Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (1980) Movie Script

[soft instrumental music]
[bird squawking]
Oh,
Lord.
You know sometimes I wonder whether
bringing you into the world wasn't
a waste of professional effort.
How many times have I told you
it's all in the mind?
Sorry doctor,
I get worse every day.
Decide where you want the ball to go,
imagine it there and then
hit it
like that.
All right for time?
I promised dad I'll play for evening song
then I should be alright for another
couple of holes anyway.
If we ever get this one finished.
Oh.
Of course if you have no imagination,
I suppose it doesn't work.
I thought I had a shout.
I hope it didn't hit anyone
ah, the ball can't possibly have travelled
that far, can it?
Not if the precedent is anything to go by.
Ah, here it is.
Good.
Good?
I mean it didn't hit anyone.
And is unlikely to be hit by anyone.
Try getting it out of there.
Not that one you fool,
this one.
Now if you can't manage with that,
you better put the wretched
thing out of its misery.
Pick it up and throw it.
Decide where you want the ball to go.
Oh,
every time I'm close
to the edge I do that,
every single time.
Are you gonna try
and get it back?
If I can see it anywhere.
Doctor quickly
look.
Can we get down to him?
There's a path further along.
[birds chirping]
He's still breathing I think.
There's
nothing to be done.
His back is broken.
I'll go for help.
Isn't there anything we can do?
No it's too late now,
his pulse rate is weakening fast.
He'll last about another
20 minutes if that.
I'll stay.
There'll be no pain,
no pain at all.
I'll be as quick as I can.
[gurgling]
Why
didn't
they ask
Evans?
[choking]
I say,
anything the matter?
Man's dead,
help is on its way.
I'll come down.
There's a path to your right.
I say would it be slipping to happen?
Grim.
Nothing I can do?
Well actually there is,
but not for him for me.
You see, the thing is I've got an
appointment at six and.
You don't like to leave?
Well I know the poor
chap's dead and all that
and there's nothing one
can do but all the same.
Don't you worry old man you cut
along to wherever it is,
I'll stay till they get here.
My name is Roger Bassington-Ffrench,
by the way,
come down to see about a house.
Bobby Jones.
Like the golfer.
Not a bit like a golfer.
[bell gonging]
It's five minutes past, vicar.
Well let's give him five
more minutes Roberts,
wretched boy.
Punctuality maybe the
politeness of princes
but not apparently in my parish.
It being the feast of
St. James the Greater,
we shall now sing
unaccompanied, I'm afraid.
Hymn number 557 for all
thy sins a noble song.
What number?
[organ music playing]
If you cannot do a thing
properly my dear Bobby,
it's far better not to do it at all.
Thank you Mrs. Roberts,
that smells quite delicious.
I know that most of your
friends have no idea of time
but that is one who must
never been kept waiting.
What we are about to receive may
the Lord make us truly thankful.
Amen.
I'm sorry dad, but it
really wasn't my fault.
I was keeping guard over a corpse.
You were what?
Keeping guard over poor block
who stepped off the cliff,
he must have gone straight on and over.
Was he killed outright?
No unconscious.
He died just after Dr.
Thomas had gone for help.
Well I felt I couldn't just push off
and leave him so when
another fellow came along,
I just passed the job of
chief mourner on to him
and legged it here as fast as I could.
Well nothing not even sudden death
shake your deplorable callousness,
everything however solemn appears to be
nothing but a joke to your generation.
It isn't like that really Dad.
I hesitate to say this Bobby
but it's eight months now since
you were unfortunately in Bolivia
out of the Navy, seems to me you're
losing your grip of things.
There isn't much to grip around here dad.
Exactly.
I think it's time you set
about finding yourself a job.
Well actually I may be onto something.
I'm going up to London
tomorrow to have a look.
Oh it's the first I've heard of it.
Yes well,
I thought I better find
out more about it first.
A good prospect?
I'm thinking of going
in with Badger Beadon.
My dear Bobby you can't be serious.
His great aunt died
and left him 300 pounds.
He's taken a lease on a garage,
secondhand cars, that sort of thing.
Young Beadon is completely irresponsible,
he's never done a hand's turn in his life.
[Bobby] Well that's not fair dad,
it's just that he's not had much luck.
Luck?
Divine intervention
would hardly compensate
for his complete lack of application.
When he started that chicken farm,
what happened?
The fowl passed.
And when his uncle set him up in a
stockbrokers job in the
city, what happened?
Fired.
And when his father and his mother
sent him off to Australia
what did he do then?
He came back.
Exactly.
Well Australia.
Well how long are you
proposing to be away?
Back the day after tomorrow dad.
That's all?
Well it grieves me to say this Bobby,
but I fear you will not
go with my blessing.
I didn't think that I would.
Badger,
Badger, I know practically
nothing about cars.
Ah, it doesn't matter old chap,
I tell you we're bound to succeed.
Put a lick of
paint on and that's all
the ultimate girl notices.
[laughing]
[grunting]
Pretty, don't you think?
It sticks a bit, that's all.
Here.
You see why I need you?
[train whistling]
Oh I say
I am just frightfully sorry.
Frankie?
Bobby.
I haven't seen you for ages.
Well I haven't seen you.
Are you planning to spend the entire
journey on the floor or
are you going sit down
and talk to me?
Ticket is the wrong colour.
Leave it to me.
Everything all right young ladyship?
Yes perfectly Inspector,
but my friend Mr. Jones has just popped
in to see me for a bit,
it won't matter will it?
The gentleman won't be staying
for long I expect.
I shan't be around again
till after whistle.
What can be done with a smile?
Nonsense.
Father has this habit of tipping
everybody five shillings whenever
he travels that does it.
I must say it's nice to see you.
I heard you'd given up the Navy,
didn't axe you did they, not at your age.
Eyes.
You've always had trouble with your eyes.
I heard you had given up Wales for good.
After the party I went to last night
I thought even the
castle couldn't be worse
in spite of the draughts in the bathrooms.
Oh what was the matter with it?
Nothing really, just like any other party
I suppose that was it.
It's odd isn't it?
I have little to worry about
I have a choice of houses to live in,
hideous family jewels,
credit at the shops.
It's all family, it isn't me.
What is you do think?
When we were children playing together
happy.
I'm so tired of everything aren't you?
No not really.
I don't got the chance.
By the way what's all this about a man
falling over the cliff?
Oh yes, poor devil, Dr. Thomas
and I found him.
How did you hear about it?
In the paper.
It doesn't say anything about you
and Dr. Thomas though.
Would it?
What does it say?
Fatal accident on Welsh coastal path.
The victim of the recent
tragedy at Marchbolt
was identified late last night by means
of a photograph he was carrying.
The photograph proved to
be that of Mrs. Leo Cayman.
Mrs. Cayman was communicated with
and journeyed to Marchbolt where she
identified the deceased as her
brother Alex Pritchard.
Mr. Pritchard had recently
returned from Siam.
He'd been out of England for 10 years
and was starting on a walking tour.
Inquest will be held
in Marchbolt on Monday.
I believe I shall have to give evidence.
Oh, Bobby how thrilling, I should come
and listen to you.
I suppose they didn't
push him over did they?
Pushed him over, good Lord no why?
Well make it much more
exciting wouldn't it?
Life was not then extinct.
No no no the deceased was still breathing.
There was however no hope of recovery
the man's back was broken.
There were no signs of any violence
such as might have been administered
by a third party?
I can only say that all the injuries
present are such as would have been
occasioned by a man falling on the rocks
50 or 60 feet below sir.
It remains then the question of suicide?
That is perfectly possible.
Whether the deceased walked over the edge
or threw himself over is something about
which I cannot give an opinion.
Thank you Dr. Thomas.
Thank you.
That will be all.
Leftenant Robert Jones.
[car honking]
[Man] Cry you say, what sort of cry?
Well,
I mean,
cry.
[Man] A cry for help?
Oh no,
no more sort of shocked, you know?
In fact, I wasn't quite sure that
I'd had it.
A startled kind of cry.
