Midsomer Murders (1997) s15e03 Episode Script
Written in the Stars
Park wherever you like, sir.
Star chart? No, thank you.
Thank you.
(CHATTER) Your lenses fit in the eye sockets.
They are a bargain - £3.
50.
(SCOFFS) And you can watch the eclipse on the viewing card there.
It's dangerous to look directly at the sun.
And you mustn't use binoculars or a telescope without one of these filters, all right? Free, courtesy of the observatory.
Thank you! Star chart reading, Professor? Every life's an uncertain mystery, just waiting to be solved.
No, thank you.
Believe it or leave it but give it a read.
Right.
Peter! Have you seen Jeremy? He's in the astrodome, I think.
Right.
.
.
Stars oscillation is inversely proportional to the square root of its density.
So, when the - You've lost me, Gagan, I'm having complete brain failure.
It's great.
When was the astrodome built, Jeremy? 1936 by Tom Stanton, a local landowner.
He was a keen amateur astronomer.
Is it still being used by the amateurs? Yes, although - Ahem! We need to speak.
In private.
Catch me later.
I've got a much bigger story for you.
No consultation, no discussion, just sheer damned arrogance.
You should have come to me before firing off letters! I will write to who the hell I like.
You've crossed a line, Jeremy.
Keep your nose out.
It's not going to happen, Lawrence.
The university has no right.
Darling? Don't darling me.
What's going on? Does he know? No.
He's got that to come.
Gagan.
Amazing.
How weird is that? Ominously strange.
(BIRDSONG) (WOMAN SCREAMS) (SCREAM) It's over there, I think.
What is it, what's up? There! Aged 42.
From Midsomer Stanton.
His wife Katrina is up there.
The other lady is Margaret Dormer, known as Mystic Mags, does readings, star chart stuff.
The rock cracked his head open like a coconut.
Feel the weight.
That Mystic Mags says it's a meteorite.
Who's going to believe that? It's possible.
This has a magnetic end.
(CLICK CONTACT) Huh! See? Could be a meteorite.
It will need testing.
And there are traces of red fibre.
Gloves, or maybe some sort of material used to wrap the rock before wielding it.
Peter Groves, a local plumber, says Jeremy had a row with Lawrence Janson, director of the university observatory.
Doesn't know what about, though.
OK, bag and tag everything and get it over to Forensics.
Thank you, madam.
Oh, Chief Inspector Barnaby.
Have we met before? I've seen your picture in the paper times enough.
I work for the Mercury.
I do the horoscopes, births, marriages anddeaths.
What can you tell me about Mr Harper's death? (SIGHS) During a total eclipse of the sunchaos prevails.
For days, secrets and betrayals will out.
And what exactly did you see? The sun had gone and then I heard a sort of era crack then a thud and I looked down.
He was lyingdead.
Moonstone Ridge is cursed.
Really? With all your powers of divination, perhaps you can tell me who did this.
No.
No, I foretell the future, Inspector.
The past, and all its mysteries, is your department.
What are we going to do? Will you wait! How long? I calculate seven days, then we'll know for sure.
Gagan! My dad.
Run me to the university, Pete.
Like, now.
Gagan! Have a day off, Harry, will you? My gran used to tell us bedtime stories about the curse of Moonstone Ridge.
What is this curse? Strange visitors, she said.
Cars conking out suddenly, people moonstruck, like the walking dead.
Scared us sleepless.
I've given Jeremy's laptop and mobile to your people.
Thank you, Mrs Harper.
Are you sure you're OK to answer a few questions for us? I'm fine.
So, you and your husband Jeremy ran the tea rooms? And the museum.
We live here on a sort of grace and favour basis.
Jeremy'sWAS chair of the parish council.
Tom Stanton, that's him in the photo, left the place to the parish to house his bits and pieces.
Ah, the Stanton Bequest.
Yes.
He also gifted Moonstone Ridge, the Stanton Astrodome and the land for the university observatory.
I work there part time.
Secretary to the director, Lawrence Janson.
What can you tell us about him? He's a workaholic.
The observatory's his life.
It says here these rocks are lunar fragments.
There was a meteor shower up on the Ridge many moons ago.
The spear heads and the moonstone discs were also found up there.
It's a Bronze Age site.
Your husband was also an enthusiastic astronomer.
A passionate amateur.
Wedded to star watching.
Chair of the Astronomical Society and the Heritage Society.
Jeremy always had more pies than fingers to put in them.
He liked to run things.
Peter Groves, the plumber.
He said he witnessed a row between your husband and Lawrence Janson at the eclipse.
Yes.
It was Sorry.
Would you like to stop? No, no! I This is hard.
You see, my sister Mary was found dead up on the Ridge.
Years ago.
I I'm sorry.
(BELL RINGS) You question Peter again.
I'll tackle Lawrence.
And look into the death of her sister.
If the rock that killed Jeremy was a lunar fragment, like those in the museum, you could say he'd been moonstruck.
Hm? The Moonstone Curse, sir, maybe there's something in it.
So, Delta P equals MPC cubed, which also equals the sum of delta by the sum of MPC equals delta by MC squared to the power of two over MPC cubed, where MP is mass of the proton and D is energy.
Very interesting.
Let me have a read of your thesis and I'll get back to you.
That's all.
Great.
Yes.
Thanks, Lawrence.
You encouraging her in this? No, it's all her own work.
The girl has a brain the size of a planet.
And an ego to match.
The arrogance of youth, perhaps.
But such an elegant critique of your theory.
This is no time for anything that undermines me or the prestige of the observatory and you know the trouble we're in since Harper shot his mouth off.
That's an administrative problem.
Gagan's mathematics are consummate.
Pure science! That's all that matters to me.
So, what's a plumber doing with a dish like that? A radio telescope, bounces deep space signals back into the feed.
Signals from what? Stars, planets, galaxies.
Little brown dwarfs.
Any little green men been in touch? There's a billion galaxies in the multiverse, Sergeant.
Odds on someone's trying to reach us.
You really believe that? We've had UFOs on Moonstone Ridge.
And then, of course, there are the visitors.
What sort of visitors? Extra-terrestrials.
Moon-like faces, or so they say.
(WEARY SIGH) You told me you'd seen Jeremy having an argument with Lawrence Janson before he was murdered.
Yeah.
I've no idea what about.
You were friends with Jeremy, though, in the astronomy society.
I think 'friends' is over-egging it.
Never really got close to Jeremy.
We worked on stuff together.
Him, George Dormer, Gagan and me.
Analysing data sets from space missions.
Telescope downloads.
Can you think of any reason why someone would want to kill him? He was a top-class pain.
But no, it's probably just some nutter.
There's plenty of them out there.
Yeah, I meet a lot of them in my line of work.
(CLOSE ENCOUNTERS RINGTONE) Sorry, ET calling.
Excuse me.
Aquarian Systems.
Ah, yes, hello there Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby.
Lawrence Janson, Director.
This is Professor Adrian Sharp.
Hello.
Ah! Are you familiar with the uncertainty principle, Chief Inspector? UmI'm not really sure! (CHUCKLES) Prime law of quantum physics - how you look at things affects what you believe you see.
That's also the first law of criminal investigation, Professor.
Ah, yes.
Just one moment.
Doctor Janson, I understand you had an argument with Jeremy Harper on Moonstone Ridge just before the eclipse.
Er, yes.
Handbags at ten paces stuff.
Jeremy was always picking a fight.
About what? He was hostile to certain developments we have in mind for the Ridge.
ErChief Inspector, the rock your forensics people sent us for examination.
It's definitely a meteorite.
I'll leave you with Adrian, Chief Inspector.
It has a dark crust caused by the friction heat of atmospheric entry.
Very dense matter, probably iron and nickel.
There's megatons of metal floating about out there.
Carbon compressed to its deepest density, sucked into black holes.
Which is probably where our own planet will end its days.
A cheery thought.
Depends how you look at it.
In the final analysis, we're all stardust.
Jones, find out some more about Lawrence Janson.
Oh, and erm, check out Panelsun International while you're about it.
Where's the damn story, Tanya, where's the grabby headline? Well, it's a murder, Mr Clough.
That's yesterday's news.
It's going to be all over the telly.
Get ahead of the curve! You should be digging, not sat in here bump-starting your brain.
Yes, Mr Clough.
I'll find a story.
You couldn't find your backside with the light on, Tanya.
And as for you, Mystic Mags, our readers don't want all this guff about 'global community of awakened souls'.
They want to know if they're going to cop off with a tall dark stranger who's heaven on earth.
Spice it up, love! Right, got you, yes.
This newspaper is on the edge.
Simple as a pimple, ladies, boost circulation or your future is going to be in the past.
The pair of you.
Philistine! (DOOR SLAMS) (SCOFFS) Oh, but he's right.
We need a new angle on this murder story.
OK.
I have got an idea which I think will raise a few eyebrows.
Take a look at this.
Anything more on Peter the plumber? He's on a planet with the pixies, sir.
Spent most of the time talking about extra-terrestrial life.
Ah, the Goldilocks zone.
Not heard of it, Jones? Are we on the three bears now? (CHUCKLES) The theory that life may exist on a habitable planet somewhere out there, one that's not too small and not too big and not too hot and not too cold, but just right.
Huh.
Lawrence Janson took over the Observatory three years ago.
And Panelsun International? He brought them in.
Big solar energy company, very green, environmentalist outfit.
They gifted the Observatory a three year grant of two million quid.
So, that funding's up for renewal.
Could be, yeah.
And I ran through Jeremy's mobile.
There's a few threatening emails on there to Lawrence.
Threatening what? Apparently, Jeremy got wind that Lawrence planned to close down the old Stanton Astrodome and build a new university facility on part of Moonstone Ridge.
Jeremy wrote to Panelsun and threatened a mass campaign against it.
Oh, so that's what their row was about then.
Lawrence would be furious, Jeremy was threatening his funding.
And I read through the files on Catrina's sister, Mary.
She was married to Harmendra Dutta, a local chemist.
Her body was found on Moonstone Ridge 15 years ago.
Kate's checking the pathology reports.
There were suspicions - Have you seen the paper, Jones? 'Mercury's Mystic Mags predicted Murder on Moonstone Ridge.
' Mystic Mags told our reporter that Jeremy Harper's death was written in the stars.
That's baloney.
She was standing closest to Jeremy when he was killed.
Maybe she knows more than she's said.
Why did you do it? I had to.
It's murder, Mags.
If the police start digging into the past who knows where it will lead? They won't find out.
How can they? It's not a clever stroke to pull.
Not clever at all.
Have you put my diary somewhere? It's in the hall by the phone.
Ah, there it is.
Thank you, darling.
Oh, sorry, sorry.
Um My mobile, I can't find my mobile anywhere.
Mine's on the desk, ring yours and you'll find it.
Ah.
And you call yourself a detective! Breathe! Stop stressing.
I'm breathing, I'm breathing.
(PHONE RINGS) Ah! Got it.
Thanks, darling.
Bye! I've got yoga after school.
Uh, yeah.
I'll cook.
Sorry to crash your karma.
Bye.
Right, Sykes.
George, the police are coming round.
That's probably them now.
I told you they'd start digging around.
I'll be in my shed.
You were in your shed all last night.
I was on moon watch, you have to do it in the dark.
I wouldn't mind a husband whose idea of 'doing it in the dark' was a bit more exciting than staring at the bloody moon.
Hello, Inspector.
Come in.
You predicted Jeremy's murder.
Yes, that's right.
Crystal ball, was it, or did you read his tea leaves? I'm an astrologer, Sergeant, not a fairground fortune teller.
What exactly is the difference? Astrology is the application of cosmic principles to everyday life.
We are what our stars make us.
Scorpio, right? Was that a guess? You're a police officer - Scorpio forever chases Orion The Hunter, the killer, across the night skies.
Ah.
So, you drew up Jeremy's star chart for him before his death? No, it was his wife Catrina who came to me for a reading.
Is the a regular of yours? No, but she had some domestic turbulence, shall we say? I told her that her nearest and dearest were in danger.
