Original subtitles

Wonderful. Thank you.

Goodbye.

That was Miss Clement on the telephone.

What? The headmistress?

What does she want?

Rather exciting news, actually.

Oh. Hamilton's getting a royal visit.

All right. Hang on a second.

Father Brown was just about to announce some exciting news. Go on, Father.

That was the exciting news.

Do you think we'll get to meet her?

As a matter of fact, we will. In recognition of our contribution to the

fundraising, we will be joining Miss Clement at the grand opening.

Hmm. I was hoping for Elizabeth Taylor.

They're here.

Places, everybody.

You don't have to salute or anything, do we?

They're royal aides, not royalty. You don't have to... Oh, my goodness.

He's rather dapper, isn't he?

Good morning.

Allow me to introduce Inspector Beckett, liaison for palace security, and Miss

Barnes, Her Royal Highness's personal assistant.

May I wood?

Pleasure. I trust your accommodation was satisfactory.

Adequate, thank you.

Pleased to meet you.

I'm Miss Clement, the headmistress, and this is Father Brown and his associates,

Brenda Palmer and Mrs Devine. They've been instrumental in raising the funds

the library.

Miss Clement is too modest.

We merely lent a hand.

Father Brown.

Brenda.

Sorry, I didn't quite catch... Oh, um, Mrs Devine.

Isabel.

Charmed.

Right. Yes, well, we should probably make a start, I think. Absolutely. I

you'll want to see the new library first, so if you'd care to follow me.

Problem, Mr. Clement? No, no problem.

Ray was supposed to... It's possible Ray has overslept.

He overdid it on the ale last night, and I was called to the pub to drive him

home. Oh, dear.

How embarrassing.

I can only apologize.

Miss Clement, I think you'd better go and wake him up, don't you think?

I'll come with you.

Are you all right?

Of course I'm not all right.

He's loving this, isn't he, Iris?

Dean's a mayor. You do know he never contributed a penny to any of this. I

it you'll be standing against him at the next election.

Oh, too right I will.

Kimbleford needs a mayor who cares about his community, not just himself.

Typical.

Raymond!

Father!

What are you... What's going on?

I'm afraid you've slightly overslept. Slightly? The royal aides are already

here. The royal what?

The representatives from the palace who are attending the school today in

advance of the royal visit.

Oh, that.

Yes, that.

Did you at least finish tidying up the library?

Yeah, of course.

What's this doing?

Looks old.

It is.

Must have dug it out last night.

Obviously feeling sentimental.

How nice for you.

Where are the keys?

Oh, for heaven's sake, find them!

That's your caretaker?

He was at the inn we were staying at last night.

Made quite a spectacle of himself.

He was blind drunk, boorish and loud.

We retired early just to get away from him.

Yes, well, he will not be here the day of the visit. That I can promise you.

Watch what you're doing, Matt.

Not the best of starts, Miss Clement.

So your caretaker lives in the school?

It's a temporary arrangement.

The opening ceremony will take place at the front of the school.

There will be a brass band.

Oh, lovely. I should like to run to a quick rehearsal with you all.

This way, please.

That's a dapper -looking suit.

Do you think it hides a concealed weapon?

Thank you, Mrs Devine.

And, uh...

Yes. As a matter of fact, it does.

The library is just through here.

I think you'll be very...

You didn't lock up.

I thought I did. Thought you did.

Your tools are still here. Did you even come in here last night?

I... The second I was gone, you went straight to the pub, didn't you? I was

going to come back later to finish off, but... But you could barely walk by

then, could you?

Have you any idea what you've done?

You've ruined everything.

Miss Clement.

I

think

she just needs a moment.

Poor woman.

All that hard work.

I presume the visit will have to be cancelled.

Cancelled? I've got half the constabulary prep for this visit. This

to be my... Camelford's chance to shine.

Why would someone vandalise a library, anyway?

Anarchists. Don't be ridiculous, Sergeant. There are no anarchists in

It's clearly the work of kids.