Oh, that's more like it,
sort of sound a fellow might let out
if a ball hit him unexpectedly.
Or if he took a step into nothingness
when he thought he was on a path.
That's it, exactly.
Thank you, Mr. Jones.
Mrs. Leo Cayman.
I swear by almighty God,
the evidence I shall
give shall be the truth
[clears throat]
the whole truth
and nothing but the truth.
You are Mrs. Emelia Cayman of 17 St.
Leonard's gardens Paddington.
You are related to the deceased?
He was my brother.
Mr. Alex Pritchard.
Mrs. Cayman,
when did you last see your brother?
The day before
the day before he fell.
He said he was going on
a walking tour of Wales,
he had only just recently returned
to this country from the east.
He was so looking forward to it.
He was in a happy and
normal state of mind?
Yes.
He had no money troubles or troubles
of any kind in his life recently?
Well there was no sign of it.
What was his profession again?
Prospecting.
Well, that's what he called it.
He was very seldom in England.
You know of no reason at all which might
have caused him to take his own life?
Thank you Mrs. Cayman, I don't think
we need distress you any further.
Members of the jury, it is your task
to decide how this man came by his death.
Sorry I was late.
I caught your bit though, I thought
you were charming.
You make it sound like a school concert.
Well there's little enough to do down here
an inquest is a perfect God sent.
Mind you I thought death by misadventure
was a bit of a dead end.
I'd hoped for suspicion of foul play
but it all seems
regrettably straightforward.
I would never have believed it.
What?
The girl in the photograph I found
could end up looking like that.
It looks exactly like her,
the photograph was touched off that's all.
So touched off you wouldn't have known
it was same person.
Anyway, where did you see it?
In the Marchbolt times.
It probably reproduced badly.
Seems to me you're absolutely batty
over a painted up rattled bitch.
Yes, I said bitch like the Cayman woman.
Frankie.
Well, you should miss her, ridiculous.
[chuckling]
What is ridiculous is to quarrel
about the damned woman.
How about a game of golf tomorrow?
You can't be as bad you used to be.
Can't I?
No I'm not sure I'm all that keen
on golf at the moment,
that's how all this started.
Well who knows, you may be lucky
perhaps there's a lunatic at large,
a pusher of people off
cliffs, will he strike again?
Does Bobby Jones the vicar's son
hold the key to the
mystery that's terrifying
the inhabitants of this
sleepy little Welsh town?
[laughing]
Go home.
10.30?
At the golf club.
I still think it looks exactly like her.
Ah, there is Bobby.
Bobby.
I do hope you'll forgive the intrusion,
Mr. Jones.
My husband is arranging
for my poor brother's body
and well I was just wondering.
Mrs. Cayman was wondering if you
had anything else you could tell her?
Yes, you see I know you told the coroner
everything you could.
But well I did just wonder if there was
some small personal thing.
You do understand don't you?
Absolutely.
Oh, absolutely.
You see, I still can't believe it.
My poor Alex, poor poor Alex.
Oh, I know.
Absolutely grim.
I think it's a little chilly in here
perhaps I better put a match to the fire.
You see if he had left any last word
or message I should like to know it.
It would mean say very much to me.
As a matter of fact he didn't.
Nothing at all?
No well as a matter of fact
nothing at all.
Merciful to pass away
unconscious without pain.
Yes, well that is something
to be thankful for.
I did say that I would meet my husband
back at the hotel.
[car honking]
You must put your trust
in the great healer time.
You're sure you wouldn't like us
to walk you over to the hotel?
Oh, well that's very kind of you
but I should like a few
moments to be alone you know.
Goodbye, Mr. Jones.
Goodbye, Mr. Jones.
Goodbye.
Really Bobby,
you had a tolerable education.
In moments of stress when an unfortunate
human being demands words of comfort
is that the best you can do?
Absolutely grim.
I'm sorry dad,
but I didn't know what to say.
Well it's all very well for you
you're doing it all the time.
I don't know what you mean.
Kettle's on vicar, tea won't be a minute.
How is stylum Mrs. Roberts?
Market won't be worth going to
soon fewer stalls every week.
Mrs. Roberts have you seen last week's
copy of the Marchbolt times by any chance?
I'm sorry Mr. Bobby, I thought you
and the vicar were finished with it.
I used it on the fire.
I don't suppose it matters.
You see you can do it when you try.
Well at least it didn't
go into the sea this time.
Good Lord.
What?
I've just remembered something.
Well.
That woman Mrs. Cayman
when she came round yesterday
and asked if the fellow had said anything
before he died, I told her he hadn't.
And he hadn't?
No,
no, I've just remembered now he did
but it wasn't the sort of thing they meant
that's why I didn't think of it I suppose.
What did he say?
He said, why didn't they ask Evans?
What a funny thing to say.
Nothing else?
No, he just opened his eyes
and said that quite suddenly
and then he died.
Well I wouldn't worry about it,
it wasn't important.
No.
Still I wish I just mentioned it.
Dear Mrs. Cayman,
I have just remembered that your brother
did actually say something before he died.
I think the exact words were
why didn't they ask Evans?
I apologise for not
mentioning this yesterday
but I attached no importance
to the words at the time
and so I suppose they slipped my memory.
Yours truly,
Robert Jones.
Just going to the shop Mr. Bobby.
Oh, Mrs. Roberts,
Mrs. Roberts, Would you be kind enough
to put this in the pillar box for me?
Oh it's no trouble,
posting a few for the vicar anyway.
Well
I'm damned.
Really Bobby.
Oh sorry dad, I forgot you were there.
But somebody has offered me 1000 a year.
What did you say 1000, 1000 pounds?
Hold and wonder.
But that's quite impossible.
A bit unlikely I agree,
but not impossible.
Who are these people?
Some shipping firm in Buenos Aires.
I've been highly recommended.
They don't say by whom.
Remarkable
remarkable.
Must be complete lunatics I agree.
Nothing of the kind.
The South American firm has obviously
realised the value of a
young man of integrity.
All the same dad, why me?
Ex officer of the British Navy,
vicar's son,
they want you to telegraph
your acceptance immediately
and be ready to sail for Buenos Aires
within the week.
Well it's short notice I grant you.
Dad I can't.
What on earth do you mean?
Well I'm, I'm fixed up aren't I,
with Badger.
Even Badger being competent you're
a complete ass to imagine you're gonna
turn down an offer of 1000 pounds a year.
It's no good dad, I can't let him down.
He's counting on me.
Why is he counting on
you will tell me that?
Well.
Simply because he knows that you're
as big a fool as he is.
[organ music playing]
Are beautiful you are
They wouldn't believe me
They wouldn't believe me
Really Roberts.
Oh sorry dad.
Sharper than a serpent's tooth it is
to have a thankless child.
Haven't you anything to do?
Tell you the truth dad, I'm a bit bored.
I thought I might go for a walk.
Do you a part of good young man,
a brisk 12 miles or so across country
I wish I could come with you.
[soft music playing]
[laughing]
[screaming]
I've brought the usual flowers
rather a graveyard suggestion
about them, I am afraid my choice
was singularly limited.
I thought you were in London.
My dear as soon as I heard
about you I turned
back, it's most exciting
to have a romantically poisoned friend.
I don't know whether
morphia's so very romantic.
I hope you realise you're now
gazing upon a medical phenomenon.
To listen to you one would think
nobody had ever been poisoned before.
Girl if you have been poisoned
with eight grammes of morphia
and got over it.
Dash it all Frankie, you
don't seem very impressed.
Well you might spare a thought
for the people who poisoned you.
Whatever for?
Must be pretty sickening to them
all that morphia and there
you are alive and kicking.
I never thought of it like that.
Do you know Dr. Thomas thought
I'd done it deliberately?
Deliberately?
Yes,
he says anybody who
plays golf the way I do
should be forgiven for
taking the easy way out.
[laughing]
Someone must have put the stuff
in my beer while I slept.
Apparently even the dregs were lethal.
It just goes to prove that what I said
on the train was true.
What did you say?
That that man Pritchard
or whatever his name was,
didn't fall over the cliff
at all, he was pushed.
