"(Church bells ring)" "John, some college friends have asked us over." "Do you want to come?" " l don't think so." " Oh, spoilsport." "Look, why don't you go over?" "I um..." "I honestly don't feel up to it." "John?" "John." " John, what's wrong?" " Look, nothing's wrong, I promise." "I've got behind with my work and I need to think about it, that's all." " Are you sure?" " Positive." "Look, why don't you go back to your friends and have a good time?" "I'll give you a call in the morning." "(Sighs)" "Good evening, Mr Brewster." " Can we interest you in a hand?" " No, thank you. I never gamble." "And neither should you, by the look of that lot." "Hello." "Dr Brewster again." "Are you sure my husband's not at the clinic?" "He couldn't have come back?" "Forgotten something?" "No." "No, it's just that he's not arrived yet." "Thank you." "(Rumbling of car engine)" "(Rumbling continues)" "(Engine rumbles)" "MORSE:" "A Mr Mathew Brewster." "He was found dead in his garage with the car engine running." "This could take us half the night." " l've been on the go since eight this morning." " So have I, Sergeant." "But I haven't spent the last two weeks lying on a beach in Italy, have I?" "I spent my holiday engaged in cultural pursuits, Lewis, not lying on a beach." "CONSTABLE:" "Sir." "Everything under control?" "All right?" "lewis:" "Mm-hm." "Seems peaceful enough to me." "That's how he was when we found him, sarge." "There was nothing unusual caught your eye when you came in?" "No, nothing at all." "MORSE:" "could you tell me what happened this evening?" "Mathew was due home at about 8:40." "That was his usual time." "MORSE:" "Due home from where?" "His clinic." "My mother and father own a private clinic, Chief Inspector." "He... ..usually left around eight and was seldom late." "When he wasn't home by nine, I began to worry." "I had thought of calling the police, but I didn't want to make a fuss or appear foolish." "I told myself he'd broken down." "I looked out of the window several times, hoping to see Mathew get out of the car." "The last time I looked I saw John arrive, and... we discovered what had happened." "What time was that?" "Around eleven, I think." "When I arrived, I heard the engine running." "Then I saw the fumes." "I..." "I tried to open the garage door." "When I did, I couldn't see anything." "I tried to find the light switch, but I began to feel the effect of the fumes." "MAN:" "That's everything completed here, right?" "(Car engine starts)" " That about does it, sir." " Thank you, Lewis." "Something wrong?" "Probably not." "Something that Dr Brewster said." "She said she looked from the house, hoping to see her husband get out of the car." "But he'd get out of the car in the garage, wouldn't he?" "The doors open automatically on approach." "You can't even see the garage from that room." " Just a slip of the tongue, sir." " Yes." "lewis:" "You can clear it up in the morning." "But why do it this way, Lewis?" "Drive home, I mean." "They own a clinic." "He was surrounded by any number of drugs or poisons he could have used." "I guess when you get to the point of killing yourself, you're not thinking too clearly, sir." "You think it was suicide?" "No reason to suspect anything else." "It was murder, Morse." "Certainly murder." "Although there was a pretty duff attempt to make it look like suicide." "Do you mind explaining, Doctor?" "Well, it's all a matter of deduction, really." "See here." "Look." "These marks across the chest and around the wrist." "He was tied into the seat." "Now... if he was tied in, he was conscious and may have felt compelled to cry out." "So, I have a look around the mouth, and what do I find?" "Traces of adhesive and minute injuries where the facial hair has been torn out." "He was bound and gagged, Morse." "He was murdered." "Time and cause of death?" "Asphyxiation. 9:30, approx." "We know he left the clinic shortly after eight." "would you agree that there wasn't time enough" " to have him killed elsewhere?" " Yes, I would." "The killer was taking quite a risk, then, wasn't he?" "Staying there until the job was done." "Unless he came out and went back in again later." "But then he'd have to get back in, close the garage doors behind him, make sure that Brewster was dead, take off the gag, untie the ropes, and then find his way back out of the doors again." "Brewster's son was driven out by the fumes." "I've already thought of that." "And what have you deduced?" "Well, either you're looking for someone with an exceptional pair of lungs - a Japanese pearl diver, say - or your killer was a common or garden EngIishman... using breathing apparatus, perhaps." "lewis:" "Morning, ma'am." " What is going on, Chief Inspector?" " Could we talk inside?" " Can you tell us what's going on?" " l'm sorry, you are...?" "Mark Felsham. I'm from the Radcliffe Infirmary." "Claire is my patient." "It would be better if we talked inside, Mr Felsham." "claire:" "You've surely made a mistake, Chief Inspector." "My husband's death must have been an accident." "I can assure you, Dr Brewster, it wasn't an accident." "Can you think of anyone who might want to harm your husband?" "No." "Of course I can't." "Who would want to harm Mathew?" " The idea's quite preposterous." "Do sit down." " Someone did." "MORSE:" "I'd Iike you to think very carefully." "Did your husband mention any recent conversation he might have had, any incident or event... that he considered out of the ordinary?" "No." "There was that break-in that you mentioned, Claire." "MARK:" "At the clinic." " When was that?" "Seven, eight months ago. I don't remember." "There was nothing taken." "The police thought it likely that the intruder was after drugs." "We heard no more about it." "Dr Brewster, last night you said you went to the window expecting to see your husband getting out of the car." "How could you expect to see him if he was in the garage?" "What?" "Oh!" "Sometimes he parked in the drive, Chief Inspector, especially if John was out." "Mathew, he... ..very often left early for the clinic in the morning." "(Breathes raggedly)" " Inspector." " Of course." "Claire, I want you to go upstairs and rest." "Excuse me." "Why is it, Chief Inspector, that doctors make such bad patients?" "If I had my way, I'd prefer her in hospital for a day or two, but she won't hear of it." "is her condition so serious?" "With proper medical care and attention, she has three, maybe four years at best." "And she could well do without this kind of trauma." "And that damned clinic." " It became an obsession with both of them." " ls the clinic in trouble?" "On the contrary, it's thriving." "At the beginning, they invested everything they had." "Borrowed heavily." "But they made it work." "Where's Mother?" "is she all right?" "She's all right." "She's upstairs." "She's fine." "Will you excuse me?" "MAN:" "We've got something here." " What's that?" " More tape, by the look of it." "When I asked him about last night, he told me he'd spent some time with a girlfriend, a Jane Folley," "English student up at the University." "Anyway, that was around seven o'clock." "Afterwards, he says he went for a drive and then came home." " Well, that's four hours." "What was he doing?" " Thinking, he says." "He is doing a doctorate in philosophy." "And the diving equipment, sir." "He doesn't use it." "Doesn't know anyone who does." "We're about finished, sir." "Meagre findings, I'm afraid." " Where's this from?" " The car inspection pit." "We did find two rolls of tape in the tool kit, but neither comes from this. lt's much broader." " Get it off to Forensic." "And thank you." " Right, sir." "Chief Inspector Morse?" "Yes." "Miss Folley?" "Yes." " Shall we walk?" " Yes, I'd like