Original subtitles

("Nocturne for Piano")

(energetic rock music)

(audience applauding)

- Very good.

- This is an ungodly outrage.

- Oh, dear.

(audience applauding)

(woman screams)

(audience gasps) (sombre violin music)

(mysterious upbeat music)

- This is lovely.

Two evenings out in one week.

- Two?

- You're looking after Betty tomorrow night, remember?

- Ah, yes.

- Your first time in sole charge.

Nervous?

- No, I've got it all planned.

We're going to watch a classic film.

- "Fantasia"?

- "A Thirst for Blood" or maybe "The Mummy Rises".

Betty can choose.

You looking forward to your wild night out?

- Can't wait.

(cell phone ringing)

- Yes, Nelson?

- Sorry, Sir.

St Cyprian's Church, Midsomer Oaks.

I'm afraid it looks like murder.

(dramatic piano music)

- [Luke] You ducked out early, did you Magnus?

- Luke, there's been an accident.

- Severe cranial trauma from the impact of the box.

There are also two separate penetrations in the neck

from shards of perspex.

- There was a flash and a bang before the box fell,

but the audience thought it was part of the act.

It looked like a terrible accident, but it wasn't.

This was done with explosives.

- What do we know about the victim?

- Hannah Altman.

Owned the village pub.

Tonight was a church fundraiser,

and she was playing the piano.

- And the magician in the box?

- Gideon Latimer.

- [John] Hmm?

- He's a famous illusionist.

This is one of his signature stunts.

- And why was this famous illusionist performing

in a church in Midsomer Oaks?

- He owns Melmoth Hall, the big house outside the village.

- So who was meant to die?

The magician or the publican?

- Well they can't keep us here all night.

- You've already spoken to the police, Carole.

Why don't you just go?

- What went wrong?

- I don't know.

We've done that stunt a dozen times.

- You're Gideon's manager now.

How could you let an accident like that happen?

- I'm sure it wasn't Theo's fault.

- DCI Barnaby, Causton CID.

- [Charlie] Sir, this is Gideon Latimer.

- Mr. Barnaby, my son has had a terrible shock,

and he needs to go home.

- Not before I've spoken to him, Mrs. Latimer.

But if you've given your statement, you're free to leave.

(dramatic piano music)

- Luke, please.

- It's all pre-programmed.

Gideon's performance is timed down to the last second.

- Who rigged the equipment?

- Theo and I did, this afternoon.

- And you did all your standard safety checks?

- Yes.

- The church was unlocked all afternoon

while everything was being set up.

- Could anyone have had access to the rig

after your final checks?

- It's possible.

- How many people knew the box would be revealed

while Hannah Altman was playing?

- All of us.

Anyone else involved in organising the concert.

And the vicar said he'd tell her, the pianist,

so she wouldn't freak out.

- How well did you know Hannah Altman?

- Not at all.

- We hadn't met her before tonight.

- You never go to the local pub?

- We haven't lived in Midsomer Oaks for long.

Gideon only bought Melmoth Hall a few months ago,

and we've been touring.

- [Woman] Luke.

No, Luke.

- How did you get into the box?

- You can't expect me to answer that.

- Mr. Latimer, someone died here this evening.

- Where is he?

Where is Gideon?

- [Officer] Sir, please.

- This is Luke Altman, sergeant, Hannah's husband.

- [Charlie] I'm sorry for your loss, Mr. Altman.

Shall we go and talk somewhere else?

- If anyone's dead because of his stupid trick,

it should be him.

- The trick didn't go wrong.

The equipment was sabotaged.

This is murder.

- Someone tried to kill me?

(slow dramatic music)

- A judgement from God, on you, for polluting his house.

- God works in mysterious ways, Andrew,

but are you really suggesting this tragedy is his doing?

- This village has a dark present and an even darker past.

If the battle to bring it into the light requires

violence and suffering, then so be it.

- I'm sorry.

I can't carry on working with someone who worships

such a petty, vindictive, unimaginative God such as yours.

I'm sure there are parishes crying out for your

rigorous brand of Christianity, but it has no place

in Midsomer Oaks.

I'll speak to the Bishop

- I think he'll be more interested

in what I have got to say.

- Will he, will he really?

- Trouble?

- No, no, no, bluster, that's all.

- If you're a newcomer to Midsomer Oaks,

why do you think someone here would want to kill you?

- Gideon has hordes of fans, Sergeant Nelson,

but there are the haters too.

Some of them are quite poisonous.

- Obsessives, lunatics who claim Gideon stole their tricks,

religious fanatics, you name it.

They post things online all the time.

- Anything specific since you came to the village?

- Actually, there was a letter.

It said Melmoth Hall was cursed.

- Threatened Gideon with hellfire and damnation

if he didn't abandon it and move far away.

- You didn't tell me about that.

- Dealing with hate mail is my job.

- Do you still have the letter?

- It went into the shredder, like all the other rubbish.

- The fact that you've been targeted by someone

who knows where you live is cause for concern.

Tell me everything you can remember about that letter.

- [John] Hannah was playing a solo at the concert tonight.

Was that a big deal for her?

Was she nervous?

- A little maybe, but she was used to playing, in the pub.

- I'm wondering why you didn't come along to listen to her?

- One of us had to stay and look after the place.

- Will we find anyone prepared to verify

that you were behind the bar all evening?

- Magda was there, she helps us out sometimes.

I was down in the cellar for a bit.

We had a problem with one of the barrels.

- [John] How long is "a bit"?

- [Luke] Five, maybe ten minutes.

- Hannah was quite young to be a pub landlady, wasn't she?

- She inherited The Green Man when her dad died.

(soft piano music)

I think she struggled at first,

but she was determined to make it work.

Hannah was the one good thing that's ever happened to me.

(car horn honking)

- I want to walk back, I need some air.

- I'll come with you.

Someone needs to go in the car,

since my mother has bothered to wait.

I'd like some time alone with my wife,

if that's okay with you, Theo?

- She'll be cross now.

- No she won't.

- Not with you, with me.

I'd never have allowed you buy Melmoth Hall

if I'd known she'd be moving in with us.

What was wrong with her old house?

It's not as if she'd have been that far away.

- She was lonely.

Hardly short of space.

- I know you owe her a lot, but she's everywhere.

- She's my mother.

What do you want me to do, throw her out?

- And I'm your wife,

but it takes a murder to get us ten minutes alone together.

