God of all you survey, Father?
It is an extraordinary achievement.
Congratulations, Joe, and you, Peter.
Pete did all the hard work.
You think he's joking!
Oh, they keep on coming.
You must be proud of your husband, Jennifer.
Not enough to forgive him for abandoning me
these last three years.
No tears for my wife, please, Father.
I lost her to amateur dramatics years ago.
You were wonderful in The Provoked Wife last month. Thank you, Father.
Is that St Mary's?
Marvellous. Glad you like it.Oh!
I'd already had their models made.
I hope you don't mind. Nice to see them again.
Have you heard from them, Father?
Mrs McCarthy wrote from Ireland last week.
She says she misses Kembleford but she's sure she made
the right decision to move back.
Her wayward sister has suffered another heartbreak.
What about Bunty?
She's on safari in Africa, having the adventure of a lifetime.
Kembleford's loss, though.
Well, you can't keep a butterfly in a jar, can you, Father?No.
Hey! Oh. Will you excuse us?
Take the girls, if you like.
Getting abandoned, Father?
Yes. Well, Inspector Mallory's successor has been delayed.
They asked for someone to fill in for a few days.
I thought you'd had your fill of Kembleford.
I needed a port in the storm.
I've discovered my boss has been lining his pockets,
accepting bribes from an East End mob.
His hearing is tomorrow. He's clearly in for the chop.
Let's just say things have been a little tense in Special Branch.
I can imagine.
Speaking of tense, I hear Inspector Mallory asked
to be transferred as far away from you as possible.
Inspector Mallory assured me he was moving to Scotland
for the golf, and I have no reason to doubt him.
Chief Inspector. Father.
Funny seeing yourself like that.
Excellent likeness, Sergeant.
Really?
Harry Grover.
What are you doing here? I paid like everyone else, Joe.
Oh. It's an ambush by the parish council.
Got to be honest, I prefer your two-inch versions.
You're not welcome here, Grover.
Oh, I gather that. You know, my houses are a darned sight
prettier than those eyesores.
What a shame you won't get a chance to build them in Kembleford.
No-one wants you in this village,
so why not do the dignified thing and pack your bags?
Oh...
See you tonight at the village hall.
Mrs Jones, what, may I ask, appeals to you most
about the position of parish secretary?
Well, Father, I love the smell of churches.
To be honest, I need an excuse to get out of the house.
If Mrs McCarthy did it, how difficult can it be?
You need help, Father.
I do, Mrs Burns.
I am thorough, tidy and highly organised.
With me in charge,
you would be free to concentrate entirely on the Lord's work.
And as a regular member of St Mary's congregation,
I need hardly question your commitment to the Lord.
I haven't missed a Sunday Mass since I was eight.
I can recite the entire Penny Catechism off by heart.
Not even Mrs McCarthy could manage that.
I will let you know my decision by this evening, Mrs Burns.
That is acceptable.
Good day, Father.Good day to you.
FATHER BROWN SIGHS
Mrs McCarthy, I think we have just found your natural successor.
DOOR OPENS
I'm so sorry, Father.
Oh, a bit of a wardrobe drama.
Mrs Devine, isn't it? Yes.
Or Isobel. Whichever, really.
Please. Oh, thank you.
So, this is it.
Kembleford's very own 221B Baker Street.
It's not normally this untidy.
Oh, you should see my house. Chaos.
SHE CHUCKLES
Mrs McCarthy and I both enjoyed your performance
in The Provoked Wife. Oh, a minor role.
Jennifer Mossop completely stole the show.
I understand you're heavily involved in the Kembleford Players.
Oh, yes. Acting, selling tickets, mending the set.
It's, it's my great passion.
Plenty of room for God as well, of course.
As long as he doesn't clash with rehearsals.
Would I be allowed to join in your investigations?
The successful candidate could certainly get involved
if they were so inclined.
Wonderful!
But that is, of course, only a small part of my work here.
Absolutely.
First and foremost, the parish secretary must have a tidy,
efficient and organised mind.
Oh, I like to think my organised, tidy and...
Efficient. ..efficient mind is a particular strength.
Excellent.
In that case, would you mind taking a look at this sheet of accounts
from St Mary's? Of course.
I see. Interesting.
Very interesting, in fact.
Any observations?
Er...
ANGRY CHATTERING
Please, let Miss Streatham speak.
I love Kembleford.
I was born here, so was my late father.
The last thing I would do is threaten
what makes our village so special.
This is how you show your love for Kembleford?