Oh, Frankie.
Well it obvious darling.
I mean, who would want to
put you out of the way?
Have any enemies that you know?
There you are then.
Where?
Well it must have been something
to do with Pritchard.
You had seen something that you weren't
supposed to see or so they
whoever they are think.
Bobby, well has anything else out
of the ordinary happened?
Well there was that letter offering me
a job for 1000 pounds
a year in Buenos Aires.
People I had never met.
Well there you are then.
First they tried to get rid of you
by offering you a job abroad
and then when that doesn't work,
they have to put you out
of the way all together.
But what on earth is it
I'm supposed to have seen?
Oh, well that's a difficulty I agree.
And anyway, if I had seen anything
I would have said so at
the inquest wouldn't I?
Well I have to go and think about it.
And do I kiss you or daren't I?
It's not catchy.
Then I'll do my duty
to the sick thoroughly.
Magazines and papers.
I'm sorry they're a bit out of date
and I'll see you tomorrow.
Lady Francis?
Lady Francis, I never
say sorry Lady Francis
but could you come back?
I think Mr. Jones has had a relapse.
Bobby,
what on earth is going on?
This copy of the Marchbolt
times you left me,
the one I never saw, look.
Portrait found on the dead man
by which he was identified.
Mrs. Emelio Cayman, the
dead man's sister sir.
That isn't the photograph I put back
in the dead man's pocket.
It isn't?
No.
But that means that.
Either there must be two photographs.
Which isn't likely.
Or.
Or someone took the
photograph that you saw
and put another in it's place.
That man that came along
after Pritchard had died,
Bassington-ffrench, if that's his name.
Oh, come on Bobby,
Bassington-ffrench is hardly a name
one's likely to make up.
What was he like?
I didn't notice him particularly.
He said he was a stranger down here
and something about looking for a house.
I'll give you thought.
If Pritchard was pushed,
Bassington-ffrench
is probably the man who did it.
He seemed such a nice fella.
Yes but if it was
murder, then it all fits.
You turn up where you're not supposed to,
you find the photograph
you're not supposed to,
they had to do something.
Won't work.
Why not?
If it was the photograph
that was so important,
whatever was going to be done about me,
would have been done at once.
Otherwise, the chances are that I'd have
seen this copy of the Marchbolt times
and immediately said,
that isn't the photograph I saw.
Why wait until after the
inquest to have a go at me
when everything was nicely settled?
Oh,
and there's another
thing, Bassington-ffrench
didn't appear until after I'd put
the photograph back in
the dead man's pocket.
Damn.
So it's got to be
something they didn't know
till after the inquest.
I wonder why I keep saying they.
I do.
Because the Caymans must
have been in it as well.
Of course
I bet she wasn't even his sister.
Well it puzzled me all along.
I mean the dead man, whoever he was,
was a gentleman.
Mrs. Cayman was in a
different class altogether.
But if he isn't Mrs. Cayman's
brother then who is he?
And why was it so important he
shouldn't be recognised?
And why was the portrait of Mrs. Cayman
put into his pocket?
And the portrait of the
fair unknown removed?
Was she fair?
She was very pretty.
Would you recognise her again?
Oh I'd know her anywhere.
Bobby,
what was it that Pritchard
said just before he died?
Why didn't they ask Evans?
But you didn't tell the Caymans
that did you?
As matter of I did.
You did?
Yes.
Yes,
I wrote to them that evening
saying it was probably quite unimportant
and they wrote back politely agreeing
and thanking me for taking the trouble.
I felt rather snubbed.
And two days later you get a letter
from a strange firm bribing you
to go to South America.
Yes.
Well what more do you want?
Look
look at it from the
Cayman's point of view.
Everything everything's gone off well,
body's successfully identified
verdict of accidental death.
Everything in the garden lovely,
then you come along and mess it all up.
Why didn't they ask Evans?
I don't see how that could
put the wind up anybody.
That's because you don't know.
So what do we do now?
Check up on Bassington-ffrench.
I believe a friend of mine was down
here the other day, a
Mr. Bassington-ffrench.
He was looking for a house.
Making inquiries about various properties
with a view to purchase.
He was obliged to return
to town the next day,
so he couldn't view many of
the houses we have to offer.
Since he left, one or two highly
suitable properties have
come onto the market
and I've sent him on particulars
to Merroway Court, Staverley Hants
but I've had no reply.
He's guilty.
He's definitely guilty.
I mean,
you don't go to a house agent at 6.30
in the evening, then up to
London the following day.
Why make the journey at all?
Why not write?
I must say you've done jolly well so far.
And that's not all.
After that I tackled inspector Williams.
Oh, what did he say?
He said the deceased
had very little on him.
One handkerchief not
marked, some loose change,
a packet of cigarettes, a
couple of treasury notes,
no letters and just one photograph.
Not the one I saw.
Didn't he say anything else?
Yes, could he borrow the castle grounds
for the police feat.
Oh,
and there was a car seen in the vicinity
the day that you were poisoned,
a dark green Talbot saloon.
Did they get the registration number?
Well, no not quite it was
GG something rather.
There must be hundreds of dark green
Talbots in England.
Almost as many as there are Evans
in the Marchbolt directory, 400.
I'm thinking of taking
for my text this Sunday,
and he that was dead came forth.
Well Lazarus you know
seems most app is it?
Oh,
I beg your pardon, Lady Francis,
I didn't see you.
I've always thought everyone must
have been perfectly furious with him.
Lazarus, I mean.
Oh, there he was, safely tucked away
all that wailing and
gnashing of teeth going on
then suddenly he's up
and about making everyone look silly.
It was a miracle Lady Francis.
[Roberts] Hello doctor, come in.
Oh good day, doctor.
How are you?
Let me take your clubs.
You're very kind, very kind.
This way.
Doctor is here.
Just come to take a look at him.
Time you were back on the
golf course young man,
I'm reduced to play with
people who can play.
There's St.Luke of course,
thou shalt be recompensed at the
resurrection of the just.
I hardly think that
applies to Bobby, do you?
Oh no perhaps not.
What about the child that
Elisha raised from the dead?
Oh, much more fun than Lazarus.
I mean, here he dies
and sneeze seven times.
Yes.
As far as I can remember our dear Bobby
didn't sneeze at all.
If he gives you any trouble Mrs. Roberts,
just let me know.
Oh he won't do that doctor.
Thanks Dr. Thomas.
[sneezing]
Oh you're off doctor?
Oh, I must get in a few
holes before surgery.
The doctor says I should be fit enough
to go up to London next week.
Good, may I?
Oh please,
I thought you didn't approve of
my going in with old Badger?
Easier to check up on the Hampshire,
Bassington-frenchs from London,
than from this remote outpost
of the British Empire.
[car honking]
Bobby,
this is George Arbuthnot.
He's a doctor
and we shall need him for a little scheme
that I've got on.
Shall we?
You'll also need a car.
One of yours will do.
Do you mean you want
to buy one of our cars?
Yes.
That's pretty very mice of you Frankie,
but I do actually draw the line
in taking advantage of my friends.
You've got it all wrong as usual
no we really do need a car.
What about the Bentley?
Bentley is not good
for what I want it for.
What's that?
Smashing it up.
I don't think I feel
very well this morning.
She means she's going to have an accident.
How does she know?
Badger Beadon,
the last time I saw you you were head down
in the mud and we had to pull you out
by the legs my dear you
haven't changed a bit.
[coughing]
Well this time I managed it under
my own steam.
[laughing]
Frankie wants to buy one of our cars.
Two cars.
George has got to have one too
and he's crashed his at the moment.
Well can I have one.
Well come and have a look at what
we've got in stock.
They're very smart.
Oh yes, they look alright.
That's the idea.
Now this is remarkably good value in
second hand.
Trojan?
Oh, no, no, no that one.
The Austin still got a
bit of mileage in it.
I understand it should
last another week or so.
All right.
I'll take the standard cash.
Wow, first time I ever knew anyone
with a title who could pay cash.
I'll just get the.
Now will someone please
tell me what's going on?