that." "I'm at a loss to know how I can help." "I've never met John's father." "Or his mother, for that matter." "How long have you been seeing John?" "Two years." "And you've never met his family?" "According to John, I'd simply be something else for his father to disapprove of." "They didn't get on, I'm afraid." "John had been expected to follow his father and mother into medicine." "When he refused, his father turned against him." "And last night, how did John seem to you?" "Oh...down, I'd say." "Do you know why?" "He said he'd fallen behind with his work and wanted some time on his own." "Your questions, Chief Inspector..." " l can't quite see the relevance." " Oh, they're just routine in cases of murder." "But...when John phoned last night, he seemed to think it was an accident." " Or suicide." " No." "No, John's father was murdered." "Chief Inspector, what I said about John and his father..." " you mustn't infer..." " As I said, my questions are purely routine." "You're onto a winner here, Sergeant." "Do you want to have a look?" " Just tell me what I'd see." " Hair...on the tape that was brought in." "And probably from the dead man's face, I'd say." "I'm pretty confident that it was used as a gag." "(Knocking)" "(Sighs)" "That was a nice cup of tea." "Not too sweet." "I've had a chance to think about all this, Mother." "I'm going to tell the police about Michael Steppings." "Steppings?" "Why?" "Tell them what?" "That he made threats against Father in court." "But that was two years ago." "Steppings was...upset." "There were letters." " They were sent to Father." " What letters?" "Anonymous threats." "Abuse." "Father thought it best you didn't know." "But Steppings, John." "Well, I mean, we'll be opening up that entire episode." "Think what could come out of it." "I should have mentioned these sooner, I know." "But with everything that's happened, I wasn't thinking, Chief Inspector." "Your mother didn't mention them." "She didn't know." "My father didn't want to distress her." " As for himself, he didn't take them seriously." " Then why did he keep them?" "He didn't." "Well, not all of them." "The first few he destroyed, but after that I'm sure he was going to show the police." "Pity he didn't preserve the envelopes." "They were typed." "Posted from various places in London." "We were pretty certain who was sending them, so..." "We thought they were from a man called Michael Steppings." "You see, four years ago his 1 5-year-old daughter came into the clinic for a minor operation." "But something went wrong." "She suffered profound brain damage." "Steppings took my parents to court two years later." "Needless to say, they were cleared." "But Steppings couldn't accept the court's decision, so er...he made threats." "Who is this Michael Steppings?" "He's a bookmaker." " The Michael Steppings?" " Yes." "Started off with one betting shop down in London, finished up with an empire." " He should be an easy man to find." " He lives in Oxfordshire." "Whereabouts, I'm not exactly sure." "I'd Iike to talk about" " Michael Steppings." " You've spoken to him?" "Not yet." "My sergeant's trying to locate him." "Can you tell me about his daughter?" "Tell you what?" "What happened to her?" "(Sighs) She went into cardiac arrest." "The court found the clinic blameless, Chief Inspector." "I need hardly say it was a tragedy, but we were completely cleared." "Dr Brewster, I am not questioning the court's judgment." "Your son came forward with the name of a possible suspect." "There are questions that have to be asked." "Yes, well..." "You think it might have been Steppings?" " Do you?" " l wouldn't know, would I?" "He struck me as a very intelligent man." "To threaten us in court and send anonymous letters seems a particularly reckless strategy for a killer to adopt." "You said threatened us." "Not just your husband?" "Mathew was the surgeon, I was the anaesthetist." "And there was a nurse" " Wendy Hazlitt." "As I recall," " he threatened all three of us." " You're not sure?" "You will appreciate, Chief Inspector, that that trial was an experience I've tried very hard to forget." "But why was it important who he threatened?" "You were in the house alone." "If he did kill your husband, then why not you?" "The nurse, is she still here?" "No, she left soon after the trial two years ago." "She's at Burnley Green Hospital now." "We don't keep in touch." " Found him, sir." "More difficult that we thought." " A man with an empire, Lewis?" "Yeah, well. lt turns out he sold his business, sir." "Living the life of a recluse, out near Chipping Norton." "Oh, and I checked out the report on the break-in at the clinic here." "Nothing, really." "Some damage to a couple of filing cabinets." "I want to see a transcript of the Brewster trial." "No bother, as long as somebody else has asked for a copy already." "If not, the notes will still all be in shorthand." "Could take weeks." "Why do we need one?" "To see who Steppings threatened and what he said, not what people think he might have said." "(Engine starts and cuts out)" "(Engine starts and cuts out)" "Would you believe it?" "1 20 grand. lt won't even budge." "It's a beautiful car." "Likewise." "Michael Steppings." "Who are you?" "What brings you here?" "Chief Inspector Morse, Thames Valley cid." "I'm investigating the murder of Mathew Brewster," " Mr Steppings." " Yes, I read about it." "Well, I'd be a hypocrite if I said I was sorry, Mr Morse." "So I won't." "Am I a suspect?" " Yes." " Thought I might be." "Come on inside, Chief Inspector." "I've got an angry call to make." "Patrick." "Mike Steppings." "Listen, why don't you get some lads over here and pick up my car?" "It's not working, that's what for." "Right?" "I'II shove the keys in the exhaust." "call me, Iet me know what the hell's going on." "It's a fine view." "Can't say I notice it much." "Mr Steppings... ..don't you have a wardrobe?" "Yeah." "Somewhere." "I tend to do most of my living in here now, Mr Morse." "When things get too bad, I bung the whole lot off to the cleaner's." "Now..." "Brewster." "Have you ever contacted him?" "After what he did?" "No, why should I?" "The court found him not guilty." "With respect, Mr Morse, the court was wrong." "They were removing a mole." "A simple operation." "Just about impossible for anything to go wrong." "But it is possible." "That's what the judge said." "There's always an element of risk and I should understand that." "An allusion to my former profession, I think." "Where were you the night Brewster was murdered?" "That was Tuesday, wasn't it?" "I was at Newmarket in the afternoon." "I had a meal over there." "Left about six and went to visit my daughter at Burnley Green Hospital." "She's at Burnley Green?" " Yeah." "Why?" " Go on." "I left at 7:30, made for home." "You came straight home?" "No, no, I stopped at a pub to go to the loo." "That would have been about...eight." "I had a shandy, a go on the bandit, read the paper - even managed to do the whole crossword - and left about nine." "Would anyone remember you there?" "Did you speak to anyone?" "I doubt it." "The only person I spoke to was the barmaid who served me." "Oh, yeah." "There was a lady who came in and asked me to move my jacket so she could sit down." "And that was all?" "She said something about how busy the place was." "That was it." "This pub, have you been there before?" "No, no. lt's called the..." "Black Swan." " On the road north." " l know it." " Will you be checking my story at the hospital?" " Oh, yes." "Any chance of a lift?" "(Beeps)" "Your business...why did you give it up?" "There didn't seem any point to it." "When I started out, it was to get the best for me and mine." "Only now there ain't any