Midsomer Murders (1997) s08e07 Episode Script

Morning, Mrs Plummer! Morning, Fred! Morning, Mrs Plummer.
Morning, Kay.
Morning, Mrs Plummer.
Morning.
This is charming, Mr Judd.
Worcester.
Yes, it is indeed, Mrs Plummer.
May I have a look at the willow patterned plate in the cupboard? The one on the top shelf.
No.
No, I don't think so.
Thank you, Mr Judd.
Great pleasure, Mrs Plummer.
I think I've found just the carpet for Cully's old room.
It's a sort of blue.
Did I mention it? It's a bit dearer than we originally discussed, about ã100, well, actually nearer ã200, but it's perfect.
I thought we could go into Causton together on Saturday.
I think we should buy a bed.
Joyce? What are you planning to do with that? With what? The Plummer's Relish.
Bin it.
I'm having a clear-out.
You can't bin the Plummer's Relish.
Why not? It's been in the back of that cupboard for years.
My father had Plummer's Relish in his sandwiches every day his working life.
You never use it, Tom.
This one's a health hazard.
At least let me buy a new jar.
I doubt they make it any more.
Don't chuck it out just in case.
All right.
If you insist.
Did you hear what I said about the carpet? It'll cost us more than we thought.
Like everything else.
Ahh! What? Oh, for God's sake.
Listen, I sent them a cheque about a week ago.
It did? Well, take it out the other account.
Welcome to Plummer & Sons, ladies and gentlemen.
My name's Sam Hunt.
It's my great pleasure to be showing you around our famous factory today.
You're the accountant.
You sort it out, that's what I pay you for.
We'll get you signed in and kitted out with the appropriate clothing.
Then I'll show you how Britain's favourite Relish gets made.
Oh, stop whingeing, man, try and look at the bigger picture.
Morning, Mr Anselm.
Gentlemen All down here, please.
Fallen off again, Anselm? Nice to see you too, Caroline.
Anselm.
Hello, Mummy.
You might have changed.
Caro, dear.
So pale.
Are you eating? I wish.
And where the bloody hell is Ralph? Where do you think? MOBILE RING TONE PLAYS SEA SHANTY Buggeration! Oh, bugger! Sign the book and this nice lady will give you a visitor's badge.
This nice lady happens to my good lady wife, so we're on our best behaviour.
Enjoy the tour, ladies and gentlemen.
The AGM starts in a few minutes.
I'd better put my skates on.
They'll want their tea and biscuits.
All right, love.
See you later.
Right, everyone, this way, please.
Follow me.
Oh.
Ralph, they're waiting for you.
Do I really have to? All that bickering.
I don't think I can face it.
Darling, you're the boss.
They can't have an AGM without you.
When young Albert Plummer came back from India in 1851, he didn't come back with a fortune as planned, he came back with a recipe, ladies and gentlemen.
A recipe for delicious Relish he came across in The Punjab.
Now, young Albert was determined to recreate this Relish for his friends and family.
And after many failures and setbacks, he duly succeeded.
And that secret recipe, handwritten by young Albert all those years ago, is still kept under lock and key in the company boardroom.
Chocolate biscuits, Mr Ralph.
Oh, lovely, Sonia.
Thank you.
Helen, if you'd like to start the ball rolling.
You'll find a copy of the agenda in front of you.
The first item is the minutes of the last meeting.
Proposed, seconded by Mama.
The second item concerns the boiler house.
Do you mind if we fast-forward to item three - shareholders' dividends? Or to be more specific, Helen, why the bloody hell aren't there any? The thing is, some of the boilers are increasingly unreliable.
We have to face the fact that they need replacing.
That's going to be very expensive.
Fine.
But no dividends? We are talking about Plummer's Relish.
People lap it up all over the world.
And you're telling me there's no money for us? Our name's on the bloody label for God's sake.
We did lose quite a lot of money on your restaurant, Anselm.
Let's not forget your polo ponies.
God knows why the firm has to pay for them.
What about your cook book? That's cost us a few quid if I remember rightly.
I had to research it, Anselm.
Yes, in five-star Caribbean hotels.
Plummer's Relish Cook Book.
What a lovely idea.
Have you finished it yet? Not yet.
My novel takes priority, of course.
And I've had some health problems.
Oh.
How are you now, dear? A little better since I gave up dairy.
I'll tell you when the cookbook will be finished.
The same time as her famous bloody novel.
Oh, children, children.
If you'd all just come through here.
Now, then in these vats, ladies and gentlemen, we have the dried mushrooms.
Mangoes, tamarind extract, malt vinegar, all marinating away like mad.
People ask what the most important ingredient of Plummer's is.
You know what I always say, ladies and gents? Patience.
That's what.
Well, well, look who's here.
This is my son Alex, ladies and gents.
He's management now, so by rights I should call him Mr Hardwick.
Isn't that right, son? Enjoy your visit, everyone.
Speed it up, Dad.
They only get in the way.
Yes, as I was saying, one big family, one big happy family.
Right, onwards.
Written by you, it's gonna be a joke book.
Oh, shut up, everyone! Helen, carry on.
The fact is, we have assets, but no cash.
As you all know, Fieldway Foods are desperate to buy us out.
I thought we sent those cowboys packing.
Didn't Fieldway do their own relish? Yes, yes, filthy stuff.
Well, they didn't get it right, that's for sure.
They couldn't, could they? They don't have the secret recipe.
The old secret recipe still locked up, is it, Ralph? Fieldway aren't getting their hands on this firm, I'll tell you that.
They might agree to invest some capital in return for a minority shareholding.
I say let's sell it, lock, stock and barrel.
Let's get the place of our backs and be done with it.
You know we can't do that.
I promised Papa I'd keep the firm in the family.
Ralph, the old man's brown bread and we're not.
Well, you didn't make the promise, Anselm, I did.
Still scared of him, Ralph, even though he's dead and buried.
A promise is a promise.
Damn it, Ralph! Fieldway Foods could make us rich.
Can't we at least see what they're offering? There may be a compromise.
Do you mind? You're not a Plummer and you're not a shareholder, so please stay out of it.
Let's put it to the vote.
What's the point? Ralph's got more shares.
He always wins the vote.
Not if Mummy votes with us.
Mummy? Mummy? Wouldn't you like to be very, very rich? Oh, dear, that would be lovely.
