Humphrey, thank you so much for doing this.
Oh, nonsense. It's exactly what we should be doing -
serving the community.
Besides...
..Kelby volunteered.
One of these? What? No, no, no, no.
There's too much glare. Just change the filter,
will you, please? All right, Mr Witham.
Mr Witham, may I introduce Detective Inspector Humphrey Goodman,
Detective Sergeant Williams, and PC Hartford?
This is Terence Witham, the current owner of the Solo Mare.
Very pleased to meet you.
One of you will be in the room with the painting, yes? Er, yes.
I do hope it's you.
Actually, no.
All right?
You're the finest Shipton Abbott has to offer, are you?
Yes.
How very reassuring. Excuse me.
Hmm. He's a bundle of fun.
He's artistic. He's very highly strung.
Yeah, he should be.
Right, get yourself set up.
The Solo Mare!
It's a horse's bottom.
Yes...but the front end is looking at Shipton Abbott in 1710.
Maybe they should have moved the horse out the way.
Humphrey, let me introduce you to our hostess.
This is Lady Louise Fitzallan.
Wonderful to meet you. I've heard so much about you.
Oh. HE CHUCKLES
Anne and I are on the Arts Committee together.
This is DS Williams. You have a beautiful home.
Thank you.
Augustus Craig, the artist, was my great-great-great-grandfather.
So I understand, yes.
I hear you're lending us a constable for the evening.
HUMPHREY CHUCKLES
It seems it really does pay to have friends -
or rather, future son-in-laws - in high places.
Yes. It's been a pleasure meeting you both. And you.
Kelby...
..we'll leave you to it, then. Thanks.
Um... Oh, and, sir,
um...thank you for trusting me with this.
I can't think of a better man for the job.
INDISTINCT SHOUTING
WOMAN: Justice for Edith!
Um...who are they?
Oh, they call themselves Edith's Army.
Who's Edith? According to them,
the person who really painted the Solo Mare.
Really?
OK, so that's everyone.
Mr Witham?
You'll lock the door behind us, yes?
Yes, sir. Good.
No-one is to go beyond those ropes until I return in the morning, yes?
Understood, sir.
HE SNARLS
HE MOANS
Take that, Margo.
Yeah!
HE IMITATES LIGHTSABER NOISES
Pow, pow, pow, pow, pwww!
Thanks, Mum.
WIND WHISTLES
CLUNK
Hello?
DOOR UNLOCKS Hello?
FIZZING
The power's gone out.
CLOCK STRIKES MIDNIGHT
Hello?
CLUNK
Huh!
HE SNORES GENTLY
KNOCK AT DOOR
You know me...
I'm here...
INSISTENT KNOCKING
ANNE: PC Hartford? Hello?
Is everything OK?
Er...yes, Mrs Lloyd.
Excellent. I wonder, would you stay around
until Lady Louise and Mr Witham come up?
They're just having breakfast downstairs. Of course.
Shall I bring you up a bacon sandwich?
Oh, yes, please!
SHOUTING
HORN BEEPS
SHOUTING AND HORN BEEPING CONTINUE
Hello. Hello.
Need a hand? No, it's the last one.
Oh, mini Yorkshire puddings! Excellent.
I'll save you one.
Thank you all very much for coming to help us mark the historic return
of Shipton Abbott's very own Solo Mare.
As acting chair of the Arts Committee,
I'd like to thank Lady Louise Fitzallan
for inviting us into her home,
not to mention agreeing to buy the painting
on behalf of Shipton Abbott.
I'd also like to thank Mr Terence Witham,
the current owner of Solo Mare,
for agreeing to allow it to return home,
to come back, as it were, to its rightful place,
to the manor house where it was conceived.
After the unveiling, we will all witness
this historic moment live, as it were,
when the deeds of agreement are signed
and the transaction completed.
So without further ado, I would like to invite the Mayor and Mayoress
to step forward and reveal to us
what we have all been waiting a very long time to see.
On behalf of everyone in Shipton Abbott...
..welcome home.
ALL GASP
I will sue.