mine." " Except avril." " You're not married?" "Divorced." "My wife, Julie, she felt as bad about Avril as I did, but she thought it was wrong to dwell upon it." "But I did dwell on it, Mr Morse." "So she left us." "As for myself, I've already got more money than I need, so why...why go on?" "You make it sound easy, making money." "It was." "How I made it." "gambling." "I liked it." "I was good at it." "I don't think I could live with the uncertainty." "The person you want to see is Dr Greer." "He's in charge." "And do drop by and see us before you go." "Now...where were we?" "Page 40, I think." "Oh, yeah, here we are." "Page 40." "Chapter Seven." "Ginger continues her story." "You can confirm that he was here, Doctor?" "Oh, yes, Chief lnspector. I was on duty." "He often visits at night." "Sometimes in the early hours of the morning." "He's absolutely devoted to the girl." "What kind of man is he?" "In my opinion, someone who's given up on life." "Nothing seems to matter except the girl." "Even his wife left him, you know." "Can't say I blame her." "She saw it was hopeless and wanted to put an end to it, but he wouldn't hear of it." "I take it the girl will never recover." "No." "Never, Chief Inspector." "..will take as much care of them as you or I could." "Doctor." "Mr Morse." "avril, this is the policeman I was talking about." "Chief Inspector Morse." "This is my girl avril, Chief Inspector." "You'll have to excuse her not getting up." "But after her run-in with the Brewsters, there's not much she can do." "I'm very sorry, Mr Steppings." " Did you help out Mr Morse, Doctor?" " indeed I have." "I'm intruding here." "You want to be alone with your daughter." "Dr Greer." "(Steppings reads) I assure you I will not sell that pony for any money." "He's so perfectly good-tempered and trustworthy." "(Bell tolls)" "JANE:" "John, is that you?" " Yeah." "JANE:" "Do you want something to eat?" "No." "Coffee'll be fine." "You look tired." " Has it been awful?" " Yes." "What do you expect?" "John, listen... I think I may have said too much to that policeman..." "Morse." "What do you mean?" "Oh, it's silly. I mentioned to him that you and your father weren't on the best of terms." "I wasn't aware of what had happened at the time." "You told the truth." "Besides, I don't think Morse's interest in me will last for very long." "(Machine whirs)" " Do we have a transcript?" " Yeah." "There was a request for one from Michael Steppings." " Did you see him yesterday?" " Yes." "He has a motive, a shaky alibi and he knows how to use diving equipment." " Sounds promising." " l hope to God it's not, Lewis." "Afraid there's not much to tell." "No unidentified fingerprints, and the lettering came from half a dozen different papers." "However, I put it on this machine here... ..and this cropped up." "Obviously written on a sheet above the one used for the letter." "Just numbers." "Could mean anything." "Any idea what they might be?" " Sorry. I did say there was nothing much." " Can I have a copy of this?" "I'm no lawyer, sir, but it seems to me the Brewsters couldn't lose that case." "It was a routine operation that they'd carried out three or four times before." "The barrister was able to give the court names, dates," " even testimonies from grateful patients." " And Steppings?" "Oh, there's no doubt he did threaten all three, sir." "Here. "l want justice for my little girl." "If I don't get it here, I'll get it some other way." "I'll make the three of them pay."" "Then why wasn't Dr Brewster harmed?" "And the nurse, Hazlitt?" "For a year she's worked at the hospital where Steppings' daughter is." "They're both of them much easier targets." "WOMAN ON intercom:" "Yes?" " Miss Wendy Hazlitt?" " Yes." " Chief Inspector Morse, Thames Valley cid." " Oh, hold on." "If you'd like to come through here, Chief Inspector." " Half an hour later and you would've missed me." " You're going away?" " Just for a couple of days." "To the Lake District." " You're very fortunate." "Well, yes." "Well..." "I'm an amateur painter." "I expect to be working, mostly." "How can I help you, Chief Inspector?" "I'm investigating the murder of Mathew Brewster," " Miss Hazlitt." " Ah." "I'd like to talk to you about Michael Steppings." "well, I don't actually know michael Steppings," "Chief Inspector." "No, I appreciate that, but he did make threats against you at the Brewster trial, and I wondered if he'd approached you or made any attempt to carry out his threats." "No." "At least, not in the way you mean." "When I left Mathew" " Mr Brewster's - clinic, I tried to support myself by painting alone." "Unfortunately, that didn't work out and I had to look for a job." "I was taken on at Burnley Green." "When Michael Steppings found out, he tried to have me sacked." "He does pay the hospital a great deal of money for keeping his daughter there, and I expected that he'd get his way." "But fortunately Dr Greer, one of the consultants there, came up with a compromise." "He agreed to let me stay on provided I undertook not to go near Avril Steppings." "Mathew Brewster was sent a series of anonymous letters after the trial." "Did you receive anything like that?" "No." "Never." "Do you think that Michael Steppings sent those letters?" "Unfortunately, we don't know who sent them." "Well, er... I'm sorry I couldn't have been more help." "No, no." "Not at all." "Er... ..I'd better let you get on. I can see myself out." "Bye-bye." "?" "BEETHOVEN:" "Piano Sonata No.31 in A flat (1 st Movement)" "Think, damn you." "One sheet of paper." "Blue." "Eight by five." "Two rows of numbers." "To the left: 1 0, 50, 7." "To the right: 25..." "Good morning, sir." "Constable Willis, Crime Prevention Unit." " Are you the owner of the house?" " Yes." "There've been a number of burglaries in the area, sir." "Mainly in property like this." "would you mind if I checked your security and offered some advice?" " Of course not." "Come on in." " Thank you." "Can I get you something, or do you blokes really not drink on duty?" " A cup of tea will be fine, sir, thank you." " Coming up." "My alarm system's controlled from in here." " l must say it all seems rather elaborate, Morse." " l've no real grounds for a warrant." "If Steppings is innocent, I don't want to upset him any more than is necessary." "You don't want to upset him?" "!" "We're not the Samaritans." "A man's been murdered and this Steppings is a suspect." " l know that." "(Knock at door)" " Sir." " What?" "You were right about those numbers, sir." "He even gave Constable Willis a demonstration." "I've put him in the interview room." "I've cautioned him, informed him of his rights." "Well, I'd say you've got yourself a result there, Chief Inspector." "So get yourself down there, matey, and give him hell." "Give him hell." "Yes, sir." "(Buzzer)" "You had a visit today from a crime prevention officer, Mr Steppings." "Yeah, I did." "Your sergeant says I'm being held in connection with the Brewster murder." " l don't understand." " You have a safe, Mr Steppings." " Yeah." "Came with the house." " You changed the combination six months ago?" " What's that got to do with anything?" " Did you keep a note of the combination?" "Of course." "And a backup in case the original got lost." "Doesn't that rather defeat the purpose of a safe?" "I mean, having notes of the combination lying around the house." "Not really, sir." "Mr Steppings takes precautions." "He writes down his combination on a sheet of paper and tears it in half." "Hides the pieces in different places." " Isn't that right, Mr Steppings?" " Yeah." "STEPPlNGS:" "Look..." " ls that your combination?" "Yes, it is." "Where the hell did you get this from?" "Have you seen these before?" "No." "You're