Then stick your hand up when I tell you to.
OK.
I propose we sell the firm to Fieldway Foods.
Assuming we get a stonking, great shed load of money.
All those in favour? Hand in the air, Mummy.
We've got to do something or we'll end up stony broke.
Mummy, let's at least find out how much they're willing to pay.
No.
No.
Ralph is right.
The firm must stay in the family.
That's what Maurice wanted.
Those against? Carried.
Well, there you are.
Maybe we can discuss it in six months' time.
So you propose doing nothing as per bloody usual! I saw a dead man in the garden.
You saw what, Amelia? A dead man.
Hanging from a tree.
Can anyone tell me what she's on about? And then when I looked again he was gone.
This is the steriliser, ladies and gents.
At Plummer's we're committed to the most rigorous standards of hygiene.
Come along, sir.
You're missing all the fun.
Well done, Ralph.
Another triumph of indecision.
MOBILE BEEPS So, ladies and gents, this little beauty pumps steam at 200 degrees centigrade.
So we don't want to get too close, do we? Right, now, then.
I've been saving the best till last.
Ralph, what are you doing? I'm going to take a look round the factory.
Aren't you always telling me I should show my face? Well, yes, darling, that's marvellous.
It's just so unusual.
Ah, Mr Judd is here to see you, Mr Ralph.
The antique dealer.
Ah, not too bad this time, Mr Plummer.
Just a little Worcester jug.
ã150.
What the hell's this about? It's all right, Anselm, I'll deal with it.
It's Mummy, isn't it? Nicking things again.
No, no, no, she's getting a little forgetful, that's all.
What's all this nonsense about dead men hanging in her garden? She probably dozed off and had a nightmare.
Oh, Mr Judd.
And what brings you here? I don't want to talk about it in front of other people.
I'll deal with Mr Judd.
All right, darling.
Thank you, dear.
Would you take a cheque, Mr Judd? I will.
Thank you so much.
We have to do something about Mummy.
What do you mean? It's obvious, isn't it? The old girl's gaga.
What can we do about it? Have her committed? Now, there's a thought.
These tomatoes are all grown in our greenhouses at Home Farm.
It's an old variety that's lots of flavour.
And after they've been cooked up here, the flavour is even more intense.
Right.
Now we'll move on to the finishing room.
Come on, you stragglers.
Keep up at the back.
Hello? It is you, isn't it? Oi! Careful! Hello? Ah, there you are.
Funny place for a meeting, isn't it? MAN: I thought you'd be used to it.
Can we go somewhere a bit quieter? Hey.
Whoa! Stop! Stop! Stop! Morning, Fred.
Morning, Mary.
How are you doing? Argh! Argh! Argh! POLICE RADIO And you called the police straight away? Cath will take you to the station for your statement.
Thank you.
Morning, sir.
This way.
This one's a bit different, sir.
So I hear.
Morning, Tom.
Here's one for the memoirs.
Yours or mine? Both, I reckon.
This thing here is a bottle steriliser.
It pumps steam at 200 degrees centigrade.
So Chummy here is done to a turn.
Do we know he is? No, we don't, sir.
We're checking the work force, seeing if anyone is unaccounted for.
Time of death, George.
The heat is going to make that difficult.
The best indicator will be the contents of his stomach.
It was emptied at the end of yesterday's shift, so whoever he is, he found his way in there during the night.
And who would have been here last night? Security guard.
He lives in the cottage by the factory gates.
I'm assuming that someone's checked this isn't the security guard.
Yes, sir.
He's at home, tucked up in bed.
Well, send someone over to untuck him.
It wouldn't have been easy that, would it? Forcing someone into a contraption like this against their will.
Unless he was already unconscious.
Or already dead.
Who's in charge here? Hello, you.
You beauty.
Oh ho! MOBILE RING TONE PLAYS SEA SHANTY Damn! Damn! He must be in Albert Wood.
We'd better send someone to fetch him.
The police want to talk to you, Mrs Plummer.
They're in Reception.
Worked her 43 years till I retired.
Never seen anything like it.
You don't look as if you've retired, Mr Hardwick.
I do the guided tours now.
We get people from all over the world, you know.
Anyway, it keeps me out of trouble.
Talking of trouble, here's my better half.
Erm, Tracy.
Helen Plummer, sir.
I'm Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby.
I take it you're in charge.
Oh, no, I'm only the company secretary.
My husband's the Managing Director.
Hello, any news? He's on his way.
This is Alex Hardwick, Production Manager.
When will we be able to start work again? Not today, that's for sure.
well, how about tomorrow? Let's see how today goes.
Sam, you'd better cancel today's tour.
Okey-dokey.
Thank you.
Everyone's here, Mrs Plummer.
Except eight on their holidays and three off sick.
So he wasn't one of us.
Mr Hardwick? Did you take the tour yesterday? Yes, I did.
How many people on that tour? Erm 12, wasn't it, Sonia? Yes, I think so.
Let me see.
Yes.
12 signed in.
And 12 signed out? Yes, I counted the visitors' badges when they returned them.
But you didn't count actual people.
You didn't count heads.
No, I'm sorry.
I never do.
Long as I get all the badges back.
It's all right, Sonia.
It's not your fault.
Names and addresses of all visitors, check 'em out.
Tell everyone they can go home once they have made statements.
Just what I needed.
Tracy.
I'd better notify the family.
Family? My husband's family.
The Plummers.
This is still a family-owned business, you see.
We had the AGM yesterday, so they're all staying at the house.
What time was the AGM? Four o'clock, tea time.
AGMs are always at tea time.
And when was Mr Hardwick taking his tour round? About the same time, now you come to mention it.
Oh, dear.
What's the matter? No doubt, this will end up being my fault, one way or the other.
Oh, sorry.
Pretend I didn't say that.
Bit stressed at the moment.
Mummy, are you listening? Ohsorry, Anselm.
What were you saying? I was saying that this is an Enduring Power of Attorney.
Isn't this what you tried to get me to sign before? Anselm.
You devious bastard.
You never told me.
Shut up, Caro.
Mummy, listen.
If, God forbid, something were to happen to you, this means that Caro and I would be able to look after you and your affairs, if you were unable to look after them yourself.
If I went gaga, you mean.
He doesn't mean that, Mummy.
