Death in Paradise

"007" by Desmond Dekker

Why aren't your brother and sister helping you?

Don't worry, Papa, I got this covered.

Your mother always used to scold me for spending so much on wine.

"All tastes the same after a few glasses."

Boy, she'd be mad at me for buying this lot.

I think she would've just been happy to have everyone together again.

See you at lunch, then?

Have you seen your father?

No? No.

What do you think? It's my mother.

Swimming. Hmm.

She used to love doing laps in the pool.

Blue is very nice.

Ah, Mr Jackson,

these are the faxes from the London office,

the documents you requested. Thank you.

Daddy? I've almost finished it.

Well, do you like it?

Are you happy with it?

Yes. Yes. I think I am. Well, I'm happy...if you are.

Need any help at the office? Under control.

Market's looking pretty bullish at the moment.

Mm-hm.

There are some developments I need to discuss with you after lunch.

Ah, Joseph, nice of you to make an effort.

I didn't realise there was a dress code.

I can lend you a decent shirt and tie if you want.

Hmm, good idea, boys. Let's start bickering -

today of all days.

Yes, ma'am? Check where Daddy is, please.

Some of us are getting hungry.

Mr Jackson?

Mr Jackson?

Oh, my God!

Let me review what we know so far.

A man is found dead at the bottom of a ten-storey building,

clearly having fallen.

Yes.

And the detective must work out whether it was murder or suicide.

He goes up each floor and throws a coin

out of the window at every level.

And then he knows he's got his answer.

What kind of coin? It doesn't matter.

It was murder.

Ah, yes. It's definitely murder.

Are they big or small coins? The coins aren't important.

Maybe we should start again from the beginning... Oh, gosh!

Honore Police Station.

It must have been murder

because the detective had to open up all the windows, which means

the victim was pushed out and the window closed afterwards.

If it was suicide, he would have found an open window. Simple.

Well, it does depend on how big the window ledges are.

I thought you said you liked riddles. I do. Give me, give me another.

OK. There's been a murder on Sebastien Island.

OK.

And?

And we should go there.

No. I don't get it.

No, sir, it's not a riddle. There's actually

been a murder. Alexander Jackson.

Been found shot near his home. Oh, the old carpetbagger, eh?

I'll arrange some transport. What do you mean by carpetbagger?

The man made millions out of property developments - land grabs.

And he has a house on Sebastien Island?

Chief! The man owns the whole island.

There's only one house on it. HIS! He's a lucky man.

Or should I say "was"?

We'll be at the harbour in ten minutes.

Why is he even using coins? It doesn't matter!

I can't imagine buying an entire island.

Buying a house was stressful enough. That's the rich for you.

Considering Mr Jackson's popularity,

living away from Saint-Marie was probably a smart move.

He wasn't well liked?

Buying up land cheap, clearing out the locals,

and building luxury homes in their place? What do you think?

Some of those homes had been in families for generations.

Yes, I imagine the drinks will be flowing in

a fair few of the bars tonight.

Owah.

I mean, the estate agent fees alone would be astronomical.

Oh, it's a little bit choppy.

Yes, sir, the weather report says there might be storms.

But don't worry. They're usually wrong.

Coming up, whoa!

Oh, oh...!

Thank you.

Hello. Hello.

I'm Emily Benoit. Mr Jackson's personal assistant.

I'm DS Bordey, this is Inspector Goodman.

You were the one who made the call?

Yes.

Er, the housemaid, Rosie, she, she found the body...

Can you take us to it?

Yes, of course.

So who else is here at the moment?

Mr Jackson's two sons and his daughter.

It's been a year since his wife passed away.

I'm sorry to hear that. How did she die?

A stroke. It was very sudden.

Mr Jackson wanted everyone in the family to join him here to remember her.

Gathering the clan, as it were.

And you are considered family?

Me? No.

He had some work things he wanted me to go over this weekend.

Did he always work weekends?

Mr Jackson liked to do things his own way.

No internet, no mobile reception, only one landline.

He doesn't even own a computer.

He called this place his "Fortress of Solitude".

Yes, well that's pretty apt.

So, the jetty is the only way on or off this island?

He made sure of that - security was very important to him.

I'm going to have my own island one day, you know.

Hm, sure, Dwayne. Of course you are.

I'm Detective Inspector Goodman, this is DS Bordey.

Terrance Jackson, this is my sister, Anna, and my brother, Joseph.

I'll need you to step away from the body, you're contaminating the crime scene.

Actually we were waiting for you. Want to move our father inside the house now.

It's important that you stay away from the body. Look, my father was a great man.

It's disrespectful to leave him lying out.

I sympathise but the sooner you let us get on,

the sooner we can move him somewhere more...respectful.

Maybe it's better we wait up at the house.

Thank you.

Best you go with them.

Thank you.

Sir. I've got a bullet here. Looks like it's gone straight through.

And judging by the wound and the bullet,

I'd say he was shot with a pistol.

Why's he not wearing his shirt?

Look at his clothes.

Smartly dressed, bit odd, isn't it - sat here

and decides to take his shirt off?

Look, I'm going to go and tell the captain to take the boat back,

pick up the paramedics so the body can get examined properly.

OK, but you'd better tell him to get a move on. What? The storm.

Well, you'd better finish up here and take the body inside then.

So, it's a year since his wife passed away.

Family all together, on the island he owns.

At some point he comes outside, removes his shirt.

And is shot through the heart with a pistol.

I think it's time we heard what the family have to say for themselves.

Erm, as difficult as this must be for all of you, we need

to know the last time you all saw Mr Jackson prior to his death.

Well, I saw him at the jetty

when the boat delivered supplies for lunch.

I saw him when I was painting by the pool.

I saw him there too.

Ah... Erm...

(I've broken my pencil. Have you got a pen?)

I have a pen. Be careful. It's very expensive.

Thank you.

So, jetty, swimming pool.

And that was the last time he was seen?

No. I saw him later in his study.

He was just putting something in the safe.

Then headed out for a walk. It was around 11:20 or so.

What was he putting in the safe?

Not sure. Financial projections, maybe?

And how did he seem? His mood, his manner?

He did seem a little preoccupied.

There are some developments I need to discuss with you after lunch.

Sir, it's not my place

but maybe you shouldn't be worrying about business today.

This is something that needs to be done.

At this point, before he

went for his walk, did he have his shirt on?

Yes. Of course. Did he say why he was going out to the garden?

Father always liked to take a walk before lunch.

Clear his head from business.

Except at some point within the hour BANG!

A gun goes off.

Yes. I heard it.

I was preparing the vegetables for lunch

and I had another 30 minutes before it was due to be ready.

That must have been about 11:40.

I thought it was just Mr Jackson shooting the birds again.

Birds? Mmm-hmm.

It's a business thing.

Take the client out to play golf or go shooting.

Father liked to keep his aim in, you know?

Was the gun kept for protection, as well?

He wasn't exactly popular with certain people in Saint-Marie.

Everything he did was legal.

Which doesn't make it morally right.

Ask the hundreds of people made homeless by Papa's little "loopholes".

Let's return to the gun in a moment.

I want to be clear where everyone was

when the shot was heard at 11:40.

I was by the pool, working on my painting.

I heard the shot,

I assumed the same thing as Rosie that it was the birds.

I heard it too, I was in the library doing some reading.

I was in my room taking a shower, getting ready for lunch.

Which leaves you, Joseph. Did you hear the gunshot?

No. I was running, I had my headphones on.

Normally I have a workout on the beach when I stay here.