Faithful unto Death is the third episode of the first series of the popular ITV crime drama Midsomer Murders and was first aired on 22nd April 1998.
Synopsis[]
A craft centre in the old mill at Morton Fendle is losing money. Several locals have invested in the business and believe they have been swindled by Alan Hollingsworth, the man behind it. When Hollingsworth's wife, Simone, goes missing, DCI Barnaby believes she has been kidnapped and puts Hollingsworth under observation.
Plot[]
A village fete starts this episode. Morris men are dancing. There is a pottery booth. Barnaby wins a coconut at one booth. Barnaby sees Simone Hollingsworth at a booth. Her husband, Alan Hollingsworth is with her. Cully sees actress, Elfrida Molfrey, with her husband, Bunny Dawlish. Nigel Anderson comes up in costume trying to sell a burger and his wife, Doreen Anderson asks if they'd like a veggie burger.
In the tea tent, Alan Hollingsworth and his partner Gray Patterson are arguing about the Craft Center. Alan and Gray had encouraged residents of Morton Fendle to invest in a craft centre at the local mill. Patterson has fallen out with Hollingsworth and tells the villagers that the mill is to close and they will lose their money. Gray asks for a show of hands of who wants Gray to kill Alan. Barnaby intervenes.
Later, Catherine Bullard tells Barnaby that she is chair of the planning committee and Gray tried to bribe her to put through the plans for the Craft Center. George Bullard says it is criminal. He threatened Catherine as well.
Reg Buckley invites Bunny Dawlish to the pub for a free pint for helping with the fete. Alan and Simone discuss going to the pub. Simone asks Alan if he really cheated all those people out of their money.
Barnaby and Troy arrive at Gray's home. Doreen Anderson is coming down the stairs. She says she is there to check on Gray. Gray comes downstairs and kisses Doreen goodbye. He says she enjoys cooking for him. It would be churlish of him to refuse. Barnaby says yesterday Gray threatened to kill Alan. Barnaby says, "Nevertheless, we can forget it all happened. For a price. More than you offered Catherine Bullard to push your plans through...Or perhaps it was one of those heat of the moment things again. Now you come to mention it - Unlike the threat you made, which to me sounded very prepared." Troy says, "If people don't get what's due to them, other people get hurt. And you have such a lovely face, Catherine. I'm sure you want to keep it." Barnaby says, "Any man who says that to a woman is either desperate, or downright evil. Which are you?" Gray says things were going badly at the mill and the bank had begun to call in its loan. Barnaby says he is going to speak to Alan and tells Gray to stay away from him and Catherine Bullard. "After all you have such a lovely face, I'm sure you want to keep it."
Barnaby and Troy go to see Alan Hollingsworth. They see Reg and Brenda Buckley and Elfrida and Bunny. Elfrida offers a fresh pot of tea. Reg points out Hollingsworth's house. They enter Alan's house and find him sprawled on the floor. They revive him. They tell him to drop by the police station tomorrow morning and then they will talk about it. He tells police that his wife is at bell-ringing practice. At the church, George Bullard tells the detectives that Simone hasn't shown up. Doreen says Simone isn't one for common courtesies. Felicity Buckley thanks Barnaby for stepping in yesterday at the tea tent. Nigel Anderson wants to know if the police are looking into the loss of their money.
A man comes over to Brenda Buckley and wants to know where he can find Alan Hollingsworth. Brenda points to the house. Elfrida calls Bunny on a walkie-talkie and tells him there is a man at Alan's house.
Harry Vellacott calls Alan and leaves a message that the money invested in the mill project was his. All £20,000. Gray plays darts with Sarah Lawton at the pub. She tells Gray that Alan knocks Simone about.
At night, Bunny sees Alan digging in the ground. He quickly drops the spade as he hears a noise. Brenda Buckley brings Alan a Shepherd's Pie to pop in the oven since Simone is visiting her mother. Alan sets down the pie after Brenda leaves and goes back to digging.