Is that the extent of your prediction? I was right, wasn't I? May I see this star chart, please? No, sorry, it's confidential.
Confidential? It's on the front page of the newspaper.
You're just drumming up business for yourself.
I have had one or two extra bookings on the strength of it.
Is it true you were with Catrina's sister Mary the night she died? Well, it was 15 years ago.
There was a party here.
Mary left, when home to Harry, her husband, and that was the last we ever saw of her.
Hm.
Well, thank you.
I'm sure we'll be seeing you again soon.
But, presumably, you already knew that.
I'm sorry you're not a believer, Sergeant.
You should explore your star chart one of these days.
The unexamined life is not worth living.
I was fuming when I read it.
I phoned Mags, told her off a strip.
So her prediction was bogus, then? No.
She did tell me someone very close to me was in mortal danger.
Mags mentioned some domestic troubles.
Jeremy and I Our marriage was never easy.
Jeremy didn't want a partner, he wanted a mouse-wife who'd never challenge him.
We found some emails on Jeremy's phone, about the University Observatory's plans to extend onto Moonstone Ridge.
He went into my laptop, found several letters I'd typed for Lawrence about the plans.
That's why they were at loggerheads.
Is that the only reason? Yes.
Look, Chief Inspector, this funding problem, it's not public.
There are delicate negotiations involved.
About your sister Mary - (BELL RINGS) I don't know what happened to her.
Please excuse me.
Of course, and thank you for being so frank with us.
She's lying.
How's that, sir? What kind of husband searches through his wife's email? The kind that thinks she was having an affair? Wouldn't be the first time a secretary and her boss had got together.
Maybe it's Lawrence, then.
Crime of passion.
But it's weird, sir, Mags predicting Jeremy's death like that, and she knew you were a Scorpio.
Maybe she does have mystic powers.
Right.
Harry the chemist next, sir.
Or Mags fulfilled her own prophecy to boost her business.
What, Mags killed Jeremy? Well, stranger things have happened when the moon's full and the rent's due.
I was studying the eclipse as part of my PhD.
I just heard a scream and Jeremy was lying there.
Awful.
You knew him? From the Astronomical Society, yes.
Sorry, I need to get these prescriptions out.
Fine.
Thank you.
Here, just in case.
Thanks.
She works so hard, helping me out as well as doing her studies.
Your daughter's name is? Gagan, short for Gagandipika - lamp of the heavens.
She is the light of my life.
You were also up at the eclipse? Yes, but I saw no more than she.
And she's your daughter from your first wife, is that right? My only wife.
Since Mary died I've been wedded to a single life.
I understand there was some question around her death.
Mary was at a party at the Dormers.
Jeremy was there.
Alcohol to them is what water is to fish.
They all lie together about what happened to Mary and now that same astronomical set has pulled in my daughter, Chief Inspector.
I just can't believe it's happened.
No.
The police were here twice, asking about you and Jeremy.
You didn't tell them about us? No.
I thought that'd make them suspect you more.
Suspect me? Jeremy was a bumptious prat but - (BELL RINGS) (I certainly didn't kill him.
) You don't think I did it? No.
I'm not accusing you, no, but - But what? That I no more killed Jeremy, darling, than you did.
Course not.
I'm sorry, I Yeah, it's OK.
Though you were right not to mention this to the police.
What good would it do, hm? Come here.
And from the warrior into the triangle.
And reach for the sky.
And back into the warrior.
Yes.
And hold on the outward breath.
And relax.
Sit, please.
We spoke last week of the three rhythms of life.
The drawing of breath, the beats of the heart, the waves of the brain.
Today we will activate the third chakra, the energy of will, power, and self confidence.
Place your palms on your stomach, like so, and rotate them gently clockwise.
And repeat: I am powerful.
CLASS: I am powerful.
I am the will of creating whatever I desire.
I am the will of creating whatever I desire.
I desire my tea and biscuits.
Quiet, please.
Goodbye.
Goodbye.
How are your spirits? Struggling.
A walk and a talk later? Yeah, I'd like that.
I'll call you.
Where are you going? I'll be out tonight.
When will you be back? Is this a quiz? Don't be facetious.
I'll be back in my own good time.
(RUMBLING) (HUMS) (BEEP) (CATRINA TREMBLES) Come, you're shaking like an onion paper.
Let me help you.
PleaseHarry, don't.
I've loved you a long time and never reached the end of hope.
And I respect you deeply but I don't I'm in a mess.
I've been having an affair.
What? My boss at the Observatory.
Lawrence Janson.
The thing is, I haven't told the police about him and me.
I panicked, I was afraid they'd think I was involved.
Involved? Jeremy was I can't believe it was Lawrence.
Janson is a snake.
I don't know what to do.
You mind is muddled.
You must think straight.
Tell the police your fears.
Fate is not in the stars but in the choices we make.
And a man can kill for love.
Reading your horoscope? Uh-huh.
It says with your moon moving into Libra and Venus squaring Saturn, exp- uh! - expect the unexpected in you and your partner's lovelife.
Oh, sounds promising.
What's Scorpio? Erm Jupiter and Saturn promise a change in your beliefs today, a spark of interest in a new philosophy or spiritual tradition.
Oh! Complete twaddle.
Yoga! I told you this morning.
That you need to de-stress, learn to meditate and visualise.
Do you think Sykes meditates when he stares into space like that? What's he thinking about? Food.
(CHUCKLES) Probably.
All right, I'll try it, I will.
Really? OK.
Well, how about now? I can show you.
No, no, not now.
Well, why not now? Well, I'mexpecting the unexpected.
It's an eccentric orbit, it makes calculations double difficult.
It's only five more days, George.
Have you processed the last data sets I downloaded to you? No, Jeremy was going to do that.
OK, I'm on it.
It said in the Mercury your wife predicted Jeremy's death.
You don't want to believe everything you read in the newspaper.
Do either of you know exactly what happened? No more than you.
Do you think one of us killed him? Maybe it was the Moonstone Curse that did it, eh, Peter? Baaaa! I'm frightened, OK? This is not funny.
Sorry! Sorry.
It's tragic, yeah, but stuff happens.
It's nothing to do with us.
No time to lose our grip now, Gagan.
Now that Jeremy's gone we've got to be all for one and one for all, yeah? That's right.
(BREAKING GLASS) (FOOTSTEPS) (BELL TOLLS) Oh, shit! Dad, I'm off, I'll miss my bus.
OK, bye! Gagan, your bag! Damn it! (HORN BLAST) Going my way? Can we catch up the bus? Gagan! I heard a crash of glass about 1am, I called the police immediately.
So, what's missing? A spear-head and the Moonstone Disc.
It's some kind of asun dial.
It's Bronze Age, circa 1600BC.
They could harmonize the lunar and solar months back then by orientating the disc.
Why steal those, especially? Could be metal thieves, sir.
Some idiots had all the bronze plaques off every park bench in Causton last week.
And nothing else is missing? I don't think so, but I haven't checked upstairs.
There's red fibres on this broken glass.
Get it over to Forensics, see if it's a match with what Kate found on the rock that killed Jeremy.
Time to visit Lawrence again, sir? No, I'm sure that he and Catrina will deny any affair and he'll certainly deny murder.
No, I want more before we tackle him again.
I've read your thesis and I'm afraid it just doesn't meet the required standard.
Why? Well, frankly, there's a profound shallowness to the work.
That's ridiculous, Lawrence.
It's because I've hit a nerve, isn't it? Your book on the uncertainty principle is fundamentally flawed and my thesis proves it.
OK, let's keep the temperature down.
You may have a warp-speed mind and more ideas than Einstein but you lack academic discipline, my dear.
I suggest you concentrate on a subject you more fully comprehend.
Why didn't you stand up for me? I've I've known Lawrence for a long time.
There's no point in challenging him when his blood's up, and he's under considerable pressure.
We all have pressure.
Look, don't repeat this, but Lawrence is in trouble.
Panelsun are threatening to pull out over plans to expand the Observatory.
A thesis rubbishing his published work is not going to help right now.
I'm not someone who goes along to get along.
I know.
But hold your nose, re-read his book, and then we'll talk.
OK? I was pinging for space bodies when it cut out.
You've blown a fuse.
You were with my daughter this morning.
I gave her a lift, yeah.
Were you with her last night? Alone with her? Hold on, Harry, just hang on.
You're up the wrong tree, matey.
Stay away, or I will give you more than a verbal battering.
You wouldn't want a ticket to his planet! What's his problem? He's been like that about Gagan since his wife died.
Why's he picking on me? Well, you're a plumber, aren't you? Oh, behave, George! I'm hardly working my way through the female population, am I? Mysteries Of The Cosmos - An Astrological Guide! You're not beginning to believe, are you? Just background.
Always been interested in planets, constellations.
Heavenly bodies? For instance, did you know Uranus is 14 times bigger than the Earth? Must we, Jones? (CHUCKLES) Oh, the report came back on Jeremy's laptop.
Techies said there's lots of downloads on it, but it's been encrypted.
They're from Harry's daughter, Gagan.
Star data, mathematical formulas, some they can't even crack.
They're working on it.
These have just come back from Forensics.
The fibres from the rock and those from the break-in are identical, some sort of hide-skin material, and the red pigment is a match.
No prints lifted from the scene? And so the likelihood is the perpetrator was wearing hide-skin gloves on both occasions.
That's all you're going to get.
But it does give us a tie-in between the robbery and the murder.
Yeah, and I looked into Mary's death, Catrina Harper's sister.
The pathologist believed the body was moved after her death.
Extraneous bruising on her arms.
Accident or murder? It was never resolved.
So, that's me.
You haven't forgotten my birthday bash.
Saturday, Half Moon Hotel.
No, the beer disposal squad will be there.
Wicked.
Dress to kill.
It will be a late one, I was born under a bad sign.
Remember, in the corpse position, to let your feet fall out to the side.
Yes, Sarah, good.
Palms upward, Catrina.
Yes.
Now move your fingers and toes.
Bring yourselves back to the present.
Knees to the chest.
Slowly.
Roll to the side and up into the seated position, and salutations, well done.
Good class, everyone.
(SOBS) Harry, may I have a word? See you next week.
Bye.
Sorry, sometimes it just It must be so terrible.
I only met Jeremy that one time.
Thank you.
He and I were going to be working on a story together, about the Observatory.
What What story? I shouldn't say.
Was it about Panelsun threatening to withdraw funding? Who told you that? Just something I heard.
You shouldn't repeat idle gossip, it can do a lot of damage! It's not true, then? No, it isn't! Excuse me.
Who did tell you that? Oh, rumours from the observatory canteen.
(PHONE RINGS) Lawrence Janson.
Oh, hi, this is Tanya Walker, deputy editor, Midsomer Mercury, hello.
I have a few questions for you, Doctor Janson, perhaps we could arrange a meeting.
You were working with Jeremy Harper before he died, weren't you? Sending him encrypted information.
Yes.
Not observatory date, surely? Why encrypted? Was it secret, confidential? The director, Lawrence, doesn't approve of making our data available to amateurs.
So you were trying to conceal what you were doing? It's crazy.
The information is there, why not use it? It's just data sharing.
Not data theft, then, because that would be an offence.
Look, I'm sure we can sort this out internally.
Please.
If you say so.
While we're on the subject of theft, where were you from midnight to 1:30am yesterday morning? Why? Because Stanton Museum was broken into.
Are you accusing me? Calm down.
She was here.
We were on night duty, working on observations together.
Right.
Well, that's all I need to ask you for now.
Thank you.
Thank you, Chief Inspector.
Sorry, and thanks.
I'll have to talk this over with Lawrence.
Oh, he's going to love it! He'll kill me for this.
Can I ask who told you this? You can ask, but we journalists never reveal our sources.
Hm! Tanya - may I call you Tanya? I appreciate it's your job to sell papers.
It's my job to keep the observatory on track.
Yes, of course.
You see, if our main funder pulls out, other funders could follow suit and there'd be no observatory.
It'll close down? Look, I'm begging you, Tanya, just put this on hold and in a few days I'll give you the whole story and more.
