The Paradise of Thieves Father Brown

How much are you still looking to raise?

£247.

I see.

We realise, of course, it is a lot of money,

but if you really want to make a difference...

Although, we'd be grateful.

You see, the donations we receive at mass have started to dry up.

The congregation have been very generous.

If they don't want the roof to fall in on them,

they're going to have to dig a little bit deeper.

Well, this is exactly the sort of cause

I'd like our new fund to support.

I'm sure we'll be able to make a significant contribution.

Oh, thank you.

It's the least I can do.

Your church plays an important part in the local community.

Thank you.

What exactly do you mean by "significant contribution"?

Lady Felicia, how may I help?

I'd like to make a deposit, please.

This is a robbery!

Stay where you are!

Stay where you are or I'll kill all of you!

Open the vault!

Mr Harrogate has the key. He isn't here this morning.

You're lying!

Is that true?

He's in the office.

You'll get us all killed!

Harrogate!

If I follow Mr Harrogate out, they may not notice you.

You could hide.

I'm not scared of them.

Harrogate!

You come out now or I'll start shooting people!

Stay calm. It's only money they want.

-I'll show them what for.

-Please don't do any...

And what do you think you're playing at?

Over there with the others!

You, the priest, you're coming with us.

Cowards. That's what you are.

What did you say?

We didn't fight a war

for your sort to go around stealing from innocent people.

There's no need for any trouble.

Oh, shoot a defenceless woman, would you?

Gladly.

Move it!

The key!

The money's replaceable, we are not.

Open it!

What the bloody hell's going on here?

That was a stupid thing to do.

You have to stand up to these people.

-Not when they're pointing a gun at your head.

-Shut up...

We're going now!

Et nomine patri et filii spiritus sancti.

-Amen.

-Amen.

Did you know him?

Billy Flanders.

My son-in-law.

I presume the vault was locked?

Oh, of course.

I keep the key on me at all times, even sleep with it under my pillow.

Who else has a copy?

The clerks have keys for the front door.

No-one else has a key to the vault.

Well, there must be a spare?

Well, it's in the safe at head office.

But, if something had happened, they'd have let me know.

When did you last go into the vault?

After we closed to the public yesterday.

We had a delivery scheduled and I waited for it to arrive,

escorted the couriers into the vault,

and locked the door as they left.

What was the delivery?

Well, we often store valuable items for other organisations,

our part to help the local community.

The gallery at Little Haydock are loaning a valuable item from a collector in Paris.

I said that we'd keep it safe while they prepared the space.

You're certain you locked the door after it was delivered?

Oh, yes.

Mr Browning, our junior clerk, was with me.

So, the door was secure and nobody else had access?

I don't know how Billy ended up in there.

He was bound to find out that Harrogate was here.

I was trying to defuse the situation.

By lying to an armed robber? You idiot.

It's been a trying day for us all.

I'll bet that fool's over the moon.

Why?

Martin is the chief clerk.

If Harrogate gets sent down, he'll be left in charge.

Really?

Should have been me, of course.

Harrogate's never appreciated those of us who really put the hours in.

Thank you, Mr Harrogate. Please, don't go anywhere.

Inspector...

You'll have to wait your turn, Father.

I've a few observations I'd like to share with you.

As I said...

Why did the man with the gun want me to go to the vault with him?

Julia!

What's going on, Father?

-There was a robbery.

-Are you all right?

When we went into the vault, we found...

The thing is...

-It's Billy.

-What about him?

He's...

No... No, Julia!

I'm afraid you can't...

Stay there.

Mrs Flanders!

Mrs...

Don't look.

Come back...

I'm so sorry.

Sir!

Excuse me.

-JULIA:

-Why did they kill him?

The robbers didn't do it.

He was already dead when I opened the door.

Then how did he get there?

I'm sorry about Billy.

Are you sure you're going to be all right?

Mr Harrogate...

Is this your handwriting?

Well, it...

It looks like it, but...

It was found in Billy's pocket.

Well, I didn't write it.

Samuel Harrogate, I'm arresting you

on suspicion of the murder of William Flanders.

I didn't do it!

-What you say will be taken down and may be given in evidence.

-It wasn't me, I swear!

I'm not a killer.

Help me.

Oh, dear...

But it's not raining.

There was a shower in the night.

It must be trapped somewhere.

Do you think we'll still get the money?

WATER PATTERS

Always one for the melodrama.

Could you not just have stepped aside?

As I was saying...

Do you think the bank will still give us the money to get the roof fixed?

