Death in Paradise

And a very good morning to all our viewers.

You're watching the Saint Marie Broadcasting Corporation.

Coming up at 8.00, it's the island's favourite show,

Today With Tourne.

Morning, Benny. Morning, Mr Tourne.

How are you today, sir?

Fabulous, Benny, fabulous.

Each new day is a gift. Never forget that.

That's why they call it the present.

Where's Henri?

Er, no sign of him yet, boss.

You've got no right to do this, Henri. This is censorship!

Melanie, please, my hands are tied.

If it was down to me... It IS down to you.

You're the editor in chief.

But you must see we have a duty to be impartial...

We have a duty to tell the truth.

And we all know the truth is subjective.

I'm sorry, Melanie, but I've made my decision.

STUDIO CHATTER

Ah, Henri! You're alive.

I was about to send out for the coastguard.

Sorry, Garfield, just a...

Just a little bit of business to deal with, all taken care of now.

On air in 35, Mr T. Thank you.

OK. OK, guys, let's do it, please. Let's do it.

Honestly, Mum, it's the biggest story I've ever worked on.

When this breaks, it's going to blow up.

Coming up, we'll be showing you new ways to cook plantain.

But first, we go live to my favourite reporter -

and I'm not just saying that because I'm her father.

Where are you today, Helene?

Today, Dad, I'm at Crescent Bay to investigate rumors...

You'd better go and pick Melanie up. Don't want to keep her waiting.

Sure thing, Henri.

Sounds like a story you could really get your claws into!

Over to you, my love.

It was three months ago when fishermen first noticed something...

well... fishy.

Elmina. Ready for your close-up?

Just be gentle with me, Garfield.

I knocked three times, boss, but I don't think she's home.

Five minutes, Benny!

Hold the phone. Here she come now.

OK!

Voters trust me, Garfield.

When I promised to fix those contaminated pipes,

they knew I'd be true to my word.

MELANIE SCREAMS Help me, please!

Help! Hang on, Melanie!

Help me, please! Help!

WATER SPLASHES

Melanie!

Hey!

Hard Road to Travel by Jimmy Cliff.

WOMAN SPEAKS FRENCH

And Rene's been missing for a month, you say, Madame Fossier? Yes.

I shall make it my personal mission to track him down.

Thank you.

Good morning. Are you here to report a crime?

Actually, no.

But you look like you could use some help, sir.

I am very grateful you answered my SOS, DS Cassell.

But, erm, are you quite sure you are ready to return to active duty?

Life has to go on, sir.

Your message was a bit cryptic, though.

What happened to the others? You may well ask.

A month ago, Madeleine was offered a promotion back in Paris

and she managed to secure Ruby a secondment.

Oh, I am so sorry, Commissioner.

Rosey had arranged a midwife appointment

first thing this morning, but I had no idea it would last so long.

You know, the fact that there's two

just makes everything twice as complicated.

Have you thought of any names, JP? Sarge!

I don't think I've ever been so pleased to see anyone.

Thank you. Welcome back.

A woman has been found dead in her pool.

We'd better get ourselves over there.

Erm, what about the new DI?

And finally,

for a chance to win this Fabulous Family Encyclopaedia,

how many Apollo missions landed on the moon?

Oh, come on!

I'll bet even you know that, eh, Harry? Six.

Dial in now if you know the answers.

Lines are open for the next hour

and all calls are charged at the standard rate...

Oh, what're you showing a repeat for? This is supposed to be live!

Later in the show, we speak to a man from Port Royal who claims

to have the largest collection... HE GROANS

of fish hooks on the island. Hello? Come on in, it's open.

Oh. Erm... Oh!

I heard you needed help, so I came over as fast as I could.

Thank you. I've been drinking loads of iced water,

but I can't seem to get my basal temperature down.

Erm, there's this rash, I'm not sure if it's a symptom, but...

Whoa! What are you doing?

Did Dr Mundle not send you?

I'm DS Cassell... DS Cassell.

Yes, sure. Of course you are. Er... Jolly good.