Roger Bassington-ffrench.
I'm on the track.
Merroway Court belongs to his brother
and he lives there with him
and his American wife.
Whose wife?
The brother's of course.
The point is how am I gonna worm
my way into the household?
Why you??
Why not me or both of us.
Because my dear,
Bassington-ffrench knows you
and he doesn't know me from Adam.
And I'm gonna fight for a strong position
because I've got a title.
Very useful things titles.
George and I have been down to the village
and had a look around,
strangers arriving that would simplest
and unmanned so we developed a plan.
Who has?
Me and George.
Now this is what's going to happen.
[slow instrumental music]
You weren't actually going
to sell this to someone?
All it needs is a bit of work.
It needs a new engine, a new gearbox,
four new tyres and some brakes, let's hope
the law of gravity still
holds good and it gets
down the hill of it's own volition.
Frankie, are you sure you know
what you're doing?
It's all beautifully planned I told you.
George, off you go.
You're looking very pale Frankie,
are you sure you're all right?
I made up here, wouldn't want me
carried into the house
blooming with health.
Now look this is what you have to do,
when George waves his handkerchief
and I wave mine start off.
I'll stay on the running board
until the pace gets too hot
and then I'll jump off.
Don't hurt yourself.
I should be extremely careful not to,
it might complicate matters to have
a real accident on the
spot of a faked one.
Right, he's there.
My turn.
Oh by the way,
I'd better not write to you direct,
I'll write to George or my maid
and get them to pass it on.
Frankie,
look after yourself.
I mean don't do anything foolish.
[ominous music]
[bicycle bell ringing]
Shall I roll around a
bit, make myself dusty?
You might as well, here give me your hat.
Oh.
Concussion.
Lie down.
Has there been an accident?
No, the young lady ran her car
into the wall on purpose.
Is she dead?
Not yet.
She must be taken somewhere at once
I'm a doctor, what is this place?
Merroway Court.
It belongs to Mr. Bassington-ffrench.
You take her legs, I take her head.
[upbeat instrumental music]
There's been an accident, is there a room
I can carry this lady into?
She needs to be attended to at once.
Okay take her in.
Shall I call a doctor?
I am a doctor, I happened to be passing
in my car and saw the accident occur.
Ah, in here.
Is she badly hurt?
I can't really tell till
I have examined her.
I'll be in the hall if you want me.
She looks terribly pale, poor child.
[groaning]
George darling, this won't blight
your career will it?
I mean they won't strike
you of the register
or anything like that?
Probably.
If it ever comes out that.
I'm indebted, don't worry George,
I shan't let you down.
By the by you'd better
be a Christian scientist.
Christian scientist?
Look we don't want any other doctor
examining you do we?
Oh George, you think of everything.
Now you will be careful.
I should be most circumspect.
You've got me into the enemy camp
bless you.
Now it's up to me.
[soft instrumental music]
I don't know whether it's the bang
on the head or what it is,
but I just don't want to move.
I could lie here for days and days.
Well I wish you would.
It gets lonely here sometimes.
Tommy play quietly, poor lady Francis
will never recover with
you making all that noise.
Lady Francis is malingering.
Actually it's marvellous
to see him playing
and enjoying himself.
He's had so many accidents recently.
Last winter, he nearly drowned
and then this spring
he fell from his swing.
Roger was, my brother in
law was terribly upset
because he was swinging him at the time.
You know, pushing him up
high the way children love.
Well he certainly looks splendid now.
Henry doesn't like him playing
with the local children but you see,
there's no one.
Playing with local children
never did me any harm.
Quite the contrary.
Well I know we're over
protective but he is
the only child.
A son and heir, it's understandable.
If anything were to happen to Tommy
I don't know.
Nothing will happen to Tommy.
Oh, Roger.
Lady Francis, may I present the
black of sheep the family,
my brother in law Roger.
Roger, this is lady Francis Derwent.
You've made such a marked impression
on the park wall.
Uncle Roger, uncle Roger,
Ralph said you were back.
How are you?
Have you brought my fort.
Tommy how many times have I told you
you mustn't ask for things.
Nonsense promise is a
promise isn't it old chap?
Oh don't you worry I've got your fort
and your cowboys and
your Indians they're all
in the hall, off you go.
Hi papa.
Henry old man.
You're back then.
Are you joining us for tea?
Tea?
No, I don't want any tea.
Watch must have stopped, what time is it?
10 to four.
It can't be.
Promise you it is.
For God's sake tell those
children to go home.
It was getting chilly anyway,
I'll just close the window.
I must go back to my study
do some accounts, damned head gardener
I think some of are fools.
I have offered to do the accounts for you.
Back of if you should be here today
and gone tomorrow.
I'm sorry about that.
It must be very boring for him
my butting in like this.
Henry doesn't mind that,
Henry doesn't mind anything these days.
I'll
go and have a word with him.
And Roger I'm glad you're back.
Is that the afternoon post?
Yes, sir.
How many times do I have to tell you
to bring it straight to me?
Very good sir.
Put that lot on my desk
I'll deal with them later.
Dad.
Bobby,
is that you?
[laughing]
But what are you doing here?
Had to come up to sort out that
dreadful mess about the new hymn books.
I ordered three dozen in red Morocco
and that fool Luis sends
me two dozen black.
How are you dad?
Is everything all right?
Everything is not all right.
That young woman who was taking your place
only temporarily I trust doesn't seem
to appreciate the fact that congregations
like ours like their hymns taken
at a leisurely pace.
Onward Christian soldiers may have been
written to help a group of small children
to climb a hill but there's no reason why
she should attack it in
quite such a vigorous manner.
Oh,
good morning, Vicar.
Good morning,
Badger.
I trust the venture prospers.
We sold three cars in five days.
Only one was brought back,
bloke said we must have given it
an injection or something to get it
going in the first place.
Remarkable.
Are you keeping yourself my boy?
No more trouble, Dad
if that's what you mean?
Oh, talking of which a friend of yours
was kindly inquiring for you.
A friend?
A tall stooping man with
very strong glasses.
He stopped me just as I
was going into the vestry.
He seemed most anxious
to know how you were.
I gave him your address.
I expect he'll be looking you up soon.
When was this dad?
Just a few days ago.
Would you like a cup of tea vicar?
If you'll excuse me, I think I must
catch the 12.40 from Paddington.
Take care of yourself my boy.
And you dad.
That was a mistake.
You play a very good game.
No, I don't, I'm too lazy to practise
but it's kind of you to say so.
Lady Francis.
Oh please, please call me Frankie,
everyone does.
You'll think I'm quite mad I know
after all, I barely know you
but I do feel I have to
speak to someone about Henry
and I feel I know
instinctively I can trust you.
Do you think you should?
Last night I caught you watching him.
You see what I see don't you?
The abrupt changes of mood,
his appearance, the eyes?
Yes.
Yes, I have noticed.
It's morphia.
I'm sure it's morphia
or some sort of opium?
Morphia?
I first noticed it about six months ago.
He was complaining of
sleeplessness a good deal.
How he first came to
get the wretched stuff
I don't know but I think it began.
How does he get hold of it?
By post, I'm almost certain.
Like yesterday for instance,
you saw how he was at tea time.
Something arrived in the afternoon post
by dinnertime he was a different man.
Oh Roger.
Where does it come from?
I know one thing, no reputable doctor
would let him have it.
Why are you telling me this?
I don't know what to do about Sylvia.
You think she doesn't know?
Either she doesn't know or
she doesn't want to know.
If only he'd consent to go for a cure
there's is a place
quite near here actually
run by Dr. Nicholson, a
Canadian, very clever man,
Henry likes him too.
My the two of you look as if
you've been very energetic.
Three sets and I lost every one.
I hope you haven't let him tyre you out.
I thought we might make up a party,
ask the Nicholson's over.
You'd like Moira Nicholson.
She is a pretty little
thing isn't she Sylvia?
Well men seem to think so.
Judge for yourself.
She has the most appealing eyes.
That's exactly what Alan Carstairs said,
someone who came down here a few weeks ago
with some friends of ours.