200 houses that we don't want built on our precious green fields.
The only people that will benefit from this travesty of a plan
are my sister here...
..and that snake oil salesman over there.
Perhaps our village could benefit from new people, Brendan.
Change isn't always bad.
With respect, Scarlett, we don't want Kembleford to change.
We want it to stay exactly as it is.
PEOPLE SHOUT AGREEMENT
Hundreds more customers for your shops.
Hundreds more people putting money on your tables.
Your parish council insists that that doesn't matter to you.
I wonder if that's true.
What you catch,
you keep.
You're a disgrace, Harry Grover.
Don't worry, after the vote tomorrow,
that idiot will be gone from Kembleford for good.
Thank God.
CAR ENGINE TURNS OVER
Chief Inspector. Isobel.
Er, Mrs Devine. Hello.
You're back.
Just for a few days.
I'll sit in the car, sir.
Yes.
So, how is your husband?
Oh, Ronald passed away.
I'm very sorry. He was a good man. Yes, he was.
Thank you.
Ah, er... Good day to you, Mrs Devine.
Mrs Devine, might I have a word?
Of course, Father.
Thank you for your enthusiastic interview. Oh, not at all.
Thank YOU.
I'm afraid I'm giving the position to another candidate.
Oh, no.
A difficult decision, I can assure you.
And now I'm very much looking forward to your next performance
at the Kembleford Players.
Of course. Thank you, Father.
Well, if you'll excuse me.
Mrs Burns. Thank you.
Ha-ha! Hello, Mrs Divine.
Father.Peter.
You wanted to see me? Yes. To ask a small favour, actually.
The parish council would like you to be the independent
observer at the Streatham Meadow vote this evening.
Having you there may help to, well, defuse the tension.
Ah, yes. Well, I would be delighted.
Marvellous. Thank you. Oh, excuse me.
Hello again, Joe.
And what are you doing here?
What are you doing here?
Nothing was stolen, in case you were wondering, Father.
Ah, much obliged to you, Sergeant.
No sign of a struggle.
It would appear that poor Joe knew his assailant.
Thank you, Father. I'd got that far.
Joe used to walk his dog along this path
at exactly the same time every day.
I used to see him when I was visiting.
We would obviously have found that out too, in due course.
And there is something else you may wish to consider, Chief Inspector.
Yes?
Earlier today, when I was at the model village,
I found that the miniature figurine of Joe
had been moved to this exact spot.
Someone clearly heard about the murder and moved him
to his last resting place.
Except that according to Joe's daily dog-walking routine,
he was murdered within the last hour, and his statue was
moved at least two hours ago.
Hang on, Father.
Are you saying you saw some kind of prediction of this murder?
Prediction?
Anticipation?
Not sure. I'm not sure we're ready to bring Voodoo into this just yet.
Given the tensions in the village hall last night, I'd like to speak
to that developer, Harry Grover.
I can show you where he's staying.
Leaving us so soon, Mr Grover?
I'm a realist.
Meaning? You were there last night.
Only a madman would believe the parish council will vote
for my development now. Well, the vote just got a bit closer.
Joe Telford is dead.
What? Stabbed on the footpath, just two minutes away.
Poor chap. That's terrible.
We understand he walked down that path at the same time every morning.
Why the hell would I kill Joe Telford?
I already told you, Streatham Meadow was a lost cause.
Anger. Bitterness.
Where were you between nine and ten this morning?
Here, packing, alone.
£150.
Quite a sum.
Well, I gave it all away last night.
What can I say? I'm a generous man.
I estimate your largesse last night
to be nearer £50.
I like to carry cash.
Well, are you going to arrest me for that?
You lost a very dear friend.
I'm sorry.
He was the other half of me.
You've got a nerve. I'm paying my respects like you are, Brendan.
I'm very sorry for your loss, Peter, but this is nothing to do with us.
You're happy to cash in on the soil carrying our father's ashes.
What else are you capable of?
Give it a rest.
You're so full of anger at what Dad did,
you can't see straight any more.
PHONE SLAMS
SULLIVAN SHOUTS IN FRUSTRATION
Is everything all right, sir? No.
My corrupt boss has just been cleared of all charges.
I thought you said you caught him red-handed. I did.
It's a stitch-up. Travesty.
So what are you going to do now, sir?
The moment I clear this case up, I'm going straight back to London.
That snake isn't getting away with this.
Clear that up.
There you are, Father.
Mrs Burns. Oh!