- She's just feeling a little redundant

since Theo took over.

Be kind, Annabel.

It'll get easier.

- Do you really think someone was trying to kill you?

- It's the most likely explanation, isn't it?

- Maybe we should go away for a while, just in case?

- Why?

- Because if someone is trying to kill you.

- It'll be okay darling, I promise.

- There were many people in the village who

strongly objected to the presence of an enter...

Mr. Barnaby, how is Luke?

- As you might expect.

- Reverend Soane was just telling me that Luke

was supposed to be here tonight, singing with a local band,

but he didn't turn up.

- Yes, he must be feeling dreadful about that.

- Were Luke and Hannah regular churchgoers?

- No, but they were very community-spirited.

Hannah played the piano with us and so on.

- I understand you had some people walk out

during the concert, as soon as Gideon appeared.

- Yes, my curate, Andrew Maplin among others

and one of the churchwardens, Ailsa Probert.

Andrew strongly disapproves of magic.

He believes it encourages people to meddle in the dark arts.

- Where does he stand on turning water into wine?

- Please don't ask him, unless you're in the mood

for a long and rancorous debate.

- The concert was in aid of the church restoration fund?

- Yes, we need vital building work done,

and the diocese won't give us a penny.

And if we don't raise the money in the next couple of weeks,

it will be the end for St Cyprian's.

- So he is crouched down in the bottom.

There's a trick of light, the glass goes black,

the trapdoor opens, he pops up.

And suddenly there he is, in the box.

- [John] The modern equivalent of smoke and mirrors?

- I'm heading back to the lab.

- Thanks, Kate.

Nelson was just explaining to me how Gideon's stunt works.

- I had to threaten to arrest them all

before they'd tell me.

- They probably guessed that you had an ulterior motive.

Nelson had one of those magic sets when he was a kid.

I think he cherished hopes of turning professional.

- The Magic Circle's loss is CID's gain.

- I was pretty good actually.

- We'll take your word for it.

Goodnight, Kate.

- They're taking the cabling back to the lab,

but preliminary tests for nitroglycerin

have come up positive.

And we've found fragments of what looks like

possible bomb casing.

No traces of a timing device, though.

That suggests it was activated by remote control.

- Which means that our killer wasn't necessarily

in the church at the time.

- Gideon and Annabel Latimer and Theo Bainbridge

still had, by far, the best knowledge and opportunity.

But they say they'd never met Hannah before tonight.

- Do what you can to see if that's true.

- If Gideon was the target,

then Theo and Annabel are prime suspects.

But I can't help thinking that neither of them

would have made a mistake.

If they'd meant to kill Gideon, he'd be dead.

- But he's not, and Hannah Altman is.

(ominous music)

(faint drum music)

- Gideon?

(crowd cheering)

♪ Joy of heav'n to earth come down ♪

♪ Fix in us thy ♪

- [John] That must be Andrew Maplin

standing next to the vicar.

- He's been busy posting comments on Gideon's website.

Real fire and brimstone stuff.

- We'll talk to him when he's finished singing

about love and mercy.

Let's go and find out why Luke Altman

lied about the concert.

- Only me.

- I'll do that.

- It's no bother.

It's all Gideon's stuff.

- Carole, just leave it.

- Did Gideon sleep well?

- Yes.

- He's not as robust as he appears.

You need to look after him.

- Be kind, Annabel.

It'll get easier.

- [John] Did your wife make a will?

- Not that I know of, no.

- So you'll inherit the pub?

- A fat lot of good it'll do me.

This place is mortgaged to the hilt.

Hannah did her best to make it work, but it's a money pit.

- Last night you said you never planned

to attend the concert.

Would you like to reconsider that statement?

- I was supposed to be there, yeah.

There's a local band, I sing with them sometimes.

- What made you change your mind?

- Hannah and me were having a few problems.

And yesterday afternoon, we had a bit of a row.

But it was nothing serious.

We'd have worked it out.

- Why didn't you tell me this last night?

- I would have done, but once you said it was murder.

- What was the argument about?

- It was nothing to do with any of this.

- But something must have triggered the row yesterday,

something specific.

What was it Luke?

- She had a fling.

- [Charlie] Who with?

- A guy called Rhodri Probert.

His wife used to be Hannah's friend.

- You were angry with her, presumably.

- Of course I was, yeah.

But that doesn't mean I killed her.

- Are you here about Hannah?

- Detective Sergeant Nelson, Causton CID.

This is DCI Barnaby.

You are?

- Ailsa Probert.

- I understand you joined the walkout last night?

- Yes, fakery has no place in God's house.

But I wanted to go back and speak to Hannah afterwards,

make sure that she knew it wasn't aimed at her.

- You were friends?

- We hadn't seen much of each other lately,

because I'm busy with the children and the church.

- We'd like a word with your husband actually.

Is he with you?

- He's at work, the florist on the Green.

Why do you need to speak to him?

We told your officers everything last night.

- Just routine.

Thank you Mrs. Probert.

- Harry, Flora, come on.

- The search team is at the pub now.

Shall I go back over?

- After we've talked to the curate.

- Andrew, we should talk.

Before you do anything rash.

- I'm afraid I have nothing left to say to you, Lorna.

But I have plenty to tell Magnus.

- I'm sure you do.

He is your vicar, after all.

For a little while longer.

- Andrew Maplin, might we have a word, please?

- I object to the use of so-called magic anywhere.

And in the church, it's an abomination.

- [Charlie] Gideon's an illusionist, it's not real magic.

- You and I know that, sergeant, but there are plenty

of gullible people out there who think otherwise.

Even the pretence of sorcery is dangerous as well as wrong.

- If you think that, why not simply boycott the performance

altogether, instead of walking out?

- That would have been cowardly.

- And less dramatic.

And you're rather fond of drama, aren't you?

I'm thinking of the message you posted

on Gideon Latimer's website accusing him of being

the son of the devil.

- I was quoting the Bible, Inspector.

- Was it you who wrote the letter threatening Gideon

with hellfire if he remained at Melmoth Hall?

- I'm not sure those were my precise words,

but I urged him to leave that house

of sin and darkness, yes.

- You feel very strongly about this, don't you?

- Indeed.

- Strongly enough to attempt to bring Gideon down in public?

- What are you suggesting?

- That someone made sure the stunt went wrong,

possibly intending to humiliate or harm Gideon.

