Midsomer Murders Ep. 'Judgement Day'

Page 6

106. MIDSOMER MALLOW - THE GREEN DAY.

The immediate aftermath of the killing. The VILLAGERS have all gone home.

DAN PETERSON, more POLICEMEN and an ambulance have turned up. We

start on PETERSON who is examining ROSEMARY FURMAN’S body.

BARNABY is with him.

PETERSON

I’ll need to run some tests but I’ll

bet your bottom dollar it’s cyanide.

Rat poison or something. You see

the skin? Abnormally pink. Her red

cells have been oxygenated. Classic…

BARNABY

Cyanide. That has no taste…

PETERSON

Right. And one in four people can’t

smell it either. (As Michael Caine)

Not many people know that! (Pause)

Bung it in a glass of wine and she

wouldn’t have known a thing. The

other woman…

BARNABY

Bella Devere.

PETERSON

She was lucky. She only took a sip.

BARNABY

Where is she?

PETERSON

The doctor sent her home. There’s

not much he can do for her. Plenty

of water and rest. That’s about it.

CUT TO

ANOTHER ANGLE

Inside the tent, TROY is trying to make sense from a hysterical LAURA.

 - 110 -

LAURA

There was a little boy, carrying a

glass of wine on a tray. She took it

and drank it. And then…

TROY

Were there any other glasses on the

tray?

LAURA

What?

TROY

How many glasses of wine was the

boy carrying?

LAURA

Just the one. She drank and…

GORDON appears. Even he has been a little moved by events. He reaches out

with one hand.

GORDON

Laura…

LAURA

(Hysterical) Leave me alone! Leave

me alone! Was it you? Did you

poison her? You’ve gone mad, haven’t

you! Just…go away!

CUT TO

ANOTHER ANGLE

BARNABY approaches JOYCE and CULLY who are sitting outside the

pavilion in a state of shock.

BARNABY

Are you all right?

JOYCE

Tom! The editor…Rosemary Furman.

 - 111 -

BARNABY

She’s dead, I’m afraid. Cyanide poisoning.

JOYCE

But why? Who would want to kill

her?

BARNABY

She may not have been the target,

Joyce. A crowded tent. Bottles and

glasses everywhere.

CULLY

How many of them were poisoned,

dad?

BARNABY

We don’t know. A lot of the glasses

got broken when Bella Devere fell.

Look. I’ve got a lot of work to do.

You go home. I’ll catch up with you

later.

JOYCE nods. BARNABY kisses her. Smiles at CULLY. Leaves.

CUT TO

ANOTHER ANGLE

TROY is interviewing RAY DORSET.

RAY

I didn’t see anything. I didn’t have

anything to do with the wine, you

see. I was looking after the food…

TROY

Do you know who opened the wine?

RAY

That would have been Mr and Mrs

Devere. And Caroline.

BARNABY joins TROY and RAY DORSET.

 - 112 -

RAY

She saw him, you know.

TROY

Who?

RAY

Mrs Devere. It was just after the

judges arrived. The lady introduced

them to us. Frank Mannion and

that writer. We weren’t expecting

her. Anyway, that was when she

saw someone. In the tent.

BARNABY

Doing what?

RAY

Taking one of the bottles. That’s

what she said!

CUT TO

107. INT. LOTHLORIAN - BELLA’S BEDROOM DAY.

BELLA, still sick, is lying in bed, with more photographs of CAROLINE

around her. MARCUS is looking after her. BARNABY and TROY are there.

BELLA

I didn’t see who it was. I’m not even

sure it was a man. The sun was in

my eyes and it was dark in the tent.

BARNABY

He was taking a bottle.

BELLA

(Nods) He had a bottle in his hand.

BARNABY

He could have been adding it, then.

Rather than taking it away.

BELLA

I don’t know.

 - 113 -

MARCUS

I don’t think this is the right time to

be asking my wife questions, Chief

Inspector.

BELLA

No. They have to…

BARNABY

I have just one more question, Mrs

Devere. Was there anyone else

helping you serve the wine?

BELLA glances at MARCUS. She appears worried.

