- DCI John Barnaby: [arriving at Quitewell Hall] Modest little place.
- DS Ben Jones: An Englishman's castle is his home.
- DCI John Barnaby: Been saving that one, have you?
- DS Ben Jones: For years, sir.
- DCI John Barnaby: I wish you'd saved it a bit longer.
- [last lines]
- DS Ben Jones: There's a report just came in.
- DCI John Barnaby: Oh, yes?
- DS Ben Jones: Three people claim they saw the headless horseman in the last half hour. What's that about?
- DCI John Barnaby: That is a sense of community, Jones. One goes mad, they all go mad. It's a wonderful little world out here.
- Diana DeQuetteville: Half the village children look remarkably like my late husband.
- DS Ben Jones: You didn't have any children together?
- Diana DeQuetteville: [pauses to reflect] I think I might have noticed that.
- DCI John Barnaby: I will go home and sleep on it, and in the morning wake to find that my finely-tuned brain has solved it all and written up all the reports.
- DCI John Barnaby: And who was out riding in the middle of the night in a very aggressive electrical storm?
- DS Ben Jones: Don't know, sir, but apparently, he had no head.
- DCI John Barnaby: I beg your pardon?
- DS Ben Jones: Witness said the horse rider had no head.
- DCI John Barnaby: Drunk or stoned?
- DS Ben Jones: I was on duty, sir.
- [talking about Barnaby, who has just discovered that a supposed murder victim has probably died of natural causes due to a congenital heart abnormality]
- DS Ben Jones: He hates accidents. Makes him feel superfluous.
- DS Ben Jones: The DeQs have been having an ongoing row with their neighbours the Fleetwoods, who they fought in some battle during the Civil War, whenever that was.
- DCI John Barnaby: Sixteen forty-two to sixteen fifty-one.
- DS Ben Jones: Wow. That's some row.
- Julian DeQuetteville: All right, baby brother. Cops want to talk to us.
- Toby DeQuetteville: Why?
- Julian DeQuetteville: I don't know. Maybe it's their job. Listen, keep your trap shut about the family business, all right?
- Toby DeQuetteville: What family business?
- Julian DeQuetteville: Exactly.
- [Pats Toby's cheek]
- Sasha Fleetwood: [Enters barn] Amanda.
- Amanda Harding: Sasha. How lovely to see you.
- Sasha Fleetwood: [Pats horse that Amanda has been brushing] Very beautiful.
- Amanda Harding: [Stops brushing, nods at Sasha's dress] You too.
- Sasha Fleetwood: Don't start.
- Amanda Harding: [Resumes brushing the horse] God forbid.
- Sasha Fleetwood: We all do what we have to do.
- Amanda Harding: Absolutely. And you do it so well.
- Sasha Fleetwood: So be happy for me.