[The Priory School: A large, rather grim building, made of the local stone. Dr Huxtable leads Holmes and Watson in through the main door. Watson is still carrying two suitcases, one of which now shows signs of hasty repacking, and dragging a third. A butler stands nearby.]

Jacobi Master / Butler :
Good evening, sir. Are these the famous detectives?

Malcolm / Dr Huxtable :
That's right.

Jacobi Master / Butler :
I must say, I was expecting them to be taller.

Malcolm / Dr Huxtable :
Yes, that's what I said. Well, more or less.

Jacobi Master / Butler :
And older.

Malcolm / Dr Huxtable :
It's just one of these inexplicable phenomena. Anyway, you two can hang up your coats and we'll pop into the study to see if there's been any news.

Jacobi Master / Butler :
You may also wish to know that the Duke of Holdernesse is in the study waiting for you. Along with his confidential secretary.

Malcolm / Dr Huxtable :
Oh, heavens! This is all I need. You'd better come in — and please, please, whatever you do, try not to upset him.

[They go through into the study.]

Rose / Watson [vo] :
I was, of course, familiar with the pictures of the famous statesman, but the man himself was very different from his representation.

[In fact, he's an Ood. Ood Sigma stands before the fireplace, a translator ball in one hand. Beside him stands Mr Wilder, the private secretary.]

Rose / Watson :
Hang on. The Duke's an Ood? What's that all about?

Mickey / Narrator [vo] :
Well, in the pictures, he looks a bit like one. Which is more than can be said for you being anything like Watson.

Rose / Watson :
What d'you want me to do, wear a false moustache?

Mickey / Narrator [vo] :
Now there's a thought.

Rose / Watson :
Forget it.

Turlough / Wilder :
Have you quite finished arguing with the narration?

Rose / Watson :
And you can keep out of it.

Turlough / Wilder :
His Grace would like to make a complaint, Dr Huxtable. You should not have called in detectives without asking him first.

Malcolm / Dr Huxtable :
Oh dear, I'm very sorry his Grace feels like that. But since the police have failed, well, I thought I had to do whatever I could—

Turlough / Wilder :
His Grace is by no means convinced that the police have failed.

Malcolm / Dr Huxtable :
But when they've taken three days and not so much as a single clue—

Turlough / Wilder :
His Grace is particularly anxious to avoid all public scandal. He prefers to take as few people as possible into his confidence.

Rose / Watson :
Do you think his Grace can actually talk? At all?

Susan / Holmes :
I don't see why not. Unless his translator globe's broken.

Malcolm / Dr Huxtable :
This is terrible. Mr Holmes, I think it would be for the best if you went back to London by the morning train.

Rose / Watson :
You mean I packed all those clothes for nothing? [She advances threateningly on Dr Huxtable.] You're so gonna regret this.

Malcolm / Dr Huxtable [backing away] :
Now, now, there's no need for that kind of reaction...

Susan / Holmes :
No. After all, if we can't stay here, I'm sure we could find a pub or something from which to investigate exactly why you want to get rid of us so badly.

Malcolm / Dr Huxtable :
Um, well, yes, I hear what you're saying—

Ood Sigma / The Duke :
Excuse me.

[There is a moment of silence.]

Ood Sigma / The Duke :
Sherlock Holmes is here. It would be foolish not to cooperate with her investigation.

Rose / Watson :
That's more like it.

Ood Sigma / The Duke :
Would you like a guest room at my house?

Susan / Holmes :
I think it would be best to stay at the scene of the crime. And if I ask Watson to do any more luggage-shifting tonight, I think she might lose her temper.

Ood Sigma / The Duke :
Just as you wish.

Susan / Holmes :
I expect we'll call on you at the Hall. Will you be around for the next couple of days?

Ood Sigma / The Duke :
Yes.

Susan / Holmes :
While you're here, have you come up with any ideas?

Ood Sigma / The Duke :
He might have tried to go to his mother.

Rose / Watson :
Isn't she in the South of France?

Ood Sigma / The Duke :
She is.

Rose / Watson :
That's a long trip for a bicycle.

Susan / Holmes :
I understand you wrote a letter to your son. Was there anything in that to make him want to run away?

Ood Sigma / The Duke :
Certainly not.

Susan / Holmes :
Did you post that letter yourself?

Turlough / Wilder :
His Grace does not post letters. He has people to do that for him. He's a wealthy aristocrat, just in case you hadn't noticed.

Ood Sigma / The Duke :
The letter arrived. Therefore it was posted. What is the problem?

Rose / Watson :
No-one's sent you a ransom demand, have they?

Ood Sigma / The Duke :
No.

Turlough / Wilder :
His Grace would now like to conclude this interview.

Malcolm / Dr Huxtable :
Oh, of course. The butler will show you out. Please, please, accept my apologies for the trouble you have been put to...

Mickey / Narrator [vo] :
They examined the boy's room, and found nothing.

[A twin bedroom. Holmes and Watson sit at a table.]

Susan / Holmes :
Take a look at this plan of the area. You can get away from the school by bicycle in three directions: Along the road this way, this way, or across the moor here. To the south it's all fields and dry stone walls, and you'd have to keep stopping to climb over them. Now, if they went this way along the road, they'd have to pass the Red Bull inn. The landlord was ill and his wife had sent for a doctor who didn't turn up until the following morning, so she was watching the road all night, and there was no sign of a bicycle.

[A brief shot of Charley Pollard, alternately peering out of the window and glancing at her watch, with a complicated transmitter at her feet.]

Rose / Watson :
What if they went the other way?

Susan / Holmes :
They'd have to pass this crossroads. There was a policeman on duty there all night, and he swears he saw nobody.

Rose / Watson :
Hang about. This policeman just stands at the crossroads all night long?

Susan / Holmes :
Yes.

Rose / Watson :
Every night?

Susan / Holmes :
Yes.

Rose / Watson :
Why? It's not like you'd have had mile-long tailbacks build up if he wasn't there to direct the traffic. Or are they worried someone'll nick the crossroads if it isn't guarded night and day? No wonder the local police are short-handed, if they're standing about making sure no-one pinches bits of the road network.

Mickey / Narrator [vo] :
Look, it's just a plot device. It doesn't do to look at it too closely. Come on, you could handle 'Journey's End', you can handle this.

Rose / Watson :
Point taken. So the idea is he could only have gone over the moor?

Susan / Holmes :
Right.

[The door opens. Malcolm / Dr Huxtable bursts in.]

Malcolm / Dr Huxtable :
Look! It's a clue! A real, genuine clue!

[He brandishes a schoolboy's cap.]

Malcolm / Dr Huxtable :
It's the boy's cap. Look, it's got his name inside.

Rose / Watson :
Where did you find it?

Malcolm / Dr Huxtable :
There are some gypsies in the area. The police searched their caravan and found this. They said they found it on the moor. Depend upon it, they know more than they're letting on.

[He departs.]

Susan / Holmes :
There you are. We need to investigate the moor.

Rose / Watson :
You don't think these gypsies are involved?

Susan / Holmes :
If they were, would they have kept the cap?

Rose / Watson :
Yeah, that's a good point.

Susan / Holmes :
Anyway, let's turn in. Early start tomorrow.

[Rose sits on one of the beds.]

Rose / Watson :
What do they put in these, potatoes? Just wait till I get out of here, Lynda. Just you wait.