Saints and Sinners is the fifth episode of the eighteenth series of the popular ITV crime drama Midsomer Murders and originally aired 10th February 2016.
Synopsis[]
The discovery of a Saint’s bones at an archaeological dig causes a stir in the village of Midsomer Cicely. But when the leader of the dig is murdered, DCI Barnaby and DS Nelson soon realize that it’s not only skeletons that have been long buried in the hallowed ground.
Plot[]
At an archeological dig in Midsomer Cicely, Dr. Penny Henderson scrapes away at the dirt and uncovers some bones. She calls out to the others that she "found her." Dr. Zoe Dyer comes over to the trench and confirms that they have found the remains of Cicely Milson. Christopher Colby comes over and says "You know what this means. What we found here." Zoe says, "What we found. I didn't see you in the trenches, Christopher." The workers cheer.
Later at The Rose & Chalice, Zoe tells Jared she would like to buy everyone a drink. Her husband, Alex Dyer, says, "Congratulations, another triumph I hear." Zoe says, "Darling, when did you get here?" Alex replies, "Not a moment too soon, apparently," and looks at Zoe's companion, Dexter Ingram. In a corner of the pub Zoe offers drinks and Rhiannon Sawney tells her "We don't a drink, we don't want your stupid dig. And we don't want you," and shoves Zoe. Christopher Corby says, "Not joining in the celebrations, Peter? I suppose you haven't got much to celebrate." His brother, Reverend Peter Corby says, "No, but don't let that stop you. Although, aren't you, um... just a guest at this party?"
MURDER 1: In the dead of night, Zoe, sitting on the edge of a trench at the dig, says, "You took your time.." She is chloroformed and pushed into the trench. She is covered in dirt. One hand reaches up through the dirt. Cue scary music...
DS Charlie Nelson and Dr. Kam Karimore are playing early morning tennis. Kam shouts out the score and Charlie says, "Kam, I thought you just wanted a bit of a knock-up." Kam says, "Yeah, I'm just clearing a few cobwebs before I face a real opponent." Charlie gets a phone call and leaves. Then Kam gets a phone call.
John Barnaby and his wife Sarah wake up. Sykes barks downstairs. Sarah tells John Kam and Charlie are playing tennis. Her boyfriend is coming into town later. Sarah adds, "She's going to be showing him the bright lights of Causton." John replies, "Both of them?" John rolls over and then gets a phone call.
The detectives arrive at the crime scene. Nelson says, "The victim is Dr Zoe Dyer - lead archaeologist on the Midsomer Cicely dig. They were digging for the last resting place of the Protestant martyr Cicely Milson... Uniform found a half empty bottle of champagne." Kam says, "Based on the body and ground temperatures, I'd say between 11 and one." The dirt on the body was the way she was killed. Making the digger the murder weapon. There are signs of struggle but no obvious defensive wounds. She was probably unconscious.
Dr Penny Henderson tells police that Zoe tended to be first on site and last to leave. She'd just had the "find of her career- The remains of Cicely Milson. It's a very significant find and was attracting attention from the wrong sort of people- "night hawks" Illegal metal detectorists. They think there is actual buried treasure here." Penny explains that Cicely Milson was executed for heresy. The family fled to France and the rumour is that they buried their money, the Milson hoard, in the grounds of their house. Dr Dyer may have disturbed someone treasure hunting last night. The campsite down the road is full of the" usual sorts." And there was an incident in the pub last night. Penny says, "One of the locals went for Zoe. The locals have made it clear that we're not welcome here." Dexter Ingram tells the detectives that "I've never been on a dig this important before. I didn't know things could get so heated. We were celebrating finding Cicely but the villagers weren't." The woman was upset that they had found Cicely. They have already claimed to have their own Cicely on display in the church crypt. "It's a pretty big deal around here."
At the campsite, a car pulls up and Rhiannon tells them they are full but her husband, Noah, lets them in. He tells her they need the money. Rhiannon says that it's nearly Cicely Day and they will soon have plenty of guests who are the right kind. Her husband says anyone who pays is the right kind.
