Hi, Mum!
Mum!
Eddie!
Why didn't you tell me
you were coming back?
I know how much you love surprises.
Oh!
- Oh, you look really well.
- You too, Mum.
No more dark colours for you, eh?
And I wasn't going to miss
the Olimpicks, was I?
Oh, of course.
Well, you must be desperate
to see your old room.
- Why have you moved Dad's chair?
- Oh, I was just... cleaning.
No, it's all right!
I'll move it back later.
Let's get you
upstairs, shall we?
I kept it tidy for you.
Feels more like a village fete
than the Olimpicks.
Ho-ho, don't be fooled,
Miss Palmer.
Once a year, on Olimpicks Day,
the relations between
Hambleston and Kembleford
become positively gladiatorial!
Shin-kicking...
"Dwilly" -flonking...
- What on earth's that?
- You'll see.
- Morning, Father.
- Mrs Devine!
Surprise!
Mr Devine!
How wonderful to have you back.
Thanks, Father.
- And this is Brenda.
- Mum's told me all about you.
- Oh...
- Ha-ha! The famous trophy!
Such a wrench to hand it back.
The village let Mum hold on to it
after '52
when the games were suspended.
Ronald's last Olimpicks.
Chief Inspector! Sergeant!
Father. Brenda.
Mrs Devine.
Ah! New hat, Father?
A gift from Mrs Devine.
Saw it at Bourton market.
Couldn't resist.
Oh, this is my son, Eddie.
You remember
Chief Inspector Sullivan don't you?
Vaguely.
Eddie.
Enjoy the games, everyone.
Right, I fancy a cuppa.
- Eddie?
- Sure.
When is Mrs Devine going
to tell us about her
and Chief Inspector Sullivan?
She'll tell us when she's ready.
More pertinently,
when is she going to tell Eddie,
given what drove him
to leave Kembleford two years ago?
Hmm.
Mrs Devine told me
he got angry with her for clearing
out her late husband's shed.
Eddie felt that she was trying
to erase his father's memory.
Truth is, they were
grieving in different ways.
They were very close
before Ronald's passing,
so it was all most...
unfortunate.
Well,
he seems all right now.
MEGAPHONE: This is a message
for Stanley Mossop.
Perhaps time has mellowed him.
Stanley, your friends want you to
know that the game of hide-and-seek
is now over!
Missed you in the library
yesterday, Bren.
Yeah, well, I was reading
this weird play with Mrs Devine.
An Ideal Husband - Oscar Wilde.
She's making excellent progress.
- Who's this handsome man, then?
- Hi, Shirley.
Oh, I know. Bit of a shock.
Took a tumble on a slippery floor.
One good thing now -
my shoes stay looking brand-new.
Eddie!
Hello, Mr Fleming!
Looks even more like his dad now,
eh, Isabel?
Mm-hm.
I found Dad's photos from '52.
Good Lord.
Brian is Kembleford's
finest ever Olimpian.
Well, Ron was pretty good
in his day.
- What happened there?
- The heat got to me.
Did you still win?
Not that one, no.
Oh...
That was always his favourite -
the wife-carrying.
We won it three times in a row
in the '30s.
I'll tell you what, Isabel.
How about you and me do it this year?
- In Ronald's memory?
- Can you do that?
FATHER BROWN: Since the w*r, yes.
The rules were changed,
because of the shortage of husbands.
Why not?
I'm delighted to declare
the 1955 Kembleston Olimpicks open!
And may the better village prevail!
The Kembleford captain,
Dr Geoffrey Fleming,
will now say a few words on safety.
But first, I think
we should all congratulate him
on the news of his MBE
for services to medicine!
Won't stop me thrashing him
in the barrel-rolling, though!
LAUGHTER
Injury, fainting,
alcohol poisoning...
As doctor on hand, I've dealt
with them all here over the years.
And, of course,
these are the first games
since we lost Thomas Taverner
so tragically to heatstroke in 1952.
How hot was it in '52?
- Like an oven.
- Oh!
Please remain vigilant.
Should you observe
anyone in difficulty,
come and see me at once.
Thank you.
CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS
Losing to you in 1952 still rankles
with your brother, it would seem.