He seemed quite enamoured didn't he?
Looks a little fair.
It's hardly surprising.
Living in a sanatorium
surrounded by depressives
and drug addicts can't be much of a life.
Either she worships her husband
or she's scared to death of them,
I can never make out which.
He is a very forceful man.
You don't like him?
No, I don't like him.
I don't like him at all.
Two loads of morphia turning up
within days of each other
can't be a coincidence.
But that would mean
that Bassington-ffrench
would have had to be around in Wales
on the very day Bobby was poisoned.
When was it exactly?
Let me think,
Tuesday I had lunch with the Parkinson's
and Wednesday was the first night
of that new review, that was the 16th,
it must have been the 16th.
All you have to do is find out
where Roger was on the 16th.
Oh that's going to be very easy, isn't it?
Look that run on the black seven.
Bring the two across
and you clear the king.
I'm sorry, it's maddening isn't it?
Quite maddening.
When you smile, are you
sure we haven't met before.
Recently quite recently,
wasn't at that party of Lady Shane's
at Claridge's the 16th it was.
Oh he couldn't have been there.
The 16th was Tommy's birthday.
We had the most ghastly children's party
if I hadn't got through it without Roger
I just don't know.
Besides, if I had met you before,
I should never have forgotten.
That's the extraordinary
thing about this place
when nothing happens most of the time,
the most trivial things become memorable.
Well if you think this is quiet,
you should try Wales.
Mind you we do have the
odd bit of excitement.
We had a man fall off
the cliff last month.
We were all thrilled to the core,
not for him of course, but it did give us
something to talk about.
Was that place called Marchbolt?
Yes, that's right.
We live seven miles from there.
What an extraordinary coincidence.
That must have been your man Roger.
Your man?
I was actually in at the death,
stayed with the body
until the police arrived.
What were you doing there?
He had some absurd idea of buying
a house down there.
Not absurd at all.
I shall settle down someday.
When you do, settle down
near us not in Wales.
Didn't turn out to be suicide or anything?
Oh no, it was all painfully aboveboard.
Didn't you see his picture in the paper?
I really don't remember.
I think I've got a cutting in my bag.
Must have been awfully handsome this
Alex Pritchard, before
he was dead, I mean.
[laughing]
Oh, yes I remember.
He looks a bit like Alan Carstairs,
as I said so at the time.
There is a look of him about it I agree.
There is no real resemblance you know.
Alan Carstairs, I've heard
that name before somewhere.
Perhaps he was at lady
Shane's on the 16th.
Oh he's quite as elaborate in his own way.
He's a Canadian, a naturalist,
a big game hunter and explorer
not that I know him all that well.
He came down here with some friends
of ours the Rivingtons for lunch one day.
A very attractive man.
And he fell in love with Moira Nicholson?
With her photograph, yes.
It was his first time in
this country I believe.
Last year he'd been on tour through Africa
with that millionaire man John.
Savage.
You know the one who thought he had cancer
and killed himself.
Funny.
Your Alan Carstairs is looking so like
that man who fell off
the cliff at Marchbolt.
That's Dr. Nicholson,
I thought they were coming to
play tennis this afternoon.
Well they said they were.
My dear Sylvia, I'm the
bearer of sad tidings.
Moira has a slight migraine,
I'm afraid we won't be able to make up
a set this afternoon.
Oh, my guest will be very disappointed.
My I introduce Lady Francis Derwent.
Lady Francis, Dr. Joseph Nicholson.
How do you do?
Lady Francis has created quite
a stir in the district.
I have?
Earl's daughter survives unorthodox
arrival at Merroway court.
[laughing]
You know there was one
thing that intrigued me.
Yes.
The doctor who was passing,
the one who brought you in here.
He must have had a most curious character
to turn his car around
before going to the rescue.
Sorry, I didn't understand.
Well, young,
young Reeves, the messenger boy,
he came from stapling on his bicycle,
and no car passed him, yet he comes
around the corner, finds the smash
the doctor's car pointing
in the same direction
as he's going towards London.
You see the point?
Good morning, Dr. Nicholson.
Good morning Thomas.
Have you come to see my fort?
Oh not today I'm afraid young man,
sounds most impressive.
I look forward to hearing all about it
when you come to tea tomorrow.
Tea?
Thomas had made an
assignation with my wife
didn't he tell you?
Tommy, have you been inviting yourself?
No, of course he hasn't.
And I'll show you the rabbits.
Shall we say 3.30?
Oh, thank you Dr. Nicholson.
I'll drive him over myself.
Fine.
Bye.
He's fond of children?
He says is not but that Tommy is special.
I suppose he came to
Tommy's birthday party then.
Oh no he was away that weekend.
Dear Bobby.
I think it's about you came down,
get a chauffeur's livery,
as always dark green
and put it down to father's
account at Harrods.
I hope you have the
moustache under control.
And remember your name is Hawkins,
it's all right no one
will ever recognise you
people just don't look at chauffeurs.
Come down here and ask for me.
You'll have to put up at the pub
and get what local
information you can there
particularly about a doctor Nicholson
who runs a place for dope phemes.
Several suspicious circumstances about him
like he owns a dark green Talbot saloon,
was away from him on the 16th when your
beer was doctored and is all together
far too interested in my accident.
Au revoir my fellow sleuth,
love from your successfully
concussed Frankie.
Oh,
and PS.
I think I've identified the corpse.
I just don't like Tommy going over there.
You shouldn't have said he could go there.
If Tommy ever found out what he does
to those poor rabbits.
What's the matter with the rabbits?
Oh he uses them for drugs,
tests, experiments,
all that sort of thing.
What about the people?
Have you ever thought about the suffering
at all that they go through,
can you imagine what it's
like to get used to a drug
and then have it taken away from you?
People have gone raving mad
and all you can think about are rabbits.
[sad music]
Leave him.
Everything all right then Hawkins?
Yes, my lady.
She's been thoroughly overhauled.
That's all right then.
Quite a bast you've got there.
Yes sir.
You'll get some peace out of that.
I do.
You will put up at the Anglos Arms
in Staveley Hawkins, I'll telephone you
tomorrow if I want the car.
Fancy a game of croquet before tea?
Only if you promise to let me beat you.
Does the young lady have many accidents?
More of a danger to
herself than other people.
That's women ain't it.
Aye woman behind the wheel, it's only
natural is it?
Still she's lucky to end up where she did
it's a nice house Merroway court.
Only big place around here is it?
Well there's the Grange,
been empty for years
until it was taken over
by this Canadian doctor
Nicholson his name is.
There are some very queer goings on
up there if you ask me.
Goings on.
Well I've always heard, that most
don't wanna be there
and they're most put away at the Grange
by their relations.
I assure you Mr. Hawkins, the moanings
and groanings and shriekings that
are going up there you wouldn't believe.
[soft music]
[suspense music]
It's all right,
it's quite all right.
What's the matter?
Get away.
No no no I want to help you.
Do you?
No one can help me.
Well at least tell me what it is
that frighten.
You're the girl in the photograph.
They are coming, they are coming.
You can't help me unless you go now.
You must go now please.
[soft music]
Mr. Hawkins.
Mr. Hawkins.
Oh,
yes.
Sorry I was miles away.
You're wanted on the telephone.
Hello.
Hello.
Hello Frankie.
Lady Francis Derwent
here is that you Hawkins?
Yes my lady.
I want the car 10 o'clock
to take me up to London.
Very good your ladyship.
It is a nuisance having to go up
to London today just
because father insists
I see his doctor.
He's perfectly right.
I'd half thought of asking
you to give me a lift.
That would be lovely.
But on second thoughts I don't think
I'd better go out today.
That wretched brother of mine
is even harder than usual.
I don't want to leave Sylvia alone.
I can imagine how you feel.
You will be back this evening?
Yes, of course.
Well I look forward to that.
Goodbye.
You are coming back?
I told you this evening.
Promise.
I promise.
She's gone.
Don't worry, Sylvia
she'll be back.
Right I think we can talk.
Do you talk to Hawkins?
You're not Hawkins.