The detectives interview Alex Dyer. He tells them Zoe lived and breathed archaeology and they have done over 15 digs together. They had separate rooms because when Zoe's on a dig, she gets up very early. Barnaby tells the archeology crew that they are going to close the site and only one person can stay to take photos, but they must confine their activities to the site office. Nelson goes to the campsite and talks to Rhiannon who tells him she told Zoe off because she had no respect for the village, their church and Cicely Day.
At the Rose & Chalice pub, Valerie Horton tells her son that police are everywhere. Jared Horton tells her they will lose interest and move on. Barnaby talks to Jared who tells him that last night, people were trying to have a quiet drink. But the archeologists enjoyed ruffling feathers. This week is a really big week for the village- It always is when they are getting ready for Cicely Day.
The detectives go to the church to speak with Reverend Corby. Valerie Horton tries to turn them away, but Rev. Bartholomew Hines shows them to where Rev. Corby is giving a tour for some pilgrims there to see the holy relic. Rev. Corby says to the group, "Cicely spent three weeks at the hands of her interrogators. We can only imagine what they subjected her to. As you can see, they maimed her by taking away one of her toes. But we know she suffered a great deal more besides..."
Corby tells Barnaby that "Zoe Dyer's presence did cause some disquiet." Barnaby says, "And some embarrassment, I should imagine. She claimed she'd uncovered the remains of Cicely Milson." Corby says, "I don't know who the poor unfortunate at the dig is but it's not Cicely. I'm a man of faith. A faith that was rewarded at a moment of great need. I inherited All Souls in a very poor state. I worked night and day to win back my congregation and I decided a community project might help. A flower bed. A gift that everyone might enjoy." The rose garden as you come into the village is a memorial to Cicely, which is where they found the bones of Cecily. Corby says, "I understand your skepticism. But the Church has long survived its cynics and doubters. Indeed, one of them is my own brother. Christopher is the reason Dr Dyer was here. Like you, he struggled to believe my version of events. He's determined to prove me a liar. Christopher was never very good at sharing his toys."
Christopher Corby is on the phone at his home. He says, "No you don't understand. It's my find, my research. So I will be writing the damn book." He tells the detectives that he was surprised when he heard of Zoe's death. It pains him to believe his own brother would preside over that kind of violence. Corby says, "Peter doesn't love anybody except himself. He's only interested in people who have something he wants. My research into Cicely Milson. Peter was utterly indifferent to it. Until he realised that he could use it to save his damn church...Suddenly there were sermons about the poor martyred Milsons. And then he discovered the miraculous bones. 20 years of research turned into a side show." Zoe Dyer's interest was purely academic. The culmination of 20 years' work.
Hannah Dewsbrough drives up to the campsite office and kicks out two men from her truck. She tells Noah Sawney that she caught them on her land and she warned him about what would happen the last time. Noah says, "They are not my mates. They are paying guests." She says, "I'd better not catch them on my land again."
The detectives discuss the suspects: Zoe Dyer was poised to debunk the village's holy martyr. Reverend Corby worked very hard to build the legend of Cicely so he has a lot to lose, as do the villagers. Cicely Day is big business there- one of the parishioners could have proved their loyalty with murder. The discovery of the skeleton constitutes a significant find. They can't rule out professional rivalry. And Zoe Dyer's professional success wasn't mirrored in her relationships.
That evening, Dexter Ingram is in the site office when the lights go out. He calls out and looks around the dig site. A policeman comes up and they both hear noise in the site office and run to see who is there. Someone has trashed the office.
The next day, Alex Dyer yells at Barnaby. Officers were there and still the site came under attack. Barnaby replies that he advised the site be cleared. Dexter says he didn't see anything as it was pitch black. Alex says they could get the skeleton out of the ground in 48 hours. Barnaby tells them that no-one is to come to the site after dark or alone. And he wants a list of what was stolen.
