The Mallorca Files

Come on. Can go.

Are they ready? Yeah?

Oliver! Laura.

Como estas? Muy bien gracias.

Ana. You look wonderful. Thank you.

Ernesto, I am so sorry for your guests that you are retiring.

Muchas gracias mi a senora.

Hugo. Welcome.

Chef!

Oliver! Que tal?

Sebastia would like you to know the sea bass is phenomenal.

Really. I'm sure it is!

Toni will take you to your table.

We'll have the tasting menu - for four.

This is a quenelle? It's flat! Flat!

Sebastia, mesa dieciseis.

Four tasting menus.

You told His Majesty I recommended the sea bass?

Oliver would like substitutions.

Of course, he would.

Sebastia...

Mmm. Mm.

Ah, simple rule in pouring wine for me - ask yourself...

"... Could he drown in it?"

Perdon.

More precision. More precision!

Mmm. It looks so good!

Mmm.

Tuck in, Ernesto. It's some of the best food you'll ever eat.

Hmm...

I'm so sorry, Oliver! Dios mio! Erm, Toni!

Toni, water! Water!

Thank you. Please forgive me.

It's nothing. You haven't lived

until you've seen 100 euros' worth of wine spill down your trousers.

Get off!

Hmm... Mmm.

I'm just going to, erm...

.. freshen up.

Whoopa!

Good morning, my companera.

It's such a beautiful day, I swung past my favourite pasteleria.

Huh? Already eaten. Thanks.

That is not breakfast.

It is when your in-tray looks like that.

Mmm!

Gracias.

Carmela's? The one and only.

Perfect with one or two leisurely coffees,

which I, um, forgot.

Damn. Now my mouth is dry just thinking about it.

Fascinating. Hm.

Do you recognise this man? Hmm.

That's Oliver Barker. Big friend of Sebastia Serra.

Sebastia Serra?

One of the best chefs in Spain.

He opened Son Sebastia here.

Michelin star.

Huge reviews.

Can't believe you've never heard of him!

Did I say I hadn't heard of him?

Just not that interested.

Oh, I know what a carrot air is supposed to do

to a tangerine granita. Uh-huh? Oh, yeah.

I just don't care.

Otherwise, a huge fan of experimental cuisine.

So, Ines, what's happened to renowned food critic Oliver Barker?

He died in hospital.

He fell from the balcony at Son Sebastia two days ago.

A suspected heart attack.

Ay dios mio! Mm-hm.

And then, this morning, we received this.

"Oliver Barker, renowned food critic, died today aged 48.

"He had been poisoned.

"He died in his favourite restaurant, Son Sebastia,

"on the island of Majorca. Police are investigating. "

Sent to his newspaper the same day he ate at Son Sebastia.

That's a pretty sick e-mail.

So you think he was poisoned?

We await the autopsy for confirmation,

but all appears to suggest this was the reason for his demise.

Our technical team are hoping to trace the origin of the e-mail.

So that just leaves you to discover

who had a reason to want Oliver Barker dead.

Good luck.

How many restaurants on this island

do you think Oliver Barker's written a bad review of?

I'm really thirsty, you know.

We could have stopped for a coffee.

You're like this huge child, who stuffs himself with sweets

and then afterwards complains he's got a poorly tum-tum.

Can we discuss the case, please?

All I know is Barker gave Sebastia Serra

some of the best reviews of his career,

because Sebastia Serra is a culinary god.

He had his Michelin star at... 29?

Maybe 28. Mmm.

Michelin star - ah, yeah, that's that thing you need

before you can charge 20 euros for a bowl of soup, right?

Pfft!

Pick, pick, pick away at things you don't appreciate, Miranda Blake.

Oliver could be pompous, yes, but you forgave him

because he was a gatekeeper of gastronomy!

It's possible not everyone held that view, Senor Serra.

Can you start by telling us who had specific access to Oliver's food?

I prepared Oliver's food personally, as I always do.

Hmm.

So I'm your chief suspect, yes?

Well... Oliver Barker was one of your biggest champions and friends.

Anyway, I think we agree,

it would be crazy to poison a man in your own restaurant.

But, erm, can you help us?

What did Oliver eat?

The tasting menu, of course.

But that changes every day, right?

Did you do...

...the Basque-style cod?

On the bed of piquillo peppers...

Who else had direct access to Mr Barker's food?

We understand he didn't dine alone. My wife seated them.

I'm just the man in the kitchen.

She's devastated.

Oliver was her friend for 30 years.

Oh!

Max, that's worrywort.

It's Apfel-minze.

Apple mint.

It's worrywort. Causes impotence.

It probably is apple mint, but you shouldn't just be eating

random plants, Max.

You never know how dangerous they might be.

We're very sorry. It's so upsetting...

.. that he suffered.

My manners. Please do have some, Detective Winter.

Wow. Thank you. That's nice.

Mmm! Is that ginger?

Yeah, and rosemary.

Anyone born on the island knows it.

No. So, Paz, were you aware of anyone who disliked Oliver

enough to kill him?

Apart from Sebastia and Toni?

Oh, Paz! That's just not true.

Senora Serra, please let her speak.

No, I exaggerate.

But they were not happy when he came to the restaurant.

Oliver upset people.

Critics. They have too much power.

You'll find a lot of suspects.

Anyway, I was not working that day, so...

Laura, there's a wedding party this week.

Mm-hm. If you don't mind...

Thank you.

Please excuse her.

My son Toni and Paz are good friends.

She likes to be controversial.

But no-one hated Oliver.

He could be difficult.

Um, can you tell us about his guests?

Erm... yep.

Ana Gutierrez.

She's a food journalist.

A friend. Hugo Asensio?

He owns a beautiful delicatessen.

He makes his own sobrasada.

Oh, sausage? Hmm!

It's the heart of Mallorcan family tradition.

But, yes, a sausage.

And... Ernesto Villaronga?

He looked after Oliver for 20 years

at the Hotel Regalia when he came to the island.

He's retiring now.

So, Oliver was buying him lunch?

Maybe he deserved more.

Oliver was very demanding.

I noticed you had some CCTV cameras.

Yes, but Oliver's table was very exclusive.

You won't find film.

It was very private.

Toni served them.

He may have seen something.

Hmm.

Paz said you didn't like Oliver?

She's so helpful. But no.

No, I didn't. He was an idiot.

Everyone will say how much they liked him but they didn't.

They just feared him.

One bad review - half your customers gone.

Three months later, you're closing down.

He wasn't like that. Mama...

It's why I hate this industry.

I don't want my happiness to depend on one man having a bad meal.

Too much power.

You want to see this?

Mm-hm.

Ernesto, I don't think was enjoying the meal so much.

Perhaps he was... nervous.

Can we find these guys? It looks like they were taking photos.

I can get the booking name for you.

Yes, please.

Is there another camera?