Elfrida invites Barnaby and Troy in. She offers him a "Bunny Cake." Elfrida tells them what Bunny saw last night. Alan was digging a hole. With Bunny's spade he borrowed last week. Elfrida thinks he killed Simone. Barnaby asks if the hole was big enough to hide a body. Bunny says if folded in half. Elfrida says or chopped up. Elfrida says that Simone's mother died 3 years ago. Barnaby has another Bunny Cake. Barnaby asks how Alan and Simone were getting along. Elfrida says "..a hell of a ding dong the other night. Simone said, "I don't care how you earn a living, Alan, just as long as you do." Alan says, "So I work my guts out and Gray Patterson gets all the attention?" Simone retorts, "Well it's no worse than you and Miss Droopy Drawers, next door" Alan says, "Brenda?" Simone replies, "Yes, I've seen her out there every morning staring at you like a Bush Baby. And you love it don't you." Alan says, "It's just good manners." That's what I say about me and Gray." And with that she slammed out of the house."
Barnaby asks if there was anything between Simone and Gray Patterson. Elfrida says if she were 50 years younger, Simone wouldn't stand a chance. Barnaby giggles and says, "Ten minutes in your company and I feel better." He smiles, eats the bunny cake and asks if his sergeant can borrow the spade. They go over to Alan's house. Alan answers the door. Barnaby says, "The other day I asked you to drop into the station," and then he starts laughing. He has Troy ask him. Alan says he's been busy trying to save the business. And Simone has left him. Barnaby says that Troy is going to dig a hole in his garden. Elfrida and Bunny go to watch him. Reg and Felicity come by to watch. Troy finds the Shepherd's Pie casserole. Brenda watches from a window and starts crying.
Barnaby and Troy go inside Alan's house. Troy goes upstairs to wash his hands. Barnaby sings, "Shepherd's Pie at midnight...That speaks to me- true love." Troy searches the house. Barnaby says, "So you admit that you buried the Shepherd's Pie. What did you dig up?" Alan says "She's left me." Alan goes to look for Troy.
Troy reports, as they leave, there are plenty of clothes and no jewelry. Barnaby laughs. Troy says "Are you sure you're all right, sir?" Barnaby hums on the way to the station and dances. "Time for some spade work," He tells Troy to get in touch with the fraud squad and see if they're interested in a fiddle in Morton Fendle." Barnaby greets Bullard, "Hi Georgie". and he skips up on a wall. George says "Nigel Anderson has called a meeting at the pub. Agenda- How can those who put money into the mill project get it back." Barnaby says, "They won't," and laughs.
Barnaby and Troy go to the meeting at the Queen's Head Pub. Nigel asks why they are here. Barnaby says Believe it or not they are there for a drink. Doreen says they have a meeting arranged. And it's private. Barnaby says they are there for drinks. Nigel offers the drinks on the house. Barnaby pays for them. He and Troy sit back and watch. Nigel says between us in the village, we've lost £90,000 to the mill project. Alan's gone bankrupt. Felicity claims that she's lost money too. Bunny takes a vote to see who thinks Gray cheated them. Nigel says they should stroll around to Alan's house en masse. Barnaby tells them that Simone Hollingsworth has disappeared. She hasn't taken her clothes with her and her jewelry is missing.
Felicity asks Barnaby to have a word with her husband. Barnaby and Troy go to the Buckley house. Barnaby admires the expensive Hi-Fi set. Felicity says Simone is "Far too exotic for a village like this. And for a man like Alan. She last saw her the night of the fete. She was underdressed, as usual, and flirting with everyone in sight. She left early. With Gray. She and Sarah Lawton seem pretty close. Sarah moved in here soon after Simone. Simone was getting over Vince, her last boyfriend."
Reg Buckley says he doesn't really know what happened at the mill. He was fired from Tesco's for discrepancies. It's become a sort of habit- skimming the perks off the top. Barnaby says he wants to put a man upstairs in the Buckley house to observe the other cottages. Brenda listens from the other room. They see Gray flirting with Sarah as they drive by. Sarah went to the meeting but is not on the list of investors.
Brenda Buckley puts a letter in an envelope, seals it and kisses it. Alan locks a briefcase full of money. He looks out the windows. Troy sits up in the room in Buckley's house. Alan has received the letter from Brenda that says "Beware, They are watching you." Alan calls Felicity. She goes upstairs and tells Troy that Alan is on the phone and will tell him everything about Simone. Alan then drives away from his house. He sees Brenda and blows her a kiss. Troy realizes too late that Alan has left. He runs to his car.