Nelson tells Barnaby about a complaint made to the local station about Hannah Dewsbrough, the farmer who owns the land. She frogmarched two men back to the campsite with the aid of a shotgun- A couple of night hawks. Nelson arrives at the campsite with multiple cars and tells officers to search the tents and cars. Barnaby goes to talk to Hannah who tells him she never would have said yes to the dig if she had known how much trouble it would be. Hannah says, "It's been like Causton High Street here since they arrived. They were supposed to stay out of my way. They'd only been here five minutes and I was chasing those metal detectorists." Barnaby tells Hannah to make sure to keep her shotgun under lock and key.
At a committee meeting, Bartholomew Hines suggests that they scale back the celebrations this year. Someone has died and it is in poor taste to have a celebration. The committee votes to go forth with the Cicely Day, however. After the meeting, Rev. Corby warns Rev. Hines.
At the dig site, Alex Dyer tells Christopher Corby that now they have found Cicely they will have no further use of his services. Corby is not pleased.
Kam tells the detectives that Zoe was incapacitated with chloroform before she was buried but appears to have regained consciousness before she died. There was soil in her trachea and her lungs. She would have suffocated within minutes. Tech has managed to download Zoe Dyer's voicemail. The detectives hear a voice mail from Penny Henderson begging Zoe not to take her off the dig. Penny explains that her PhD thesis was on the Milson family. Zoe was about to kick Penny off of her dream project. Penny says they sorted things out and to go talk to Alex.
Alex tells the detectives that he and his wife had a partnership and they worked together on Zoe's book. When asked if his wife had a lover, Alex says probably- one of the dig assistants. "They never meant anything and they never lasted long. At the end of the day, I still loved my wife... ..and she still loved me."
Rev. Corby has a discussion with Jared Horton. He says the archeologists have been told they can resume work. Jared says it is Corby's problem. Corby says it is our problem.
The detectives talk to Dexter about his relationship with Zoe. He admits that he had some champagne with her and that was it. Barnaby tells him they will need his computer.
Penny complains to Christopher, "48 hours! Alex is talking about strip mining, not archaeology." Christopher says, "I'm not sure what I can do. Alex made it clear he thinks I'm only good enough to scrabble around the archives amongst the paper mites and the mouse droppings." Penny says, "He's only good enough to fill out funding applications and write up other people's work. You are twice the historian he will ever be. Without you on site... The barbarians are at the gate and I'm not sure I can hold them back alone." Christopher says he will talk to Alex.
Dexter tells Alex he really cares about the project and wants to see it through. They argue and then are kicked out of the pub.
Nelson tells Barnaby that the Milson hoard is infamous. "There are loads of theories about its whereabouts. Most of them revolve around this picture." He shows Barnaby a picture of a 15th-century portrait of Benedicta Milson, Cicely's mother. The necklace alone could be worth close to a million. Whether real or not, that kind of reward can make people do desperate things.
Barnaby goes home and asks Sarah if she has heard anything about Zoe Dyer. Sarah says she "heard her speak at a conference once. Her books are well written but in person she didn't seem very articulate. She didn't seem to have a total grasp of the facts."
MURDER 2: Alex Dyer goes out at night to meet someone. He is at the graveyard behind the church. He hears a noise and is chloroformed. Next, a gravestone is pushed on top of him.
Kam tells Barnaby and Nelson that there are no obvious signs of a struggle. "I suspect he was incapacitated before the gravestone was pushed onto him. The earth is very disturbed around the base of the grave. The stone was very old. Easy to push over. I'll get a report to you as soon as I can." Barnaby wonders, "Why on earth was Alex Dyer even in the graveyard?" He tells Nelson to organise a search of his car and his room at the pub.
Barnaby goes to speak to Reverend Hines who found the body early that morning. Hines says he was there "Trying to find a little peace. Things get hectic at this time of year." Nelson tells Barnaby that Alex Dyer had big plans for Cicely Milson. "He was fielding offers from universities all over the world who wanted to invest in the find. Teaching positions, research grants... all generously remunerated."