Whoever it was made quite the mess.

But the damage is surprisingly minimal.

And, I believe, salvageable.

That's... Absolutely, especially if we all pull together.

There's still two days before the visit. Do we really need to be talking about

cancelling it?

Your confidence is admirable, Mrs Devine. So, no, we do not, for now.

Why don't we all give Miss Clement ten minutes or so and then reconvene for the

rehearsal? If you'll excuse me, I need to use the little boy's room.

You all right, Miss Bond?

No, no, no, I'm not. I've lost my lighter.

I'm sorry, I've... Blimey.

Must be a pretty important lighter.

Well, if you'll all excuse me too, I might as well take this opportunity to

inspect the grounds.

Right.

Start from Kettle Copper.

You do not speak until Her Royal Highness has spoken first.

You do not ask questions with her unless invited to do so.

Mrs. Devine, perhaps you could stand in for the princess.

It's the role I was born to play.

And, uh, Brenda, isn't it? Perhaps you could be the flower girl?

The what?

It's my understanding one of the pupils here will come up from the crowd to

present Her Royal Highness with a bouquet.

Is that correct, Miss Clement?

Hmm?

Yes. Sorry, but yes.

So what I'll need you to do is come up at the end.

Curtsy. Sorry, sorry, what?

Yeah, um, I don't know how to curtsy. It's really very simple.

Yeah, sorry, um, do you know what?

I don't really think I'm flower girl material.

I think I'd probably better give Ray a hand clearing up.

Honestly, Miss Palmer, there's nothing to it.

You're just simply backfoot Bob.

No, sorry, Father.

Right, then.

Line, please.

Places, everyone.

Cars arrive.

Crowd cheers.

Band begins to play, and... Your Highness, if you care to step this way.

I'll start on the left here.

Your Highness, Father Brown.

Delighted to meet you.

leave the premises.

Excuse me, did you hear what I just said?

What do you think you're doing?

My job, Chief Inspector.

I suggest you do yours.

Oh, no.

Not you as well.

Chief Inspector, I must be permitted to perform the last rites.

There you go. Facultate.

Sergeant, we were barely ten yards away. Have you any idea how this is going to

look?

Amen. This door's locked.

That door's locked.

And Raymond has the keys in his pocket.

That means his attacker came through the main doors right by the staff room, so

why didn't we see them?

Perhaps we did.

What do you mean, Father?

I haven't seen anyone here other than... Other than us.

Where is Miss Clement?

What are you doing, Miss Clement?

I never... I just...

I

just found it there.

We could all see how angry she was, but this, it's unconscionable.

I take it we're free to leave, Chief Inspector?

For the time being, yes.

Inspector Beckett, perhaps Mrs Devine will be kind enough to drive you back to

the Red Line.

But I shall have to ask you to remain there until... Actually, Chief

I shall be coming with you.

You'll be doing what?

The security of Her Royal Highness is my priority here, Chief Inspector.

If the visit's to go ahead, then I need to establish that this murder was in no

way connected to it.

And that means I will be part of the investigation.

Now, if any of that needs clarifying...

I suggest you take it up with Scotland Yard.

You don't really think... I see no guilt in her face.

I see confusion.

And grief.

Chief Inspector?

Don't ask.

I've been kicked out of my own office.

There's Royal Torneth in there. Completely commandeered it to make a

call to the yard.

What I need now is a full confession.

Ah, right, Sergeant. Tell me, what have you got?

The only other thing on his possession.

On his neck, anyway.

Here. What do you make of it?

Daughter?

Granddaughter?

It's funny, mind.

I don't remember Ray ever mentioning family.

He probably stole it.

Tell me, Chief Inspector, is this village in the habit of employing known

as school caretakers?

Raymond Harrison had quite the criminal record.

Fraud, burglary, theft, all culminating in an atheist stint at HMP Gloucester.

Ray often alluded to a chequered past in our conversations, but I had no idea to

the extent.

This is troubling news.

Might I be permitted a visitation with Miss Clement?

