The Silent Land

Series Thirteen, Episode Four

The Silent Land

Airdate

3 August 2010

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The Silent Land is the fourth episode of the thirteenth series of the popular ITV crime drama Midsomer Murders and was first aired on 3rd August 2010.

Synopsis[]

On a dark night in the village of March Magna, DCI Barnaby's wife Joyce swerves her car and narrowly misses a shadowy figure in the road—or so she thinks. Later that night a body is discovered in the old cemetery. Did Joyce hit someone after all or was the victim, who seems to have plenty of enemies, killed by one of the villagers? Barnaby and DS Jones have their work cut out as all the villagers seem to be hiding something—but is it murder?

Plot[]

Late evening, Joyce Barnaby and Cully Barnaby are at a concert.

Jeff Bowmaker leads a group on a ghost walk through a graveyard. He says, "This dark and forbidding thoroughfare is Chain Alley. If you could all please gather here. And this...is the very spot where poor Lucy Law was murdered on November 3rd, 1831. Feel the chill in the air? That's because Lucy's ghost still walks the alleyway and that icy coldness is always here, even on a summer's day. Be careful where you walk. We don't want to disturb the residents. This graveyard... ..once belonged to the sanatorium. They were both closed down 60-odd years ago... ..but the spirits of long-dead patients have often been seen." Someone in the group gasps. They saw something.

Joyce is driving home while Cully is sleeping. She's playing the folk music from the concert Suddenly, Joyce sees a figure in a dark cloak crossing the road and swerves to avoid them. Her car ends up on the side of the road.

The next morning, at the Peach Perfect Florist, Jessica Peach loads the van with deliveries. She tells her dad she can't do the Causton run as the road is closed.

Barnaby and Joyce drive up to the crash site of her car. Ian Kent goes out his door with his dog. Mary Bishop goes to the library, but it isn't open. In the car, driving home, Barnaby tells Joyce she should have taken more care. He assumes Joyce and Cully were chattering. Joyce says Cully was asleep. Joyce tells him again that she swerved to avoid someone. Jessica Peach says good morning to Mary, who purses her lips and scowls. It is Gerald Ebbs's day to run the library but he hasn't shown up.

At the Barnaby home, Cully greets Joyce and Barnaby. Barnaby says, "Just been back to March Magna. Searched the area. There's no bloodstains on the road. The only marks are the skid marks from her car. No report of anyone injured or missing in the village."

At the Peach Perfect Florist's, Jessica says Gerald hasn't turned up for his shift at the library. Her father, Adam Peach, says maybe he's sick. His son, Liam Peach, says he is sick alright. "He likes them dead." His father tells him not to talk like that.

Ian Kent and his dog go walking through the graveyard. Then Ian sees something terrible.

At home, Joyce Barnaby sips tea and worries. Cully tells Barnaby that Joyce can borrow her car while Simon's away. Joyce continues to worry about hitting someone. Cully says if anything bad had happened Barnabby would've been told. Then Barnaby comes in and says a body has been found in March Magna. Joyce gasps.

At the Carvers Bed and Breakfast, Jeff Bowmaker hears the police sirens and wakes up. DS Ben Jones tells Barnaby that the victim is Gerald Ebbs. He is lying sprawled across a grave in the cemetery of the church in March Magna. His face is pushed into the soil. There are flowers on the grave. Dr. George Bullard says that he died sometime during the night. At first glance, he could have died from from choking on soil, but there is a blunt force injury. Tom asks if he could have been involved in a road accident and somehow made his way to the grave.

Jeff lights a cigarette in his room despite the no smoking sign. Jeff leans out the window to ask his landlord, John Carver, what's going on. John says if he were up at a respectable hour, maybe he'd learn a thing or two. Alice Carver is preparing a table for breakfast. John tells her that if Jeff can't get up on time he doesn't deserve breakfast. Alice says he was up late working, doing the ghost walk. John coughs and says, you call that work?

At the graveyard, DC Gail Stephens is interviewing Ian Kent. Barnaby goes to speak to him. He asks if Gerald had any family. He doesn't. He worked at the library which "catered to those with limited tastes." He and Sarah Sharp worked different shifts. Ian says Gerald wasn't like by many people. He was also a clerk at the Parish Council and enjoyed making decisions whether the village wanted them or not. He hated anyone interfering with his precious cemetery. He got a job as caretaker and worked on a voluntary basis. DS Jones looks at the gravestones in the cemetery. Jones asks Ian about the cemetery. There are no new graves. Ian says present day burials take place at Causton. It causes a lot of resentment. People who've lived here all their lives would like to be buried there. The people who are buried are all young. They were patients at the old hospital. Ian says his wife, Faith Kent, could tell Barnaby more. She specializes in local history.