Our two o'clock meeting. I waited at St Mary's for over an hour.
I'm so sorry. Events have rather...
You heard about poor Joe Telford? Oh, a good man.
Though his attendance at Mass could be erratic.
Well, I found his miniature lying here in the exact spot
where he was killed,
an hour before the crime took place.
Do we suppose that the murderer put him here?
"We?" Don't ask me.
I just want to get started.
What with the choir arriving this afternoon
and more votive candles to order.
I'm afraid our tour of St Mary's will have to wait, Mrs Burns. Oh.
I fear a woman's life is in danger. Oh!
Jennifer.
She...she's not breathing.
You mind your head, sir.
So you're claiming this murder was also announced at the model village?
Yes.
Do you have any explanation for this strangeness?
No.
Well, while you muse over that, I'm going to do the old-fashioned thing
of charging the man found standing over the body, holding this.
Same size of knife that killed Joe.
Grover's blade of choice, it seems.
But why would Jennifer meet Harry Grover?
He was the enemy.
Everyone has their price, Father.
Found in Grover's jacket pocket.
He was trying to bribe her.
I was on my way to see Scarlett to discuss tonight's vote.
As I drove past Streatham Meadow,
I recognised Jennifer's car in the lay-by.
I stopped, looked over the style, and I saw her.
I mean, I tried to help her. I took out the knife, but...
Here's what really happened.
You arranged to meet Jennifer Mossop in that field to pay her a bribe.
She turned you down, didn't she?
You saw your chance of a big payday slipping away.
The red mist descended, same as when Joe Telford turned down
your dirty money. No!
None of that happened.
What have I done? Why is God punishing me?
Peter, I wish I could give you an easy answer.
Harry Grover will hang, I assume?
I don't believe he's the culprit.
The man's guilt is as clear as day. But Harry's no fool.
If he killed Jennifer and Joe, he'd have covered his tracks.
Only a fool would have thought
that Kembleford would have voted for his proposal.
I think he's been framed.
And if I'm right and the killer is still at large,
then you two need to be extremely vigilant.
Father Brown!
Oh, Father Brown.
A little faster, Hercules, there's a good boy.
Mrs Divine. Can it wait?
Not really. You see, it's about Jennifer.
Jennifer Mo...
MRS DEVINE SCREAMS
Oh!
Oh, Hercules! I've killed Father Brown.
Oh.
Oh, thank the Lord.
Are you all right, Father?
I'm not sure yet.
Don't worry, I'm an experienced first aider.
I drove ambulances in the war.
Tell me where it hurts.
Nowhere. Are you sure?
Yes.
Nature's own mattress. Oh.
Oh!
You were pedalling awfully fast.
Not fast enough to avoid you, Mrs Devine.
Now, you say you have some information.
Yes.
Harry Grover was cast to play Jennifer's lover, Constant,
in The Provoked Wife.
Yes.
Well, after the first few rehearsals, Harry admitted
he was only doing it to win support for his development.
Jennifer was furious, and she insisted that Mildred,
the director, replace him.
Anything else?
Mr Devine, before you dislodged me from my bicycle,
I was on my way to speak to a key suspect in the murders
of Jennifer Mossop and Joe Telford.
Oh, this is just typical of me.
Diving in and messing things up.
Enthusiasm is an admirable quality, Mrs Devine.
Most of the time. I'm so sorry, Father.
It's just, it's been two years since my Ronald died and,
well, I suppose I was just desperate for some excitement.
And the prospect of working with the great Father Brown,
solving crimes and having these marvellous adventures, well,
I just really, really wanted that job.
I'm sorry.
Oh, no. No need to apologise, Father.
I would have given it to Mrs Burns too.
The rehearsals between Harry and Jennifer. How were they?
I don't know. I wasn't there.
Ah.
Well, good day, Mrs Devine.
Good day, Father.
BIKE BELL DINGS
Hercules...
..what a fool I am.
Peter Mossop is a good man. He doesn't deserve this.
Are your father's ashes really scattered on Streatham Meadow?
It was his favourite spot in the world.
And yet you want to build houses on it?
Yes, because that's the only way I can keep his beloved farm going.
I've got debts, Father. Huge ones.
I promised Dad that I'd keep this place going.
Turns out I'm not as good at farming as I thought.
So you need to win this vote.
I didn't kill them, though, if that's what you're thinking.
When Jennifer was murdered, I was working flat-out here.
Tom will back me up.
Why did you fall out with Brendan?
My brother has all these principles, these funny ideas.
