(Bubbling and fire crackling)
Ripped By mstoll
(Bird caws)
(Rifle clicks)
(Gunshot)
As the Bible says...
..."Bear ye one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ."
To do this, Charles Williams promoted the concept of "co-inherence"
which held that we are all spiritually connected
and can, through ritual, share suffering and ease one another's burdens...
...of, for example... er, guilt.
But not intellectually or theologically.
Something much more real. Practical.
(Door rattles)
No, no, honestly, no need to help.
- What do you want with all this junk, anyway? - Not sure.
Forgiveness is not a solitary affair.
It can be - and is - a shared experience...
...because, through active engagement with the Holy Spirit...
...it's not only Christ who can forgive sins.
So can we!
Thank you.
(Music pounding in background)
WOMAN: Look at the state of her!
(Indistinct chatter)
MAN: She's crazy.
WOMAN: My God! What a mess!
Someone's had a few too many!
Don't be so naive!
I mean, how is it literally possible to become as Christ?
- Well, because we are made in God's image... - Mystical mumbo-jumbo!
In your opinion. Not one the rest of us happen to share.
Really, Williams was a minor theologian, no academic...
It's in his favour, then, isn't it? Less arrogant and patronising.
Well, coming from you, a tattooed freak...
Come on, guys, calm, calm. Let's just calm it.
So much for forgiveness.
(Birds twittering)
(She moans softly)
Come here. Give us a hug.
- See you later. - See you.
(Phone bleeps)
(Ringing tone)
WOMAN: Please leave your message after the tone.
Gina?
Gina!
(Twig snaps)
(Grunts)
The victim's a college dean, Phil Beskin.
What's a college dean doing right out here?
I don't know. He must have got here late.
He was giving a talk in town on one of the Inklings.
Oh, aye? Which one this time? Tolkien or Lewis?
Charles Williams, the Third Inkling. Baskin was a bit of an authority.
HOBSON: Blunt trauma to the back of the head. Skull crushed.
One fell swoop, by the look. Round four or five o'clock.
- SOCO found a mobile phone on the ground. LEWIS: Maggots!
Yep.
If this happened just a few hours ago, there's...
no way the maggots come from the corpse or the raven.
Well, it's staged, intended to be found.
"And know this, that the summit of art is the raven,
who flies without wings in the blackness of night and the holiness of the day."
That's a new one on me.
Are they making a statement, or a warning, maybe?
A kind of ritual killer?
I think this might have something to do with alchemy.
Turning lead into gold?
Well, it's more than that. It's the precursor to modern science.
It's understanding the secrets in nature to unlock the mysteries of the universe.
- Ambitious, then. - Well, for others, it's a spiritual thing,
converting the lead of ignorance into the gold of enlightenment.
Gentlemen, on my way in. How's it going?
Ah, good. We just started.
- So, what have we got? - Body.
A body?
Well, that's all we do have... ish.
Don't wind Moody up. That's my job.
- How's your dad? - Well, he's not getting any better, is he?
Go and see him.
- What happened to you last night? - I was burning the midnight oil.
Phil's talk inspired me, so I thought I'd make some changes to the text.
- Phil won't be happy. - Phil doesn't bother me any more.
(Low chatter)
Why do hangovers get worse the older you get?
Too long between sessions. The trick is just to keep drinking.
- Oh. - Phil Beskin?
Yes. So, I spoke to the landlord at the Waterman's.
He confirmed that the usual group were in there after their talk last night.
There was a bit of trouble, but it was hardly Battle of Helm's Deep.
LEWIS: You were right about alchemy.
That quote is from a 17th-century German alchemist.
Question is, what's it got to do with murder?
Or Charles Williams? Did Charles Williams write about alchemy?
No. Theology, supernatural novels. He was a bit of a mystic.
Uh... details of the phone found at the scene. It belonged to the victim.
A text came through at 4:37 am.
"At Boar's Hill. Going to end it all."
Suicide? Or threat to?
According to this, from someone called The Lioness.
Right, get onto the service provider and get a real name.
- OK. - "Lioness".
What's that? A girlfriend?
There's quite a few on here. Er...
the Butterfly, the Serpent, the Eagle...
As long as they're not all pubs.
LEWIS: New Zealand was Laura's idea - to be on hand for the birth of her niece's baby.
Mine to see a bit of the world while we're still young enough to enjoy it.
- Far, far too late for you. - Less of that, thank you.
