♪ Abide with me ♪
In the regrettable absence of my older brother Lucian,
it falls to me to say a few words
about our dear late father, Henry Ignatius Shirewell,
a man who will be much missed by those who knew him,
and whose last whose last...
whose last, difficult months were made comfortable
by the devoted care of my sister, Ursula.
Carry on.
United in... in heaven
for all eternity with our dear mother, Clarissa,
his one true love, lost too soon.
You were always such a brilliant liar, Francis.
Better late than never.
Make sure he's actually dead.
It's not too late to make your peace, Lucian.
May you rot in Hell!
♪ Theme music
Mummy's going to make me this. Is
Is she now?
What about you, Paddy?
Do you want a lovely costume, too?
Thanks a lot. Right, I think that's all I need.
You can go watch some TV before dinner.
What's all this in aid of?
Oh, Betty's class are having an Elizabethan day.
They've got to go in costume.
A serving girl's outfit might be more straightforward.
That's what I said,
but she's set her heart on Good Queen Bess.
It's all very admirable,
but I see one tiny flaw in your plan.
You can't sew.
Well, I've always liked a challenge.
That's why I marriedyou.
No, no, for God's sake, Ursula, have one.
It'll calm your nerves.
No!
This meeting is for family only.
We made that perfectly clear.
Um, she's not family.
As good as. Everything's ready.
Shall we?
After you, dear brother.
I do apologize for my family's appalling rudeness.
I can assure you, it will never happen again.
I'm going to enjoy living here.
You do know we still sleep together?
Lucian's a free spirit.
And you're just a fleeting amusement.
Well, circumstances alter cases, so...
Oh, no wine for me.
I suggest you go easy on the hard stuff.
Don't want to say anything else you'll regret.
You know regret, Frankie.
Don't call me that, and please sit down.
Well, I would, but you're in my place.
You've been all your life.
I think we should make a start.
Please.
Oh, thank you.
You should have been there, Gideon.
I've never been a hypocrite. I'm not going to start now.
Tenants of the estate are expected to pay their respects.
Got none to pay.
Do you think old man Shirewell would have come to my funeral?
Where's Caleb? We got fencing to do.
No idea. He wasn't at the funeral.
You all thought you could prevent me from inheriting,
but I'm afraid the little plan you cooked up with father
isn't legally binding.
Well, the trust was set up by you, Mr. Inkerman,
and it was agreed I would run the estate in perpetuity.
My father signed the document in front of you.
On the understanding that this was agreed by you all.
This letter of wishes confirms my right
to inherit the whole shebang unless I choose to decline,
which, of course, I won't.
In simple terms,
the traditional order of inheritance
cannot be altered without the consent of all trustees.
And now Stourwick is mine to do with as I see fit,
I've made a decision.
The Shirewells' tenure ends with me.
What does that mean exactly?
Well, it means the estate will become home
to a free-thinking artists' community.
Long Cross Farm will be converted into a solar park.
But the Blundells have farmed here for generations.
Oh, it's not just them, Ursula.
The dower house will be an artist's retreat and
the chapel will be converted into a gallery
and shrine for my work.
You can't do that. It's consecrated.
Well, I'll deconsecrate it.
Don't worry.
There's still a chapel in Toulouse.
That's where you'll be moving to, by the way.
And Francis and Davina,
you'll be moving to the flat in Marylebone.
And how am I to manage the estate from there?
Oh, sorry. Didn't I tell you?
You don't work here anymore,
so you won't be managing anything.
What's that?
Your eviction notice.
What?
So the yurt and totem poles
were just the start of his desecration.
What are you going to do about it?
It seems our hands are tied.
Your father wanted you to be the guardian of his legacy.
We have to find a way of making that happen.
Lucian?
Double espresso. You look like you could do with it.
Thank you, sir.
Phone's been ringing all morning.
Anything I should know about?
Ah, I've had a call about the late Henry Shirewell.
I read his obituary. Wasn't he buried yesterday?
Yeah, he was, but his family now suspect foul play.
A doctor must have signed the death certificate.
Yeah, he did.
His GP, and in it, he states he died of natural causes.
So what's this got to do with us?
Well, a document has since been discovered,
allegedly written by Henry Shirewell,
in which he claims that his life is in imminent danger.
This prompted his family to request further investigation,
which has now been authorized.
What do we know about them?
The Shirewells are a prominent local family.
They've lived on the Stourwick Estate
since the 16th century.
Henry Shirewell's wife, Clarissa,
had a history of mental instability and alcoholism
and died after a tragic fall.
When was this?
Nearly 40 years ago.
Well, what do we know about the Shirewell children?
Two sons and a daughter who both still live on the estate,
and the eldest son, Lucian Shirewell,
is an acclaimed ceramicist.
His work is controversial, but highly regarded.
Not exactly Clarice Cliff, is he?
No. No, I guess not.
Yeah, it's really important that we speak to him.
I appreciate that. Thanks.
Henry Shirewell's doctor is out at surgery at the moment,
but they're trying to track him down.
Good.
We need to know if he might have missed something.
Inspector Barnaby?
Ursula Shirewell.
Thank you so much for coming.
Please, follow me.
When did you find this note? Ms. Shirewell?
After the funeral.
It was the first time I was able to face going into his room.
Where was it?
Inside his bedside table.
How was your father's mental state
in the days before he died?
Better than it had been in ages.
He seemed to have more energy than usual.
We had hope he'd rally.
Which is why I allowed Lucian to see him.
Was that unusual?
Sadly, yes.
They'd been estranged for many years.
And Ursula was easily taken in.
I wanted to give them time alone
in the hope of some kind of reconciliation.
But when she went back to give him his medication,
Lucian is gone, our father is dead.
It's not rocket science.
So why wait until now to raise your concerns?
Because there was no evidence.
But the note changes everything.
Ah, DCI Barnaby, Causton police.