lying." "A forensic examination showed that one of these bore the combination to your safe." "They were sent anonymously to Mathew Brewster." "All right." "I sent him some letters." "But you saw what they did to my girl, Mr Morse." "I had to get back at them some way." "I tried the law, it didn't work." "They walked away scot-free." "You threatened Mathew Brewster in court." "You sent him anonymous letters threatening his life." "And then Mathew Brewster was murdered, possibly by someone who knew how to use diving equipment...as you do." "Wait a minute, now." "I didn't kill anyone and I didn't threaten his life." "You are evil and you will pay." "I am going to kill you." "STEPPlNGS:" "Kill you?" "I don't remember writing that." "Not "kill you"." "You expect us to believe that when you lied about sending letters in the first place?" "Look, you've got to understand." "I'd get drunk, I'd sit and brood." "I'd do one of these letters." "What I'm saying is" "I can't remember this." "I didn't kill that man, Mr Morse." "JOHN:" "Chief Inspector Morse has some news." "We're holding Michael Steppings for questioning." "He's admitted sending letters to your husband." "And the murder?" "Not yet." "We only brought him in an hour ago." "Then thank you for bringing us the news so quickly, Chief Inspector." "Er...has he said anything..." "What can he say?" "He'll probably be making the same old accusations about his daughter, that's all." "Inspector?" " Your son's right." " Of course I am." "We have a great deal to thank you for, Chief Inspector." "Michael Steppings is being held for questioning, Mr Brewster, that's all." "If you'll excuse me." "I'll continue to keep you informed." "Thank you." "(Breathes heavily and groans)" "You mustn't worry yourself." "Promise me." " l can't help it." " You must help it." "There's nothing to fear from Michael Steppings." "Nothing at all." "What the hell's wrong with you?" "Finding out what those numbers meant was a good piece of work." "It was a lucky guess." "What would happen to her if we did put him away?" "Ah, that's it, is it?" "The girl." "It's got nothing to do with you, sir." "Anyway, we haven't even charged him yet, never mind put him away." "No." "No, you're right." "But it's not just the girl." "There's the question of why he ignored the other two people he threatened." "Steppings isn't stupid, and yet we're to believe that he forewarned his victim by sending him anonymous letters." "You can have a solicitor present, you know that?" "Will a solicitor get me out of here?" "No." "On the evidence I have, I can hold you for 36 hours and then apply for an extension, if necessary." "In the hope that I'll eventually confess." "Something like that." "I didn't kill him, Mr Morse." "I'd like you to do something, Mr Steppings." "You said that at the time of the murder you were in a pub from just before eight o'clock till after nine." "Now, I can take you there to see if anyone remembers you...but only if you agree to go." "You're asking me to take a great chance." "That pub was crowded." "You said a woman spoke to you." "Yeah, she asked me to shift my jacket so she could sit down." "That's all." "Then she said something about how busy the pub was. I told you this." "Just now, I don't have an alibi." "So what?" "I didn't do anything." "If I go to that pub and they say, "We haven't seen him here," it might look bad for me." "It looks bad either way." "If you don't go, we might reasonably assume you're afraid to because you weren't there." "You think about it, Mr Steppings." "Chief Inspector... ..you don't like this, do you?" "No." "Well, if it makes it any easier, I know it's the job." "You could do something for me." "Ever since Avril's been in hospital, I've never missed a day." "I'd like to know that everything's all right." "(Ventilator pumps and rattles)" "Mr and Mrs Hart, this gentleman has told us that he came here last Tuesday evening shortly before eight, and he stayed till just after nine." " Can either of you remember seeing him here?" " l can't, no." "That doesn't mean he wasn't here." "The pub gets crowded" " that time of night." "MORSE:" "I understand." "No." "No, he was here." "You're sure, Mrs Hart?" "It was his clothes, his suit." "Not that one, but one like it." "Expensive-Iooking, I mean." "I remember thinking that when I served him." "Jesus." "My suit." "You're sure about the time" " and the day?" " l'm sorry." "I only know it was recently." "Mr Morse?" "It's not enough." "But it had to be that night." "I've never been in here before or since." "For God's sake," " she recognised me." " Take it easy, Mr Steppings." " Take it easy?" "Don't..." "MRS HART:" "Steppings?" "Michael Steppings?" " Yes." "MORSE:" "What is it, Mrs Hart?" "He's right." "It was Tuesday night." "Though I'm still not sure about the time." "MRS HART:" "You lost something." "No, I didn't lose anything." "Yes, you did." "Your chequebook." "A customer handed it in." "A woman." "She was sitting next to you and noticed it after you left." "She said she went after you but you drove off." "This woman saw Mr Steppings leave?" " Yes." " Where's the chequebook now, Mrs Hart?" "I kept it for a few days, thinking he'd come back for it." "When he didn't," " I posted it to his bank in Oxford." " Could be in the post office." " Get onto it, Lewis." " Could I use your phone?" "Yeah, I'll show you. ln the office." "Mrs Hart, we'd like you to come with us to the station." "Why do you have to have it now?" "Can't you take her word for it, wait till it turns up?" "If the woman handed the book in, her prints will be on it." "They might help us to trace her." "At the very least, they can confirm her identity if we find her." "claire:" "But can't you tell me any more?" "Oh, I understand." "Yes." "Thank you, Chief Inspector." "please let me know what happens." "Was that Morse?" "Yes. I enquired about Steppings." "Has he confessed?" "No." "Morse mentioned some new development, but that was all." " He didn't say what?" " No." "But I expect we'll find out in due course." "MORSE:" "These are the fingerprints on Steppings' chequebook." "This is Steppings', which matches the sample we took ourselves." "This is Mrs Hart's and the one we took." "These, we suspect, belong to our missing witness." "What exactly do we know for certain, Morse?" "That he was in the pub on Tuesday night." "What we don't know is what time he left." "Normally, Brewster arrived home around 8:40." "To be there in time to kill him, Steppings would have had to leave the pub at..." " 8:20 at the latest." "(Knock at door)" "Nothing from Criminal Records yet, sir." "Well, that settles it." "You'd better try for a television, then." "Cheer up." "We might get lucky." "I don't know, Lewis." "Could be a thousand reasons for her not to come forward." "What if she's a married woman?" "She might not want her husband to know she spoke to a strange man in a pub." " She asked him to move his jacket." " And went on to say the pub was crowded." "It was." "The landlord said so." "But that's not the point, is it?" "Her second comment was unnecessary, voluntary." "She was out on her own, Lewis." "Good God, do I have to spell it out?" "I am interested in hearing what you have to say, sir." "It was obviously a flirtation, Lewis." "Innocent, I'm sure." "But I doubt if her husband would see it that way." "TV:" "Oxford police are interested in hearing from anyone who visited this popular public house on the Woodeaton Road, north of Oxford, last Tuesday." "You might have noticed this weII-dressed man of stocky build with grey/brown hair." "We know the man was in the black Swan last Tuesday night, and we know he lost an item of value when he was in there." "This item was subsequently handed