Inspector Lewis (2006) s09e04 Episode Script

1
(Birdsong)
(Hobson grunts)
Looks like she was strangled
and then tied to the post.
Holding her body in place so the river washes
continually over her. Time?
Educated guess between 12:00 and 4:00am.
There's a head wound,
but I'll know more after the post-mortem.
Great. More alchemy.
So the pattern's the same
but this time they came by boat.
(Unzipping)
(Mobile phone rings)
Victim Annapurna Kinneson
is a linguistics lecturer.
- Waiting to speak to her head of department.
- Check out her movements yesterday?
Her husband's already said she went for a drink
at the Waterman's with Jay Fennell.
OK. Let's set up a search along the riverbank
between here and there.
OK.
(Chatter over police radios)
Both the deaths were out in the open,
theatrically staged.
The staging may be sophisticated
but the manner isn't.
Phil Beskin battered over the head with a rock,
Annapurna Kinneson strangled.
Crude, angry acts.
Is this somebody on a moral crusade who thinks
Annapurna Kinneson needed to be purified?
If so, why? What had she done?
What had Phil Beskin done?
In terms of the Great Work,
we've had nigredo and albedo.
The third stage is citrinitas.
Associated with the male gender,
the sun and yellow if that's any help.
Play nice.
I gather one of our key suspects in this case
is a student, Nate Hedesan.
You were keeping tabs on him?
Yes, and I lost him, sir.
To be fair, we don't know if there's any link
between Nate Hedesan
and Annapurna Kinneson.
Actually, we do.
According to Lizzie,
Mrs Kinneson's head of department just called
to confirm Hedesan is one of her students.
So she kicked him off the course
a few days ago.
Just find him.
Never mind Moody, listen to me.
Get yourself home and get cleaned up.
No, I need to speak to Hedesan.
I can do that with Maddox.
Get home, have a shower.
You look a right state
and you're starting to stink.
(Mobile ringtone)
Hey, Nell.
How could you do that?
We waited for ages.
I hate that place. He was
waiting for us, for you.
Not exactly the white heat of academic
endeavour in here, is it lad?
What do you want?
Well, you can start by telling us why you got
booted off your linguistics course.
You're the detective.
Too much like hard work
and the tutor did my head in.
Mrs Kinneson, I believe.
- Were you angry that she'd kicked you off?
- Never been happier.
Hanging out at the Blue Rondo two nights
in a row can't help your studies.
Last night you arrived at 10:45.
You been following me or something?
Two nights ago you settled your bill
just before midnight and then you left.
Whereas you told us you were there all night.
- What time did you leave last night?
GINA: He left about 1:30.
With me.
Can anyone vouch for your being there?
This help?
Ow.
Hey, let me see.
Not here, Sam. Someone might see.
You shouldn't have to do this.
- You barely know me, Sam.
- Well, I'm working on it.
I wouldn't if I were you.
Now go on. Get lost.
(Clears throat)
Someone looks happy.
Yep. I need a favour, though.
Can I take half a day?
Nate's taking me punting, don't you know?
I hope you know what you're doing.
I do. We made up.
Oh, can I, please?
You can get us a brew first, skiver.
(Bell rings)
Mr Kinneson?
(Bell rings again)
Robert.
Blood.
The blood is is from a fishing trip.
I I caught my arm on a fish hook.
We'll need to get Forensics to check.
Where were you last night, Mr Kinneson?
Here all evening.
Your wife had a tattoo. As did Phil Beskin.
As does Jay Fennell. Do you?
Am I right in saying it's a symbol of
a mystical order created by Charles Williams,
called the Companions Of The Co-Inherence?
Have you revived the order?
We're gonna need a list of the members.
We think you might all be being targeted.
You're in danger.
OK. There's about a dozen of us.
We vowed not to talk about it.
Can you think of someone who might have
opposed the revival?
Someone who was thrown out? Rejected?
You argued with Phil Beskin. Why?
I'm publishing some rare
writings of Williams.
Phil didn't think I should.
It's no big deal.
And Carina Beskin,
is she a member of your group?
Does she have the tattoo?
No. No, Carina's not interested.
We know that Dax Kinneson
had a spat with Phil Beskin.
We just found blood in his boat,
whatever he says about it.
Why kill his wife? He may have had the means,
but no motive that we know of.
And what is the motive for targeting
a bunch of seemingly spiritual people?
Even spiritual people get messed up
sometimes, don't they?
They've all got secrets, skeletons.
