The Presence of Snowgood

Robert!

Robert, for pity's sake, let's hold for a moment!

We're too far for them to catch us now.

How do you know they haven't been following us?

They may have been coming from the church.

Father Brendan was right

when he said it wouldn't be long before the pirates got here.

With all the raids going up the coast.

Yes he said the church would be the first place they would come to

and that we must not let the crown fall into their hands.

Otherwise England will be lost.

So come, let's get a move on.

But we've been going for ages.

Did he at least tell you where he wants it buried, just like you said to the others?

At the giant tree, just pass the Foreways.

But you must not tell anyone where it is.

Michael and Peter have also sworn

to keep their hiding place secret.

Come.

Wait for me.

The Foreways.

Just like Father Brendan said.

Look!, there's the tree.

He told us to bury it by the root

good and deep.

You know it's real honour.

That us Hagar's have the task of hiding this crown.

Let's just hope none of the crowns are found.

Come on Beth,

let's go to the old Jacob's farm.

We should be safe there.

Molly, can you pop in here a moment, please?

Righto Guv. Coming!

Yes Guv?

Can you dig out the file from the Snowgood case, from about a year ago.

And find the coroner's report?

And while your at it,

give the chaps in records a bit of a chase.

I asked for some information a couple of weeks ago.

Wasn't that case closed Sir?

You've a good memory, Molly.

Yes. It was.

I just want to check something.

Thanks Molly.

It's me.

Yes.

Something's not right.

I think the case is being reinvestigated.

Yes, of course I still have it.

But I'm only going to destroy it

when you cough up what you've promised.

Snowgood, half a mile!

Jesus!

What the hell are you doing?

I could have killed you.

You alright?

Do you want a lift to the village or something?

What the hell were you thinking?

If you want a lift,

just stand at the side of the road with your thumb out like everyone else.

Turn back or die

like the others.

Get out… Now!

I said…

Get out!

What the hell!

Did that really happen?

Mary Harvey, 1860.

Good evening, sir. You must be…

Mr. Knightley.

We've been expecting you.

Oh, yes, I am. Thank you.

I'm Abigail Harvey, the owner of the hotel.

But call me Abigail.

You look wet through.

Come, sit by the fire.

I'll show you to your room in a minute.

Thank you, that'll be lovely. Call me John by the way.

I'd rather keep my side of things more formal, if you don't mind.

Please, sir.

OK. Fair enough.

Who's the imperious

looking old woman in the corner, then?

Oh that, family portrait.

That's my great Aunt Mary, many times over.

She lived here

back when this hotel was a grand house.

My family owned a gunpowder factory

here back in Napoleonic times,

when Mary was a little girl.

Did our bit for King and country.

Blimey, this place has seen some history.

Abigail,

when I first made my booking here,

you seemed uncertain as to whether the two men

who went missing in Snowgood

last year actually stayed here.

Did I?

Well,

that's because I don't know anything about it.

My father, Arnold took the booking.

You're in room four sir.

Upstairs, end of the corridor, on the right.

Breakfast at 7.30 suit you?

Ok!

Oh. Thank you.

You mentioned last night

you had no recollection of the two men who stayed.

You know, the two men that disappeared last year?

I mean you must have known them, you must have spoken to them?

As I said last night, sir,

my father dealt with them.

I was in the kitchen.

I've only just taken over the running of the hotel you see.

Since my father died earlier in this year.

Oh, good God, I'm sorry, I had no idea.

Forgive me!

It's okay, sir.

You weren't to know.

Well, we did talk a little bit about the two men.

And to be honest, sir,

if you drank as much as they did,

well, tragic accidents will happen. I mean, taking a swim on a stormy night.

What can you expect?

You really think that's what happened? I mean…

I don't think the doctor was a drinking man.

Well, that's what the police thought, and I think they're right.

Our own policeman, Sergeant Finch,

saw them drinking down the pub.

And if you can't believe him, who can you believe?

The village needs to move on, Mr Knightley.

Such events are bad

for business, however tragic.

And if you want to get to the village by foot,

take the path up at the hotel entrance.

Yeah.

Thanks.

Oh, I'm terribly sorry.

I just didn't see you there.

The name's Anton, by the way.

Anton Bartholomew

I own the local antique shop,

although some call it junk shop.

Is this your first time in the village?

It's perfectly alright, Mr. Bartholomew.

Yes, it's my first time.

Actually, it's Doctor Bartholomew.

I'm so sorry I didn't realize.

I'm just kidding.

I was the local doctor here,

but I retired a few years ago.

You know, it's much easier

looking after old relics

that don't move or complain.

They do drag you back from time to time.

But tell me, are you staying here for a while?

Oh, just a few days.

I'm actually here to investigate

the disappearance of two men in the village last year.

Ah, yes. Such a terrible business,

real shame I never met the men.

Of course, but now the police

have closed the investigation,

there won't be much for you to go on.

I was led to believe,

by the family of one of the disappeared men

that you told the police you'd seen them

drinking heavily in the village pub.

That is, of course,

if you were the only retired doctor in the village at the time.

In fact, I think one of them

might have even visited your shop.

They did mention a

legend associated with the village.

Something to do with three crowns that,

I think Doctor Blackman had told them about.

It's three Saxon crowns that

were buried in the early 1700s,

around the time of Good King George.

Buried out there somewhere.

But where?

Nobody knows.

They were never found.

We hold a ceremony every year to remember

the life of William Hagar,

the last protector of the Crown,

who sadly died a few years ago.

He allegedly knew

where one of the crowns was actually buried.

The other two crowns

we think have probably been lost forever.

Do you really think there's no truth?

I mean, it seems to attract a lot of amateur treasure hunters.

Oh, no, no, no,

the ceremony is just a fun thing, really.

By chance, we're actually holding a ceremony

this afternoon in our church at 3:00.

You must come along.

We do try and keep William alive, so to speak.

Anyway, I must go.