But not necessarily intending to kill anyone.

- That's an outrageous accusation.

- Even though, "A man that is a wizard,

"shall surely be put to death"?

- I was referring to spiritual death.

Evil didn't arrive in Midsomer Oaks

with Gideon Latimer, Inspector.

He made himself heir to a very old and dark legacy.

It's my job to root it out and that's what I intend to do.

- An affair with Hannah?

Where did you get that idea?

- From her husband.

- Look, Luke's always been a bit paranoid.

I heard him and Hannah were having a rough patch.

But there was nothing between us.

- Are you sure about that, Mr. Probert?

This is a murder investigation.

- Look, it was a one-off thing.

You know how it is.

- A one-off?

- Okay, a few times then.

- And this was when?

- A couple of months ago.

It was a bit of fun.

Like I said, Luke and Hannah were having difficulties,

and Ailsa had just found God.

Seemed to prefer Him to me.

- Whose decision was it to end the relationship?

- It was mutual.

No hard feelings.

- I assume your wife knows nothing about any of this?

- No, you won't tell her, will you?

- And he left the parish when?

Okay, thank you.

- [Officer] Sir.

- [Magnus] Err, would you?

- No, thank you.

What did you say about me to that detective?

- Nothing but the truth.

That you strongly objected to Gideon's

participation in the concert.

- Before you try to cast blame on others,

perhaps you should look closer to home.

- What on earth are you talking about?

- I've suspected for a long time.

And now I have proof.

(suspenseful piano music)

- You said business was struggling?

- That's what Hannah told me.

- So where did this come from?

- I don't know.

- Thank you.

Hi, sweetheart.

Everything alright?

Where's the kids?

- Playing next door.

What did the police ask you?

- They wanted to know if we supplied flowers

for the church last night.

- Nothing about Hannah?

- How well I knew her, that kind of thing.

- And did you tell them?

- 20,000 pounds.

Luke claimed he had no idea where it came from.

He was right about one thing, though.

The pub is in dire straits.

The mortgage is massively in arrears,

and the bank has threatened to re-possess.

- Find out if there are any rumours

of dodgy dealings at The Green Man.

- Drugs, you mean?

- Or stolen goods.

- One other thing.

We found Hannah's passport,

but Luke said he doesn't have one.

I've just checked and he never has.

- Could be he just never fancied going abroad.

On the other hand, you should do a full identity check.

- I've already set the ball rolling.

- Good.

Rhodri Probert says that his relationship with Hannah

was long over, but we only have his word for that.

Nor can we be sure that his wife didn't know about it.

Anything else?

- Andrew Maplin has worked in four parishes

in the last five years.

Seems like a lot.

- I can't say I'm surprised.

But he's not mad, and he's not stupid.

When he says there's ancient evil at work in Midsomer Oaks,

he means something specific.

But what?

(ominous suspenseful music)

(Gideon whispering softly)

- Gideon.

The curate is on the front lawn, praying.

He seems to be performing some sort of exorcism.

- Don't worry.

I'll come and sort him out.

- Drive the spirits of evil

out of this house of shadow and pain.

- You're on private property, you need to leave.

- So that the faithful of Midsomer Oaks

may be freed from fear

- I'm calling the police. - To walk in the light

of your presence.

Give me the strength to carry out your work here today.

Grant us the strength--

- Reverend Maplin, isn't it?

How kind of you to call.

Has anyone offered you tea?

- Surely even you must realise the time for mockery is past?

You didn't heed my warnings and now a woman is dead.

- What a wicked thing to say.

- I'm just being honest, Mrs. Latimer.

Others may stand by and watch while your son

pollutes this village by invoking its foul past,

but I will not.

- May I ask how you propose to stop me?

- By exposing your purpose in coming to Midsomer Oaks,

and showing the world what you really are.

- All of you.

"Murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters,

"and all liars, shall have their lot in the lake

"which burns with fire and sulphur;

"which is the second death."

- You're insane.

- Go in peace.

- You may have turned your back on God, Gideon Latimer,

but you will not escape the fury of His wrath.

- It's okay, come on.

- Silence, child.

It's your father who's to blame.

- So, how did you get on?

- Betty finished her bottle and Sykes enjoyed his bone.

Or was it the other way round?

How was your evening?

- Splendid, three hours of drink and debauchery.

- I'd expect nothing less of the quarterly meeting

of the Midsomer Historical Society.

- It was very interesting, actually.

A local historian gave a talk.

- Fascinating.

- Don't mock.

Some of the grislier episodes in the past

make your schlocky old horror movies look tame.

- Shh, don't say any more.

Sykes has already spent half the evening behind the sofa.

- That's not because you're scared, is it Syksey?

He just prefers rom-coms.

(suspenseful music)

- I'm here, where are you?

(Andrew groaning)

- Here you are.

- Oh, thanks.

Do you wanna see a trick?

- Is it too much to ask to have my coffee in peace?

- No, no, no, come on, watch.

I am gonna make a coin pass through a pack of cards

and drop into that glass.

Behold, a shiny coin.

Watch it pass through a solid pack of cards.

One, two, three.

- There are two coins.

One is in your hand.

The other was concealed under the deck of cards

from the start.

- Spoil sport.

(cell phone ringing)

Sir?

- Andrew Maplin, curate of this parish.

He was wearing that when he was found.

It's made out of oak leaves.

- Looks a bit like a ceremonial mask.

- [John] Perhaps some kind of sacrifice?

- The ashes are cold.

- So that fire wasn't lit last night.

It looks as if he fell over here.

And was dragged to the big stone in the middle.

There was a clunky old mobile phone found here.

It's being dusted for prints now, then you can take a look.

Chances are it was the victim's.

- Because we wouldn't be lucky enough

to find the murderer's phone at the scene?

- [John] Exactly.

- All this swaddling is going to make it tricky

to pin down time of death.

I'd like to take him back to the table as soon as possible.

- Fine, It would be good to know

what we are dealing with here.

Nelson, come and look at this.

- [Kate] Let's get him back to the lab.

(slow dramatic music)

- Sir Hugo Melmoth.

Born 23rd of January 1758.

Died June 23rd, 1802.

E Flammis Vita

Vita is life, isn't it?

In Italian, anyway.

- Out of the flames comes life.

And yet this place feels full of death.

Do you always follow the same route when you run?

- No, but I've been that way a few times.