There's more? Listen, you stupid woman, this is business-sensitive information.
I've invested my whole career in this place and won't see you and your grubby rag bring it down.
I'll just say that you deny the story, then, is that right? No.
No.
A denial in the press is the kiss of death.
(DOOR OPENS) What's he doing here? Fixing the boiler.
I asked Peter here so that you and I wouldn't be alone.
He was listening in.
I couldn't help overhearing, now.
Ooh, I'll have to print the story now! There wouldn't be a story if Jeremy and the rest had kept out of it.
This is our village.
Who do you think you are, coming out of nowhere and lording it? You've got a surprise coming, a big surprise.
Astronomical science begins where your amateur stargazing ends.
The future of my observatory will be threatened over my dead body.
Can I quote you on that? Print one word of this and you'll live to regret it! (Thanks.
) How did you get the lowdown on Lawrence? Oh, a-ha! He's ruthless.
You tread carefully now we've crossed him.
I'm not wearing a leotard.
Harry says that the breath is what it's all about.
So, put your right leg in a bit and your left leg out.
No, no, no, this in and left out.
In-out, in-out, shake it all about? Be serious.
OK, now lie down.
(WHIMPERS) Palms up.
OK, now breathe in.
And breathe out.
(AUDIBLE BREATH) Just give way.
Give way.
Aw What are you thinking about? My driving instructor, she had exactly that tone of voice.
(Stop it!) OK, breathe, and feel the weight of your body.
And breathe.
(SYKES WHIMPERS) (SNORES) (CLANG AND RUMBLE) The police have just called me.
Were you aware Gagan has been downloading data to the amateurs? Not till today.
You're running a leaky ship, Adrian.
Someone's also leaked to the press about the Moonstone Ridge extension.
Have you told anyone? Well, I did mention it to Gagan, after your disgraceful display in response to her thesis.
Then why the hell - I felt she deserved some explanation.
I informed her of the pressure you're under.
So she's taken revenge because I dissed her lousy thesis.
She's upset, she's not vindictive.
Rejection's hard to take sometimes, Lawrence.
She's a thief.
Tell her I want to see her my office tomorrow morning.
I'm her tutor.
I'll talk to her.
All right.
But we need damage limitation.
I'm meeting Panelsun next week.
Calm down.
I'm sure all this is just temporary blip.
Nothing endures like the temporary.
We need to keep a lid on this.
We need to ensure Gagan is silenced.
(LAWRENCE'S FOOTSTEPS TAP ON THE METAL STAIRWELL) (TWIGS SNAP, THE BUSHES RUSTLE) Who's there? That's the spearhead that was stolen from the museum tearooms.
The entry wound angle suggests that the spear struck him while he was standing and he then collapsed.
Could he have pulled the spear out himself? That's possible.
It'd be an instinctive reaction.
But I suspect that it had pierced the left ventricle.
He wouldn't survive that.
There's red fibres on the spearhead.
So Jeremy's murder wasn't just a one-off, then.
(SIGHS) The body's been moved.
Positioned carefully.
Look at the legs.
The arm.
The spear lying above his head like that.
Something to do with the killer's MO? Usually it's a challenge.
'Catch me if you can'.
Can I have your clipboard? Of course, sir.
Thank you.
I've found Peter's work diary, sir.
His last call was at Tanya Walker's who I think works at the Mercury.
Well done.
You pay a visit to Tanya at the Mercury.
Hold everything, Tanya.
Peter Groves has been killed.
What? When? Last night.
The milkman found him this morning and he rang George.
The police are up at Peter's place now.
That's terrible.
I know.
But pull yourself together, Tanya.
He was killed with a spear.
Which is amazing, because according to his chart, Mars is in the ascendant.
Mars.
The God of War.
Whose symbol is what? A spear! That's weird.
You might almost say it's predictable.
You might even say that I foretold his death.
(SNORTS) Make a cracking headline.
All right.
All right.
We'll go with it.
And then I want you to predict dark times ahead for Stanton.
I've found out that the observatory might lose its funding.
There's 20-odd villagers who work up there who will lose their jobs.
I'll say the observatory is on the skids and your predictions were spot on.
Oh, that's perfect.
Poor Peter.
Yeah, but this is career gold, Tanya.
Cheer up.
Before you know it, we'll be on the national news.
The Sun, The Star.
The sky's the limit! Tanya Walker? Yes.
I'm Detective Sergeant Jones.
Causton CID.
Sorry, I'm in a tearing hurry.
Lunch in town with my editor.
I understand Peter Groves was at your house last night.
Yes.
He fixed my boiler.
What time did he leave? About half seven.
I appreciate you're investigating his murder.
Who told you he was murdered? Mags.
Mystic Mags.
In fact, she predicted it.
Extraordinary.
You can read about it in tomorrow's Mercury.
(RADIO IN BACKGROUND) RADIO: Local plumber Peter Grove was found early this morning.
Foul play is suspected.
Police haven't issued a statement yet.
Gentlemen, come inside.
Inspector! I'll join you in a moment.
Any idea who killed Peter? You suspect someone? Yes.
Harry.
The chemist.
He had a set-to with Peter yesterday.
He thought he was banging his daughter, Gagan.
And I saw Harry a few nights back up on Moonstone Ridge with Jeremy's wife Catrina.
Is this to do with the death of Mary Dutta, Harry's wife? You and Jeremy were there at the party on the night she died, weren't you? Her body was moved, I understand.
Apparently.
Nothing happened at the party, I swear.
But Harry's always blaming us.
Now he thinks that something like that is gonna happen to Gagan.
Mad.
Hm.
Almost as mad as Mags claiming to have predicted both Jeremy and Peter's murders.
She's an astrologist.
She despises us as amateur star watchers.
Mags is a charlatan but it pays the rent.
Where were you last night, George? There was a transit of Venus.
I was here.
All night.
It keeps me out of the house.
Have a good look at Harry, Chief Inspector.
Something's snapped.
I'm telling you.
He's lost it.
There you are.
Mars is in the ascendant in the Eighth House of Peter's zodiac.
That's it? You're calling that a prediction in tomorrow's paper? And I warned Peter about it.
He would tell you.
If he wasn't dead.
Yes.
Did you know that I know your gran? What? Your gran.
She came to see me last week for a reading.
She told me your birth date and that you were born Hang on.
I don't need my stars read.
Ooh, yes you do.
I can tell.
You're curious.
We all are.
No.
No.
I'm not.
Your birth date, anybody's birth date, is like the vintages of wine.
Some are priceless.
Some are plonk.
So what's mine come out as, then? Oh.
Oh, I see.
You are curious.
Well, astrology is like soul gazing.
I mean, is there nothing that you would really, really like to know? Yeah.
Who's gonna win the 3:30 at Ascot? I could tell you something more important that that.
I could tell you your fate.
(GATE CREAKS) (BELL TOLLS) Police.
Quick! Please! Stay away, I've called the police.
Police? I wasn't following you.
OPERATOR: Are you there? I was out for a run.
Stay back.
You're getting paranoid.
You're out of your depth.
Can you hear me, madam? And soon you'll be out of a job Tanya.
Are you all right, madam? No.
Sorry.
I'm fine.
It's a false alarm.
So, Sarah tells me you've been meditating, Inspector.
Yes.
Loving it.
Excellent.
I understand you had an altercation with Peter Groves yesterday.
Yes.
Hot words were exchanged.
Do you have daughters, gentlemen? No.
Then you will not know.
You try and keep your eyes on them but you cannot cover every corner of the universe.
Gagan is 21.
A dangerous age for a woman.
Men have come little further since we lived up trees.
They are all stones made from the same mountain.
So, you accused Peter of consorting with her? Yes.
I had to intervene.
No use letting your house get on fire then digging away.
No.
I suppose not.
Did Peter tell you of this argument or was it George? Yes.
George was there.
And where were you after 7:30 last night, Harry? I was alone.
Contemplating.
These are dark times, Inspector.
The Kali Yoga Cycle.
But it will be followed by the Cycle of Light.
The Age of Aquarius.
Jeremy and Peter won't be here to enjoy it.
Oh yes, they will.
We are all born again.
To die is nothing.
Just a step towards rebirth.
Do you think he seriously believes in rebirth and all that? Oh, Harry's deadly serious.
It's basic to his faith.
I didn't know you'd gone all yogic, sir.
Meditating? It was Sarah's idea.
Blue sky thinking.
You should try it, Jones.
(BUSHES RUSTLE) Hello? Is somebody there? That's the Moonstone Disc stolen from the museum with the spearhead.
He's honed the edges.
Razor sharp.
Lethal weapon.
Sliced open his carotid artery.
Cause of death? Well, there wasn't a great deal of blood so it's possible he had a cardiac arrest triggered by the attack.
He's obese.
Time of death? Between 10 and midnight.
I won't know exactly till I get him back on the slab.
Looks like the same red fibres on the murder weapon.
It's the same hand did this.
I don't doubt it.
The body's not been positioned like the previous victim.
The rock, the spearhead and now this disc.
All from Moonstone Ridge.
Maybe that's the signature.
The neighbours are pretty spooked, sir.
Think these murders are to do with the Moonstone Curse.
They were all in bed behind locked doors.
Saw nothing.
Heard nothing.
Mags found the body this morning.
Pop in and ask her where she was between 10 and midnight.
Think she's a possible, sir? Well, she claims to have predicted two murders.
And now her husband's turned up dead.
So you were in here between 10 and midnight? ErII I'm sorry.
Take your time.
Erwell, I was working.
I didn't hear a thing.
And George was alone in the shed? Alone with a bottle of whisky.
Yes.
George has been back on the drink ever since Jeremy died.
He used to be a big boozer.
George was the reason that pubs invented closing time.
Yup.
There.
See? I logged off at 3:22am.
Actually, I was casting your star chart.
Would you like to see it? No, thank you.
You should.
It's very interesting.
You have a lot to look forward to.
See.
Venus is passing through your 11th House just now turning on your love light.
You need to get your affairs in order.
I'm not having an affairs.
Well, you will soon.
You'll have a close encounter with one you have been fantasizing about.
Era female colleague at work? Possibly.
Oh? And the 11.
The number 11 is significant.
Is it a house number? Or the alphabet? A,B,C,D,E,F Does the letter K mean anything? Does it describe her? Sadly, the elements don't often reveal the physical but .
.
you should take extra care this weekend with your appearance.
Let your passion shine through.
(MOBILE RINGS) Excuse me.
Yes, sir.
Yeah, I'll be with you in a tick.
ErmI have to go.
Why don't you take this with you? Thanks.
Be immortal for as long as you live, Sergeant.
Because nothing is more certain in life than that it will end in death.
See you at the weekend, Kate.
I hope so.
Oh, there's something I just can't Let it go, John.
There's something I'm missing about the killer's signature.
I just can't I can't see it.
My head's spinning.
So you need to calm down.
Be still and clear your mind.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Just try and visualize, OK? So the Earth is rotating at 1,000 miles per hour.
Which spinning at 60,000 miles an hour around the sun.
Which is travelling at 500,000 miles an hour through the universe.
How does that make you feel? Even dizzier.
Darling, this is useless unless you go with it.
Open your mind to it.
Give me your hands.
Right.
Take a deep breath with me.
(BOTH INHALE AND EXHALE) Now close your eyes and visualize.
Can you feel the energy flowing? Yes, a definite rush of blood.
(SYKES BARKS) Quiet, Sykes.
Close your eyes.
I don't think we need an audience for this, do we, darling? No, we don't.
(MOBILE TRILLS) Yes, Jones.
No.
I'll handle it.
Sorry.
Sorry.
Well, Sykesy, it's you and me again.
What are we doing up here? I always come up to the Ridge to do my thinking.
Talk to my mum.
This is where they found her.
What's this about? I'm frightened.
He's killed Jeremy, Peter and George.
He'll come after me.
Who'll come after you? Lawrence.
I'm sure it's him.
Why would he do that? The four of us had been working together for nearly a year.
Using the data I downloaded.
