years.
- ls he the reason Mike's gone walkabout? - What? What is he, Anne? An old flame or something? - lf you only knew.
- Knew what? lt makes sense to me.
Your old flame turns up For God's sake, Scott! Come on, Anne.
Mike's mad at you and he takes it out - on your mother - Don't be ridiculous! Come and tell him, Mr Morse.
He thinks Mike's the one beat up my mother.
Mike's not a violent type.
- The opposite.
- Oh, yeah? Well, you should have seen what he did to the TAB at Martin's Creek the Iast time he went AWOL.
TAB's like our betting shops.
He was very angry with himself for losing so much.
Did your mother keep any money in her room? l look after all the old people's valuables for them.
LEWlS: JeweIIery? - Just her rings, and she's still wearing those.
So, if Mike knew there was nothing to take, what would he be looking for? We'll have to call in the Ds from Trumble, Anne.
Your mother's not too well.
lt's a serious offence.
- They're going to want to talk to Mike.
- Well, we all want to talk to him.
l need to get back.
Can you give me a ride to town? MORSE: Of course.
- Sash, will you call me? - Sure.
You ever hear of cattlemen drinking orange juice, Sash? What do you want here? lnformation.
Mike told you everything he knew.
This is something he may not have known he knew.
l certainly didn't.
Someone turned up at a funeral recently.
Someone l wasn't expecting.
Someone who might just lead me to Larry Nelson.
- For God's sake.
- lf Mike can make one simple connection lt's a question of justice, Anne.
Finally doing justice.
Whose funeral? Peter Matthews.
What's happened? We have a bit of a problem in British prisons.
With AlDS.
Larry's the one that should have been in prison all these years, Anne.
You know that as well as l do.
Fresh information would mean a new trial.
lt could do, yes.
- ln England, with Mike in the witness box.
- Yes.
Cross-examination, journalists He can give evidence behind a screen.
You think a screen will make a difference? l thought 1 2,000 miles would make a difference.
No, Mr Morse.
Sorry.
lt may not look much, what we have here, but we've survived.
And l want to keep it that way.
Thanks for the offer.
My family needs me at home.
l suggest you go on home yourself.
Anne! You can't think l've come halfway round the world to give up this easily.
What are you afraid of? No-one here will know anything about it.
You don't know what it's like, waking up every morning, seeing the sunshine, then suddenly remembering.
Ten years of wondering who'll come round the corner.
You can't be frightened here, sureIy? Those people have long memories.
You have my personal guarantee, Anne.
What more do you want? Well, we'll see what Mike says.
He'll say what l say.
You heard what your friend said.
There's a lot of people going to want to talk to him.
Scott Humphries is no friend of ours.
l thought that was obvious.
lf Mike won't come to me, and you won't tell me where he is, l'll have to go to Mr Humphries and tell him everything.
You're a bastard, Morse.
AIways were.
We made a pretty good team last time.
Are you going to heIp me or not? l don't know where he is.
lf l did, l still wouldn't tell you, but l don't.
What now? We've got to find him.
Whether she's lying or not, we've got to find him.
Offer her a lift, Lewis.
Use your fabled northern charm.
l'm going to visit the Hereford police.
Yeah, well, l knew you weren't cattlemen.
Not in those shoes.
The thing is, there's a lot of money involved, or we'd have left it to a local contact.
- Oh, yeah? How much? - l am not at liberty to say.
But my cIient is not going to Ieave a penny of it to Mike Harding unIess she can be sure he's changed his ways.
She doesn't want to see it all going to the bookies.
Well, she'd better give it to Anne.
He's still gambling.
Well, she won't be pleased to hear that.
Nor that he attacks old women.
What makes you so sure about that? That wasn't his styIe in EngIand.
Oh, l don't know.
Maybe the sun's got to him.
Look, they have a row.
She's stronger than he is.
He takes it out on someone eIse Iike a bIoke at the bar.
Or Lily Marchant.
ln the circumstances, don't you think that Anne - shouId have some sort of protection? - You're a private detective.
- Do you fancy the job? - l just thought We run a one-man station here, Mr Morse.
Haven't got time for domestic quarrels.
lf Mike's crazy enough to attack his mother-in-law, don't you think it's possibIe he might turn on his wife or famiIy next? My colleague - could take over in the morning.