Rev. Corby tells the detectives that he was home alone writing a sermon. Barnaby asks him "If it's proven that the skeleton they've found is Cicely Milson, then you will have some very uncomfortable questions to answer about who is in your crypt." Corby says, "And I shall answer them happily...All that matters is what they believe. The village believes in Cicely."
The detectives receive the data from Alex's phone. The last call he received was from The Rose & Chalice.
Jared is there speaking to Noah. He tells him that they will "both lose out" if he doesn't get a shift on. The detectives ask Jared about Alex and he tells them that Alex was busy putting Dexter Ingram in his place. The detectives go to ask Dexter what was going on. They found Zoe's email to him on his computer. She wasn't planning on extending his contract. So he would soon be out of a job.
That evening, Corby hears a noise in his house. He looks around and doesn't find anyone. Nearby, a tractor revs up. Corby continues to look around his house. He sees things knocked over in one room. Elsewhere the tractor rams the Cicely landmark and smashes it to bits.
In the morning, Rev. Corby leads a group of robed people carrying candles. The police investigate Christopher Corby's house and search for prints. Christopher thinks Rev. Corby was the head of the destruction. He thinks the Rev. was after his research.
Outside, the Rev. Corby and his flock find the smashed Cicely memorial. Valeries is. in shock. Rev. Corby says, "This is a disgraceful attack on everything we hold dear in Midsomer Cicely. An outrage timed to cause maximum distress." Barnaby says, "We'll do everything we can to bring the culprit to justice." Rev. Corby says, "Then I suggest you pay my brother a visit." Nelson tells Barnaby that although the memorial was smashed, he thinks they were after what was under the memorial. And they brought in some heavy machinery to do it. There are tractor tires coming from the direction of Hannah Dewsbrough's farm. Nelson also finds an object at the memorial site. He takes it to Kam to find more information. Nelson asks Kam about her tennis match. Kam tells him her opponent was a terrible loser.
Valerie goes home and tells Jared that someone dug up the Cicely memorial last night. "It's all gone. You've got to do something. They've gone and dug it up." Barnaby speaks to Hannah, who reports that her digger was stolen last night.
Nelson tells Barnaby that in 2002 the previous vicar interrupted a burglary and was nearly killed. An altar set was stolen- A chalice and some candlesticks. Reverend James retired soon after and never identified his attacker. A few months later Rev. Corby found Cicely.
Cicely Day Celebration has started and a choir is singing on the green. Rhiannon goes up to speak to Rev. Hines. She says, "You know, next year... we'll be spending Cicely Day together." The detectives come up to speak to Hines.
In the basement of the Rose and Chalice, Jared finds a note saying "I know what you did." He crumples it up.
Hines denies that he saw anything the night the memorial was crushed. He admits he was with Rhiannon Sawney. Barnaby says "Doesn't that make you something of a hypocrite? You've called the Bishop's office on a regular basis to complain about Reverend Corby's conduct, and all the while, you've..."
On the green, Rev. Corby thanks everyone who came to Cicely's Day and lights the bonfire, which represents the burning faith that Cicely displayed throughout her incarceration. Christopher Corby runs up and says, "This is my research. How could you?" Rev. Corby says, "You've been under a dreadful amount of stress. Why don't we find the ladies to make you a nice cup of tea?" Christopher says, "This is what he does! This is what he always does! The "innocent" act - and it's always worked for him. It worked at school. It worked with Mother. Look, look. And it works with you idiots. Well, fine. You worship at the altar of Peter Corby. I hope you're not too darn disappointed when I show him up for the fraud and the charlatan that I know he is. Burn. Burn it all. I've got Cicely. The real Cicely."
Christopher shows up at the archeological site tent and tells Penny and Dexter to pack up everything and bring it to his home.
