Bedlam The Doctor Blake Mysteries

PIANO PLAYS

MAN CRIES

Hi, Oriel. Beautiful painting.

Miss Ashby!

Hi, Jimmy.

David?

David.

-David, it's time to take your medicine.

-I don't want them.

David, that's enough.

I don't want them from you.

David, Dr Laine said you must take them.

-No.

-David, take your medication.

-It's all right, Jimmy.

-Please, David, would you just...?

-No!

JIMMY CRIES

ALARM BLARES

HE CRIES

I'm sure this isn't really quite what you had in mind

when you suggested professional development.

I can't just turn and run the first time it gets difficult.

Evening.

You might want to watch your shoes.

-Do you have a name?

-Violet Ashby, 23 years old.

Nurse on duty.

Before dinner, she had an altercation

with one of the patients, a David Hoyle.

During dinner he came back to the bathroom and he attacked her.

Looks like the knife was taken from the kitchen.

Miss O'Brien!

Hey. Having a quiet night out at the old nut house, are you?

Oh, sorry. No, I didn't mean...

Sorry.

-Parks.

-Oh, sir.

Death knock, sir?

Yeah, her father lives out in Wendouree.

Wendouree?

Um, don't you usually handle this sort of thing?

Not tonight.

I could drive him, sir.

The doctor's helping me with my professional development.

Perhaps this falls into that category.

Yes.

Yes, I'm sure the Superintendent could drop me home.

We might be here for a while.

Oh, all right. Just do it properly.

Yes, sir.

-Doctor Winters.

-Superintendent.

My police surgeon, Dr Lucien Blake.

Oh.

I had the greatest respect for your father.

Dr Blake was wanting to know a few things about the attacker.

David came to us two years ago, catatonic.

He's made great progress in the last few months.

Good. Has he ever displayed violent behaviour before?

He attacked his mother.

She had him committed.

Is there anything else I can help you with?

No, I don't think so.

You should get those cuts on your hands seen to, though.

And by the way, any chance I might be able to speak with David?

You'll have to talk to Dr Laine.

He was frantic when we found him.

ECT was the kindest thing we could do for him.

Electroconvulsive therapy.

Well, it has a bad name but it can be very effective,

depending on the voltage and frequency.

And when will he be able to talk?

He'll be awake in an hour or two

but it will be 12 hours or so before he's fully alert.

You have secure rooms here, don't you, doctor?

We do and we could continue treatment here

-until the courts need him, of course.

-Right.

Well, as your police surgeon,

I recommend you stay here.

Save you rostering on a man for suicide watch.

I mean, up to you, of course.

It's all yours.

Thank you, doctor. That was an act of kindness.

-Lucien.

-Kenneth Laine.

-Ah.

-After you.

Thank you.

-Oh, it's so cold in here.

-Yes.

Have you seen ECT before, Lucien?

Not in a medical setting, no.

What other setting is there?

You see a lot of things during war time, Kenneth.

We have no idea how shooting electrical impulses

through the brain can help these poor souls but it does.

And one day I want to know why.

-Interested in research?

-Oh, very.

Hmm.

I understand he attacked Miss Ashby earlier in the afternoon.

Do you know why?

Well, David has always had trouble with female authority.

David was committed after threatening his mother.

Female authority issues.

She had ambitions for him to be a classical pianist.

I believe the pressure was too much for him.

Question is, how did he get his hands on that knife in the first place?

I don't know.

Kitchen reported it missing a couple of days ago.

He's left the light on for her.

The boss usually does this.

You've never done this before, have you?

No, I have, I have. I just...

-I hate it, that's all.

-Do you want me to come with you?

I knew you'd forget your keys.

Here we go.

-Yes?

-Ah, excuse me, sir. Sorry to disturb you.

Is this the home of Violet Ashby?

Put that hat on, constable.

-Sorry, sir?

-Hat on.

If you're going to do this, do it properly.

I used to be in the Force. I know the rules.

Yes, sir.

-I'm afraid I have some bad news.

-Not on a bloody doorstep.

Didn't that boss of yours teach you anything? Who's this?

I'm District Nurse Mattie O'Brien.

Well...

..don't just stand there.

Cleaning the room already?

Oh, there's no point leaving it like that.

You're quite sure about that?

-You are joking, aren't you?

-I don't know.

-Oh, Blake!

-No, I'm serious. I... I...