And you are?
Caleb Blundell. I help Lucian out sometimes.
And where might I find him?
Thank you.
DCI Barnaby, Causton Police.
Drink?
I'm guessing they told you I killed my father?
And did you?
Wanted him dead as long as I can remember...
but no, I did not have that pleasure.
Your sister has said that you and your father were estranged.
May I ask why?
He destroyed my mother's life and set out to destroy mine.
I had to cut him out in order to survive.
So what made you go and see him on the day he died?
I needed to tell him how much I despised him
before it was too late.
You seem very calm,
considering your siblings are accusing you of murder.
They conspired with our father
to deprive me of my birthright.
Accusing me of patricide is the logical next step.
What do you mean?
Their attempt to disinherit me from Stourwick failed.
Turns out they can't do that legally without my permission.
But if I was serving a life sentence for murder,
then they would get what they wanted.
But they'll never be able to prove it,
because it's not true.
Henry Shirewell's doctor finally got back to me.
In his opinion, there's no evidence of foul play.
Ursula Shirewell was alarmed when she found
that his pillows and bedding were in disarray,
but apparently, a patient can experience a sudden surge
of energy just before they die, which would seem remarkable
if they've been immobile for some time.
Lucian Shirewell denies any involvement.
He claims he's being set up by his siblings
to stop him inheriting... their word against his.
There is someone outside of the family
that helps out at the house part time,
and they were working the day that he died...
a Sorrel Watkins.
Let's talk to her.
You've not messaged me.
I just need to know that you've got my back.
Why should I when you don't have mine?
There've always been other women.
You know the deal.
Jordana seems to think that she's moving into the house,
that you're going to be a family.
Well, that's never going to happen.
Look, you've got the cottage because I need you close to me.
I always will, no matter who is in my life.
I've come too far to give up on you now.
What do the police want?
I've answered too many questions for one day.
Looking for a Sorrel Watkins.
Her mother said she might be here.
Yeah, in the snug, just through there.
Thanks.
We need to ask you a few questions
about Henry Shirewell.
I just help out with the cleaning.
I had nothing to do with his care.
Well, he left a note intended to be discovered
after his death.
In it, he suggests that he feared someone meant him harm.
Did he talk to you about that?
Or maybe you saw him writing?
Erm, you're absolutely sure he wrote it?
Why do you ask?
Well, he just didn't seem capable to me.
After the funeral, Ms. Shirewell asked me to stay on.
She wanted help cleaning her father's rooms.
I started in the bathroom en suite to his bedroom
and heard someone come in.
Did you see who it was?
Davina Shirewell.
The door wasn't quite closed.
What was she doing there?
She got something out of her bag
and put it in the bedside drawer.
Did you see what it was?
It looked like a letter, but it wasn't my place to check.
Are you sure about that?
I keep notes when anything interesting happens.
Any particular reason?
I want to be a writer one day.
If I don't take notes, I forget stuff.
Look, there it is.
Let me stay in the studio, you know, just for one night.
Please, I really, really don't feel safe here.
Well, maybe it's time you found somewhere else.
I need you to protect me, Lucian.
From what?
A dead bird, a papier maché doll?
Someone's playing games.
What if they're not?
Please, Lucian.
You said that you loved me,
that it felt different this time.
I say a lot of things. I never made you any promises.
What if I were pregnant?
I wouldn't want to inflict the life I've had
on another generation.
No. It ends with me.
Well...
maybe it's too late for that.
Yeah.
I don't believe this!
I told you I don't want a child!
You'll change your mind!
How could you be so stupid?
Wait, wait, wait!
Yes, I wrote the note, and I don't regret it.
Even if you got the result you wanted by deception?
The offense was real.
I was just speeding things up a little.
What you believe is of no consequence without evidence.
Well, then we must exhume the body.
That would require a coroner's instruction.
- As yet, we have no grounds. - So that's it?
You've already wasted enough of our time, Mrs. Shirewell.
But...
Why on earth didn't you tell me what you were up to?
Because you'd have stopped me.
What did the police want?
Turns out the note was not written by our father,
but by my wife.
Someone had to do something.
All you've done is draw negative attention our way.
Then what do you suggest? We're running out of time.
We appeal the will on the grounds
that Lucian is mentally unstable,
paranoid, delusional, like our mother, and therefore unfit to inherit.
But we have to do it by the book.
So the family think the old man was murdered?
Oh, they didn't say, but they must be suspicious.
Which makes Lucian prime suspect.
He never hid how much he hated his old man, but...
he'd never do anything like that.
Well, you can't know that for sure.
And what are you even doing here, anyway?
I thought you were going to tell them tonight.
I was, but...
I'm a coward.
I couldn't face hurting them.
You're hurting them more by lying.
Your mum keeps asking me what's wrong.
"You're his best mate You must know."
And I do,
but it's got to come from you.
Go home, Caleb. Tell them now.
Hello?
Who's there?
Boss is here.
- What have we got? - Victim's Jordana Linsbury,
Lucian Shirewell's latest muse.
Who found her?
Gardener on his way to work,
alerted Francis Shirewell.
He called us just after 8 a.m.
What are you thinking, Fleur?
Tragic accident or something more sinister?
It looks like she tried
to pull herself up on one of the guy ropes
supporting the totem pole.
It came away and the pole fell, striking her right temple.
What time did she die?
Somewhere between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m.
But I'm not sure that's what killed her.
Then what?
The victim displays signs of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Cherry red lips, peripheral cyanosis,
retinal hemorrhages.
A tox report should give us some answers.
Oh, and this was on a table beside the bed.
Check out the yurt.
If it is carbon monoxide poisoning,
we need to find the source.
Sir.
What can I do for you, Mr. Shirewell?
Well, Lucian and Jordana had a row yesterday afternoon.
Thought you should know.
What was it about?