Rhiannon admits that she was with Bartholomew Hines. "We resisted our feelings for as long as we could. But, as Bartholomew says... ..the Lord saw fit to put us in each other's paths. Who are we to question Him?" Barnaby says, "Still, I assume Reverend Hines would prefer it if your relationship was kept secret." Rhiannon says, "We're waiting for the right moment. It's not been easy, the waiting. But when you love someone... you'll do anything for them, won't you?"
Nelson and Barnaby return to the Barnaby home. Nelson returns the tennis racquet and balls. He didn't know that Kam was using him and now that her boyfriend is back...
Rhiannon goes to the church to see Rev. Hines. She hugs him and tells him it is so hard. Hines tells her that there are still things he must do. They kiss. Rhiannon says, "Oh, thank God. I didn't think I was gonna be able to see you." Hines says, "There's still things I must do." Rhiannon says, "But every time I look at Noah's stupid face... Even the way he breathes annoys me. I just... I don't know how much longer I... "
MURDER 3: That night, Christopher is on the phone in his home. "Trust me, this find is huge. The bones are nothing. We are talking about a fortune in Medieval times. 16th-century family fortune. God knows what it's worth now. And I believe there's something even better to be had. The stuff of best-sellers. Listen, I'm not gonna say any more over the telephone. Can I come to the office? Excellent. Tomorrow, then." ( Chuckles ) Someone sneaks up and stabs him in the back with a pike.
At the murder scene, Kam tells the detectives that there is no evidence the victim was incapacitated this time. He was attacked from behind. One decisive penetrating blow done without hesitation. It would have taken some force. The other murders were planned-The victims were lured to the scene. This was spontaneous. Done on the fly with what came to hand. Y
Rev Corby says after his argument with his brother yesterday, he hoped that he and Christopher could behave like brothers again. Nelson tells him they will be taking your fingerprints and a DNA sample. Anyone who questions his story about Cicely's remains is not long for this world.
At the dig site, Penny Henderson is packing up her car. The remains will be stored at Exeter University. Nelson tells her to keep them informed of her whereabouts while the investigation is active.
At the campsite, Noah is leaving and Rhiannon wants to know where he is going. He tells her he is doing it all for them and then runs off.
Kat reports that the piece of cloth that they found was hand-embroidered, but with synthetic silks. And it had traces of silver. "There were also traces of blood. I got two DNA samples and a database hit on both. The first one was a Reverend Wilfred James, now deceased. The other was Jared Horton." Nelson says, "So it was the stolen altar set hidden under the memorial?" Barnaby says, "Evidence that links Jared to the attack on Reverend James. Why conceal it unless he was responsible for the assault? And if Zoe Dyer's find was actually verified, it was only going to get worse. The village would become a magnet for people digging into the past."
Jared is off walking in the woods. Valerie says that Jared didn't say where he was going. Barnaby tells her it is time she needs to stop covering for your son. The police head to Milson Woods and are warned to be careful as Jared may be violent. In the woods, Noah says to Jared, "Causton Beer Festival. I remember that day. It was a good one. Started out all right. How many pints do you reckon we had between us? Too many. Know the other reason that day sticks in my mind? It was the day the church got done over and the old vicar got his head stoved in. It must have been a right mess. Guess you banked on no-one finding this." Noah holds up an old tee shirt. "So... between old friends... ..how much is this t-shirt worth to you and dear old Valerie?" Jared threatens him with a bat and then Nelson arrives.
Valerie confronts Rev. Corby who is hurrying away from the church. She says, "You can't just abandon Jared now." Rev. Corby says, "We all have to pay for our sins, whether it be in this life or the next. Understand this. I will do all within my power to protect Cicely and this church."