Actually, yes, that's exactly what I mean.
Listen, Mummy, if you don't sign this and you go doolally, we won't be looking after you.
It'll be down to the Court of Protection.
And God knows what they'll do.
What with you running around the village nicking things, they'll probably lock you up.
Ralph would never allow that.
He wouldn't have any choice.
That's the whole point.
Look, face it, Mummy.
Ralph is a busted flush.
All he wants to do is sit in Albert Wood staring at the lesser spotted thingumajig.
While his dreary little wife runs round pretending to be in charge.
If you won't sign this, how about giving me some of your shares? And me.
You already have some shares, darling, and so do you, Caro.
Yes, but Ralph has got more so we can't out vote him.
Whatever I suggest Ralph votes against it.
The truth is he resents the fact that I'm the one with the ideas.
What? Like a Plummer's relish theme park, I suppose.
That was a good idea.
Hurling people around in giant vegetables? Please! Perhaps I won't see him today.
What did you say, Mummy? Nothing, darling.
PHONE RINGS Yes? What? What?! I don't see what the hell we can do about it.
Just what we need.
Some twerp's got himself killed up at the works.
Who? Who's killed himself? How the hell should I know? DOOR OPENS Ah.
Ralph, darling, this is Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby and Detective Sergeant Scott.
My husband Ralph Plummer.
How do you do? How do you do? Ghastly business, this, ghastly.
Do we know who the poor chap was? We've ascertained, Mr Plummer, it's not one of your employees.
Oh.
Oh, well, thank heavens for that.
There is a chance it was one of the visitors on yesterday's guided tour.
But how? We take such care.
Ralph, the inspector doesn't think it was an accident.
That's right, Mr Plummer.
We are treating the death as suspicious.
Good God.
We've had to shut the production line to gather forensic evidence.
We'll need to double-check the movements of everyone.
Of course.
Not only the work force.
I want to talk to everyone that was at the AGM.
What, you mean the family? What on earth for? Darling, Inspector Barnaby will need to talk to everybody.
Oh, yes, yes.
Of course he will.
Yes, absolutely.
Ralph? Mr Ralph.
Chocolate biscuits.
Oh, lovely.
Lovely, Sonia, thank you.
I notice you have CCTV cameras.
Yes, that's right.
Could we look at the tapes for last night, please? Tapes? Oh, no, dear.
There aren't any tapes.
We haven't put tapes in since the cut-backs.
We've had to make some economies lately, Inspector.
Well, if there's anything else, please, don't hesitate to er to ask my wife because I'll probably be working from home for the rest of the day.
Oh, I'll just Jolly good.
Well carry on, then, everybody.
I'm sorry.
He's always on edge when the family's here for the AGM.
The business with this poor man has thrown him completely.
But we'll want to talk to you both again, Mrs Plummer.
I suggest you come to Plummer House later today.
I'll try and make sure the rest of the family are there as well.
I'd appreciate that.
Let's see if the security guard can cast any light on the matter.
I'm not holding my breath, sir.
This place is a shambles.
No-one knows whether they're coming or going.
At least Helen Plummer has her pretty little head screwed on OK.
Seems to, sir.
Go on, Keith.
Tell him.
You don't owe the Plummers anything.
All right, well, something did happen last night.
Mr Anselm turned up at the main gates just after midnight.
Shouting to be let in.
He said he'd left his mobile phone in the board room.
He'd been at the AGM, you see, earlier that day.
The whole family had.
So what did you do? Well, I opened the gate and let him in, didn't I? And then I locked the boardroom for him.
After he hadn't come out after about ten minutes, then I went back in.
Yes, and? Go on, Keith.
Yeah, you seeMr Anselm had the door to the safe open.
So I said to him, "Is there anything I can do for you, Mr Anselm?" And he said, "No, there bloody well isn't.
" Like that.
He was in a right mood - Mr Anselm.
He's always in a mood, isn't he, Anselm? Always? And then you did a tour of the works.
Sort of.
I mean, my routine was up the spout, wasn't it? You know, I was all over the shop.
So I did two circuits straight off.
To make up.
And you did pass the bottle steriliser? Oh, yes, yeah.
I didn't see anything unusual, you know.
Honest to God.
Apart from Anselm turning up, it would have been a night just like any other night.
If you work nights, Mr Carter, how come you're wearing your uniform this morning? Oh, well, I do a little job now and again, the odd afternoon.
Down in Causton, you know.
Not a lot to it.
Just era shopping centre.
That doesn't leave you much time for sleep, does it? If the Plummers paid him a decent wage, he wouldn't have to moonlight.
Whatever happened last night, he slept through it.
MOBILE RINGS DS Scott.
Really? Thank you.
A visitor on the tour gave a Causton address that doesn't exist.
Name? John Smith.
John Smith.
Unbelievable.
Hang about.
What? What was missing? When the victim was found.
I don't know, sir.
If he'd turned up nude, even Sonia Hardwick might have noticed.
His clothes.
His clothes.
I wonder if this place has got an incinerator.
They look like bits of one of the factory coats.
Car key.
What's that? Can you read that? What does it say? Lockwood? Yeah.
Dexter Lockwood.
(HEAVY PANTING) Oh, pull yourself together, woman.
You're imagining things.
Look again.
It'll be gone.
He had a pizza for lunch.
A Neapolitan if I'm not mistaken.
Followed by chocolate cake.
It's barely digested, so I'd put the time of death between three and five in the afternoon.
How, George? Rather interesting.
He was crushed to death between two large corrugated surfaces.
Broken legs, pelvis smashed, ribs crushed.
As you surmised, Tom, he was very dead before they put him in the steriliser.
Hello, Scott.
Credit card belongs to a Dexter Lockwood, sir.
He's aged 31, he's single, and he lives with his dad in Midsomer.
He's a brand executive, whatever that is, for Fieldway Foods.
He's a bit of a high flyer.
He didn't come home last night.
He hasn't been seen at work for two days.
Fieldway Foods? They make convenience foods, sir.
Soft drinks, snacks.
The kind of rubbish this poor chap had for his last lunch.
I'm not sure this is relevant, but Lockwood's boss at Fieldway Foods says they've been trying to buy up Plummer's for ages.
Lockwood might have been at the factory on business.
No.
They gave up trying to buy Plummer's ages ago because the family always knocked them back.