Well, it was too far away to really hear,
but he left in a fury a few minutes later.
What time was this? Just after 1:00.
I didn't really know the girl, but I still feel sorry for her.
Why is that?
Well, they all think
they're going to be the one to change him.
Of course, it invariably ends like this.
Well, not quite like this, obviously.
And you think their argument had something to do
with her death?
The man's a psycho... borderline lunatic.
Not his fault, I suppose.
Insanity runs in the family on our mother's side.
But if there's one thing he does care about,
it's his own personal freedom,
and he will do anything... and I mean anything...
to protect it.
When bad things happen, work is my only salvation.
My mother taught me of the joy of creativity,
its power to take you from the darkness into the light.
But Jordana's accident is something
I can never come to terms with.
We think it could have been murder.
Why?
We thought maybe you could help us with that.
My family didn't like her living in the yard,
and they can be pretty extreme,
but murder?
Even they have their limits.
Did she have any other enemies?
Sadie saw her as a rival,
my former assistant and lover of over 20 years.
So Miss Linsbury was just one of your lovers?
I don't believe in monogamy, Inspector,
but that doesn't diminish the love I have for Sadie.
She just has difficulty
controlling her jealousy at times.
Maybe she had good reason.
Did Sadie know that Ms. Linsbury was pregnant?
I've never wanted children, Inspector,
and I told her I never would.
A baby would be a problem
to anyone who values personal freedom above all else.
Where were you last night between 11:00 and 2:00 a.m.,
Mr. Shirewell?
I was at the inn with Sadie. She works there.
She knows I keep irregular hours,
and she's not averse to bending the rules.
You can check with her if you like.
I will. Thank you for your time.
This is an odd one, sir.
Forensics reckon that the stove in the yurt
hasn't been used for months,
so there's no obvious source of the carbon monoxide.
Well, let's keep looking. Anything else?
Tech pulled these images from Ms. Linsbury's phone.
More macabre artwork? Or a warning of some kind?
Well, she told Ursula Shirewell that she felt unsafe,
that she thought someone was stalking her.
But why didn't she call the police?
Apparently, Lucian Shirewell told her not to.
He said it was just someone playing games
and named Sadie Rowcroft as chief suspect.
Anything to back that up?
Caleb Blundell claims he saw Ms. Rowcroft
close to the scene at about 11:20 p.m.
He lives at the farm and works part time for Lucian.
Well, that fits the time frame,
but he didn't see Ms. Linsbury's body.
Apparently not.
Lucian didn't deny that he and Ms. Linsbury
had argued earlier in the day.
He's adamant he never wanted children.
Ms. Linsbury wasn't happy about it,
which chimes with Francis Shirewell's statement.
Well, perhaps Ms. Rowcroft feared
that he'd change his mind once the baby was born
and cut her out of his life forever.
Never underestimate the destructive power
of jealousy, Winter.
Fleur's got the autopsy report...
says that it makes interesting reading.
Okay, let's head over to the lab,
and then you can pay a visit to Sadie Rowcroft.
This case takes me right back to Pablo.
Peruvian potter with the hands of a god,
immortalized my breasts in porcelain,
sold them to a Saudi prince for a small fortune.
Truly magnificent. I think you'll agree.
You said you had an update for us?
The victim's blood contains high levels
of both carbon monoxide and hydrogen fluoride,
a gas produced when certain clays and glazes
are fired in a kiln.
Lucian Shirewell said there was a firing last night.
We need to know what was in there.
Carbon monoxide starves the body of oxygen.
At high enough concentrations, the victim suffocates.
She managed to make it outside.
By which time, the damage had already been done.
Before she died, she'd have experienced
weakness, dizziness, disorientation,
so I stick with my earlier assumption.
In a state of confusion, she crawled out of the yurt,
destabilized the totem pole in an effort to get to her feet,
and then it was, "Goodnight, Vienna."
Sadie Rowcroft was
Lucian's studio assistant back in the day,
so she'd be aware of the toxic gases produced in a kiln.
How were they delivered to the yurt?
Don't ask me. That's your job.
But there is one more thing.
Jordana Lansbury wasn't pregnant.
In fact, her medical notes
reveal she had a condition that made her infertile.
She faked the pregnancy test with a felt tip pen.
And you wanted me to pay my respects?
What respect are they showing us, eh?
Throwing us off our farm.
This farm isn't just our livelihood,
it's our home!
I was born on this farm.
My father was born on this farm, and his father before him.
And what about Caleb? It's his birthright!
What choice do we have?
There's always a choice.
This is an interesting color.
Is it?
Someone left a dead raven outside the yurt.
Its feet were bound with twine identical to this.
It was also tied around the neck of an effigy
made in the image of Ms. Linsbury.
So? You can buy that anywhere. Hmm.
Lucian Shirewell said that you were jealous of Ms. Linsbury,
that he suspects you of wanting to cause her harm.
Lucian thinks I killed her?
Our witness insists that they saw you close to the yurt
around the estimated time of Ms. Linsbury's death.
Were they mistaken, Ms. Rowcroft?
Jordana said she was going to have Lucian's child.
I didn't want that to happen.
I believe in the power of the universe,
the dark and the light.
So you decided to invoke the power of the dark
to end her pregnancy?
I needed to see Jordana face to face.
It was the only way to make things right.
But when I got there, she was already dead.
I panicked. I ran and tripped.
There was a hose across the path.
I nearly broke my wrist.
Francis says this is all down to you.
Well, for once, he's not lying.
The world is changing, Gideon. Renewable energy is the future.
We're not leaving. You can't do this!
You'll be well compensated.
Nothing could compensate us for losing our family home,
not to mention 200 years of history.
And what am I supposed to say to Caleb?
He's expected to take over Long Cross
since the day he was born.
I don't want it, Dad.
Sorry, Dad.
Lucian's been letting me help out for a while now,
and it's... it's where I feel happy.