in to the landlady by a woman." "We would very much like to speak to this woman and... (Sighs)" "What's wrong?" "What's wrong?" "What do you think is wrong?" "I don't like watching it." "What a bloody stupid question." "Hang on." "Don't take this out on me. lt's just not fair." "It must be terrible for you, I can see that, but they've got this Steppings, haven't they?" "It'll be all over soon." "(Animated chatter)" "(Phones ringing)" "Sarge, this one sounds promising." "It's a Miss Jeffries." "Hello, Miss Jeffries." "(Phone rings)" "Morse." "When?" "In Yorkshire?" "No, no, no." "Wait till I get there." "MORSE:" "We've had a call from a Margaret Jeffries, who lives in Harrogate." "She saw the broadcast and claims to be the woman who spoke to you in the pub." "Your photograph and the third fingerprint taken from your chequebook have been faxed to Harrogate cid." "She's agreed to be interviewed in the morning." "You've found her?" "Mm-hm." "What if she's some kind of nutter?" "A crank." "You must get people like that all the time." "We get our fair share, but we have the fingerprint." "We have that, Mr Steppings." "Well, I must say, I never thought I'd see the day." " What's that, sir?" " That I'd be trying to get a bookmaker out of jail." "And why have I never met this Steppings?" "That's what I can't understand." "Normally these nouveau-riche types are hammering on the door of society circles five minutes after they arrive from London." "You mean you've never come across him down at the Lodge, sir?" "Not quite, Sergeant." "What's so funny, Morse?" "Nothing, sir." "I was just reflecting on what Sergeant Lewis considers to be polite society in Oxfordshire." "I see." "Well, you might reflect on this." "What happens if Steppings' story is confirmed, hm?" "Do we have another direction to go in?" "No, sir." "Since Brewster's death was confirmed as murder, all the facts have pointed towards Steppings." "We've had no reason to look elsewhere." "(Knock at door)" "This has just come through, sir." "MORSE:" "At 8am, two officers from Harrogate CID interviewed Margaret Jeffries at her home." "She volunteered to be fingerprinted and her prints matched those on your chequebook." "Could she say what time I left the pub?" " No, she can't." " What?" "After all this." "Let me finish, Mr Steppings." "She can be certain about the time she went into the pub." "She was listening to the 8:30 news as she drove into the car park." "What does that mean?" "It means that at the time she sat down next to you," "Mathew Brewster was arriving home to be met by his killer." "You can leave here whenever you want." "NURSE:" "hello, Mr Steppings." "I can come back and do this later, if you like." "Thank you. I'd appreciate that, Nurse." "Nurse?" "These flowers?" "They arrived this morning." "There was no card." "I'm sorry I've been away." "I'm so sorry." "girl:" "David." "David." "David." "girl:" "David, where are you?" " Everything all right?" " Yeah." "There were some fresh flowers in Avril's room." "I hope you don't mind. I was passing a florist's... I saw them and I sent them." "STEPPlNGS:" "This is a nice place." "You know, I've got two things in this world, Mr Morse." "I've got Avril and I've got money." "And I can never give you my girl, but... maybe this." " Mr Steppings..." " Just put your name on it. I'd got ten times that, last time I looked. I won't miss it." "I was going to say that what I did... that's my job." "This is not for what you did." "This is for the flowers." "AII the time my girl's been there, you're the first person to treat her as though she's still alive." "It's..." "It's very generous of you, but I can't accept." "You could go anywhere you like." "Yes, I could." "But what would I do when I get there?" "It's a pity you don't gamble, Mr Morse." "Cards should be your game." "Mind you, if you ever do take it up, remind me not to sit in with you." "(Morse chuckles)" "What will happen to Avril?" "(Sighs) I'm not stupid, Mr Morse." "I know I can't keep her like that for ever." "But..." "I can't let her go right now." "When I was in that cell, I kept wondering what would happen to her if I didn't get out." "I cursed myself for having sent those letters, but I had to get back at them some way." "But why just Mathew Brewster?" "Why not his wife or the nurse, Hazlitt?" "Well..." "I supposed the Brewsters could share his." "As for the nurse..." "Well, that would have been a dead giveaway, wouldn't it?" "I was never that drunk." "Why would the nurse cover up for them?" "That's a good question, Mr Morse." "When we were preparing the court case, my QC hired a private detective to talk to other patients and have a look at the Brewsters." "Anyway, this character comes back and says he thinks Mathew Brewster and Wendy Hazlitt are having an affair." "Brewster was a regular visitor to her flat, he says." "If they were lovers, that would explain why she covered up for him, wouldn't it?" "STEPPlNGS:" "That's my theory, anyway." "lewis:" "I don't know, sir." "A private detective?" "They tend to spice up their reports." "Yes, but if Brewster and the nurse were having an affair, this could be a crime of passion, couldn't it?" "If it was, can we stop at the nurse?" "There's Claire Brewster." "She might have found out about it." "She's an unlikely killer, Lewis, especially given the way it was done - tied and gagged." "And then there's this theory about the aqualung." "MORSE:" "It's highly doubtful, given her condition." "claire:" "Ah, Chief Inspector, do come in." "MORSE:" "Thank you." "claire:" "Would you mind coming through to the kitchen?" "You have some news." "Yes, I do." "We've released Michael Steppings." "He had an alibi." "I am relieved it's not Steppings." "claire:" "Coffee?" "MORSE:" "No, thank you." "So, what will you do now?" "Er...that depends on the outcome of this conversation." "I don't understand." "Dr Brewster... it's been suggested to us that your husband may have had an affair with Wendy HazIitt." "I have to know if that's true if I'm to conduct this inquiry effectively." "Can you tell me if that's true?" "Yes, Chief Inspector, it was true." "Well, Wendy is a young, attractive woman, and sometimes when a husband and wife work and live together, they can become a little tired of each other's company." "Were they still seeing each other prior to your husband's death?" "No, they were not." " When did the affair end?" " Two years ago, when Wendy left the clinic." "Were there recriminations?" "I understand Wendy had some idea of a future for herself with Mathew, yes." "And when he chose to end the affair, she had difficulty accepting his decision." "But what has this to do with Mathew's death?" "Perhaps nothing. I'm sorry I had to ask." "You needn't be, Chief Inspector." "As I said, it was over a Iong time ago." " Sergeant Lewis?" " That's right." "I'm Wendy Hazlitt." "You asked to see me." "Yeah. ls there somewhere we could talk?" "Yes." "Why don't we go outside?" "Miss Hazlitt, you and Mathew Brewster, your...your relationship was more than just professional." "Yes." "Yes, it was." "Ah." "Can you tell me where you were on the night he was murdered?" "I obviously remember quite well, Sergeant." "I was at home finishing a painting." " Can anybody verify that?" " No, I was alone all evening." "Surely you don't suspect me?" "In a murder inquiry, Miss Hazlitt, we have to question anybody close to the victim." "But why should I kill him?" "Mathew and I were planning to marry." "Oh, yeah." "He was going to leave his wife for me." "Now the clinic was a success financially, he could afford to take care of Claire and marry me." "It's what we'd always dreamed of." "Can you prove that, Miss Hazlitt?" "I'm not sure." "I know that Mathew told