- Is it just you two, or family as well? - Just the two of us, I hope.
So, what do we know about Phil Beskin's wife? Is she expecting us?
No. Grace Beskin works in the college library. Beskin was an engineering science lecturer.
Very popular with the students on account of his late-night drinking.
- (Ringtone) - Pastoral care at its best. Huh?
Yeah?
OK.
That was Maddox. She's got a lead on our Lioness.
Local girl by the name of Gina Doran.
Goes out with a student from Phil Beskin's college - Nate Hedesan.
You do Gina. I will do Grace Beskin.
I'm here to see Grace Beskin.
Mrs Beskin. My name is DI Hathaway.
Very sorry to hear of your loss. I'm afraid I have a few questions for you.
It's not a great time right now.
- Who are you? - His sister.
- Any idea who killed him? - Not yet, hence the need for questions.
Dax and Annapurna Kinneson. If we can help...
- Really. Anything. - Thank you.
- We should postpone this evening. - No, Phil would have wanted you to go ahead.
Would he? He might not have approved of your changes.
He would've been fine about them.
The point is, as he said in his talk,
it worked for him - and you've waited long enough.
We had an early supper and then he went to do his talk.
That was the last I saw him.
- You weren't aware that he hadn't come home? - No.
He was always out all night. I was at the talk and the pub.
They were still going strong about midnight when I left.
- So, you weren't at the talk. Is that correct? - I'm not a great Williams fan, to be honest.
I'm afraid my faith is rather simpler than my husband's.
Butterfly, Lioness, Serpent and Eagle
are all characters in Charles Williams's The Place Of The Lion.
Yeah. I'm the Serpent, apparently.
Phil's idea of a joke.
- Have you any idea who the others are? - No.
I gather your husband got on very well with his students.
He'd do anything for them. Phil wasn't great with boundaries.
In other words, the students ran rings around him.
There's a fine line between sainthood and being a mug.
- (Sighs) - What? It's true.
Are you familiar with a Nate Hedesan?
Phil was worried Nate's love life was interfering with his studies.
- They'd had words. - Recently?
Er, the last couple of days.
- Your husband's talk? - Please help yourself.
Thank you.
Oxford students and a local girl. I thought that wasn't allowed.
Where there's a will, there's a way, Lizzie.
- (Knocking) LEWIS: Mr Hedesan?
Hello?
Miss Doran?
Gina?
- Phil's dead? - Someone killed him up at Boar's Hill last night.
He was responding to a text that you sent him.
You said that you were there and you were gonna harm yourself.
I don't think I can remember - and I can't find my phone.
How did you get the cuts on your arms?
Er...
Climbing through the window, I guess.
- Was your boyfriend with you? - No.
Where did you go?
College bar from about eight and The Hopper later.
Gina?
Gina!
Gi...
(Retches)
Look, she crashed out in her shoes
but I don't see any mud or grass on them, do you?
Where we found Phil Beskin was really muddy, so they'd be covered.
- She could've cleaned them. - What, in her state?
- She managed to climb through a window. - Yeah, but cut herself to pieces in the process.
- (Gina coughs) - Gina!
Nate Hedesan, by any chance?
Yeah.
- Shall we all get some fresh air? - Yeah.
Phil was a brilliant bloke. Everyone thought he was great.
Except you, apparently.
I gather you had words with him about your love life,
your relationship with Gina.
- Was that a problem? - No, I got that he was doing his job.
And, to be honest, we just ignored him, anyway.
- So, where were you last night? - At a friend's.
Binman Sam's.
- I was with you all night, wasn't I, Sam? - Yeah, sure.
- Sam? - Langton.
Me and Gina had a row. I went to Sam's to let off steam.
- What was the row about? - Usual stuff.
I knew she'd come back. I just couldn't face another slanging match.
And you were here in college all night? You didn't go out?
I wish. No money.
(Chatter)
Not very good for you, you know, binge drinking.
What are you? My dad?
Why did Phil Beskin have your number on his phone? You're not a student.
Oh, Phil was on my case because he thought I was getting in the way of Nate's coursework.
Still doesn't explain why your number was in his phone.
Or why he has a pet name for you. "Lioness."
Don't know.
But... he was concerned about me as well as Nate.
- Why? - No particular reason.
Just because he was a nice guy.
(Footsteps approaching)
College barman confirms Gina was in there.
The porter escorted her off the premises around about ten-ish.
Barman at The Hopper recalls her there later. Both mentioned that she'd had a skinful.