It's time to cast an eye over the Plummer family.
George, thank you.
Oh, by the way, Tom.
Mr Lockwood had a stomach ulcer.
Not surprising in view of his diet.
Apart from the pizza and the chocolate cake, his belly was full of over-the-counter antacids.
After the AGM broke up, I went onto the factory floor to talk to Alex Hardwick.
We passed the boiling room as the visitors group was leaving it.
I didn't pay them too much attention, I'm afraid.
I had too much on my mind.
Unlike the rest of us, I suppose.
And you, sir? I left straight after the meeting.
Me, too.
I had to work.
I'm a novelist, you see.
And last week she was a painter.
The week before, she was a film-maker.
Anselm, please.
And you, Mr Plummer.
I er After the meeting, I had a little business to transact with Mr Judd.
Then I walked home.
I left the car for Helen.
I did some paperwork and drove home about an hour after the others left.
My hero.
Who's Mr Judd? Oh, he's er He runs the antique shop in the village.
It was a personal matter.
Hm.
I was hoping to talk to Mrs Amelia Plummer.
I didn't think it necessary to involve my mother.
She's very frail.
She left straight after the meeting.
OK.
And none of you returned to the factory after that? Apart from you.
Me? You, sir.
You returned to the factory after midnight, sir.
What? I left my mobile behind, that's all.
You're such a liar.
You were jabbering on it when you left the factory.
The security guard, Mr Keith Carter, let you into the boardroom to see something in the safe.
All right.
I was looking in the safe.
So what? It's my safe, too, you know.
What on earth for? I bet he was looking for Albert's secret recipe.
Were you going to flog it to Fieldway Foods? Nonsense.
You are hilarious, Anselm.
If you take any interest in the firm, you'd know the original recipe is in the bank in Causton.
The real secret is that it's inedible.
Albert poisoned the housemaid when he tried it on the servants.
So his cook came up with another version.
We mustn't bore strangers with it.
Sorry.
You might be interested to know .
.
that the dead man was, in fact, an executive for Fieldway Foods.
Good God.
Fieldway had a chap snooping? That's industrial espionage.
We think his name was Dexter Lockwood.
Is that a name which rings a bell with anybody? No.
I can't say that it does.
Mummy? Are you all right, Amelia? I saw the hanging man again.
And this time he didn't go away.
I'm Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby, Mrs Plummer.
What seems to be the problem? The inspector has more important things to do.
Shut up, Ralph.
A man hanging from a tree, opposite my garden, Inspector.
That's the problem.
Would you like myself and Sergeant Scott to come and have a look? Oh, yes, please.
That won't be necessary.
I wanted to talk to Mrs Plummer anyway.
Scott, come on.
Bye.
Lockwood, he's nothing to do with That's enough, Anselm.
It's that one.
Opposite the gate.
He's always hanging from that one.
He's got a rope round his neck hanging from the tree, and when you open your eyes again, he's gone? Until today.
He didn't go today.
Well, let's have a closer look, shall we? There's footprints.
Lots of them.
There's some bark rubbed off the branch up there, sir.
Could have been caused by a rope.
It was obviously a dummy.
Someone's been trying to frighten you, Mrs Plummer.
In a way, that's a relief.
I was starting to think I was imagining it.
Any idea why anyone would want to frighten you? None whatsoever.
That man at the works, do you know who it was? Yes, it was a young man called Dexter Lockwood.
Did you know him, Mrs Plummer? Forgive me.
I suddenly feel awfully tired.
Will you walk me back to the house? Yes, certainly.
That's probably kids.
A lot of trouble to go to just to frighten an old lady.
It's got something to do with Lockwood's murder? I want to know why the whole Plummer clan go shifty at the mention of Lockwood's name.
I'll talk to the father.
See if he can throw some light on it.
And you, Scott, you go back to the factory, and talk to everyone who was on the factory floor at the time.
We've already taken statements.
I know.
Take them again.
No, thank you, Mr Lockwood.
That's my father.
Sitting right next to Maurice Plummer.
That was Amelia's husband, wasn't it? That's right.
Maurice was the same age as Dad.
There's Dad.
A village boy, but there he is.
White shirt, suit and tie, sitting with the Plummers.
He did very well for himself.
Oh, yes.
He revolutionised that bloody business.
They were filling jars by hand till Dad built them a proper production line.
Didn't get on with Maurice Plummer though, did he? As soon as Maurice took over the firm, he kicked Dad out on his ear.
Kicked him out of his house and the village.
Dad never got over it.
He committed suicide.
That was the coroner's verdict.
But it was murder if you ask me.
Mr Lockwood, what do you think your son was doing at the Plummer's factory? I don't know.
Dexter was a bright boy.
He was really going places.
Just like Dad.
And now he's dead.
The Plummers killed my father.
And now they've killed my son.
I don't want to talk any more.
One more question if you don't mind, Mr Lockwood.
Your father, how did he commit suicide? He hanged himself.
Hello, Inspector.
Sergeant Scott said to tell you he's in the cafeteria.
Through the door, turn right.
And you find it next to the relish museum.
Thank you.
Mrs Hardwick, does the name Stanley Lockwood mean anything to you? No.
I can't say it does.
Sorry.
I'm really, really interested.
Let's meet up later.
Great.
Scott Before you say anything, sir, it's not what you're thinking.
You don't know what I'm thinking.
She's writing a book.
It's got a policeman in it.
Oh, research.
Something like that.
Tried this? Indeed I have, yeah.
Well, when in Rome Oh, I've got something interesting for you, sir.
Bloke over there reckons he saw something in the boiling room just before Dexter Lockwood disappeared.
What? What did he see? It's best he tells you himself, sir.
It's interesting.
It's an acquired taste.
Peppery, fruity, hint of turmeric, quite autumnal.
Yes.
Shall we do some work? Mr Milner.
Oh, this way.
Any idea when we could start work? Not today, I'm afraid.
Mr Hardwick, did you ever know a man called Stanley Lockwood? Be about your age, worked here quite a few years ago now.
Stanley Lockwood? No, I don't know.
Oh, Stan Lockwood.
Yeah, I do remember him.
Yeah, poor old Stan.
What do you mean "Poor old Stan"? Well, he was a bit erm How shall I put it? A bit soft in the head.
They had to let him go.