Brenda goes to her car and follows Alan to Finchmere Market. Troy gets blocked by a garbage truck. In town, Brenda follows Alan. He drops off his briefcase at a booth. Brenda comes up and sees someone take the briefcase. She sees the suitcase passed to someone else. As she drives home, someone follows her. They beep at her. They pass her and then ram her car forcing her into a truck with logs blocking the road. Brenda tries to call her dad, but loses service. Vince Perry comes by her wrecked car to see if she is alive. He runs back to the car that pushed her.
Barnaby and Troy come to the accident scene. They return to speak to the Buckley's. Felicity says she doesn't know how Reg is going to cope. She was always more Reg's daughter than Felicity's. The detectives go to look at Brenda's room. Felicity says she got fresh flowers every week. She worked at Causton- Midsomer Building Society.
Troy shows Barnaby photos taken at Alan's house. Police come to search Alan's house. Barnaby asks Alan to explain a card they found at Brenda's- purportedly sent from Alan. They find photos of Simone with her face bruised and lip bleeding. Alan begs the police need to find her.
Over at Doreen Anderson's, Barnaby shows photos of Simone. They are having a party. Barnaby asks Gray about Harry Vellacott. Gray gives him an address. The detectives break into Sarah Lawton's house. If she is Simone's only friend, why is she not more worried about Simone. They find photos of Simone in the upstairs bedroom. Troy says, "A couple of old dikes." They hear Sarah coming home. They ask Sarah why she is so cool about Simone's disappearance. Sarah tells them she has known Simone for 5 years. She used to live above her and her boyfriend, Vince.
Next, the detectives go to talk to Harry Vellacott. He tells them that "Alan made off with £20,000 of mine. And I was emotionally attached to it." Barnaby says, "Do I detect a family resemblance? Gray and you. Father and son?" Harry says, "He is my son and he hates my guts. So I flung him the £20,000 hoping to buy him back.
On TV that evening, Barnaby talks to a reporter about a car they are looking for. 'We're looking for a black Saab 900, no registration as yet, seen in the Wheatley Road at 2:30 yesterday afternoon, travelling at high speed. This car forced Brenda Buckley off the road. If you have information on the whereabouts of a damaged black Saab, get in touch with your local police station.
Cully Barnaby goes over to Elfrida's house and invites her and Bunny to First Night at the Barnhouse, where Cully will be performing in a play on the 27th. Nigel sneaks over to Alan's house.
Troy reports that Brenda's employer said she was a mouse. Kept to herself. The flower shop says Brenda came in every Friday and bought flowers for her boss. She was sending flowers to herself. They go to Alan's house. Alan is on the couch asleep. Troy tries to wake him. But he is dead.
George Bullard tells Barnaby that "Alan was murdered. Stomach contents: whisky galore and haloperidol. It's a sleeping capsule, The capsules are made of gelatin. There's none in his stomach. Someone opened each one, took out the powder... And mixed it with the whisky to hide the taste."
Barnaby goes to Nigel Anderson's pub. "You were seen at Alan's house. Elfrida Molfrey is the best watchdog I've got. Miss Molfrey saw you leave Alan's at ten past midnight." Nigel says, "We had a drink. A chat." Barnaby asks, "At what point did you kill him?" Nigel says he asked Alan for £1,500. "He went into the bathroom." "In the cistern, there was a tin with money in it." Troy asks am officer to look for the money at Alan's. The tin is empty.
The car that hit Brenda is traced to a former boyfriend of Simone Hollingsworth, Vince Perry. He denies everything. Barnaby goes to speak to Sarah Lawton again. He says, "Alan's death means that whoever abducted Simone, they've lost their source of income overnight. They may decide to do one of two things. They'll either let her go. Or kill her." Barnaby goes to get milk from Sarah's fridge and sees something.
Barnaby and Troy go to see Cully in a play. Elfrida and Bunny are also in attendance. Backstage Elfrida and Bunny come back to congratulate Cully. Elfrida sees a bottle of Champagne. She asks Bunny to read the card. It is for Joyce. Elfrida starts to cry. Barnaby kisses Joyce. Elfrida says at moments like this, she misses Simone. She was so good at make-up. It was her training. She worked for one of the big cosmetic firms. She could make her look 20 years younger in 10 minutes flat.
At night, Barnaby calls Troy and asks him to meet him at Buckley's place. Barnaby asks if Reg is in. When Brenda died, Reg was gardening. "Where were you?" asks Barnaby. Gray comes down the stairs in a bathrobe.
