"Nie." "Nie!" "I reckon the storm caused a surge in the power grid because the whole of Kembleford went ka-blooey last night." "I'm sure I've seen that symbol somewhere before." "Oh, probably Satanists, Father." "And the Lord said, "Let there be light."" "Wahey!" ""And the light shineth in darkness," ""and the darkness recognised it not."" "Well, at last." "Sorry, Father." "Not to worry." "Everything all right?" "Yes, but..." "Your list of chores." "Father, why are you going?" "You not had one of these?" "The whole town's been deluged with them." "Yeah..." "Your chores!" "Right, Father, let's go and find out what all this nonsense is about." "You stupid girl." "I have spent a whole hour alphabetising those." "You sure everything's all right?" "Yes, I'm fine." "Have a good day." "I make..." "I make tea?" "Oh, wish I could, darling, but, you know, four more jobs today." "Storm damage." "Terrible thing." "We come in peace." "Looks like they've come in their pyjamas." "And is that supposed to be music?" "Let's both try and keep an open mind, shall we?" "Good people of Kembleford, our founder and leader, Kalon." "What a glorious sight." "Welcome." "Welcome, all." "I was covered in mud." "I was broken, bloodied." "There were shells exploding all around me, bullets whizzing past my ear." "I was engulfed in pain, I was paralysed by fear." "And then it happened." "A sniper's bullet... ..through my brain and out through the back of my head." "And I fell back, staring into the noonday sun, in the mud, and barely had I registered what had happened to me, when in a burst of pure joy, the knowledge of millennia was delivered into my brain." "From the astral ancestors dwelling within the fiery core of the sun, to the deepest recesses of my soul..." "..transported on a ribbon of energy, 93 million miles across empty space." "And as this beautiful knowledge, it filled me up, I was pure peace." "Pure joy." "Pure hope." "So much hope." "I was given a purpose that day - to carry this wisdom to the rest of humanity." "For the path to happiness lies within the life-giving sun." "By harnessing its eternal energies... ..we chase away the demons, we vanquish the loneliness, we reach a higher plane where spiritual, emotional and physical healing can belong to us all." "Of course, I don't expect you to take my word for it." "But I can offer you something that other religions, in my experience, can never provide." "Proof." "You." "Come, come forward." "Don't be afraid." "Come." "Follow the light, come." "She can't have finished those chores already." "I'll be having words with her." "Welcome." "What is your name?" "Susie." "Susie?" "That's how everybody calls me." "But your family?" "They called me Zuzanna." "Zuzanna, what a beautiful name." "Trust me, Zuzanna." "All I want is to open your eyes." "The astral spirits are with us today." "They are with us now." "I can feel them." "Sit." "Sit." "Trust me, Zuzanna." "Sense the sun on your skin." "Close your eyes." "Take a deep breath." "Let it go." "Feel the sun's energy filling you up." "There is a lonely place inside of you, Zuzanna." "It's been there a long time." "Since you were a child." "Your father....gave his life in battle, yes?" "Yes." "And your mother passed away, too." "Yes." "Oh, Zuzanna." "Know that the astral spirits of your mother and father, your parents, are here now." "I can see their faces." "Oh, Zuzanna." "They miss you so much." "They love you so deeply." "Can you feel them?" "I...." "I..." "Can you feel them?" "Their love?" "Their warmth?" "Their joy?" "Their light?" "Do you feel them?" "Can you feel them?" "Yes." "Yes." "Yes, yes." "Mostly Barnum statements." "Plus some cold reasoning, a few high probability deductions..." "..the power of suggestion." "So you're saying he's a charlatan?" "That I'm not sure of yet." "Either he is, or he really thinks he has a gift." "What if I genuinely have a gift." "Is that not also a possibility?" "Many things are possible." "The question is, what's probable?" "Might I ask what is the meaning of the symbol?" "It represents the duality of night and day, delivered to me in a vision by the astral spirits." "I see." "Father, surely, you of all people, believe in the transcendence of the spirit." "This is my astral partner, Dominique." "That's