Barnaby and Nelson speak to Noah. They have officers searching his campsite. He says that "Jared wanted it made clear that the archaeologists weren't welcome. He was paying me to scare them off. Make their equipment disappear. That sort of thing. I got chatting to some blokes on the site about the hoard. So I bought myself a metal detector. Cost me a bloody fortune. Went all over the village - not a peep. Until I tried the Cicely memorial." Barnaby says, "You were so eager to get to your find, you stole Hannah Dewsbrough's ditch digger. But instead of the hoard, you dug up the altar set." Noah says, "I still thought I could make a bit of money. And then him from the dig turns up and threatens to turn me in. Dexter Ingram- He took it off me. All that digging in the dark and where do I end up? In a hole."
At the church, Rhiannon walks in and tells Hines that she "did it. I finally did it."
Jared tells the police that his mother had nothing to do with the attack on Reverend James. "Reverend James treated her like a skivvy, spoke to her like one, too. Should've heard how he spoke to her that night - a man of God! I was young. I was angry. I lost it. I... Next thing I remember, I'm standing over him with a... candlestick in my hand. I'm covered in blood. Mum freaked out, started screaming." And that's when Peter Corby came in and called the ambulance and told the police there'd been a robbery. It was Peter's idea to hide the altar set when the rose bed was dug. Jared says, "He said he needed help with a project. I couldn't say no. So we buried the stuff, and he made out we'd unearthed Cicely's bones. He told me he needed me to back up his story the way he'd backed up mine."
At the church, Rhiannon and Hines are talking. Rhiannon says, "I thought you'd be happy. I thought this was what you wanted." Hines says, "What I want is my own parish. If you knew how close I was, you wouldn't try and ruin things." Rhiannon says, "Ruin things? You said you loved me." Hines says, "I love all my congregation." Rhiannon says, "How many of them have you slept with?" Hines says, "I am not gonna let you do this. Not when the truth about Peter is so close to coming out. Because that's all I have to do. Expose that supercilious old fraud for what he really is." Rhiannon says, "He's not the only fraud about to be exposed!" and stalks off.
Jared is charged for the assault on Reverend James. Nelson has information that Dexter Ingram is an older, white haired man, certainly not the young man they have known as Dexter from the dig site. Nelson ran his prints and it turns out he has previous. He's a night hawk. Barnaby tells Nelson that they need to find him. Barnaby holds up the lock and it looks like the lock from the chest in the Milson painting.
Hines is on the phone dealing with calls from the Bishop's office about Rhiannon. He tells them "Rhiannon is a very vulnerable member of his congregation who has some mental health issues."
At the church, Kam approaches Rev. Hines and says she needs access to Cicely Milson's remains. The Rev smiles and says, of course.
Barnaby says, "The hasp was found on the same day that Cicely Milson was unearthed. Dexter Ingram logged it as "unidentified metal object". It's vague enough for it not to attract any attention. The academic work on the hoard centered on the location of the jewelry box. Find it and you find the treasure and someone clearly recognized its significance. The Milson hoard was discovered and someone's trying to keep that secret. Zoe Dyer evidently found out, as did Alex Dyer and Christopher Corby. And it cost them their lives. I think we need to get back to the dig site."
At the dig site, Penny is packing up her car and hears banging at the office. She goes inside and gets locked inside. Someone drives off with her car. The police go to the dig site and look for anyone left on site. Nelson finds the office door bashed in. Uniform find Dexter Ingram who was trying to leave by a back road.
In the church, Kam speaks into a dictaphone about the bones in the display case. "The remains are female. However, the discolouration suggests the skeleton cannot have been in the ground for more than 100 years - certainly not 500." Rev. Corby walks in with a box and asks her what she is doing there.
The detectives speak to Dexter and he seems to know nothing about the hoard. He tells them that he passed Rev. Corby driving Penny Henderson's car like a lunatic. Barnaby says to charge Dexter with receiving stolen goods. "He's just a small-time thief. We need to track down Dr Henderson."
In the church crypt, Rev. Corby says to Kam, "I'm not doing this for me, you understand. I'm doing it for the village, for everyone. Especially after Reverend James drove so many people away. But I've changed all that."