- (Phone rings) - Don't judge me, all right?
- Yeah? - Believe me, I'm not.
But I am gonna need to take your top to establish for definite whose blood that is.
A college dean doesn't immediately strike me
as the most obvious person to have a tattoo like that somewhere like there.
I don't know.
I like a man with a tattoo.
Is that alchemical?
- I don't know. Three in one? Holy Trinity? - That's your department.
Are you looking forward to your trip?
Imagine. Six months with no corpses. Whatever will I do with myself?
But you shall have Robert.
My family can't wait. They've always wanted to go to South-East Asia.
Joke.
(Sighs)
- Thanks for covering. - No problem.
- Anything you... want to tell me? - Don't think so.
- Very enigmatic. - Learnt that from you.
(She exhales)
Hi.
- I'm so sorry about Phil. - (Sniffs)
(He kisses her)
- What are you doing with this? - He told me to read it.
Any good?
Not for me.
Charles Williams believed in a living, breathing spirituality
in which we could all become as Christ.
Turn water into wine? Save me a few quid.
Stop it, Maddox. No, it's about forgiveness.
Because we are like Christ, then we too can forgive all the sins of the world.
Interestingly, Phil Beskin claims to have had direct experience of how that works.
- Interesting, because? - By implication,
he was guilty of something he knew he'd be forgiven for.
He also had this tattoo in the middle of his chest. I want to know what it means.
Does it have to mean anything?
Maybe he just liked the image and put it where he fancied. It's what I did.
I'll see you later.
- Have you ever thought of getting a tattoo? - No, I have not.
- One for the travels, maybe. - I'll bear that in mind.
(Bell tinkles)
Er, a word.
DI Lewis. Do you recognise this, by any chance?
Are you sure? Cos it belongs to somebody you know.
Phil Beskin. You were at a talk he gave last night.
He didn't get his tattoo out. It wasn't that kind of talk.
- Are you a Charles Williams fan? - Yeah. Not all tattooists are Pagans.
We gather you had a bit of a barney with a Wouter Eisler last night.
Was Phil Beskin involved with that?
Yeah, we all were. It was nothing to write home about. Why?
Because Phil Beskin was murdered last night.
- (Bell tinkles) WOMAN: James.
- What are you doing here? - I work here.
What is it?
I've just... lost my brother.
I think there's something else.
You wouldn't understand.
Try me.
I want to know everything about you.
No. Best not.
(Bell tinkles)
Yeah, that's great. Thanks very much.
- Seen one you fancy? - No, I'm more of a piercing man, myself.
So, Nate Hedesan goes out with Gina Doran
who works in a shop run by one of Phil Beskin's mates.
Does that not strike you as at all a coincidence?
Not necessarily. Small world and all that.
Says the intrepid traveller.
- How was uni? - Yeah.
Dr Wouter Eisler, as part of his History Of Religions course,
he runs a module - Rationality Versus Gullibility In Comparative Religion - and guess what?
It covers alchemy.
Alchemy...
...the sacred art.
Seemingly torturing nature to extract her secrets.
Beautiful, aren't they?
Jung considered that alchemical images were unconscious archetypes,
keys for unlocking our psyche.
Surely they have meaning. Certainly they are profound.
Or do they just give the illusion of meaning?
You decide. In your essays.
One clue...
...this is Jabir, an 8th-century Arabic alchemist.
From his name, we get the word "gibberish".
(Laughter)
Police officers attending lectures? Whatever next? (Chuckles)
I've had a dead body covered in maggots and ravens.
Who? Phil?
Phil Beskin, that's correct. How do you know?
- Well... - (Door being unlocked)
...word spread after his wife notified the college.
We understand you had a difference of opinion with Mr Beskin after his talk last night.
Not really.
It was a... bit of heated debate, that's all.
- I'm not a great fan of amateurism. - To what extent?
(Sighs) I'm an academic, Inspector, not a murderer.
I would hope it took something more than intellectual discord to make me a suspect.
This was found beside his body, too.
Can you think of any connection between alchemy and Charles Williams?
There isn't one.
It symbolises "nigredo" - the blackening associated with earth.
- What about maggots? - Decomposition.
The body being broken down in readiness for spiritual regeneration.
Nigredo being the first stage of the Great Work - the Magnum Opus.
- So, how many stages are there? - It varies but, conventionally, four.
So this could be just the beginning.
You're telling me Phil Beskin's murder might be the first stage
in some... warped spiritual process that might play out in four stages?