like a wife, is it?" "Oh, so much more." "A symbiosis of souls, an amalgamation of destiny." "Oh, right you are." "The transcendence of the spirit I'm all for, but turning someone's grief into a theatrical event, that I find somewhat dubious." "I lost my husband and sons in the war." "Kalon has been my salvation from grief, as he has for everyone here." "What exactly do you find dubious about that, Father?" "I was hoping for a little ecumenical goodwill." "I'm truly sorry about your family." "But understand, I am merely looking after the interests of my flock." "And I'm the Big Bad Wolf?" "Precisely." "Nobody's being preyed upon." "Then might I ask, how much does it cost to join your order?" "Nothing." "Everything the religion needs, it gets from me." "Dominique's family is absurdly rich." "Banking and such like." "So you see, our intentions here are completely benign." "We're not here to swindle your parishioners or steal your souls." "All we're asking for is a quiet corner of the world to practise our faith." "Now, that is not too much to ask, is it?" "Will you excuse me?" "So...." "How long have you two been amalgamated?" "I want to thank you for volunteering." "Astral communion can be an overwhelming experience, especially the first time." "I should like to personally invite you to join us to greet the sun tomorrow morning." "Greet the sun?" "Yes, it is a ritual, the way we start the day." "Oh." "Zuzanna." "I have done hundreds of readings for hundreds of people and not since Dominique have I felt a spirit so vibrant, so primed for change." "Give yourself the chance to be whatever it is you want to be." "I don't know." "Trust me." "Everything you could ever want is in there." "With time you will be able to communicate with the astral spirits of your father and mother all by yourself." "You will never feel alone again." "5:00 AM." "All right?" "Yes, I'm fine." "See you tomorrow." "We greet the sun with humble reverence, we pay our respects to the ancient astral spirits and thank them for showing us the way and for blessing me, their humble servant, with the gift of their message." "We greet thee, we greet thee, we greet thee." "ALL:" "We greet thee, we greet thee, we greet thee." "ALL:" "We greet thee, we greet thee, we greet thee." "We greet thee, we greet thee, we greet thee." "We greet thee, we greet thee, we greet thee." "We greet thee, we greet thee, we greet thee." "Father, will you stop playing with your food?" "And she's late again." "I'll take a stroll down to the camp." "And what time do you call this?" "Susie's gone." "What's the matter?" "Why aren't you communing?" "I..." "I can't concentrate." "Don't force it." "Let each thought come and go as it pleases." "You can do it." "What's the point?" "Excuse me?" "Ten months I'm here." "I can still barely sleep, still hobbling about like a cripple." "You can't expect the transitioning to happen overnight." "Then when?" "How much longer do I have to be like this?" "Kalon says it's when your body and spirit..." "I don't care what Kalon says." "Adam?" "He's...." "Adam!" "This is a delicate time." "She needs to be free of negative influences." "Negative influences?" "I realise you care about her, but whether you choose to admit it or not, you don't want her to change." "She fulfils a role in your life." "She makes you feel secure, comfortable." "More Barnum statements." "I am normally a very placid man, Father, but you are beginning to irritate me." "Then, trust me, the quickest way to get rid of me is to give in." "All I ask is ten minutes." "Come back in a few days... ..after her initiation." "Kalon is a vessel for ancient wisdom." "How can you be so blind?" "That's enough." "Or do you just look the other way on purpose?" "I don't know what you're talking about." "Yes, you do." "Lisa, Daisy." "Those girls were disruptive to the harmony of the community." "So you said at the time." "This is none of your business." "I think it's the business of everyone here to know they're being led by a man of low moral character." "Kalon is a great man, but he's still a man." "Yes, I sent those girls away, but I did it before he could be tempted." "They wanted him." "Is that right?" "Yes." "And what about the new girl?" "The way he looks at her?" "There's