Winning has always meant more
to Brian than it does to me, Father.
You're way too modest, Geoffrey.
If I'd have beaten Brian,
I'd be shouting it from the rooftops!
We all measure success
in different ways.
Excuse me.
Will you be competing in the
stone-lifting
again this year as usual,
Mr Redshaw?
Yes, Father. And trying
not to come last, as usual.
Got a good feeling about
Hambleston's chances this year, though.
Did you hear
Patty Denmore pulled out?
Father... Who's that?
That's Ursula Fanshaw.
Hambleston's prodigious shin-kicker.
Yaaah!
Ha!
Luckily, we have Brian Fleming.
We also have a champion
in the dwile-flonking.
Oh, dwile-flonking -
that's how you say it!
Right, well,
who's this champion, then?
Me!
Excuse me, Miss Palmer.
The azaleas you gave us
are flourishing, Miss Denmore.
That's good, Father.
Is it true that you've pulled
out of the games?
Afraid so.
Three nights of stomach cramps.
Got no strength
for my gardening work,
let alone a barrel-rolling race.
And I was determined to win today.
WOMAN GASPS
CUP CLATTERS AND THUDS
Brian?
William said he saw you putting something
on your shin-kicking shoes.
Steel tips.
Don't be daft.
Take 'em out, then.
Oh, you little cheat, Fleming.
- Someone's done that!
- Under competition rules,
you're disqualified from the games.
Otherwise I'm pulling my team out.
Get away!
He's obviously set me up.
I'm afraid I have to trust
William here.
What?
You vindictive little...
Anything to stop me beating you!
Hey, hey, hey!
I could arrest you for that.
I can't believe Brian did that.
- Something caught your eye.
- Mm?
- Morning, Shirley.
- Dr Fleming.
Might I trouble you for a tea?
Course.
Good to see you.
How are you feeling?
Well, I won't be winning the
shin-kicking this year, but hey-ho.
Well, if you feel any discomfort,
any at all,
- come and see me at once.
- Of course.
MEGAPHONE: Anyone who would
like their photograph taken with
the Olimpicks trophy should
speak to Albert Finley.
Please remember to return
the trophy afterwards.
That chemist planted those steel
tips and my brother knows it!
- Care for a hand, Mrs Devine?
- Oh, yes, thank you, Chief Inspector.
How is he?
Certain he was framed.
- Actually, I meant Eddie.
- Oh! Hah...
Doesn't suspect a thing.
So, er,
do you think you'll tell him?
Yes, of course.
Just not today,
not when there are so many
reminders of Ronald.
I understand.
We must be very, very careful.
I know.
That all right, Mrs Devine?
Perfect, Chief Inspector.
All together now...
One, two, three!
Shot, Father!
APPLAUSE
Glad someone knows what's going on.
One, two, three..
Oh!
Forfeit, Father.
You have to drink a beer.
Yes.
That is the most I've ever seen
Father Brown drink!
Come on, Sergeant.
Fight!
Owww!
- You're going to lose to a woman!
- Owww!
It's jolly sporting
of Sergeant Goodfellow
to stand in for Brian.
Come on, Sergeant!
Oww!
Come on, Sergeant!
Argh!
Argh!
APPLAUSE
MEGAPHONE: An update from the tea
tent.
Mrs Gently's Victoria sponge
has now sold out.
Mrs Duckett's suet pudding
is, however, still available.
- Ready, Sergeant?
- Yes, sir. But to be honest,
- I'm not a huge fan of spinach.
- Never mind.
Three, two..
Wait!
What?
Ready?
Three, two, one, go!
CHEERING
Come on, Sergeant!
Kembleford's honour is at stake!
The winner of the spinach-eating
contest is Ursula Fanshaw
for Hambleston.
SHE SPLUTTERS
Ursula?
SHE COUGHS
Miss Fanshaw?
SHE COUGHS
SHE GASPS AND FALLS SILENT
Quite an achievement to choke
on spinach leaves.
Ursula Fanshaw
didn't choke to death.
This is deadly nightshade.
Indistinguishable from spinach,
apart from the fine hairs
on the leaf.