- We'll see what we can do.
Who is this little old lady of yours? Why is she so rich when l'm not? l'm afraid l'm not at liberty to say.
You amateurs have your little secrets, eh? There's a son, isn't there? David? - Dave left home.
- What's he doing? He's working as a roustabout at a place called Kalumba.
About an hour away.
- What do you want with Dave? - My client might skip a generation, - Ieave it to the kids instead.
- Oh, yeah? Yeah, well, he might know where Mike is.
They were aIways pretty cIose.
lf it's only an hour, l might make a visit.
That's an hour by plane, mate.
And you'II have to wait tiII tomorrow morning cos there's no lights on the landing strip.
Thanks.
Stop! Stop! There's Karen.
Karen! Karen! - Where are you going? - l've got to do my lengths.
Where were you? Sorry, Iove.
Where are the twins? l took them over to Eileen's.
- Has Dad caIIed again? - No.
- Well, did he say where he was? - No.
Well, what did he say? Nothing.
(Phone rings) Hello? Oh, Phil, hi.
lt's you.
No, he's not here.
Sorry, no, I don't.
No, I Yeah, I know, PhiI.
Yeah, PhiI, I know.
Look, I've got to go.
It's the twins.
Yeah, OK.
Goodbye.
God, look at this place.
Turn my back for two minutes and they make it a pigsty.
- l'm sure she'll be OK.
- What? - Your mum.
- Oh, yeah.
Thanks.
How long's she been out here, Mrs Harding? She came out after Dad died.
lf you're supposed to be my friend, you'd better call me Anne.
Oh, right.
Sorry.
Anne.
Well, l have to fetch the twins now, Sergeant.
Thanks for the lift.
Oh, right.
Thank you, Lewis.
l knew you'd come in useful.
Do you happen to know Anne's mother's name? Her real one? Marchant.
Lily Marchant.
- Why? - She takes the Tilehurst Gazette.
Anne had it at the house.
So what? Peter Matthews is front-page news.
She made out she didn't even know he was dead.
Why on earth would she lie about that? Something else occurs to me.
The Tilehurst Gazette was done over the week before we came out, remember? Nothing taken, not even petty cash.
What would you look for in a newspaper office, if not petty cash? - Liars.
- Names and addresses.
What? Subscription lists.
- Go on.
- WeII Suppose somebody knew that Mrs Marchant was Anne's mother? And that she'd come out to AustraIia but they didn't know where.
And they wanted to know, because they needed her son-in-law's new name and address urgent.
And whoever burgled the office found Lily Marchant's name, came out here, found out she couIdn't speak, so ransacked the room.
And if this person or persons unknown is or are after him Then Anne's right to be afraid after all.
l'm sorry about this afternoon.
lt's OK.
Are you doing your lengths tomorrow? lt's a late start at school.
Ooh, watch out, Hayley Lewis.
Good night.
When's Dad coming home? l don't know, love.
Soon, l hope.
Good night.
(Door opens) What the hell are you doing here? Well, your friend Mr Morse thought you might need some protection.
So, how Iong's your shift? l'm quite capable of looking after myself, you know.
l've done it for ten years.
lt's for your own safety, honestly.
Yours and the kids'.
How can you bear to work for a bastard like Morse? He's trying to help you.
He's trying to help himself.
He's a bastard.
l suppose l should offer you some coffee, Sergeant.
Or is it tea? A cup of tea would be nice, thanks.
And my name's Robert.
My friends caII me Robbie.
Yeah, l can imagine that.
What are your dollies called, Tracey? (Tracey mumbles) Do you like my truck? - ls it a Tonka? - Yeah.
? Country music (Sheep bleating and dogs barking) (Morse drowned out by music) Dave! There's a guy to see you! l'll take over.
- Can we go where we can hear ourselves talk? - What do you want? lt's about your father.
What about him? l want to talk to him.
Who are you? My name's Morse.
Oh.
You.
Then, with great solemnity, he recited the following fine moral lesson.
''A pudding thief, as l've heard tell, quite lost to noble feeling, spent all his days and nights as well in constant pudding stealing.
He stole them here, he stole them there.
He knew no moderation.
- He stoIe the coarse.
He stoIe the rare.
(Phone rings) He stole without cessation.