I will sue you. I will sue the Arts Committee.
I mean, there was a police officer in the room,
for goodness' sake, in the room!
There's nothing we could have done! It's...
ESTHER: I've checked with Mrs Fitzallan in case anyone could have
hidden in the room before it was locked.
There are no secret compartments
or false walls anywhere in this room.
This window latch is broken,
which means it could be opened from the outside.
I saw someone out of that window running across the lawn
with a...an orange cap on.
What time? Midnight.
Would you know them if you saw them again?
I'm not sure, sir. It was dark and it happened just after
the electric went off. There was a power cut?
You didn't say anything. Well, it came back on again.
But you didn't leave the room?
No.
Well...not really. I...
I... I opened the door when the power went off.
You opened the door?
To see if anyone was sorting out the electric.
But you stayed in the room?
I might have stepped out for a minute.
Gallery room needs to remain sealed until Forensics get here.
I want a list of everyone who stayed at the house last night.
Can someone tell me what's going on?
We'll bring you up to speed as soon as we know more, sir.
I heard they came in through the window,
in which case, how the hell did they get past him, hmm,
unless he left the room?
HUMPHREY CLEARS THROAT You did, didn't you?
Sir, that's enough.
Please go back inside and let us do our job.
Ha! You haven't exactly covered yourself in glory so far,
have you? I want answers.
Then I suggest you leave us alone to find some.
Bloody amateurs.
This is all my fault.
Hey, I think you'd better see this.
Just under the gallery room.
Must have been the guy who Kelby saw running away.
Yeah, but if he was here to steal the painting,
why risk getting caught to stop and do graffiti?
Let's get it all taped off
and have Forensics check it while they're here.
We waited all this time, and it was here one night!
We'll get it back, Margo. You'd better go and open the station.
Yeah.
What shall I do?
Maybe you go too.
If Kelby's right about only being on the landing
a couple of minutes, that's not long enough to break in,
get into the room, take the painting from the frame,
and get back out again.
He must have been out of the room longer.
Yes, agreed. How's it going?
I'm a bit flummoxed, to be honest.
Mum's distraught. It's not her fault.
That's not how she sees it. She organised everything.
You will get it back for her, won't you?
CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS
MARGO: It's going to be all right.
OK. Bye.
That was Dot Trowman. Lost 25 sheep.
Got out of her bottom field.
I'll head down there.
Margo, anything back from the scene yet?
Forensics have just arrived.
Right. Um, OK, while we're waiting for them,
let's start building a picture.
Background checks on these to start with, please.
Thank you.
SHE SNORTS Missing a few, aren't we?
Er, who?
Head of the Arts Committee, who organised everything.
Caterers...
You want me to investigate my future mother-in-law
and my fiancee?
Depends if you want to be thorough or not.
Just those people on the list. Thank you, Margo.
HE SIGHS Kelby...
..you mustn't blame yourself, you know.
I was the one guarding it.
Um... Well, then... we find out what happened,
we arrest whoever's responsible,
and we get the painting back.
And we do that as a team, we do it together. OK?
Yes, sir.
Good man.
OK.
So...let's assume that whoever stole the Solo Mare
now intends to sell it,
so let's think about how they would go about that.
Well, they can't just stick it on eBay.
Exactly. So what does that tell us?
Is this someone in the know?
Head of the Arts Committee? Thank you, Margot.
And if the power being cut was there as a diversion,
then where is the master fuse board,
and who had access to that?
And our protesters -
surely they had the biggest motive of all, did they not,
if they believe that the Solo Mare
doesn't belong to the current owner,
or that it shouldn't be displayed at Shipton Manor?
So who are they? Can they account for their whereabouts?
And is Kelby's mystery man in the orange baseball cap one of them?
Did you know about this feud over the painting?
Most of Shipton does.
Augustus Craig had a young stable girl called Edith Jay
who worked on the estate,
but then went on to be an artist in her own right.
The claim is that she was Craig's secret protegee.
Not only that, but because of the subject,
some believe she's the one that painted the Solo Mare.
Yes, but wasn't it signed by Augustus Craig?