I know that and it
really is quite a strain.
I mean for instance,
when does one say my lady
and when does one say your ladyship
sort of thing the real Hawkins knows
and I don't, I could get caught out.
I think I'm mooting.
Really is frightfully good.
It's also frightfully uncomfortable.
Now I'm nearly certain that the dead man
was someone called Carstairs.
Carstairs?
Alan Carstairs, he was a big game hunter
and explorer and he was brought down
to the Bassington-ffrenchs by some people
called Rivington.
And I found the original
of the photograph.
Not the one in the man's pocket?
Yes.
Bobby that's marvellous, where?
In the grounds of Dr.
Nicholson's nursing home.
You know I'm afraid of that man Nicholson,
I think he's definitely suspicious.
You mean you don't like him?
You know, Sylvia doesn't like him either.
Frankie, what do you think
is at the bottom of all this?
Morphia.
Morphia?
It's the only thing that you
and I and Dr. Nicholson have in common.
I don't understand.
It's too much of a coincidence.
First someone tries to
poison you with morphia.
Then Roger's worried his
brother's a morphine addict.
Then Dr. Nicholson turns up in charge
of a clinic who uses morphia.
What's more on the day
that you were poisoned
Roger was at Merroway court
and Dr. Nicholson wasn't
and remember that he drives a
dark green Talbot saloon.
Not exactly evidence I know but
you must admit it fits nicely.
Almost too nicely.
And Roger, what about him?
You know I think you're wrong about him.
In what way?
Well you've cast him as the villain
of the piece haven't you?
Not at all.
You worked it out logically
and you decided he must be
the villain of the piece.
Because of the photograph.
Yes,
Roger was on that cliff
top when the man went over
no one else could have changed it.
But that's all we've got
against him really isn't it?
All?
No well I know but
now I feel he's innocent.
Frankie,
you haven't fallen for Roger, have you?
So you've said.
Bobby, I just feel there must be
some sort of innocent explanation.
I don't see how that can be
especially now that we've found the girl
in the photograph actually
in the neighbourhood.
That seems to clinch the matter.
Frankie, duck.
The question is did Alan Carstairs get
the Rivingtons to bring him down
to Staveley deliberately
or was it just chance?
Or was he simply on the track of the girl?
The girl?
She may have been abducted.
He may have come to England to find her.
That might explain why he
was carrying the photograph.
But if he tracked her in Staveley,
what was he doing in Wales?
Obviously there's a lot we don't know yet.
Like Evans.
Evans?
Why didn't they ask Evans?
We haven't had any clue
about Evans at all.
Evans part must have been to Wales.
When we get to London,
I think we'll go to Brook street,
father has went and the
house is practically empty.
We can decide what to do
about the Rivington's there.
Rivington, Rivington, builders Rivington,
dental surgeon didn't think so
do you, miss Florence Rivington,
Carnelage Rivington,
DSO Tight St. Chelsea.
Oh, that sounds more like it.
There are four more but
we've got to start somewhere
and I think Tight St. sounds as good
a place as any.
But what are we going to say?
Oh, think up a few good lies Frankie
I'm useless at that sort of thing.
You'll have to go you know.
Oh, like this.
No, no as the junior partner
in a solicitor's firm I think.
Ah now that seems a most gentlemanly role.
I was afraid you might think of
something much worse than that.
All right just a minute,
ah here we are, Mr. Frederick Spragge.
You are a young member of the firm
of Spragge Spragge, Jenkinson and Spragge
of Bloomsbury square.
They're father's solicitors.
As usual you'll have to
stick with that moustache.
I'm afraid it's sticking to me.
And if you're borrowing father's
solicitors you better borrow his clothes.
They'll sue me for false representation
or whatever it's called.
There can't be any livings
Spragges about 100.
Sloan oh six two nine.
Here hold this can you please.
He's a terrible snob
and it's out of my hand.
Yes I know but.
Don't worry I'll fix it
when things go wrong.
Good afternoon.
This is Spragge, Spragge,
Jenkinson and Spragge.
The young woman who
phoned from your office
said the matter was urgent.
Spragge, yes,
yes, it is rather.
It's about our client, Mr. Alan Carstairs.
Oh yes.
Perhaps he mentioned
we were acting for him.
I believe he did.
But of course,
I know all about you anyhow.
You do?
You acted for Dolly Maltravers didn't you
when she shot that
dreadful dressmaker man.
I think you know all the details.
We know a lot that never
reaches the general public.
I suppose you must,
but tell me, did she really?
I mean was she really
dressed as that woman said?
The story was contradicted in court.
Oh.
[laughing]
Oh I see.
Well do sit down.
Thank you.
Mind you.
Now about Mr. Carstairs,
he left England very suddenly,
as perhaps you know.
No, I didn't know, we
haven't seen him since.
Mind you I always had my suspicions
about Dolly Maltravers.
She did get off Mrs. Rivington.
But I asked.
To return to Mr. Carstairs,
you saw him last when?
Oh six weeks ago, two months sorry,
I can't remember.
But surely I thought.
Oh yes of course I can,
is when we took him down to Staveley.
He'd just arrived in England,
we were going to Scotland
so I said to Hubert,
let's take him down to
the Bassingtons-ffrenchs
they won't mind so we did
and of course they didn't.
He didn't know the Bassington-ffrenchs?
No but I think he liked them
though something seemed to upset him.
He was very quiet and
moody on the way home
but then of course he's a Canadian,
Canadians are so awfully touchy
don't you think?
You don't know what it was that upset him?
I haven't the least idea.
Did he meet any of the neighbours,
go for a walk, anything like that?
No,
it's just ourselves and them
but it's odd you're
saying that because he did
ask an awful lot of questions about
some people who live nearby, a doctor
something or other.
Nicholson?
How do you know him?
Well I have had occasion.
Oh I must say he sounds
absolutely fascinating.
Did Mr. Carstairs know the Nicholsons?
No.
And that's what made it so odd
because he wasn't a curious man as a rule,
but he wanted to know all about them,
how long they'd lived there,
where they came from,
all that sort of thing.
Did he say why he himself was in England?
No.
But we thought he would deny that
it might be something to do with that
poor millionaire friend of his who died
so tragically now what
was his name you know.
Savage.
John Savage.
Alan was very upset about that.
Do you know some doctor actually told
the poor man that he had cancer
and he killed himself.
Disgraceful.
I mean only last Spring our doctor
told poor Hubert that he had mumps
when all it was was were
swollen gums thank God.
To return to Mr. Carstairs,
we're trying to trace him
rather urgently you see
and he hasn't left an address
and when we heard him mention that
he was a friend of yours, we thought
you might be able to help us.
Oh, I see.
No, I'm afraid I can't we
haven't seen him since.
Ah.
Well, thank you very much Mrs. Rivington,
I do apologise for having taken up
so much of your time.
It's so interesting I think the way
the legal mind operates.
And of course it's fascinating to know
that Dolly Maltravers really did.
Mrs. Rivington I said nothing at all.
Yes, but then you lawyers are always
so discreet, aren't you?
[Frankie] So it was just
chance talking to the
Bassington-ffrenchs.
And while he was there,
someone mentioned the Nicholsons.
You see, it is Nicholson who is
at the heart of the mystery and not Roger.
It all looks quite.
I wonder where they all are.
He wasn't expecting you back so soon,
he's probably out pushing
people over cliffs.
Thank you Hawkins.
That will be all.
I'll telephone you when I need you.
[soft music]
Anyone at home?
I interrupted you.
I came back sooner than I had meant.
Mrs. Bassington-ffrench is very upset.
Yes,
I rather gathered that.
But she had to know the truth.
I want her to persuade her husband
to place himself entirely in my hands.
If she should mention the matter to you.
I hardly think she will do.
If she should,
try to persuade her that it really
would be best.
You see
an addict can destroy not only himself
lady Francis, he can destroy everything
he loves best.
[sad music]
You said, you said you'd help me.
Perhaps I shouldn't have come.
Of course you should have come,
I'll do anything.
Anything in the world to help you.
Oh, don't be frightened, you're safe now.