No chemicals, no harming animals. He's one of those vegetarians.
He used to insult Dad. Tell him he was a dinosaur.
They fell out, and when Dad died, he left me the farm.
Brendan's been furious with me ever since.
Does your brother know about your debts? God, no.
I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.
I can already see the smile on his face when we lose the vote tonight.
On a majority decision of two to one...
..the development of Streatham Meadow has been approved.
BOOING
What? That can't be.
How could you? You hypocrite.
It wasn't me, Peter, as you well know.
And you got what you wanted.
As usual.
That farm's rubbish. Disgusting.
Why did you do that?
Ladies, gentlemen, please... Thank you, Father.
I can handle myself.
This is the end of Kembleford.
Who knows, Mrs Burns?
Having new people in the village might be a good idea.
Yes, but what kind of people would they be, Father?
Father Brown?
If Peter or Brendan voted in favour of the development,
doesn't that make them a murder suspect?
Does indeed, Mrs Devine.
You've already worked out how to prove who it was, haven't you?
I can't believe Brendan betrayed us.
Betrayed Joe and Jennifer.
If it's any comfort, no houses will be built whilst Harry Grover
is in a cell charged with murder. Thank goodness.
Can I get you a drink, Father?
Little early for me, but perhaps a glass of water.
Of course.
No.
CAR HORN HOOTS
Father Brown!
Father!
After the vote, I spoke to Mildred, who directed The Provoked Wife.
Apparently, Jennifer's scenes with Harry were electric.
Mildred was devastated when she had to replace Harry.
Well, that is interesting.
The rehearsals for The Provoked Wife, were they every evening?
Lord, no. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Why?
I think I will pay Harry Grover a visit.
Get me a confession, Father.
Thank you, Sergeant.
Aren't you going to congratulate me on my stunning victory?No.
I'm not sure you ever really wanted to win that vote.
Chief Inspector Sullivan got it wrong.
You did arrange to meet Jennifer in Streatham Meadow,
but not to bribe her.
What?
Kembleford Players meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
But Jennifer told Peter she was rehearsing
four or five evenings a week.
So?
I believe that she met you on those other evenings.
I also believe that truth will be your friend in this, Harry.
I signed up for the play to win Jennifer's vote.
I didn't plan on falling in love with her.
So why did Jennifer get you fired from the production?
It was getting quite intense between us.
She was afraid people would realise what was going on.
The packed bags, the cash withdrawal.
You were planning to run away together.
That was why you met her in Streatham Meadow.
When I got there, Jennifer,
she was already...
I asked her who did it, but she couldn't speak.
When I took out the knife...
I was holding her when she went.
How did you arrange to meet her?
I sent her a note.
Did you know about Jennifer and Harry?
I saw her coming out of his house one evening.
When she was supposed to be at a rehearsal?
Didn't think I could hate the man more than I already did.
What did you say to Jennifer?
I said nothing.
And I did nothing.
Why, Peter?
Because I knew turning a blind eye was the best chance I had
of holding on to her.
Harry would lose the vote and leave Kembleford.
The affair would end and Jennifer would come back to me.
I had it all worked out. Everything was going to be fine.
Still keeping up the act I see, Brendan.
I believe the police graphologist will identify
one of these as your handwriting.
Why on Earth would the police be interested?
Because it would make you a suspect
in Jennifer and Joe's murder investigation.
Father,
what I'm about to tell you is in utmost confidence?
You have my word.
You're right, I did vote for the development.
Compromising your principles and gifting your sister a fortune.
Why? Because I want to save Streatham Farm.
On my last visit to see Scarlett,
I spotted a bank letter about her mountain of debt.
Suddenly, everything made sense.
If she doesn't build on Streatham Meadow,
she'll have to sell the farm. But why does it matter to you?
Your father disowned you and cut you out of his will.
I disagreed with my father, but I never, ever
wanted us to lose the farm.
If Jennifer and Joe had still been alive,
you'd still have lost the vote.
Yes, but they weren't.
I saw an opportunity and I went for it.
You're barking up the wrong tree if you think I killed them.
I couldn't even wring a chicken's neck.
Oh, Father. I was seeking inspiration.
Great minds think alike.
I was putting the suspect where they say they were when Joe was murdered.
Oh. Oh, that's Harry.
At home, packing.
Brendan has just admitted that he voted for the development.
Why?
To save Streatham Farm. Gosh.
He was in Hambleston, talking to a farmer
about natural farming methods, when Joe was murdered.
Right.