Why do you ask? Young man who died here last night, he was Stanley Lockwood's grandson.
Stan's grandson.
Oh, well.
Small world.
Isn't it? I was working over here when Sam Hardwick brought the trippers in.
I was busy, but I noticed one of them hanging round as the others were going.
A young fella in glasses.
Then Mrs Helen came in.
Hello.
It is you, isn't it? Oi! Be careful! 'I didn't hear what she said, but the bloke jumped out of his skin.
' I thought he was going to fall in the tomatoes.
Did you see which way he went? No, I didn't.
Helen Plummer said she went straight back to the office after her chat with Alex Hardwick, but then no-one can confirm her whereabouts for the next hour.
She's only little, Scott.
You're not suggesting Helen waylaid Dexter Lockwood, somehow or other crushed him to death and manhandled him into the steriliser? No.
But why didn't she tell us she'd spoken to him? Sam Hardwick took the visitors to the finishing room that way.
So, let's assume that Dexter Lockwood went this way.
Oi, that door's supposed to be locked.
Can you switch that off, please? Scott.
You take that end, I'll take this.
Scott! Blood? Relish.
BEEPING They said that Lockwood was crushed to death between two large corrugated surfaces.
Looks like we found them.
You got any idea what happened here? Nothing to do with me, mate.
You working here yesterday? Yeah.
My shift ended at two.
Anyone take over from you? Nah, just me in here these days.
Thank you.
I was looking for you.
I was looking for you.
I think I know why.
You recognised Dexter Lockwood on the factory floor.
I'd rather not talk about it here.
Do you know the Two Brewers in Midsomer Market? Indeed I do, yeah.
I'll meet you there at half six, if that's all right.
OK.
A hundred.
Done.
Five.
Aha.
Just the person I wanted to see.
Me? Please, finish whatever it is that you are doing.
And 40 makes 75.
Well, Inspector, it seems you have me bang to rights.
All down here, please.
All clear.
Thank you, Inspector.
KETTLE WHISTLES It's assumed as one gets older, one needs less.
All that matters is to be warm, fed, and facing the television.
It's all nonsense.
One needs cash as well.
One can never be too old for cash.
Hence your arrangement with Mr Judd.
Indeed.
How exactly did that work? Oh, simple.
I remove something from Mr Judd's shop without paying for it.
It's not shoplifting, you understand.
I'm absent minded.
Now, Mr Judd, goes to Ralph, who pays for whatever it is I've taken.
And then I sell it back to Mr Judd at trade price.
I don't make much, but every penny helps.
I find it hard to believe you're short of money, Mrs Plummer.
I don't have a bean.
I get a tiny allowance from Ralph.
And nothing at all from my shares, because the business is doing so badly.
Did you ever know a man called Stanley Lockwood? He used to work at Plummer's with your late husband.
The man that was found dead at the factory was his grandson.
Dexter Lockwood.
Will you take milk, Inspector? No, please, don't try that on with me.
It's not going to work.
I don't know what you mean.
Your vague act.
Look, this is a murder investigation.
I get very tetchy with people who do not co-operate.
Yes.
I knew Stanley Lockwood.
He was handsome, funny, clever, and I loved him, Inspector.
And he loved me.
Stanley was desperate for me to marry him, but But? He was a village boy, so what did I do? I married Maurice.
He was a Plummer.
He was rich.
I married the wrong man, Inspector.
And I have been paying for it ever since.
In what way? Maurice showed his true colours.
When we were married, he was a bully and a tyrant.
But I stuck with it.
As one did in those days.
And Stanley? Maurice was insanely jealous of Stanley and he couldn't bear having him around, so he sacked him.
And I never saw him again, which was what Maurice wanted.
I read about Stanley'sdeath in the local paper.
Whoever's playing games at the bottom of your garden, Mrs Plummer, they know that story.
Inspector, everyone in the village knows that story.
Oh, it's you.
Mummy, where are my clean jodhpurs.
I am not your housekeeper, Anselm.
All right, keep your hair on.
Anyway, the quack's arrived to see you.
I've parked her in the drawing room.
Hello.
I'm Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby.
Dr Sarah Stannard.
You must be investigating that poor chap at the factory.
How do you do? And you're here to see Mrs Plummer? Yes.
I pop in every three months or so.
Give her the once over.
She's not physically ill, is she? No, fit as a fiddle.
At least she was the last time I saw her.
What about mentally? Well, again fine, if you ask me.
Otherwise I wouldn't have witnessed that EPA for Ralph.
EPA? Enduring Power of Attorney.
Ralph got her to sign one the last time I was here.
So that he can take charge of her money and so forth.
If necessary.
Apparently, Anselm tried to get her to sign one.
And Ralph got wind of it.
Have you met Anselm? Indeed I have.
I wouldn't let that one near my loose change.
Mum will see you now, Doc.
Are you still here, Barnaby? Just leaving, Anselm.
Now, then, where are you today? Oh.
What the? Anselm! BANG I know you're in there, Ralph.
Ooh.
You have made it cosy.
Please, Anselm, a pair of goshawks have taken up residence and if you stomp about Let's have a look, then.
Goshawks, eh? Don't touch that! Do calm down, Ralph.
You'll make yourself ill.
Don't you think it'd be best if you went back to London? I would, like a shot.
Only that policeman has asked me to hang around for a bit.
What for? We're suspects, I suppose.
In the gruesome slaughter of Lockwood Junior.
I'll tell you who my money's on.
Young Alex Hardwick.
Don't be ridiculous.
He's a chippy little sod.
Oozing envy from every pore.
And as for his dreary parents, lovely old Sonia and Sam They've been with the firm for years.
They have our interests at heart.
Cobblers.
They hate our guts.
Heaven knows where we'd be without Alex.
Yes, and look where he's got us.
We owe the bank millions, the domestic market has dried up.
Now the factory's closed down because somebody shoved a stiff in the steriliser.
Not even you could find a silver lining in that little lot.
They're back! The goshawks are back.
Good God, I give up.
I absolutely, bloody well give up.
Anselm, please don't slam the door.
Cobblers.
REVELRY Oh, thank you.
I thought I recognised Dexter Lockwood on a guided tour.
But when I went up to say hello, he ran off like a scalded cat.
So I thought maybe it wasn't him after all.
Then it turns out it was.
Maybe it was the glasses.