He stole the steak and kidney stew, that housewives in a rage hid'' No, he's stiII here.
Why are you calling? Don't stop.
WeII, of course you had to.
lt'll be OK.
We just have to keep our nerve.
No-one's going to find out anything.
''He stole the infant's pudding, too.
'' Yeah, and stay away from here, please.
- l love you, too.
- (Lewis resumes reading) Do you want some more tea, Robbie? Do you remember much about England? l remember my name.
Stone.
l remember yours, too.
You got us out here, right? l suppose so.
Yeah, well, they all hate you for it.
What about you? No, l think it's good.
England's finished.
ls it? Crowded little island somewhere off Europe.
Who cares? Dave, the Hereford policeman, Scott Humphries Oh, yeah, what about him? He seems to beIieve it was your dad that terrified your gran.
Yeah, well, Scott Humphries is a goon.
He says your dad can be quite violent.
Is he ever vioIent at home? With Mum? But there's a lot of aggro? Yeah, you could say that.
And you take your dad's side? Look, l don't take anybody's side.
When l left home, l left for good.
Why did you leave, Dave? l don't know, l just wanted to get away.
Who from? Mum, Dad, Scott Humphries, the whole bloody lot of them.
Dave, l badly need to know where your father is.
- And if you do know - Look, l told you, l don't.
And l don't care.
l don't believe that.
That you don't care.
He'll turn up.
Boomerang Bill, that's what we call him.
He always comes back.
He's a compuIsive, stuck in habits he can't break.
- Where did you get that? - School psychiatrist.
The only intelligent person there.
She reckons Dad loses on purpose.
Because he feels trapped.
lf there's no escape, what the hell does it matter what you do? Do you feel trapped? Why should l? l got out.
lt's a big country.
There's a lot to explore.
lt's wilderness, unmapped.
l like that.
But it's so empty.
That's why l like it.
You can listen to yourself, really hear your heartbeat.
lf your father does get in touch, you'll let me know? Yeah, maybe.
Any message for your mother? Er You can tell Karen l love her, if you like.
(Phone rings) Hello? Yeah.
Dave! Phone.
Hello? Hello? l'm afraid she's a lot worse this morning.
The doctor doesn't want to move her out of lntensive.
Mum? Mum! I did 1 2 Iaps of freestyIe, six Iaps of backstroke and four Iaps of butterfIy.
Mum! (Creaking) Dad? (Car door opens outside) LEWlS: She's probabIyjust pIaying truant.
ANNE: Karen's never missed a day of schooI in her Iife.
Karen! Karen! What the hell's been going on in here? Oh, it's always like this.
She hasn't been home.
l'm sure she hasn't.
- Gone to friends? - But Eileen tried everywhere.
Anyway, she's in strict training.
She does her lengths, and she comes directly home to change for school.
What's this? (Karen sobbing) Mum, it's me.
I'm with someone.
He says he won't hurt me.
Hejust wants to speak to Dad.
He says if he can't speak to Dad in 24 hours Mum, pIease, you must teII Dad.
You must teII him to come home.
Why did you have to come here? Why couldn't you leave us alone? He's ruined my Iife once.
Oh, my God! Karen! All right.
All right.
Lewis? Hope this isn't going to be a wasted trip, Scotty.
The old lady's dead, Glenn.
- Oh, shit! - And we still can't find Mike Harding.
- You lied! You lied to me! - No! - Someone in England knows where we are.
- We don't know that.
No more crap, Morse.
What really brought you out here? l've told you.
l want to stop a lot of villains who belong in jail from getting out.
And I want Mike to give the evidence that wiII naiI Larry NeIson and put him in there with them.
And I want Mr Justice Rowson to hear the truth, the whoIe truth.
Truth?! When you lie the whole time? When you're lying now? Anne, l don't care and it doesn't matter whether you believe me.
But someone eIse certainIy does want to see Mike urgentIy.
Someone who's not as polite as we are.
Someone who's prepared to attack an old lady and kidnap a young girI in order to get to him.
Now, it's vital for his own and Karen's safety that we find him first.
l'm going to the police.
All right.
Good.
But we'll have to tell them, Anne, who you and Mike and we really are.
The first thing they're going to want to know is where Mike is.
Are you going to tell them? Are you going to offer me a ride to the station or do l have to walk? God knows why, - but she's stiII Iying.