Jeremy had spotted light variations on a distant star some time ago.
You've lost me.
What does that mean? It suggests something is orbiting.
Coming between the star and us.
Momentarily.
As it passes.
Something like what? A planet.
We believed we'd discovered a new planet orbiting a distant star.
And you kept that a secret? Why? We were waiting for confirmation.
For its transit to come back round.
It's due to pass again some time tomorrow.
Who else knew about this? No-one.
Just us four.
But maybe Lawrence found out what we had discovered.
The last thing he'd want is me and a bunch of amateurs finding a new planet.
He despises me! I'm terrified.
Morning, Sir.
How did it go with Gagan? She's convinced this is Lawrence.
Leave that and go and find him, Jones.
Get him in for questioning.
Yes, sir.
He's in Birmingham at a conference.
He'll be back later this afternoon.
Ask him to give me a call, will you? Certainly.
Thanks.
(TAPS IN NUMBERS ON PHONE) Lawrence, the police were here to speak to you.
No, I told them nothing about it.
You disappoint me.
What are you talking about? I found these prophylactics in your bag the other day.
You searched my bag? They fell out before me.
As if by fate.
Warning me.
It's none of your business.
I know a young woman feels the urge to merge I don't want to discuss it! Was it Peter? Was it him? I saw you going with him.
Peter was gay and very happy about it.
I can't be doing with this, Dad.
Peter is dead and I'm freaked, OK? I stole stuff from the observatory.
Stole? It was data.
Knowledge.
You said knowledge should be shared by all.
You should have told me.
It was a secret.
But nothing else was going on there between us, Dad.
I promise you.
Gagan, don't get upset.
It's just that I have to care for you.
It's my duty to your mother.
I promised to her spirit.
Look, I've got a tutorial with Adrian.
Can I borrow the car? Yes.
Yes, of course.
Thanks, Dad.
Love you.
Lawrence was furious.
He's convinced you leaked to the press and you and the village amateurs are hell-bent on bringing him and the observatory down.
There's hardly any members of the Astronomical Society left.
They've all been murdered.
I think I know who by.
Who? I can't tell you.
I'm frightened.
Of course you are.
We all are.
These deaths are a terrifying tragedy.
They're nothing to do with you.
I'm certain.
I'm sorry to lay this on you.
I'm glad you have.
I'd better go.
Why? Where are you going? I need a thinking walk on the Ridge.
Talk to Mum.
Well, be careful.
Thanks.
These murder weapons - the rock, spear and the disc Hush, Jones.
I'm trying to visualize.
Sorry, sir.
I wonder.
The Moonstone disc and the picture in the museum catalogue are different.
Can you see? No.
On the disc, the murder weapon, there's an arrangement of gold dots.
Which is barely visible in the photograph in the catalogue.
Yeah.
You're right.
So the dots on the disc must have been polished up after the disc was stolen.
This is the outline of Peter's body as it was found.
This is the pattern of the dots that now appear on the disc.
That's the same pattern.
These aren't just dots, Jones.
These are stars.
This is a constellation.
The constellation of Scorpio.
My sign.
This is classical serial killer behaviour.
The killer didn't start with the signature game until after the first murder.
'Catch me if you can'.
Bring up the suspect profiles.
See if there's a Scorpio birthday amongst them.
October 24th to November 21st.
Harry, no.
Adrian, no.
Trina, no.
Yes.
Lawrence.
His is a Scorpio birth date.
Hang on, sir.
Mags is a Scorpio too.
Ah.
Right.
Lawrence will have to keep till he comes back from his conference.
Mags we can tackle now.
I told you.
I didn't see what happened to Jeremy.
And you've no alibi for the time of Peter's death or your husband George's.
I was here.
I got the impression you and George weren't exactly a marriage made in heaven.
No.
As the old joke goes, 'I can remember our wedding as if it were yesterday if it were tomorrow, I wouldn't turn up'.
Were you aware that George, Jeremy and Peter believed they'd discovered a new planet with Gagan? No.
He never said anything like that.
Of course, George had been in a black hole lately.
He was drinking like in the old days.
You are a Scorpio.
Oh, yes.
Secretive, passionate .
.
dangerous.
We are both all of those things, Inspector.
You told me that in the days after the eclipse, chaos prevails.
And look what happened.
I mean, the Zodiac doesn't lie.
Three murders.
Mary's death 15 years.
If you know any secret, any betrayal, that must out, now is the time to be true to your stars.
I did some more digging on Lawrence, sir.
Checked the local who's who on the Mercury website.
He's more than just a jogger.
He won last year's Midsomer athletics decathlon.
So? Well, there are 10 events in the decathlon, right? Yeah.
Most are running events but three are the shot put, the javelin and the discus.
OK.
Our three murder weapons are a rock as heavy as a shot put, a spear and the moonstone disc.
And he's a Scorpio.
Gagan was convinced he'd found out about their discovery of a new planet.
Maybe he's trying to get the kudos anyway he can.
It's possible.
And if Lawrence is back from his conference, let's put it to him.
Right.
According to the Mercury, you won last year's decathlon at the Midsomer Games.
Yes, that's right.
And you were at the eclipse on Moonstone Ridge when Jeremy Harper was killed.
Along with everyone else.
I've already told you this, haven't I, Chief Inspector? Yes, sir.
You were having an affair with Jeremy's wife, weren't you? Was I? Jeremy found out, didn't he? That's why he threatened your funding.
I don't think so, Sergeant.
Well, let's talk about Peter Groves, then.
Tanya Walker says you had an altercation with him at her house the night he died.
A robust discussion.
I was actually quite fond of Peter.
He had an interest in the extra terrestrial.
Did you know that Jeremy, Peter, George and Gagan believed they'd discovered a new planet.
No.
No.
It's news to me.
I had no idea.
Oh, you knew.
You were openly hostile to the local amateurs.
Three of whom are now dead.
Is that an accusation? It's an observation.
George Dormer was killed two days ago between the hours of 10 and midnight.
Where were you, Doctor? Emergency meeting with the executors from Panelsun International and the University Board discussing funding.
The meeting was due to finish at 11pm but went on till 1pm before we reached agreement.
I'm sure they'll vouch for me.
I did not kill Jeremy or Peter or George.
This conversation, I think, is over.
She phoned me yesterday and said she was going to go up north to see her uncle but sheer made a no-show there.
I called all night.
No answer.
And you found the car here this morning? I was frantic.
I drove around everywhere.
When exactly did you last see her? Yesterday afternoon, she went to see her tutor Adrian.
You shoulder You should question him.
Why is that? He and Gagan .
.
I saw them together at his cottage.
Sir! Excuse me.
It's a scorpion, sir.
Found it in the car.
They think it's harmless.
It's been left here as a signature, then.
Not an attempt to kill Gagan.
Anything else? All the electrics in the car have failed.
The battery's drained.
It's like one of my gran's tales.
Spooky, eh? Just been moonstruck, Jones? Something out there? No, the lights were left on.
It could be that, couldn't it? Gagan is missing, Professor.
Her car was found abandoned.
Missing? Her father says that she visited you here yesterday.
Sheer She did, yes.
She was very upset.
Do you usually hold tutorials at your cottage? Work so intimately with your students? Closely.
Yes.
Mathematics requires intense focus.
But you are particularly close to Gagan.
I admire her.
Her father says it's more than that.
He saw you here with her yesterday.
What? How? Is it true? She She did have something of a crush on me.
Yes.
It happens with students.
It's no more than that.
She kissed me goodbye and left.
Did she say where she was going? On to the Ridge for a walk.
(MOBILE RINGS) Sorry.
I need to take this.
Hi.
Just hang on a sec.
For the record, what time did she leave you here yesterday? Erabout four o'clock.
You haven't seen or heard from her since? No.
Gagan is very special.
She's my star pupil, Inspector.
I do hope you can find her unharmed.
(KETTLE WHISTLES) Is she with you now? OK.
We'll be 10 minutes.
Mystic Mags just walked into the station.
Says she wants to confess.
Officers present - DCI Barnaby and DS Jones.
Suspect present - Margaret Dormer.
Ah, well, it all started at a party at our house.
All those years ago.
What happened? Erm We drank enough between us to fill a bath.
George, Jeremy and Mary and me.
And she and I got into a stupid row.
About what? Oh.
She was a keen astronomer.
She said that what I did was hogwash.
I shouted.
She pushed me and I grabbed her.
She tripped and fell down the stairs.
She was dead.
I didn't mean to.
It was a complete accident.
We all agreed to say that Mary had been fine when she left the party.
And then George took the body on to the Ridge.
And you all stuck to that story? When you start something like that, there's no stop button, is there? You were right, Inspector.
I read my chart.
It was written in the stars.
I know you think I'm batty.
Living on a different planet.
But, I mean, is the world you live in really any saner? I doubt whether the CPS will prosecute Mags.
Both key witnesses are dead.
Whoever killed them and Peter has been muddying the waters and playing games with us.
The weapons.
The Scorpio signatures.
Sir.
What? Gagan's mobile provider sent through a list of her calls.
Her last call was yesterday.
4:45 to Adrian.
He told me his last contact with her was at four o'clock.
Well, that's a lie.
So she called Harry to tell him she was heading up north then she called Adrian to tell him she was leaving.
Yes.
Yes! The first time I met Adrian, he talked about the Uncertainty Principle.
He said how we look at things affects what we believe we see.
We have been steered to look at this so that we would believe that Lawrence is our man.
Adrian's boss.
But Adrian has an alibi for the night the Moonstone Disc was stolen.
He gave Gagan that alibi when I was quizzing her about stealing data.
They were lovers.
She thought he was covering for her.
Actually, he was creating an alibi for himself.
We need to find Gagan now.
And pray that she's still alive.
I'm sorry it had to be like this.
I'd hoped we might collaborate.
You knew about the new planet all along? I hacked your computer but I couldn't locate the exact star you'd been monitoring.
You killed people, Adrian.
Just to get the glory of claiming a new discovery.
What about me? I needed you alive, Gagan.
I've been chasing shadows.
Show me the star.
(DOOR HATCH OPENS) No sign of him.
Come and look at this.
In one of the sheds.
There.
There.
The light's dipped.
Definite transit.
Congratulations.
Her coat.
You were right, sir.
As soon as Adrian knew she was headed up north, he grabbed her.
Well, where are they? The planet.
The new planet.
Gagan said its orbit would be confirmed tonight.
The observatory.
No.
No.
Too public.
The Astrodome.
Moonstone Ridge.
You can claim the planet.
I don't care.
I'll say nothing.
I swear.
I could trust you.
This could be our planet.
But I trusted Lawrence once.
He was my student.
My star pupil.
Just like you.
And he cheated me of the directorship.
Please, Adrian! That's Adrian's car.
Check in the Astrodome.
I'll call my new planet Gagandipika in memory of you.
This is madness.
No.
No.
Adrian! Open up! Open up! Police! Police! Open up! Adrian, open the door now! Open up! Police! Open up! Open the door! Open up! Open the door! That's him.
Go get him.
Please! Gagan! Gagan! Gagan, can you hear me?! (ENGINE TURNS OVER BUT DOESN'T SPARK INTO LIFE) Start, damn you! Start! It's not going anywhere, Adrian.
And neither are you.
I'm sorry, Dad.
I'm sorry.
It's OK.
You're safe now.
Weird how Adrian's car wouldn't start.
The Moonstone Curse, sir.
Could be.
Or it could be that I nicked the rotor arm out of his engine.
Home.
Are you going out on an undercover job? No, it's Kate's birthday, sir.
Ah.
She said come dressed to kill.
What do you think? I'm sure you'll knock 'em dead.
You left this in the car.
So, you had Mags do your chart? No.
No.
It's a wind-up.
It's rubbish.
Got my details off my gran.
Oh, I thought it was interesting.
She predicts a close encounter for you this weekend.
Yeah.
I'll probably crash the car.
(CHUCKLES) So you're not up for this, then? Ermno.
Sarah and I thought we'd have a quiet night in.
Just the two of us and a scented candle.
Well, have a good one.