Joe and Jennifer's models were moved before they died.
Maybe the murderer is using the model village as a sort of map
to choose the best place for murder.
Did you move me, Mrs Devine?
No, Father Brown.
Brendan is not the killer. Right.
Scarlett. Her farm hand swears he was with her at the time
of Jennifer's death, so that counts her out.
Which leaves Peter and Harry.
Peter has a motive for killing Jennifer.
But he would never have murdered Joe.
That's one thing everyone can agree on.
Yes, everyone does agree on that.
Oh. Father?
Ora pro nobis.
I need to get to the police station.
I'll come with you.No.
Continue your search for the smaller me,
and please be alert.
If I'm right, the killer is one of the most troubled souls
I have ever known.
Where are you, Father?
BEE BUZZES
BIKE BELL DINGS
Father.
Peter.
Where are you off to?
To tell Chief Inspector Sullivan he's got the wrong person.
The Streatham Meadow controversy was just a smokescreen
for the real murder motive, wasn't it, Peter?
Which was?
A few days ago...
..you found a note from Harry to Jennifer
arranging to meet at Streatham Meadow
to discuss leaving you.
I imagine that was the first time you realised
that they were having an affair.
In your anger, you decided that they both deserved
the ultimate punishment.
Peter.
Hello, darling.
Why are you here?
To tell you I love you.
CAR APPROACHES
Come here, my angel.
JENNIFER GASPS
SHE MOANS
Goodbye, Jennifer.
Quite the theory, Father.
However, you seem to have forgotten that the person that killed Jennifer
also killed Joe.
You knew that when Jennifer's affair with Harry came to light,
you'd be the main murder suspect.
But you calculated that the best way to deflect suspicion,
and to save yourself from the gallows, was to murder Joe.
What are you doing here?
You killed an entirely innocent man that you loved as a brother.
Evil can take men to places...
..that still surprise me.
Too clever by half, Father.
Harry Grove is in a cell.
If you kill me, that will prove his innocence.
All those dangerous criminals you helped put away,
all those grudges.
When the police find you here dead, they won't know here to start.
The first thing I did when I found that note was to show it to Joe.
He told me he already knew about the affair.
He said he'd seen Jennifer come out of Harry's house
on his dog walks.
He said he'd kept it quiet because he wanted to spare me.
But I knew the real reason.
He was worried I'd be distracted from finishing the model village.
Tell him how angry I felt.
It made the blade go in a little easier.
CAR HORN BLARES
I found you, Father.
Yes, you did.
I owe you, Father.
£5 in the collection box should cover it.
So...
..are you ready to build Kembleford's future?
I can't stay here. Not without Jennifer.
Where will you go? No idea.
But I'll find some place soon, I'm sure.
People may stamp and shout, but Britain needs houses.
That isn't going to change.
Thanks again, Father.
I see you've lost none of your recklessness, Father.
Still, I can now get back to London.
I'd like to say it's been a pleasure.
At least it's been brief.
Chief Inspector.
Telephone call from London, sir.
Father.
Where on earth have you been, Father?
Mrs Burns, what's happened?
You ordered the wrong candles
and you forgot to mention the altar service practice in the newsletter.
Er...
I think we need a discussion about your priorities, Father.
Yes, Mrs Burns, I think we probably do.
Hello, Father.
You two seem surprisingly cheerful.
Scarlett's asked me to help run the farm with her.
If we work together, we think we might just be able to save it.
No chemicals, though.
That sounds like a marvellous plan.
Excuse me.
Mrs Devine. Oh, Father, I was just bringing you home.Thank you.
Mrs Devine, I suggested to Mrs Burns
that she look for alternative employment.
Gosh. Why?
Most of Kembleford seems very happy to stand still,
but I think it needs a change.
I think Kembleford needs somebody
more open-minded, more tolerant of the world and of me.
And...
..and someone who drives a car like an ambulance.
Yippee!
Quick confession, Father.
I haven't been to Mass since Christmas Day.
Yes, I know.
Still here, Chief Inspector?
Inspector Mallory's successor has pulled out.
And my underhanded, scheming boss has me transferred here
on a permanent basis.
I sense disappointment. Disappointment?!
Until I can prove his guilt, I'm stuck in this...
..godforsaken backwater for good.
It's dreadful news, Chief Inspector. Really.
Why did Inspector Mallory's successor pull out?
He was put off by stories of an interfering priest.
Mrs Devine.
You never know,
maybe he'll get used to being back here.
Maybe he will.