more going on in his head than spiritual enlightenment." "What are you doing?" "So this is why you're making up lies?" "Pathetic." "Right, what I say is we sneak in, we grab her." "Once we've got her, we can talk some sense into her." "There's a word for that." "Brilliant?" "Kidnapping." "That's it." "Breaks one of those law-thingies you may have heard about from time to time." "Wait here." "Keep a look-out." "Father!" "Father." "You have to leave." "After those gymnastics?" "I think not." "With these people?" "Really?" "I'm sorry, I know how that sounded." "It's just, they're so... ..I really want to say barmy, but I know I'll get into trouble." "It's no more barmy than any other religion." "I'm only trying to protect you." "You know nothing about this Kalon." "I suspect that's not even his real name." "He...he's a great man." "He has gift." "I believe there's a rational explanations for his gift." "You believe what you want, I'll believe what I want." "What are you doing here?" "Please leave, now." "Dominique!" "It's locked." "Dominique!" "I've got some spare keys in the office, down the hallway, on the key rack." "Dominique!" "Please, please, hurry!" "Dominique." "Dominique!" "Dominique, please." "Dominique?" "So, you say there was no-one in the room?" "No other way out?" "Unless the killer could fly." "Mr..." "Kalon, is it?" "I'm sorry to ask this, but is there any chance your wife could have..." "It was suicide?" "Was she depressed?" "She was full of sunlight." "You ask anyone." "We did hear her screaming for help." "She didn't jump." "She was pushed." "She came flying out of window." "But you didn't see anyone?" "Inspector?" "That must be the master key." "Right, let's see this room." "Five-lever mortice, near enough unpickable." "Check with the groundskeepers there's no other copies." "Don't touch anything." "Blood." "There's no way anyone could have hidden behind the door?" "Under the bed?" "No secret passages?" "Ah!" "More blood." "I may be mistaken, but I think that that is paint." "Now, that on the other hand, that is blood." "I think we may deduce that she took a bath to wash off the paint and then when whatever happened, happened." "Adam." "Dominique's novice." "He's a painter." "He has mental disturbances, shell shock." "That doesn't necessarily mean he's a murderer." "Sounds like a good place to start." "No!" "Ah, Mr Watkins." "I didn't do it." "What are you doing?" "Unlock this door, now!" "Looks like we've found our man." "Officer!" "Perhaps." "Well, he won't get very far with that limp." "Are you all right?" "She's in the light." "I see her." "She's at peace." "She forgives." "It was you." "Calm down, Mr Watkins." "You did it." "How dare you?" "You wanted her out of the way so you could...." "Ask him." "Ask him about the girls." "Lisa, Daisy, ask him!" "What's he talking about?" "It's a private matter." "Not today, I'm afraid." "My Dominique had a morbid fear of abandonment, which is not surprising, given her loss." "But it made her paranoid." "She imagined relations." "Imagined?" "Yes, imagined relations between myself and certain young women in our community." "I had to tell them to leave for Dominique's peace of mind." "He's lying!" "He's lying!" "Besides, I was nowhere near her." "And Father Brown can attest to that." "Problem, Father Brown?" "Groundskeepers confirm there are no other keys." "Maybe Mr Watkins can enlighten us to how he disappeared into thin air." "When will you leave us to mourn?" "Forensics are almost finished." "Once we've taken statements, we'll be off." "But don't leave town." "Investigation's not over yet." "You obviously have something on your mind, Father." "You let an innocent man pay for your crime?" "Who of us is truly innocent?" "Then you admit it." "How did I do it?" "Split myself in two?" "Well, I haven't fathomed out the details yet." "but I know the eyes of a murderer." "I see, that's your proof, is it?" "My eyes." "Windows of the soul." "Then look deeply." "See that I won't let anything or anyone get in the way of spreading the word of the ancients." "That's why you killed her." "Because she stood in your way." "You are not my confessor." "Then tell me, what sort of a man covets another woman on the day of his wife's murder?" "Finally, we get to what