White Collar Crime Armchair Detectives

You're eagle-eyed, bright as a button, and carry a notepad and pencil wherever you go.

You're either a very nosey neighbour or the perfect person for this series.

Welcome to the TV show with only one question - whodunnit?

Welcome to Armchair Detectives,

the show where these Sherlock Holmes wannabes will try

and solve a fictional crime.

Our amateur sleuths will watch the evidence unfold from a case

set in Mortcliff,

the quiet village where you should have an alibi ready at all times.

They'll watch Mortcliff's top coppers uncover the suspects.

There they are.

DI Knight, DC Slater, and Scene of Crime Officer Simmons.

Before we head to Mortcliff for the first time,

let's meet our armchair detectives.

Hello, armchair detectives.

-ALL:

-Hi!

-Always cheerful, always ready to go.

Now, only three of you play each day,

so please take your armchairs,

Charley, Krystyna and Kathryn. Come on up.

The detectives who guess the killer correctly will win one of these -

the glorious golden magnifying glass trophy.

-AUDIENCE:

-Ooh!

Now, Charley, you're chasing a second win,

which would put you on par with your girlfriend, Laura.

What tactic are you going to employ today?

Well, on the basis of previous performance,

I'm expecting a crossword clue carefully engraved inside

a wooden leg held by an identical twin with a squinty tattoo.

So...

I am prepared for anything.

Now, Kathryn, you and James are the only detectives who could end

up with a 100% record.

Do you think you're going to make it?

I'm going to leave it to providence.

I think I've got the three

so far through a combination of

a benevolent providence and dumb luck.

OK. And, Krystyna, do you need some dumb luck today?

-How are you going to do it?

-Employ my formula.

Your formula. Remind everyone what your formula is.

-K = FMC.

-Which is?

Killer equals forensics, motive, connection.

Let's see if that works out. Time for round one.

The Crime Scene.

Knight and Slater are called out to meet Simmons at St Barnaby's Church.

Notepads at the ready.

For the first time today, let's head over to Mortcliff.

Reverend Tranton, I believe there's been a fatality.

It's Father McRay.

He was a reverend here at St Barnaby's before me.

We heard the bell ring out at five, which was unexpected.

Reverend Willis went up to investigate and...

..that's when we found him.

Yes. Terrible, shocking.

It's just up there.

Thank you.

Could I ask you all to remain here while we take a look?

Please don't touch anything - this is now an active crime scene.

Bruising around the neck, so it's very likely he was strangled.

The reverends say they heard the bell ring at five o'clock.

Well, it appears he pulled the rope to attract attention,

which would suggest the time of death was around five.

I'll confirm that as soon as. We're dusting for prints now.

Any chance this is anything other than a murder?

With those bruises,

it's unlikely.

You said you heard the bell ring at five o'clock.

Do you know if anyone was with Father McRay at that time?

There were the three of us having a meeting about tonight's service.

The front door was still locked.

There's only one entrance to the bell tower, am I correct?

Yes, only one.

That's my key to the bell tower.

What are you doing with it?

No idea at all.

Thank you for your time.

When we have more information we'll be in touch.

Reverend Tranton?

I suppose all the other celebrations will need to be cancelled now.

I'm afraid so.

Was there something you wanted to say to us?

It's just that Father McRay wasn't, well...

the most popular of men, I'm afraid to say.

Can you elaborate?

He was rude to me. Dictatorial and an unsupportive colleague.

Indeed.

Reverend Reese didn't have much time for him, nor does Reverend Willis.

I see.

Father McRay was always very critical of Reverend Reese, and

Reverend Willis was always the butt of his horrible practical jokes.

Since we've been planning the special celebrations we've

spent the entire time arguing.

About?

Everything, really.

From who would lead the sermon to one another's delivery style.

Honestly, I think when it comes to suspects you're spoilt for choice.

Thank you for your insights, Reverend Tranton.

My pleasure. Anything else, just give me a call.

I've never known anyone so keen to give us their insights, sir.

OK.

Now, armchair detectives,

there are a lot of reverends in this particular mystery.