I hadn't seen him wearing glasses before, you see.
And I should have told you, I know, but I don't want to talk about it in front of the family.
Why not? Because I'd had some meetings with the Fieldway Foods people.
I was hoping I could hammer out a compromise that would save the firm without having to sell it outright.
And what happened? About a month ago, suddenly everything went quiet.
I phoned Dexter to ask him what was going on.
And? Well, he didn't return my calls.
Isn't that your sergeant? Did you know about Dexter's grandfather and his connection with Amelia? No, not until you told me about it.
Mind you, that's typical of the Plummers.
Well, well, Miss Goody Two-shoes out boozing with a copper.
You don't like her very much, do you? She's such a teacher's pet.
When she married Ralph and started working at the factory, she made a point of doing every job in the place.
Talk about sucking up.
What do you mean "every job"? She worked on the production line, bottling plant, you name it, she did it.
She used to work in the warehouse? Yes, I think she did.
And nobody was the slightest bit impressed.
Anyway, we're here to talk about my book, not her.
Yeah.
What's the book about again? It's about a talented, sensitive woman struggling to break free from her philistine, materialistic family.
Right.
Where does the policeman come into it? That's what we're here to find out.
When Helen worked in the warehouse, did she use to drive a fork-lift? Is that why you're here? To pump me about the damn firm? Did she, Carol? Of course she did.
There's not much else to do in a warehouse.
Why do you think Dexter didn't return your calls? I don't know.
Plummer's may be making a loss but the name, the brand is still worth something.
Not the secret recipe? No.
CAROL: Philistine.
It's mostly sugar and vinegar anyway.
The other ingredients just look good on the label.
Tomatoes, onion, garlic Tamarind, ginger, Scotch bonnet, cinnamon You've done your homework.
I'm impressed.
My father always had Plummer's on his sandwiches every day.
I used to read the label.
I thought it was so exotic.
And I was very disappointed when I found out that Scotch bonnet was a sort of pepper.
And not a Celtic hat.
I'd better go and see how Ralph's getting on.
There's a pair of goshawks in Albert Woods, so he's taken to sleeping in the hide.
Well, that must be inconvenient.
Where is Albert Wood? Across from Plummer House.
So, it's not as though he's miles away.
Well, thank you for the drink, Inspector.
I enjoyed it.
Me, too.
Helen, I wanted to ask you about the EPA that Amelia signed in Ralph's favour.
The what? Enduring Power of Attorney.
I don't know anything about it, I'm afraid.
As I said, the Plummers keep family matters to themselves.
OK, thank you.
Good night.
Good night.
Good night.
How was your research, then, Scott? It was quite interesting, sir.
How was yours? Helen Helen? Helen didn't know about the connection between Lockwood and Amelia or the EPA either.
Do you believe her? Maybe, yeah.
Well, here's a thing, sir.
Helen Plummer used to work in the warehouse.
Apparently, the lady can drive a fork-lift.
Yeah, but why would Helen run down Dexter with a fork-lift? He was trying to help her bail out Plummer's, wasn't he? Just keeping an open mind, sir.
Are you suggesting I'm not? No, sir.
Oh, eh! Scott.
Apparently, Ralph does his bird watching in a wood across from Plummer House.
I think tomorrow, Scott, we should pay Ralph Plummer a visit in his natural habitat.
There's a colour called oyster, I think would go well with the blue carpet.
Oyster? Since when has oyster been a colour? It's a sort of a grey, Tom.
Grey, I've heard of, yeah.
I know it's boring.
But we can't all spend our evenings boozing with glamorous murderers.
You're as bad as Scott, you.
Helen Helen? Helen Plummer is not the only suspect.
Bright, attractive, hardworking She must be guilty of something.
Who said she was attractive? You.
I could hear it in your voice.
What is this? Do you know, it's been so long since I cooked it, I can't remember.
Here.
This might help.
So, Ralph Plummer gets his mum to sign the power of attorney thing.
Then tries to freak her out with a hanging man trick.
Yes.
The idea being that then he can take over the running of her estate.
There's one problem with that theory however.
She doesn't have an estate.
Apart from her shares in the family firm.
And where the firm's concerned, she does exactly what Ralph tells her to anyway.
There it is.
You have a look round, Scott, while I chat to him.
See if you can find the hanging man.
KNOCKING Go away, Anselm! It's Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby, Mr Plummer.
May I have a word? Well, I I'd rather see you at the office, Inspector.
Yes, so would I.
The problem is, Mr Plummer, you're never there.
A pair of goshawks nested in the wood last summer.
I'm very keen they should do so again next summer.
I assume you've never seen a goshawk on the wing, Inspector? Er, no, I don't think I have.
No, you'd remember if you had.
They're thrilling birds in flight.
To see a goshawk fly at speed through a dense wood like this The agility, the anticipation borders on the supernatural.
So unlike us, blundering around down here.
Is that what you think I'm doing, Mr Plummer? Blundering around? Aren't we all? Did you get on with your father, Inspector? Yes, on the whole, yes.
Well, I didn't.
In my father's eyes I was always blundering around.
The trouble is, he was right most of the time.
But when I'm here watching the goshawks RUMMAGING What was that? It's probably my sergeant blundering around.
Morning, Mr Plummer.
I wanted to ask you, Mr Plummer, about the enduring power of attorney your mother signed.
Why do you want to know about that? Well, someone's going to great lengths to frighten your mother and I'm curious to know why.
Well, she signed the papers three months ago.
Pressure was being applied on her from other quarters, so You mean Anselm? Well, yes, actually.
He meant no harm, I'm sure.
Anselm's well-intentioned really.
I felt that I ought to take precautions.
Yes, yes, quite.
I didn't want to upset Mummy.
Or Anselm for that matter.
I do try not to upset people, Inspector.
It's difficult.
The family.
The employees, the bank.
There's so many of them and they're all so so easily upset.
Well, thank you, Mr Plummer.
Um Which is the way to Plummer House from here? It's that way.
Please don't repeat what I said about Anselm.
There must have been two of 'em, Scott.
One keeping watch.
With the other hoisting and lowering the dummy.
Sir.
Indigestion tablets.
Dexter Lockwood had an ulcer.
His stomach was full of antacids.
It couldn't have been Dexter, sir.
The last time Amelia Plummer saw the hanging man was the day after Dexter was killed.