- What? She knows where Mike is.
This morning, before all this, he phoned her.
Thank you, Lewis.
(Morse starts engine) So, first your husband disappears.
Then your daughter.
- And you're telling me there's no connection? - l don't know.
- There couId be.
- Look - Why did Mike leave home? - We had a row.
- A row? - Yes.
- A big row? HUMPHRlES: It's happened before.
- More than once.
- Where does he usually go? Nowhere special, l don't think.
He just drives around.
lsn't it Karen we should be worrying about? Did you say something? We should get something on the local news.
Tonight.
It's the onIy way we can communicate with the kidnapper and Mike Harding at the same time.
Make it the national news.
Mike could be anywhere.
Why not the BBC World Service? Assuming that the man that's got Karen is the same man that attacked Mrs Marchant, he mustn't know that she's dead, whatever happens.
He may panic.
- So a news bIackout on the murder and LEWlS: SOS.
Thank you, Lewis.
An SOS, of course, for Mike Harding saying that his daughter is dangerously ill.
The kidnapper wiII understand but Mike won't.
l thought you ran a one-man station.
Yeah, l thought so, too.
Who's the pain in the arse? Private detective from England.
Drinks orange juice.
Funny how all this should have started the minute a pommy teetotaller pain in the arse blows into town, eh? Look, we have to find this man before You don't have to do anything, mate.
You've just got to sit back and let the professionals get on with the job.
ANNE: He is a professionaI.
We're here on confidential business.
Been a little economical with the truth with one of our fine Australian policemen, Chief lnspector.
Can I see your authority from the New South WaIes PoIice? l'm afraid the business is so confidential, l have to keep it even from them.
If you want to check with the High Commission They're in Canberra.
l'm afraid even the British High Commission can't give you the right to carry out an investigation in New South Wales.
(Phone rings) Yep? Yeah, it's Gary, Tim.
Can we erm GARY: Oh, yeah.
Right.
OK.
Scotty, Gary will get the details of the Hardings' car while the Chief lnspector and l have a quiet little word together.
OK.
That was Tim.
He said we've got to go with the urgent missing person, but keep the kidnap back and say the girI's dangerousIy iII.
- Just what you suggested, sir.
- Yes, sir.
You did, sir.
Didn't you, sir? What a clever pommy bastard you are, sir.
OK, Mrs Harding.
What's the make of car, please? Erm Um Panel van.
Holden.
And colour? Green.
- Registration? - NUH 689.
? Country music ? How you must be proud ? Cos I've got 1 8 wheeIs of Iove heading for your front door ? 1 8 wheeIs of Iove heading for your front door ? 1 8 big wheeIs of Iove heading for ? Yes, your front door That was 1 8 WheeIs Of Love Heading For Your Front Door by Breaker, Breaker and the Road Train.
Great track.
It's 2:52 here on the Best in the West 2KR, your station.
Now, here is an SOS message for Mike Harding of Harding Mower Repairs in Hereford, traveIIing in a green HoIden paneI van, rego number NUH 689, Iast seen in the Hereford area.
Hasn't anyone told you, Chief lnspector? Transportation stopped 1 20 years ago.
Jesus.
I mean, if you've got to go on sending your crims abroad, why not New Zealand? Nobody would notice there.
The Hardings liked the sound of Australia.
Yeah, well, l don't like the sound of them.
Have you any idea who this Larry Nelson might have sent? Could be one of 20 people.
Probably someone l don't even know.
So we're looking for an Englishman in Australia.
Oh, well, it shouldn't be too difficult.
They let just about anyone in these days.
Poms are a smaII minority.
So, almost the first thing this Anne Harding did when you got here - was tell you a lie? - A small one, but not the only one.
Lewis? Her husband phoned her this morning.
She said if they both kept their nerves, nobody wouId find out anything.
lsn't she taking this thing seriously? Her mother's dead.
Her daughter's been kidnapped.
lt was before she knew about either of those.
But she hasn't changed her tune since.
- lf you ask me, her daughter's perfectly safe.
- What? Well, in my experience, when two people go missing from a small Australian town, they're together.
Especially if there's family trouble.
- l reckon the girl's with her father.
- In my experience, fathers don't kidnap their own children, except in divorce cases.
