Moonflower Murders

Melissa James had no enemies.

She called her physician, Dr. Leonard Collins.

MELISSA He wants to kill me!

The killer strangles her with a telephone cord,

tearing it from the wall.

He drove straight round, but by the time he arrived,

she was dead.

Who do you think may be responsible?

You should talk to Lance Gardner-- him and his wife.

Have you actually confirmed

that her husband did indeed attend the opera?

And there's a film producer called Oscar Berlin.

I've changed my mind.

Well, there's her financial adviser,

a man by the name of Algernon Marsh.

He was murdered-- at a wedding.

Maybe I did say

that it would make a good story,

but I didn't tell him to write it.

You were the key witness-- what did you see?

Stefan?

Cecily knew that Stefan was innocent.

She found the truth in the book. She read it.

And then she disappeared.

You need, I think, to be careful.

Cecily...

I don't know what's happened or what's upset you.

But please...

Let us know that you're safe.

We are all so worried about you.

Roxie and I are at home,

waiting for you.

And your mum.

And dad, and Lisa.

We need to talk to you-- we want to help you.

Oh, the poor man.

It's so awful.

And if there's anyone out there

holding Cecily against her will, please.

Let her go.

It's not too late right now, but we need to know

that she's safe.

Uh, Mrs. MacNeil was last seen

in the vicinity of the hotel

last Wednesday.

She may have been walking her dog,

a black Labrador called Chase.

If anyone has any information about Mrs. MacNeil,

we would urge them to call us on the number

being shown on the screen.

All calls will be answered in confidence.

Thank you.

You can't be sure that's true.

She's six feet underground in the middle of a wood

with a rope around her neck.

She's not gonna be found.

How can you say that?

Just a guess.

Good morning, Mr. Pünd.

Oh, Miss Cain, how are you?

Please, sit down.

Thank you.

I hope you slept well and were able to put the events

of yesterday behind you.

I feel very foolish.

If I'm going to be working with a detective,

then I should expect unpleasant details to be part of the job.

Not at all.

I've never allowed myself to become inured

to the sight or the description of violence.

Murder, it's not a business.

Nor is it a pastime.

Your sensitivity does you credit.

I just hope that you can find out who's responsible.

That is why we are here.

Well, if you've finished your breakfast,

the hotel manager has asked to see you.

Mr. Lance Gardner.

Do you mind if I put forward an opinion, Mr. Pünd?

Not at all.

I don't trust him an inch.

Hm!

We just wanted to tell you, Mr. Pund...

Oh, uh, it's Pünd.

...that any way we can help you.

It's awful.

It's unbelievable.

Yeah, we've been running this hotel ever since she bought it.

Running it into the ground, from what we hear.

I don't know who you've been talking to,

but that is an outrageous lie!

But you had argued with Melissa James.

She made certain accusations.

Yeah, she didn't know what she was talking about.

Threatening us with an audit-- it was completely out of order.

She planned to have your accounts examined?

She had her financial adviser come down from London.

But we would've been glad to meet him.

We had nothing to hide.

Well, then, perhaps I could take a look.

Well... I worked in the accounts department

of Associated Biscuits for 12 years.

It might be helpful

to understand the financial circumstances

of the hotel. Well, you're barking up the wrong tree.

Actually... ...we're glad you're both here.

We, uh...

We have information that could help you.

Oh, please.

Yeah, Miss James had an office here,

and after she died, we found this.

It's, uh, obviously a first draft.

Doesn't say who it's to.

"My darling, darling.

"I can't go on living this lie anymore.

"I simply can't.

"We have to be brave

and tell the world about the love we share."

It's dated last February.

And this is her handwriting?

Most definitely.

You should have given this to Detective Inspector Chubb.

Well, we gave it to you, uh...

We thought you'd be grateful.

PÜ This is evidently not addressed to her husband.

Yeah, I'm no detective, Mr. Pünd,

but if John Spencer found out

that his wife was planning to leave him...

Well, it's obvious, isn't it?

He'd kill her.

Miss Ryeland, what a pleasure to see you again.

Don't tell me you're involved in another murder.

I, uh, I'll be honest and say that I have dined out

on many occasions following our last encounter.

I'm sure you have, Mr. Khan.

So what brings you back to our neck of the woods?

Well, I've been asked to help with the disappearance

of Cecily Treherne, or MacNeil.

That's her married name. Ah, yes, yes.

I, I never met the lady myself, but I saw the police broadcast.

So, how do you believe that you can help?

Well, there's a possibility she knew something

about a murder that happened eight years ago-- Frank Parris.

Well, of course I remember that.

Alan Conway wrote about it. Yes, yes.

It's his third book.

"Atticus Pünd Takes the Case."

Oh! You've read it. Twice.

Huh.

And you met Frank Parris.

Absolutely, in this very room.

It's not an experience I'm likely to forget.

It seems a very simple matter to me, Mr. Khan.

The house was left to me and my sister equally,

and, unfortunately, I need my half.

Of the house.

The money.

You say she won't be happy about selling it,

and I'm very sorry, but I wasn't aware

that happiness was prescribed by English law.

The only reason I'm here

is to give you notice of my intentions.

He seemed angry-- unhappy.

Probably because his business had gone bust. Mm.

But you say he had a sister who lived here, in Suffolk.

That's right, yes, the house is in Westleton,

uh, left to them by their parents years ago.

As a matter of fact, I did the conveyancing.

It's a beautiful place. Right.

And what was the sister's name?

Joanne Webster.

I see no harm in telling you now.

She's no longer a client of mine,

and I have to say, I am quite relieved.

Why was that?

I think she inherited some of the same genes as her brother.

She was very rude,

very demanding,

and she treated her husband disgracefully.

Martin Webster.

I met them three or four times,

and he never got a word in edgeways.

Yeah-- Westleton.

Heath House.

Mr. Parris went straight there after he'd seen me.

Oh, that can't have gone well.

Well, uh,

they never talked about it.

But then, of course, the next day, he was dead.

Was there anything they could've done,

legally, to stop the sale of the house?

I'm afraid not.

Mr. Parris let them live there for 20 years,

but the will was very clear.

Mr. and Mrs. Webster could buy him out at market price,

but if they were unable to do so,

well, they had no choice but to put it up for sale.

Right.

Well, thank you, Mr. Khan-- pleasure to see you again.

Likewise, Miss Ryeland.