Yeah, but they still believe she painted it.
Both families have argued about the provenance for generations.
Right.
Isla Jay?
SHE SCOFFS Surprise, surprise.
Looks like you're expecting another painting, Isla.
Very funny.
You do claim that the Solo Mare was painted by one of your ancestors.
I don't claim anything.
I know it was. By Edith Jay?
Stable girl?
My great-great-great-grandmother.
Yes, but Mr Witham is an expert. He...
He seems clear that it was painted by Augustus Craig.
It's in his interest for it to be painted by Craig.
More money for him if it is.
So? Are you going to ask me?
Ask you what? If I nicked it.
Did you? No.
But I would have done if I could.
There are others who feel as passionately about Edith as you.
Do you think any of them could be responsible?
How would I know? Better ask them.
One of them wears an orange baseball cap, I believe.
Er, what was his name again?
No idea who you're talking about.
And blame who you like.
All I know is, I can't steal something that's already mine.
And I can prove it.
Found it in Gran's things when she passed.
It belonged to Edith Jay.
A sketch of the Solo Mare!
Or a plan of how she wanted to paint it.
ANNE: I'll never live it down.
Stop worrying. If anyone can figure out what's happened,
it's Humphrey.
Hmm. I can only imagine what your dad would say.
When he was chair,
all he ever talked about was bringing the Solo Mare home.
Hello!
ANNE: Humphrey, please tell me you've found it.
Oh, well, not quite,
but we're making excellent progress.
Really? Yes.
See, Mum? Told you.
Anne...
..so where do you stand
on the whole Edith Jay, Augustus Craig debate?
Oh, the families have been arguing about it for years.
It was signed by Craig,
but Martha's father had a great deal of sympathy for the Jay family.
He supported looking into it if the Solo Mare was ever found.
But we lost him before that happened.
Rose, as requested. Oh, thank you.
Humphrey. Hi.
Anne. Oh, I heard about the painting.
It must have been quite a blow, I imagine.
You've no idea.
Is there anything I can do to help? Not unless you know who stole it.
Afraid not.
Well, I'd better get back.
Oh, Motty, did you mention to Humph
what we were talking about? Oh, no. Sorry.
Oh, don't worry. Nothing too deep.
I just thought it might be nice for you and I
to grab a beer sometime. Beer?
Get to know each other. After all, I am in partnership
with your fiancee.
I'm sure Humphrey's very busy.
Nonsense. Great. What about later?
After work? Kitty Jay's.
Couple of pints, bag of crisps,
and we can exchange some war stories.
Oh, why not? Good man!
6.30? I'll look forward to it.
Right.
Back on the case!
PHONE BUZZES
Esther. Hello.
There were nine protesters outside the gates.
I'm working my way through them.
Oh, and it seems the only people staying at the house
last night were Louise Fitzallan and Terrance Witham.
Mr Fitzallan is away on business, and there are no live-in staff.
OK. Very good. Thank you. See you back at the station.
OK. See you soon.
Well, of course I'm aware of the controversy surrounding
the painting. My father and Howard Jay almost came to blows over it.
Can you imagine?
And Howard Jay is...? Isla Jay's father.
I see.
She and I have had the occasional interaction,
but nothing quite so heated.
What kind of interaction?
Well, it usually consists of her shouting at me in public
and me smiling politely. It's all rather vulgar.
So when you went to your room last night,
you didn't see or hear anything until this morning?
Nothing.
PC Hartford said he might have seen someone in the grounds
last night about midnight wearing an orange baseball cap.
Have you any idea who that might have been?
Um...no. Staff go home at 6.00, so if there was anyone
in the garden after that, they were trespassing.
Ah.
Can I ask if you saw or heard anything last night?
Like what?
Were you aware there was a power cut, for example?
Around midnight? No.
You were asleep? Yes!
Listen, since you're here, maybe I could get back
into the gallery room.
I need to collect my things before I go -
the display stand... The frame itself is actually quite valuable.
You'll just need to bear with us a while longer.
We need to keep the room sealed.