I don't know.

Look, say you're a homicidal maniac.

No, no, no, no, please. Listen, listen.

And you're completely insane, you have mother issues

and you've decided you're going to kill the nurse on duty.

What do you do?

Do you go and steal a knife and hide it somewhere,

wait for a few days till she's all alone,

then make your move?

-Maybe.

-Then you're not insane, are you?

Because you've planned it.

So what are you saying?

Well, I'm saying...

I don't know. I'm not getting anything here and that's the problem.

I so much preferred working with your father.

I can well imagine.

We had a call at the station at 7.40pm

this evening to attend the Blackhill Psychiatric Hospital.

By the time we arrived, the deceased...

-Violet.

-Violet...

..had...

..had, ah, sustained multiple stab wounds to the abdomen.

It appears to have been a pre-meditated attack.

One of the patients.

I'm sorry, sir.

-Was she interfered with?

-No, sir.

Not from what I saw.

Is there a Mrs Ashby? Perhaps, sir...

No.

Violet's mother is no longer with us.

They didn't look after her in that place.

I told her to leave but there was a matter...

With her it was a matter of pride.

Well, that's that, then.

Constable?

Vi wore her mother's eternity ring as a, um...

..kind of keepsake.

It was a mixture of emeralds and diamonds.

Your daughter's personal effects

will be returned to you as soon as possible.

The ring is the only thing I care about.

-Make sure it gets back to me.

-Yes, sir.

Bloody hell.

-Are you OK?

-Not really.

Danny and Mattie seemed rather subdued this morning.

-I'm not surprised.

-Hmm.

You were going to hand over your receipts.

-Hmm?

-Your receipts.

Yes, ah, that's right.

Um, I do have them, somewhere.

Actually, in a few places.

But I'll gather them all together.

Your father used to do his own bookwork.

I offered to help but it was a matter of pride for him.

Well, that's where Dad and I differ.

-Hmph.

-I have no pride.

Did you know, the most modern technique

for treating patients with mental illness

is to shoot charges of electricity through their brains.

Yes. Electroconvulsive therapy.

You been reading my medical books?

Only when you're not here. How does it work, anyway?

Well, no-one's really sure.

But somehow it seems to...break the cycle.

Must be terribly painful.

Oh, one couldn't even imagine.

However, very few side effects, apparently.

Short-term confusion and disorientation,

certainly headaches.

-And short-term memory loss.

-Oh.

I'll remember that when you forget to give me your receipts.

Ah, I'll take you through shortly, sir.

-Lawson.

-Sir.

I'm, ah, I'm very sorry to hear of your loss.

Everyone is.

Would you like me to come with you?

No. This one'll do.

This way, sir.

Doug Ashby.

He was my Commanding Officer for ten years.

Made my life hell.

Is this your daughter?

Violet Ashby?

Yes, it is.

You can head off, Danny.

Well done.

There was one deep stab. That was the blow that killed her.

The knife was driven up under the ribcage,

punctured a lung, severed an artery.

She would have been dead in 30 seconds.

Get to the point.

That first blow seems almost designed to cause maximum damage,

suggesting a detailed knowledge of anatomy.

The rest, the rest were just decoration.

I'll do the talking. Doctor.

I'm not convinced this is necessary.

Well, we need to take statements where we can.

I'll be in my office.

Mr Hoyle?

I'm Superintendent Lawson and this is Dr Lucien Blake.

I'd like to ask you some questions about last night.

I don't remember anything.

What's the last thing you do remember?

The day room.

What time was it?

Don't know.

Was it before dinner? Was it after dinner?

Before.

I was playing.

Good. And what then?

Do you remember having an argument with Nurse Ashby?

You understand that she was killed some time later.

Yes.

Did you attack her?

I must have.

Nurse Ashby was really nice.

She asked me questions.

Then why did you kill her?

I don't know.

David, I've heard you're a very good piano player.

Not...good...enough.

-He thinks he killed her.

-Course he did.

Then why can't he remember?

Because he's a nutcase locked in a padded cell?

He didn't present as unfit, just confused.

-He's fit for trial.

-And that's what worries me.

PIANO MUSIC PLAYS

You know his fingerprints were all over the knife.

-You coming?

-Um...

I'll catch up with you later.

I couldn't help admiring your bird, it's beautiful.

-I've practised a lot.

-Yes, I can tell.