- lt could explain a lot, though, sir.
- Yes, sir.
- Explain everything, sir.
- For God's sake, why would he get his daughter to record a message in which she pretends to be kidnapped? ln which she says we have to find Mike Harding? To scare the hell out of his wife.
lt's the sort - lt happens.
- lt's ludicrous.
Mr Morse, you've been very helpful.
lf you'd like to call around in the morning, l'll let you know how we're getting onsir.
You are a visiting private inquiry agent, remember? (Glenn slams door behind him) That's NUH 689.
Now, Iisten, a bit of bad news for you, Mike.
Your daughter Karen is seriousIy iII and she'd Iike to hear from you soon.
It's important, so give her a caII, eh? As soon as you can.
OK.
The news with Trevor Goodwin wiII be aIong shortIy.
But in the meantime, here's a track off Bobby Smythe's debut aIbum McAllister's an idiot.
Well, it is his territory.
You don't have any jurisdiction.
You can't keep crime within bureaucratic boundaries.
- God, it's hot in here.
- Well, switch on the air conditioning.
l don't know how to work it.
Three positions.
Low, medium, full blast.
- Lewis.
- Yep? Don't say that.
You're not an AustraIian.
Why is she lying? To protect him, you said.
- From whom? - Us.
But we don't represent any kind of threat.
Perhaps we do.
Well, then, what? When he phoned, she seemed to think he might be losing his nerve.
You don't think he's the sort who might go and top himseIf, do you? No.
Wrong odds.
No, when it comes to the Great Perhaps, Mike Harding'll follow Pascal.
Who's that? A tipster? Pascal, Lewis.
Blaise Pascal.
A French phiIosopher of the 1 7th century.
Not much use to us, then.
He said that there were no good and sufficient reasons to either believe or disbelieve in the truths of religion.
lt was just a toss-up whether there was a God and an afterIife and aII that.
- Oh? - But The safer bet is that there is one.
Because if there is, you win.
And if there isn't, it doesn't matter anyway.
Neat, don't you think? l think you're suffering from a serious shortage of beer.
A real gambler will always choose life over death, Lewis.
What do you thinkabout God and that? Do you think there's a God? l think there are times when l wish to God there was one.
A just God.
A God dispensing justice.
I'd Iike to beIieve in that.
l'm off for a swim.
l'll see you at dinner.
The Rhine Riesling's very popular.
Just a moment, just a moment.
No.
No, that's the one.
The Mount Adam Chardonnay.
We'll have that.
My doctor says l can't eat that - any more.
- And you a cattIeman! l suppose l'll have to have chicken.
l hate chicken.
What do l have to do? Go over and see that girl over there.
She'll give you a portion to cook.
Cook? - l have to cook myself? - Afraid so.
- What the hell are you doing here? - l caught the mail plane in.
Listen, Dad's in trouble.
He called just after you left.
l think l know where he is but l haven't got a car.
Aren't you going to call them? Who? The Aussie detectives, McAllister and Warrender.
- Certainly not.
- But sureIy they The boy came to see me.
And I want to see his father about my business, which is not within McAllister's jurisdiction, just as the kidnap, as you so kindly pointed out, is not within mine.
- lt could be risky.
- l'm quite capable - of looking after myself.
- ShouIdn't we Iet them decide what's best? This isn't an Oxford college.
Why don't you get back to your steak, Lewis? lt should be just about leathery enough for you by now.
You told me you didn't know where he was.
l thought if Dad didn't want to see you, that was his business.
l think it's time someone started telling me the truth.
- Hi.
- l don't think you're supposed to be here.
l was just wondering how Anne is.
WeII, Scott's taken her down to the hospitaI.
- They're giving her something to help her sleep.
- Oh, right.
Good thing, probably.
Well, good night.
Yep, l hope so.
- ls she all right? - Yeah, she'll be fine.
She's not your average sheila.
She's had a lot to put up with.
You don't know the half of it.
What are you up to? Don't know.
lt's a bit early for bed.
- You don't fancy a beer, do you? - Yeah, why not? I'm pretty fed up in Britain.
- Yeah? - lt's very long hours.
- Too much all the time.
- And you have to work for that bugger Morse.
Doesn't help.
He's an arrogant bastard.
l don't know how you put up with him.