I know I belong.
I've never felt that way about farming.
Caleb's a very talented young man.
I've asked him to be my studio assistant.
So you're not just taking my farm,
you're taking my son and all.
Over my dead body.
Have you no respect?
Jordana's only been dead a few hours.
She'd want me to carry on.
She couldn't wait to give
this anachronistic monstrosity a facelift.
A facelift? This is desecration.
Hey, careful.
Like it or not, my work is highly sought-after.
What have you ever done for this family except leech off it?
Who on earth are all those people?
Oh, didn't I tell you?
I invited the local community for an open afternoon.
I thought it was only fair after shutting them out for 500 years.
You need to get rid of them now.
Something like this requires planning...
security, at the very least.
Not your problem.
Haven't you got some packing to do?
You ought to be ashamed of yourself.
Not the chapel, please, Lucian.
Ms. Rowcroft said that she tripped on a hose in the path.
Maybe that's how the gas was delivered.
Get uniform to conduct another search.
Is that Sarah and Betty?
Daddy! Hello.
What are you doing here?
It was an alert from The History Society
about an open afternoon.
Stourwick is the perfect example of an Elizabethan house,
so I thought Betty should see it.
We're, erm, investigating
rather a serious incident in the grounds,
so I'd rather you took her home.
Sir, the scene is out here, and it's fully secured.
If it's just the house, then I can keep an eye on her.
We'll have a quick look?
Please, John? She's dying to see the priest hole.
We might not get another chance.
Okay, but I'm coming with you.
It's all gone.
Crucifix, chalice, pattern, ciborium.
Was the chapel open?
Lucian agreed it would be kept locked,
but when I came down for afternoon prayer,
the door had been forced.
Did you see anyone? No.
Where does that lead?
Upstairs, but it's bolted from the other side.
There are no other exits? No.
They must have gone straight out into the grounds.
DS Winter, I need backup.
So the priest would hide in that tiny space for days,
sometimes weeks at a time.
Some of them died of starvation or lack of oxygen.
What about cramp?
There have always been rumors of another priest hole
somewhere in the house, but it's never been found.
And there's a ghost who wanders the attic,
clanking their chains.
Whoa.
Can we try and find them?
Yeah.
Excuse me, sir?
There's been a break-in at the chapel.
You're gonna have to leave now.
If everyone could make their way outside,
ladies and gentlemen, thank you.
Do they know what was taken? Religious artifacts.
They've been in the family for centuries.
Ms. Shirewell's devastated.
God, they'll be worth a fortune.
Have you called for backup?
It's on its way now.
Betty, we need to leave now.
Bet... Betty?
Betty?
Shut up!
Sniveling.
Beginning to grate.
I'm sorry, Francis, but those sacred objects
haven't left the chapel since it was built.
They're irreplaceable.
We all know who's to blame.
Ah, here he is, the hero of the hour.
I told you we needed security.
I'm not interested in scoring points, Francis.
I just need the keys to the estate office.
Why?
The police need to look at the house insurance inventory.
Alright, I'll... I'll handle that.
You're utterly clueless
when it comes to running the estate.
Keys.
I'll see if the police... Sit down!
God's sake.
But I might be able to help.
The police have got a job to do.
They don't need you wittering on.
Just let her go, Francis.
We've got to do something.
Betty?
Betty!
She must be here somewhere.
But what if she's not?
Has she still got your phone?
Yes.
Betty? Betty!
Oh, God.
Oh, darling, come here.
I wanted to find the ghost.
It's okay. No harm done.
I found the inventory in Father's desk.
The valuable items have already been sold.
Did you know anything about this?
No. You must have got it wrong.
I need the password to the computer.
Sarah has taken Betty home.
Gave us quite a scare.
All's well that ends well, sir.
What's the latest on the theft?
No witnesses have come forward,
and the visitor search gave us nothing.
The house was full of people.
Someone must have seen something.
Why don't you get off, sir?
The silver collection and the Hunt tapestry
have the highest value, so let's get these out first.
I'll bring the car around.
Erm, Francis.
Francis? What?
So this is where you keep your stash.
This estate requires a huge amount of money.
If it doesn't go through the books, we avoid tax.
The money doesn't go into the estate's account.
It goes straight into yours.
Yes, I can explain.
I also found the file of so-called evidence
you're planning to use to prove
that I'm unfit to inherit on grounds of insanity
so you can get what you want, like you always have.
Well, I'd rather kill you than let that happen.
All that sanctimonious lecturing about me destroying Stourwick,
and you're planning to sell it the minute you win your case.
I found those files on the computer.
If I am mad, I can't be held responsible for my actions.
Don't think this is the end of it, Frankie.
I'll show you what real madness looks like.
You said you had everything covered.
How was I to know Ursula would give him the password?
Because you didn't know we had anything to hide?
You're even more stupid than I thought.
If he goes to the police, we're finished.
Or maybe we already are.
Betty doesn't want to talk about it, but she seems fine.
That was quite a fright she gave us.
Yeah, I think she was even more scared than we were.
At least she won't run off again in a hurry.
Cheers to that.
How are you getting on with the costume?
It's not long to go now until the Elizabethan Day.
Yeah, really well, actually,
I think you'll be surprised.
Francis, darling?
Francis?
Not a pretty sight, gentlemen,
but better than it was.
We found this plunged
into his eye with such force, it fractured his skull.
I saw Lucian using a similar tool in his studio.
So what was the actual cause of death?
It's not entirely straightforward,
but looking at the lesion across his throat,
I'd say someone's surprised him from behind and garroted him
with a medium-gauge wire,
such as one would use in cheese or clay.
The victim lost consciousness,
giving the perpetrator time to pose him at the table,
place the ceramic face over his,
and plunge the blade into his brain.
Classic Gothic horror.
Sir Francis Shirewell's death was carefully staged. Why?