Perhaps if you came back tomorrow.
I don't suppose I have a choice.
We'll be as quick as we can.
Can I ask?
Were you aware of the controversy
surrounding the Solo Mare?
HE CHUCKLES Of course!
The Jay family are talking absolute nonsense.
And you feel that the Solo Mare is in keeping with other works
produced by Augustus Craig?
Without a shadow of a doubt.
It has his signature on it.
So if someone wanted to sell a stolen painting of this quality,
how would they go about it?
WITHAM SIGHS
A painting of this importance, Inspector,
is almost always stolen to order.
So they would have a buyer already in place?
Oh, I can think of
a dozen private collectors who'd pay good money for it.
What was the price agreed between you and Mrs Fitzallan?
500,000.
Gosh.
So a buyer would pay that?
Even if they knew it was stolen?
Oh, maybe more.
Art, Inspector, is enhanced by the tales that surround it.
And a painting that was stolen from under the nose of a police officer
while he was in the room...
..well, that is quite a story to recount over dinner, isn't it, hmm?
HE MOUTHS
MARGO: You been to see Dot Trowman yet?
Look, I haven't got time to go looking for missing sheep.
I need to find this bloke I saw last night.
Do you know how many mug shots are in the county database?
MARGO: Surprise me.
219,411.
And how many have you looked at?
209.
And how many of 'em are wearing an orange baseball cap?
None.
Chin up. Only another 219,202 to go.
Thanks.
Nothing on any of the protesters, sir.
All either in bed or can prove they were nowhere near the manor.
Yes, I suspected as much.
Margo, Forensics at Shipton Manor?
Good news or bad news?
Good.
They got prints from the window. Great. And the bad?
There were around 30 people in the room,
so they'll need to do exclusion prints on all of them.
I also checked with the power company.
There were no disruptions in the power supply last night.
Yes, all very unhelpful.
You're welcome.
MARGO GASPS
Oh, wait.
I HAVE got some good news. Yes?
The Chief Superintendent's been on.
Wants you were at the hub, 9.00 tomorrow morning.
How is that good news?
You can get croissants and coffee on your way back.
Yes. Right...
Come on. Come on, everyone. What are we missing?
Gate cameras? Nothing.
And the manor house has a three-mile perimeter.
There's lots of places they could have got in.
OK, what about this power cut? If it wasn't the grid,
then it must have been cut off in the house.
And only Terence Witham and Louise Fitzallan were inside the house.
Background checks? Did Mrs Fitzallan first.
Thought that'd be the most interesting.
Turns out the Fitzallans aren't as loaded as I thought.
The husband inherited the house,
but they struggle to afford the running costs.
They can afford half a million pounds for a painting, though.
What about our art dealer, Terence Witham?
Known for his niche tastes,
beginning his career specialising in works
depicting alternative lifestyles -
escapologists, circus performers, and the like.
Er, discovered the Solo Mare in a small town auction in January 2022.
Lists his heroes as Banksy, Mozart, and the Dalai Lama.
An eclectic mix. But again, as he already owned the painting,
what possible motive could he have to steal it?
So we're back to our man in the baseball cap. Yes.
Yes, he definitely feels like he is the key to unlock everything.
We need to find him.
LOUISE: You were seen.
It doesn't matter by who. Just don't do anything else.
The police have been here all afternoon. Just wait.
No. We had an agreement.
So, football. I'm a Chelsea man. What about you?
I don't really follow football. Sorry.
Rugby?
Gosh, I'm not sure I know the rules, to be honest.
So, you and Martha... The Caribbean, right?
Er, yes.
Well, I was stationed there. She was travelling.
We had met briefly a year or so before in London.
A happy coincidence.
I still wake up every morning and...
..well, wonder what she sees in me, really.
OK.
I guess it's just one of life's mysteries.
Best not to think about it too much.
Guess I'd jinx it.
We could always ask her.
I do. She says we're the perfect fit.
Like yin and yang.
I don't know which is which.
I think I'm maybe yang.
Perversely, I used to think we were perfect together.
Turns out she didn't feel the same way.