So, if you don't mind, I'm going to give you the victim profile and

we'll get the suspects up so we know exactly who we're talking about.

So, let's deal with the victim first of all.

Today, we're investigating the death of Reverend McRay.

He was 60 years old.

He was a former reverend at St Barnaby's Church.

In his personal life, Reverend McRay was a fundraiser.

The cause of death is suspected strangulation,

and the time of death is approximately 5pm.

Let's take a look at the suspects board

so we know who we're talking about.

We've got Reverend Tranton,

the current reverend of St Barnaby's Church, Reverend Willis,

the former reverend, and Reverend Reese, also a former reverend.

She is helping the police with their enquiries with an ungodly

degree of enthusiasm.

-And what about the Reverend Reese?

-He has an unfortunate expression...

-Yes.

-..in there, which would seem to indicate that

the joy of the Lord does not run particularly fast in his veins.

Also looked a bit shifty when he was sitting down, the two of them together.

-There was a wee bit of...

-There was a little bit, yes, exactly.

Here's your first piece of evidence to interrogate.

Pictures of the bell rope at the crime scene.

Two's crossed over with three, but also it's a different knot.

And that knot is a...

Oh, God, what's it called?

It's like a sort of whatever knot.

The bell ringers or whoever's responsible for ringing

the bell would never have left them like that.

-No, they wouldn't.

-An experienced bell ringer wouldn't leave them like that.

And the other question is he's been strangled,

and when we focused in on the photo of Father McRay's right

hand, his pinkie finger was bent away from the rope.

If he's been strangled from behind with a rope or something it's

going to be the smallest finger to try and get through.

So if we can identify one of the those ropes, which may or may

not be broken, then we'll know which rope was used to strangle.

Yeah, because whoever did it put it back in the wrong position and the wrong knot, so...

So, do you think it's number two that he's been strangled with

-and put back in the wrong way?

-Yes.

But why are those two ropes crossed?

Because I think in a hurry maybe he didn't notice that

the person that killed him didn't notice that.

Interesting.

Make sure you make a note of that, cos that might come up later on.

Time for round two, Last Movements.

We'll now see what happened to Reverend McRay on the day

of his death.

Let's head to bell ringing practice at St Barnaby's Church.

So, we have six bells.

This rope leads to the number two bell, which is

the second lightest bell.

-It still weighs several hundred kilograms.

-Indeed.

I do hope I don't have to go over the dangers of unsupervised

bell ringing.

BELL RINGS

Thank you.

The bell we'll give you some practice on is the treble,

which is the lightest bell,

and we've tied it off at the clapper so it won't make any noise.

Quite useful if things go wrong when you're practising.

It makes an awful din.

Reverend Willis here is an expert bell ringer,

so he'll be able to give you some pointers.

So, who would you like to go first? Reverend Reese?

Oh, no, no, no, no. No, thanks.

I'm just here to watch.

Father McRay?

Bells are not my thing.

The peal of God's loveliness doesn't move you?

Awful din, really.

Reverend Tranton, please. Thank you.

OK. So just bend at the knees and pull straight down.

The bell will do the work.

No need for a gym membership now.

-Nothing quite like a good bell ring.

-Yeah?

-Keeps you physically fit.

-So I see.

Thank you, Lee. I'm going to be stiff in the morning.

A nice hot bath will sort you out, and I've locked up as well.

-Great. See you later.

-Bye-bye.

-Bye.

Should we all reconvene at 4.30? I've had a few thoughts.

And hopefully this discussion won't be as heated as last night's.

Nothing wrong with a bit of debate.

If all parties listen as well as pontificate.

Absolutely.

Thank you all.

Hello, Reverend.

Never known one so young keen to spend so much time reading.

Here you go.

How's the archive research going?

Incredibly well. Yesterday, I found all the designs to the bell tower.

Lovely. So glad the archives are doing something useful.

Let's chat later, shall we?

Yes, of course.

Anything I can do to help?

Just tell me where you want the arrangements to go.

Do the usual as well as a few extras.

Did you bring roses?

I've got some lovely peach-coloured ones that

I got this morning from Davey Clarke.

They're in the van. You have no idea what he told me.

If this is gossip, I'm really busy.