- Had you ever met Andrew Maplin?

- He came here yesterday evening.

- What did he want?

- An audience he could rant at.

- After Andrew Maplin left,

what did you do for the rest of the evening?

- We had supper.

Cleared up, nothing special.

- You were all here, the whole evening, the two of you,

Mr. Latimer's mother, Mr. Bainbridge.

- Yes.

- We all went to bed quite early.

We were a bit shaken by that scene on the lawn to be honest.

- The mask on the body.

Had you ever seen anything like that before?

- No.

- Mr. Latimer?

- I didn't see it, obviously, but no.

Annabel's description didn't ring any bells.

- You didn't go and look, after your wife came back here?

- Of course not.

Annabel needed me.

- What's happening?

The track to the temple is lined with police cars.

- The curate's dead.

The one who came to the house last night.

- Murdered?

- Your daughter-in-law found his body.

- On the altar stone.

- Oh, no, you poor girl.

- Tell me about the site.

You called it the temple.

- The Pagan Temple.

That's what the locals call it.

There are all sorts of stories

about what used to go on there.

- I saw Sir Hugo Melmoth's gravestone.

I take it Melmoth Hall once belonged to him.

- Yes, he was the last of the family, I believe.

Darling, this doesn't mean

we're going to have to cancel tonight, does it?

- [Gideon] Why should it?

- Tonight?

- Another fund-raiser for St Cyprian's.

- No big stunts, I promise.

Just a few card tricks and a bit of mind-reading

in the drawing room.

- People have paid a fortune for the chance to meet Gideon.

We can't let them down.

- As long as no one goes near the temple.

I'll send along a couple of uniform officers

to keep an eye on things here.

- There's really no need.

- It's for your own safety, Mr. Latimer.

- Thank you, Mr. Barnaby.

- It's good of you to do so much for the church,

given that you're new to Midsomer Oaks.

- I grew up not far from here, Midsomer Mere.

My mother is keen for us to get involved in the community.

And Lorna Soane can be very persuasive.

- I wonder, are there any books about the temple

in the library here?

- There isn't a library.

The last owner sold off the books

and converted the room into a home cinema.

Luckily I'm not really interested in the past.

- I've been looking for information on this place.

There's the usual stuff about the architecture.

- Any mention of a Pagan temple?

- [Charlie] Not so far.

- Andrew Maplin visited here last night

to warn Gideon Latimer to mend his evil ways.

He left around eight thirty, allegedly.

- He received a call at 9:23,

made from an unidentified mobile.

We're trying to trace it, but I'm pretty sure

it'll turn out to be a prepaid job.

- Anything else of interest?

- Andrew called the bishop at two o'clock yesterday,

to ask for a meeting.

He insisted it had to be today

but wouldn't say what it was about.

- Get a couple of PC's up here tonight, will you?

- No-one could accuse Andrew Maplin of living in luxury.

- Andrew was no hypocrite, whatever his faults.

- Did you know he was seeing the bishop this morning?

- No, but he told me yesterday that he was going to

demand a meeting as a matter of urgency.

- What about?

- My many deficiencies, personal and professional.

Most of them alcohol-related.

- You know where his body was found?

- Yes, everyone in the village knew

by eight o'clock this morning.

- No one at Melmoth Hall could tell me much about the site,

except that it was called the Pagan temple.

- It was built in the eighteenth century,

by Sir Hugo Melmoth.

Midsomer Oaks is believed to have been a centre

for pre-Christian worship.

Sir Hugo was very interested in what he called the old ways.

- Pagan rituals, you mean?

Did they still exist in his day?

- If they didn't, he probably invented them.

- Are there Pagans active in Midsomer Oaks now?

- I understand they still mark the seasonal festivals

in a purely symbolic way.

- Do you participate?

- No, but I don't object.

- Your curate did, though.

- [Magnus] Yes.

- But what about the bishop?

- If it was brought to his attention,

I'm sure he'd feel obliged to take a dim view.

- Would you mind telling me where you were last night,

say from eight-thirty to seven this morning?

- At home, with my wife.

- Thank you.

- Slim pickings from the laptop.

Records of parish council meetings,

a draught thesis on St Jerome.

Not much internet activity, except recently,

on Gideon's site.

And no photographs or film, which is odd,

because I found this.

It's quite new, but it looks like it's been in the wars.

I can't turn it on.

- Can you salvage the memory card?

- Yeah, probably.

(cell phone beeping)

Kate wants us back.

- Bring the camera with you.

Are you busy?

- Yes, of course I am, why?

- Nelson's done his best,

but I think I need a historian's input.

I'm interested in late eighteenth century

Paganism in Midsomer Oaks.

- OK, I wasn't expecting that.

Am I allowed to know why?

- Are you okay?

- Kind of.

You were supposed to come with me this morning.

- I overslept.

- Gideon's not going to carry on with this stupid

Pagan stuff now is he?

- He is obsessed with it.

Thinks it's gonna help the act.

A little thing like murder is not going to stand in his way.

- I just keep seeing the body lying there.

- Oh, come here, come here.

It will be okay.

It will be okay.

(dramatic piano music)

- He was already dead when he was wrapped up.

The knife entered the heart

and penetrated the right ventricle.

- So whoever shrouded him afterwards,

had to work around the knife.

- No, that's the interesting thing.

There were two wounds,

almost certainly made by the same weapon.

The first before he was swaddled.

And the second, after.

It must have been obvious that he was dead,

so the second one was for show.

- Could we borrow your computer for a few minutes, Kate?

- Certainly.

- Nelson worked his magic on a broken camcorder

while we were driving here.

He prised it open with a penknife.

- That's as close as Charlie gets to sleight of hand.

- You can mock.

- Oh, we will.

- [Charlie] In the meantime, look at this.

- He filmed his own murder?

- No, look at the date.

This footage was shot when Andrew Maplin

was still very much alive.

(Andrew whispers in prayer)

- What the hell do you think you're doin'?

Hey, what the hell do you think you're doin'?

- Luke Altman.

- It wasn't an attack.

I didn't touch the man.

I grabbed his camera and threw it on the ground.

- Why?

- He was spying on something sacred.

- Pagan rituals?

- We just celebrate the natural world.

The sun and the seasons.

And yesterday morning

we were welcoming in the Summer Solstice.

- That all sounds very innocent.

And not at all like what Andrew Maplin filmed.

The knife, the fire, the body on the altar stone.