Yes, sir.
- Well, it sounds vague and nebulous to me. - Well, this is Oxford, sir.
If there's a possibility of further murders, I want to know... and I want to deal in tangibles.
Lizzie?
Er, Gina Doran - the blood on her top was hers and hers alone.
No traces of Phil Beskin.
Anybody else?
- Nate Hedesan? - Oh, yes.
Had an argument with Phil Beskin about his relationship with a local girl,
- and we think he lied about last night. - Told us he was in college.
But he had a stamp of a rope on his wrist as if he'd been to a night club.
Blue Rondo. That's their stamp. It's an S&M club.
I could give them a call later on, see if anyone saw him.
- What about the wife? - Still in the frame, obviously, sir.
He's got a lot on his plate, that's all.
A lot on my plate, like what?
Like your dad.
- It's got nothing to do with my dad. - I'm not saying it is.
If you don't want to see him, that's fine.
- You've got nothing to feel guilty about. - I don't feel guilty.
Good. I'm just trying to explain why you're even more rude than usual.
Does this mean anything to you? "Chen." It's everywhere.
- Grace... - I thought I told you to leave me alone.
No stamina. That's your problem. It's all that arguing with Gina.
- Hark at the Binman. How is your girlfriend? - Fine, thank you.
What have I done now?
Told us you were with your mate Sam there, last night,
but the stamp on your wrist is from the Blue Rondo.
And even allowing for student levels of hygiene,
I don't think that would have lasted more than one night and a day. Do you?
So, I went clubbing.
- What time did you leave? - You saw me return to my rooms.
- So, why lie earlier? - Didn't want to say in front of Gina.
You weren't in front of Gina. You were talking to me.
You might have said something. She doesn't approve.
- Tell me, what course do you do? - PPL.
Psychology, philosophy and linguistics.
And where does alchemy fit in?
I have to do a subsidiary and alchemy's a doss.
I wasn't sure whether you'd be here today.
There's only so many condolence calls you can take.
Anyway, this is where Phil and I did most of our courting...
if you could call it that.
(Clears throat)
(Whispers) May I?
In his paper, your husband seems to reference a guilt that needed forgiveness.
- Does that mean anything to you? - Sorry, no.
The reason I ask is just...
his sister's references to his issues with... boundaries.
- Did he mention a Gina Doran? - He was fond of her.
Thought she was a breath of fresh air.
If you're asking me if Phil was sleeping with her, I don't think so.
His boundaries may have been loose, but his morals weren't.
Williams again, you see.
And about his tattoo...
His what?
He had a tattoo on his chest. You're not aware of this?
No. We... hadn't been intimate in a long time.
What is it of?
Three angelic tear-shaped forms within a circle.
- Does that mean anything to you? - Afraid not.
Oh, erm, just one other thing.
When did you inform the college about your husband?
I didn't. I presumed you would.
- Essays in by Friday, please, at the latest. - (Chatter)
- And no gibberish. - (Laughter)
Dr Eisler, why are all your books dedicated to somebody called Chen?
No reason. It's just... an old mentor of mine, that's all.
When I asked how you heard about Phil Beskin's death,
you said word spread after Grace informed the college.
She didn't.
And seeing as you say that you're a lecturer and not a murderer,
the question remains: Who told you Phil Beskin had been killed?
Grace.
I... I bumped into her.
It must have slipped my mind.
As someone who dislikes amateurism,
do salient pieces of information often slip your mind?
(Bell tinkles)
- I'm just finishing up. - It's Gina we want to talk to, actually.
Your boyfriend lied to us about where he was last night. He was actually at an S&M club.
- Is that what you rowed about? - No, I'm cool with it.
- Don't knock it till you've tried it. - Why weren't you with him, then?
We're not chained at the hip, you know. (Laughs)
- Everything all right? - Yeah, they're just giving me grief about Nate.
What's he done now?
- What's he done before? - They fight like cat and dog, those two.
We're fine, OK? Will everyone just back off?
There's pictures of you in this.
The tattoos on your neck match this picture here.
The face is obscured but it's...
Maybe somebody has the same neck tattoos as me.
Would you open your shirt for us, please, Mr Fennell?
Come on. You weren't shy posing for the photographs.
We could take you down the station and strip search you, but...
it seems a bit of a faff, doesn't it?
It's a tattoo, an image. What of it?
You said earlier you didn't recognise it. You've got it right in the middle of your chest.