his son John of our plans, and that his mother would need a great deal of help and support, and that he'd have to provide that for her." "But as to whether or not John would confirm it, I'm not sure." "Not if he thought it was going to help me." "MORSE:" "Married?" "!" "I've just spoken to Mrs Brewster." "She said the affair ended two years ago." "Do you believe her, this nurse?" "She claimed Mathew Brewster told someone else about their intentions." "His son John." "Sir, couldn't it have been the son?" "When you think about it, it wouId make sense." "We know there was no love lost between them." "John Brewster watches his parents break their backs to make that clinic a success." "Probably destroyed his mother's health." "Then the old man wants to dump her for another woman." "His mother's dying, sir." "John's hardly likely to be overjoyed, is he?" "So, he kills him." "Tries to make it look like suicide, botches the job, and then he remembers Michael Steppings." "Steppings' letters." "It would explain why he took his time bringing them to us, sir." "He was thinking it all through." "He may have been doing more than thinking it through, Lewis." "Steppings said he couldn't remember making any specific death threat." "If you're right about John Brewster, that he's been trying to frame Steppings, then isn't it just possible that Steppings didn't make this threat?" "forensic scientist:" "As I said before, the newsprint came from several sources and told us nothing." "But this time I looked at the adhesive." "The same stuff was used throughout, except for this phrase - "l'm going to kill you"." "As you can see, that is most certainly different from the rest." " Do you want to pick him up?" " On what charge?" "We could try for conspiracy, see where it takes us." "It would be Brewster's word against Steppings'." "Steppings is on record as saying he can't remember making the threats." " He didn't actually deny it." " There's the glue." "We could try and make that stick." "Couldn't we?" "Lewis." "lewis:" "There must be something we can do." "We need a fact, Lewis." "Nothing less." "lewis:" "We haven't really looked into this aquaIung theory yet, have we?" "MORSE:" "Can't be many places in Oxford selling diving equipment, can there?" "No, sir." "There might be a record of sale somewhere." " Another blank, sir." " What did he say?" "He sells diving equipment all right, but not off the shelf." "There's not the demand." "If you want it, you have to order it." "And there's no record of Brewster ordering anything." "MORSE:" "There's nowhere else, is there?" " Not in Oxford, sir." "lewis:" "That bloke did mention one possibility." "But Brewster would have to be stupid, sir." "It's way too obvious." "(Cox shouts orders)" "MAN:" "What can I do for you?" " Chief Inspector Morse." "This is Sergeant Lewis." "MORSE:" "Do you have a membership list?" " Yes." " Could we see it?" " Yes." "This is the present list. lt's in alphabetical order." "Nothing, sir." "As you said, he's not that stupid." "I'm sorry to trouble you." "No trouble." "Lewis?" "This..." "J Folley." "lewis:" "That isn't Jane FoIIey, is it?" " Jane, yeah." "Do all the members have lockers?" " Yes." " And the keys?" "I've got one set, they've got another." "We've got him, sir." "(Sighs)" "PORTER:" "Mr Brewster." "lewis:" "Thank you." "Chief Inspector." "What brings you here?" "Your father was murdered, Mr Brewster." "Why should a visit from the police seem so odd?" "You're right. lt shouldn't, I suppose." "I don't know what's wrong with me today." "I was trying to read before you came in." "Couldn't." "Do you ever find that, Chief Inspector?" "You're reading and your mind's..." "Mr Brewster, this afternoon we found out that Jane Folley is a member of the University subaqua club." "You told me you didn't know anyone who was interested in diving." "Did I?" "I must have forgotten, that's all." "Why did you wait before bringing us the letters?" " Chief Inspector, I told you..." " We think one of the letters was altered." " How "altered"?" " A phrase was added." "A specific death threat against your father." "Michael Steppings couldn't remember doing it." "I think you did." "Nonsense." "You can't prove that." "Your father intended to leave your mother," " didn't he?" " What?" "He and Wendy Hazlitt planned to marry." "Chief Inspector, I hear everything you're saying, but I can't believe you're saying it." "(Door opens)" "MORSE:" "Detective Sergeant Lewis entered the room at 22:02." " lt's all there, sir." "JOHN:" "What is it?" "What is that, Morse?" "It's a forensic report on a roll of tape we found in Jane Folley's locker at the subaqua club." "MORSE:" "It says, categorically says, that the piece of tape used to gag your father was the Iast piece torn from the roll." "They've even sent a photograph showing how they match." "Would you like to see it?" "Now, are we to believe that Jane Folley is the killer," "Mr Brewster?" "No." "I'm the one you want." "I killed him." "He was going to leave my mother." "After all she'd done for him." "I should remind you that this interview is being taped." "I wish to make a full statement." "I'd like you to give this news to my mother." "And for the love of God, get Mark Felsham there when you do." "Please." "?" "MOZART:" "Adagio from Piano Concerto in A I...can't understand his reluctance to tell us more about it." "Can you?" "You know what policemen are like." "Everything by the book." "You all right?" "Yeah, yeah." " Thank you for coming, Doctor." " l'd rather be a million miles away." " Are you sure about this?" " John's confessed." "Right now he's making a full statement." " Chief Inspector." " Good evening, Mrs Brewster." "Claire... ..Chief Inspector Morse has some bad news." "FELSHAM:" "Very bad news." "Oh." "Then perhaps I'd better hear it." "Earlier today, I took your son into custody." "This evening he admitted" " killing his father." " That's ridiculous." "John killed his father?" "I have never heard such rubbish." "Why would he?" "Tell me that." "Why would he?" "Your husband told him that he was leaving you and that he was going to marry Wendy Hazlitt." "That is vile rubbish." "Mathew left that slut two years ago." "He told me." "He said he'd made a mistake" " and begged for my forgiveness." " Claire..." "No, I won't have it. I won't listen to this." "I want to see my son." "That's not wise." "May I see him?" "May I speak to my son?" "Hm?" "Wait for me." "(Gasps for breath)" "(Groans in pain)" "(Monitor bleeps)" "Can she survive, Doctor?" "She's had a massive heart attack, Chief Inspector." "The odds are not good." "Mark, what the hell's going on?" "Why wasn't I called earlier?" "This is Chief Inspector Morse." "This is Thomas Neely, the Brewsters' solicitor." "In the circumstances, I thought it best to call him." "Why wasn't I told about this?" "Your client was informed of his rights, Mr Neely." "He didn't ask for a solicitor." "I see." "He sat there and confessed to murder, hm?" "Yes. I intend listening to his confession in the morning." "You're welcome to be there, say...ten o'clock." "In the meantime, I'd like to speak to my client, if you don't mind." "Why should I mind?" "STEPPlNGS:" "Morning." "MORSE:" "Morning." "MORSE:" "You got it back." "A blocked fuel line, they say." "Come on." " l was going to give it a trial run." " No, thank you." "I thought you should know that we've arrested someone for Mathew Brewster's murder." " Who?" " His son John." "You're joking?" "Why should a son want to kill his father?" "He didn't like the idea of his father taking off with another woman." " The nurse?" " Yes." "I don't expect you'll agree, Mr Morse, but I can't help seeing it as some kind of justice for Avril." "I can't see it that