You must think me mad.
You must think me quite
mad coming here like this.
It's just that I'm so frightened.
I'm so terribly frightened.
I know you're not mad.
I wouldn't blame you if you did
finding me in that dreadful
place with all those.
Look here, I know
nothing about you at all.
Tell me.
Tell me everything.
Tell me who you are.
You mean you don't know?
I'm Moira Nicholson,
Dr. Nicholson's my husband,
he's going to murder me.
Thank you.
I don't understand
why should your husband
want to murder you?
Because he wants to marry
Sylvia Bassington-ffrench.
But she's married already.
He's arranging for that.
What do you mean?
He's trying to get Henry admitted
to the Grange as a patient.
And then?
Once he was there, something would happen.
What does Sylvia's brother
in law think of this?
Roger?
He's rather nice I think.
But she's the sort of person who
would be very easily deceived.
Jasper's working on him to try to persuade
Henry to come to the Grange.
Don't let him come please.
If he does something awful will happen
I know it will.
How long have you been
married to your husband?
Just over two years.
Haven't you ever thought of leaving him?
How could I?
I have nowhere to go, I have no money
people would think I was mad.
A poor pathetic woman going around saying
her husband was trying to murder her.
I've seen it in his eyes
when he looks at me.
Who would ever believe me?
Well, I believe you.
Thank you.
Oh thank you.
Look,
if I'm going to help her,
I've got to ask you some questions.
Did you ever know a man
called Alan Carstairs?
Yes.
You knew him before you were married?
Yes.
Did you at some time or other
give him your photograph?
Yes.
Has he been here to see you
since you were married?
A few weeks ago.
Did your husband know of this?
No.
Are you sure?
I don't understand.
Would you say your
husband was a jealous man?
Jealous?
No.
Possessive, yes.
Why are you asking me all these questions?
Look, there's a lot I have to tell you
but it isn't safe to go on talking here
and besides you've got to meet Frankie.
Lady Francis Derwent?
I thought you were her chauffeur.
The landlord said you.
Trust me, I'll explain about that too.
But we've got to find someplace to talk
where there's no danger
of being overheard.
Lady Francis,
I'd like you to meet Mrs. Nicholson,
the original of the photograph.
Oh I'm sorry
but I do see now why
the sight of Mrs. Cayman
at the inquest came as
such a shock to you.
I must be an absolute fool not to realise.
I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't understand.
Oh no, no of course you don't.
Look I am afraid I'm gonna have
to give you rather a shock.
This friend of yours, Alan Carstairs he's,
well, you've got to know he's dead.
Tell me.
He fell over a cliff at Marchbolt,
the place where I live.
I and the doctor there happened to be
the ones to find him.
So that's why he never came back.
He had your photograph in his pocket.
Do you have.
So when I came face to face with
you that night, you
can imagine how I felt.
You recognised me very quickly.
I'd have recognised you anyway.
When did all this happen?
I think it was just
after he came down here.
Did he mention anything
about going to Wales?
You don't by any chance happen to know
anyone called Evans, I suppose?
Evans, no I don't think so.
Why?
Just before your friend died,
he regained consciousness and said.
Why didn't they ask Evans?
It's a very common name.
And then these terrible people,
the Caymans turned up at the inquest
and identified him as
Mrs. Cayman's brother,
Alex Pritchard.
And your photograph had gone
and this Cayman woman's was in its place.
Here in the East we'll have the comanches.
It says on the book Sussex.
Well that's the principle of Kant's,
now where's that cannon?
Do be careful won't you?
Mum says you must never point to anyone
even thought it's only clockwork.
Quite right.
We'll put it here I think then we can
really let them have it.
You do it old boy will you.
Just aout there I think.
[sad music]
Tommy.
Yes father.
I just wanted to say if ever I seem a bit
well you know, short tempered it
doesn't mean anything you know,
I don't always feel very well.
Nothing personal you understand?
I think so father.
Henry I need to talk to you.
I was just watching for the post my dear.
He's not due for nearly an hour.
Tommy,
you go down to the kitchen with Mary
cook has a surprise for you.
Come along master Tommy.
What's the surprise Mary?
I don't want to spoil it by telling you.
[sad music]
And we think that Roger Bassington-ffrench
pushes Pritchard or
Carstairs over the cliff.
Roger?
He was in the right
place at the right time.
And more important, he was the only one
who could have removed the photograph.
I'm sorry, but there's
something I must ask you.
Ask away.
Well I don't know how to put this
without sounding
well, did you really come
down here by accident?
Or did you come because
you suspect my husband?
I give you my word of honour
we'd never even heard of your husband
till we arrived down here.
Only you see I think my
husband suspects you.
What was that?
Heavy footed rabbit probably.
What does your husband suspect?
Well that your accident when you drove
into the wall, that it wasn't
really an accident at all.
He's quite right, it wasn't.
Wasn't?
I drove into the wall on purpose
and Bobby came down and
pretended to be my chauffeur.
The whole thing was staged because Bobby
wanted to, well how does one put it, get
a line on Roger Bassington-ffrench.
I'm sorry but I think that's absurd.
Rogers weak well perhaps, but pushing
someone over a cliff
I mean, why should he?
He and Alan Carstairs had only met once,
at lunch at Merroway court.
There's no motive, I
just don't believe it.
And I don't believe it either.
The fact remains he is the only one
who could have taken your photograph.
There's an easy way to settle it.
Why don't you ask him?
How on earth did you come to guess that?
You did?
Yes I had to.
But why?
Well now,
here am I mounted guard
over a stranger's dead body.
I see a photograph sticking
out of his jacket pocket.
I look at it,
I can't believe it
it's the photograph of a woman I know.
A married woman.
And a woman I suspect is
not too happily married.
What's to be done?
An inquest publicity?
I acted on impulse,
took the photograph and tore it up.
So that's it.
If only you knew.
Knew what?
I can't tell you at the moment
but please trust me.
I do see now why you took the photograph
but was there any objection to saying
that you recognise the
man that you met him
down here the week before?
My dear girl are you quite mad?
Alan Carstairs, you did
meet Alan Carstairs?
The man who came down with the Rivingtons?
The dead man wasn't Alan Carstairs.
Oh but he was.
You must have recognised him.
I didn't see his face, he had a
handkerchief spread over it.
How beautifully uncurious man are.
I feel terribly sorry for her.
For Moria Nicholson why?
Being married to a man like that.
Yes, I know what you mean.
I don't much care for him myself.
And yet you want Henry
to go to his clinic.
Well that's different,
that's professional.
What's more, I think Sylvia is about ready
to agree, I spoke to her this afternoon.
Sit down Roger.
I've got to prove to
you that Dr. Nicholson
is a dangerous criminal.
What?
And that your brother is in mortal danger.
Even if you're right, what does it prove?
Mind you if you could share that
Nicholson had been in Marchbolt on the day
of the cliff tragedy or if you could
find any definite motive linking him
with Alan Carstairs it might be different.
It seems to me you're
ignoring the real suspects.
Who?
The people you say made the false
identification in the
first place, the Heymans.
Caymans.
Seems to me as if they're
in it up to their hilt.
I mean, look at their
insistence on knowing
whether the poor fellow said
anything before he died.
They obviously thought that your friend
Bobby Jones was in possession of some
knowledge that was dangerous to them.
So they try to eliminate him.
Bobby says it's absolutely grim.
You don't think they'll try again
if they get on his track?
Then we must get on to theirs first.
I can't think why we
haven't done so before.
Now you know what Moria thinks
her husband is after.
Do you still think your brother
should go to the Grange?
Oh, Roger,
I've been looking for you everywhere.
Would you like me to go?
No Frankie don't go, there's no point
is there you know all there is to know.
I've been blind, blind.
You both saw what I never even suspected
or was it simply that
I closed my eyes to it
because I didn't want
to see, couldn't see.
All I knew was that Henry had changed so
but I never suspected the reason.
But it's going to be all right Roger,
he's agreed he'll go to the Grange
and he'll put himself in Dr. Nicholson.
Oh no.