Some kind of punishment?
It's a pretty humiliating way to go.
Who found the body?
His wife. She's waiting for us.
Of course it's Lucian.
Do you have any evidence of that, Mrs. Shirewell?
He threatened Francis in the cellars...
became very aggressive.
It was clear he meant to do him harm.
Were there any other witnesses to this?
Sadly, no.
I... I was there too.
Were you? You were spying on us?
I heard voices in the cellar.
I came down to see what was going on.
And?
When Francis and Lucian fight, it can get very intense.
I was too much of a coward to reveal myself.
What were they fighting about?
Lucian found out that Francis was going to appeal the will
on the grounds of Lucian's mental instability.
His behavior was to bear this out.
In what way?
He threatened Francis physically, then let him go,
but he said this wasn't the end of it...
that he'd show him what true madness looked like.
Lucian murdered his father
then poor Jordana, and now Francis.
Well, you better watch your back, Ursula.
He'll be coming for you next.
There's been a development, sir.
Uniform checked out this area.
The hose wasn't visible until the water level dropped.
Looks like you're wrangling a giant eel.
Makes a change from wrangling the deceased.
Glad we're keeping you on your toes.
Those must weigh a ton.
You'd need a transport
to get them this far from the scene.
We found distinctive tire marks by the weir.
Excellent disposal point, one would think.
The river was in spate that night
due to recent heavy rainfall.
So what happened?
Got snagged in this tree only 200 meters downstream.
Terrific bad luck.
What are the chances of recovering any DNA evidence?
Slim to zero.
DNA and water aren't the best of friends,
but we'll give it a go.
You're going to have to let Caleb decide this for himself.
And let him regret it for the rest of his life?
He's obsessed with that lunatic, same as you were.
That was a long time ago.
I have had nothing to do with him since.
Yeah, don't stop you taking sides with him now,
though, does it?
'Cause part of you's still in love with him.
You're certainly not in love with me.
Caleb is not a child.
He is a man of 19 with a mind of his own.
It is his future, not ours.
I had to do what was expected of me
for the good of this family, and so will he.
Where were you last night?
Walking. Where?
I don't remember.
Ms. Shirewell?
I was told I might find you here.
I always find peace here, even at this time of year.
Not quite sure how I'll manage without it.
How can I help you, DS Winter?
I was just wondering where you keep your garden machinery...
lawnmowers, trolleys, that kind of thing?
In the old stable behind the greenhouses there.
Is it locked?
There was no need to lock anything until yesterday.
If you need anything else, I'll be here.
Thanks.
I've never been a hypocrite, Inspector.
I hated my brother quite openly.
Both your sister and sister-in-law claim
you attacked him hours before he died,
warned him there'd be more to come.
Completely true and entirely justified.
I found out that my brother had been
selling the family heirlooms
to a dealer in London and pocketing the cash himself.
But they didn't tell you that, did they?
No, they didn't.
Or that they were planning to disinherit me
on the grounds of me being a basket case?
Not because they love Stourwick,
but because they want to sell it once they regain control.
How did that make you feel?
Enraged, but not surprised.
Where were you yesterday evening
between 9 p.m. and 11:00, Mr. Shirewell?
I was here in the studio with Caleb.
So you see, Inspector Barnaby, it couldn't have been me.
Hi, can I have an orange juice and a lemonade, please?
Okay. Thanks.
Not working today then?
The police charged me with stalking and harassment.
Oh, and that's not all.
Lucian is chucking me out of the cottage.
20 years of love and loyalty.
What have I got to show for it?
I'm so sorry, Sadie. I really am.
Yeah, I'll get my own back.
Don't worry about that.
Here you are.
Thanks.
Yeah, that's right, Inspector.
I came in around 8:00,
And...
And then we both worked until the morning.
Sure.
Caleb?
I suppose Dad sent you?
He doesn't even know I'm here.
I... I just wanted you to know that I understand.
You have to be true to yourself, Caleb.
I wasn't when I was your age, and...
I've regretted it ever since.
We found a motorized trailer that's a match
for the tire prints down at the weir.
Forensics are checking it out now,
but it looks like it's been power washed.
We might get lucky. Mm.
And uniform found a hose connector screwed
into the external outlet of the kiln ventilation unit.
They've confirmed that it's identical to those
joining the lengths of hose that washed up on the shore.
So Fleur's hunch was right.
The toxic gases that killed Jordana Linsbury
came from the kiln.
Anything else?
The finance checks came back on Francis and Davina.
There are large, regular deposits
into their joint account from a London dealer,
and the amounts correspond to the value
of the items missing from the house.
It adds up to over £1 million.
Which Davina would inherit, giving her motive,
and she has no alibi.
Is she capable of killing him
in such an extreme and violent way?
They plotted together to frame Lucian as a madman.
If she did kill her husband, it would make sense to stage it
as if it had been executed
by a psychopath to implicate Lucian.
Which would tie in with how easily these were discovered
by uniform... ceramic wire cutters
found in the shrubbery
underneath the dining room window.
And you were right about this, sir.
The object in his eye is a ceramic hole cutter.
Lucian confirmed that these and the ceramic wire cutters
are missing from his studio.
Is there any evidence to link him to the scene?
Not as yet, and his alibi checks out.
Should we bring him in?
First we need to talk to Davina Shirewell.
It's called stealing, Mrs. Shirewell.
Francis worked like a slave for his father for nothing.
Everyone thinks people like us are dripping in money,
but the truth is, we're poor as church mice.
Any spare money had to go back in the estate.
Apart from the regular and significant amounts
transferred into the joint account you shared
with your husband.
I was promised the good life, inspector,
a life I was brought up to expect.
What were we supposed to do?
We could barely afford a decent bottle of Chablis.
Is that why you staged the robbery in the chapel?
No, that had absolutely nothing to do with us.