Alice asks Jeff how his ghost walk was last night while he eats breakfast. He tells her he thought there was a ghost out last night in the cemetery. Alice says John doesn't believe in ghosts. Jeff puts his hand over hers.

At the florists, Liam and Jessica work on flower arrangements. Their dad walks up and says Gerald is dead and his body was in the graveyard all night. Liam says there was a ghost walk last night. Maybe someone frightened him to death. Liam says to Jessica the best thing about necrophilia is you never have to say you're sorry.

Ian goes to Sarah Sharp's house. He tells her Gerald is dead. So she needs to open up the library. Ian tells her he found Gerald in the graveyard. Sarah says she will open up the library. After Ian leaves, Sarah smiles and says, "Yes."

In the cemetery, techs find a piece of stone edging in the woods and Dr. Bullard goes to pick it up.

Barnaby goes to speak to Faith Kent. She says Ian's gone to the pub. Says "he needs a drink after what happened. Any excuse." Barnaby says Ian said few people liked Gerald. Faith says Gerald was a bit of a fusspot. But she agreed with some things he put forth, like caring for the cemetery.

Bullard checks the edging and fits it in the grave where Gerald died.

Faith shows photos of the hospital to Barnaby. People came from all over the UK to be treated for tuberculosis. It was incurable at the time, hence the cemetery. Barnaby goes to look at the wall around the hospital. He climbs up the ladder to look over the wall. The hospital is boarded up and fenced.

Sarah Sharpe goes through her clothes to see what to wear to the library. She dresses in a black suit. Sarah opens up the library.

Stephens and Jones go to the pub, The March Magna Inn. They see Ian Kent there reading. The pub owners, Mr and Mrs Bishop are there. Mary says just the locals were in the pub last night. There were also some people from the Ghost Walk. Ian says, "Mr. Bowmaker, our celebrated ghost guide up to his tricks again. When I say tricks, I mean tricks. The man's a fraud. He makes it up as he goes along." Vic Bishop says. "And he don't care how many lies he tells in the process. Just because something bad happened in here, a long time ago, he makes out it's worse than it is. He tries to make out the pub's haunted." Mary says, "Which isn't exactly good for business. Do you see those beams? Years ago, a landlord hung himself from here, after he'd killed his wife and daughter with a meat cleaver. Just a domestic tiff that got out of hand. Does that make the place haunted?"

Faith Kent says to her husband, "The poor man hasn't been dead five minutes and there you are, maligning him to strangers." Ian replies, "They were not just strangers, they were the police. Look, I am just as shocked by the death of Gerald as the rest of the village. I found his body, remember?" Faith says, "I shouldn't think anyone would be allowed to forget that." Ian says, "The fact remains that he was a sad and annoying little nobody." Faith says, "He was also lonely. God, you're such an old woman!"

In the library, Sarah takes down Gerald's degree and photo. She puts up her photos.

Barnaby drops by the florists. Jessica asks if it was the weather that killed him. She says, "He wasn't the healthiest of individuals. Sometimes, he'd spend the whole night in that cemetery. People talked about it." Jessica says Gerald Ebbs came by a few days ago to buy a small spray of flowers. He bought the flowers for a grave. "He's bought flowers here before and he always takes them to the cemetery. God knows why. No-one else puts flowers on those graves. All the people buried there have been dead and forgotten for years."

Barnaby asks, "Mr Peach, I am forever hearing that Gerald Ebbs annoyed a lot of people. More than a few. Well, him and Jeff were threatening each other last week. All because Jeff's lot were leaving litter in the cemetery."

Jones tells Barnaby that Stephens ran a check on Jeff Bowmaker. Jones says, "He's obviously some kind of con artist, but there's no convictions under the name." Barnaby tells Jones about Joyce's car accident.

At home, Joyce is going through papers. She has to contact the insurance company. Cully invites Joyce to go out somewhere. Joyce refuses. She wants to wait for Barnaby to get back to her. Good news or bad, she needs to know.

Barnaby and Jones interview Jeff Bowmaker. He says, "We met up at 7:30. Me and my customers. Met at the usual place: March Lane, opposite the pub. Here. It's in my brochure." Inside the B and B, John Carver says, "This is all we need: police questioning him on our premises, with all the world to see. (Coughs) All this is making me ill. I want him out." Alice says, "He pays his rent." John coughs and says, "I still want him out." Alice says, "We need all the money we can get. Your earnings don't exactly keep the wolf from the door, do they, John?"