I'm sure she'd appreciate your counsel, Father.

In the meantime, Chief Inspector and I need to discuss how best to proceed.

Shall we?

Please, after you.

Two inspectors.

It's going to be a long day, Father.

Come on, then.

A locket.

Silver.

Containing a picture of a young girl.

A girl I recognise.

From the photograph on your desk.

My old class photo.

We just moved here that summer.

Me and my mum.

Clement was her maiden name. And Raymond Harrison was your father?

He was in prison for most of my childhood.

And then, by the time I'd left home, he'd vanished completely.

It was ten years ago he tracked me down again.

He talked about regret.

And making amends.

But really, he was just a homeless, desperate alcoholic with

nowhere else to go.

So you gave him a job.

And somewhere to stay on the school grounds.

We agreed to keep it a secret.

Had mistress employing a felon, I would have lost my job.

I know.

Now it must look, but I swear to you, I didn't do it.

You do believe me, don't you?

I do.

Or at least I want to.

So you must tell me everything.

What exactly were you doing during the ten minutes you took to collect yourself

after we discovered the vandalised library?

My office.

And then out front looking for you all, Mayor Wood saw me, I think.

He was... He was actually talking with Ray at the time, having some kind of

argument. Argument?

Something about money. It all sounded a bit heated.

You don't think...

It's no secret that Miss Clement and I weren't on the best of terms.

But even I couldn't have predicted this. I'm just as shocked about it as the

rest of you.

How well did you know Raymond Harrison?

Me? Barely at all.

He was something of the hermit, as you well know.

In a manner of speaking, yes.

I only ask because I've been led to believe that you had some sort of

disagreement prior to our rehearsal.

I told you that.

Oh, her.

I didn't think she'd... He owed me some money, that's all. Hardly matters now.

How could a school caretaker end up owing money to a mayor?

He was meant to do some handiwork for me. Never completed the job, like I say.

Hardly matters.

If memory serves, when we discovered the vandalism in the library, you were the

first person to suggest that the royal visit be cancelled.

Was vandalism the odd job you had paid him for?

What?

What are you saying?

Why on earth would I do that? To prevent the royal visit.

And the subsequent publicity would have afforded your mayoral rival.

That's ridiculous.

The visit was still going ahead. The damage was minimal. You said so

Perhaps that was why you demanded your money back.

Truth is your friend here, Mayor Wood.

Because you are guilty of one crime does not necessarily mean you are guilty of

another. What other?

Oh, dear God, you can't possibly think that I could... It's politics, Father.

Different rules. Miss Clement herself would have done exactly the same.

I think she's more than demonstrated what she's capable of.

I see.

Father, please.

I may not be a saint, but there are some lines that even I could never cross.

Never.

Well, I knew the man was crooked, but take the biscuit.

Do you think he knew that Ray was her father?

No.

And if things hadn't played out the way they did, none of us would ever have

known. What did the chief inspector say?

Not a great deal.

He was mostly celebrating the departure of his palace counterpart, thus enabling

him to return to the school and investigate properly.

As enthusiastic and well -intentioned as our chief inspector is, I fear that the

looming deadline of the visit itself is somewhat colouring his judgement.

Of course it is.

This whole visit's made everybody go nuts. I don't get it.

It's not like it's the Queen, it's just a sister.

You're not much of a royalist, are you, Brenda?

No. I'm just not as obsessed with it as everybody else.

They're just people at the end of the day.

I'm going to cycle down there and see if I can offer my assistance to the chief

inspector. Oh, I'm sure he'll love that. What would you like us to do?

Only I was thinking that perhaps Brenda and I should head down to the Red Lion

and check on Miss Barnes.

And her tall, handsome bodyguard.

Hmm? Hmm?

Oh, yes, I suppose he'll be there too, won't he?

Fabulous. Just got rid of one interfering detective and that pops

Came to offer my services, Chief Inspector.

Painfully aware of the pressure you are under.

We have matters quite in hand, thank you.