The investigating officers will decide
whether or not charges will be brought.
But I've already explained.
No one is above the law, Mrs. Shirewell.
I don't remember their face. I'm so sorry.
I'm not being very helpful.
Take your time.
It must have been a very frightening experience,
Ms. Shirewell.
They were wearing gloves.
I remember the roughness on my mouth.
Where were you when this happened?
Here. I was cutting a spray of winter roses for the chapel.
Did they speak at all?
No.
Davina suggested you might be in danger from your brother.
Lurking in the shrubbery isn't Lucian's style.
But you can ask him yourself. He's been at the house all day.
Sorry, Mr. Shirewell. I didn't realize.
No, no, Lucian, please. And don't worry.
I'm not here to pray.
Francis went straight to hell anyway,
so that would be pretty pointless, wouldn't it?
I'm turning this old relic into a gallery for my work.
Planning a private view.
I'll leave you to it.
You have a fascinating face, Sorrel,
exquisite bone structure.
How would you like to be immortalized in porcelain?
Mr. Shirewell? We'd like a word.
Somewhere more private?
Sure.
Of course I didn't attack my sister.
Did she tell you that?
As a matter of fact, she thought it unlikely.
But you could be a potential witness.
Well, I didn't see any menacing strangers,
if that's what you're getting at.
Did you see anyone at all?
Only Gideon Blundell... I saw him from over here,
striding across the lawn.
Thought he was coming to berate me about losing the farm.
He'd threatened me before, so I was determined to evict him.
And?
He never materialized.
I was here, working, just like every day,
at the farm down by myself.
Are you sure about that, Mr. Blundell?
Because a witness places you in the grounds of Stourwick Hall
around the time Mrs. Shirewell was assaulted.
What were you doing there?
I was walking.
You just suggested that you were too busy to leave the farm,
and yet today, you had time to go for a walk and lied about it.
I had to think. About what, Mr. Blundell?
I just wanted to talk to her.
Then why didn't you?
Because I knew she'd say no.
And why is that?
We were together once,
Ursula and I, when we were very young.
I asked her to marry me,
but her father just... laughed in my face,
ordered her to cut me out of her life there and then,
and she felt like she had no choice but to agree, so...
I had to respect her wishes.
And what changed?
I was desperate.
I had to talk to her before it was too late.
What have you done?
I just wanted her to talk to Lucian.
She was the only one that could make him see reason.
I had to try and do something to save the farm.
If what Gideon Blundell says is true,
then his attack on Ursula Shirewell
has nothing to do with the murders.
So what are we missing?
Any updates on the chapel theft?
Well, given the total lack of evidence,
they reckon that it's a professional job.
They've notified dealers in the area that are likely
to be approached, but nothing so far.
We did have another development.
We had a call from Sadie Rowcroft
withdrawing her alibi for Lucian Shirewell
on the night of Jordana's murder.
Did she say why?
She said that Shirewell told her to lie.
But why would he do that when he's got nothing to hide?
He also has an alibi
for the night of his brother's death...
Caleb Blundell, who works for him, clearly admires him,
and we know Mr. Shirewell can be manipulative.
How far would Caleb go to please his boss?
Well, let's talk to him in the morning and find out.
But right now, I have a very important appointment
with an authentic Elizabethan dinner cooked by Betty.
Wish me luck.
I'm not sure how long he'll be,
but you're more than welcome to wait.
Oh, I don't want to impose. I'll come back.
No, Stay, please.
I know it hasn't always been possible for us to be friends,
but now that your father is no longer with us, I thought...
maybe we could start again?
Yes, I'd like that.
And I can only apologize for what Gideon put you through.
The prospect of losing the farm has driven him half mad.
He thought that you might be able to get Lucian
to change his mind,
but he should never have frightened you like that.
I'm so sorry.
I tried talking to him myself,
but he won't listen.
But it's not just Gideon
who's losing everything he's ever known.
I'm being moved to the house in France.
But Stourwick's your life.
You know more than most how ruthless Lucian can be.
I know how much you loved him.
But he never loved me,
so I just had to make the most of it.
I'm grateful it's come to this.
I can finally address the elephant in the room.
Gideon's never really been happy.
Neither of us have...
I only started seeing Gideon to make Lucian jealous,
but he had already moved on with Sadie,
so I suppose we just made the best of it.
But it was you Gideon really loved.
I've always known that.
But you have Caleb. It's such a blessing.
Of course, and we're so very proud of him.
But he and Gideon are two very different people,
always locking horns.
I suppose I knew it would come to this one day.
I never allowed myself to believe it.
Ah, well...
what exactly is it?
Whelk and periwinkle stew.
Elizabeth's favorite, apparently.
Well, ta.
It smells... unusual.
Well done, Betty.
Aren't you having any?
It's okay. We hated it too.
Blech.
I've ordered fish and chips.
Oh, thank God for that.
Blech. Ew.
That's everything dipped.
Get them in the drying room.
I want cobalt, manganese
and chromium oxides ready on the bench.
We'll have to work 24/7
if we're to get these all fired before the private view.
I had a call from the police.
They want me in first thing for an interview,
but I can come straight back.
You need to take a break.
You'll burn yourself out.
I can handle the firing.
What did they want?
Don't worry. I won't say anything.
Just get your head down for a couple of hours.
Okay.
Keep the doors locked at all times.
Are you in danger?
I'm not taking any chances.
Hey.
Lucian's just crashing for a bit,
so if I just get the first firing done,
I can meet you at the tree.
Yeah, I got you a little something.
Er, 20 minutes.
Hello?
Hey, help! Help!
Help!
Help! Help me!
How was dinner?
Have you ever eaten whelk and periwinkle stew?
I can't say that I have.
It lingers in a most unpleasant way.
Not the best time to be sharing a car with you then, sir?
For which I can only apologize in advance.
Winter.
Okay. The studio, not the house?