Well, youget used to him.
No, l couldn't take it.
l mean, no offence, but a sergeant with you mob is some sort of gofer.
l mean, Christ, does he expect you to pick up his undies when he drops them on the floor? Not quite.
Yeah, but you have to call him sir.
Yeah, well l call him a lot of things.
Look, mate, l got 400 square mile of territory, all mine.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
l know half the people by name.
And they all know me.
Scott Humphries carries bags for nobody.
Now - What's the pay like? - The pay? Lousy.
- Do you want another schooner? - Yeah, yeah, why not? Hey, Blue! Where the heII are we? Oh, look, it's not far now.
Just keep on going.
We haven't seen a house for 1 5 miles.
What makes you so sure he'll be there? lt's where he always ends up.
Where no-one can get to him.
My wife My wife, she's not from the north.
No? No.
l met her when l came down south, you see.
- But she's a good Iass, for aII that.
- Lucky.
Yeah, well, a wife.
You need a wife in this job.
With all the stress and that.
You need the stability, man.
Yeah.
Well, that's easier said than done, Robbie.
l mean She's got to be um You know, she's got to be l mean Oh, yeah.
Troubles of the heart.
That's aIways been my probIem.
Troubles of the heart.
Go another one? (Radio plays) - ls this his van? - Yeah.
- Must be down in the quarry.
- Why would he come here? He's got an old caravan down there.
Come on.
(Radio static) Ah, yeah, weII, you know, oId back troubIe (They drive off) (Lewis yawns) lt's the tin roofs, man.
What about 'em? l don't think l'd You knowl don't think l'd ever get used to them.
Everyone says that.
A couple of months, they think they've never seen anything else.
- ls that right? - Yeah.
lt's what's under the roof that matters, Robbie.
lf you've got the right woman, this is the best little country in the world.
The right woman Why is it that the right woman is always shacked up with the wrong man, eh? Eh? Come on, Robbie.
What are you doing? l thought you'd gone to sleep.
Dad! Dad! Dad, it's me.
Dad.
God, what was that? Come on, son.
What did he actually say when he called, Dave? l don't know, he was sort of apologising to me.
Have you got any idea why? No.
For not being a good dad, l don't know.
Nothing He wasn't making any sense.
l thought he was off his head.
And when was this? When exactIy was this, Dave? Just after Mr Morse left.
So What time did you leave the farm? Noon, l suppose.
Which is about the time, according to your offsider, that Mike Harding rang his wife to tell her how much he loved her.
l can't believe he killed himself.
- lt's just not - The gun was in his hand, Morse.
OnIy one shot had been fired.
lf Larry Nelson went to the trouble of sending a hit man to finish him off, do you think he'd be stupid enough to leave a trail? He'd make it look like suicide.
Nelson's got to him first and we've come all this way for nothing.
Well We'll see what Forensic says.
Though that may take a bit of time.
There are so many bloody footprints around, we can't tell who the hell's been here.
lt's supposed to be a New South Wales inquiry, Morse, not a British one.
Whoever the kidnapper is, we mustn't let him know - that Mike Harding's dead.
- But he killed him.
lf he killed him, how come he's still got the girl? You can worry about your bloody pom inquiry, mate.
l've got to worry about her.
See you back in town.
What's happening to me, Lewis? l don't know what l'm doing any more.
Well, if he did kill himself, maybe we should try and find out why.
Perhaps it's Anne.
Maybe that's why he did it.
Anne? l think she could have been seeing someone.
- What are you talking about? - Well l was drinking with Humphries last night.
l think they could have been having a thing.
Maybe Mike found out.
Humphries? That's not possible, surely? He's He's a policeman.
He's an Australian policeman.
He Anyway, you heard her tell Mike she loved him.
Well, maybe it wasn't Mike on the phone.
And McAllister's right.
We still don't know where the girl is.
- What does it matter what the row was about? - You lied to me So l lied! One more lie.
What difference did one more make? We've been living a lie from the moment we came here.
- What do you mean? - Ten years ago, Morse, your trial, your confession, what you got was lies.
- Lies? - Kenny said you'd beIieve him.
And you did, didn't you? Your poIiceman friend was dead.
And you wanted convictions.
The more the merrier.
So between us all, we killed an innocent man.