- That wasn't a body, it was a straw man.

He symbolises winter, and we kill him every year

to mark the return of summer.

It's no sillier than what happens in church.

- Who's the person wearing the crown, your leader?

- The high priest of Sulis.

- Sulis?

- A Celtic sun goddess, apparently.

- And who is the high priest?

- The inner circle hold a secret vote.

I'm not part of the inner circle.

As far as I'm concerned, Paganism's not about

worshipping gods and having priests and hierarchies.

- A man known for his hard line Christian beliefs

was murdered at your Pagan temple,

in a way which mimics the very ceremony he filmed.

- And you think one of us did it?

That would be very clever.

But you can buy those masks off the Internet.

That's where I got mine.

Anybody could have killed Andrew

and tried to put the blame on us.

(upbeat music)

- No, no, not there, over there, please.

So as the guests arrive,

Annabel, Carole and I will circulate.

After you make your entrance,

you work this side of the room, a few one-on-one tricks,

before you make your way to the centre.

- Theo, this is my show.

I'll take the creative decisions.

You just do the job I pay you for.

- You don't pay me to lie to the police.

- I pay for your loyalty,

which is a word you don't seem to--

- It's only me.

The door was opened.

Just came to see how poor Annabel was feeling

after her dreadful shock.

- I'm fine thank you, Mrs. Soane.

- Oh, well, I see everything is in train for tonight.

Jolly good.

So tell me what you have planned.

- And give away our secrets?

- You can trust me, you know that.

- Can we?

- Of course we trust you, Mrs. Soane.

But we don't share the tricks of our trade with anyone.

- Tricks?

I'm disappointed, Gideon.

I thought your magic was real.

- I'm not sure about tomorrow night, not after--

- We must.

- Lorna, the place is crawling with police.

You're playing with fire.

- That's the idea, isn't it?

- Mrs. Soane, please leave Gideon alone.

We'll go through with tonight,

but don't ask him to do any more.

It's too dangerous.

- He's not doing any of this for me.

He's doing it for St Cyprian's.

- Gideon couldn't give a toss for St Cyprian's.

And I don't believe you do either.

- You had a nasty shock this morning.

Why don't you go and lie down?

- Aren't you done yet?

- Nearly, Mrs. Latimer.

- I've forwarded the footage to the tech department

and asked them to blow up as many shots

of individuals as they can.

The leaves on Luke's mask were made of leather.

The ones on Andrew's were real.

- There was another difference, too, did you notice?

- Andrew's mask didn't have an opening for the mouth.

- And now he's been silenced.

(suspenseful music)

- [Theo] I think Gideon knows, about us.

Let's leave today.

- [Annabel] Now, I can't leave now.

- You've chosen him instead of me.

- No, I still want to be with you.

But I don't want to hurt him.

- He's hurt you often enough

- That's not fair.

I can't leave Gideon while somebody

might be trying to kill him.

Look, I better go.

- No, wait.

(dramatic music)

- Early supper?

- It will only be posh nibbles up at Melmoth Hall.

You're going to need something to soak up the booze.

- I can't go to a party.

- Why not?

- I just think it would be better if we both

stayed at home tonight.

- Magnus, you can't give up on this.

- Two people, one of them my curate, have died

under the most horrible of circumstances.

- And I am very sorry, but somebody has to try

and save St. Cyprian's.

It's what Andrew would have wanted.

If we lose this church,

you will be sent to a different parish.

And I won't be going with you.

I am not ready to leave Midsomer Oaks.

- Good evening ladies and gentlemen.

May I have you attention please?

No, over here.

Not there, here.

Welcome to Melmoth Hall.

Tonight, I'm going to make all your money disappear,

and re-appear in the Save St Cyprian's fund.

(audience laughing and clapping)

Thank you.

Thank you, thank you.

- Okay, thanks.

Luke and Hannah's personal finances check out.

They certainly weren't syphoning any money

from of the business, and there's no sign

of any other source of income.

Tech have just sent over a file,

but they say the quality's not great.

(suspenseful music)

- Zoom in on that Nelson.

I've seen that ring before.

Rhodri Probert wears one.

Good evening, Mr. Probert.

Why didn't you tell us about this before?

- You didn't ask.

- I'm sure you heard about the circumstances

in which Andrew Maplin's body was found.

Why didn't you come forward then?

Mr. Probert, you were present

when your former lover was killed.

And now a man caught filming your solstice ceremony

has also been murdered.

I suggest you start talking.

Either here, or at the station.

You can begin by telling us about the high priest of Sulis.

- Hannah wanted it, see, the high priesthood.

So did I.

- If you would like to shuffle the deck.

- Oh, um, not something I am terribly accomplished at.

- It's fine, I understand.

- There we are.

- Thank you.

Now, what were the two cards you were thinking of?

The jack of spades and the four of diamonds.

- Jack of spades and the four of diamonds.

(audience applauding)

- How'd you do that?

- It's perfectly simple, I deal in thoughts.

You could think of anything.

Now a few moments ago I asked you to think of something

you like to wear.

Think of it now.

I'm sensing something beginning with J, no, G.

Something green.

It's something that goes on your head

A hat, a green hat?

- His old green fishing hat.

It's quite revolting.

- Now, I asked you to think of something that you fear.

Think of it now.

I'm not getting anything.

There was something you feared, wasn't there?

Until very recently, but you don't any more.

Don't worry Mrs. Soane.

I'm not going to try to read your mind.

Believe me, I wouldn't dare.

(audience applauding)

- Luke and some of the others didn't approve.

Hannah was excited by the idea.

And so was I, to be honest.

But I changed my mind, a few days before.

- Why was that?

- Hannah said if I didn't stand down and vote for her,

she'd tell Ailsa what happened between us.

- She was blackmailing you, in effect.

How did you react?

- I wasn't thrilled, obviously.

- Did you think she'd carry out her threat?

- You could never tell with Hannah.

I wasn't about to lose everything over a stupid title.

- Twelve magicians have lost their lives

performing this next feat.

Put a mark on the top of the bullet, please.

Your initials if you like, but any mark will do,

as long as it's distinctive.

Are you a good shot Lorna?

- Better than average.

(audience laughing) - That's a relief.

Now, forget about the glass.

Aim at my mouth.

I'm going to catch the bullet between my teeth.

All of you are witnesses.

If any harm comes to me,

Lorna Soane is not to be held responsible.