way, no." "But if I'm wrong, Mrs Brewster hasn't escaped her measure of divine judgment." "How's that, Mr Morse?" "She collapsed when we told her about her son." "She'll be all right, though?" "Her chances aren't very good." "lewis ON TAPE:" "On the night of the murder, Mr Brewster, can you tell me what happened?" "JOHN ON TAPE:" "I parked the car out of sight near the house." "I'd taken Jane's aquaIung from the club, and some rope and tape from the boot of my car." "I walked back to the garage and waited." "I had a gun." "When my father drove into the garage, I got in behind him and tied him into the car seat." " There's a lot more to come, sir." " l want to hear something again." "JOHN:" "I walked back to the garage and waited." "I had a gun." "When my father drove into the garage, I got in behind him and..." "What is it, Morse?" "Something wrong?" "I want to talk to him again, and I'd like you there, Mr Neely." "Your solicitor has objected to your treatment here, Mr Brewster." "He wants you to go over your statement again." "You freely admit to killing your father?" "Yes." "You waited until he drove into the garage," " got in behind him..." " Yes." "How many more times" " do I have to say it?" " When you say you waited in the garage, do you mean you were hiding there?" "Yes." "But how could you have known that your father would drive into the garage?" "Your mother said that if he intended leaving early in the morning, he often parked in the drive." " l just don't know how..." " I waved him in." "(Clears throat)" "That was it, I waved him in." "I remembered, when I was hiding in the garage, that he might not come in, so I waved him in." "You waved him in." "Satisfied, Mr Neely?" "Yes." "NEELY:" "Chief Inspector." "What the hell was that all about?" "Would you agree that your client just lied to me?" "is he mad?" "You don't expect me to answer that, do you?" "Why would a man admit to murder and then lie about how he did it?" "Unless he didn't do it." "All right. I think he lied." "But you have evidence, Morse." "The diving gear, the tape, a damn confession." "I have everything but the truth." "MORSE:" "Jane!" "Chief Inspector." "What's wrong?" "I have John Brewster in custody." "He says he killed his father." "That's incredible." "I can't believe it." "You may be right not to, Miss Folley." "Why don't you get in and I can give you the details?" "Jane." "What's going on?" "What is this?" "How did you get in here?" "Mr Neely got me in." "We've come to get you out." "I don't understand it." "They say you confessed." " Why?" "Did they threaten you?" " Threaten me?" "Nobody's threatened me." "Look, John, sit down and shut up." "Jane's got something to say." "Morse is saying you used my aqualung." "If you had, you'd be dead." "The bloody thing's not working." "The valve's jammed and won't let air through." " And we can prove it." " l asked the instructor to repair it two weeks ago." "He never got round to it." " l'll have you out of here in five minutes." " No." "No." "You mustn't do that." "They mustn't know." "JOHN:" "Don't you see?" "They have to believe..." "What do we have to believe, Mr Brewster?" "That you killed your father?" "Not any more, we don't." " You lied." " l was trying to help." "You've no idea." "You don't know what you've done." "So, if it wasn't Steppings and it wasn't the son, doesn't it have to be the missus?" "Why else would John Brewster have confessed, if not to protect his mother?" "It's difficult to arrive at any other conclusion." "You see, I ruled her out because I thought she was physically incapable of killing anyone." "FELSHAM:" "This way, Sergeant." " We had to let John Brewster go." " l know." "He phoned to ask about Claire." "Coffee?" "No." "Yeah, his confession was a lie." "We think he was trying to protect his mother." "Would she have been up to it, sir?" "Physically, I mean." "Perhaps I'd better show you her records." "I've looked after Claire for five years." "I'd hardly describe her as a robust human being." "Yeah. I see what you mean." "lewis:" "This date here, sir- 10th June 1989." "Does that mean she was in here that day?" "Yes, and overnight." "Why?" "I've kept her in on a number of occasions." "I'm just in the studio, Chief Inspector." "I'll be brief." "I don't want to keep you from your work." "No, I was just finishing, anyway." " These are very good." " Thank you." "You're not in the market by any chance, are you?" "I might be." "Are they for sale?" "Yes." "Through a small gallery I use." "I could let you have a card before you go." "Right." "Now..." "There's just one question, Miss Hazlitt." "is it possible that Claire Brewster knew that her husband was about to leave her?" "I don't think so." "Mathew was worried about how she might take the news." "He wasn't eager to tell her." "I see." "is that it?" " Mm, yes, that's it." " Right, I'll let you have that card." "That one's not for sale, Chief Inspector." " Oh?" " lt's a private commission." " The setting's in Wales." "Do you like it?" " Very much." "There's my card." "The gallery's not far out of town." "Thank you. I look forward to going." "Chief Inspector, one thing..." "Your question." "Why don't you ask Claire?" "I'm afraid I can't." "Claire Brewster is critically ill in hospital." "Well, I'll leave you in peace." "(Ringing tone)" "(Answerphone beeps)" "?" "MOZART:" "Rondo from Piano Concerto in A" "(Tape off)" " Where the hell have you been?" "Brewster's clinic, sir." "There's something I wanted to check." "Have you come up with something?" "Yeah." "But whether it's relevant or not, I don't know." "This morning I went down to the Radcliffe Infirmary." "Mark Felsham showed me Claire Brewster's medical file." "According to the file, she was in the Radcliffe for treatment on June 10th 1989, right?" "Now...here." "In the trial transcript, the Brewsters' QC quotes three successful operations, similar to Avril Steppings', as proof of the Brewsters' competence." "He even gave the dates." "One of those operations took place on June 1 0th" " 1 989." " So what did you find out at the clinic?" "Claire Brewster signed as the anaesthetist that day." "I checked all the dates given in Felsham's medical records, found two other examples of her being in two places at the one time." "If nothing else, sir, it proves Michael Steppings was right." "That was one dodgy clinic." "The proof was in the trial transcript all the time." "If you compare it to the clinic's records." "But you'd have to be told what was in the transcript." "And know what to compare it with." "Yeah, obviously." "You said that Steppings had asked for a transcript." "When was that?" " Don't know, sir. I could soon find out, though." " Yes, do that, would you, Lewis?" "Hello." "You have a patient there - Claire Brewster. I'd just like to know how she is." "No, a friend." "Close friend." "I see." "Er, no." "Thank you very much." "Michael Steppings asked for the transcript nine months ago." "That's more than a year after the trial." "Why?" "It doesn't make sense." "Doesn't it?" "It was shortly after Wendy Hazlitt started work at Burnley Green." "And what if she told him where to look?" "The transcript itself isn't enough." "There was that break-in at the clinic, Lewis." "What was it you said?" "Some filing cabinets were damaged." "Now, when was that?" "Eight months ago." "Hazlitt starts work at Burnley Green and then suddenly Michael Steppings wants a transcript of the Brewster trial." "He gets one and there follows a break-in at the clinic." "There's nothing taken." "No drugs." "No equipment." "The intruder contents himself with rummaging through some files." "It has to be coincidence." "Hazlitt and Steppings?" "He threatened her." "Tried to have her sacked." "They were