Barnaby asks Jeff, "So what time did you and your clients customers - get to the cemetery?" Jeff says, "I'd say just before nine." One of the ghost walkers said she saw something. Jeff doesn't know her name. "You see, they're not locals. I put adverts out and people come in from other villages. The flyer says 'A spine-chilling journey into terror.'

Jeff walks in the pub and says, "Sorry. I've been asked to leave the village. Just kidding. Oh. I'm here to stay. You've got me forever, Johnny." Jeff gives John Carver a huh. John coughs.

Ian says to Faith, "About time they bulldozed that monstrosity, isn't it?" referring to the old hospital. "Oh, how I despise everything Victorian. The attitudes, the kitsch, the cloying sentimentality. Still, it wouldn't do for us all to appreciate the same things in life, would it? It's been a grim day. I need cheering up. Do you fancy going for a drink at the March Magna Inn?" Faith says, "You call that being cheered up? I'm surprised you don't take up residence in that hell hole." Ian goes off.

Doctor Bullard tells Barnaby that they found the murder weapon. Bullard shows Barnaby the stone edging. "It was found in the undergrowth, some distance from the body. It's a piece of edging - part of the grave where he was found - and, incidentally, where he was killed. It matches the wound and there are traces of blood, and I'm sure they'll match as well."

Jeff heads out to "do some research." He tells Alice he'd rather be with her.

At the pub, Mary tells John that she's not going out any more at night. Not till they find who's done it. John says Bowmaker said there could have been someone hanging around the cemetery last night. Adam Peach says "He'd say anything. You should know that." Vic says, "All this is not going to do our old, historic village a lot of good, is it, Mr Kent?" Ian says, "March Magna, historic? They are wrong. Over the centuries, this village has achieved precisely nothing of note. Those poor, lost souls at the hospital are the only reason this place is on the map."

At the Barnaby home, Joyce is listening to music. Barnaby tells her, "The body we are dealing with is that of a man who was murdered in March Magna. His death had nothing - nothing whatsoever - to do with your accident." Joyce says, "I still saw someone, Tom, before I crashed." Barnaby says, "And I am perfectly willing to believe you because that could very well have been the murderer."

Jeff Bowmaker creeps around the graveyard. Someone watches him from behind. They slowly walk up to him. They are covered all over, except for the eyes. Jeff turns around and laughs. It is Faith Kent.

Stephens and Jones go over to Gerald's home. Jones picks up his mail. The desk is covered with photos and papers.

Liam Peach goes to the library with a bunch of red roses. Sarah says, "So Gerald was murdered, then. Who could have done such a thing? Like me in this, do you? Well, I'm the boss now. Boss in this place. I've got to dress the part, don't I? Like that, do you? Do you like me being the boss? I see you've been nicking the best blooms again. There's a jug in the wash room. Go and put them in water. Get a move on... I've got a library to run."

Jones looks at the papers while Stephens gets o the computer. There are just bills and a couple of brochures for a dating agency. He must have been a bit of an historian as well. He's made a lot of notes. March Magna in the 1870s. And Sutton-on-the-Hill, Derbyshire, same period. Stephens says he seemed to have a real fixation on that grave. Stephens goes through the photos on the computer. They are of the 'The old hospital' and the graves. The grave is Caroline Maria Roberts.

Joyce is still worrying about the accident. She says she saw someone. Nothing and nobody will ever make her change my mind. Cully shows Joyce the March Magna Ghost Walk tour brochure. Joyce says, "A tour like this, it could help. Maybe I could find out something." Cully says no and shoves the brochure in a drawer.

Barnaby goes into the library. Sarah is sitting at the desk. Barnaby asks her when she last see Mr Ebbs. She says she saw him Saturday morning. He was always alone, especially since his mother died. He liked to think he ran the village. He and his mum moved to Midsomer Magna from Oxford when he was a child. He hardly ever left the village. Barnaby says Gerald Ebbs seems to have had a...peculiar interest in the occupant of one of the graves.

Jeff goes into the B & B wearing a skeleton mask. Later, he is in bed from Alice.

Barnaby and Jones go to look at the hospital. Jones says, "It ceased being a hospital in the late-1940s. Then, a private school. Then a visitors' centre, up until the late '80s. After that, it became too difficult and too expensive to maintain." Barnaby tells Jones to, "Go and have a look upstairs. See what you can see." Jones says there is no one there and no signs anyone was using it as a squat. Barnaby says the place must have been a busy community. sir.