The spinach contained poison,
Father?
If it had been in your bowl too,
- you'd know about it by now, Sergeant.
- Hold on,
if that bowl was poisoned,
then given Ursula swapped it
with Geoffrey...
She wasn't the intended victim.
Poor, poor woman.
How long were the spinach bowls
left unattended for?
As long as Father Brown's
dwile-flonking. 15 minutes?
Hmm. So someone must have added
the poison
to Dr Fleming's bowl
in that 15-minute window.
And picked it.
Deadly nightshade.
Poisonings are usually
calculated affairs.
This one was impulsive.
Why would anyone want to m*rder such
a respected man as Dr Fleming?
Quite. And the k*ller would have
had to have passed through
either the first-aid tent
or the tea tent to get out here.
Hmm.
Well, Shirley was in the tea tent.
You could ask her what she saw.
And Dr Fleming was in
the first-aid tent when I left.
What about the man who was helping
you prepare the spinach -
about half an hour after
he'd att*cked Dr Fleming?
Brian's no m*rder*r.
Were you with him
for the whole time?
Me?
Mrs Devine confirms
that she found you
in the spinach-eating tent -
alone.
I'd gone in there to calm down.
You clearly harbour a deep jealousy
of your brother
which we all witnessed
spill into v*olence.
Look, I was framed
and Geoffrey knew it!
And, anyway, that wasn't a fight.
You should have seen us as kids.
Show me your hand.
That from the spinach?
I must have accidentally
touched the poison
when I straightened
the spinach bowls.
Brian Fleming, I'm arresting you
on suspicion of m*rder.
What?
BRIAN: He's got his MBE
and I'm an odd-job man,
barely making ends meet.
Who's going to believe me?
You are a skilful handyman
with a reputation
for scrupulous honesty.
Geoffrey winning in '52 hurt,
I'm not going to lie.
He'd never beaten me
in a race before.
I was desperate to put him
back in his place.
That's why I was so angry earlier.
But I didn't try
and k*ll him, Father.
And I didn't cheat either.
I believe you, Brian.
Can you think of anyone who might
have wanted Geoffrey dead?
Everyone loves him, don't they?
Though I did see him
arguing earlier,
in the first-aid tent.
Father,
Patty's feeling a little shaken.
Ursula's passing
has hit us all hard.
I've just come from Brian.
He's protesting his innocence.
It gives me no pleasure to say it,
but there has always been
jealousy on my brother's side.
Enough to want you dead?
I understand you two argued...
..just before the poisoning.
Oh, it was nothing.
At my check-up last week,
Dr Fleming said my blood pressure
was up
and prescribed some pills.
After I took them
I got those stomach cramps.
And you think Dr Fleming's pills
forced you out of the Olimpicks?
Well, I told her she was
experiencing side effects.
How did that make you feel?
Angry.
Not angry enough to want
to k*ll him, though, Father.
If the Chief Inspector is wrong
about Brian, and I believe he is,
then the person who tried
to poison you is still here.
You need to be very careful.
Point taken, Father.
Can you think of anyone else here
who might have a grudge against you?
No.
And did you see anyone leave
this tent
before the spinach-eating?
Not that I recall.
Yes, Shirley said she didn't see
anyone come out
into the spinach-eating tent either
during those 15 minutes.
Refreshments?
Gosh, thank you, Eddie.
Most kind.
Well, someone poisoned the spinach.
So either Shirley or Dr Fleming
missed them,
or they're lying. Or Brian really
did try and poison his brother.
What's all this Sherlock Holmes
stuff about, Mum?
Oh, I just help
Father Brown out a bit.
Your mother's insights have proven
invaluable over the past year.
New dresses,
rearranged furniture,
now this.
All change for Mum
since I've been away, isn't it?
I'm going to have a wander.
I might stretch my legs as well.
What's Eddie going to say
when he hears Mrs Devine's
biggest news of all?
I hope she chooses
her moment carefully.
Hmm.
It's been almost three years
since Ronald passed,
but I'm not sure
how much Eddie has moved on.
Dr Fleming didn't help
his team much, did he?
Banning his best athlete,
and getting the other one ill.
Agreed!