enemies." "I was at her home, Lewis." "I saw a painting." "It was by her. lt was recent." "And, for my money, it was of the view from Steppings' window." "Now, how was it done if they're such enemies?" "But he had an alibi." "The man had an alibi." "Are you saying the witness lied?" "Why not?" "AII I know is that if I'm right about that painting - and I think I am - then she's lied to me." "Not only about the painting, but about how well she knew Steppings..." "Chief Inspector." "These prints, they're identical." "Margaret Jeffries and Wendy Hazlitt are one and the same person." "Miss Wendy Hazlitt?" "Yes." "policeman:" "We'd Iike you to come with us, Miss HazIitt." "Look, I'm afraid I can't. I'm going away." "No, you're not." "Check along there, will you?" "(Bear squeaks)" "He's gone, sir." "Left in a hurry, by the look of it." "Call the hospital." "Ask if he's been there." "If he hasn't, then he's not gone." "And I want that hospital watched at all times." "Right, sir." "MORSE:" "Let me be clear about this, Miss HazIitt." "You were an unqualified person and yet you were acting as an anaesthetist at the Brewster Clinic?" "When Claire became ill, she cut her workload." "They couldn't afford a qualified replacement, so Mathew asked me if I would...help out." "He knew I wouldn't refuse." "I was to handle only minor cases when Claire wasn't feeling well or had to go into the Radcliffe." "And it worked... until Avril Steppings came in." "I didn't give her enough anaesthetic." "When Mathew started to cut, she went into cardiac arrest." "I..." "I panicked." "Froze." "Where was Claire Brewster?" "Lying down in her office." "By the time she got to theatre, the damage had been done." "You told the court you followed the proper procedure." "Yes." "And after all that, when I'd helped him - l'd risked imprisonment, ruined the young girl's life " "Mathew Brewster rejected me." "I suddenly saw him for what he was." "He was just an old man wanting a bit on the side." "So I decided he was going to pay for that." "You didn't have the stomach for it yourself, so you went to Michael Steppings." "is that why you took the job at Burnley Green?" "Well, I... I had to judge the strength of his feeling." "He'd made threats in court." "But anyone can make threats." "That first time he saw me by Avril's bedside, I knew what he was capable of." "So I told him the truth." "He understood that it hadn't been my fault, that I'd been used." "And the alibi?" "Six months ago, Steppings gave me the money to buy a house in Harrogate." "I gave my name as Margaret Jeffries." "What happened in the pub?" "When I arrived, Steppings had already left." "I waited a while, then gave the barmaid the chequebook." "You said that Brewster ended the affair, but you told Sergeant Lewis that you and Brewster intended to get married." "Well, that was a lie, of course." "But John Brewster confirmed it." "John Brewster knew what was going on at the clinic." "On the night of the killing, Steppings called John." "He said he had proof of malpractice." "He said he knew the Brewsters couldn't be retried for avril, but there were other cases." "There would be fresh trials and all that would mean for Claire." "If John wanted to help his mother, he was to go to Steppings' house and wait there till 9:30." "If Steppings hadn't arrived by then, he had to come back the following day." "Steppings didn't show." "He was in the garage, killing Brewster." "Yes, but he'd got John out of the way, ensuring that he had no alibi." "The next day, Steppings actually told John what he'd done." "He pointed out John's options." "If he went to the police, Steppings would publish his evidence of malpractice." "If he didn't..." "John had to ask himself if his mother could survive another trial and possible imprisonment." "He must have thought not." "He agreed to admit to the murder in exchange for Steppings withholding his evidence." "But it was always possible that John's confession would finish his mother off, and then he'd be free to tell the truth." "But what would that truth be, Lewis?" "That michael Steppings was the killer?" "As far as we were concerned, Brewster had already tried to frame Steppings." "And what of Miss Hazlitt?" "Why should we suppose that she'd lie for Michael Steppings?" "They were mortal enemies, weren't they?" "And then there was Steppings' alibi." "Now, how could John Brewster possibly account for that when they'd managed to fool us?" "By the time we'd taken Brewster seriously, Hazlitt and Steppings would be..." "Where, Miss Hazlitt?" "Anywhere I wanted to go." "Steppings promised to take care of me after John Brewster had been put in prison." "MORSE:" "Take care of you." "Something tells me that's exactly what he would have done." "(Thunder rumbles)" "Nothing from the hospital, sir." "Must be out of the country by now." "I just can't believe that he'd abandon his daughter." " lt's been almost 1 6 hours, sir." "(Phone rings)" "What about his car?" "Someone must have seen it." "It's hardly inconspicuous." "Yeah." "Lewis." "Right, thanks." "Claire Brewster, sir." "Died at six this morning." "His mother's been dead for two hours, Lewis." "Brewster's free to tell the truth, yet he hasn't contacted us." "Why?" "You were right, sir." "He didn't abandon her." "policeman:" "Sir." "I found this with his bags." "(Steppings reads) Dear Mr Morse," "When you get this, I'II be long gone." "I always knew I'd have to take off, only not so soon." "I don't know what you've found out, so here's something for you." "HazIitt was my alibi." "I didn't like deceiving you." "I really didn't." "And don't worry about avril." "My ex-wife will take care of her." "JOHN:" "Steppings said he'd deliberately marked the anonymous letters." "He said if the police were halfway clever, they'd trace the letters to him." "I was to say the letters had been sent to my father." "The tape I was to put in Jane's locker." "How did he find out Jane was a member of the subaqua club?" "Through me." "He'd watched the family for months." "Jane's hobby had been a real find, he said." "It had helped him decide on how he'd kill my father." "He stayed in the garage the whole time, you know." "Poetic justice, he called it." "My father had stood and watched his daughter." "Now he could do the same." "And just as his daughter was alive but not alive... ..so Mother would spend her remaining time..." "with me in prison." "Why did you kill him?" "I didn't intend to kill him." "When I got to his house, he was about to leave." "I pleaded with him." "I'd kept my part of the bargain." "I couldn't help it if it hadn't worked out." "He wouldn't listen." "He said if Mother recovered, it would be to find her name in all the papers." "I tried to prevent him from leaving." "There was a wrench lying on the... ..and I hit him." "He was monstrous, Chief Inspector." "Monstrous." "Was he, Mr Brewster?" "Your parents and Nurse Hazlitt ruined his daughter's life." "And for no other reason than to save money." "You knew that and you stood by them." "If Michael Steppings was monstrous, Mr Brewster... ..he was made monstrous." "Can I help you?" "I've come to see Avril Steppings." " Are you a relative?" " No, no." "Nothing like that." "Her father and I were friends for a while, that's all." "Well, I'm afraid Avril's no longer with us." "Her mother arrived and asked us to take her off the Iife-support system." "I see." "I'm so very sorry." "(Girls shout and laugh)" "girl:" "Go on, take it." "It doesn't matter." " What's wrong?" " She's not there any more, Lewis." "Ah." "Seems a shame to waste them, sir." "Red roses?" "About the most expensive flowers around." "Not really." "I sent her some flowers once before." "They had a much higher price tag."