-I'm Lucien.

-Oriel.

What a lovely name.

-What are you going to paint?

-I don't know yet.

Do you know, my mother was an artist.

And sometimes she'd let me come in her studio...

..and I'd sit and watch her paint. I loved it.

Would you like to see something I've painted?

Oh, yes, please.

Oh, that's good. That's...

That's really good. Is...that David?

I painted it yesterday.

And...

..this is before he had the fight with Nurse Ashby, isn't it?

Before...and after.

MUSIC STOPS AND POWER DRAINS

Oriel, tell me. What did you think of Nurse Ashby?

She asked too many questions. MUSIC STARTS

Thank you, Oriel.

Hello.

-I'm Dr Blake.

-I know.

-And you are...?

-Oriel doesn't like you.

I'm sure Oriel can speak for herself.

I don't like you either.

But you do like Oriel, don't you? That's what this is all about.

Don't you talk about her.

-And why shouldn't I talk about her?

-Because you're weak.

Well, some people might debate that.

Now look, Oriel is a very lovely young woman

but this isn't the best way to gain her attention, is it...?

Bryn! Bryn, let him go!

Let him go!

Thank you.

Thank you, Dr Winters.

-They want you to stop upsetting the patients.

-Oh, do they now?

What they really want me to do is sack you

but I thought I'd soften it. You can't help yourself, can you?

Well, don't you think something's very strange there.

Course I do! It's an asylum. It's all bloody strange.

Well, that big chap who threatened me sees himself as Oriel's protector.

-I suggest we add him to the list.

-Oh, look, there's no list, Blake.

Hoyle was found with a knife, standing over that poor girl.

Is this where you say something about working with my father?

Don't tempt me.

You really think something's wrong about that murder?

Oh, I'm not sure. Danny.

How's Violet Ashby's dad?

He's a tough old bloke.

Apparently he was the boss's boss when he first started.

Made his life hell.

Well, explains a few things, doesn't it?

Listen, can you tell me where I might be able

to find Mattie this afternoon?

She was rostered on early this morning so she'll be home by now.

I did some checking around for you.

Ah, thank you.

Did you know Violet Ashby was accused of negligence?

Uh, a patient died last year, a Patrick Garret.

Apparently, there was some mix-up with his meds

and she got off with a reprimand.

A reprimand? For fatally mixing up someone's meds?

Well, apparently it wasn't quite so cut and dried.

The finding was vague.

And the hospital took her back.

Dear, oh, dear. That's not much of a recommendation, is it?

How are you?

Perhaps it was a mistake me taking you with me last night.

If I'm going to be serious about the work,

I need to see all sides of it.

Yes.

HE CLEARS THROAT

Mattie...

She was a nurse...

..and she was my age.

And she had...

She had her whole life ahead of her. Yes, I know.

Does this mean I'm not cut out for this?

Oh, not at all.

Do you know what it means?

It means you're absolutely the right person for the job.

Doctor?

A patient here to see you. No appointment.

Of course. One of our regulars?

No, I don't think so.

Oriel, what a nice surprise.

-Is that one of your mother's?

-That one?

No, no, not that one.

Why are you here, Oriel?

I'm a voluntary patient. I can sign myself out.

That's not quite what I'm asking, is it?

You said you liked my painting.

-Yes, I did.

-Would you like to see another?

-It's you.

-Yes.

Do you like it?

Wonderful. Really wonderful.

You're very talented, Oriel.

But I'm not sure that it was a good idea for you to come here.

Why not?

How did you come to be at Blackhill in the first place?

Mum and Dad pay for me to be there.

Why?

There was a boy I liked.

He didn't like me.

I got angry.

With him?

With his girlfriend.

I see.

And how did you get on with Nurse Ashby?

She was always asking questions.

Writing things down in her little book.

Hmm, that's what David said too.

She talked to him a lot.

That was after Patrick died.

Patrick was a patient, wasn't he?

They said Violet killed him accidentally.

Do you believe that?

Well, I'll tell you something, Oriel.

These paintings...

boy, they, uh...

Well, they really are exceptional.

I love the way you capture how you feel

and you managed to do that with your painting of David as well.

He's easy to paint. You know what he's thinking.

So if I was to look at your painting of David,

would I see that he was thinking of hurting Nurse Ashby?

David would never have hurt her,

especially not with a kitchen knife.

Why not?