(dramatic music)

Ready.

Aim.

Fire. (glass breaking)

- So who was left in contention,

after you withdrew and Hannah was killed?

Who is the high priest of Sulis?

- The obvious candidate, I suppose.

Sir Hugo Melmoth's descendant.

- And who is that?

- Lorna Soane.

(audience laughing)

- If you'd like to confirm that's the mark you made.

- Yes, it is.

(audience applauding)

(Ailsa screaming)

(suspenseful music)

- [Charlie] Thanks.

- Gunshot straight to the heart.

- Looks like an antique.

It was on the lawn under the drawing room window.

It's been wiped clean.

- Surprise, surprise.

Time of death?

With the usual caveats, of course.

- Up to thirty minutes before she was found,

though it might have been less.

- You delivered the flowers for the party this afternoon.

Why did you come back to the house?

- I owed it to Andrew.

- To carry on his fight against Gideon?

- Against sorcery.

I was watching while they were getting the room ready,

and I realised how the mirror worked.

I wanted everyone to know how easily they were being fooled.

- How did you get in?

- Through the kitchen.

The room behind the mirror was completely dark.

I felt my way to the switch, and flipped it.

I didn't know there'd be a body.

- [Charlie] Okay, you can go and help

with the witness statements, thank you.

- What's the story?

- The two PC'S left their post in the drawing room

because Mr. Bainbridge told them there was a prowler

in the back garden.

- I'm sorry.

- Are you saying you were lying?

Gideon insisted on doing the bullet catch.

He was adamant.

- Go on.

- It's perfectly safe.

The gun is specially modified.

It's all done by sleight of hand.

We didn't think your officers would see it like that,

so he got me to get rid of them for a bit.

- By sending them on a wild goose chase.

- I didn't know this would happen.

- Didn't you?

- Of course not.

Annabel and I were friends.

- A little more than that.

I've suspected for some time now,

but I didn't think Annabel would be

so stupid and ungrateful.

- She's lying.

Of course Annabel and I were close.

We've spent a lot of time together on tour, but we never--

- I heard you today.

In your bedroom, quarrelling.

Because she changed her mind about leaving Gideon for you.

- You were listening at the door?

- She's probably got the room bugged.

- I look out for my son's interests, that's all.

- Thank you, Mrs. Latimer.

- Can we take it you're no longer denying

that you and Annabel had an affair?

Why did she change her mind?

- She was worried about Gideon.

He was convinced he was the one meant to die in the church,

and Annabel half-believed him.

- You didn't?

- Gideon always has to be the centre of attention.

- Annabel was rattled by Andrew Maplin's threats, too,

and she thought the Pagan stuff was dangerous.

- Is Gideon involved in that?

- He thinks the act needs a new angle.

He went to the Solstice celebration at the temple.

And there's something else tomorrow, an escapology stunt,

I think, but he's being cagey about the details.

- I thought you were privy to everything?

- Not since we came to Midsomer Oaks.

- After you entered through the mirror, you circulated,

talking to the guests and doing tricks, is that right?

- Yes.

- Why did you choose Magnus and Lorna Soane as subjects?

- They're well known in the community.

People like to see authority figures put at a disadvantage.

- You went straight from one to the other,

in full sight of everyone in the room?

- Yes.

- Everyone who was here will confirm that.

- How does the mirror illusion work?

- It's quite technical.

Lights, hidden panels.

Theo will show you.

- But someone, or more than one person,

could be behind the mirror for any length of time,

without being seen on the other side,

as long as the lights were off?

- Naturally, that's its function.

- Before embarking on your routine with Mrs. Soane,

did you notice if your wife was in the room?

- It was Annabel's job to be aware of me,

not mine to look out for her.

I'm sorry if that sounds arrogant, it's just the way it was.

- I'm not sure.

- Why does it matter?

- Because there's a possibility that Annabel was dead

before Mr. Latimer made his entrance.

- What are you implying?

- He's saying anyone could have killed Annabel.

Including you, or me or Gideon.

- Don't you dare.

- Mrs. Latimer, please.

- Do any of you recognise this gun?

- It's the one Gideon used for the bullet catch.

- No, it isn't.

The wood on the handle is much darker, look.

The stunt gun is in my study.

- May we see it, please?

- Mother's wrong.

Annabel was very happy being married to me.

- I'm afraid Mrs. Latimer was right.

Mr. Bainbridge has confirmed it.

- And you believe him?

Theo's not happy working behind the scenes any more.

He wants to be me.

So of course he's going to pretend Annabel was his lover,

now she's not here to deny it.

- This gun has been modified so

it doesn't shoot real bullets right?

- Yes.

- If it is the one used in the stunt,

Mrs. Soane's prints will be on it.

The Great Enrico.

- That's my father.

- I didn't know he was a magician, too.

Did he teach you all his tricks?

- He died when I was a child.

He didn't exactly have a glittering career.

- Sir Hugo?

- Yes, it came with the house.

- It's the anniversary of his death tomorrow, isn't it?

- You obviously know a lot

more about the old chap than I do.

- The date is on his grave.

- Mr. Bainbridge says that you are

very interested in Paganism.

He thinks that you have big plans of your own

to mark the day.

- I did, not any more.

The Paganism was just a new gimmick

to help sell the act, that's all.

I did love Annabel, Mr. Barnaby.

I don't know what I'm going to do without her.

- I didn't hear you get up.

- Yeah, Betty woke at five.

Once I'd settled her back down,

I thought I might as well stay up

and tell you what I've found out about Midsomer Oaks

and your friend Sir Hugo.

- Somehow I don't think we'd have been chums,

even if I'd lived two hundred years ago.

- There's not much, I'm afraid,

not even in the local History Society archives.

It seems Sir Hugo was a little eccentric

and held some unusual views on religion,

but other than that he was a model landlord and landowner.

- That sounds like the official version.

Yeah, listen to this bit, though.

"The exact circumstances of Sir Hugo's death

"remain unexplained, but it was widely believed

"that he jumped into a fire,

"in the belief that he would be reincarnated

"like the phoenix".

- Did you say a little eccentric?

- So what's going on?

Has Sir Hugo finally mastered the art of reincarnation?

Do you think he's your killer?

- Not quite.

But his Pagan practises seem to be flourishing again,

and not everyone is happy about it, as you can imagine.

- Is that what these murders have been about?