Outside, Barnaby looks at a map. He goes to the wall to see if there is a door. It is bricked up. Barnaby goes to see Faith Kent. She tells him, "In the late-1800s, a young, female patient leapt to her death from the top of this staircase. She wanted to end her suffering. And a few serious accidents have been recorded since then. Barnaby asks, "In the wall, surrounding the hospital, I came across what seemed to be an old archway, that had been bricked up." Faith says, "Yes. It used to be an entrance. Leading to the hospital. The entrance was for members of staff - doctors and nurses in particular. Their accommodation was across the road. They weren't allowed to be seen entering through the main gates. There was a stigma attached to TB in Victorian times, Mr Barnaby. So not only do the poor patients have the illness to worry about - They had to suffer the shame as well. The archway was bricked up just after the First World War."

John Carver comes home and asks Alice what she's up to. She is wearing makeup and arranged her hair differently. John tells her she's wasting her time.

At Gerald's home Jones says, "I've found out a couple of things. There's nothing to suggest Gerald Ebbs was related to the girl in the cemetery." Barnaby says, "It was just a morbid fascination on his part? That he was fixated on a dead woman?" Jones says, "Seems that way, yeah. It's like a... Well, it's almost like a one-way love affair. And there's this. A patient committed suicide by throwing herself from the staircase of the St Fidelis hospital. Her name was Caroline Maria Roberts, the girl in the cemetery."

At the B & B, Alice says, "That cemetery's always been unlucky. John was hoping to get the gardening contract there, when the old gardener died, but Gerald volunteered to do the job for free. I mean, the parish council couldn't refuse that offer, could they?" John was furious.

In the hospital, Faith looks around. She takes photos of a brick wall. Someone comes down the stairs. Faith turns around. It is Jeff Bowmaker. He's planning to have the ghost walk at the hospital. Jeff is checking the route to make sure it's safe. He doesn't want some old biddy suing him if she falls through the floorboards. He would like Faith to help with the historical side of it, but she says last time she supplied him with historical facts and he bent the truth to make a profit. David goes up the grand staircase and says he plans to do his big number there.

Jessica brings supplies to the florist back room. Adam asks if Jessica has seen the order for Marsh Farm? The roses? It's gone missing. Adam says he'll make up the order with something else. He's already put aside favorite blooms for her mum's wreath. Adam asks Jessica if she is coming with him tomorrow. She says she can't.

Jeff asks Faith when she's going to dump her old man. He says he's sick of living in the B & B. She kisses him. She tells Jeff he is nothing more than a diversion. and each time there's a risk since Ian lashes out. Ian watches them from behind a dumpster.

Barnaby and Jones are at the grave. Jeff Bowmaker comes over to talk to them. He is planning to scare 'em silly at the old hospital. Jeff tells them that John Carver wanted the job as gardener at the graveyard, but Gerald beat him to it. Alice told him it almost destroyed him. Ian walks into his house and looks at his wife, Faith. She looks back.

At the Florists, Jessica says to Liam that the flowers for Marsh Farm didn't turn up. And she knows that he gave them to Sarah Sharp. She asks if he would kill for Sarah. Baranby pops in saying he wants to buy flowers for his wife. He sees the wreath and Jessica tells him they aren't for sale. She says, "Dad makes a special wreath for her, from us all, so we never forget her." Her birthday is tomorrow. Jessica says her mum's buried in Causton, a long way away. She's not able to see her very often. Sarah makes a bouquet for Barnaby, which he puts in his car. Barnaby goes to talk to Liam. He says there were some magnificent flowers on display in the library. Barnaby asks when he last spoke to Gerald and Liam says, "Why would I want to talk to that man? The man was a perv."

Adam tells Barnaby that his son's not an easy person to talk to. He keeps a lot of things to himself. Baranby says it probably doesn't help having ghost walks in the village, with their promise of an afterlife. Adam says, "No one should ever believe what Jeff Bowmaker says. Can he be done for fraud?" Baranby says he doesn't think so. Adam says, "He thought he saw a ghost, once. A real one. It was at night on the road by the old hospital. It was only for a split second, but I could have sworn...it was a nurse. Then again, it was probably a trick of the light."

Barnaby arrives home with the flowers. Barnaby turns on the tape player which has Joyce's singer from the concert. He thinks the song is about grief. He says, "Wreaths, flowers and memorial stones. What do they do? They keep grief alive." Cully looks through the drawer where she put the brochure for the March Magna ghost walk. It's gone.

Barnaby goes looking for Joyce.

At Sarah's house, she is in the bathtub and Liam is there. He pours her wine. Jeff Bowmaker comes downstairs dressed in his cloak. Alice wants to know what happens next between them. Jeff has to go to the ghost walk.