We should be delving into their past.
What about Wouter Eisler?
I hear he's not a fan of Williams.
He's also got the alchemy link.
That's a good point.
He's definitely hiding something.
He dedicates all his books
to someone called Chen.
Maddox, do you mind doing a name check
on Chen for me?
Yeah.
A word.
I asked Hathaway for a full report on
the investigation on my desk this morning.
Sir.
Two words. "Investigation ongoing."
He was never great at paperwork.
Hello, yes. Erm Carina Beskin.
I had a couple of questions.
He has a problem with authority
and a blatant disregard for status.
As do all good detectives.
I learned that from the best.
And this is eight years ago?
No, no, you've been very helpful. Thank you.
I had hoped that your presence might help.
Part of your remit.
You know, like a father figure.
A father figure?
With all due respect, sir, I'm a detective.
I'm not a nanny.
Anyway, I'm going to be away
for six months soon.
How do you think Hathaway'll
cope in your absence?
- He'll be fine.
- He'd better be.
Or I'm going to have to
bring someone else in.
- What do you mean, "someone else"?
- I don't know.
But sands can shift, can't they?
See you later.
Sorry to have to inform you that Annapurna
Kinneson was found murdered this morning.
What?
An alchemic symbol was found with her body.
Do you know anything about that?
No.
You see, I checked with your college.
Yes, you're a scout, but
you also studied here.
Double first in theology. PhD, Fellowship,
then eight years ago it all unravels
and now you need to tell me why.
I I had a crisis.
Of faith. It happens.
Is that why you're not
in your friends' group?
(Sighs)
No.
Do you know of any reason why anyone would
want to harm Annapurna Kinneson?
No.
Know of any disagreement
between your brother and Dax Kinneson
about some unpublished Williams' writings?
Tell me now.
It wasn't writings. They
They fell out over a ritual.
A ritual.
(Bell jangles)
What happened? I've just seen Mr Kinneson.
Tray got knocked over, that's all.
No big deal.
He's upset about Annapurna.
We all are.
Why did he want to see you?
Is he scared because he's a potential target,
is that it?
Cos we can protect you, if it is.
No, no. I don't want that.
He just wanted to check
that Annapurna was OK last night.
- And was she?
- More than. She was really happy.
The two of you went back
a long way, I gather?
Before Dax.
We have a shared interest
in Charles Williams.
Carina started an informal group
and we all attended.
So Carina was into Charles Williams
but isn't any more.
- Is that right?
- Yeah.
Does this mean anything to you?
I don't know anything
about alchemical images.
I didn't say it was alchemical.
I've seen enough to recognise the style.
You OK, Mr Fennell?
I'm fine. I'm just upset.
Something happened to Carina Beskin
eight years ago.
She goes from being post-graduate prodigy
to cleaner and girlfriend of Binman Sam.
Sam Langton? "Binman"?
Well, it's room-cleaning etiquette,
same as at Cambridge.
Leave your bin out
if you don't want the cleaner to come in.
No bin out, cleaner comes in.
Never leave your bin out, cleaner comes in a lot,
hence the nickname "Binman."
Maybe he's just tidy.
I'll try harder with Moody.
I didn't ask you to.
All set for the grand tour?
Counting down the days. Aren't we?
- Absolutely.
- Annapurna Kinneson.
Autopsy confirms
there was no water in her lungs.
Added to which,
the absence of diatoms in her blood
indicates she was dead
before she entered the water.
- Head wound?
- Deep traces of varnish.
Consistent with taking a whack
in the rowing boat.
She was strangled
before she was put into the boat.
Moving a corpse is never easy bang!
Maddox.
Forensics got back about
Dax Kinneson's boat.
The blood they found was his and his alone.
And how about the riverside search?
They're doing everything they can.
I will go and chase them up.
Wouter Eisler's dedication to Chen.
It's a common Chinese surname
or a Hebrew word meaning grace.
As in Phil Beskin's wife?
Yeah. I think he dedicates his books to her.
Will you speak to both of them?
What's your leaflet?
My dad needed some help so I gave it to him.
I said, "Call the number, speak to
the person on the other end of the line."
- Someone I knew once.
- And did he?
No. But he kept this, funnily enough.
- How is your dad?
- He's fine, thanks.
- And your sister?
- Oh, no.
- OK if I go?
- Course.
Gina. Be careful, yeah?
(Bell jangles)
(Mobile phone rings)
Jay?
I need to talk to you.