Well, the charitable trust was Mr Harrogate's idea, so...

Without him, I don't think it's going to happen.

And I don't know how many more cake bakes we can do.

People are sick and tired of having to buy a Victoria sponge every other week.

Mr Harrogate's daughter's reaction was odd, don't you think?

She was very calm.

Don't you go sticking your nose in.

KNOCKING

Sorry to trouble you.

I wondered if I might have a word.

Well, of course. Come in.

I wanted to offer my condolences.

Thank you.

If there is anything I can do to help, please ask.

Do you think my father is responsible?

No.

Why?

I saw his reaction when he discovered your husband's body.

He was genuinely surprised.

Unfortunately, that's not the sort of thing the Inspector sets store by.

Oh...

What do you believe?

Father didn't like Billy.

He pretended, for my benefit, but I knew.

It's a big step from not liking someone to killing them.

He was in the army.

He's killed people before.

How well do you know the two clerks?

Stephen I'd cross the street to avoid.

But Martin's always been good to me.

Did your father get on with him?

Most of the time.

My father turned him down for a loan a few months ago.

Martin was upset about it, but things soon got back to normal.

Why do you ask?

Idle curiosity, I'm afraid.

My apologies.

If they find my father guilty, they'll execute him.

They may as well kill me, too, while they're about it.

I'll have lost everyone that matters to me.

I promise that I will do everything I can to help.

Could I trouble you for a glass of water?

I had a very long bicycle ride.

So, it's right around the corner, you turn left at the stairs

and then, to the top of the stairs, you'll see the...

Well...

What a surprise.

Inspector, I'm just here on parish business.

Hmm...

I'd like to reopen at the earliest opportunity.

Yes, you should be able to have your office back shortly.

My men will need the vault for a while longer.

Well, that's fine, thank you.

Sir...

Good afternoon.

So, you're in charge here now?

Only temporarily.

I'm not really qualified.

And, besides, once they clear up this mess with Mr Harrogate,

he'll be back at work.

You don't think he's responsible?

Of course not.

When I left the army, he took me under his wing, gave me a job,

a sense of purpose.

He's a good man, not a killer.

Considering how much else he's done for you,

it's strange he refused you a loan.

Who told you that?

That has nothing to do with what happened here.

I'm just trying to understand his life.

I believe he's innocent, but I don't know how to prove it.

Please, anything you can tell me may help.

My mother was dying, I wanted a loan to help make her comfortable.

But Mr Harrogate had good reason to turn me down.

Why?

The bank had been financing a business Billy set up when he married Julia.

I knew it wasn't going well,

but I didn't realise just how bad things were.

Was it making a loss?

Mr Harrogate kept pouring money into it

but never seemed to earn anything back.

I stumbled across a hint of it at first.

I saw something unusual in a ledger that was out on Mr Harrogate's desk.

Got me thinking,

so I looked into it further.

It turns out the bank's accounts don't balance.

How is that possible?

I think he was using the bank's money to prop up Billy's business

and keeping it off the books.

He needed to recoup his losses.

He knew I wouldn't be able to repay a loan quickly, so...

he turned me down.

But why was he setting up a charitable trust

when the bank was short of money?

I didn't know he was.

What was Billy's business?

An exclusive members' club.

Well, that was the idea.

In reality, it was as seedy as they come.

How could a seedy club swallow up so much money it was breaking the bank?

I've no idea.

How did you feel about your daughter marrying a known criminal?

Billy was trying to put his past behind him.

You really believed that?

Yes.

Do you recognise this?

It was a present from my daughter.

-I keep it on the desk in my office.

-Hmm...

We found it out back in one of the bins.

It has blood on it.

And the strands of hair the same length and colour as Billy's.

Along with your fingerprints.

Samuel Harrogate, I'm charging you with the murder of Billy Flanders.

We're closed!

Erm...I'd like to speak with someone.

We're closed forever. The boss has died.

That's why I'm here.

Just go away!

I said...

Good afternoon.

What do you want?

I was at the bank this morning when they discovered your boss's body.

So, er...?

The police suspect the bank manager, Mr Harrogate.

The man who helped fund this club.

I just sell the drinks.

I came here hoping to find out what had happened

and it seems I've found out more than I expected.

What do you mean?

The men who robbed the bank had their faces covered but,

if you're interested in such things,

you could recognise them by their voices.

Especially if they let their accent slip.

Shall we talk inside?

Why are you here?

I had a few personal items to collect before the place gets shut down.