CUT TO

108. INT. LOTHLORIAN - LIVING ROOM DAY.

BARNABY and TROY confront CAROLINE DEVERE.

CAROLINE

It wasn’t me who opened that last

bottle. It was mummy. She opened

it herself.

BARNABY

What happened then?

CAROLINE

The little boy came over with an

empty glass and she filled it. and

then she filled some others.

BARNABY

Was that when she drank some herself?

CAROLINE

Yes. She said something to me. “I’m

going to have one too.” Something

like that. I saw her drink some and

then…

 - 114 -

BARNABY

Nobody else came near the glasses.

It was just you and your parents.

CAROLINE

Yes. But don’t you see? Whatever it

was, the poison, it must have been

inside the bottle already. We were

meant to drink it. Mum and dad and

me. It was us they wanted to kill.

109. EXT. THE VET CLINIC DAY.

GORDON and LAURA BRIERLY return home.

GORDON

I’ll put the kettle on.

110. INT. GORDON BRIERLY’S HOUSE - KITCHEN DAY.

The kettle has boiled. GORDON makes two cups of tea. LAURA is slumped at

the table, defeated by this new turn of events.

GORDON

Biscuit?

A long pause.

GORDON

I didn’t kill him. Peter Drinkwater.

I know that’s what you’re thinking.

LAURA looks up.

GORDON

I wanted to. I saw him, leaving

here. That must have been when he

stole my credit card. I know what

the two of you were up to and I

think it’s disgusting. You’re old

enough to be his mother.

CUT TO

CUT TO - 115 -

LAURA

The trousers…the ones that I found.

GORDON

The blood came out of the surgery.

Cat blood. And the gold chain… I

bought that.

GORDON brings over the tea.

GORDON

I know what you think of me,

Laura. It’s how you’ve always

thought of me. But, just for a little

while, I wanted you to believe I had

killed him. I wanted you to think I’d

had the strength to shove a fork into

him. It amused me. It made me feel

good.

LAURA looks at GORDON in a new light.

LAURA

Gordon…?

GORDON

You disgust me. I want you to move

out of my house. I don’t want to see

you again. I don’t want to know you.

GORDON takes his tea and walks out. LAURA slumps, in tears, finally

defeated.

CUT TO

111. INT. POLICE STATION - CORRIDOR/OFFICE DAY.

BARNABY and TROY walk with a certain urgency towards BARNABY’S

office. BARNABY is carrying a roll of paper.

BARNABY

God! What a mess, Troy. A poisoning

in front of our very eyes and we

still can’t be sure who it was who

was actually meant to die.

 - 116 -

TROY

You think this is connected with the

death of Peter Drinkwater, sir?

BARNABY

It’s got to be. Unless it was an

attack on the whole village…

TROY

To spoil their chances in the Perfect

Village competition.

BARNABY

I don’t think so.

They plunge into BARNABY’S office.

CUT TO

112. INT. BARNABY’S OFFICE DAY.

BARNABY has pinned a chart to the wall. It’s a schematic showing the inside

of the tent with everyone in the positions they had when the poisonings took

place.

BARNABY

So. We’ve got Marcus and Bella

Devere here, serving the wine. Bella

opens a fresh bottle…

TROY

Which must have been tampered

with by whoever it was she saw.

BARNABY

Except you know what bothers me?

The judges had just arrived. The big

four…including Joyce. This is the

moment they’ve all been waiting for.

So why was she looking into the

tent at all?

A pause. TROY refers to his notes.

 - 117 -

TROY

According to your wife, Samantha

Johnstone asked for a glass of wine

just before it happened.

BARNABY

You spoke to Joyce?

TROY

A few questions. Yes.

BARNABY

Samantha Johnstone asked for

wine.

TROY

Yes. She was here. There was an

eight-year-old boy. Alex James. He

went and got it.

TROY points to the diagram. SAMANTHA was mid-way between BELLA and

ROSEMARY.

BARNABY

And according to Caroline Devere,

he was only carrying a single glass.

TROY

Laura Brierly said the same.

BARNABY

Well, could it have been that the

poisoned wine was intended for

Samantha Johnstone?