Yes, Father. We just keep finding more and more.

Looks like old Ray really didn't leave his criminal past behind.

The spoils of a pickpocket.

I rather hoped we wouldn't find something like this.

Where is the newspaper?

What newspaper?

Ray had an old newspaper this morning.

Miss Clement tossed it onto the chair there.

Seems to have vanished.

How should I know? Probably threw it out.

How would he have done that?

I very much doubt he did it after the murder.

I only think a missing newspaper should be our priority right now.

Just seems odd that it vanished, that's all.

He really was quite the magpie.

So it would seem.

Well, as you say, you seem to have matters in hand.

Perhaps I should leave you to it.

What a novel idea.

Right, tear this place apart. Find that newspaper.

Do you mind?

I was starting to feel a bit of a gooseberry.

Yes. They do seem to have taken something of a shrine to each other,

Just a bit.

So, how do you become a royal aide, anyway?

Do you have to go to a posh school or something?

Well, I certainly didn't.

Oh. How can we talk like that, then?

Because it's part of the training.

Without it, I'd be talking like this all the bleeding time.

Believe it or not, the only person who does ever hear me talk like that is

Princess Margaret herself.

She has the same thoughts on airs and graces as you seem to.

Oh. She prefers people to be themselves.

She does?

Oh, yes.

And you should hear what happens when you get her on the old Joanna after a

sherries and all.

Well, she sounds sort of, well, you know, for royalty.

Miss Palmer.

Miss Barnes.

Glad to find you here.

Miss Palmer, would you give us a moment, please?

Oh, do I have to?

It's all getting a bit Mills and Boone in there.

Never mind.

Forgive me for asking, but your lighter, it's gold, isn't it?

Only that is catnip for a pickpocket.

And Raymond Harrison had four.

He had... Quite the collection of similarly valuable items hoarded in his

And I couldn't help notice that he bumped into you rather clumsily outside

school. Is that when he stole it?

I didn't realise at the time.

When did you?

And why didn't you inform anyone?

I... May I?

Margaret Rose Windsor.

That's Princess Margaret's lighter, isn't it?

Ray saw you using it on the school steps. He must have found it

How did you get it back?

I... She didn't.

I did.

You did.

In my line of work, she develops something of a sixth sense when it comes

people.

As soon as Miss Barnes realised the lighter was missing and I realised what

was, I knew exactly who had it.

You confronted him?

I found him locking up during my inspection of the grounds.

I demanded it back.

He didn't even argue.

You do realise that that makes you the last person to have seen him alive?

A second last.

I think you're fine, Father.

I'm so sorry, Neil. I should never have...

None of this is what you think, Father.

I swear, I'm not a thief.

I just borrowed it, that's all.

I do find some people have a rather cavalier use of that word.

It's true. I was going to put it back. I always do.

You've done it before.

I have nothing but love and respect for the royal family.

But when you spend as much time with them as I do, sometimes the lines begin

blur.

It never felt like stealing.

More like borrowing from a friend.

Unfortunately, the palace wouldn't quite fit that way.

Had I not retrieved it, she would have lost her job, her home, everything.

I'm going to return it first chance I get.

And I'll never do it again, I swear.

I'll make sure of it.

I, uh, trust this little matter can remain between ourselves.

Oh, hello.

What are you all doing here?

enjoying anecdotes about life at the palace.

You've been having a drink, Sergeant?

No, thank you, Father.

The Chief Inspector wanted me to tell you the visit can go ahead, sir.

That's assuming we can return the library to its former glory, of course.

Miss Clement has been formally charged.

Don't look at me like that, Father. Look whether you like it or not.

The evidence fits up to and including the fact we have a fingerprint on the

hammer. We already knew that.

She picked it up in the library.

We all saw her do it. Yes, and we also saw her threaten him, didn't we?

A criminal she'd been harbouring, a man who, to her mind, had completely

destroyed her legacy.

What more do we need?

More time.

We don't have more time.