His dad was a butcher.

He can't stand the sight of blood.

And he's terrified of knives.

I see.

Oriel...

..where were you last night

after David had his argument with Nurse Ashby?

Lucien is supposed to mean "bringer of light".

Did you know that?

Not really, no.

I think they're wrong.

What's going on?

Oriel Vogel can't tell me where she was last night

between the day room and dinner.

So?

She has a history of jealous attacks

and she's prone to inappropriate attachments.

Blake, you're a GP, you're not a shrink.

What if I can prove David Hoyle DID NOT kill Violet Ashby, hmm?

How'd you swing this? You're supposed to be staying away.

I may have lied to Dr Laine.

David, how are you? I'm Dr Lucien Blake.

Do you remember me?

Do you, um, do you remember why you've been locked in your cell?

Hmm.

Don't be alarmed, Lawson.

David, I want you to take this knife.

-I want you to take the knife and stab me.

-Blake.

Come on, you won't get into trouble, I promise.

-No.

-David, come on. I want you to take the knife.

-I can't.

Blake!

You can't take the knife, can you, David?

The very thought of touching the blade terrifies you, doesn't it?

Lawson, look, I...

I don't know who killed Violet Ashby but I can tell you this.

Of all the people it could be, it wasn't this young man here.

But I did.

I had the knife in my hand.

I had her blood on me.

-I can still see her.

-It's all right, David.

I killed her.

Killed her.

-David, hey, bloody hell!

-Get him out of here!

For God's sake!

You said you wanted to talk to David for research purposes!

My patients are not there for you to play games with!

I believe Dr Blake was testing a hypothesis.

What hypothesis?

Could you give us a moment, Ken?

-I will not let this happen again.

-It won't. Now, if you don't mind?

You've found it hard to believe that David Hoyle

could have killed Violet, haven't you?

First it was me you were wondering about, then it's Oriel.

Oriel has private sessions with Dr Laine.

I took her from the day room to Dr Laine's office.

I collected her an hour later and took her to the dining room.

I see.

And what is it you think you see, Dr Blake?

And what about you, doctor?

I did not kill Violet.

-And why should we believe you?

-Because I loved her.

I loved her.

And she seemed to love me.

You were lovers.

Dr Winters...

..what about her reprimand?

Violet always maintained she was innocent.

How'd you get the cuts on your hand?

Some of our patients harm themselves

just to give their internal pain an external form.

I'm no different.

How's the investigation going?

Someone's daughter died,

a number of lives have been pretty much ruined...

..and my pride has taken a battering.

Oh, I thought you didn't have any.

Hah! I thought so too.

Mm-hm.

-You mind?

-Sorry.

-Thank you.

Jean, hang on.

-What?

-May I?

-Hmm?

Jean.

-Did I wake you?

-No, I was up.

-Fancy a drink?

-No, I'm fine.

Ah, here's one you'll know.

Here's one you might know.

Join in whenever you like!

It's a little late for a singsong.

-Nonsense, never too late for a song.

-Yes, it is.

You play very well.

It's a shame we only hear you late at night.

Yeah.

Of course, Dad was a virtuoso, could play anything.

Which was why I eventually took up the drums.

-Oh, bloody hell.

-Don't worry. You should go to bed.

HE SIGHS

Yes.

Dr Blake's son gets it spectacularly wrong again.

Self-recrimination and alcohol, Jean, never mix.

I'll keep that in mind. Come on, bed.

-Oops. Um, shall I...

-No, no, leave that.

-Oh, it's a bloody mess.

-Yes.

Oh, I should probably...

I should probably...

..probably go and brush my teeth, Jean.

Ah, sweet Jean...

Ah, sir?

Violet Ashby's effects.

Her dad wanted them back.

Should I take them over or...?

No, give them here.

-That'll be all.

-Sir.

One set of car keys.

One pair of glasses, damaged.

And, ah, two gold rings.

One with gemstones.

That'll be all, Superintendent.

Thanks for the house call.

I'm glad it was you.

Not that mess of a man you call your constable.

Constable Parks is all right.

Lawson.

It really was one of the loonies that did this, was it?

A patient died up there a couple of months ago.

They blamed Violet for it.

She was trying to prove it wasn't her fault.

We think it may have been one of the patients.

Well...it's your investigation.

I'd be asking a few more questions.

Sir.

-Morning.

-Ah, good morning.