Peter Matthews? But Peter Matthews - was guiIty.
- Peter Matthews wasn't driving the car.
He wasn't anywhere near the raid.
He was sitting at home with his mother.
He was a horrible man.
But he thought he was irresistibIe.
And if you did resist, he didn't like it.
He used to make passes at me.
And l told him to get his clammy hands off.
One day, he got annoyed.
I got annoyed.
And he started pushing me, slapping me about.
And then Kenny came in.
The car was driven by someone else.
LEWlS: Who? Larry Nelson's son-in-law.
We shopped the whoIe gang except the one cIosest to Larry.
lt was our insurance.
We thought we'd be safe.
Oh, my God.
Kenny must have thought you'd found out.
He aIways came back before.
Whatever happened, he always came back.
(Phone rings) Yep? Mum? ls Mum there? He says l can only speak to Mum.
lt's Karen.
Get a trace on it.
Karen, Iove, it's me.
- Are you all right? - I'm OK, Mum.
- Mum, he says - Karen? - Who's there with you? - The 24 hours is up.
- Karen - He said 24 hours and it's up.
He's going to kill me.
Mum, you've got to taIk to Dad.
Say he still hasn't come back yet.
- Keep it going as long as possible.
- You have to find him.
We don't know where he is, love.
- (Karen sobs) - We're Iooking everywhere for him.
You know what he's like when he goes off like this.
He could be anywhere.
He was very depressed.
You know, about the way things were, about Dave leaving.
Karen, where are you? You tell him l'll do anything.
Tell him l'll take your place.
This is Chief lnspector Morse, Thames VaIIey CID.
I'm the man that put the Abingdon bank robbers in jail.
l'd like to talk to you.
l want to talk to Kenny Stone.
l'll bring him with me.
All right, stay there.
l'll call you back.
Just what the hell do you think you're up to? An English voice, but who the hell was it? Stop.
- That one.
- What about him? - You remember the van when we arrived? - What van? A camper.
The sort you go round AustraIia in.
lt was parked outside the old folks' home.
The driver of that, that's him.
MORSE: That's PauI, the younger brother.
He's got no record, nothing at all.
What colour? - Caucasian.
- No, no, the van.
Oh, erm - Mustard.
- PIates? I don't know.
It's not famiIiar It Iooked quite oId.
Second-hand, probabIy.
Well, nobody buys those things new any more.
Get a message out right away, Gaz.
Mustard-coloured camper van.
l'm on my way.
What are you planning to do? Talk to him.
l don't know Get the girl away from him.
- That's what matters.
- And in the meantime? We wait.
l'll pay you back.
Eugowra? Right, great.
Yep.
Thanks.
Mustard camper sighted at Eugowra, Glenn.
That gives us about half an hour.
He's heading for that siding at Bangaru.
- Where the bloody hell's Bangaru? - Here.
Tim's sending all the available cars.
- Sharpshooters? - You bet.
You don't have to do this, you know.
lt really isn't our territory.
But it's my fault, though, isn't it? When justice miscarries, Lewis, when injustice is not only done but seen to be done l've always prided myself l've never sent anyone to prison who didn't belong there.
You blame yourself too much, you know that? You're always blaming yourself.
l've a lot to blame myself for.
Three deaths, to start with.
Peter Matthews.
Lily Marchant.
Mike Harding.
He did kill himself.
And it was because of me.
You don't know that.
l can't prove it, no.
Anne was right, though.
Ron Pigot and l, we started in the force together.
When he was shot in that raid, l wanted revenge.
lt's a powerful emotion.
lt blinds you.
l let myself be blinded.
l have to make amends.
I stiII think it's too risky.
l'm old and unmarried and .
.
don't understand human nature.
What does it matter? How oId are you? l forget, Robbie.
l could come with you.
Thanks, but l'm the one he wants.
(Door opens) Sure you don't want a gun? There have been enough deaths in this already.
Morse is approaching.
Put your hands up! I don't want you.
l want Kenny Stone! Where is he? MORSE: PauI, the girI's got nothing to do with it.
Let her go.
lt's vengeance you want, isn't it? Well, l'm as responsible as Kenny ever was.
Take it out on the guilty, - not the innocent - Keep your hands up! What's he doing? l haven't got a weapon, Paul.
l want us all to get out of this alive if possible.
