Beyond Paradise

Morning, Selwyn.

There's no hot water!

OK. I'll come and take a look.

And the carpet's all wet in here!

I think we've sprung a leak, or...

Right.

I think the most important thing...

...is to not...panic.

We need to think logically.

Does the engine work?

Engine! Brilliant!

Ohh... Ah.

Oh!

Humphrey, are you all right?

I'm fine! OK...

Ah...

What's that?

I'm not entirely sure.

It's dripping oil.

Have we got life jackets?

Well, I didn't think we'd need them.

You know, being parked up.

Wood!

We could make a raft.

Humphrey?!

I need two pencils and a pair of underpants, please.

Oh!

Oh...

Morning!

Dad?

Dad?

Dad?!

What happened? We were really worried.

Yes. The mooring rope snapped,

and the current dragged us out to sea, Kelby.

Thank heavens for the RNLI. Yes.

Oh! Anne said to phone her the second you get back.

Er, you all right, sir?

Yes.

Oh, it's, er... It's just a bump.

Um, I...

Only, you're needed.

Esther's gone on ahead.

Where? Kenneth Linder's house.

Oh, sir! Sir!

Oh, yes. I'm so sorry. Yes.

There we go, there we go. I do apologise.

Yes.

Up here, sir!

Are you OK? How's Martha?

We're both fine, thank you.

Oh, Kenneth.

You know, I only spoke to him last night.

Oh, of course. You went to the book signing.

Yes. Here we are.

I'm still not sure this qualifies as a date.

In my defence, I was coerced

into your Mamma Mia! Karaoke night.

Coerced? Well, maybe not coerced,

but if those photos ever get into the wrong hands...

Right, here we are.

So, consider this payback.

This week sees the launch

of the new Kenneth Linder novel, The Final Breath.

Now, since he's moved to Shipton Abbott,

we are brazenly claiming him as one of our own.

So, as your new local councillor

and treasurer of the Devon Literary Group,

I would like you all to give a huge welcome

to our guest, Kenneth Linder.

His daughter Helen found him in the bath.

The electric fan in the water at his feet.

It looks like he's been here all night.

Looks like the power tripped eventually,

but not quick enough to save him.

Well, this is something of a conundrum.

Why? Because in his latest novel, serial killer Jeremy Cook

is walking to the electric chair,

which is where the last book left him,

but it turns out he bribed the guard to short—circuit the prison power,

therefore delaying his execution until the next day.

Hmm.

But, that night he murdered the guard that helped him

and stole his uniform to escape.

Nice. Then...

...he found the judge that sentenced him

and, like his nine previous victims, killed him...

...by dropping an electrical appliance into his bath.

Hmm.

Thank you, Sergeant.

Hmm... Ah, yes.

We've got something outside, too.

Trampled flowerbed by an open rear door.

We did a quick check,

and the footprints are probably male,

judging by size and weight,

but they're not an obvious match

for any of the footwear found in the house.

We've taken moulds, but there's a difference in indent depth,

so we're pretty sure

whoever made them had a distinct limp.

Limp? Yeah.

Much less weight put on his left leg.

The main road runs across the back of the garden,

so someone could have got over the fence and along this path.

Cameras? Er, nothing this side.

Doorbell camera at the front.

We've got him being dropped off last night

by his daughter Helen,

and then her coming back this morning.

I know you, don't I?

From the, er, book signing last night.

You were with your father. That's right. DI Goodman.

Er, Humphrey Goodman. Ah.

A huge fan. Ah.

This is my fian... Um, my... my wife, Martha.

Hi. Hi.

So, Humphrey, do you have a favourite case?

Oh, yes. The first of the Bathtub trilogy,

Death By Design. The bottle—top MacGuffin -

genius.

Oh! Thank you.

Wait...

...you're not Detective Humphrey Goodman?

Yes. How'd you know that? Well...

I'm something of a fan of yours, too.

I read the newspaper report about the case you solved,

the poor chap murdered by his partner,

made to look like a car crash.

Yeah.

Brilliant! Thank you!

Well, a pleasure to meet you, Humphrey.

And you, Martha.

Thank you.

This must be difficult for you. Is there family we can call?

No, it's just me and Dad.

Are you up to a few questions, Helen?

I'll try.

When was the last time you saw your father...

...before this morning?

Last night. I dropped him home after the book signing.

Promise me you'll have an early night.

Oh... A nightcap first, I think.

One. At least!

Love you.

Love you, too.

And how did he seem in himself?

Quiet.

But I know he was tired.

Can I ask, was your dad a particularly tidy man?

Tidy?

God, no!

He was bloody—minded,

intelligent, playful,

and a rather wonderful father.

But tidy? No.

There's something else you need to know.

He was dying.

He had end-stage amyloidosis,

an abnormal build—up of proteins.

Stops his organs working properly.

Said he refused to die until he'd finished his damn book.

But... he'd been going downhill pretty rapidly

these past few weeks.

We knew it wouldn't be long.

But this...

Do you think he took his own life?

Do you?

I know he was in a lot of pain,

but he refused the palliative care he was offered.

People are coming in.

Are you sure you're up to this, Dad?

Stop fussing.

I'm strong as an ox.

We need to take care of your dad,

so you might be better at home.

They'll take him to the chapel of rest,

and I promise I'll call and let you know when he's there.

Thank you.

Do you think that's it?

He did this himself?

There was a towel, neatly folded by the side of the bath.

Dressing gown and slippers ready.

So, why go to all that trouble

if you know you'll never be getting out of the bath?

Exactly. So, it has to be an accident.

Hmm, possibly.

Wait...

...you're thinking it's murder?

We should consider it. Why?

Because the victim wrote murder mystery novels?

No, Sergeant, because there are some things

that don't make sense. Such as?

Well, it's all rather neat, don't you think?

Too neat, perhaps, for a man not known for his tidiness.

That's it?

It was... too neat?

So what if someone put those things in place

to make it look like an accident?

And what about the fact that he died