Yeah, we're on our way.
I thought we were interviewing Caleb Blundell.
Yeah, that was the plan,
but turns out he's gone missing.
When was the last time you heard from him?
Just before 7:00.
He said he had something for me and asked me to meet him
by the old oak tree, but he never arrived.
I tried calling, but he didn't pick up.
We found his phone in the studio.
There were lots of missed calls.
We found this in his jacket.
What's he so grateful for?
Uh, he's been having some problems at home.
I've just had his back, that's all.
When he failed to arrive,
why didn't you come and find him?
I knew how busy he was.
I just thought there must be some problem at the studio,
so I went home.
But before I did,
I saw Lucien hurrying across the back fields in the silver suit.
Where was he headed?
Here. Stourwick Hall.
When was the last time you saw Caleb Blundell?
About 6:37.
He said he was going to do the first firing.
So he left you here to go to the kiln?
Is that where you keep the suit?
I'll show you.
Should be here.
Everything all right, Mr. Shirewell?
Caleb would never leave the dial set this high.
None of this makes sense.
When did you last wear the suit?
Yesterday morning. We were doing a glaze test.
Are you sure you put it back?
Of course I'm sure.
Ms. Watkins claims that she saw you
walking back to the house in the suit at around 7:30 p.m.
Well, she's mistaken.
According to Lucian, he was the last person
to see Caleb Blundell alive.
Claims he was on his way to the kiln,
but no one saw him come in here.
And nobody saw him leave.
What if someone was waiting for him,
someone he didn't realize was here until it was too late?
That's too horrible, sir.
It's a rather genius plan, if true.
A kiln like this burns at temperatures similar
to a crematorium furnace,
between 1,000 and 1,500 degrees Celsius.
So if he ended up inside, we'd struggle to prove it.
No DNA recovery?
I will be sifting through the ashes for any bone fragments,
but burning at that intensity would make
any DNA identification almost impossible.
Sir, tech managed to retrieve Caleb Blundell's mobile data,
mainly calls from Sorrel Watkins and his parents.
Anything from Lucian Shirewell?
A few texts about work, but nothing incriminating.
There's a voicemail from his mother, asking him to call her.
That's it.
According to Ms. Watkins, Lucian Shirewell is lying,
but if my hunch is right and Caleb Blundell
ended up in that kiln,
then why would Lucian want him dead?
Caleb was his protege.
According to Sorrel,
Lucian would do anything for him.
Well, the timing's interesting.
Maybe he heard that Caleb was coming in for questioning
and couldn't risk the truth coming out.
The truth coming out about what?
The station had a call from Sadie Rowcroft.
She also says that she saw Lucien heading towards Stourwick
in the suit at 8 p.m.
Or maybe that's what she needs us to believe.
Sadie Rowcroft has lost everything
because of Lucian Shirewell...
her job, her home, her life partner of over 20 years.
We know she's vindictive, unstable.
He's still alive, sir.
But what if in a state of desperation, Ms. Rowcroft
mistook Caleb for her former lover,
pushed him into the kiln, and used the suit as a disguise?
Well, it's possible.
Hell hath no fury, Winter.
Let's get her in for interview.
Oh, Fleur's had a breakthrough.
What exactly are we looking at?
Titanium. We found it in the ash.
It's one of the few elements
that can survive the cremation process.
Caleb Blundell had a titanium joint replacement
after shattering his ankle, farm accident.
Part of the serial number is still visible here
and matches his medical records.
I also fast-tracked DNA from glasses
we found in his jacket pocket, in case by some miracle,
they managed to extract DNA from any of the bone fragments,
but that's a far longer process.
But what would that give us now?
We know that it's him.
We already had Lucian Shirewell's DNA on file.
Turns out he and Caleb are a match...
for father and son.
I'm so sorry, Mrs. Blundell. I'm afraid there's no doubt.
I see.
The forensic investigation revealed something else...
something I imagine you already know.
That Caleb is Lucian's son.
Yes, I've always known.
The older he got,
the more like him he became... to me, anyway.
He and Lucian were so alike.
You chose to keep it secret.
I knew Lucian never wanted to have children
and that Gideon would always be the better father.
Did Caleb know?
I tried calling him last night.
I had decided to leave Stourwick, and I...
I needed to tell him the truth.
But now it's too late.
Did you share this with anyone else?
I had to tell someone,
and there was only one person I felt I could trust.
Sir, Sadie Rowcroft's waiting for us at the station.
- Tell them to let her go. - Why?
That something that we've been missing
that connects all our victims, it's just become crystal clear.
Because Lila Blundell confided about Caleb to Ursula Shirewell?
In noble families, succession still passes down the male line.
Jordana Linsbury lied about being pregnant
with Lucien's child, 50% likely to be male.
Francis was Lucien's brother, and when Lila revealed
that Caleb was Lucian's son, he had to die, too.
You think Ursula Shirewell killed all of them?
I'm sure of it.
And there's still one person
who can prevent her achieving her goal.
Lila told me the truth about Caleb.
I'm so sorry.
I haven't felt this much pain since Mummy died.
Being told you've lost your son on the anniversary of her death,
it's almost too much to bear.
The son I never knew I wanted.
The police have been asking questions, Lucien.
They think I killed him.
They think I'm responsible for all this horror.
I know you're not.
There are witnesses.
Pray with me, Lucian, for Caleb and Mummy.
It will bring you comfort.
I don't believe in prayer, you know that.
A toast to their memory then.
But not here.
Please, Lucian. I'm leaving tomorrow.
There's no sign of her at the studio.
Uniform are searching the grounds
and the outbuildings now.
They must be here somewhere. Keep trying their mobiles.
Yes, sir.
Oh, darling, that's brilliant.
Oh, that should be the front cover.
Right, you'll need some photos to go on the inside,
so I've downloaded the file.
Should we have a look?