There's a plate of bacon and eggs when you're ready.

Thank you.

Jean...

I do apologise for last night.

My, um, playing was horrendous.

I wouldn't say that.

Dad would have.

Thank you for the tea.

Lawson.

Now...you're going to think I've lost my mind.

Ah.

-Oriel.

-Am I in trouble?

No, no, not at all.

In fact, I think you're about to be very, very helpful.

There we are.

I've been, um, studying your paintings.

They really are very good. Lawson, would you mind...?

Now this one.

Can you tell me what's happening here?

-You were talking to me.

-Right.

And this one...why is that so much darker?

The lights went down.

Our power system's very old.

It struggles to cope when there's additional drain on it.

DISTANT SCREAMING Oriel?

Do you know why the lights go down?

It's when Dr Laine does the ECT on us.

Right.

Right.

What about these ones?

You painted this one

before David had his argument with Nurse Ashby, didn't you? Yeah.

And this one...was after the argument, wasn't it?

He'd left the room.

The lights went low. I guessed it was for him.

Everyone else was in the day room.

Right. What time do you think that was?

-Seven o'clock.

-Seven o'clock.

Let's have a little look in the book, shall we?

Now...

..here we are.

"Hoyle, David.

"150 volts, 8.55pm."

After Violet was killed.

But there's no record of any treatment around seven o'clock.

Oriel, can you tell me...

how many times a day would you say

the lights dimmed?

Once or twice. If that.

Four times a day, at least.

-I count them.

-Four.

David had two sessions of ECT with Dr Laine that day,

before and AFTER Violet was killed.

Yet only the latter has been recorded in the log.

And there is no way, no way David could have killed Violet Ashby.

ALARM SOUNDS

What's that?

-Get some help!

-Step back.

-- Step back, I'll deal with this.

-Stay where you are! Ted, help me.

-The cavalry's arrived.

-This man's insane.

Oh...just angry.

He wants to know why your name

is all the way through his daughter's notebooks.

I can tell you why, Mr Ashby.

Dr Laine here thinks of himself as a researcher.

Lucien.

Extra sessions of ECT,

and I'm guessing heavier dosages of drugs,

just to see what happens.

I mean, after all, they're... they're just loonies.

What else are they good for?

And then one of them died.

And Violet was blamed.

-This was the one who framed her?

-Yes.

You see, Violet started asking too many questions,

and he must have worked out that she was onto him.

So he murdered her and mutilated her

and tried to frame one of his patients.

-This is absurd!

-Mr Ashby, please!

Sir! Sir!

I understand this is your old service pistol.

So?

Went missing in the changeover. We've been looking for it.

I-I just need to do a bit of paperwork,

then I can put it to bed. But you must give me the gun.

-Not till he confesses.

-Doug, it won't be admissible.

-You got enough to convict?

-I'll get it sorted.

You've got Violet's notebooks. She kept meticulous records.

You should be very proud of her.

You'll be charging me with firearms of fences.

And possible attempt to commit murder.

That's my decision, Doug.

It's time to go home now.

Kenneth Laine, I'm charging you

on suspicion of murder and assault.

You have the right to remain silent.

-You're old Tom's boy, aren't you?

-Yes.

So everyone keeps reminding me.

Good man, your dad.

Psychiatry is such a new field.

We're 150 years behind immunology, 500 behind surgery.

ECT is only in its infancy.

There's a new generation of anti-psychotic drugs.

Dibenzodiazepine shows great promise

when coupled with hypnosis.

And, uh, you thought you'd just speed things along a little?

No-one missed Patrick Garrett.

No-one would have missed David Hoyle.

At least their lives could have been of use to someone.

And Violet Ashby got framed when Patrick Garrett died

and she started asking questions.

David had told me Violet was keeping a notebook.

Doses, treatments, everything.

I couldn't let that go on.

Then you gave Hoyle ECT.

And while he was unconscious, you killed Violet...

..and dragged him into the room.

Let him take the knife so that when he woke up...

Well, he would have no memory of what he'd done.

We've been checking your past records

and there are some unexplained patient deaths

at other hospitals that you've worked at.

Not all of those were research.

What did your research tell you after all this?

Oh, Lucien.

It's far too early to tell.

Lovely to hear the piano at a reasonable time of day.

Jean.

Thank you for tidying up after me last night.

I made quite a mess.

No trouble at all.

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