I received a telephone call earlier from the yard, informing me, in no uncertain

terms, that if we don't charge someone for this crime, the visit will be

cancelled. Then perhaps it should be.

Oh.

I see.

Father, believe me, with all she has done for this community, I'm just as

saddened by this as you are. But my hands are tied here. I'm merely...

orders?

Respecting my superiors.

Did you find the newspaper?

There are no newspapers in Ray's room, Father. I'm sorry, but you're touching

its jaws now.

Sadly, it appears that I am the only person still prepared to do so.

Good day, Inspector.

No. Maybe.

I don't know. I was just flicking through it.

Oh, there you are, Father.

I've managed to secure a number of volunteers for the big tidy up tomorrow.

It's going to be tight, time -wise, but I still believe we can do it.

Excellent. Tea, Father? Please.

I hate to ask, is the mayor actually going to show his faith at this thing?

Almost certainly.

I'm sure in his mind, his misdemeanors pale into insignificance compared with

those of his incarcerated rival.

Yeah.

Things certainly worked out for him there, didn't they?

She didn't get the visit removed from her like he wanted.

Instead, she's been removed from the visit.

Allowing him to take centre stage.

It's quite the motive, isn't it? Not one we can prove.

No more than we can prove Miss Barnes.

Miss Barnes?

You heard her.

If that knife had wound up in the hands of a local pawnbroker, it wouldn't take

much to trace it back.

Her entire life would be over.

But it was Inspector Beckett who got it back, not her.

So he says.

Rather quickly, I thought.

Gallantry is underrated these days.

I'm sure he doesn't believe her to be guilty, but I'm equally sure he'd want

protect her from the finger of suspicion.

Regardless.

Or he did confront Ray about the lighter.

But maybe Ray wasn't as willing to hand it over as he's led us to believe.

It's just as good an explanation as yours.

What do you think, Father?

I think you both make excellent points.

As indeed did the Chief Inspector, regardless of where his priorities may

lying. I think we can attribute a motive to all four of them if we stare hard

enough.

And yet, not one of them sits right with you, does it, Father?

No.

I can't shake the feeling that the motive is much bigger than any of those.

And it's very, very well hidden.

What are you doing, Father?

Clutching at straws, Miss Palmer.

Clutching at straws.

Good Lord.

It's barely... I told you we could do it.

Are you here to lend a hand?

Ah, regrettably not. I have some telephone calls to make.

Though much more pleasant ones than I feared.

I think it's safe to say that Her Royal Highness will most certainly be in

attendance tomorrow.

Oh. I'm very impressed, Mrs Devine.

Well, I can't take all the credit.

No, you certainly can't.

All of which means this will be my last night here at Campbellford.

So, I was wondering if I might convince you to join me for dinner.

Wait, so you're driving in?

You're not paying for a meal, too, are you? Very funny.

There's only so gallant you can be when you've arrived by train.

Now, how do I look?

Very nice, Mrs Devine.

Right, so two hours to get my hair done, picking my sticks, reservations at

seven. Ciao for now.

I don't know what she's worrying about.

She can't help but look glamorous.

She'd look glamorous in a bobble hat and a football scarf.

Football?

You are.

Football, Chief Inspector.

You want to talk about football?

In a sense. I just... What are these?

Well, exactly what they look like.

Thanks to you, I've spent the entire morning writing through every bin in the

vicinity of the school.

You're no more convinced of Miss Clement's guilt than I am.

Well, I don't think it goes that far, but despite what you might think, I do

like to keep an open mind.

Unless your phantom paper is amongst these, we really are left with nothing

the evidence we do have, and that only points one way.

These are all from this week.

The newspaper I saw was much, much older.

Yellowed with age.

Yes, and for all we know, completely irrelevant.

You don't even seem to know which newspaper it was.

It was local.

Or regional.

That's what I came to tell you about. I remembered the headline. Something to do

with a football match.

Gloucester City versus Bristol.

4 -0 to Bristol.

Don't you tell me about it.

First round of the FA Cup.

Yes. How was it?