Are you going to tell anyone about me?

Was this Billy's horse?

Yeah.

Did it live up to its name?

-A lame donkey could have run faster than that.

-Hmm...

It was very brave of you, coming here alone.

I'm a man of God.

I am never alone.

And will your God telephone for an ambulance if you have a little accident?

The man who took me to the vault was panicked

by the sight of Billy's body.

He wasn't a hardened criminal.

Just a misguided and lost soul.

I am not interested in the robbery,

I am interested in Mr Harrogate's life.

I need to know how the two crimes were connected.

Tell me that and I'll leave you alone.

He made me do it.

Who did?

Billy.

Billy planned the robbery?

He asked me to gather everyone into the main hall.

And once that was done,

I had to make sure that you come to the vault with Mr Harrogate.

-Me?

-Yeah.

Yeah, he said you'd be there.

Mrs McCarthy, I am in dire need of tea.

We've run out.

Oh.

-But you could always buy some.

-Hm.

Now, I've looked at these a hundred times

and I just can't see how we can afford to get the roof fixed.

Maybe you'd like to start preparing a sermon on Noah and his ark?

I'd like to talk to Stephen, the bank clerk.

He has access to the bank and clearly dislikes Mr Harrogate.

Do you know where he lives?

We have parish business to attend to.

Apologies. I'm sorry to distract you from your good work.

Erm...

I was going to speak to Lady Felicia about something else anyway.

I'm sure she'll know who to ask.

I'm sure I can find out exactly where he lives.

If you could, that would be marvellous.

Father Brown is here.

Apparently you've requested a spiritual advisor.

Oh, yes...

Yes, that's correct.

Thank you, Sergeant.

-Have you seen my daughter?

-Yes.

And does she think that I'm responsible for this?

She's confused. She does not know what to think.

I lost my wife to illness, my son to the war.

I couldn't stand it if I also lost my daughter.

I think she needs time to think.

That's the one thing I may not have.

I am here because I've discovered that Billy planned the robbery.

-I've spoken to one of his men.

-Billy? Are you sure?

The one question that's been going around in my head all day...

..is why me?

Why was I taken to the vault with you?

Especially, as it turns out now, that the robbers knew I was there.

Billy must have...overheard me setting up the meeting with you.

I don't believe that there was a trust fund.

I think you invented it to make sure that I was at the bank.

Oh, don't be absurd!

The question is, why me?

I can think of only one thing.

And the only thing I can think of is that, erm...I'm a priest.

And people trust me.

And if I say that I saw money being taken from the vault,

no-one would question me.

But why would Billy want that?

To help you.

You were cooking the books

and sooner or later you knew you'd be found out.

And if the bank was robbed,

you could blame any unexplained losses on the thieves.

But that is outrageous! I'm a bank manager, not a criminal.

I don't think you acted out of greed.

I think you wanted to make your daughter happy.

The club was swallowing up money.

And I imagine that the racehorse wasn't cheap to train and stable?

What racehorse?

Flanders' Hope.

-Never heard of it.

-You made a mistake.

But I don't think you're responsible for what happened to Billy.

Thank you.

You knew the robbery was about to happen.

Why would you kill Billy in the one place

where you knew he would be discovered?

No-one will believe that when they realise what I did.

Then we have to find the murderer

before the police realise that you were involved in the robbery.

Do you think that might be possible?

Mrs McCarthy...

My mission was successful!

You found the killer?

Um, no.

Oh, very good.

Now, Mrs Peel at the bakery was able to tell me where this Stephen lives.

He's here in Kembleford.

And I went to pay him a visit.

You shouldn't have gone on your own.

Well, I don't need you holding my hand.

Anyway, he's not there.

I saw him drive off in his car.

And a very nice car it was, too.

How does a bank clerk afford a car?

I've just been to the gallery in Little Haydock.

They have the most divine exhibition of abstract human forms.

Oh, you must have fitted right in.

Did you speak to the gallery owner?

Yes, Richard is such a darling.

He confirmed that they've been storing an item in the bank's vault.

They've done so several times over the years,

so it was nothing unusual.

-So, Mr Harrogate wasn't lying?

-No.

The sculpture was delivered to the bank at 5:30 yesterday afternoon

and it's still there safe and intact.

We keep coming up against the same problem...

We cannot prove Mr Harrogate is innocent

unless we can show how someone else got into the vault.

So, erm...

We need to break into the bank.

Lady Felicia, how can I help?

Thank you for agreeing to see me so late.