You too, Jones.
Whatever fate awaits you.
Star chart? No, thank you.
Thank you.
(CHATTER) Your lenses fit in the eye sockets.
They are a bargain - £3.
50.
(SCOFFS) And you can watch the eclipse on the viewing card there.
It's dangerous to look directly at the sun.
And you mustn't use binoculars or a telescope without one of these filters, all right? Free, courtesy of the observatory.
Thank you! Star chart reading, Professor? Every life's an uncertain mystery, just waiting to be solved.
No, thank you.
Believe it or leave it but give it a read.
Right.
Peter! Have you seen Jeremy? He's in the astrodome, I think.
Right.
.
.
Stars oscillation is inversely proportional to the square root of its density.
So, when the - You've lost me, Gagan, I'm having complete brain failure.
It's great.
When was the astrodome built, Jeremy? 1936 by Tom Stanton, a local landowner.
He was a keen amateur astronomer.
Is it still being used by the amateurs? Yes, although - Ahem! We need to speak.
In private.
Catch me later.
I've got a much bigger story for you.
No consultation, no discussion, just sheer damned arrogance.
You should have come to me before firing off letters! I will write to who the hell I like.
You've crossed a line, Jeremy.
Keep your nose out.
It's not going to happen, Lawrence.
The university has no right.
Darling? Don't darling me.
What's going on? Does he know? No.
He's got that to come.
Gagan.
Amazing.
How weird is that? Ominously strange.
(BIRDSONG) (WOMAN SCREAMS) (SCREAM) It's over there, I think.
What is it, what's up? There! Aged 42.
From Midsomer Stanton.
His wife Katrina is up there.
The other lady is Margaret Dormer, known as Mystic Mags, does readings, star chart stuff.
The rock cracked his head open like a coconut.
Feel the weight.
That Mystic Mags says it's a meteorite.
Who's going to believe that? It's possible.
This has a magnetic end.
(CLICK CONTACT) Huh! See? Could be a meteorite.
It will need testing.
And there are traces of red fibre.
Gloves, or maybe some sort of material used to wrap the rock before wielding it.
Peter Groves, a local plumber, says Jeremy had a row with Lawrence Janson, director of the university observatory.
Doesn't know what about, though.
OK, bag and tag everything and get it over to Forensics.
Thank you, madam.
Oh, Chief Inspector Barnaby.
Have we met before? I've seen your picture in the paper times enough.
I work for the Mercury.
I do the horoscopes, births, marriages anddeaths.
What can you tell me about Mr Harper's death? (SIGHS) During a total eclipse of the sunchaos prevails.
For days, secrets and betrayals will out.
And what exactly did you see? The sun had gone and then I heard a sort of era crack then a thud and I looked down.
He was lyingdead.
Moonstone Ridge is cursed.
Really? With all your powers of divination, perhaps you can tell me who did this.
No.
No, I foretell the future, Inspector.
The past, and all its mysteries, is your department.
What are we going to do? Will you wait! How long? I calculate seven days, then we'll know for sure.
Gagan! My dad.
Run me to the university, Pete.
Like, now.
Gagan! Have a day off, Harry, will you? My gran used to tell us bedtime stories about the curse of Moonstone Ridge.
What is this curse? Strange visitors, she said.
Cars conking out suddenly, people moonstruck, like the walking dead.
Scared us sleepless.
I've given Jeremy's laptop and mobile to your people.
Thank you, Mrs Harper.
Are you sure you're OK to answer a few questions for us? I'm fine.
So, you and your husband Jeremy ran the tea rooms? And the museum.
We live here on a sort of grace and favour basis.
Jeremy'sWAS chair of the parish council.
Tom Stanton, that's him in the photo, left the place to the parish to house his bits and pieces.
Ah, the Stanton Bequest.
Yes.
He also gifted Moonstone Ridge, the Stanton Astrodome and the land for the university observatory.
I work there part time.
Secretary to the director, Lawrence Janson.
What can you tell us about him? He's a workaholic.
The observatory's his life.
It says here these rocks are lunar fragments.
There was a meteor shower up on the Ridge many moons ago.
The spear heads and the moonstone discs were also found up there.
It's a Bronze Age site.
Your husband was also an enthusiastic astronomer.
A passionate amateur.
Wedded to star watching.
Chair of the Astronomical Society and the Heritage Society.
Jeremy always had more pies than fingers to put in them.
He liked to run things.
Peter Groves, the plumber.
He said he witnessed a row between your husband and Lawrence Janson at the eclipse.
Yes.
It was Sorry.
Would you like to stop? No, no! I This is hard.
You see, my sister Mary was found dead up on the Ridge.
Years ago.
I I'm sorry.
(BELL RINGS) You question Peter again.
I'll tackle Lawrence.
And look into the death of her sister.
If the rock that killed Jeremy was a lunar fragment, like those in the museum, you could say he'd been moonstruck.
Hm? The Moonstone Curse, sir, maybe there's something in it.
So, Delta P equals MPC cubed, which also equals the sum of delta by the sum of MPC equals delta by MC squared to the power of two over MPC cubed, where MP is mass of the proton and D is energy.
Very interesting.
Let me have a read of your thesis and I'll get back to you.
That's all.
Great.
Yes.
Thanks, Lawrence.
You encouraging her in this? No, it's all her own work.
The girl has a brain the size of a planet.
And an ego to match.
The arrogance of youth, perhaps.
But such an elegant critique of your theory.
This is no time for anything that undermines me or the prestige of the observatory and you know the trouble we're in since Harper shot his mouth off.
That's an administrative problem.
Gagan's mathematics are consummate.
Pure science! That's all that matters to me.
So, what's a plumber doing with a dish like that? A radio telescope, bounces deep space signals back into the feed.
Signals from what? Stars, planets, galaxies.
Little brown dwarfs.
Any little green men been in touch? There's a billion galaxies in the multiverse, Sergeant.
Odds on someone's trying to reach us.
You really believe that? We've had UFOs on Moonstone Ridge.
And then, of course, there are the visitors.
What sort of visitors? Extra-terrestrials.
Moon-like faces, or so they say.
(WEARY SIGH) You told me you'd seen Jeremy having an argument with Lawrence Janson before he was murdered.
Yeah.
I've no idea what about.
You were friends with Jeremy, though, in the astronomy society.
I think 'friends' is over-egging it.
Never really got close to Jeremy.
We worked on stuff together.
Him, George Dormer, Gagan and me.
Analysing data sets from space missions.
Telescope downloads.
Can you think of any reason why someone would want to kill him? He was a top-class pain.
But no, it's probably just some nutter.
There's plenty of them out there.
Yeah, I meet a lot of them in my line of work.
(CLOSE ENCOUNTERS RINGTONE) Sorry, ET calling.
Excuse me.
Aquarian Systems.
Ah, yes, hello there Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby.
Lawrence Janson, Director.
This is Professor Adrian Sharp.
Hello.
Ah! Are you familiar with the uncertainty principle, Chief Inspector? UmI'm not really sure! (CHUCKLES) Prime law of quantum physics - how you look at things affects what you believe you see.
That's also the first law of criminal investigation, Professor.
Ah, yes.
Just one moment.
Doctor Janson, I understand you had an argument with Jeremy Harper on Moonstone Ridge just before the eclipse.
Er, yes.
Handbags at ten paces stuff.
Jeremy was always picking a fight.
About what? He was hostile to certain developments we have in mind for the Ridge.
ErChief Inspector, the rock your forensics people sent us for examination.
It's definitely a meteorite.
I'll leave you with Adrian, Chief Inspector.
It has a dark crust caused by the friction heat of atmospheric entry.
Very dense matter, probably iron and nickel.
There's megatons of metal floating about out there.
Carbon compressed to its deepest density, sucked into black holes.
Which is probably where our own planet will end its days.
A cheery thought.
Depends how you look at it.
In the final analysis, we're all stardust.
Jones, find out some more about Lawrence Janson.
Oh, and erm, check out Panelsun International while you're about it.
Where's the damn story, Tanya, where's the grabby headline? Well, it's a murder, Mr Clough.
That's yesterday's news.
It's going to be all over the telly.
Get ahead of the curve! You should be digging, not sat in here bump-starting your brain.
Yes, Mr Clough.
I'll find a story.
You couldn't find your backside with the light on, Tanya.
And as for you, Mystic Mags, our readers don't want all this guff about 'global community of awakened souls'.
They want to know if they're going to cop off with a tall dark stranger who's heaven on earth.
Spice it up, love! Right, got you, yes.
This newspaper is on the edge.
Simple as a pimple, ladies, boost circulation or your future is going to be in the past.
The pair of you.
Philistine! (DOOR SLAMS) (SCOFFS) Oh, but he's right.
We need a new angle on this murder story.
OK.
I have got an idea which I think will raise a few eyebrows.
Take a look at this.
Anything more on Peter the plumber? He's on a planet with the pixies, sir.
Spent most of the time talking about extra-terrestrial life.
Ah, the Goldilocks zone.
Not heard of it, Jones? Are we on the three bears now? (CHUCKLES) The theory that life may exist on a habitable planet somewhere out there, one that's not too small and not too big and not too hot and not too cold, but just right.
Huh.
Lawrence Janson took over the Observatory three years ago.
And Panelsun International? He brought them in.
Big solar energy company, very green, environmentalist outfit.
They gifted the Observatory a three year grant of two million quid.
So, that funding's up for renewal.
Could be, yeah.
And I ran through Jeremy's mobile.
There's a few threatening emails on there to Lawrence.
Threatening what? Apparently, Jeremy got wind that Lawrence planned to close down the old Stanton Astrodome and build a new university facility on part of Moonstone Ridge.
Jeremy wrote to Panelsun and threatened a mass campaign against it.
Oh, so that's what their row was about then.
Lawrence would be furious, Jeremy was threatening his funding.
And I read through the files on Catrina's sister, Mary.
She was married to Harmendra Dutta, a local chemist.
Her body was found on Moonstone Ridge 15 years ago.
Kate's checking the pathology reports.
There were suspicions - Have you seen the paper, Jones? 'Mercury's Mystic Mags predicted Murder on Moonstone Ridge.
' Mystic Mags told our reporter that Jeremy Harper's death was written in the stars.
That's baloney.
She was standing closest to Jeremy when he was killed.
Maybe she knows more than she's said.
Why did you do it? I had to.
It's murder, Mags.
If the police start digging into the past who knows where it will lead? They won't find out.
How can they? It's not a clever stroke to pull.
Not clever at all.
Have you put my diary somewhere? It's in the hall by the phone.
Ah, there it is.
Thank you, darling.
Oh, sorry, sorry.
Um My mobile, I can't find my mobile anywhere.
Mine's on the desk, ring yours and you'll find it.
Ah.
And you call yourself a detective! Breathe! Stop stressing.
I'm breathing, I'm breathing.
(PHONE RINGS) Ah! Got it.
Thanks, darling.
Bye! I've got yoga after school.
Uh, yeah.
I'll cook.
Sorry to crash your karma.
Bye.
Right, Sykes.
George, the police are coming round.
That's probably them now.
I told you they'd start digging around.
I'll be in my shed.
You were in your shed all last night.
I was on moon watch, you have to do it in the dark.
I wouldn't mind a husband whose idea of 'doing it in the dark' was a bit more exciting than staring at the bloody moon.
Hello, Inspector.
Come in.
You predicted Jeremy's murder.
Yes, that's right.
Crystal ball, was it, or did you read his tea leaves? I'm an astrologer, Sergeant, not a fairground fortune teller.
What exactly is the difference? Astrology is the application of cosmic principles to everyday life.
We are what our stars make us.
Scorpio, right? Was that a guess? You're a police officer - Scorpio forever chases Orion The Hunter, the killer, across the night skies.
Ah.
So, you drew up Jeremy's star chart for him before his death? No, it was his wife Catrina who came to me for a reading.
Is the a regular of yours? No, but she had some domestic turbulence, shall we say? I told her that her nearest and dearest were in danger.