Jeff goes to the pub and invites people to the ghost walk. Jeff asks for a large scotch. He says, "I suppose you all know tonight's tour is through the old hospital. I've also been making plans for the future. I was thinking of holding the next JB ghost experience... ..in this pub. And my involvement could bring in much-needed business for you. I could lead my customers through here, up the stairs, through the upstairs rooms... ..and it won't matter if you're shagging Mary in bed. That'll make it even more weird." Vic kicks him out of the pub. Jeff leaves the pub and Faith comes up to speak to him. She says to be careful. Ian has been watching them. Faith has a cut lip.

Joyce is waiting in the dark for the Ghost walk to come by. Jeff says, "We come to the end of Chain Walk. It is haunted by the ghost of Lucy Law, who hung herself from this tree, mourning the loss of her lover who never returned from the Crimean War. Her ghost can be seen on St Valentine's night." Sarah Sharp and Liam Peach go into the hospital. Jeff and his tour group come to the hospital. He says, "The St Fidelis Hospital is an unlucky place, and well past its prime. So, once inside, I would ask you all to stay close to me, for safety reasons... ..and for whatever else may occur." Inside, Sarah shines her flashlight around. Liam sees something and goes up the stairs. She gets out a white sheet from a bag. Jeff guides his tour group inside.."Picture, if you will, this building in days gone by." Barnaby and Jones drive up to the hospital. Jessica comes up and asks if they arrested her brother? Jeff continues his tour "And here, rising above us... ..is the staircase of the damned. Perhaps we can hear the rustle of long skirts and starched aprons. The rattle of enamel cans and pans. And the chink... ..of medicine bottles. And always... ..the groans. The sad cries. And the telltale cough of the dying." Sarah comes out dressed in the sheet. Jeff stands by the railing.. He turns around and someone shoves a pole at him and pushes him over the balcony railing. Joyce and the other tour-goers scream. Sarah pulls off the sheet.

Liam runs out of the hospital. Jessica says, "Liam?"

Barnaby and Jones go to the florists. Jessica says, "I can't get any sense out of Liam. He came home. He's hiding. He's around here somewhere. Please don't frighten him any more than you have to. He's scared enough already." Barnaby says, "He's not the one we've come to see. Adam Peach... .we've just been talking to your daughter. And Jessica is very worried about her brother. And we can understand her concerns very well... ..because that young man witnessed a terrible event tonight. He saw his father kill a man. And that will be with him forever." Adam looks at a photo and puts it in the middle of a wreath. Barnaby says, "Gerald Ebbs - he also had someone to mourn. He was a sad, lonely man. Yet, in a strange way, he found a way to deal with his loneliness. He got himself a companion. A girl who died 130 years ago. And he also had the local cemetery to grieve in, all to himself. "

Adam says, "He had no right. He didn't belong in the village." Barnaby says, "Yes, I understand, whereas your wife-" Adam says, "She was born here. Our family have lived in March Magna for generations." Adam had to travel all the way to Causton cemetery, halfway across the county, to visit her grave. Three years ago, he made two applications to the parish council for his wife to be buried in March Magna. On both occasions, he asked for a special concession because of his family's long standing in the village. On both occasions, someone managed to have his request turned down, by insisting there were no burial plots and the site was of historical importance. And that someone was Gerald Ebbs. The parish clerk.

Barnaby says "He really put a stop to things for you, didn't he? And that, Mr Peach, that is why you killed him. You must have been so hurt, so angry... ..when you saw him kneeling there. Kneeling in worship in that beautiful, peaceful place, while denying you the right to do the same thing. I suppose you'd forgotten that there might be other people about that night. That must have come as a bit of a shock to you." (Flashback: Jeff Bowmaker was in the graveyard with his tour group. Jeff says, " ..but the spirits of long-dead patients have often been seen here." Someone says, "I saw something. Over there.") "As a matter of fact, Jeff Bowmaker hadn't seen you at all, yet you couldn't be absolutely sure of that, could you? Especially not with a man of his character. So Jeff Bowmaker had to die. And the old hospital. Ideal place. And yet, this time, someone did see you. Liam saw you. Your son saw you. (Flashback to Adam pushing Jeff over the railing. Liam stood next to him trying to stop him.). Jessica walks in and Barnaby says, "Come in, please. Jessica... ..I think your father has something to tell you."

At the graveyard Joyce says she is sorry for making such a fool of herself. As they are driving home in the rain. Barnaby sees a figure cross the street. Barnaby slams on his brakes and gets out to look at the wall where the bricked up entrance was.