this is really about." "Jealousy." "I understand you want her back." "But know this - as surely as night follows day, what happened to Dominique was destiny." "She made way for a brighter spirit, a light so pure that it outshines even hers." "And you will not have her." "Now get off my property." "Malcolm." "Gather everyone." "I have an announcement." "Father, I heard." "What an awful, hideous thing." "I'll put the kettle on and you can tell me all about it." "Five-lever mortice lock." "Practically unpickable." "No other keys." "Which means what?" "He's been like this since we left the manor." "She started screaming when we were in the garden." "It's about 20 seconds to the bedroom door." "Father, I made you a nice shepherd's pie." "And I zipped through all of Susie's chores." "I have no idea what takes her so long." "Plus, I managed to re-alphabetise all those files, and I still had time to bake some of my award-winning strawberry scones." "Files!" "We're going back." "I hate it when he does that." "You're glowing." "Give us a moment, please, Rose." "I want you to have this." "Dominique wore it on her initiation." "I..." "I couldn't." "She wants you to." "You're troubled." "Zuzanna, what is that fear broiling in the pit of your stomach?" "What's it about?" "Let me tell you." "It is the fear of change, of transformation." "Allow yourself that feeling." "Don't be afraid." "Befriend it." "Shake hands with it." "Let it go." "If Kalon won't tell us about those girls, maybe something in here will." "Where is everyone?" "Lisa... ..and Daisy." "Family records." "Medical records." "Dietary requirements." "Nothing untoward." "Now what?" "Wait a minute." "They're leaving." "Susie." "What are you doing here?" "Just listen, that's all I ask." "If afterwards, you want to stay, I won't stand in your way." "I give you my word." "Adam was right about Kalon." "And apparently, he's a keen photographer." "Got quite the collection." "He's sick, Susie." "He is sick?" "He?" "No." "You are." "Both of you." "But the proof's right there!" "You only see what you want." "He captures our light." "Our spirit." "See?" "It's...it's not sick." "It's beautiful." "Susie, they're planning on leaving." "I know." "I go with them." "You don't think that's suspicious?" "Would you like to live in house where murder happened?" "It casts shadow." "Now she's talking like one of them." "Susie, if you will abscond," "Inspector Valentine will definitely..." "He knows." "They are charging Adam." "We are free to go." "You said you'd leave." "You gave your word." "I did." "How very touching." "Now let me show you the door." "Goodbye, Father." "She prefers my faith to yours." "Can you blame her?" "Zuzanna, the sun is setting on your old life." "Are you ready to be born anew?" "Yes." "Do you open your heart to the ancient astral ancestors?" "Do you embrace their wisdom?" "Do you accept their truth?" "Yes." "Then behold the light!" "By the power of the light, the holy sun, I baptise you." "Sounds to me like she's found her calling and you just don't like it." "We are deeply concerned about her safety." "The pros sols have the final say." "There's nothing I can do." "Has he confessed?" "Mr Watkins was in love with the victim." "He's confessed to that." "But not to murder?" "They rarely do." "What about my suspicions regarding the lock?" "They're suspicions, not proof, not evidence." "Come." "Thanks, Sergeant." "Is that the file on Kalon?" "I am not sharing police information with you." "Susie has been brainwashed." "She is under the influence of what I believe is a deeply disturbed man." "The least you can do is give us a chance to help her." "Please." "It's too early for all this." "I'm going to get myself a cup of coffee." "I'll trust you not to touch anything on my desk." "Gerald Firth." "He wasn't lying about his war injury." "Spent two months at a military hospital in Kent." "Bullet wound to the head." "Most of that time, delirious, paranoid delusions." "Does that mean he's a conman or he's just nuts?" "Well, I..." "What?" "What is it?" "I need to speak to Kalon." "Now." "They've gone." "We've missed her!" "Perhaps not." "The master bible." "Written over 40 days and 40 nights." "The wisdom of the ancients pouring out of me in a ceaseless torrent." "I