Well, if Dexter Lockwood didn't come, maybe his accomplice had to do it all on his own.
And made a mess of it? She did say, didn't she, that the last time she saw it, the body didn't disappear straight away.
Time for another chat with Lockwood Senior.
Now, there's a man who really hates the Plummers.
Come to tell me who's killed my son, have you? I'm afraid not, Mr Lockwood.
We wondered if we could take a look at Dexter's room.
Is that your son's car in the driveway, sir? Yes.
Have you got the keys? No, I haven't.
Would it be all right if we were to try this, Mr Lockwood? If you must.
Thank you.
Now, if we could If you could show me the room In here.
That's his office.
What are you looking for exactly? Anything that may tell us why your son was killed, Mr Lockwood.
You've run out of ideas, haven't you? May I? Be my guest.
Don't suppose you know the password to Dexter's computer.
No, I don't.
I don't suppose you know where that missing file is either.
No.
I don't.
What puzzles me, Mr Lockwood, is why you and your son were down in Albert Wood trying to frighten the living daylights out of poor old Mrs Plummer.
"Poor old Mrs Plummer"? Don't make me laugh.
You don't deny it, then? I don't know what you're talking about.
That thing? Kids must have put that in the bin.
What about the file? Who put this in the bin? Why are you interrogating me? It was my son who was killed.
Yes, indeed it was, Mr Lockwood.
And I think I'm beginning to understand the reason why.
An enduring power of attorney.
They seem to be all the rage in these parts, don't they? Signed by Amelia Plummer.
Giving full power of attorney to Dexter Lockwood.
If she's unable to administer her estate herself.
Dated a month ago.
Round about the time Amelia started seeing the hanging man.
You don't like her very much, do you? I'm not fond of the Plummers, full stop.
You're not fond? Your son goes missing and what do you do? You go down to Albert Wood and haul that thing up a tree to frighten an old lady.
Dexter said to rattle her on the day of the AGM.
That's right.
Drive her mad and activate the power of attorney.
You listen to me, Barnaby.
No, you listen to me, Mr Lockwood.
I am trying to find out who killed your son and all I'm getting from you is lies, evasions and an attitude that does your son no credit at all.
Now, you start being straight with me, or I will take you down to the station and charge you with conspiring to pervert the course of justice.
Not to mention coercing the old girl into signing this.
"Coercing?" She didn't need coercing.
And why was that, Mr Lockwood? It was the letters.
What letters? Dexter Lockwood came to me about a month ago.
He said he'd found some letters that I had written to his grandfather, and would I like them back? I said, yes, of course.
I don't have any of the letters that Stanley wrote to me.
Maurice found them and burned them.
Mrs Plummer, do you recognise this document? Oh! Are you all right, Mrs Plummer? Yes, thank you.
Are you sure? Yes, I am.
Of course, I recognise it.
That's why I lied about seeing Dexter.
I feel so guilty about it.
Why did you sign it, Mrs Plummer? Dexter said Helen and Ralph were planning to sell Plummer's to Fieldway Foods.
He said What? What did Dexter say? He said the firm was in terrible debt.
He was worried that once the deal went through, and all the debts were paid, there would be nothing left for me and I would be shut away in some dreadful nursing home.
And you believed him? I love my children, but I am under no illusions about them.
They're all of them in their separate ways totally unreliable.
I'm afraid the picture Dexter painted was all too believable.
He was sweet.
Like his grandfather.
It was as if Stanley had come back to me.
This is dated a month ago.
Can you remember, Mrs Plummer, when you first saw the hanging man? Well, it was just after my birthday.
So, um A month ago.
I'm sorry, Mrs Plummer.
Well, at least we've got a motive now, Scott.
Somebody must have found out that she signed over the power of attorney to Dexter Lockwood.
The question is who? None of the Plummers would have been particularly impressed.
I don't suppose they would.
Let's find out what Dexter had on his computer.
Start with that.
Helen Plummer was the one who had all the dealings with Dexter, wasn't she? Let's just have an open mind, Scott.
Sir.
Those coppers are looking very bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.
Perhaps they're on to you, Anselm.
What do you mean? You were trying to steal the recipe for Dexter Lockwood, weren't you? Nonsense.
It's no good lying.
He told me.
He told you? You mean you knew him? Yes, he asked me out.
Wanted to know all about who owned shares and so on.
Said he'd get me on the Fieldway board if I helped him.
Me too.
Two-faced little Then about a month ago he stopped calling me.
Me too.
Nobody does that to me.
Bloody hell.
Caro.
Best not tell anyone.
I won't if you won't.
Anyway, I didn't kill him.
Did you? Certainly not.
That's how they make their money.
What do you mean? You can never get it all out of the jar.
They do it on purpose.
It's congealed, look.
Can't the glamorous Mrs Plummer give you some on the house? That might be construed as a bribe, Joyce.
You haven't noticed, have you? Noticed what? My new reading glasses.
Yes.
They're veryum Very what? Very sexy? Very scary? Give me a clue.
The glasses.
What happened to the glasses? Glasses, Scott.
Sir? Helen Plummer said she'd never seen Dexter Lockwood wearing glasses before.
What became of the glasses, Scott? Not in the incinerator.
And the SOCO boys have been through every inch here.
Whoever killed Dexter Lockwood was hoping to get the body off the premises during the night.
They were probably reckoning on the security guy sleeping through his shift as usual.
But in the middle of the night Anselm turns up creating mayhem and after he's gone the security guard starts doing his job properly for once, patrolling the factory.
So they hide the body in the steriliser.
Maybe the glasses fell off while he was being killed.
Or when the body was being moved? Yes.
So you're moving the body, the glasses come off, you bend down, you pick them up And you put them in your pocket.
You put them in the pocket of the white coat you wear on the factory floor.
And in the general panic you forget all about them.
So we check all the white coats.
Unless they've gone to the laundry.
Let's ask Sonia Hardwick.
She's bound to know.
Come on, sir, we tell Sonia, it'll be all over Little Upton in 10 minutes.
That's the last thing we want, isn't it (?) Oh, yeah GATE ROLLS BACK Hello? Somebody in there? Is anybody here? Hello? Hey! Hey! Hello! (MUFFLED SHOUTS) I told you not to turn the lights on, Alex.