Peter didn't get out alive.
Are you alone? Yes, l'm alone.
You try anything, and the girl is dead.
Do you understand me? Do you understand? Let her go, PauI.
l'm keeping her till l see Kenny Stone.
l can't bring Kenny, Paul.
Why not? Because it's not him you want, it's me.
l want to see Stone! l was the one that sent your brother to jail.
If there was anything I couId do to bring him back, I'd do it.
I'm sorry.
You're sorry? You sent my innocent brother to jail and you're sorry? l shall never forgive myself, Paul.
You have to believe that.
Have you ever Have you ever watched anyone die of AlDS? No.
He choked He choked to death.
He couldn't clear his lungs.
He got so thin, he couldn't stand up.
He used to be big, remember? He fought with everything he had but hehe couldn't win against that, could he? - You sent him to his death.
- Yes.
You're a murderer.
No.
lt's only murder if you mean to kill.
But I thought he was guiIty.
You killed him.
Don't you think it's time to stop the killing? What? This chain of revenge and death.
lt must break sometime.
And there is a way we can stop it.
Don't know what you're talking about.
lf it hadn't been for Larry Nelson, there wouldn't have been a raid, would there? A poIice officer, a friend of mine, wouIdn't have got kiIIed.
No-one wouId have gone to prison.
And Peter would be alive today.
There was a man at your brother's funeral, Bernie Waters.
What about him? - Why was he there? - He's a friend of the family.
- Long time? - No.
Pay for the funeral, did he? What's that got to do with you? - Did he? - So what if he did? With Larry Nelson's money? Yeah, l dare say! Funny Nelson only took an interest when your brother was dead.
What do you mean? Nelson's son-in-law was driving the car in the Abingdon bank raid, Paul.
He was the one that Peter went to prison for, the one he died for.
Shut up.
Larry NeIson wanted your brother dead.
He wanted a martyr so he couId get his own gang out.
Shut up! So, how do you feel about Larry Nelson now, Paul? l don't know what you're talking about! lt's all lies! You're only doing this to protect Stone! But l want him! Do you understand? l want him now! You bring him here, or l'll kill her! No! - Don't shoot her! Shoot me! - Anne! What's going on? - Shoot me! - Get the hell out of there! Let her go! - Anne! - Get back, Anne! What is this? Bastard! Oh, God.
Was Scott Humphries the reason Mike left? Did he know why you were both here? l never told him.
l never told anyone.
l never imagined you would.
You're loyal.
You always were.
l wasn't very loyal to Mike.
l think you were.
Amazingly so.
Are many marriages like ours? Enough.
How would l know? l'm responsible for everything, aren't l? Aren't I, for coming here? Will you come to England? We started it.
We'd better finish it.
For ever, this time.
- Are you going back to Sydney? - Yes.
Right.
To tell you the truth, l wish l'd never come.
DAVE: Yeah, weII You shouIdn't think Iike that.
lt's probably better we find out the truth, clear it out of the way, make a new start.
That's That's a very courageous attitude.
lt's Australian, mate.
She'll be right, mate.
Good flight.
Come on.
You'll be late for your opera.
LEWlS: No, it shouId work out quite weII, in fact.
My wife's Ieaving the kids with their gran.
We'll have a couple of weeks to look around.
Right.
Probably hire a van like Matthews had.
See what the rest of Australia's like.
You're sure you don't mind? No.
Why should l? Why don't you stay on a bit yourself? l've got to report back.
Well You'll be able to have a read on the plane without me chattering beside you.
Yeah.
Make a change.
Valerie got one of those last-minute plane tickets.
Gets in eight o'clock tomorrow night.
So l'll be able to take you to the airport and leave the car there, pick up a van.
By the time l've done that, she'll have landed.
Right.
Thanks.
Well, l'll be off, then.
Enjoy your opera.
lt's er It's an hour tiII the matinée.
What are you going to do? l thought l'd take a ferry, have a look around the harbour.
lt's one of the sights, isn't it? Oh, yes.
Well, enjoy yourself.
Right.
See you.
? STRAUSS: Der Rosenkavalier ? Hab' mir's gelobt ? lhn lieb zu haben ? ln der richtigen Weis' ? Daà ich selbst ? Sein' Lieb' ? Zu einer andern