- I'm not sure yet, may be.

Or maybe that's what someone wants us to think.

I'd like to know the truth about Sir Hugo.

If anyone can tell you that that it would be Dr. Grenville.

She is the lady who gave the talk the other night.

I'll give her a call.

(doorbell ringing)

- Would you?

- Bye.

- Do you think Gideon didn't know about the affair?

- No, the question is, is he lying because he's guilty

or because he's afraid we'll think he's guilty?

- Theo thinks he did it.

And Carole would love it to be Theo.

Gideon had motive, means, probably opportunity.

And a motive to kill Andrew.

- But not Hannah.

We still don't have a real link between the victims.

And not a shred of physical evidence.

- Luke Altman wasn't on the guest list

at Melmoth Hall last night.

Not that that puts him beyond suspicion.

- You're right.

Just because Theo lied about seeing an intruder,

doesn't mean there wasn't one.

(suspenseful music)

- Gideon, my dear.

Did you sleep?

Have you eaten this morning?

- Yes, thank you.

Really, I'm fine.

- Good, Magnus will be up a little later,

but I wanted to see you first.

Because this tragedy must make no difference.

- Excuse me?

- It has to be tonight.

Earth magic and fire magic combined at Midsummer.

The power of the wizard harnessed

to the service of the goddess.

- I know how much this means to you, but--

- No, No.

It isn't about me, it's about the village.

Midsomer Oaks has never really prospered

since Sir Hugo died.

It's up to you and me to revive his spirit

and carry on his work.

- [John] How well did you know Annabel Latimer?

- We'd spoken a few times.

A charming young woman.

- And how long have you known about

your wife's involvement with the Pagans?

- She's never made a secret of it at home.

In public, of course, she's discreet, for my sake.

- Was Andrew Maplin threatening to expose her?

- He told me he planned to discuss it with the Bishop, yes.

- Could you have lost your job?

- It's not that easy to get rid of a

beneficed clergyman of the Church of England.

But it wouldn't have helped the campaign

to save St Cyprian's.

In any case, I fear that's a lost cause now.

The bishop called this morning to say he's shutting us down.

- [Lorna] There's no such thing as a lost cause, Magnus.

- Mrs. Soane, I should tell you

that I talked to Rhodri Probert yesterday.

He was very forthcoming.

- No reason he shouldn't be.

Nothing we do is illegal.

- But it is highly unorthodox

for a vicar's wife to lead a Pagan cult.

Even one founded by her ancestor.

- Paganism isn't fundamentally at odds

with Christianity, Inspector.

Both traditions have existed side by side

in Midsomer Oaks for centuries.

And the village flourished in Sir Hugo's time,

as never before or since.

- You were both present at the scene of two murders.

And Reverend Soane has admitted that his relationship

with his curate was strained, to say the least.

- If every strained relationship

between vicar and curate resulted in murder,

half the clergy in England would be in prison or dead.

- Lorna.

- I'm not concerned with

every strained relationship, Mrs. Soane.

I'd like an account of your movements last night,

from the moment you arrived at Melmoth Hall.

As precise as possible, please.

(suspenseful music)

- It's very kind of you to see me

at such short notice, Dr Grenville.

- Not at all, my dear.

Tea?

- No, thank you.

I don't want to take up too much of your time.

- I've been working on this book since the last century.

Another half an hour won't make that much difference.

What about the baby?

Would he like a biscuit?

- No, she's fine, thank you.

You mentioned that your research had taken you

into the archives of most of the big

pre-Victorian houses in the county.

I wondered if Melmoth Hall might have been one of them?

- Why do you wonder that?

- My husband is investigating

a series of murders in Midsomer Oaks.

- Recent murders?

- Fine, thanks.

If you could send the report through as soon as you can.

Okay.

Lorna Soane's prints are on the stunt gun.

So are Gideon's and Theo's, but no-one else's.

Ballistics say the real gun was fired once,

with a silencer.

- All the victims had some kind of dispute with Lorna Soane.

But I think we're missing something,

another link between them.

Sir, I wasn't having any luck finding

Luke's birth certificate,

so I ran a check on his fingerprints.

Luke Altman's real name is Seth Farringdale.

- And?

- He was convicted of manslaughter

when he was thirteen years old.

(glass breaking)

(suspenseful music)

- Hello, Seth, I've been expecting you.

- Young Seth was messing around with fireworks

in an abandoned smallholding outside Midsomer Mere

when an outbuilding caught fire.

A homeless man called William Holt was asleep inside.

Seth's school bag was found at the scene,

and he admitted everything.

He had been in trouble before and he served four years

in a secure unit.

He wasn't given a new identity on release,

but he seems to have been calling himself

Luke Altman ever since.

- Hannah would have found out Luke's real name

when they married, if not before.

And she's bound to have asked why he changed it.

Or perhaps it's more complicated than that.

- [Rhodri] This is Rhodri, please leave a message.

- Rhodri, where are you?

I'm frightened.

You promised me nothing was going to happen tonight.

(eerie music)

- It's wonderful.

- Mr. Altman?

Shall I start a search for him?

- Yes, put out a call to uniform.

I want to look at the scene of the crime.

- Which one?

We've got three.

- Four in fact.

At the moment I'm interested in the first one.

The one that I think all this has been about.

- Luke built a circular metal frame out of chicken wire,

eight feet in circumference and six feet high.

- Six feet?

- Yeah, the fireworks were just cheap things,

but he'd constructed two mortars.

One did what it was supposed to

and set off the bangers in the frame.

The other went through a hole in the roof,

and set the place on fire.

It gets worse.

They think Holt woke up,

attempted to run out of the building.

He was probably drunk, and he went straight into the frame.

It's a pretty horrible story, isn't it?

- And not very plausible.

- What, you think Luke knew someone was in the building?

That it was murder, not manslaughter?

- No, but I don't think he was alone.

One 13-year-old transported all that stuff up here,

and built a frame that big?

- You're right.

It would be no fun on your own either, would it?

Think of all the stupid things you did when you were a kid.

You did them because you were with your mates,

egging each other on.

- Speak for yourself, Nelson, but yes, you're right.

And Luke was a loyal friend.

Back then, at least.

- Do you think he's out for revenge now?

Or profit, that 20,000 pounds.

- Hannah was the only victim

without an obvious link to Gideon Latimer.

Gideon and Luke are the same age, aren't they?