Is his erratic captaincy
linked to the attempt on his life?
Still can't believe
that man died in the heat.
Poor Thomas.
Nobody saw he was in difficulty
until it was too late.
By the time Dr Fleming was alerted,
he'd gone.
Oh. What was he like?
- Thomas?
- Mm.
He was a teacher... and a charmer.
His poor wife was heartbroken.
She moved back to Scotland
afterwards.
What is it, Eddie?
Someone's removed a photo.
The one of Brian falling over.
Interesting.
I know someone who can make you
a copy if you have the negatives.
Yeah, Mum's got them.
I'll go find her.
Ah, Father.
I thought you should know...
Brian turns out to be
the sole beneficiary
of Geoffrey's life
insurance policy.
Oh.
It's family loyalty, I suppose.
But the Chief Inspector
says the game's up.
Thank you, Sergeant.
MEGAPHONE: Ladies and gentlemen.
Everyone can breathe
a sigh of relief.
The police have apprehended
Ursula's m*rder*r.
Chief Inspector Sullivan
has now charged Brian Fleming.
On that basis, Dr Fleming and I
believe the games should now resume.
It's what Ursula, fierce competitor
that she was, would have wanted.
LIGHT APPLAUSE
This is seriously dangerous. I know.
Look, about Eddie...
We really must be very...
Eddie! Er...
Er, let... let me say...
I'm not trying to take
the place of your father, who...
..I had the most... utmost respect
for...
Er...
HE SIGHS
MEGAPHONE: Sadly, we are
now out of sausage rolls.
A reminder to please keep
dogs on a lead at all times.
Thank you.
Eddie...
Eddie... I was waiting for
the right moment to tell you.
Tell me what?
That you're only doing this
cos of how much you miss Dad?
What would he say to you now?
Mrs Devine?
Are you all right?
Yes, I'm fine.
SHE SNIFFS
It's fine.
Might I trouble you for the
negatives to those photographs?
Oh. Of course.
Thank you. Most kind.
Right. Well, I'd better...
Um...
Oh, dear.
I fear the cat may be
out of the bag.
- Hmm.
- Albert...
MEGAPHONE: The stone-lifting
competition will begin
in five minutes.
Five minutes
until the stone-lifting competition.
You all right?
I knew about your mum
and the Chief Inspector.
They weren't exactly very subtle.
You can say that again.
She would never want to hurt you.
No?
Then why is she carrying on
like a 16-year-old?
Here!
This is meant to be my dad's day!
After he passed, she told me that
she sometimes felt relieved.
That was bad enough.
Now this.
It's like he never even existed.
All I know is,
your mum talks about your dad
all the time.
I lost my mum.
Yeah?
Mm.
And people say that
time heals everything.
I'm not sure that's exactly true.
SHE BREATHES HEAVILY
I'm sure that Mrs Devine
is talking about her relief
that Ronald would be spared
any more suffering.
Right, then.
Next up is William Redshaw.
Eh, look out, everybody!
LAUGHTER
HE GROANS
APPLAUSE
William is the winner!
Woo! Yes! Yes!
Yes!
BRENDA: You'd think
he'd never won anything before.
I'm not sure he has.
Hmm?
Congratulations on a striking
victory, Mr Redshaw.
Thanks, Father.
Quite the transformation from your
usual struggles in that event.
Well,
it just goes to show you
- how far hard work can...
- Medicine?
- Aspirin.
- Oh.
If I may,
I feel a slight headache coming on.
Must be the heat.
Wait...
Amphetamines.
I saw them handed out
to soldiers in the trenches.
Nowadays, of course, more usually
used for illicit doping.
They transform muscular strength
and endurance, do they not?
I'm a laughing stock at sport. I...
I always have been.
The village only made me captain
because no-one else
wanted to do the organising.
This year I really wanted
to just... win something.
I sympathise.
But how disappointing you felt you
needed to break the rules to do so.
And risky, too.
I imagine the stock of amphetamines
at your pharmacy is closely audited.
Dr Fleming gave them to me.
Why would Dr Fleming
risk his reputation
by supplying dr*gs
to help you cheat?
Unless he risked something
even greater
if he did not...