I came to tell you a woman's been found dead in her pool. Excellent.

I mean, it's not excellent, it's terrible, but... erm...

I'll just get myself together...

Would you mind filling this with some fresh water and ice, please,

DS Cassell, while I... change out of my PJs?

Can I ask exactly what is wrong with you? Oh, nothing.

Er, just a touch of sick building syndrome.

As long as I completely avoid the police station,

I'll be absolutely fine.

OK, so the victim is Melanie Sharpe.

She's a News Presenter for the Saint Marie Broadcasting Corporation.

She's 25 years old, British, lived alone

and has only been on the island for six months.

Who called it in? A studio runner, Benny Morgan.

Melanie's show was due to start at ten o'clock.

He arrived to collect her at 9.30,

just as she was coming back from her morning run.

Five minutes, Benny!

Now, he said that he was waiting outside when she cried out for help.

He can hear her struggling with someone.

SCREAMING

When he came round here,

he saw someone disappear through those bushes.

Hey!

He runs round here.

And that's when he sees Melanie floating in the pool, dead.

I see you've managed to rouse yourself from your sick bed,

DI Parker. How stoic of you.

Thank you, Commissioner.

OK, so the body was found in the pool,

but the pressure marks on the neck are consistent with strangulation.

And that grouting wants looking at, too.

The place has been ransacked,

which suggests the killer was searching for something.

The victim was out for a run. Maybe she disturbed them on her return.

Sir, the laptop seems to be missing.

Not much in the fridge, sir. Just coconut water and Spirulina.

Looks like she cared about her health.

Book shelves show that she was an intellectually curious feminist.

Non-specific art and a lack of personal effects

suggest this was a rental property.

We know she'd not been on the island long.

Although she'd already made friends here.

That's Helene Tourne.

She and her father are big names on the island.

Melanie would have worked with them at the TV studios. Whoa!

A sauna? What do you need a sauna in the Caribbean for?

The whole island's one giant sauna!

Maybe she used it to relax her muscles after her run.

HE SNEEZES, GROANS Oh, no!

Let me guess - sick building syndrome?

More like pungent cushion syndrome. Can you not smell that?!

Oh, patchouli. Patchouli?

Yeah, yeah, it's a species of plant from the family Lamiaceae.

I've seen it growing all over the island.

It's often used in aftershaves.

OK.

So if the killer was after Melanie's laptop, but it was in plain sight,

why leave such a god-awful mess?

HE SNEEZES

I'm sorry.

I should have warned you about him, but I was afraid you wouldn't come.

JP, we're going to go talk with Melanie's colleagues

at the TV station. Can you go door-to-door with the neighbours

and see if any of them witnessed anything? Sure thing, sir.

I shall assist you, Sergeant Hooper.

Er, that's very kind of you, Commissioner,

but I think I'll be OK.

Now you're a sergeant, you need an officer.

So until such time as Ruby returns, I shall take her place.

Don't worry. I shan't expect any preferential treatment.

Should we call you Officer Patterson?

No, you should not. OK.

Melanie was a first-rate journalist.

I can't begin to make sense of this.

She was such a nice lady.

And proper smart, you know?

She knew things I'd never even heard of.

Like, she was always talking about "patriarchy". I had to look it up.

I just wish I could've saved her, or...

You did everything you could, Benny.

Can you think of anyone who might have wished her harm? No.

No. I mean, when you are in the public eye,

there is always people who take against you,

but, no, not to this extent.

Ah! This is Helene Tourne, our roving reporter.

Helene, this is DI Parker and DS Cassell.

They'd like to ask everyone a few questions.

Sorry, we know it's a difficult time,

especially since Melanie and you were so close.

We hadn't known each other long, but she'd become one of my best friends.

Oh, it's just too horrible!

Can you all account for your whereabouts this morning?

I was doing a broadcast about the crabs taking over Crescent Bay.

I got back about half an hour ago.

Monsieur Pigal?

Er, a quick breakfast, with my wife and children,

and came straight over. You were late, though, boss, remember?

You said you had some business to take care of.