Lucky for me.
Sorry.
Don't be. It's true.
So, I need to ask, does it bother you,
us working together?
Should it?
Of course not.
FOOTSTEPS
Ha! Hi.
How did it go?
Oh, it was brilliant.
It turns out we have loads in common.
You have nothing in common.
That's not true, actually.
We narrowed it down to...you...
..and cheese and onion crisps.
Was it a disaster?
Oh, not a disaster, no, but...
..I'm not sure what you saw in either of us, to be honest.
What shall we do for dinner?
Oh, Mum's still upset about the missing painting,
so I said we'd eat with her, if that's OK.
Yeah, of course.
HE SIGHS
Archie asked me if we were planning to start a family.
I didn't know what to tell him.
So what did you say?
I told him we were thinking about it.
And we are.
Are we?
Come on. Mum's waiting.
OK.
MARGO: I knew you'd still be in here.
I need to find him.
Home.
Just give me ten more minutes.
Now. OK.
I've got a fancy-dress party at Jamie Elvin's,
and I'm late as it is.
Who are you going as?
Kenny Everett.
Who's that? SHE SIGHS
Before your time.
Come on. Find Mr Baseball Cap tomorrow.
OK.
Yeah, so he's a Caucasian male.
Um...
..height-wise, he's around here, 5'9".
Er...and he was wearing a baseball cap.
Ring any bells?
Hi there. Um...
Had a baseball cap. Orange.
Er, about this height.
About this height. He had an orange hat on.
No?
All right, thank you.
Excuse me...
Oh!
So sorry.
I'm sorry.
Oh, gosh. Nearly did it again.
OK. Oh, sorry.
I think I'm just a bit nervous.
I'm in to meet my new Chief Superintendent.
Does nothing but moan about how much money
Shipton Abbott are spending.
Oh, you're from one of the old station houses.
Yes. We're old, but perfectly formed,
Or pretty, but not very efficient.
I think we're efficient enough.
Oh, I don't doubt it as people, but we've moved on, haven't we?
Away from a system of individual outposts
towards a more modern and joined-up approach.
Shared information and technology,
facial recognition systems, biometrics...
I just prefer good old-fashioned policing.
Running around with whistles?
HE CHUCKLES
Well, with respect, um... that's your interpretation.
And as an inspector sitting behind a desk...
Except I'm not an inspector. Yeah, two pips.
Pip and a crown.
Oh, gosh. Sorry. That that makes you a...
..Chief Superintendent.
Shall we go to my office?
HE SIGHS
Well, I'm guessing you'd like an update on the Solo Mare.
Do you have one?
We're still pursuing leads.
So that's a no.
Actually, that's not why I brought you here, nor was it to listen
to your views on 21st-century policing, enlightening as that was,
or even to tell you off face-to-face
for spending too much money.
Did you look around earlier?
You'll find every force in the county with a base here.
This place is the beating heart of the South West Police.
And what does that make us? The kidney?
More like a benign growth.
Fine for now, dangerous if left unchecked.
Tactical Command are considering bringing you and your team
into this building,
closing down the old station house.
But that's a shame. For who?
Us, but also the community,
who've been using that building for 100 years.
You'll have more support here, more resources,
community liaison. Be part of a bigger picture.
HE KNOCKS ON WINDOW
Oi!
Here! You've not paid for that!
Oi!
Hey! Sorry, lads, sorry!
What are you doing here?
Went out without my computer.
It's got my wholesale order on it.
What are these?
We had a Turner visit in 1987.
Your father planned it all. Went off beautifully.
Oh, Mum, I told you.
You can't keep blaming yourself.
You weren't even there.
I really just can't help thinking that I let him down...
..Motty.
HE SIGHS
So...how was the Chief Super?
Oh, good. Spilled coffee on her,
then got given a lecture on modern policing methods.
Oh, dear.
But this will cheer you up.
Kelby found our mystery baseball cap man.
Where? At the fish market, apparently.
Anyway, he's processing him now.
Excellent.
We have got other things to be doing, you know.
We're not all sitting here twiddling our thumbs.
