Endeavour Page #5

when one of Rowan's students

knocked on the door.

A boy called Miles.

Miles Percival?

That's right.

Know him slightly

through choir.

But Rowan wasn't in.

And so to save myself the trip,

asked him if he wouldn't mind

dropping the envelope off.

Did he say what he wanted

with your husband?

No, assumed

it was college business.

But ask him,

I'm sure he'll tell you.

Miles Percival is dead.

He shot himself.

That's what came to tell

your husband the other day.

Can you account

for Dr. Stromming's whereabouts

on Saturday evening?

His whereabouts?

He was here.

Are you sure?

You have choir practice

every Saturday evening,

don't you?

Well, he was in his study

when left at 6:
00.

He was still there

when returned later.

Detective Constable...

Well, what time was that?

Around 11:
00.

After practice,

when came out to the car,

had a puncture,

and had to wait

an age for assistance.

But please,

what is this all about?

This is a delicate question,

Mrs. Stromming,

but one must ask.

Yours... is a happy marriage?

Beg your pardon?

Mean...

You've never had cause

to doubt your husband?

Never!

Never have had cause to doubt

my husband, as you put it.

Not for one moment.

Have rehearsals to attend.

Just tell DCS Crisp what

you told me, all right?

You got a minute, sir?

Stromming planned

the whole thing.

Even down to the last detail.

Believe he even went so far

as to spike his wife's tire,

just to make sure that

he got home before she did.

So far as she's aware,

he'd been there the whole time.

Sorry to interrupt, sir.

So, Saturday night,

he lures Mary Tremlett

to Bagley Wood

and kills her to stop the truth

about their affair getting out.

And his alibi is what

for the time in question?

That he's in Hinksey.

What's he doing in Hinksey?

Waiting for Mary.

He said that was the intended

rendezvous point for the 12th,

only he accidentally

submitted the crossword

puzzle for the 19th

to the Oxford Mail.

Anyone see him in Hinksey?

Well, no.

He's lying.

Know he is.

What do you think, sir?

If Stromming is this Oz

character, it stacks up.

Bring him in.

Saturday night he

killed her, you say?

Then think you probably want

to hang fire, sir.

I've got a vet downstairs

who swears he saw Mary Tremlett

alive and well,

6:
00 Sunday morning.

Got to Cherrits' Farm

around about 2:
00.

A breech presentation,

which isn't too much

of a problem as a rule.

But the calf managed

to get the umbilicus caught

around its neck.

Hard go of it, should imagine.

Doubt shall be bowling

legspin again for a while.

But all safely delivered

around about 5:
00.

Collected my things and headed

home about half past.

Anyway, just passed the left

turn to Glympton,

and there she was,

waiting at the bus stop.

What time was this?

6:
00.

The Home Service

had just come on the news.

What did she look like,

this girl?

A redhead, like it says

in the paper.

She was wearing some kind

of get-up with a...

don't know what you'd call it.

A sort of chevron-y type motif.

Green and white, think.

You were 12 hours out.

It wasn't 8:
16

Saturday night

Mary Tremlett was killed.

It was 8:
16 Sunday morning.

This vet saw her waiting

on the first bus to Woodstock.

Do you believe him?

No reason not to.

He's identified the dress.

I've spoken

to Mrs. Stromming, sir.

8:
16 they were in church.

Her and her husband both.

St. Xavier's.

Vicar confirmed.

Which puts

Stromming in the clear.

He might have had

an affair with her,

but the rest of it,

no go, I'm afraid.

But she was found

in Bagley Wood.

He's put in the wrong puzzle,

like he said.

Mary Tremlett goes there,

Stromming never turns up.

Then why doesn't she go home?

Where does she go Saturday night

until this vet finds her

at the bus stop Sunday morning?

Didn't say had it pat.

Maybe she met someone.

But however you look at it,

the long and the short's

we're back to square one.

Maybe not, sir.

This watch we found

by the body,

it's engraved on the back.

Eighth of October 1964.

A wristwatch is often given

as a coming-of-age present.

Checked on that suicide

that Morse was supposed

to be dealing with,

Miles Percival.

Who?

Mary Tremlett's ex-boyfriend.

Her what?

Don't you think that's something

you might have mentioned?

Ruled it out.

You did, did you?

Percival's date of birth,

eighth of October 1943.

Spoke to his parents.

They confirmed they gave him

a watch last year,

matching the one we found.

Anything else

you left off telling me?

Well, Miles Percival was the one

who delivered Dr. Stromming's

clue, sir,

to the Oxford Mail.

Well, say he took

a butcher's at it, sir.

Maybe he tumbled

into how Stromming

is making his contact

with Mary Tremlett.

No, Miles Percival didn't know

the first thing

about crosswords.

His flatmate told me so.

Well, maybe his flatmate

doesn't know Percival

as well as he thinks he does.

So what, he's waiting in

Bagley Wood when Mary turns up?

Mm-hmm, could be he was planning

on doing them both, sir.

Except Stromming didn't show.

They argue,

come to blows, even.

Yes, and he loses his watch.

She gets away from him,

holes up till first light,

when she tries to get

the first bus home.

Only Percival finds her again.

Takes her back to Bagley Wood.

Miles Percival was still

in love with her, sir.

Mean, there's no way that

he could harm Mary Tremlett.

Unless it's slipped your notice,

Miles Percival

blew his brains out.

Yeah, of course he did.

When he found out she was dead.

It was more than he could stand.

Very poetic.

Except he'd done for himself

before we'd found her body.

He couldn't have known

she was dead, sir.

Unless he'd killed her.

Mrs. Stromming?

Feel should apologize for...

You should.

It's a young girl.

Suppose you were

doing your job.

Yeah, a fine mess made of that.

Well, that was all.

Morse?

What you asked me about Rowan,

should have...

Mrs. Stromming...

Look, you owe me that,

at least.

Have been stupid?

Any stupidity was mine.

It's a policeman's lot

to hypothesize.

And sometimes you...

Is this your way of saying

that you were wrong?

Suppose it is.

All right, just...

have been going out of my mind

after what you said.

Well, think no more of it.

Any man with such a wife as you

would have to be mad

to seek happiness elsewhere.

Don't think

Dr. Stromming's mad.

Look, can get you a drink?

That's very kind.

A brandy, then.

Someone told Rowan

that you took Greats

at Lonsdale.

Is that true?

More or less.

And how on earth

does a Greats man

end up a detective?

Wonder myself.

Thought perhaps it might be

your father was a policeman.

No, no.

He was a taxi driver.

Before he lost his license.

And your mother?

She was raised a Quaker.

Good heavens.

Hope any child of mine

might have more to say about me

than, "She was an Anglican. "

Oh, I've...

She died when was 12.

Shouldn't have asked.

No, not at all.

I'm just afraid that

each year one's...

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