..which would also explain
helping you
frame Brian for cheating
and sabotaging Patty's prospects.
What do you have on him, William?
I'll tell you, Father...
..on condition that...
..you let me lift that trophy
if Hambleston triumph.
I will leave the confession
of rule-breaking
to your own conscience.
Everyone thinks that Geoffrey
Fleming is this perfect doctor.
But I know otherwise.
He was the one that put poor
Shirley in that wheelchair.
Go on.
- Oh!
- What do you know
about Miss Warner's relationship
with Dr Fleming?
Um, not much.
Um, I mean, when she was serving
his tea, her hand was shaking.
I wondered if she might have been
a little bit scared of him.
Thank you. That is most helpful.
I don't suppose you've seen her
in the library
reading any books about medicine?
That's all she reads.
Great big thick things.
MEGAPHONE: Mrs Devine and partner,
please can you head
to the start line for the
wife-carrying championships?
Oh, gosh!
HE SIGHS
PANTING: I'm so sorry.
I was supposed
to be racing with Brian.
Well, if you can't find anyone,
the points will be awarded
to Hambleston!
Why don't you pair up with
Mrs Devine, Chief Inspector?
That's not be fair. He has
jurisdiction for Hambleston too.
Quite.
Come on, sir.
Kembleford need all the points
we can get.
CHANTING:
Kembleford! Kembleford!
Go on, Chief Inspector.
I'll represent Hambleston
at a later event, Mr Redshaw.
Three, two, one...
WHISTLE
CHEERING
Come on! Chief Inspector!
Now, if you want
a slice of cake, Father,
you'll have to wait,
cos I can't find the knife.
Oh.
Miss Warner,
I wonder if I might I ask you
a question?
Anything you like, Father.
Do you blame Dr Geoffrey Fleming
for your condition?
What do you mean?
After your fall, Dr Fleming
prescribed pain K*llers.
And when you went to
the chemist to collect them,
Mr Redshaw told you
he was baffled
as to why the doctor hadn't
sent you for X-rays straight away.
You don't question your doctor,
do you?
That's true.
But Mr Redshaw is persuaded
that had your fracture
been diagnosed earlier,
you would still be able to walk.
I gather you've been doing
some reading at the library lately.
Yes.
And this week I found my proof.
That Dr Fleming is
responsible for your disability.
I lost my job,
my independence.
At times it's felt like
I've lost my whole future.
And it's all thanks to him.
And today you had to watch him
being applauded.
I wanted to scream,
tell everyone what he's done to me.
But you didn't,
because you had another plan
for revenge.
I didn't try to poison him, Father.
I'm going to report him
to the General Medical Council.
I've written a letter.
All I need now
is the courage to send it.
CHEERING
Come on, Chief Inspector!
Come on, sir!
CHEERING
Yes!
LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE
Your attention, please!
My mother
and Chief Inspector Sullivan
have been secretly...
carrying on together.
And my father would be
turning in his grave.
Just thought you should all know.
I'm sorry.
I hated keeping it from you.
You knew?
True happiness is impossible
to conceal, Mrs Devine.
And also, you two
were about as subtle as a brick.
- Mm.
- Oh, no.
But what do I do about Eddie?
He's not quite ready
to accept change.
But he will do
when he sees how happy you are.
Gosh, I hope you're right.
Any progress, Father?
Yes, I've established
that Dr Fleming was guilty
of medical negligence over
his treatment of Shirley Warner.
But did that provoke her enough
to try to poison him?
Red geraniums.
Interesting.
With Hambleston
still out in the lead,
it's now time for the penultimate
event - the toe-wrestling.
Chief Inspector Sullivan has agreed
to represent Hambleston on this one.
He will be up against
a late replacement
for Brian Fleming - Eddie Devine.
ALL MURMUR
Didn't waste any time, did you?
It was not like that.
No? How many other widows have you got
grieving on your shoulder, then?
I can't look.
CHEERING
GROANING
Back shortly.
GROANING
EDDIE: Yes!
APPLAUSE
HE SIGHS
Hello, Thomas.
Oh...
Poor girl.
HE GRUNTS
Some say red geraniums
are a symbol of deep love...