Now, I said we'll get to it, and we will.
Right? What was that?
Seems everyone's moaning at me today.
That was Dot Trowman moaning about her sheep.
Then I had that Witham on earlier.
Wanted to know if he can get in the gallery yet
to get his stuff out.
I'd say yes. I think we're done there.
OK. He is in the interview room, ready for you.
Thanks, Kelby. Yes. Great work, Kelby.
Sir, um...
..this might not be important,
but when I saw him first, and I'm not sure about this,
but he was with a woman,
and it looked like she was passing something to him.
She was a little older,
and it looked like Mrs Fitzallan from the manor.
Aaron Cole.
Previous for criminal damage, theft, and common assault.
OK. So...can you tell us what you were doing in the grounds
of Shipton Manor the night before last around midnight?
You were seen.
On the night a painting worth £500,000 was stolen.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! You ain't pinning that on me.
Unless you've got a really good explanation for being there,
it doesn't look good, does it?
Right now, you're our prime suspect.
I didn't steal anything, I swear!
Well, if you're innocent,
you can be out of this room in five minutes.
I mean, you're no stranger to this process,
by the sound of things, are you, Aaron?
So...you know full well that the only way that's going to happen
is if you tell us the truth,
and if you tell us exactly why you were there.
If it helps...
..we already know about Mrs Fitzallan.
Do you really think she's going to protect you?
She wanted me to nick the painting.
So you admit stealing it? No.
I was supposed to draw that stuff on the back of the house
the first night. Then the second night, she was supposed
to leave the window open and the alarm off
so I could get the painting.
That way, people would blame the protesters.
But she phoned me yesterday to call it all off.
Arranged to meet her in town.
Told her I wanted paying anyway.
Wait. So the plan was for you to steal the painting last night?
Yeah.
But it looks like someone beat me to it.
SHE SIGHS
Aaron Cole was at school with my son James.
I spent most of their teenage years telling James to stay away from him.
All rather ironic. So you contacted him?
My circle of criminal acquaintances is rather small.
You admit you were paying him to steal the painting?
After what you've just said, it would be rather churlish not to.
You see, my husband isn't away on business.
Charles is actually in Antigua...
..with his secretary...
..and most of our money.
I'm sorry.
Then why go through with buying the painting?
Because I'm a Fitzallan,
and the guardianship of this house comes with responsibilities.
The homecoming of the Solo Mare brought the entire community
back together. How could I suddenly announce
I wasn't going to go through with it? It would have been...
..excruciating.
Charles had arranged to borrow the money
and convinced me to use the manor as security against the loan.
So you hoped to claim on the insurance to help pay back the loan?
And save face in the process.
Rather tawdry solution, don't you think?
Which means that the painting had to be stolen last night,
because until then, you didn't actually own it.
Exactly.
The only good thing to come out of this conversation
is that you will now see that it wasn't in my interest
to steal it any sooner.
FAINT ELECTRICAL HUMMING
Sir! Yes. Coming.
Mr Witham, please let me help.
Yes, I'll take that, thank you.
Sorry we couldn't let you go any sooner.
Yeah, whatever.
Aaron Cole could be lying.
He might have stolen the painting anyway.
Yes, very true.
And nothing in this case is quite what it seems.
I'm starting to think we may never find out what happened.
ANNE: I suppose me taking over his place on the Arts Committee
was my way of holding on to him a bit longer.
I know.
I still miss him.
You see, but I know I shouldn't after all this time.
You stop mentioning it to people.
Well, because it starts to be a bit awkward after a while.
As if sympathy has a use-by date,
and once you're past that date,
you're supposed to snap out of it,
stop harking back to the past, move on.
But it's difficult to move on...
..on your own...
..when you're so used to doing everything together.
I miss him too.
Oh, I know you do.
You don't get your own way as much as you used to,
when he was here.
True. Just my luck to get left with the strict parent!
Mm.
I know why you came back.
Oh?
You were worried about me being on my own.
Oh, I'm sure the dream of opening your own cafe
and being fed up with London was all true too,
but that's not why you came back.
