DEAD LETTERS

First Broadcast: February 26, 2006

It's the annual week of Oak Apple celebrations in Midsomer Barton when the body of Marion Slade is pulled out of the freshwater lake. The celebrations come to a halt so that Barnaby and Jones can intervene and ask questions to the villagers, most of whom cannot believe this tragic death. 

Barnaby and Jones have words with old travellers Mark and Helen Castle and farmer Grace Starkey and her husband, the village entertainer whom she thinks of as a joke, John Starkey. However, it is not long before the truth leaks, about Marion's daughter who died eight years previously of food-poisoning, who was once made carnival queen at the Oak Apple day.

Barnaby and Jones learn that Marion was on anti-depressant drugs and find out from Dr. Richard Wellow that Marion did not appear to be bordering against suicide. Dr. Wellow however is giving the ladies of the village more than just medical advice and is flirting around with barmaid Ruth Chalk, whose father Ron is unhappy about her flaunting herself, and Grace Starkey, who he enjoys spending evenings with spanking her with oak tree branches. But Grace Starkey's husband is also at it with the barmaid.

Barnaby stops dead in his tracks at the village fete when he sees judge Ursula Gooding and her son, Alistair, as they look identical to Badgers Drift villagers who were murdered nine years ago. He later discovers that they are relations of the Rainbirds - Ursula is the sister of Iris and Alistair the cousin of undertaker Dennis. But this time around Ursula has a daughter, April, who has to put up with living with her bossy and dominating mother and not living a life of her own. Secretly April is desperate to break free but Ursula keeps putting her down. 

Later at the dog show April bores Barnby, Jones and Joyce with old stories about Oak Apple traditions, not realising the detectives are needed as one of the villagers are in danger and are later discovered dead taking their dog for a walk. Both victims, including Marion, had taken tranquilizers causing them to hear voices in their head. But second victim is not victim of suicide - and nor is Marion.

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