Is that the extent of your prediction? I was right, wasn't I? May I see this star chart, please? No, sorry, it's confidential.
Confidential? It's on the front page of the newspaper.
You're just drumming up business for yourself.
I have had one or two extra bookings on the strength of it.
Is it true you were with Catrina's sister Mary the night she died? Well, it was 15 years ago.
There was a party here.
Mary left, when home to Harry, her husband, and that was the last we ever saw of her.
Hm.
Well, thank you.
I'm sure we'll be seeing you again soon.
But, presumably, you already knew that.
I'm sorry you're not a believer, Sergeant.
You should explore your star chart one of these days.
The unexamined life is not worth living.
I was fuming when I read it.
I phoned Mags, told her off a strip.
So her prediction was bogus, then? No.
She did tell me someone very close to me was in mortal danger.
Mags mentioned some domestic troubles.
Jeremy and I Our marriage was never easy.
Jeremy didn't want a partner, he wanted a mouse-wife who'd never challenge him.
We found some emails on Jeremy's phone, about the University Observatory's plans to extend onto Moonstone Ridge.
He went into my laptop, found several letters I'd typed for Lawrence about the plans.
That's why they were at loggerheads.
Is that the only reason? Yes.
Look, Chief Inspector, this funding problem, it's not public.
There are delicate negotiations involved.
About your sister Mary - (BELL RINGS) I don't know what happened to her.
Please excuse me.
Of course, and thank you for being so frank with us.
She's lying.
How's that, sir? What kind of husband searches through his wife's email? The kind that thinks she was having an affair? Wouldn't be the first time a secretary and her boss had got together.
Maybe it's Lawrence, then.
Crime of passion.
But it's weird, sir, Mags predicting Jeremy's death like that, and she knew you were a Scorpio.
Maybe she does have mystic powers.
Right.
Harry the chemist next, sir.
Or Mags fulfilled her own prophecy to boost her business.
What, Mags killed Jeremy? Well, stranger things have happened when the moon's full and the rent's due.
I was studying the eclipse as part of my PhD.
I just heard a scream and Jeremy was lying there.
Awful.
You knew him? From the Astronomical Society, yes.
Sorry, I need to get these prescriptions out.
Fine.
Thank you.
Here, just in case.
Thanks.
She works so hard, helping me out as well as doing her studies.
Your daughter's name is? Gagan, short for Gagandipika - lamp of the heavens.
She is the light of my life.
You were also up at the eclipse? Yes, but I saw no more than she.
And she's your daughter from your first wife, is that right? My only wife.
Since Mary died I've been wedded to a single life.
I understand there was some question around her death.
Mary was at a party at the Dormers.
Jeremy was there.
Alcohol to them is what water is to fish.
They all lie together about what happened to Mary and now that same astronomical set has pulled in my daughter, Chief Inspector.
I just can't believe it's happened.
No.
The police were here twice, asking about you and Jeremy.
You didn't tell them about us? No.
I thought that'd make them suspect you more.
Suspect me? Jeremy was a bumptious prat but - (BELL RINGS) (I certainly didn't kill him.
) You don't think I did it? No.
I'm not accusing you, no, but - But what? That I no more killed Jeremy, darling, than you did.
Course not.
I'm sorry, I Yeah, it's OK.
Though you were right not to mention this to the police.
What good would it do, hm? Come here.
And from the warrior into the triangle.
And reach for the sky.
And back into the warrior.
Yes.
And hold on the outward breath.
And relax.
Sit, please.
We spoke last week of the three rhythms of life.
The drawing of breath, the beats of the heart, the waves of the brain.
Today we will activate the third chakra, the energy of will, power, and self confidence.
Place your palms on your stomach, like so, and rotate them gently clockwise.
And repeat: I am powerful.
CLASS: I am powerful.
I am the will of creating whatever I desire.
I am the will of creating whatever I desire.
I desire my tea and biscuits.
Quiet, please.
Goodbye.
Goodbye.
How are your spirits? Struggling.
A walk and a talk later? Yeah, I'd like that.
I'll call you.
Where are you going? I'll be out tonight.
When will you be back? Is this a quiz? Don't be facetious.
I'll be back in my own good time.
(RUMBLING) (HUMS) (BEEP) (CATRINA TREMBLES) Come, you're shaking like an onion paper.
Let me help you.
PleaseHarry, don't.
I've loved you a long time and never reached the end of hope.
And I respect you deeply but I don't I'm in a mess.
I've been having an affair.
What? My boss at the Observatory.
Lawrence Janson.
The thing is, I haven't told the police about him and me.
I panicked, I was afraid they'd think I was involved.
Involved? Jeremy was I can't believe it was Lawrence.
Janson is a snake.
I don't know what to do.
You mind is muddled.
You must think straight.
Tell the police your fears.
Fate is not in the stars but in the choices we make.
And a man can kill for love.
Reading your horoscope? Uh-huh.
It says with your moon moving into Libra and Venus squaring Saturn, exp- uh! - expect the unexpected in you and your partner's lovelife.
Oh, sounds promising.
What's Scorpio? Erm Jupiter and Saturn promise a change in your beliefs today, a spark of interest in a new philosophy or spiritual tradition.
Oh! Complete twaddle.
Yoga! I told you this morning.
That you need to de-stress, learn to meditate and visualise.
Do you think Sykes meditates when he stares into space like that? What's he thinking about? Food.
(CHUCKLES) Probably.
All right, I'll try it, I will.
Really? OK.
Well, how about now? I can show you.
No, no, not now.
Well, why not now? Well, I'mexpecting the unexpected.
It's an eccentric orbit, it makes calculations double difficult.
It's only five more days, George.
Have you processed the last data sets I downloaded to you? No, Jeremy was going to do that.
OK, I'm on it.
It said in the Mercury your wife predicted Jeremy's death.
You don't want to believe everything you read in the newspaper.
Do either of you know exactly what happened? No more than you.
Do you think one of us killed him? Maybe it was the Moonstone Curse that did it, eh, Peter? Baaaa! I'm frightened, OK? This is not funny.
Sorry! Sorry.
It's tragic, yeah, but stuff happens.
It's nothing to do with us.
No time to lose our grip now, Gagan.
Now that Jeremy's gone we've got to be all for one and one for all, yeah? That's right.
(BREAKING GLASS) (FOOTSTEPS) (BELL TOLLS) Oh, shit! Dad, I'm off, I'll miss my bus.
OK, bye! Gagan, your bag! Damn it! (HORN BLAST) Going my way? Can we catch up the bus? Gagan! I heard a crash of glass about 1am, I called the police immediately.
So, what's missing? A spear-head and the Moonstone Disc.
It's some kind of asun dial.
It's Bronze Age, circa 1600BC.
They could harmonize the lunar and solar months back then by orientating the disc.
Why steal those, especially? Could be metal thieves, sir.
Some idiots had all the bronze plaques off every park bench in Causton last week.
And nothing else is missing? I don't think so, but I haven't checked upstairs.
There's red fibres on this broken glass.
Get it over to Forensics, see if it's a match with what Kate found on the rock that killed Jeremy.
Time to visit Lawrence again, sir? No, I'm sure that he and Catrina will deny any affair and he'll certainly deny murder.
No, I want more before we tackle him again.
I've read your thesis and I'm afraid it just doesn't meet the required standard.
Why? Well, frankly, there's a profound shallowness to the work.
That's ridiculous, Lawrence.
It's because I've hit a nerve, isn't it? Your book on the uncertainty principle is fundamentally flawed and my thesis proves it.
OK, let's keep the temperature down.
You may have a warp-speed mind and more ideas than Einstein but you lack academic discipline, my dear.
I suggest you concentrate on a subject you more fully comprehend.
Why didn't you stand up for me? I've I've known Lawrence for a long time.
There's no point in challenging him when his blood's up, and he's under considerable pressure.
We all have pressure.
Look, don't repeat this, but Lawrence is in trouble.
Panelsun are threatening to pull out over plans to expand the Observatory.
A thesis rubbishing his published work is not going to help right now.
I'm not someone who goes along to get along.
I know.
But hold your nose, re-read his book, and then we'll talk.
OK? I was pinging for space bodies when it cut out.
You've blown a fuse.
You were with my daughter this morning.
I gave her a lift, yeah.
Were you with her last night? Alone with her? Hold on, Harry, just hang on.
You're up the wrong tree, matey.
Stay away, or I will give you more than a verbal battering.
You wouldn't want a ticket to his planet! What's his problem? He's been like that about Gagan since his wife died.
Why's he picking on me? Well, you're a plumber, aren't you? Oh, behave, George! I'm hardly working my way through the female population, am I? Mysteries Of The Cosmos - An Astrological Guide! You're not beginning to believe, are you? Just background.
Always been interested in planets, constellations.
Heavenly bodies? For instance, did you know Uranus is 14 times bigger than the Earth? Must we, Jones? (CHUCKLES) Oh, the report came back on Jeremy's laptop.
Techies said there's lots of downloads on it, but it's been encrypted.
They're from Harry's daughter, Gagan.
Star data, mathematical formulas, some they can't even crack.
They're working on it.
These have just come back from Forensics.
The fibres from the rock and those from the break-in are identical, some sort of hide-skin material, and the red pigment is a match.
No prints lifted from the scene? And so the likelihood is the perpetrator was wearing hide-skin gloves on both occasions.
That's all you're going to get.
But it does give us a tie-in between the robbery and the murder.
Yeah, and I looked into Mary's death, Catrina Harper's sister.
The pathologist believed the body was moved after her death.
Extraneous bruising on her arms.
Accident or murder? It was never resolved.
So, that's me.
You haven't forgotten my birthday bash.
Saturday, Half Moon Hotel.
No, the beer disposal squad will be there.
Wicked.
Dress to kill.
It will be a late one, I was born under a bad sign.
Remember, in the corpse position, to let your feet fall out to the side.
Yes, Sarah, good.
Palms upward, Catrina.
Yes.
Now move your fingers and toes.
Bring yourselves back to the present.
Knees to the chest.
Slowly.
Roll to the side and up into the seated position, and salutations, well done.
Good class, everyone.
(SOBS) Harry, may I have a word? See you next week.
Bye.
Sorry, sometimes it just It must be so terrible.
I only met Jeremy that one time.
Thank you.
He and I were going to be working on a story together, about the Observatory.
What What story? I shouldn't say.
Was it about Panelsun threatening to withdraw funding? Who told you that? Just something I heard.
You shouldn't repeat idle gossip, it can do a lot of damage! It's not true, then? No, it isn't! Excuse me.
Who did tell you that? Oh, rumours from the observatory canteen.
(PHONE RINGS) Lawrence Janson.
Oh, hi, this is Tanya Walker, deputy editor, Midsomer Mercury, hello.
I have a few questions for you, Doctor Janson, perhaps we could arrange a meeting.
You were working with Jeremy Harper before he died, weren't you? Sending him encrypted information.
Yes.
Not observatory date, surely? Why encrypted? Was it secret, confidential? The director, Lawrence, doesn't approve of making our data available to amateurs.
So you were trying to conceal what you were doing? It's crazy.
The information is there, why not use it? It's just data sharing.
Not data theft, then, because that would be an offence.
Look, I'm sure we can sort this out internally.
Please.
If you say so.
While we're on the subject of theft, where were you from midnight to 1:30am yesterday morning? Why? Because Stanton Museum was broken into.
Are you accusing me? Calm down.
She was here.
We were on night duty, working on observations together.
Right.
Well, that's all I need to ask you for now.
Thank you.
Thank you, Chief Inspector.
Sorry, and thanks.
I'll have to talk this over with Lawrence.
Oh, he's going to love it! He'll kill me for this.
Can I ask who told you this? You can ask, but we journalists never reveal our sources.
Hm! Tanya - may I call you Tanya? I appreciate it's your job to sell papers.
It's my job to keep the observatory on track.
Yes, of course.
You see, if our main funder pulls out, other funders could follow suit and there'd be no observatory.
It'll close down? Look, I'm begging you, Tanya, just put this on hold and in a few days I'll give you the whole story and more.