Not at all.

You know me, Reverend, the last thing I do is gossip.

Indeed.

Davey said that Reverend Reese wanted to refurbish

the vestry in the church residence when he lived there,

and he did lots of fundraising, but somehow the funds went missing.

-Margot!

-Not gossip, Reverend, fact.

Where's Father McRay? Are we to begin without him?

I'm sure he'll be along presently.

Look, we've got a lot to get through.

I suggest we just carry on.

So, Father McRay will discuss the nativity.

Reverend Willis, you will cover the Ascension.

And, Reverend Reese, you will do the Holy Trinity.

Or... Or I could.

-I'm sorry?

-Honestly. Not this again?

You always get to do the good bits.

All right. Reverend Willis, you can do the Holy Trinity.

BELL RINGS

I thought Lee had gone.

I'll go take a look.

Wow. A lot going on there.

There is a huge amount going on there.

So, let's just take it bit by bit.

It struck me that Jeanette is very fussy and careful.

When she came into the church she walked up,

she straightened, she stuck the poster down.

She's very fastidious, isn't she? Yeah.

So she's fastidious about what she did,

so it's unlikely that she would have done something, even though she'd

just been introduced to the bells, like tie them up the wrong way.

Tie them up the wrong way or cross them over or any of those things.

But I think probably the most relevant bit was

Peter, Tenge his name was, saying that the archives had

-discovered the original plans for the bell tower.

-Yes.

And I would be very surprised if that schematic doesn't perhaps

-have another way in and out that nobody knows about.

-Oh.

Let's get the suspect board up,

cos we've got some more people to add to the suspect board.

We've adding a further three names.

Lee Brewer, the bell ringer, Margot Babbage, best name ever,

a florist, and Peter Henge, a research student.

The Reverend Reese was looking for...

He'd been raising funds to redo the vestry

in the living accommodation and that money had disappeared.

-And obviously...

-Yeah, the funds had gone, yeah.

-Peter Henge. What did we find out from Peter?

-We didn't find out much about him.

He's a young man who's very interested in the archives.

Never seen a young man who's so interested in reading before.

I'm glad those archives are getting some sort of use.

And he may or may not have found another way into the belfry.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, that's what I wondered, whether he did or not.

Yeah. Well, now's your chance to pick a piece of evidence to

interrogate further.

We have a forensic report on a vase from St Barnaby's Church,

or a CD from St Barnaby's Church,

and, finally, the amended order of proceedings.

Let's go for the vase.

Yeah, I was going to say, I'm not sure why it's there,

so if I'm not sure why it's there, let's find out.

Yeah, because it's odd that it's suddenly come up and all I saw her do was move it.

-She just picked it up.

-Picked it up and...

-Yeah, I think we should go for the vase.

Let's have a look at that then, yeah. Vase forensics, please.

So, we have a sample found on the vase,

and it matches no-one on that list.

The DNA doesn't match anybody's.

It is quite close to Reverend Willis.

But the DNA is very close to E.

Yeah.

So would that, I wonder

if the person on that is related to Reverend Willis.

Is there anyone on that list that's on the suspect board?

Young Peter Henge is there,

and if that DNA is as close to the Reverend Willis as we think,

and we have a young man around about the right sort of age,

I have a narrative forming.

Do you have a narrative forming? We'll find out in a wee minute.

It's time to lock in your prime suspect, armchair detectives.

Who do you think is most likely to be the killer so far?

Please write the name down in your notebooks now.

Charley, tell me who your prime suspect is and why.

I've gone for the angriest beard in Mortcliff, Reverend Willis.

-Why?

-He's an expert bell ringer, he has the keys to the place.

He has means, he has that kind of deep-seated rage,

it's quavering through his eyebrows.

I can see him killing McRay.

One joke too far and he snaps.

He snaps like a psychological twig,

and this is only going to be the first body, I think.

We're looking for a full-blown rampage from him.

Krystyna, who have you chosen as your prime suspect and why?

-Peter Henge.

-Why?

A, he wasn't tested for DNA.

B, I really do think his DNA's remarkably similar to Willis.