- And they both grew up in Midsomer Mere.

- We need to find Luke, now.

(dramatic music)

- It wasn't just the whisky that made me sleep through

those nights when you went

creeping out to your temple, was it?

- A harmless sleeping draught.

I thought you'd be happier in ignorance.

- I pretended to Inspector Barnaby that I knew all along,

but I didn't suspect anything until Andrew told me,

the day he was murdered.

And what really hurt is that he seemed almost sorry for me.

I don't know you any more, Lorna.

All this high priestess nonsense.

Have you told Gregory it's nonsense

for him to call himself bishop?

- Believe me, I've been tempted.

I can make a joke out of most things Lorna, but not this.

I'm warning you, don't go out tonight.

This has to stop now.

- Or what?

- Don't push me, Lorna.

- John, I've just got back from Dr Grenville's.

Sir Hugo Melmoth didn't set fire to himself.

The villagers trapped him and threw him into the flames.

And I don't blame them.

He wasn't the harmless eccentric

that we've been hearing about.

- Thanks for that.

Kiss Betty for me.

Midsomer Oak's Pagans honour Sir Hugo Melmoth

on Midsummer's Eve every year,

but they don't know the truth.

His death wasn't a self sacrifice that went wrong.

It was murder.

Yeah, it is DCI Barnaby.

I need urgent back-up at Melmoth Hall.

Fire service and ambulance as well as police.

- What's happening?

- Sir Hugo was a ruthless tyrant

who invented his own religion

as a cover for his rapacity and greed,

and made human sacrifices of those who stood in his way.

And now someone is following in his footsteps.

- Why are you still here?

Haven't you done enough damage?

- I've still got things to do.

- What things?

- Tonight, for a start.

- Gideon doesn't need you for that.

I can do everything that's necessary.

- I intend to finish what I've started.

(suspenseful music)

- [Lorna] This is Midsummer Eve,

the time of year when Sir Hugo Melmoth,

who did so much to revive the old ways of Midsomer Oaks,

threw himself into the flames and was born again,

in spirit if not in body.

Every year we mark his sacrifice.

But tonight, we are going to recreate it,

with a new phoenix, who will be consumed by the fire,

and then rise again from the ashes.

(dramatic music)

- Put that fire out.

There's someone inside the box.

- Of course there is.

It's Gideon.

It's perfectly safe.

He's not really in there.

- You're exceeding your authority here.

We're commemorating the death of a noble man.

- Opinions differ on that, Mrs. Soane.

- Call your men off.

Everything's fine, I'm safe.

- Who is that?

- It's Luke Altman, sir.

He is still alive.

- I didn't see him.

I was only in there for a few seconds.

- This is your fault.

The fire and the sacrifice were your idea.

- No one was supposed to get hurt.

- Annabel begged me not to have anything to do with you

and your pathetic cult.

- Luke could have died.

Why are you not arresting her?

- Because she's not guilty.

All the victims had a link to Mrs. Soane and Paganism.

But that was just a classic piece of misdirection.

They all had something much more important in common.

They all posed a threat to Gideon.

- I barely knew Hannah or Andrew Maplin.

- But Hannah knew all about you from her husband.

Luke took full responsibility for the death of William Holt,

but he didn't act alone.

You were with him on that day.

- We were just children.

We didn't mean to hurt anyone.

- Gideon, don't say any more.

- Luke never said a word,

until he married Hannah and told her the whole story.

Even then, nothing might have happened,

if Gideon hadn't come to live at Melmoth Hall.

- You are completely wrong.

Gideon wouldn't kill anyone.

- Of course you believe that Mrs. Latimer,

you are his mother.

But I have to consider the evidence against him.

- The killer was someone who knew a great deal about magic

in general and about Gideon's tricks in particular.

- My son is not a murderer.

- No, he doesn't need to be.

You take care of his enemies for him.

- This is absurd.

- What is he talking about?

- Everything was going so well, wasn't it?

Gideon was rich and successful.

Living with you at Melmoth Hall.

But then Hannah Altman appeared, blackmailing you.

Threatening to ruin everything

by exposing Gideon's nasty little secret.

- The sabotage at the church.

That was you?

- Andrew Maplin knew nothing

about the death of William Holt,

he just had a gift for choosing the right words

at the wrong time.

So when he started talking about

exposing liars and murderers,

you thought he must have found out the truth.

- He was going to destroy us.

I was only protecting you, my darling,

like I always have done.

- You killed Annabel.

Fire.

- She betrayed you.

- You know, she always said that you

couldn't bear the thought of sharing me with anyone else.

- Nelson?

- All my life you have been there,

controlling my every move.

- And it's brought you the money and fame

your father and I never had.

- You were just his assistant.

- That's all I was allowed to be.

But I was better than him.

Don't forget I taught you everything you know.

But you've surpassed both of us my darling.

- But that means nothing now,

because you destroyed everything that matters to me.

(sad music)

It's all finished, it's done.

- Gideon.

Gideon.

- Carole Latimer, I'm arresting you

for the murders of Hannah Altman,

Andrew Maplin and Annabel Latimer.

And for the attempted murder of Luke Altman.

You do not have to say anything, but whatever you do say

will be given in evidence.

- Inspector Barnaby, somebody said you'd arrested a woman.

- Carole Latimer.

- Magnus, take me home.

- Mrs. Soane, I believe this is yours.

Before you celebrate Sir Hugo's sacrifice again next year,

might I suggest you get in touch

with Dr. Dorothea Grenville?

- Lorna and I will be leaving Midsomer Oaks

long before then Mr. Barnaby.

We both need to make a fresh start.

- All the Pagan and Christian stuff

was just more smoke and mirrors, wasn't it?

This wasn't about religion at all.

- This was about mother love.

That can be as powerful as any religion.

On the whole, Nelson, I'm glad your parents

didn't encourage you to pursue a career in magic.

- It's never to late for a change in direction sir.

(John laughing)

- At last, I thought you'd vanished in a puff of smoke.

- Right, I've got a really good trick for you.

- No, please.

- I'm going to make a bottle of beer disappear.

- That's easy.

- Go on, Charlie.

Okay?

(upbeat music)

- No, that's brilliant.

- That's actually really good.

- That's brilliant.

- It's magic.

- Sykes, what are you doing?

Sykes, Sykes.

- The art of misdirection, canine-style.

- Sykes, come back with those sausages.

(mysterious upbeat music)