At the Barnaby house, a red van comes by and dumps Simone on the ground. Joyce brings her a cup of tea. Barnaby tells Simone he knows all about her and Sarah Lawton. Barnaby says we will drop you at the police station and then will get Sarah. Barnaby takes Sarah to the station. As they leave, Troy goes into Sarah's house to look around.
At the police station, Sarah and Simone hug. Barnaby invites Sarah to stay for the interview.
Troy searches Sarah's house. He runs upstairs, leans on a wall, and falls through a door and finds a lawn chair that was featured in the photos of Simone.
Simone tells Barnaby that there were two abductors. A man and a woman. "I was waiting for the Causton bus when a black Saab drew up. To be honest, I thought it was my ex-boyfriend, but then two people got out, stocking masks, one of them punched me in the face and bundled me in the back." Barnaby tells Simone that they are holding Vince.
Barnaby says, "We estimate that they made about £300,000. Split three ways, that's quite a payout." Barnaby says he is puzzled that Simone is still alive. Troy comes in. Barnaby says he was just about to ask where Simone was held. Simone says she isn't sure. She had to go up steps. Barnaby says, "You were held in the attic of Miss Lawton's house." Barnaby says he thought she might be there when he saw the chicken leg in Sarah's fridge. Sarah Lawton killed Alan Hollingsworth. Barnaby says, "You took a bottle of sleeping pills, in their casings. Haloperidol. You waited till Miss Molfrey was asleep and went into Alan's. He was asleep in the living room, drunk. You brought him round and you mixed a cocktail. Haliperidol and whisky, one to hide the taste of the other. There's a rogue print, just one, on the whisky bottle we found beside Alan's body. That print will match up to those on the teacup you've just been using. It's upstairs with a fingerprint officer. Well? Simone, what do you want to say to her? This is the woman that killed your husband for you. How about thank you? You wanted her to kill him. You wound her up to do it. That, in itself, is a crime."
Sarah says, "All I know is, the world's rid of a complete bastard." Barnaby continues, "You believed her because of her bruises. Let me tell you something. Alan Hollingsworth never, never laid a finger on his wife. The bruises Alan's supposed to have given her are as fake as the ones she's wearing now. Wipe off your bruises. Wipe them off, or I'll do it for you." Simone wipes off the makeup. Barnaby says, "The bruises she said Alan gave her were just like that. You fell for it. She's good at details. You had someone drop her off at my house to give weight to the kidnapping story. You had better start helping me... unless you fancy 12 years in jail. I know she was driving the car that forced Brenda Buckley off the road. I know it, but I can't prove it. I know she set Alan up. I know it, but I can't prove it. I know she pressured you to kill him. That is incitement and you could get clean away with it, if you testify against her." Sarah says, "Never!"
Barnaby then goes to speak to Vince, "I have a witness that saw you in the car. Vince, she killed someone. It wasn't you, you were a passenger. Sarah doesn't drive. So it was Simone..." Vince says nothing.
At home, Barnaby rages about the cesspit known as Morton Fendle. He threatens to arrest Gray for bribing Cath Bullard. Joyce tells him Cath is over it. Barnaby says he will arrest Reg Buckley for skimming the mill fund to buy 300,000 pounds worth of hi-fi. Cully says so you don't think Reg has been punished enough for losing his daughter. Barnaby says well at least he will go after the Andersons. They stole money from the till. Joyce says it seems the only honest people in Morton Fendle are Bunny and Elfrida. Cully says, "Apart from the draw, that is. The marijuana. He grows it in the greenhouse. What they don't smoke, he puts in the Bunny cakes. I thought you knew and were turning a blind eye." Flashback to how Barnaby felt after eating the Bunny cakes.
Barnaby goes Elfrida's house. She tells him that Simone and Vince have already gone to the Greek islands for a month. Barnaby tells Elfrida and Bunny that he is working on a drugs case. Marijuana. They grow it in greenhouses in between tomato plants. Barnaby says he is supposed to check every greenhouse in the area. Bunny says he sprayed his plants for greenfly. Barnaby says he will be back to check later.
Sometime later, Troy goes to the prison to speak to Sarah Lawton. He shows her an article about Simone. Troy says, "You've been sidelined. By Simone. Ever wondered why she doesn't visit? Did she tell you she and Vince were married? See the other girl in the photograph. She's their constant companion. They're shacked up together. If I'd been betrayed like that, by somebody I was doing time for, I wouldn't keep quiet. Why not check it out? Then get back to us when you're ready."