I think he's found out that Willis was his father and didn't know that.

And he's angry about something and he's decided to top him off.

Who have you gone for and why, Kathryn?

I have gone for the Reverend Reese.

There's something buttoned-up about his demeanour,

and we've heard that he is widely suspected by people apparently

outside the church that he raised money for the refurbishment

of the manse and the living quarters, and that it vanished.

And I think that because he is actually holding everything in,

whereas I think the other minister would just blow up and confess.

Willis just kind of...

Well, Willis would confess the moment the police arrived.

OK.

So, in summary,

our armchair detectives have suspected as follows.

Charley has gone for Reverend Willis, Krystyna has

gone for Peter Henge, and Kathryn has gone for Reverend Reese.

Well, it's on to round three now, the Police Interviews.

DI Knight receives a very interesting phone call.

Notepads at the ready, let's go to Mortcliff Police Station.

Turns out time of death was around 3.30.

Not five, as Simmons originally summarised.

It's interesting, that. Changes everything.

Were you alone Friday evening?

No.

I had Reverend Willis staying, as he's from out of town.

Reverend Reese and Father McRay both joined us for dinner

so we could all plan the sermon together.

You know, Margot is pretty busy when there's a death,

given she runs both the flower shop and funeral parlour.

At 3.30, I was in the vault under the church, finishing some

research that I was going to present as part of Sunday's celebration.

I discovered some really interesting stuff on how the bells were made.

Reverend Reese had asked me

if I could find out anything about the collection plate we use.

I didn't find anything particularly interesting, just a newsletter

with a picture of Reverend Reese and Father McRay

from the early '90s.

Did you see or hear anything out of the ordinary?

I heard people arguing. It was around half three.

And then I heard something break shortly after that.

Did you recognise the voices?

No idea at all.

Male or female voices?

Sorry, no.

I was sitting in the gardens at the back of the church relaxing.

Around a quarter to four I came back inside to inspect the church,

assessing its wear and tear,

looking at the new things they've put in since I've left.

Margot was there. She was trimming flowers.

Did you notice anything unusual?

She was wearing gloves.

Is that unusual?

In my day she never used to. Struck me as rather odd.

But then she's always been an odd woman.

Margot takes such delights in other's misfortunes,

a deeply unappealing trait.

He was a misogynist in my honest opinion. Very rude to women.

Particularly obnoxious to Jeanette.

The woman was a saint for tolerating him.

Reverend Willis, what were you doing at 3.30 yesterday afternoon?

I... I can't remember.

Do you have memory issues, Reverend?

Not at all.

Let's see, I... Oh, well, I was involved in the peal in the morning.

I love a good bell ring. A peal lasts about three hours.

It's quite a workout - that's why I'm still so strong.

I think I was reading through my part of the sermon for that

evening, but I'm not entirely sure.

You were the one who discovered the body.

Did you move or touch anything?

I'm not sure. Quite shocking seeing a dead body.

Indeed.

Do you recognise this at all?

No. I don't think so.

I mean, apart from the fact that it's a key.

Yes, it's the key to the bell tower.

When we arrived at the church you had it in your pocket.

Do you know why?

Did I?

Well, I don't know how it got there.

LAUGHTER

What's going on? Oh, my goodness!

Let's start at the very beginning.

We've found out some very important information in that film.

What did we find out?

Time of death had been altered. It wasn't the same.

-Is that right?

-What's the time of death, apparently?

-3.30.

-3.30.

So we initially thought it was...

-Five o'clock.

-Five o'clock.

-Why did we think it was five o'clock?

Because that was the time the body was discovered

and we thought it must be close to then.

But why has the time changed?

But also didn't the bell go at five?

The bell went at five.

-Yeah. But if he was dead at 3.30...

-Yeah.

So a bell went at five, which made everyone go,

"Oh, why is the bell going?"

-Yeah.

-And we know that the bell rope that was in McRay's hand could not

have been the bell ringing, because that was the tenor bell.

It was muffled.

So it would have to be at the very minimum either three or four,

which were crossed over.

The second bell had the changed knot and three

and four were crossed over.

Hold on a second, Kathryn's just sat up like a bolt of lightning...