No, I can't right now.
The police? No, wait. OK, let's meet.
Sorry, I've gotta go.
Bye.
Dr Eisler?
Why have you dedicated all your books
to another man's wife?
Grace Beskin?
Grace? No, don't be ridiculous.
I'll just go and ask her, then, shall I?
OK, why should I be ashamed?
I fell for Grace some years ago,
but sadly it's not a feeling
that's reciprocated.
But I live in hope.
Are you having an affair with her?
If only. Grace won't
countenance such a thing.
Well, maybe those chances have improved
in light of Phil Beskin's death.
Seemingly not.
How well do you get on with
Annapurna Kinneson?
We're not close. Why?
First Phil, then Annapurna.
I know. Two down, two to go.
- If it's connected.
- Course it's connected.
Once is a coincidence, twice is a vendetta.
Who by? We're the only ones
who know what happened.
Which means it's either me or you.
(Sizzling)
Police, please.
I might not have been having sex
within my marriage
but that doesn't mean it's OK to have sex
with someone else.
But you do have feelings for Dr Eisler?
Yes. Although since Phil died,
they're mainly feelings of guilt.
- (Mobile phone rings)
- Given his feelings for you
do you think his frustrations could drive him
to other extremes?
Please, God, I hope not.
That's great, if he wants to talk.
Tell Mr Fennell
that DI Hathaway and I will be right over.
(Mobile phone rings)
Yeah, Robert?
(Door closes)
(Bell jangles)
- (Bell jangles)
GINA: Jay?
Find out who owns the boat.
Where had you been?
Er to meet Nate.
We were meant to go punting,
but he didn't turn up.
So Nate knew that you weren't in the shop?
Where is he now?
Gina, Jay wanted to say something to us.
Do you know what it might have been?
Earlier, when Mr Kinneson kicked off,
what was that really about?
He said his wife had been killed
and he wanted to know what had happened.
Happened when?
Erm Jay wouldn't say. Ages ago.
Mr Kinneson flipped out,
shouting he was carrying his wife's guilt
and he wanted Jay to tell him why.
Signs of a struggle. No
quote or image this time.
Much messier.
It's interesting what she says about guilt.
Williams was into a process called substitution
where you take on other people's burdens,
transferring them literally onto yourself.
- How do you do that?
- Rituals.
What did you mean,
you were carrying your wife's guilt?
- Her guilt for what?
- I don't know.
It's about the ritual, isn't it?
Alleviating people of their burdens.
Anna was haunted by guilt for something
that happened in her past before I met her.
- I relieved her from that.
- From what, though?
- What happened?
- I've no idea.
- Did you ask?
- A thousand times.
This event from her past,
did it also involve Phil Beskin and Jay Fennell?
Yes. But it's their secret.
And what happened to Carina Beskin
eight years ago is her secret.
What does it have to do with alchemy?
I've no idea.
Mr Kinneson, may I see the ritual, please?
Might be relevant.
Any word on that boat
or Nate Hedesan's whereabouts yet?
OK, Lizzie, listen.
Take uniform, see if you
can find Sam Langton.
He might know where Nate is.
Nah, we're well, Hathaway's getting some
religious uplift.
Did the entire group perform the ritual?
Not Jay. Phil a while ago
and Anna yesterday.
(Door opens)
Where have you been? I've been worried.
Er I just got caught up.
Jay's dead.
- Jay?
- Somebody killed him.
- What's that?
- Nothing. It can wait.
You're breaking up with me?
Sorry. We're not gonna work.
But we said we'd try.
There's someone else. At the club.
Mr Hedesan, we need to talk to you.
Interesting.
I was promised "relevant."
Phil had done the ritual,
Annapurna had done the ritual,
and as a result both of them are forgiven.
This is about forgiveness.
It's got nothing to do with alchemy.
So somebody wasn't happy
about them being forgiven.
What about Jay Fennell?
Has he done this ritual thing?
Apparently not.
Can you let them know?
Where were you this afternoon
between 1:00 and 3:00?
Trying to pluck up the courage
to do what I've just done.
With your new girlfriend, more like.
Ah, when I said I was at the club with him,
I wasn't.
I went there, but I couldn't find him.
Yeah.
Now.
Nate Hedesan's alibi has just fallen through.
Gina Doran was lying for him.
Back in the frame.
As is Carina Beskin.
I just spoke to Forensics.
They found muddy boot prints in that boat,
mud thick with limestone.