At the police station, Troy receives a phone call. "Hello? Just a sec. Sir? Sarah Lawton. She wants to talk to you." Barnaby grabs the phone. "Hello?"
Cast[]
- John Nettles as DCI Tom Barnaby
- Daniel Casey as Sgt. Gavin Troy
- Jane Wymark as Joyce Barnaby
- Laura Howard as Cully Barnaby
- Barry Jackson as Dr. George Bullard
- Paul Brooke as Nigel Anderson
- Rosalind Ayres as Doreen Anderson
- Eleanor Summerfield as Elfrida Molfrey
- Peter Jones as Bunny Dawlish
- Tessa Peake-Jones as Sarah Lawton
- Lesley Vickerage as Simone Hollingsworth
- Roger Allam as Alan Hollingsworth
- Michele Dotrice as Felicity Buckley
- Paul Chapman as Reg Buckley
- Sophie Stanton as Brenda Buckley
- Mark Bazeley as Gray Patterson
- Alwyne Taylor as Catherine Bullard
- Andrew Powell as Vince Perry
- David Daker as Harry Vellacott
- Neville Phillips as Richard
- Ann Queensberry as Hermione
- Tom Mullion as Freddy
- Oliver Lavery-Farag as School boy (uncredited role)
Galleries[]
Body Count[]
Prior to the Episode
Died of natural causes 3 years ago.
In the Episode
Her car was rammed from behind and shunted under a logging lorry at high speed.
Given a lethal overdose of Haloperidol mixed in Whisky.
Supporting Cast[]
Episode Images[]
Arrests[]
- Sarah Lawton for the murder of Alan Hollingsworth.
- The murderer (s) of Brenda Buckley were not arrested as Sarah refused to testify against them.
Notes[]
The following actors and actresses that first appeared in this episode have appeared in subsequent episodes:
- Paul Chapman - The Great and the Good
- Tessa Peake-Jones - Breaking the Chain
- Sophie Stanton - The Oblong Murders
- Alwyne Taylor - Beyond the Grave, Death in Chorus, and Death and Dust
- Neville Phillips - Garden of Death, Dark Autumn, Birds of Prey, Vixen's Run, and The Black Book
Trivia[]
- This is the first episode in which the main murderers get away due to lack of evidence. That is, until the very end of the episode, in which Sarah Lawton makes a phone call to Barnaby and is highly probable that she will testify against the murderers and they will end up behind bars.
- Catherine Bullard, George Bullard's wife, makes her first appearance in this episode.
- The Barnabys and the Bullards appear to be close friends.
- This episode introduces the first village fete/fair.
- Elements of the crimes and plot are actually similar to a real life American murder case. Celeste Beard is a widow who married a man twice her age, before he was shot in his bed and died from medical complications of the gunshot. Beard was revealed to have hired a woman she seduced, who confessed to the crime and kept silent about Beard's involvement for months. When Beard remarried, the murderer felt rejected enough to sell out Beard for her involvement, and Beard was convicted of capital charges and sentenced to prison for the rest of her life.
- Third episode where Cully Barnaby is in a play.
The Trials and Tribulations of DS Gavin Troy:
- While Barnaby eats Bunny Cakes (with marijuana in them), Troy has to go dig a hole in the garden.
- Troy has to watch Alan's house from the Buckley's upstairs room. Alan manages to get out of his house and drive away.
Quotes[]
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Goofs[]
- Haloperidol is available in tablets or liquid solution (to be given by injection, either IV or IM), not in capsules. So it wouldn't have been "opened" and dispersed in liquid. However, the tablets could be crushed and added to liquid (taking a while to fully dissolve) or the liquid solution added to drink.
- Haloperidol is not a sleeping pill as stated in the show. Haloperidol is used to treat psychotic disorders. Haloperidol is in a group of medications called conventional anti-psychotics. It works by decreasing abnormal excitement in the brain.
- Barnaby, then later Troy identify the Black Saab as a 900, it was a 9000.
- When Troy lifts Alan Hollingsworth's eyelid to see if he is dead his left eye partly opens, this would not happen if he were dead.
- When Barnaby is inspecting the CD player at the Buckley's house, he clearly chooses 'Down to the Doctors' by Dr Feelgood, a British R&B band. However when the music starts to play it is a light orchestral piece.
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