-Inspiration.

-..has hit her.

Come on, Kathryn.

Whoever tried ringing the bell to call attention

wasn't at the meeting, because if he'd been at the meeting

they would have known that the bell was tied...it was tied off.

So who was supposed to be at the meeting and then wasn't?

There was somebody, wasn't there?

Well, here's the suspect board.

All the reverends were at the meeting, weren't they?

-Was Margot there?

-Nope.

What about Peter? Was Peter there?

No, he came with Margot later on.

Yeah. So Peter and Margot were not at the meeting.

Yeah. Let's take a look at another piece of evidence,

-see if it can help you out.

-Excellent.

A CD from St Barnaby's Church, the amended order of proceedings,

or the new piece of evidence, an old church newsletter.

Yeah, let's gamble on the newsletter.

-The newsletter?

-Sounds good to me. Why not?

-The newsletter?

-The newsletter, please.

All right. They're so decisive today, it's excellent.

Newsletter, please.

Let's have a look at it. So, January meeting of the board.

"Thank you for the donations,

"this week's collection totalled £20."

That's two Scottish £10 notes and a Scottish £5 note.

-Or is it?

-No.

-No, it's 20, isn't it?

-Mm.

So it's 40 up there rather than 20 quid.

So somebody's been skimming the plate, haven't they?

Somebody's had half of it.

-So that's not...

-He did say that funds were being missing.

-Yes.

-Who was it that said...

-That was the flower lady.

-Margot.

-Didn't the flower lady...

Yeah, Margot's gossip was that funds had gone

-missing for the refurbishment.

-OK, but who's noticed the picture?

That was noticed by Peter.

And if the rumour and scuttlebutt around the town from Margot

is that Reese is the one responsible for skimming stuff,

and that happened before he took over from McRay,

maybe he's been searching for evidence to clear his name.

He was never the thief, our victim was.

OK, guys, it's time to pick your prime suspect again.

Are you going to change your mind?

Are you going to stick with who you had?

Please write down the name of your prime suspect now.

-So, Charley.

-Yes.

Last time, your prime suspect was the Reverend Willis.

Have you changed your mind?

I absolutely have. I've gone for Peter Henge instead.

-All right, why?

-Well, Peter Henge was obviously downstairs underneath the belfry.

He's come up via the secret passage, opened by twitching

one of the rope stanchions, murdered him. He's done this

because he's discovered he's the illegitimate son of Reverend Reese.

Krystyna, last time you went for Peter. Have you changed your mind?

-No.

-Why Peter?

I do think it's something to with lineage,

but, yeah, there's something... My gut instinct says him.

-I'm staying with my gut instinct.

-Often going with your gut is the best thing to do.

Kathryn, last time you went for Reverend Reese.

Have you changed your mind?

No, I'm still sticking with the Reverend Reese,

though I don't have a huge amount of conviction about it.

But there's something about his buttoned-upness that makes me

feel he's keeping quiet on a lot.

Yeah. Here's your suspect round up.

Charley has gone for Peter, Krystyna has gone for Peter,

and Kathryn has gone for the Reverend Reese.

Well, now it's time for round four, Dig Deeper.

It's time for tea at St Barnaby's.

This arrived for you.

Reverend Willis, what's in your pocket?

Gosh, who put it there?

My dear, I'm so sorry.

It's fine, Reverend. Try not to do it again.

Good grief, you don't think it was me, do you?

Of course not.

Right, down to business.

For tomorrow's sermon, I'll go first,

then hand over to you, Reverend Reese,

and then you, Reverend Willis,

and then I thought you could finish things off, Father McRay.

It makes more sense that it's the other way around, don't you think?

As the oldest and the first father, surely I should start.

Well, since I am the current reverend.

Well, I think it's fair to say that I'm the most popular one.

Fair how?

My dear, no-one can deny the drop in attendance since your tenure.

And I bet you have a theory on why that is.

The thing with women is how quickly they become emotional.

It's not ideal in positions of responsibility.

Oh, dear. Are we going to fight?

Absolutely not. I invited you, I didn't have to.

Oh, but you did, my dear.