Barnaby tells the police on the phone that "It's a red Volvo estate. The driver is a Reverend Peter Corby. We also need to know the whereabouts of the car's owner, Penelope, or Penny, Henderson. Can you issue that now?" Corby isn't stealing the car, he's stealing what's in it- the bones. He's going to swap them for the ones he's got in his crypt. Nelson says Kam was heading over to the church. The registered owner of the car is "Milson".
In the church, Corby says, "The village will be lost without her. Cicely is what they need. And now I can give her to them again." Penny Henderson comes in and tells Corby to "Get away from the box." Kam says, "Dr Henderson, it's fine." Penny says, "I said leave the box alone! I've waited years for this moment. My career has been spent searching. Cicely must be given the resting place she deserves! She belongs with me." Rev. Corby says, "People today need more than faith. They demand proof. This is where she belongs." Penny says, "Don't you dare. Give it to me now!" Barnaby and Nelson walk in and Barnaby says, "I don't think so." Penny says, "This man is a thief!" Barnaby says, "But he's not a killer, is he?"
Penny pulls out a knife and grabs Kam (Kam gasps). Barnaby continues, "You're an intelligent woman, Dr Henderson. You must know that this is not a good idea. Penny says, "I only want what's in the box and then I'll go. I'm only taking what is rightfully mine." Barnaby says, "Your birth right? Your real name is Milson. You didn't write your thesis on the Milsons out of academic interest. You wanted to study your family. I imagine that was very upsetting. Still, there was the chance of a happy ending for the... remaining Milson. The family fortune. When did you realise it was real? " Penny says, "When I read Christopher's research. He really was a very talented historian. Then, of course, Zoe exploited him. Just like everyone else. Except this time it was going to be different. She could have the bones and the glory. This time, I was going home with the real find and she would be none the wiser."
Barnaby says, "But things didn't go to plan. Was that thanks to Dexter's find?" Penny says, "No. I interviewed Dexter. I knew he wasn't an archaeologist. Still, he was pretty enough to keep Zoe out of my way. But that backfired. She called me. Told me she'd found something extraordinary. So I told her I'd come straightaway, just like I always did. I couldn't let her have it." (Flashback to Penny chloroforming Zoe.) Barnaby: "But even with her out of the way..." Penny says, "Alex should have left the dig to me. He hated getting his hands dirty, so... when he started talking about expanding the dig... ..I knew he knew." (Flashback to Penny pushing the gravestone on Alex). Barnaby: And then there was just Christopher between you and your family's fortune. Penny: "I was going to tell him. Christopher was a true historian. He understood how important it was that things were kept in their proper place. But it seems like he was just like all the others. (Flashback: Christopher on the phone, "Trust me, this find is huge. The bones are nothing. We are talking about a fortune in Medieval times. 16th-century family fortune. God knows what it's worth now. Millions." Penny thrusts the spear through Christopher's back...Argh!).
Meanwhile, Nelson is sneaking up on Penny and Kam. Rev. Corby says, "You killed my brother. Penny: You burnt his research. Philistine!" Turns on Nelson with the knife, "What do you think you're doing?" Kam disarms her and Nelson tackles Penny. Barnaby opens a box full of old jewelry. "The Milson hoard." Penny is escorted off the premises. Kam carries out the box of bones. Nelson tells her "You had me worried for a moment there." Kam smiles. Police escort Rev. Corby out of the church.
Sarah and Barnaby watch Nelson and Kam play tennis. Nelson says, "I hope you don't mind losing." Kam tells Nelson she is just enjoying the game. Sarah tells Barnaby that her boyfriend is not moving to Causton.