There's more? Listen, you stupid woman, this is business-sensitive information.
I've invested my whole career in this place and won't see you and your grubby rag bring it down.
I'll just say that you deny the story, then, is that right? No.
No.
A denial in the press is the kiss of death.
(DOOR OPENS) What's he doing here? Fixing the boiler.
I asked Peter here so that you and I wouldn't be alone.
He was listening in.
I couldn't help overhearing, now.
Ooh, I'll have to print the story now! There wouldn't be a story if Jeremy and the rest had kept out of it.
This is our village.
Who do you think you are, coming out of nowhere and lording it? You've got a surprise coming, a big surprise.
Astronomical science begins where your amateur stargazing ends.
The future of my observatory will be threatened over my dead body.
Can I quote you on that? Print one word of this and you'll live to regret it! (Thanks.
) How did you get the lowdown on Lawrence? Oh, a-ha! He's ruthless.
You tread carefully now we've crossed him.
I'm not wearing a leotard.
Harry says that the breath is what it's all about.
So, put your right leg in a bit and your left leg out.
No, no, no, this in and left out.
In-out, in-out, shake it all about? Be serious.
OK, now lie down.
(WHIMPERS) Palms up.
OK, now breathe in.
And breathe out.
(AUDIBLE BREATH) Just give way.
Give way.
Aw What are you thinking about? My driving instructor, she had exactly that tone of voice.
(Stop it!) OK, breathe, and feel the weight of your body.
And breathe.
(SYKES WHIMPERS) (SNORES) (CLANG AND RUMBLE) The police have just called me.
Were you aware Gagan has been downloading data to the amateurs? Not till today.
You're running a leaky ship, Adrian.
Someone's also leaked to the press about the Moonstone Ridge extension.
Have you told anyone? Well, I did mention it to Gagan, after your disgraceful display in response to her thesis.
Then why the hell - I felt she deserved some explanation.
I informed her of the pressure you're under.
So she's taken revenge because I dissed her lousy thesis.
She's upset, she's not vindictive.
Rejection's hard to take sometimes, Lawrence.
She's a thief.
Tell her I want to see her my office tomorrow morning.
I'm her tutor.
I'll talk to her.
All right.
But we need damage limitation.
I'm meeting Panelsun next week.
Calm down.
I'm sure all this is just temporary blip.
Nothing endures like the temporary.
We need to keep a lid on this.
We need to ensure Gagan is silenced.
(LAWRENCE'S FOOTSTEPS TAP ON THE METAL STAIRWELL) (TWIGS SNAP, THE BUSHES RUSTLE) Who's there? That's the spearhead that was stolen from the museum tearooms.
The entry wound angle suggests that the spear struck him while he was standing and he then collapsed.
Could he have pulled the spear out himself? That's possible.
It'd be an instinctive reaction.
But I suspect that it had pierced the left ventricle.
He wouldn't survive that.
There's red fibres on the spearhead.
So Jeremy's murder wasn't just a one-off, then.
(SIGHS) The body's been moved.
Positioned carefully.
Look at the legs.
The arm.
The spear lying above his head like that.
Something to do with the killer's MO? Usually it's a challenge.
'Catch me if you can'.
Can I have your clipboard? Of course, sir.
Thank you.
I've found Peter's work diary, sir.
His last call was at Tanya Walker's who I think works at the Mercury.
Well done.
You pay a visit to Tanya at the Mercury.
Hold everything, Tanya.
Peter Groves has been killed.
What? When? Last night.
The milkman found him this morning and he rang George.
The police are up at Peter's place now.
That's terrible.
I know.
But pull yourself together, Tanya.
He was killed with a spear.
Which is amazing, because according to his chart, Mars is in the ascendant.
Mars.
The God of War.
Whose symbol is what? A spear! That's weird.
You might almost say it's predictable.
You might even say that I foretold his death.
(SNORTS) Make a cracking headline.
All right.
All right.
We'll go with it.
And then I want you to predict dark times ahead for Stanton.
I've found out that the observatory might lose its funding.
There's 20-odd villagers who work up there who will lose their jobs.
I'll say the observatory is on the skids and your predictions were spot on.
Oh, that's perfect.
Poor Peter.
Yeah, but this is career gold, Tanya.
Cheer up.
Before you know it, we'll be on the national news.
The Sun, The Star.
The sky's the limit! Tanya Walker? Yes.
I'm Detective Sergeant Jones.
Causton CID.
Sorry, I'm in a tearing hurry.
Lunch in town with my editor.
I understand Peter Groves was at your house last night.
Yes.
He fixed my boiler.
What time did he leave? About half seven.
I appreciate you're investigating his murder.
Who told you he was murdered? Mags.
Mystic Mags.
In fact, she predicted it.
Extraordinary.
You can read about it in tomorrow's Mercury.
(RADIO IN BACKGROUND) RADIO: Local plumber Peter Grove was found early this morning.
Foul play is suspected.
Police haven't issued a statement yet.
Gentlemen, come inside.
Inspector! I'll join you in a moment.
Any idea who killed Peter? You suspect someone? Yes.
Harry.
The chemist.
He had a set-to with Peter yesterday.
He thought he was banging his daughter, Gagan.
And I saw Harry a few nights back up on Moonstone Ridge with Jeremy's wife Catrina.
Is this to do with the death of Mary Dutta, Harry's wife? You and Jeremy were there at the party on the night she died, weren't you? Her body was moved, I understand.
Apparently.
Nothing happened at the party, I swear.
But Harry's always blaming us.
Now he thinks that something like that is gonna happen to Gagan.
Mad.
Hm.
Almost as mad as Mags claiming to have predicted both Jeremy and Peter's murders.
She's an astrologist.
She despises us as amateur star watchers.
Mags is a charlatan but it pays the rent.
Where were you last night, George? There was a transit of Venus.
I was here.
All night.
It keeps me out of the house.
Have a good look at Harry, Chief Inspector.
Something's snapped.
I'm telling you.
He's lost it.
There you are.
Mars is in the ascendant in the Eighth House of Peter's zodiac.
That's it? You're calling that a prediction in tomorrow's paper? And I warned Peter about it.
He would tell you.
If he wasn't dead.
Yes.
Did you know that I know your gran? What? Your gran.
She came to see me last week for a reading.
She told me your birth date and that you were born Hang on.
I don't need my stars read.
Ooh, yes you do.
I can tell.
You're curious.
We all are.
No.
No.
I'm not.
Your birth date, anybody's birth date, is like the vintages of wine.
Some are priceless.
Some are plonk.
So what's mine come out as, then? Oh.
Oh, I see.
You are curious.
Well, astrology is like soul gazing.
I mean, is there nothing that you would really, really like to know? Yeah.
Who's gonna win the 3:30 at Ascot? I could tell you something more important that that.
I could tell you your fate.
(GATE CREAKS) (BELL TOLLS) Police.
Quick! Please! Stay away, I've called the police.
Police? I wasn't following you.
OPERATOR: Are you there? I was out for a run.
Stay back.
You're getting paranoid.
You're out of your depth.
Can you hear me, madam? And soon you'll be out of a job Tanya.
Are you all right, madam? No.
Sorry.
I'm fine.
It's a false alarm.
So, Sarah tells me you've been meditating, Inspector.
Yes.
Loving it.
Excellent.
I understand you had an altercation with Peter Groves yesterday.
Yes.
Hot words were exchanged.
Do you have daughters, gentlemen? No.
Then you will not know.
You try and keep your eyes on them but you cannot cover every corner of the universe.
Gagan is 21.
A dangerous age for a woman.
Men have come little further since we lived up trees.
They are all stones made from the same mountain.
So, you accused Peter of consorting with her? Yes.
I had to intervene.
No use letting your house get on fire then digging away.
No.
I suppose not.
Did Peter tell you of this argument or was it George? Yes.
George was there.
And where were you after 7:30 last night, Harry? I was alone.
Contemplating.
These are dark times, Inspector.
The Kali Yoga Cycle.
But it will be followed by the Cycle of Light.
The Age of Aquarius.
Jeremy and Peter won't be here to enjoy it.
Oh yes, they will.
We are all born again.
To die is nothing.
Just a step towards rebirth.
Do you think he seriously believes in rebirth and all that? Oh, Harry's deadly serious.
It's basic to his faith.
I didn't know you'd gone all yogic, sir.
Meditating? It was Sarah's idea.
Blue sky thinking.
You should try it, Jones.
(BUSHES RUSTLE) Hello? Is somebody there? That's the Moonstone Disc stolen from the museum with the spearhead.
He's honed the edges.
Razor sharp.
Lethal weapon.
Sliced open his carotid artery.
Cause of death? Well, there wasn't a great deal of blood so it's possible he had a cardiac arrest triggered by the attack.
He's obese.
Time of death? Between 10 and midnight.
I won't know exactly till I get him back on the slab.
Looks like the same red fibres on the murder weapon.
It's the same hand did this.
I don't doubt it.
The body's not been positioned like the previous victim.
The rock, the spearhead and now this disc.
All from Moonstone Ridge.
Maybe that's the signature.
The neighbours are pretty spooked, sir.
Think these murders are to do with the Moonstone Curse.
They were all in bed behind locked doors.
Saw nothing.
Heard nothing.
Mags found the body this morning.
Pop in and ask her where she was between 10 and midnight.
Think she's a possible, sir? Well, she claims to have predicted two murders.
And now her husband's turned up dead.
So you were in here between 10 and midnight? ErII I'm sorry.
Take your time.
Erwell, I was working.
I didn't hear a thing.
And George was alone in the shed? Alone with a bottle of whisky.
Yes.
George has been back on the drink ever since Jeremy died.
He used to be a big boozer.
George was the reason that pubs invented closing time.
Yup.
There.
See? I logged off at 3:22am.
Actually, I was casting your star chart.
Would you like to see it? No, thank you.
You should.
It's very interesting.
You have a lot to look forward to.
See.
Venus is passing through your 11th House just now turning on your love light.
You need to get your affairs in order.
I'm not having an affairs.
Well, you will soon.
You'll have a close encounter with one you have been fantasizing about.
Era female colleague at work? Possibly.
Oh? And the 11.
The number 11 is significant.
Is it a house number? Or the alphabet? A,B,C,D,E,F Does the letter K mean anything? Does it describe her? Sadly, the elements don't often reveal the physical but .
.
you should take extra care this weekend with your appearance.
Let your passion shine through.
(MOBILE RINGS) Excuse me.
Yes, sir.
Yeah, I'll be with you in a tick.
ErmI have to go.
Why don't you take this with you? Thanks.
Be immortal for as long as you live, Sergeant.
Because nothing is more certain in life than that it will end in death.
See you at the weekend, Kate.
I hope so.
Oh, there's something I just can't Let it go, John.
There's something I'm missing about the killer's signature.
I just can't I can't see it.
My head's spinning.
So you need to calm down.
Be still and clear your mind.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Just try and visualize, OK? So the Earth is rotating at 1,000 miles per hour.
Which spinning at 60,000 miles an hour around the sun.
Which is travelling at 500,000 miles an hour through the universe.
How does that make you feel? Even dizzier.
Darling, this is useless unless you go with it.
Open your mind to it.
Give me your hands.
Right.
Take a deep breath with me.
(BOTH INHALE AND EXHALE) Now close your eyes and visualize.
Can you feel the energy flowing? Yes, a definite rush of blood.
(SYKES BARKS) Quiet, Sykes.
Close your eyes.
I don't think we need an audience for this, do we, darling? No, we don't.
(MOBILE TRILLS) Yes, Jones.
No.
I'll handle it.
Sorry.
Sorry.
Well, Sykesy, it's you and me again.
What are we doing up here? I always come up to the Ridge to do my thinking.
Talk to my mum.
This is where they found her.
What's this about? I'm frightened.
He's killed Jeremy, Peter and George.
He'll come after me.
Who'll come after you? Lawrence.
I'm sure it's him.
Why would he do that? The four of us had been working together for nearly a year.
Using the data I downloaded.
Jeremy had spotted light variations on a distant star some time ago.