After what happened, I'm only happy to help.

I'm afraid I'd like to withdraw all of my savings.

I no longer feel that...

-You don't need to explain.

-Thank you.

If you'll wait here?

Excuse me! Oh, we need help, please!

-Help, please!

-What's wrong?

It's just, this place and the gun...

Oh, my...

Try and breathe slowly.

I think she needs some water, quickly. Quickly, get some water!

Oh, yes, thank you. I'm so embarrassed.

-Don't be.

-Everything's fine. Thank you. Thank you.

You could have worn something a bit more practical.

It's black.

It's a dress.

You can't rob a bank in a dress.

It's not a dress. And we're not going to steal anything.

Should we wear stockings over our heads?

We haven't got any.

We could ask Mrs McCarthy.

Oh...I'd rather take my chances.

Right...

Ready?

Wasn't so bad, was it?

Do I want to know where you had that made?

The lid's loose.

Blimey.

Art lovers - right bunch of nutters, aren't they?

Oi!

Oi!

No, no, no, no! Let us out of here!

BANGING ON DOOR

Oi!

What happens when we run out of air?

Well...

..if we're lucky, the police will find us and arrest us.

Or whoever's just locked us in could come back with a gun.

But who'd be in the bank this late at night?

Other robbers?

We're not robbers.

Someone found their way through that door.

Yeah, Harrogate and he had the key.

I've locked them in the vault. Now what?

-Sid?

-Mm-hm?

These screws are loose.

I think we've been looking at this in the wrong way.

This lock was designed to keep people out, not in.

Yeah, that's coming out nicely.

I think the killer broke out of the vault -

not in.

So how did he get in?

And where did the body come from?

All right, this bolt is operated by the key -

it holds the latch in place, prevents the door from opening.

We need to lift it up.

Now we need something to keep it from falling.

That's the job. Now we slide.

Ta-dah!

SID CHUCKLES

What?

And the other two.

Ah.

How did you get out?

The same way the killer did.

It was one of you, wasn't it? You had the key all along.

My associate had that made this afternoon.

I'm afraid he tricked you.

We called the police.

Huh! Like I believe that.

You're the ones trespassing.

The only way to prove your father's innocence

is if I could see inside the vault.

-You know who killed Billy?

-No.

But I know how they did it.

-How?

-POLICE SIREN

If the police find us, we'll be in serious trouble.

-Quick, into the office.

-Wait!

No, they broke in!

Martin, please!

We heard intruders.

They ran off down the alleyway opposite.

Who were they?

We couldn't see in the dark.

Go quickly, you might still catch them.

Why are you here?

There's a lot to sort out.

I wanted to open for business as usual in the morning.

And you?

I didn't want to be alone.

Martin said I could sit with him.

Stay here, both of you.

DOOR CLOSES

Thank you.

What did you find in the vault?

There have been enough false accusations.

I'm not prepared to say until I'm sure.

You'll prove my father is innocent?

I believe so, yes.

What are you really doing here, Mrs Flanders?

Trying to make sense of things.

Billy had involved me in some scam of his, without my knowledge.

The racehorse?

How do you know about that?

Who lights a fire on a summer's day?

I found the contract - in your grate.

I'd never seen that document before,

although when I saw what had happened to Billy,

I knew he must have been involved in something.

So you wanted to destroy the evidence,

so the police didn't think you were complicit?

I asked Martin to help me find out what else had been going on.

And?

Looks like Harrogate was pouring money into the club.

Billy was taking it out and spending it on the horse.

What was father thinking of, giving Billy all that money?

He was trying to make sure Billy was a success -

to make you happy.

He was a fool.

Was he? Maybe.

But a well-meaning one.

There's something else.

We also checked Father's private accounts.

At the start of every month, he'd withdraw a large amount of cash.

So he was putting his own money into the business, as well?

No. The money started going out before I met Billy.

We don't know what he was spending it on.

HE KNOCKS

-Good morning.

-Hey, get...get off there!

Nice little number, this. Bet it cost you.

You'll scratch it.

The night before the robbery -

when the couriers arrived with the statue -

-did you go to the vault with Mr Harrogate?

-Yes, so?

Do you happen to know what time that was?

It was about half past four.

Good. Thank you.

What's it to do with you?

How long have you been blackmailing Harrogate?

Oh, come on. Cars don't come cheap.

Nice digs you've got, too.

I had a wealthy aunt.

She died.

We spoke to your landlord.