And you were right.
I'm not sure I could have coped on my own.
But that's what you do, isn't it, for people you love?
Put your own wants and needs to one side
and give them what they need.
I never thought about it like that.
All I ever wanted was for your dad to be content and happy.
I suppose that's what Humphrey's doing for you, isn't it?
Giving up everything to come down here with you?
Yes, he is.
And he's doing that because he loves you.
It's a very precious thing, you know, Motty, love.
You hold on to it... as tightly as you can.
Sir, I...
If our intruder came in through the gallery window,
he's already inside the room where the painting actually was.
So why did the power need to be switched off
and why didn't Kelby see him?
I don't know. But I asked for the sale memo
from when Witham originally bought the painting -
part of the auction house's due diligence.
Why? Well, I was hoping there might be something in it that might
solve the debate, give Isla Jay some peace of mind.
That was a nice thing to do.
Mm. Not sure it helps, though.
The only thing of note is that the artist may have used
the canvas before and overpainted, but even that's quite common.
Doesn't that help? Might make it worse.
If Craig painted over Edith's painting,
it's still an original Craig.
Ha... I keep coming back to the power being turned off.
Common sense demands that we look at the two people
who were actually inside the house when the painting was stolen.
Hmm. Louise Fitzallan and Terence Witham.
But we've discounted them both.
Sheep!
What?
She's been on the phone again. Threatening to go to HQ.
Fine. I'll go.
But I can't see how you can lose 25 sheep.
It's not like they can turn invisible, is it?
Or maybe they're just playing hide-and-seek.
Hmm.
SHE MUMBLES
Thanks, Margo.
DOOR OPENS
SHREDDER WHIRS
DOOR CLOSES
Hiding! What?
Hiding! It's the only thing we've never really considered.
I'm not following.
Sir?
We've always known that it was impossible to climb in through
the window, steal the painting, and get out again in the two minutes
that Kelby said he was on the landing. So what did we do?
We chose not to believe him.
But what if he was telling the truth?
What if it was two minutes or less?
That's not possible.
Exactly. And that's the point.
That's why everything is not quite what it seemed,
because we were trying
to prove something that never actually happened.
See, when Witham left art college,
he worked with the art of the macabre,
with magicians and show people.
And? And on his website,
he listed as one of his heroes Banksy. Remember? Yeah.
So, at the auction for Banksy's famous Girl With Balloon picture,
what did he do?
He shredded it!
I remember that!
Yes!
Not sure I understand.
Where's that report you had earlier? Here.
Thank you.
Oh, I think I've got it.
OK...so who stole the Solo Mare?
I did.
I think when Terence Witham first got
the auction house report, he saw it exactly as you did.
It confirmed it was of the period,
in keeping with the work of Augustus Craig.
And, yes, there was a mention of a possible overpainting
at the bottom of the canvas, but that's not unusual.
As far as he was concerned, everything checked out.
He'd bought a genuine Augustus Craig
for a fraction of what it was really worth.
HE LAUGHS
But...at some point, he became curious about what was underneath.
The overpainting was at the bottom of the canvas
where the signature would be.
So I think he found Edith Jay's signature
beneath that of Augustus Craig...
..thereby...
..confirming the theory that Craig had signed his protegee's painting.
So Witham knew it was Edith Jay's all along.
And he also knew that, unlike an Augustus Craig original,
a painting of a horse's backside by a stable girl
would be worthless in comparison.
And he'd already agreed the sale with the Arts Committee.
Yeah. But more importantly, he knew that now the painting
was home in Shipton Abbott, the clamour to have it tested
to finally prove who the real artist was
and end the controversy would be irresistible.
And if that happened, it would ruin his reputation.
And no doubt have Louise Fitzallan demanding her money back. But...
..the sale already being agreed also gave him an opportunity.
What better way to disguise the theft of your own painting
than doing it while it's in someone else's care?
Ours.
So what if he was inspired by a combination of
Banksy's shredding frame and his early work with magicians?
And he constructed a frame...
..designed to hide the painting... within it.