Phil Beskin had the same and he's dead!
I did Phil's and I thought it was cool.
Look, I've got hundreds. I'm a magpie like that.
But it's Christian in meaning, right? Something to do with the Trinity?
- Is it connected to Charles Williams? - I don't know. Is it?
Are you good?
OK. See you there in a bit. Yeah?
(Typing and mouse clicking)
Any developments?
Nothing tangible. No, sir.
Hey, Nate. Are you seeing Gina or clubbing again?
- It's just, if I'm gonna cover, I'd rather know. - Actually, I've got other plans.
Enjoy.
- Hi, Langton. Have you seen Nate? - Faculty cheese and wine.
Oh, nice try, Sam. Nice try.
Hathaway says Phil Beskin's emails contain a reference
to some row he was having with Dax Kinneson about publishing something.
Also several references to companions, whoever they are.
So, Phil Beskin and Jay Fennell have the same tattoo.
You're the resident expert, Lizzie.
They could be lovers. That would explain the secrecy, wouldn't it?
- Fancy a drink? - You're pushing the boat out a bit, aren't you?
You know what it's like. When the cat's away...
Nah, I've got my alchemical homework.
And Laura's working late. I promised to keep her company.
No fun, you, are you?
Don't worry. It'll be fine.
The first day of the rest of your life.
(He sighs)
Sister, you come to us in a state of sin and contrition,
asking that, by God's grace and in the name of Jesus Christ,
your burden might be lifted from you.
I, Dex Kinneson, desire to take your sins upon me...
...to substitute them for love so that you may be released from your suffering.
(Whimpers)
We offer your transgressions up to Christ for substitution...
(Weeps)
...in the hope of blessing and redemption through His grace.
(Sobs)
(Knocking)
- (Urgent knocking) NELL: James!
- Come on. We've got to go. - I'm gonna catch you up.
- I've got to do some work. - Dad's expecting us.
Is he?
(Phone rings)
- Yeah, James. - I know what the tattoo is.
Charles Williams set up a mystical order called the Companions of Co-inherence.
What, a sort of secret society that dabbled in alchemy?
No, it's nothing to do with alchemy, but the tattoo was their symbol.
Now, the order only existed for a few years
but what if Phil Beskin, Jay Fennell and Dax Kinneson...
and others... revived it?
I mean, it would make sense of the companions
mentioned in the emails between Beskin and Kinneson.
Any link to Beskin's death?
Don't know.
- How's the Great Work coming along? - Ah, don't ask.
Listen to this.
The second stage is known as "al-bar-do"..."albedo",
the whitening, or sometimes washing,
associated with the moon and the female.
Does that mean the next victim is a woman?
- Carina! Do you want a drink? - Hey. No, thanks.
- No Dax? - No, he's working.
We're celebrating.
Oh, my God!
- You did it, didn't you? - It works, Carina.
- You have to do it. - No.
(Knocking)
Lizzie. Come in.
Seeing as no-one wanted to play out with me, I thought I'd do a bit of homework, too.
Well, I phoned the Blue Rondo.
Turns out Nate Hedesan is lying to us again.
He said he was there until dawn but it was early closing.
Do you fancy a drink?
(Dialling)
(Ringing tone)
WOMAN: Please leave your message after the tone. (Beep)
Sorry, I'd like to, but I just can't make tonight.
(Disconnects call)
(Music in background)
Hey, Lizzie!
- Back again? Cool! - (Laughs)
- I thought you said your man was away. - Er, no, this isn't Tony. This is James.
He's a colleague. We're actually here for work.
- Yeah, he's in all the time. - Is he in tonight?
- Might be. I've only just got on. - He was in last night.
- I want to know what time he left. - He's called Nate Hedesan.
Maybe he had a bar tab?
I'll take a look.
- You know I'm not actually a regular... - Sh-sh-sh.
Paid with a credit card last night at 11:56.
Thank you.
If he left at midnight with his girlfriend's phone, then...
Well, then, he would've had time to text Phil Beskin and get himself over to Boar's Hill.
You watch out front. I'll stay here.
(Indistinct chatter)
- Do you want a lift? - No way.
It's a beautiful night, in all respects.
I'll walk.
(Dance music)
(Ringtone)
Excuse me.
Is he out there?
Maddox?
(Birdsong)
(Ringtone)
Where?
(Siren wailing)
Washing?
Whitening?
Two down... two to go.
Ripped By mstoll