..and passion.
You were in love
with Thomas Taverner.
I saw your initials on the pots.
So?
But he was married,
so you had to keep your love
a secret.
And you also had to hide your grief.
And that must have been
incredibly hard.
And then today...
..this caught your eye.
SHE MOANS
So you looked more closely...
..and made a shocking discovery.
Thomas didn't have to die.
He could have saved him.
And I couldn't breathe.
You saw Thomas was dying!
He asked for your help!
You could have saved him!
That doesn't prove anything.
It proves you're a fraud!
I think I'll survive.
I'd already seen
the deadly nightshade.
No-one saw me add it.
Everything was fine
until Ursula switched bowls.
CHEERING
SHE COUGHS
I couldn't say anything
without giving myself away.
All I could do was watch...
Miss Fanshaw?
..as that poor woman...
You and the doctor both knew
a dangerous secret about each other.
Stalemate.
SHE GASPS
It should have been you, not her!
You're crazy.
Then report me.
And I'll show the world
who you REALLY are.
I've done a terrible thing.
I'm ready to face the consequences.
Good.
But first I'm going
to say goodbye to Thomas.
MEGAPHONE: Mrs Hudson,
please come to the beer tent
to collect your husband. Thank you.
What is it, Father?
Patty Denmore has just...
Oh, no.
Kindly summon the Chief Inspector!
FOOTSTEPS
Vengeance will not
bring Thomas back.
I owe him this.
You loved him profoundly.
You owe him nothing.
He was going to tell his wife.
We had it all planned.
Thomas would not want you
to sacrifice your future.
Why didn't you help him?
Dr Fleming,
confess your sins and you too
will have a chance of redemption.
I'd never beaten Brian at any sport.
I know it shouldn't
have bothered me.
Then suddenly, I had a chance.
Doctor...
Help me.
Please.
I'll come back, I promise.
I won the race...
..but what I lost...
I'm so sorry.
And Miss Shirley Warner?
That poor girl came to me
two years later
to the day.
The guilt...
..meant I wasn't thinking straight.
I let her down too.
Miss Denmore,
you and Miss Warner
are constant reminders
of Dr Fleming's failings.
Reminders that will cut
sharper than any knife.
I hope you lose everything.
MEGAPHONE: Contestants
in the barrel-rolling,
please come to the start line
to collect your barrel.
Will Dr Fleming lose his job?
That, and his reputation,
will depend on
whether Miss Warner reports him.
MEGAPHONE: Any remaining
competitors for the final event,
the men's barrel-rolling, to the
start line immediately, please.
Hey, good luck, Mr Fleming.
I'm sorry. I would have said
something.
When? As I was climbing
the scaffold?
Father, how can I ever repay you?
- Well, that's easy.
- Win the Olimpicks for Kembleford!
CHEERING
Go on, Brian.
Come on, Brian!
CHEERING
Love you, Ron.
APPLAUSE
So, what do the competition rules
say about drug cheats...
..Mr Redshaw?
Miss Warner?
Report me.
It's the right thing to do.
Dad would have loved that.
Yeah, he would.
We owe your father
a debt of gratitude, Eddie.
It was his photos
that solved this crime.
SHE CHUCKLES
Oh.
Maybe Kembleford
will just keep on winning it.
That would be lovely.
FOOTSTEPS
- Eddie?
- There's a train to London in 15 minutes.
- I'm going to take it.
- What?
Eddie, wait!
DOOR OPENS
Stay a little longer.
Stay as long as you like.
Look, Mum,
I've got my life in London.
And you've obviously got
a new life here.
I've never told you this,
but before he died,
your father made me promise
I wouldn't spend
the rest of my days alone.
He said that?
No-one will ever,
ever take his place in my heart.
I'm still wearing his ring.
But Chief Inspector Sullivan
is a kind and decent man.
And he makes me happy.
I'd better go.
Bye, Mum.
Bye, love.
Gosh, it's hard to say goodbye
to them, isn't it?
I have some paperwork to finish.
Of course.
This changes nothing, Father.
No.
Don't worry, Mrs Devine.
Like the prodigal son,
Eddie will return,
when he's ready.
Definitely.