TROY

Perhaps. But nobody even knew she

was coming. She was the last judge

to be chosen. So why would anyone

suddenly decide to kill her?

A pause. Suddenly BARNABY is worried.

BARNABY

Where is she now?

CUT TO

 - 118 -

113. INT. CROWN HOTEL - ROOM 17 DAY.

SAMANTHA JOHNSTONE is packing. She is also worried about something.

She closes her case, then goes over to the telephone. Picks it up.

SAMANTHA

(On telephone) Hello. Reception? I

wonder if you could help me. I need

a telephone number. It’s in

Gloucestershire…

There is a knock at the door. SAMANTHA looks round.

SAMANTHA

(On telephone) One moment…

She gets up to answer the door.

CUT TO

114. EXT. CROWN HOTEL DAY.

BARNABY and TROY arrive at speed at the hotel. As they pile out of their car,

they notice FRANK MANNION leaving in a hurry with two suitcases.

BARNABY

Mr Mannion…

FRANK

No autographs now. I’m sorry…

BARNABY

I’m with the Causton police. Are you

leaving?

FRANK

Am I leaving? Yes I am leaving.

They try to bore us to death in the

first village and when that doesn’t

work, they poison us in the next.

Well I’m out of here. I’ve had

enough!

 - 119 -

TROY

Have you seen Samantha Johnstone?

FRANK

No. She’s Room 17. Opposite mine.

BARNABY and TROY hurry into the hotel.

FRANK

Charming!

FRANK MANNION continues on his way.

115. INT. CROWN HOTEL - CORRIDOR DAY.

BARNABY and TROY wait as a MAID unlocks the door.

BARNABY

Thank you.

The MAID wants to see what’s happening.

TROY

It’s all right. You can go now.

They wait until the MAID has gone, then enter the room.

116. INT. CROWN HOTEL - ROOM 17 DAY.

BARNABY and TROY enter the room. SAMANTHA is lying on the floor. There

is a knife protruding from her neck.

BARNABY

Damn! Damn! Damn! We’re too late!

117. INT. BARNABY’S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM DAY.

CUT TO

Things are moving at a break-neck pace now. BARNABY and TROY are

interviewing JOYCE at her home. CULLY is also there.

JOYCE

Dead?

TROY

She was stabbed.

JOYCE

But…

CULLY

Dad! What’s going on?

BARNABY

(To JOYCE) Joyce. You have to

think carefully. There is somebody

extremely dangerous in Midsomer

Mallow. First Drinkwater. Then

what could all too easily have been a

mass poisoning. Now this…

CULLY

You think they’re all connected?

BARNABY

I think the first death somehow

prompted the next two. But I don’t

quite know how. (To JOYCE) That’s

why I need you…

TROY

You were the last person to speak to

Samantha Johnstone in the tent,

Mrs Barnaby.

BARNABY

What did she say?

JOYCE

I don’t know. The music was so loud

I’m not sure that I heard. (Pause)

She was worried about something.

Something or somebody she’d seen.

She said something like…”I’ve just

 - 121 -

seen someone…in the street.” That’s

what it sounded like.

BARNABY

In the street.

JOYCE

But there wasn’t anyone in the

street - apart from Cully. And that

man…

CULLY

Edward Allardice.

BARNABY

He was on the green?

CULLY

He didn’t go anywhere near the

tent, dad. He came in to do some

shopping.

TROY

Wouldn’t the village shop have been

closed?

BARNABY

(To JOYCE) Did you get to know

Samantha Johnstone at all?

JOYCE

Yes. I had a drink with her. We

talked for about an hour.

BARNABY

What can you tell me about her?

JOYCE

Not a great deal. She was a very

unhappy person. Clinically depressed.

In fact she hinted that she’d

tried to commit suicide… several

times.

BARNABY

Go on.

 - 122 -

JOYCE

She’d had a failed marriage. After

her second attempt, she was committed

for a while. She spent six

months in a place called Sebdon

Manor.

BARNABY

Did she say where that was?

TROY

It wasn’t in Gloucestershire?

JOYCE

(Puzzled) Yes.

TROY

She was trying to make a telephone

call to Gloucestershire just before

she was killed.