don't usually allow anyone to touch this." "What is this?" "One last-ditch attempt to vanquish me?" "Something along those lines, yes." "What about the small matter of your being my alibi?" "I'll deal with method." "Motive, first." "Father, please." "I'm sorry, Susie." "I have to do this." "No, Zuzanna." "Let us hear his insinuations for the last time." "Something happened yesterday, did it not... that made Dominique realise that you would never change your lecherous ways." "Is that so?" "In all likelihood, to do with Susie." "Enough to make Dominique threaten the thing you cared most about." "The thing you told me yourself that you would do anything to protect - your religion." "He's grasping at straws." "What happened?" "What did she see?" "Spinning fantasies out of thin air." "From the moment you saw Susie, you desired her." "And Dominique knew that." "Father, this is becoming embarrassing." "Susie?" "I remember." "I didn't think of it at the time." "That's because there was nothing to think about." "You went to Dominique's room, yes?" "No." "Yes." "Who is it?" "It's me." "You argued with her." "I just wanted to capture her light." "What?" "Like the others?" "Dominique, please." "It's over." "Meaning?" "Meaning, by the time I'm finished with you, you won't have a penny to your name." "You'll be ridiculed as a lecherous crank." "You disgust me." "Why?" "The blood on the rug was from the first time you hit her." "The blood on the door of the bathroom was when you tried to make it look like an accident." "From far-fetched to outlandish!" "I haven't even started yet." "Because she wasn't dead, was she?" "Your plan to discover her corpse was thwarted... ..when she started screaming." "So you did the only thing possible, you feigned a locked door." "It's locked." "There are spare keys in the office down the hallway, on the key rack." "Please hurry!" "Dominique!" "Please." "And when I went to fetch the spare key, you dashed in... ..you threw her out of a window." "Dominique!" "Dominique, please." "Pure...showmanship." "No, no, no, he just wants you for himself." "He's jealous." "Susie." "Zuzanna." "Admit it." "One man of faith to another." "Unburden yourself." "Why?" "So you can arrest me?" "I only care about your soul." "Then, you of all people, should understand that this was meant it be, it was ordained." "The astral spirits..." "There are no astral spirits!" "Says the man who believes in virgin births." "Sorry." "That's you, Gerald." "That's not my name." "But it is." "It says so, there." "Look at the doctor... ..what he's wearing." "It's the last piece of the puzzle that's been nagging away at me since you first arrived." "I saw plenty of those when I was a chaplain in the army, but I never put it together until now." "You incorporated the stethoscope into your fantasy." "It became the symbol that the astral aliens planted in your brain." "No." "Yes." "Proof." "You were in a terrible place." "Broken." "Helpless." "Lost." "You needed a refuge." "And you created this." "You dare to come into my house of worship and tell me that my god is false?" "SHOUTING:" "No." "No." "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "Nooo!" "Oh, God, Dominique." "Dominique." "I'm sorry!" "I'm so sorry!" "Do you have anywhere to stay?" "Think I might just wander a while." "Name of a local hostel and if you ever need to talk at all," "I will be in St Mary's." "Mr Firth?" "Quiet as a church mouse." "How'd you know his real name?" "Don't know." "Must've read it somewhere." "Cup of tea?" "I prefer to be alone." "Thank you." "I will see you tomorrow." "Mind if I join you?" "All I have left." "I try to picture their faces." "But they slip away." "Maybe the trick is not to try." "Let them come to you." "I just wanted to talk to them." "You don't need Kalon for that." "Carry them in your heart, and you can talk to them whenever you want." "You can talk to me." "I'm always here." "Time for elevenses." "I have chores." "Scones first." "Chores later." "Tea and award-winning strawberry scones." "What could be better?" "Rumour has it you pinched your scone recipe from Mrs O'Boyle." "You wash your mouth out with soap, Sid Carter." "Just saying what I heard." "I heard same thing." "Well, I'll have that back, then." "And yours, too."