With dwindling numbers you couldn't afford not to invite me.

Why don't you introduce McRay, Jeanette,

and then McRay can do the beginning of the sermon?

Sounds like a good idea to me.

Although you don't want too much on your plate, McRay.

Fine.

BELLS RING

Have you heard what Reverend McRay said?

Hold on.

CD PLAYER CLICKS, BELLS STOP

Sorry about that, I can barely hear myself think.

What were you saying, Margot?

McRay, he was at the Post Office and Davey overheard him

complaining about how you've made a mess of the church.

Every time that man comes all he does is undermine me.

I'm going to have to speak to him.

Davey also said that Reese is living well, way beyond his means.

-Some say...

-Margot, that's enough gossip.

Hi, Lee.

I would have gone up to sort out the bell tower but I've lost my key.

That's strange for a Post-it Note organisational genius like yourself.

Most strange. I'll see you at two for the bell ringing session.

I'm glad you're coming.

I wouldn't miss it for the world.

Well, there was clearly a very significant dig about "you've

-got too much on your plate".

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Subtle. Subtle, that was.

-Wasn't it?

One reverend clearly suspects the other one of having skimmed

Father McRay of...

I think it's more than suspects, because Father McRay was

giving it the big I am all the way through, and the only thing that

put him in his place and shut him up was, "Bit much on your plate, eh?"

-And it was Reverend Reese who said that.

-Bingo. Yes.

-To Reverend McRay.

-I think Reese might be holding that over him

and using that as a stick to beat McRay.

And the other one, they have an electric bell chime.

My church, one of my old churches used to have one of those.

Oh, really?

It had a lightweight hammer, and it just played, like, a little chime.

-The CD.

-And the CD.

Let's just work out the timing.

So, what's the significance of having the bells ringing

electronically? What's the significance of that?

Then all our wonderful theories about which rope was pulled,

which was muted could be completely moot,

-cos the bell could simply have been a press button on the CD.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Well, let's look at the evidence,

see if we can take you forward in the investigation.

A CD from St Barnaby's Church, the amended order of proceedings,

and the new item, a postcard given to Father McRay, which we saw

being handed over whilst they were having their meeting in that film.

Which one would you like to see?

I'm entranced by the postcard on the grounds that that's obviously

shut McRay up a little bit. He's a fairly odious human being.

It did, because when she passed it over.

-Yeah.

-I think the postcard.

-Yeah, I think so too.

-I think the postcard.

-Yeah? Postcard?

Let's have a look at it, then.

-It was completely weird, wasn't it, when he looked at it?

-Yes. Agreed.

-Let's see the postcard.

Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay. And it reads, "I'm travelling AGAIN.

"I'm in San Francisco going UP lots of hills.

"Enjoyed Alcatraz but had to PAY.

"Come and you WILL not regret it. Wish YOU were here."

To the Reverend McRay, Vicarage, St Barnaby's Church.

Subtle.

Or, if we go from the capitalised words bottom to top,

"you will pay up again."

-Yeah.

-Do you think it's a code?

I suspect it may be, Susan.

What else can you spot?

-There's no stamp on the postcard.

-Which means?

-Very good point.

-That the person actually handed it over.

-Great point, Krystyna.

-Yeah.

OK, armchair detectives, prime suspect time again.

Who you going to go for? Write it down now.

Charley, last time, your prime suspect was Peter.

-Yes.

-Have you changed your mind?

-Absolutely.

Of course you have! Who have you gone for this time?

-I've gone for Jeanette Tranton, the Reverend.

-Why?

Because she has been extraordinarily tolerant in dealing with

the odious, odious Reverend McRay and his misogyny unpleasantness.

I think she's finally snapped.

Krystyna, last time your prime suspect was Peter.

Who have you gone for this time?

Peter.

Peter again? Why have you stuck with him?

It's just my gut instinct.

Kathryn, last time you went for the Reverend Reese.

Have you changed your mind?

Yes, I have.

Who have you gone for?

I've gone for Peter.

Why?

We came to the conclusion earlier that we thought it was

-possibly one of the people who wasn't at the meeting.

-Yes.

And Peter is one of those people.