BARNABY

Joyce - one last question. Did any of

the other judges know about the

murder of Peter Drinkwater?

JOYCE

Yes. We all did. Frank Mannion had

read about it in the paper and he

made a joke about it on the bus…

BARNABY

Right.

BARNABY is already on his way out with TROY following.

CULLY

Where are you going?

BARNABY

Gloucestershire. Don’t wait up.

CUT TO

118. INT. LOTHLORIAN - BELLA’S BEDROOM DAY.

 - 123 -

BELLA is lying in bed, half-asleep. MARCUS comes in, carrying a tray with a

glass of water and some pills.

BELLA

Marcus…?

MARCUS

How are you feeling, old girl?

BELLA

I’m tired.

MARCUS

I’ve brought you something.

He sets the tray down and sits down on the bed.

MARCUS

It’s been quite a day!

BELLA

Yes.

MARCUS

Are you sure you’re feeling better?

BELLA

Yes. I’m all right now.

MARCUS

You gave me quite a scare, Bella,

my dear. But everything’s going to

be all right now.

He kisses her gently. He really is in love with her and this scene should have a

certain poignancy.

MARCUS

I love you. You know that?

BELLA

Marcus!

MARCUS

Everything’s going to be all right.

CUT TO

 - 124 -

119. EXT. SEBDON MANOR - GATE DAY.

A sign beside a security gate reads: SEBDON MANOR. PSYCHIATRIC

HOSPITAL. VISITORS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.

BARNABY and TROY have arrived in their car. BARNABY speaks into the

intercom system.

BARNABY

Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby.

I telephoned…

There is a click and the gate opens electronically.

120. EXT. SEBDON MANOR - MAIN ENTRANCE DAY.

BARNABY and TROY get out of their car in front of a building that mixes the

traditional and the modern, the ugly and the attractive. High security yet lowkey.

It’s an asylum for patients no longer considered dangerous.

A man in his sixties appears and walks towards them. DR SELLERS has that

neurotic edge that seems to attach to all those who treat the mentally ill. He’s

pleasant and jocular but just a little tense. His part must be played with

complete seriousness…

SELLERS

Mr Barnaby?

BARNABY

Yes.

SELLERS

I’m Dr Sellers. Mark Sellers. I head

up the psychiatric staff. How can I

help you?

BARNABY

I want to ask you about one of your

former patients. Samantha Johnstone.

SELLERS

Do you have some ID?

CUT TO

- 125 -

BARNABY and TROY take out their cards. SELLERS examines the cards

carefully.

SELLERS

Ah yes. Thank you… (Reading)

Detective Sergeant Tory…

TROY

Troy.

SELLERS

I have mild dyslexia. Samantha

Johnstone. Yes. I remember her.

The writer. Come in…

CUT TO

121. INT. DR SELLERS’S OFFICE DAY.

Large windows look out onto beautiful gardens. The study is old-fashioned,

cavernous, book-lined.

SELLERS

You have to understand that

Sebdon Manor is not a psychiatric

hospital in the strictest sense. Very

few of our patients have actually

been sectioned and those that have

are usually very near to the end of

their terms of sentence. They see us

more as a sort of halfway house.

BARNABY

Had Samantha Johnstone been sectioned?

SELLERS

No. She committed herself.

SELLERS opens a file on his desk. Because of his dyslexia, occasional errors

creep into his reading.

SELLERS

An attempted…suicide. Yes. This

was twenty-two years ago. Marital

breakdown, lack of self-regard lead-

ing to alcoholism and problems with

dogs. (Pause) Drugs.

TROY

How long was she here?

SELLERS

Eighteen months. She arrived just

before I did which is why I probably

remember her.

BARNABY

Was there anyone she knew? Anyone

she was particularly close to?

SELLERS

It’s funny you should ask that. I was

about to say. Yes. She formed quite

a close friendship with one of our

most notorious residents. Annabel

Weston. I don’t suppose the name

means anything to you?

BARNABY

Go on.

SELLERS

The Weston case was very famous

in its time. 1955. Annabel was seven

years old then…

CUT TO

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