Oh, where's that? I don't remember that room.
You found the second priest hole?
Why didn't you say anything?
The lady said it was our secret.
They're still not picking up, sir.
Keep trying.
Sarah, I can't...
What?
Send it to me now. Thank you.
When Betty went walkabout, she found this.
That's Ursula Shirewell's bedroom.
I recognize the painting of her mother.
So she's our thief.
But how did she get up there without being seen?
There must be another way out.
This door is usually bolted from the other side, sir.
Sir.
After you.
This is one of the last bottles of her favorite Chablis.
Seems rather appropriate.
To poor, sweet Caleb and darling Mummy.
May they rest in peace.
I failed both of them.
You were a child when Mummy died.
I should have protected you, loved you,
been the older sister you needed.
But I was too weak.
You'll never know how much I regret it.
That's something else, sir.
So we have all the evidence we need.
But where's our suspect?
Sir, today is the anniversary of her mother's death.
Do we know where she died?
The old wine store.
We came up those stairs,
but there's another flight going down.
That must lead to the cellars.
Which is the only place that we haven't looked.
It was like she never existed.
Father got angry if I ever mentioned her name.
I hardly knew her.
I wish I could say the same.
I think it's this way, sir.
I was with her that day.
In here?
She and father had been fighting.
I knew this is where she came to escape,
so I followed her.
She was even more drunk than usual,
screamed that she didn't want me anywhere near her,
said that she never wanted me because I was a girl,
that she could never love me.
And in that moment, I felt such hatred.
For her...
And for you...
Her firstborn son.
Because you never had to fight for her love,
but I knew I was better than you...
better than all of you,
and that my day would come.
She couldn't find any more of her precious Chablis.
I knew there was more in the cellar.
She ordered me to fetch it. I told her to get it herself.
Mummy didn't fall down the stairs, did she?
You were never going to leave Stourwick,
were you, Ms. Shirewell?
It's my home. I belong here.
You realized that if you could secure your position
as the legitimate heir, you wouldn't have to.
But that meant eliminating all those who stood in your way.
But this wasn't the first time you'd used murder as a solution,
was it?
Your mother didn't die in a tragic accident.
She was pushed to her death by you.
And my entire life has been spent in penance
for that terrible day.
It didn't deter you from doing it again.
Your father died of natural causes,
but Jordana Linsbury's death was at your hands.
I knew she'd stop at nothing to be mistress of Stourwick.
What made you think that?
She messaged me in a panic, said she was being stalked.
I went to the yurt, but she wasn't there.
That's when I found the pregnancy test.
So you had to act fast.
But that was your first mistake.
There was no baby.
But the test was positive.
She faked it, Ms. Shirewell.
Jordana Linsbury was unable to have children.
I had to make painful decisions for the greater good,
to save Stourwick,
the estate, our family legacy.
Lucian was firing the kiln that night.
I knew Jordana would be alone.
There was a time, years ago now,
when the extractor failed at the studio.
Lucian almost died.
That's how I knew how toxic those gases could be.
I thought it would be peaceful, that she'd never wake up.
I didn't want her to suffer...
but she did.
When I saw Caleb walk across the lawn,
I thought he'd find her,
but something in the trees distracted him.
Giving you time to retrieve the hose
and dispose of it in the river.
I thought it would get swept away, but I was unlucky.
Why didn't you just return it to the garden store?
Things hadn't gone to plan.
I'd forgotten my gloves in the panic,
left my fingerprints all over it.
Next on your list was your brother Francis.
Francis was a criminal and a liar,
planning to betray me and our family name.
You'd agreed to fight Lucian's succession together,
but then you discovered that if Francis won control,
he intended to sell.
You couldn't allow that.
Francis always drank heavily after a row with Davina.
I just had to watch and wait.
I knew a lifetime of self-indulgence
had left him weak.
Years in the garden had made me strong.
I knew I could overpower him.
But your brother didn't die of suffocation, did he?
You went out of your way to humiliate him in death.
Just as he humiliated me in life.
Poor, pathetic Ursula. She'll never notice.
She won't mind.
But I did notice and I did mind.
This was my way of showing it.
You knew your method of killing
would point the finger at Lucien.
You stole tools from his studio
and then disposed of the wire cutters
where you knew they'd easily be found.
But then you came across an unexpected obstacle...
Caleb Blundell.
I didn't want to hurt him. He'd done nothing wrong.
But when Lila told me he was Lucian's son, I had no choice.
I wore Lucien's suit as a disguise.
And to implicate him.
Can I have a moment in the rose garden, please?
There's something you don't understand.
Love can make us do terrible things, Inspector.
It was my moral obligation to protect my home and my child.
What child, Ms. Shirewell?
The only man I ever loved and who loved me in return
was taken from me, my darling Gideon.
When my father forced me to give him up,
I discovered I was pregnant.
I managed to keep it a secret,
and then she came early,
out here in the moonlight.
I loved her so much.
She didn't survive.
I'm sorry.
I buried her here...
beneath the roses, my Rosa Mystica.
My darling, hidden, little rose.
And I've cared for her ever since.
How could I ever leave her?
We've both felt the agony of unbearable loss,
the appalling damage that causes,
the people it's turned us into.
You have to go, but I've decided to stay.
I'll look after her now.
I never thought I'd feel sorry for her
after everything she's done.
She could never abandon her daughter.
She would do anything to keep her safe.
You'll know what that feels like one day, Winter.
Mummy, you're dancing with the Queen.
Your Majesty.
Oh, it seems I underestimated your sewing skills.
Okay, okay. I got it online.
But at least I tried.
You're in charge of costumes next time.
Well, I think you look splendid, Betty,
very regal.
Thank you, Daddy.
Yes, and you look very nice too, Paddy,
quite the dandy.
This is clearly what he's been asking for all these years...
a ruff, a ruff-ruff-ruff-ruff.