So, in summary, the prime suspects as it stands are... Charley has

gone for the Reverend Tranton, Krystyna has gone for Peter,

and Kathryn has gone for Peter as well.

It's round five, the Final Clues.

Knight and Slater are praying for a quick conclusion to this case.

Notepads at the ready, let's head back to Mortcliff.

-SIMMONS:

-I've officially determined the cause of death.

-McRay was strangled.

-Is that with the bell rope?

No. This is interesting.

He was strangled by someone wearing gloves.

He had a few fresh bruises on his chest like he'd been punched.

Hello, I'm Mrs McRay.

DI Knight. Thank you so much for coming in.

When I heard that he'd been sent a postcard

I had to come right away and show you these.

He received more than one of these?

Every six months or so a postcard would arrive, and he'd say,

"That cursed reverend."

No idea who sent them, though. They don't sign their name.

It's happened for donkey's years now.

So you've no idea who sent them?

None at all.

Well.

OK. Fairly important discovery in that film, which was?

That he's been blackmailed for a significantly longer period of time.

-Been blackmailed for some years.

-Yes.

And he said, "A cursed reverend," so he knows it's Reese, essentially.

And what else did we find out?

That he was strangled by somebody wearing gloves.

They didn't tell you what he was strangled with.

-Someone wearing gloves.

-But it was someone wearing gloves.

The person wearing gloves was Margot Babbage, wearing green gloves.

OK, armchair detectives, let's move on to your final evidence pick.

You can have either

a CD from St Barnaby's Church or the amended order of proceedings.

I'm not sold on the CD track listing,

but if there is not the sound of

that single, fairly deep-toned bell...

Then we have to go back to...

We have to go back to somebody having pulled the bell rope.

-Pulled the bell.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-Go for the CD.

-The CD.

-I'm convinced.

-I think so.

Let's have a look at the CD track listing, then.

-One bell was the Funeral Call.

-Track three, Funeral Call.

-Track three.

-It could be, it could be that.

Could well be.

And I think also more critically is the fact there is a remote control.

So somebody could have done that..

Somebody could have quite comfortably taken

the gloves from the vase, which is why we got the vase

mentioned in the first place, strangled our victim, McRay,

come back and whilst at the meeting gone "bong" underneath the table.

OK. Armchair detectives, I'm afraid the moment has come to us again.

-No!

-No!

You're about to make your final accusation for the chance

of winning a golden magnifying glass.

-AUDIENCE:

-Ooh!

It's time to answer the only question that matters - whodunnit?

Congratulations to Prestonpans Ladies Rugby Team,

who have guessed every killer so far this series.

Well done. Clever ladies.

It's the big moment.

I need you to tell me who you're accusing and why. Charley.

Right, I have gone for Peter.

The only people who weren't at the campanology lesson were

Margot and Peter.

And only someone who wasn't at the campanology would have put

the muted bell into his hand, cos he's tried to say, you know,

our victim McRay has pulled it.

And so it has to be someone who didn't know that bell was muted,

-so that has to be one of those two.

-So Peter.

I think it's Peter.

Krystyna, who are you accusing and why?

-Peter.

-Why?

Something in my head.

There's all the little things that have gone on have led me to him.

Kathryn, who are you accusing and why?

I'm sticking with Peter.

There's something a bit too perfect about his evidence.

He said he was in the archive room in the crypt

and that he heard voices,

but not enough so that he could even tell that it was a man or a woman.

-Yes.

-And then he says he heard broken glass.

But we've never seen any broken glass.

There's none in church, the vase is still there,

and I think that's the sort of incidental detail that he's

just thrown in to make it sound as if he's...

-To kind of muddy the water.

-..heard in evidence.

So I think it's... I think it's him.

Just leads me to him.

So, our armchair detectives are all accusing

Peter of the murder of Reverend McRay.

You have a final piece of evidence left, though, armchair detectives.

It is the amended order of proceedings.

Let's have a look at it.

"St Barnaby's 750th celebration sermon.

"10am, live bell ringing demonstration.

"2pm, bell ringing workshop.

"6pm, evening service."