Cast[]
- Neil Dudgeon as DCI John Barnaby
- Gwilym Lee as DS Charlie Nelson
- Fiona Dolman as Sarah Barnaby
- Manjinder Virk as Dr. Kam Karimore
- Jonathan Aris as Alex Dyer
- Kingsley Ben-Adir as Bartholomew Hines
- Stefano Braschi as Dexter Ingram
- Aden Gillett as Christopher Corby
- Ralf Little as Jared Horton
- Gabrielle Lloyd as Hannah Dewsbrough
- Edward MacLiam as Noah Sawney
- Pippa Nixon as Rhiannon Sawney
- Julia Sawalha as Penny Henderson
- Ruth Sheen as Valerie Horton
- Malcolm Sinclair as Reverend Peter Corby
- Kim Vithana as Zoe Dyer
- Raj Awasti as Pub Customer (uncredited)
- Kishore Bhatt as Town Resident (uncredited)
- Bern Collaço as Police Officer (uncredited)
- Chris Cowlin as Police Officer (uncredited)
- Susan Fordham as Pilgrim (uncredited)
- Stephen Hawke as Investigating Officer (uncredited)
- Stephen McDade as Graveyard Supervisor (uncredited)
- Pete Meads as Police Officer (uncredited)
- Kumud Pant as Scene of Crime Officer (SOCO) (uncredited)
- A.k. Steppa as Pilgrim (uncredited)
- Chris Wilson as Police Officer (uncredited)
Galleries[]
Body Count[]
Prior to the Episode
Died of natural causes in the 15th-16th century.
Killed for her beliefs in the 16th century.
Died of natural causes.
In the Episode
Rendered unconscious with chloroform and then rolled into a pit and buried alive with a digger/excavator.
Phoned to be lured to the graveyard where he was rendered unconscious with chloroform, dragged to a grave and then crushed by a large gravestone that was pushed onto him.
While sitting at his desk, was stabbed in the back through the chair and his body with a 16th century pike from his collection.
Supporting Cast[]
Episode Images[]
Arrests[]
- Penny Henderson for the murders of
- Zoe Dyer- Chloroformed and then buried with dirt
- Alex Dyer- Chloroformed and then crushed with a gravestone
- Christopher Corby- Stabbed through the back with a pike.
- Jared Horton for
- sabotaging the archaeological dig
- bashing Reverend James in the head in 2002
- Noah Sawney for
- sabotaging the archaeological dig
- demolishing the Cicely memorial
- Reverend Peter Corby for
- enlisting Jared to sabotage the archaeological dig
- covering up the assault on Reverend James
Notes[]
The following actors and actresses who appeared in this episode have also appeared in the following episodes
- Malcolm Sinclair - Beyond the Grave and Shot at Dawn
- Gabrielle Lloyd - Who Killed Cock Robin? and The Silent Land
- Aden Gillett - The Silent Land
- Stephen McDade - The Dagger Club and The Ghost of Causton Abbey
- Bern Collaço - The Incident at Cooper Hill, Breaking the Chain, Harvest of Souls and Crime and Punishment
- A.k. Steppa - Crime and Punishment, Death of the Small Coppers and The Point of Balance
Trivia[]
The portrait of Benedicta Milson is actually of Margaret Tudor 1489-1541, eldest daughter of Henry VII of England. To fit in with the story the picture has been altered to include a treasure chest and a necklace around Margaret's neck. Margaret's right arm has also been moved to rest on the chest. Originally both her arms were folded across her body, supporting a small monkey which is now partially floating in mid air.
The Trials and Tribulations of DS Charlie Nelson:
- Charlie plays tennis with Kam, who is very competitive.
- Charlie goes to save Kam in the end, but Kam disarms the murderer on her own.
Goofs[]
- Zoe Dyer is killed by being buried alive under a large amount of dirt and soil in a hole at an archaeological dig. However, when her body is shown on the mortuary slab, a close-up of her hair shows it is perfectly clean.
- When Christopher Corby is killed by being impaled with a pike, the weapon passes completely through the victim's torso from back to front, ending up with the blade entirely visible outside the victim's chest. However when the murder is shown again in flashback during the killer's confession, the blade only penetrates halfway into the victim's back and remains there.
Video[]
Midsomer Murders Series 18 Episode 5 - Saints and Sinners Preview