Oh, dear.
Sam! Help! Leave him alone.
Sam! Get off him, leave him be! That's enough, all of you, Stop! Well, well He should never have come here.
Trying to muscle in on other people's lives.
Shut up, Alex.
SIRENS It wasn't our fault the lad died, I swear.
It was a terrible accident.
Did you get them? (MUFFLED) Yes.
Yes, I've got them.
Mr Plummer, the Hardwicks have been taken to Causton police station.
I want to talk to you before I charge them.
They were only trying to help, Inspector.
Oh, I'm sure they were.
They've always been a tower of strength, the Hardwicks, haven't they? Yes, they have.
And when Stanley Lockwood was hanged I imagine they rallied round then, too? Of course.
In fact, the whole Hardwick clan came out of that very well.
Promotion, company housing.
The son, Alex, becomes manager.
He's a very promising young man.
Until Dexter Lockwood turned up.
A thorn in the flesh, just like his grandfather.
Yes.
Darling, you don't have to say anything.
It's all right, Helen.
I might as well get it over with.
I knew that Dexter Lockwood had approached various family members.
But when he got Mummy to sign the power of attorney that was the last straw.
That must have made you very angry.
Of course it did.
Of all the underhand, devious And it superseded the one Amelia had signed in your favour.
Yes.
And then when Mummy started seeing men hanging from the trees I knew what was going on.
Oh, yes.
Ralph, don't say any more.
I told Dexter Lockwood that I'd changed my mind.
I told him I wanted to do a deal with Fieldway Foods.
He said he'd have to look around the factory first.
He'd never set foot in the place before, obviously.
I said that would be difficult.
What if he were recognised? It might start tongues wagging.
And he suggested joining one of our guided tours.
And that suited you perfectly.
Indeed.
Enjoy the tour, ladies and gentlemen.
The AGM's due to start any minute.
I'd better put my skates on.
They'll be wanting their tea and biscuits.
The arrangement was that I'd meet him in the warehouse.
I'd made sure the side door was left unlocked.
Once he was in the warehouse, I I cornered him.
And ran him down in a forklift.
Ralph (!) I waited until everyone had gone home.
Then I I cleaned up as best I could.
Then I dragged Lockwood to the main doors of the warehouse.
That's when his glasses fell off.
I picked them up and .
.
put them in my pocket.
My plan was to leave him by the doors and then somehow try and get him into one of the delivery vans.
But it became obvious that wasn't going to work.
Thanks to Anselm, the security guard started doing his job for once.
I realised I wasn't going to get the .
.
the body off the premises so I Well, I You stripped Dexter Lockwood and shoved him into the steriliser.
Yes.
Yes, that's right.
He was covered in relish.
And you did this all by yourself? Of course.
Well, there you are, Inspector.
You have your confession.
There's the end of it.
I'm afraid not, Mr Plummer.
Cos I don't believe a word of that.
Would you stand up, please, sir? Scott, the coat.
You try that on, please.
(CHUCKLES) Dexter Lockwood's glasses.
They weren't in your coat.
They were in your wife's.
You put your coat on the wrong peg, didn't you? And the fingerprints on the glasses, Helen, they'll be yours.
You recognised Dexter Lockwood on the factory floor, didn't you? Hmm? Hello.
It IS you, isn't it? Oi, careful! Your husband can't have told you about his meeting with Lockwood so you didn't know what he was up to.
So you followed him into the warehouse.
LOCKWOOD: A fine place for a meet PLUMMER: I'm sick of your devious tricks, do you understand? Don't go near my mother again, ever! You saw them talking together.
And that is when you decided to kill Dexter Lockwood.
And I want the papers back.
I want them back now.
Now! Can we go somewhere a bit quieter? Hey Oi! Stop! Stop! Hey! Stop! Stop! All the rest happened pretty much as you described it, Mr Plummer.
Except it wasn't you who picked up the glasses, was it? It was your wife.
SLIDING DOOR OPENS So then, you had to think of a place to hide the body before you could get it out of the factory.
I wonder, who thought of the steriliser? I did.
As usual I was the only one thinking straight.
We stripped him.
Then dragged him to the boiling room.
DOOR OPENS Then we heard Keith Carter coming back.
MACHINERY STARTS WHIRRING The question is, why did your wife kill Dexter Lockwood in such a reckless fashion, Mr Plummer? Because of what he did to my mother, of course.
And becauseshe knew that I wasn't up to the job myself.
No, Mr Plummer.
Your wife killed Dexter Lockwood so he couldn't tell you about this.
What is it? This is a report prepared by Dexter Lockwood on the Plummers' assets.
If you look here, you'll see that thefactory itself, that's not really valued very highly at all.
The property in Little Upton, the houses where the employees live, that's worth quite a bit.
But the real jewel of the crown, sir .
.
is Albert Wood.
Albert Wood? Perhaps you don't know, sir.
Albert Wood's been reclassified.
It's no longer green belt.
Your wife and Dexter Lockwood hired a consultant to assess the likelihood of getting planning permission.
He thought there was a very good chance indeed.
That wood's big enough to build a small town on.
A large fortune.
Build houses? In Albert Wood? It would have saved the firm, Ralph.
That's all I cared about.
But what about the birds? Oh, to hell with the birds! Someone had to do something.
I saw that the lights were on.
It's all right, Mummy.
Go back to bed.
But what's going on? It's the middle of the night.
I'llI'll tell you tomorrow, Mummy.
And where's Maurice? He'll have something to say about this.
I'll take you back to the cottage, shall I? Who are you? It's Ralph, Mummy.
Your son.
Of course it is.
I'm going to bed and so should all of you.
It's far too late to be gallivanting around.
(SLAMS DOOR) Go on.
Get your head down.
I suppose this means that I'm in charge.
It means WE'RE in charge.
What do you know about running a factory? What do YOU know about running a factory? Hells bells, Caro, does this mean we'll actually have to work? Don't say it, Scott.
I told you so.
Did you get the new blue carpet? No.
What about the oyster paint? No.
Good.
Not sure that was going to work.
Well, I'm glad to see you taking an interest at last.
I bought you a new jar of this.
Oh.
Thank you.
But you shouldn't have bothered.
I thought it was your favourite? Well, it was.
But it isn't any more.
I think they've changed the recipe.
Sorry.
CHAINSAW