He said you moved into this house shortly after

unexplained money started leaving Mr Harrogate's account.

Coincidence.

I reckon he'd had enough and wanted out,

so you decided to punish him by framing him for murder.

I don't have a vault key.

Neither does the killer.

It's all right. If it wasn't you, we can settle this here and now -

if you tell us what you've got on Harrogate.

I was drinking in the pub one evening -

met a man who'd served in Harrogate's regiment.

Yeah? And what did he say?

He knew what Harrogate had got up to during the first war.

KNOCKING

Come.

Have you been here all night?

I can sleep when everything is back to normal.

How long have you known?

What?

That you're Harrogate's son?

Who told you that?

It's true, isn't it?

No.

My mother told me, when she was dying.

Why didn't you say anything to Mr Harrogate?

He was only with my mother briefly, when he was on leave from the army.

He's proud.

He didn't want Julia to know he'd been unfaithful.

I can respect that.

I was in the second war, I know these things happen.

Then how can you do this to him?

I don't know what you mean.

I know how you killed Billy.

I want to understand why.

Harrogate gave you a job, tried to care for you, in his own way.

I think you were happy with that - and then Billy came along.

Harrogate threw good money after bad,

tried to make Billy into the son you never got to be.

You heard them planning the robbery.

It was the final straw

and it gave you the opportunity to punish them both.

The night before the robbery,

Harrogate received the delivery at the bank,

signed for it and went home.

But this delivery wasn't the real one.

You'd worked long enough at the bank

to know that the vault door could not be secured

from interference from the inside.

You opened the door,

disposed of the crate...

And then when the real deliverymen arrived an hour later,

they thought the door had been opened for them.

And they didn't know who you were.

Working at the bank,

you'd seen enough documents that Harrogate had written

to do a passable copy of his handwriting.

That's how you wrote the note that lured Billy to the bank,

later that evening.

He thought he was coming to see Harrogate...

but you were waiting for him.

To lock the door from the outside,

you needed to make sure that the bolt would not fall

before the door was closed.

An ice cube would do the trick.

When it melted, the bolt would fall

and the vault would be sealed.

I noticed a little puddle of water

when we found Billy's body.

Police will never believe you.

It's not them I'm trying to convince.

Mr Harrogate...

your father...

tried to care for you as best he could.

He was ashamed of me.

He was ashamed of himself.

I can see how you could be angry with him.

But to take a life?

All he cared about was rinsing this bank of every last penny.

We all paid because of his greed.

Billy was a parasite.

Nobody said he was a saint.

And to be clever enough to get all that money...

he had to be stupid enough to want it.

I needed that money for my mother.

She could have ended her life somewhere comfortable -

died with dignity.

But Mr Harrogate chose to spend that money on a horse,

rather than the mother of his child.

He didn't know about the horse.

What?

He still knew why I needed the money and refused to loan it to me.

He deserves to be punished.

Yes, for his sins.

Not for yours.

And your sister?

Did she ever mistreat you?

I've work to do.

Her life would be ruined also,

if Mr Harrogate takes the blame for this.

He brought this on himself.

Nobody's soul is beyond saving.

I will pray for you.

I don't want your prayers.

What do you want?

Your mother knew who Harrogate was to you, all this time.

She kept silent.

She didn't even say a word when he offered you a job.

She could have blackmailed him.

She could have got money, ruined his reputation.

Perhaps she didn't, because she knew that if she had,

she wouldn't have been able to live with herself.

KEYS JANGLE

So Martin didn't tell the police that you planned the robbery?

No.

No, that was good of him.

Why didn't you lend him the money?

He can't have been asking for a huge amount.

That woman...

She represented all that was wrong with me.

My weakness.

"That woman"...

wasn't a symbol, she was a person.

Someone in pain, who you could have helped.

Someone who you cared for, once...

however briefly.

I'm sorry.

I'm not the one you should be asking for forgiveness.

LOCK TURNS

DOOR CLOSES AND LOCKS

Thank you for telling the truth.

I hope in time that you can understand what I did.

I admit I made some mistakes, but...

..the thing is...

I loved my wife very much, and...

I'm sorry, son.

No water for two days. Well done, Sid.

My pleasure.

You can say "thank you" too, if you like.

We should have had it done professionally.

We couldn't afford it.

I have saved a fortune.

All you needed to do was plug the leaks,

not replace the whole roof.

Thank you, dear Sid.

DOOR OPENS

Morning, all.

WOOD CREAKS

"Plug the leaks"?

You get what you pay for.