OK, so that's everyone. Mr Witham?
So, on the night of the supposed theft,
it was simple enough for him to make any last-minute adjustments
to the painting before he left.
You'll lock the door behind us, yes?
KELBY: Yes, sir.
No-one is to go beyond those ropes until I return in the morning,
yes? Understood, sir.
Like any magician worth his salt,
he knew about the importance of misdirection
and making the audience look the other way
to cover what they're really doing.
Creating the illusion
that the painting was stolen when the lights went out.
Exactly!
KELBY: Hello?
Hello?
Witham waited a minute or two, and turned the power back on.
CLUNK
Then, the next morning, when the room opened up again,
more misdirection, as he broke the window latch.
All that was left was to be as surprised
as everyone else on the morning of the unveiling.
On behalf of all of us in Shipton Abbott,
welcome home.
ALL GASP
And none more than Louise Fitzallan, who had her own plan in place
to steal the painting for herself.
And that's why Witham was so keen to get back in the room
and collect his frame.
Yes, but the person I believe who actually took the painting
from this house...
..was me.
Mr Witham, please let me help.
Yes, I'll take that, thank you.
Sorry we couldn't let you go any sooner. Yeah...
OK, fine.
He left the manor house five minutes ago.
Right. Get his vehicle details. Put out an APB.
Sure.
SHEEP BLEAT
KELBY: Step aside!
HORN BEEPS
Step aside, sir.
HORN BEEPS
All right, calm down. Calm down. It's all right.
HORN BEEPS
All right, everyone! Phone...
DRIVER: Well, come on, then.
Calm down. Sh. It's all right.
LINE RINGS
Mrs Trowman, I've got your sheep.
Um, you're going to need to bring a truck, all right?
And...
Jeez.
Who the hell's in charge here?
I am.
You!
RADIO: APB on black Ford Transit Courier -
registration Echo November 1-5
Yankee Sierra Bravo.
Driven by a Terence Witham,
dark hair, 5'11", last seen leaving Shipton Abbott
heading towards Exeter.
Wanted on suspicion of fraud. Please apprehend.
HORNS BEEP
Excuse me. Excuse me.
Excuse me.
No!
Oi!
Come back. Oi!
Care to show us how this works?
Very well.
Let's see.
CLICK
CLUNK
So it was in the room the whole time?
It wasn't stolen on my watch?
No, it wasn't.
So...my record on guarding valuable paintings...
..is still 100%.
Yes, well done, Kelby.
Take him away, will you?
Yes, sir!
Well done, Sergeant.
PHONE BUZZES Thank you.
You're welcome.
Hmm. Louise Fitzallan has offered to buy the Solo Mare anyway.
Really? At a tenth of the price.
Why? She knows it wasn't painted by her ancestor.
Who knows?
But Edith Jay was still a local,
so at this rate, Shipton Abbott might just embrace YOU
as one of our own.
The man who saved the Solo Mare.
Yes, well, right now, I'd happily settle
for the gratitude of my future mother-in-law.
Goodnight, sir.
Sergeant.
ENGINE STARTS
What do you want?
We could start with a cup of tea.
Perfect timing.
I've just made your mother a very happy woman.
I'm not sure if I want you to elaborate or not!
Just found her painting.
I knew you would! Yes.
DUCK QUACKS Selwyn!
Selwyn's back.
Selwyn? Yes. Well, he needed a name,
and rather strangely, I found myself missing the Commissioner.
This will soften the blow a little.
Eat. Yes.
Pasta! Just what a hungry man needs after catching an art fraudster.
Just what a woman needs too,
to build up her strength before she starts IVF again.
What?
You mean...?
So we have a man in the middle of a newly-formed crop circle,
with a page of a Charles Dickens novel tucked into his sock.
I think we have our work cut out with this one, Sergeant.
It's perfectly obvious your feelings for Archie
are starting to come back.
There's always something unusual going on round here.
How are you? Good. And you?
Same. Excellent.
If it is our man, he wasn't alone.
If you say the word "alien" again,
I won't be responsible for my actions.
I need to tell you something.