- Which is important, why?
- Oxford's built on clay.
You have to go right out almost to Burford
to find the limestone stuff.
Also, tissue fibres
from the head wound match,
so Annapurna Kinneson
was definitely in that boat.
Both boats registered to Phil Beskin.
What are you thinking, Grace Beskin?
She says her and her husband hardly use them,
but Carina does. She rowed for the university.
I row every morning.
Helps to burn off some of my tension.
What is it?
Jay?
We know about the ritual,
we know what it does.
What we don't know is what happened
eight years ago
between you and your brother
and Mrs Kinneson and Jay Fennell.
All of whom are now dead.
Which means either you're guilty of multiple
murder or you're in real danger.
Why didn't Jay do the ritual?
Because he just didn't feel the need to.
There are many ways of forgiving yourself.
Belief? Simple faith?
Mm.
Jay felt those things
more than the rest of us.
My brother and Annapurna
needed something else.
Something more.
What about you?
I don't think you can
magic those things away.
We just want to find out who killed your friends
before something else happens.
You could be next.
If that's what it takes.
I'm processing full background checks
on all the victims.
But eight years ago?
It's going to take a while.
OK, I'll catch up with you.
I'll see you there.
Hello?
Hi, it's James.
Can I come and see you, Father?
The cause of death, stab wound to the chest.
Yellow thrown on him afterwards.
To symbolise the coming of enlightenment
and to mirror the sun, apparently.
Japanese Yakuza needle inserted
beneath the xiphoid process
at the base of the sternum
straight into the heart.
Death wouldn't have been immediate.
The needle's been forced
straight through the centre of the tattoo.
Somebody is not a fan.
Dr Eisler? Grace Beskin?
There's one more stage. Rubedo.
Meaning completion, redness. And blood.
Great.
(Flames crackling)
(Bells chime)
A while since we've seen you.
17 years.
I would have thought
you'd have given up in that time.
Ditto.
- Still running?
- Oh, you know.
Funny thing, faith, isn't it?
(Laughs)
Actually, I meant still running.
Oh. Erm, no.
I er I took up rowing at Cambridge.
You were good at cross-country.
That's probably down to those extra morning
runs you sent me on as punishments.
(Chuckles)
There is that.
So you became a policeman?
For my sins.
A very good one, I gather.
Oxfordshire police.
And a detective inspector now, I hear.
All that discipline, you see?
What do you mean, you hear?
Your father told me.
- How is he?
- Why are you talking to my father?
You told him to come and see me.
Yeah, years ago.
Indeed it was. He kept coming.
More after your mother died.
What for?
That's between me and him, really.
Dad's erm not well, Placid.
He's erm He's losing his mind.
I erm
He came to talk about you.
How he felt bad about being a distant parent.
That it was too late to turn back the clock.
How he wished you and Nell
saw more of each other.
I can't believe he came.
Come and have some breakfast.
Stay for our conference. You'd like it.
A series of lectures about Giordano Bruno,
"Hero or Heretic?"
- Hero, surely?
- (Laughs)
What sort of conference is it?
An esoteric conference.
A joint venture with another spiritual group.
We provide the theology,
they bring the mystery traditions.
Do you have a computer and wi-fi here?
We're monks, James, not cavemen. Come on.
(Mobile phone rings)
- Yeah?
- There was a conference
in the Tickenham area near Bristol
eight years ago.
Check with local plod for any incidents
reported around November time.
I've figured the link.
Alchemy is an esoteric tradition.
Williams believed in an esoteric form of
Christianity, there are conferences on this stuff.
This one, about a Christian mystic
called AE Waite.
He influenced Williams
and he wrote on alchemy.
Two talks, guess who was at them?
- "Phil Beskin. Annapurna Kinneson."
MADDOX: Here we go.
Fatality recorded. A car accident.
Francis Fisher was knocked over
and all of our four were in the car.
- Was there a police investigation?
- And an inquest.
The coroner recorded a verdict
of accidental death.
Cos they weren't charged,
there was nothing on the system.
Someone disagreed with the verdict.
Check on Fisher. Find out if he was married,
where he lives and if he had any children.
Under "occupation",
it says he was a practising alchemist.
Grace said you'd be here.
We know about Francis Fisher.
(Sighs)
If the death was ruled accidental,
why do you feel so guilty?
Why do you think?
Because they got it wrong.
According to the inquest,
your brother was driving a car
No, no. I was.
I was drunk.
We'd spent the evening in the pub.