You've lost me.
What does that mean? It suggests something is orbiting.
Coming between the star and us.
Momentarily.
As it passes.
Something like what? A planet.
We believed we'd discovered a new planet orbiting a distant star.
And you kept that a secret? Why? We were waiting for confirmation.
For its transit to come back round.
It's due to pass again some time tomorrow.
Who else knew about this? No-one.
Just us four.
But maybe Lawrence found out what we had discovered.
The last thing he'd want is me and a bunch of amateurs finding a new planet.
He despises me! I'm terrified.
Morning, Sir.
How did it go with Gagan? She's convinced this is Lawrence.
Leave that and go and find him, Jones.
Get him in for questioning.
Yes, sir.
He's in Birmingham at a conference.
He'll be back later this afternoon.
Ask him to give me a call, will you? Certainly.
Thanks.
(TAPS IN NUMBERS ON PHONE) Lawrence, the police were here to speak to you.
No, I told them nothing about it.
You disappoint me.
What are you talking about? I found these prophylactics in your bag the other day.
You searched my bag? They fell out before me.
As if by fate.
Warning me.
It's none of your business.
I know a young woman feels the urge to merge I don't want to discuss it! Was it Peter? Was it him? I saw you going with him.
Peter was gay and very happy about it.
I can't be doing with this, Dad.
Peter is dead and I'm freaked, OK? I stole stuff from the observatory.
Stole? It was data.
Knowledge.
You said knowledge should be shared by all.
You should have told me.
It was a secret.
But nothing else was going on there between us, Dad.
I promise you.
Gagan, don't get upset.
It's just that I have to care for you.
It's my duty to your mother.
I promised to her spirit.
Look, I've got a tutorial with Adrian.
Can I borrow the car? Yes.
Yes, of course.
Thanks, Dad.
Love you.
Lawrence was furious.
He's convinced you leaked to the press and you and the village amateurs are hell-bent on bringing him and the observatory down.
There's hardly any members of the Astronomical Society left.
They've all been murdered.
I think I know who by.
Who? I can't tell you.
I'm frightened.
Of course you are.
We all are.
These deaths are a terrifying tragedy.
They're nothing to do with you.
I'm certain.
I'm sorry to lay this on you.
I'm glad you have.
I'd better go.
Why? Where are you going? I need a thinking walk on the Ridge.
Talk to Mum.
Well, be careful.
Thanks.
These murder weapons - the rock, spear and the disc Hush, Jones.
I'm trying to visualize.
Sorry, sir.
I wonder.
The Moonstone disc and the picture in the museum catalogue are different.
Can you see? No.
On the disc, the murder weapon, there's an arrangement of gold dots.
Which is barely visible in the photograph in the catalogue.
Yeah.
You're right.
So the dots on the disc must have been polished up after the disc was stolen.
This is the outline of Peter's body as it was found.
This is the pattern of the dots that now appear on the disc.
That's the same pattern.
These aren't just dots, Jones.
These are stars.
This is a constellation.
The constellation of Scorpio.
My sign.
This is classical serial killer behaviour.
The killer didn't start with the signature game until after the first murder.
'Catch me if you can'.
Bring up the suspect profiles.
See if there's a Scorpio birthday amongst them.
October 24th to November 21st.
Harry, no.
Adrian, no.
Trina, no.
Yes.
Lawrence.
His is a Scorpio birth date.
Hang on, sir.
Mags is a Scorpio too.
Ah.
Right.
Lawrence will have to keep till he comes back from his conference.
Mags we can tackle now.
I told you.
I didn't see what happened to Jeremy.
And you've no alibi for the time of Peter's death or your husband George's.
I was here.
I got the impression you and George weren't exactly a marriage made in heaven.
No.
As the old joke goes, 'I can remember our wedding as if it were yesterday if it were tomorrow, I wouldn't turn up'.
Were you aware that George, Jeremy and Peter believed they'd discovered a new planet with Gagan? No.
He never said anything like that.
Of course, George had been in a black hole lately.
He was drinking like in the old days.
You are a Scorpio.
Oh, yes.
Secretive, passionate .
.
dangerous.
We are both all of those things, Inspector.
You told me that in the days after the eclipse, chaos prevails.
And look what happened.
I mean, the Zodiac doesn't lie.
Three murders.
Mary's death 15 years.
If you know any secret, any betrayal, that must out, now is the time to be true to your stars.
I did some more digging on Lawrence, sir.
Checked the local who's who on the Mercury website.
He's more than just a jogger.
He won last year's Midsomer athletics decathlon.
So? Well, there are 10 events in the decathlon, right? Yeah.
Most are running events but three are the shot put, the javelin and the discus.
OK.
Our three murder weapons are a rock as heavy as a shot put, a spear and the moonstone disc.
And he's a Scorpio.
Gagan was convinced he'd found out about their discovery of a new planet.
Maybe he's trying to get the kudos anyway he can.
It's possible.
And if Lawrence is back from his conference, let's put it to him.
Right.
According to the Mercury, you won last year's decathlon at the Midsomer Games.
Yes, that's right.
And you were at the eclipse on Moonstone Ridge when Jeremy Harper was killed.
Along with everyone else.
I've already told you this, haven't I, Chief Inspector? Yes, sir.
You were having an affair with Jeremy's wife, weren't you? Was I? Jeremy found out, didn't he? That's why he threatened your funding.
I don't think so, Sergeant.
Well, let's talk about Peter Groves, then.
Tanya Walker says you had an altercation with him at her house the night he died.
A robust discussion.
I was actually quite fond of Peter.
He had an interest in the extra terrestrial.
Did you know that Jeremy, Peter, George and Gagan believed they'd discovered a new planet.
No.
No.
It's news to me.
I had no idea.
Oh, you knew.
You were openly hostile to the local amateurs.
Three of whom are now dead.
Is that an accusation? It's an observation.
George Dormer was killed two days ago between the hours of 10 and midnight.
Where were you, Doctor? Emergency meeting with the executors from Panelsun International and the University Board discussing funding.
The meeting was due to finish at 11pm but went on till 1pm before we reached agreement.
I'm sure they'll vouch for me.
I did not kill Jeremy or Peter or George.
This conversation, I think, is over.
She phoned me yesterday and said she was going to go up north to see her uncle but sheer made a no-show there.
I called all night.
No answer.
And you found the car here this morning? I was frantic.
I drove around everywhere.
When exactly did you last see her? Yesterday afternoon, she went to see her tutor Adrian.
You shoulder You should question him.
Why is that? He and Gagan .
.
I saw them together at his cottage.
Sir! Excuse me.
It's a scorpion, sir.
Found it in the car.
They think it's harmless.
It's been left here as a signature, then.
Not an attempt to kill Gagan.
Anything else? All the electrics in the car have failed.
The battery's drained.
It's like one of my gran's tales.
Spooky, eh? Just been moonstruck, Jones? Something out there? No, the lights were left on.
It could be that, couldn't it? Gagan is missing, Professor.
Her car was found abandoned.
Missing? Her father says that she visited you here yesterday.
Sheer She did, yes.
She was very upset.
Do you usually hold tutorials at your cottage? Work so intimately with your students? Closely.
Yes.
Mathematics requires intense focus.
But you are particularly close to Gagan.
I admire her.
Her father says it's more than that.
He saw you here with her yesterday.
What? How? Is it true? She She did have something of a crush on me.
Yes.
It happens with students.
It's no more than that.
She kissed me goodbye and left.
Did she say where she was going? On to the Ridge for a walk.
(MOBILE RINGS) Sorry.
I need to take this.
Hi.
Just hang on a sec.
For the record, what time did she leave you here yesterday? Erabout four o'clock.
You haven't seen or heard from her since? No.
Gagan is very special.
She's my star pupil, Inspector.
I do hope you can find her unharmed.
(KETTLE WHISTLES) Is she with you now? OK.
We'll be 10 minutes.
Mystic Mags just walked into the station.
Says she wants to confess.
Officers present - DCI Barnaby and DS Jones.
Suspect present - Margaret Dormer.
Ah, well, it all started at a party at our house.
All those years ago.
What happened? Erm We drank enough between us to fill a bath.
George, Jeremy and Mary and me.
And she and I got into a stupid row.
About what? Oh.
She was a keen astronomer.
She said that what I did was hogwash.
I shouted.
She pushed me and I grabbed her.
She tripped and fell down the stairs.
She was dead.
I didn't mean to.
It was a complete accident.
We all agreed to say that Mary had been fine when she left the party.
And then George took the body on to the Ridge.
And you all stuck to that story? When you start something like that, there's no stop button, is there? You were right, Inspector.
I read my chart.
It was written in the stars.
I know you think I'm batty.
Living on a different planet.
But, I mean, is the world you live in really any saner? I doubt whether the CPS will prosecute Mags.
Both key witnesses are dead.
Whoever killed them and Peter has been muddying the waters and playing games with us.
The weapons.
The Scorpio signatures.
Sir.
What? Gagan's mobile provider sent through a list of her calls.
Her last call was yesterday.
4:45 to Adrian.
He told me his last contact with her was at four o'clock.
Well, that's a lie.
So she called Harry to tell him she was heading up north then she called Adrian to tell him she was leaving.
Yes.
Yes! The first time I met Adrian, he talked about the Uncertainty Principle.
He said how we look at things affects what we believe we see.
We have been steered to look at this so that we would believe that Lawrence is our man.
Adrian's boss.
But Adrian has an alibi for the night the Moonstone Disc was stolen.
He gave Gagan that alibi when I was quizzing her about stealing data.
They were lovers.
She thought he was covering for her.
Actually, he was creating an alibi for himself.
We need to find Gagan now.
And pray that she's still alive.
I'm sorry it had to be like this.
I'd hoped we might collaborate.
You knew about the new planet all along? I hacked your computer but I couldn't locate the exact star you'd been monitoring.
You killed people, Adrian.
Just to get the glory of claiming a new discovery.
What about me? I needed you alive, Gagan.
I've been chasing shadows.
Show me the star.
(DOOR HATCH OPENS) No sign of him.
Come and look at this.
In one of the sheds.
There.
There.
The light's dipped.
Definite transit.
Congratulations.
Her coat.
You were right, sir.
As soon as Adrian knew she was headed up north, he grabbed her.
Well, where are they? The planet.
The new planet.
Gagan said its orbit would be confirmed tonight.
The observatory.
No.
No.
Too public.
The Astrodome.
Moonstone Ridge.
You can claim the planet.
I don't care.
I'll say nothing.
I swear.
I could trust you.
This could be our planet.
But I trusted Lawrence once.
He was my student.
My star pupil.
Just like you.
And he cheated me of the directorship.
Please, Adrian! That's Adrian's car.
Check in the Astrodome.
I'll call my new planet Gagandipika in memory of you.
This is madness.
No.
No.
Adrian! Open up! Open up! Police! Police! Open up! Adrian, open the door now! Open up! Police! Open up! Open the door! Open up! Open the door! That's him.
Go get him.
Please! Gagan! Gagan! Gagan, can you hear me?! (ENGINE TURNS OVER BUT DOESN'T SPARK INTO LIFE) Start, damn you! Start! It's not going anywhere, Adrian.
And neither are you.
I'm sorry, Dad.
I'm sorry.
It's OK.
You're safe now.
Weird how Adrian's car wouldn't start.
The Moonstone Curse, sir.
Could be.
Or it could be that I nicked the rotor arm out of his engine.
Home.
Are you going out on an undercover job? No, it's Kate's birthday, sir.
Ah.
She said come dressed to kill.
What do you think? I'm sure you'll knock 'em dead.
You left this in the car.
So, you had Mags do your chart? No.
No.
It's a wind-up.
It's rubbish.
Got my details off my gran.
Oh, I thought it was interesting.
She predicts a close encounter for you this weekend.
Yeah.
I'll probably crash the car.
(CHUCKLES) So you're not up for this, then? Ermno.
Sarah and I thought we'd have a quiet night in.
Just the two of us and a scented candle.
Well, have a good one.
You too, Jones.
Whatever fate awaits you.