Don't happen to remember the year, do you? Of course I do.

1937. Every defeat burned into my brain.

What?

Nearly two decades. You do realise they may not even archive them that long.

I think we're about to find out.

That's it.

I'm sure of it.

Better be worth it, Shana.

That's Ray.

Terrific. So he kept hold of a 17 -year -old newspaper because he had a photo of

him in it.

Not just Ray.

What? Wait, is that Inspector Beckett?

Not according to the caption underneath.

Neville Carswell. I knew it. I knew that man was too good to be true.

We must hurry. I fear Mrs. Divine may be in serious danger.

this? Mrs. Devine, might we have a word, please?

Father, he'll be armed.

What, now?

I don't know whether I mentioned this, but I'm on a date.

It is quite important.

Well, what is it?

It's a secret.

Of course.

What? What's going on?

Data's a con man, Mrs Devine. An imposter. A killer.

But he's so handsome!

Invader!

Stay here.

Stay down.

Neville Kurzweil, I'm arresting you for the murder of Raymond Harrison.

You're not obliged to say anything.

But anything you do say may be taken down and given in evidence.

Why? Why would he?

To protect his true identity.

He spent years...

Living under a false one.

A fraud that could have continued indefinitely had cruel fate not landed

here.

I know how it feels.

He left his prison years far behind for a life of status, luxury and

travel. All under false documentation, I assume.

I prefer to think of it as going straight.

Believe it or not, I took my job seriously.

But it wasn't your job.

Was it?

As your old cellmate Raymond Harrison would have told us.

You must have thought your luck was in the first night in the pub when he was

blind drunk.

You doubted he even noticed you.

Even the next day, when you discovered that he worked at the very school you

come to visit.

It seemed as if he still not had made the connection.

What's what you're doing, man?

But then he stole Miss Barnes' lighter.

It wasn't a thick fence that tipped you off.

It was knowing him.

And you didn't confront him as you told us.

That would have been too risky.

No, you hoped against hope.

That the old pickpocket you had known would have squirreled it away in his

But he left something else, didn't he?

An old newspaper.

Which proved that despite his drunken stupor in the Red Lion, he'd still put

and two together.

And you realised it was only a matter of time before he did it again.

I had no choice.

You had a choice, Mr Kurzweil.

You chose self -preservation, murder, an impromptu framing of

an innocent woman.

You chose to pick up the very hammer that Miss Clement had handled moments

ago.

You chose to attack Ray from behind.

You chose to hide the murder weapon in her

office, knowing the conclusion that that would lead us to.

And now, Neville, your only choice is to confess your sins

and save your mortal soul.

A choice.

Sadly denied to Mr Harrison.

Father, where exactly did I fit into all of this?

For what it's worth, Missy Devine, I just think he was genuinely fond of you.

Great.

I can really pick them, can't I?

Your knight in shining armour's still out there.

Don't even think about driving Hercules home, Mrs Devine.

I'll send a few constables to retrieve it.

Him.

Yes.

Yes, I rather think he is.

Mayor Wood has decided to step down and give his full support to Miss Clement's

campaign. I doubt she'll need it.

She's certainly got my vote.

Yours too, I imagine.

I wouldn't possibly say, Mrs Devine. No, of course not.

She's beautiful.

You certainly changed your tune.

Father Brown.

Royal Highness.

Hello. How do you do? Mrs. Devine.

How do you do? Hello.

Chief Inspector Sullivan.

Hello. Royal Highness.

Mayor Wood.

Hello, how do you do?

Hello,

how do you do?

Go on, see ya.

Come on, I'll go with ya.

It is my honour and privilege to officially declare St Arilda's Library

All episodes of Father Bran are available now on iPlayer, or tune in

Friday, same time.

All serial killers' secret affairs taking the law into their own hands, and

revenge drama Happy Valley on iPlayer, press read.

And D .I. Neville is sniffing for clues and lands on an unexpected crime scene.

Death in Paradise, tonight at nine, and there's more on that in just a moment.