When I reached the grounds er
I turned the headlights off.
We'd been warned not to stay out late
and I was trying to sneak back in
without being seen.
We were showing off mucking about.
Phil had been surfing on top of the car.
He was getting in through the back window.
Anna was laughing, I was laughing.
Jay was pushing Phil to the front seat
and then bang.
Out of nowhere. I didn't even see him.
How come you weren't charged?
Well we lied.
Phil said he was driving and, weirdly,
he was under the limit.
We didn't mention the headlights.
So you got away with it
and all agreed not to tell anyone.
We were all haunted by it.
But the others found Williams.
And his concept of forgiveness.
You couldn't, could you?
No.
My faith or my guilt
wouldn't let me.
Never will.
So who else knows?
Fisher's dead, who else is there?
I've no idea.
Sir?
- Fisher?
- Widowed.
But there were two sons.
Elder one, Leslie, in the Royal Marines
currently on exercise in Canada.
And younger son, John.
Age of the younger son?
- 21.
- Nate Hedesan?
- Can we check if Fisher was black, please?
- Yeah.
Hedesan lied about his movements
on both nights.
He got Gina out of the tattoo shop
on the promise of punting.
I think he's changed his name,
he's gone to the college
where Phil Beskin works,
he's enrolled on Annapurna Kinneson's course,
befriended Gina in order to meet Jay.
- What about the boat?
- Phil Beskin could have told him about it.
He got close to each and every one of them.
(Knock on door)
We met at the Blue Rondo a while back
but something only happened between us
two nights ago.
- Mr Kinneson?
- I'm bisexual.
Anna knew. Somehow we made it work.
The night Phil Beskin was murdered.
Nate was with me, in a hotel.
We went there straight after the club.
I can give you the name.
We didn't see each other the next night.
I went to the club, but then I got your message
that you weren't coming,
so I headed back to college.
- Why didn't you meet Gina?
- Dax needed me.
We met at a chapel.
Nate, did anyone else know
that you were taking Gina punting?
Erm I don't know. Sam?
S Sam Langton?
So he would have known
Gina wasn't at the tattoo parlour?
Did he know Jay?
He was the person
that first took me to the parlour.
- That's how I met Gina.
- What about Annapurna?
- She wasn't his regular tutor.
- Not officially.
She'd agreed to tutor his dissertation.
Fisher was Caucasian
and Nate Hedesan's parents check out.
What about Sam Langton?
Er funded by a trust.
Sam!
Home address. The Forge, Balcon Lane,
outside Burford.
Where the limestone is.
(Siren blares)
(Siren approaching)
Carina. Where's Sam?
- Er I don't know.
- Did he tell you who he was?
- How do you mean?
- Stay here.
John?
Dad used to love it out here.
Hour after hour, practising his alchemy.
Is all this really what your dad
would have wanted?
I'll never know.
You've lived all alone here ever since,
what, you were 13?
I lived with my brother till a couple of years back.
He took his anger elsewhere.
Ah.
Say sorry to Gina. Here's her phone.
Who who were you hoping to kill with that?
Carina?
She is nothing like the others.
- Because she can't forgive herself?
- It's not for them to decide they're forgiven.
But it's not for you, either.
This isn't a spiritual process.
This is about you playing judge and jury.
No. There has to be justice.
So what's the plan if Carina's to live?
Then it's finished.
I complete the fourth stage.
No, no. Just wait.
Carina! Wait.
Please, think about it. It isn't over, Sam.
She's never going to let herself off the hook,
but you can.
If you truly love her, you can release her.
I forgive you.
You forgive me for what?
For killing my father.
What?
What have you done?
You killed my brother and my friends?
I just missed my dad so much.
Well done, James.
- Thank you, sir.
- You were right.
He'll be fine without you.
Are you coming for a drink? Robbie's buying.
I would do, but I've got a girls' night.
- Another one?
- I know, yeah.
Ah, Bex. You've met Bex before, haven't you?
Bex is my new next door neighbour.
Her husband is away also,
so we've been keeping each other company.
BOTH: Pint?
There you go.
To your travels.
I haven't gone yet.
It's all right, you can admit it.
Admit what?
That you're gonna miss me
very, very, very much.
As if.
You made up with your sister yet?
The peace process has begun.
We are spending the weekend
in a retreat in Ilchester Abbey.
A retreat? To get in her good books?
What if she doesn't like it?
She'll do her nut.
No, she won't.
It is a silent one.