As you can see, things are scrawled out. Reverend Reese, etc, etc.

The person who did those changes was the Reverend Willis,

cos we saw him scribbling.

That looks suspiciously similar to the handwriting in the postcards.

Let's find out what happened.

Well, drat.

So, what really happened in today's story, White Collar Crime?

Who killed Reverend McRay? Let's find out whodunnit.

All of these postcards are pictures of prisons, sir.

What's the symbolism?

A threat, warning.

Look at how each message has capitalised words in it.

Again, up, pay, will, you.

-You will pay up again.

-Blackmail.

Blackmail for what, though, sir?

That's the question. No stamps, though, on any of them.

Hand-delivered.

So, that means it must be from someone local - that's everyone.

If the blackmail's been going on for years, that's definitely

a motive for murder.

The time frame suggests a long grievance.

Look at this.

McRay hands over church duties to Reese. 1990 - that's 27 years ago.

Yeah, but look at the caption.

"Thank you for your donations.

"This week's collection totalled £20."

If you look at the photo of the collection plate there's

clearly £40 on there.

Right, but Margot said that Reese only had enough money to

refurbish the pulpit.

I think McRay was taking money from the collection.

Reese found out, was furious, and blackmailed him for years, it seems.

Yeah. Could have been Willis, though.

I mean, the man had the key in his pocket.

That's my key to the bell tower.

What are you doing with it?

No idea at all.

There's one way to find out.

Willis's handwriting, see how he changed the order of the sermon.

Now compare the two.

Yeah, he didn't write the postcards.

Exactly.

Jeanette Tranton spoke of the disagreement she had with

McRay at the church residence the night before the murder.

-I think it's fair to say that I'm the most popular one.

-Fair how?

My dear, no-one can deny the drop in attendance since your tenure.

And I bet you have a theory on why that is.

The thing with women is how quickly they become emotional.

SLATER: Reese was there too.

That's when he must have taken the bell tower key.

Margot said she saw him at the gardens around 3pm,

he then wasn't seen again until 4.30, at the meeting.

Where's Father McRay? Are we to begin without him?

I'm sure he'll be along presently.

Look, we've got a lot to get through.

I suggest we just carry on.

SLATER: By which time, McRay was already dead.

Margot Babbage and Peter Henge both said they heard people arguing

but neither of them could identify the voices.

Did you recognise the voices?

No idea at all.

Perhaps McRay had had enough of the blackmail, challenged Reese,

they argued, Reese then strangled him, then he made it look as

though it happened at five by using the remote to play a ringing bell.

BELL RINGS

I thought Lee had gone.

I'll go take a look.

SLATER: In order to give himself an alibi, the meeting.

Reese had motive, means, and opportunity.

I think it's time we paid the Reverend a visit.

For whom the bell tolls, sir.

Indeed, Slater. It tolls for he.

Come on.

I can confirm that the killer was the Reverend Reese.

Charley, you look desperately upset.

Well, he was in the meeting where he knew that that was a muffled

-bell pull.

-Mm.

So he'll have known that his alibi wouldn't have worked,

because he's basically put a muted bell rope into the guy's hand.

"Ah, he obviously pulled that so the murder must have been at five

"o'clock, when I was obviously in a room with two other people."

It's a muted bell rope and he knew it was a muted bell rope.

It's entirely possible that killers sometimes make mistakes,

Charley, in the heat of the moment, and that the killers are not

always perfect, as we think they possibly are.

-Right.

-You became slightly fixated on Peter early on

because of the DNA evidence,

and I'm afraid to tell you that the vase was just a red herring.

And there was no paternity issues, there was nothing going on.

I enjoyed it immensely,

but I'm afraid you've failed to pick today's killer.

Give them a round of applause.

Well done, all of you.

Armchair detectives, hands up, how many of you got the Reverend Reese?

Oh, first time!

That is the first time ever nobody correctly identified the killer.

That's all from Armchair Detectives.

Tomorrow, we'll see Knight and Slater tread the boards

and they investigate a deadly crime at a theatre.

-AUDIENCE:

-Ooh!

And remember, no-one gets away with murder in Mortcliff. Goodbye.

Never mind.