There are other places,
places not so near at hand.
But half an hour ago you were all
for Henry's going to the Grange
why have you changed your mind?
It's simply that I've
been thinking it over
and I think there are other places.
But it's no good I want Henry
in Dr. Nicholson's care and no one else's.
Just let me telephone him one more time.
But I shan't change my mind Roger.
I don't know how to apologise
you must think of us.
Sylvia
if I'm in any way an
embarrassment I'll go.
Oh, no, please stay.
Poor Henry.
He was so upset at my knowing, he cried.
He promised he'd do anything he could
for my sake and for Thomas' sake.
Sure he will.
Dr. Nicholson is warming
up to get him on premises.
I've said such dreadful things about
that man yet with him is necessary
he was the one person
who told me the truth.
We all change our mind sometime or rather.
Look,
I know I haven't paid last month's bill
but you can't run a second hand car shop
without spare parts.
I'm not asking you to
throw good money after bad,
just
but
excuse me,
just think of it as an investment.
Nicholson's out, I left a message.
I still don't understand,
you suggested this plan,
it's all been arranged
and Henry's consented.
Sylvia I am Henry's brother.
[gunshot]
What was that?
Sounded like.
Tommy.
Daddy, daddy.
Tommy.
Henry.
It's locked.
[child screaming]
Tommy, it's alright,
I'll just go and see him.
Stand back, I'll have to break it.
[ominous music]
Oh.
I feel this is the best way out.
It's too late, can't fight it now I know.
I'm going to do the best I can for Sylvia.
Sylvia and Tommy
God bless you both my dear.
Forgive me.
I think you'd better let me take over.
Has something happened to Henry?
Look after her, take her away.
Tell me what's happened.
Everything's all right,
Dr. Nicholson is there,
there's been an accident.
It's going to be all
right, come along Tommy.
Nothing to be done.
Death must have been instantaneous.
Poor fool, obviously he felt he
couldn't face the music.
Drugs always end in tragedy.
Always.
There will have to be
an inquest of course.
I will telephone the police.
Oh, the key is not in the lock.
Or perhaps it's in his pocket.
[sad music]
Operator,
operator
this is Dr. Nicholson of the Grange,
put me through to the
police station at once.
Is my dad well?
[Nicholson] There's been a fatality
at Merroway court.
Get away as fast as you can,
bring the police with you.
I want to play now, I want to play now.
I better call my chauffer.
The sooner I go.
No please don't do that lady Francis.
Sylvia will need a
friend with her tonight.
Preferably a woman.
Well if you think I can be of any help.
Three seven four
this is lady Francis Derwent
could you bring my Chauffer
to the phone please?
[Bobby] My lady?
Something awful has happened.
We must meet tomorrow.
Same time, same place as today.
[Bobby] Frankie, are you alright?
Lady Francis, will you give me a hand
to get Sylvia upstairs please?
Henry.
No, no Sylvia, Sylvia.
Henry.
No Sylvia please.
Henry.
Come along.
Calm yourself.
[sad music]
Poor old Henry.
It sounds absolutely ghastly.
I'm just quite certain
he didn't commit suicide.
Must have been suicide.
We were all in the conservatory with Roger
when we heard the shot.
By the way, Nicholson seems to have
appeared rather conveniently.
He'd left his big momma something
other behind early on,
he'd come back for it.
Frankie,
suppose for a minute,
Nicholson shot old Henry.
Having first persuaded him
to write a suicide note.
That would be the easiest
thing in the world to fake.
A fake that would convince
the dead man's wife,
his brother.
Look, if you're in such a state,
that suicide seems the only way out,
how good, how typical
would your handwriting be?
Go on.
Nicholson shoots Bassington-ffrench,
leaves a farewell letter, nips out
locking the door only
to appear a few minutes
later as though he just arrived.
It's a good idea, it won't work
and to begin with the key
was in Henry's pocket.
Who found it there?
Nicholson did.
There you are then.
What?
What's easier for him than
to pretend to find it?
Oh, but I was watching him remember,
I'm sure the key was in his pocket.
Sylvia saw him drive up when we ran
around to the study windows.
In fact, she brought him around.
I hate to say it, but
he has a perfect alibi.
Three deaths.
Three?
Alan Carstairs, Henry Bassington-ffrench
and there but for the
grace of God goes you.
Who's next?
Moira.
Good Lord, I had forgotten all about her.
So I'd noticed.
We must persuade her to
leave the Grange at once.
We could send her down to Wales.
Take father's mind off his beastly guard
and she'd be perfectly safe at the castle.
If you can fix it Frankie,
nothing could be better.
It's extraordinary how
men like helpless women.
Bring the car around half past 10
and I'll rescue your
precious Moira for you.
It's grim.
Absolutely grim.
Starts off as some sort of adventure.
Why didn't they ask Evans?
Well, why didn't they?
Might have saved us an
awful lot of bother.
Poor little boy.
I have an idea about Evans.
I have a feeling that although he's been
the starting point, he
really doesn't matter at all.
Sometimes I don't think there is an Evans.
What a creepy, isn't it?
No wonder Moira gets the horrors here.
Be careful.
Don't do anything silly.
[bell ringing]
I've called to see Mrs. Nicholson.
[screaming]
Lady Francis.
Good morning, Dr.Nicholson.
You don't come with bad
news about Sylvia I hope.
No, no she was still asleep when I left.
Well eventually she will have to face
the brutal reality of her husband's death
but for the first few days,
we must try to soften the shock,
the sense of loss.
I'll call round this afternoon
make sure she's all right.
I'm sure you're very busy Dr. Nicholson,
I don't want to trouble you,
I really came to see your wife.
Moira, that's very kind of you very kind.
If she isn't up yet I could sit and wait.
Oh, she's up.
Oh, good, good.
I want to persuade her to come to me
for a visit to Derwent Castle.
She's practically promised.
Really?
Well I had no idea that you'd
met my wife lady Francis.
I met her yesterday when I was out walking
and I recognised her at once from
her photograph at Merroway.
She said she'd never
been to our part of Wales
so I thought well there's no time
like the present don't you agree?
I'm sure my wife would have enjoyed
that very much indeed.
Would have?
Unfortunately she went away this morning.
Went away?
Just for a little change.
You don't know where she's gone?
London I imagine shops, theatres,
you know the sort of thing.
Good, well I'm on my way to London now.
If you'll give me her address,
I could call on her this afternoon.
Well she usually stays at the Savoy
but in any case, I shall be hearing
from her in a day or so.
I believe in perfect liberty
between husband and wife.
Yes, I think the
Savoy will be the most likely place
for you to find her.
So very kind of you to think of asking
my wife to stay at your castle.
I told them you'd come I told them.
You are going to take me away aren't you
I do so want to come home.
Leave me alone.
Be a good girl, be a good girl.
I told you that yesterday.
Don't you trust us?
Nurse would you show
lady Francis out please?
Come on, let's go upstairs.
Poor creature.
What will happen to her?
The doctor will give her
something to quieten her down.
Morphia?
Whatever he thinks is best.
Drive around the corner,
up a track or something,
we've got to talk.
Brandy, brandy.
Frankie, are you alright?
No, I'm not alright.
I'm shaking.
I'm actually shaking.
Now I know how a mouse must feel
when a cat won't quite kill it.
Gone away.
When?
This morning he said.
I don't believe it.
Moira would never have left
without letting us know.
Where is she supposed to be?
He says he doesn't know.
She may be at the Savoy on the other hand,
she may not be.
He believes in perfect
liberty between husband
and wife.
I knew it.
We should never have let
her go back there yesterday.
Bobby,
you don't think she's
dead do you?
[ominous music]
[phone ringing]
Hello.
[Bobby] Badger?
Bobby,
thank heavens a friendly voice at last.
Listen, I need your help.
Meet me at that cafe,
Fred's or whatever it's called
in three quarter of an hour.
Come on the motorbike
and bring me some clothes
and Badger, in my suitcase you'll find
my old service revolver.
A gun?
Robert Jones I don't like
the sound of that at all.
Oh, don't worry,
I know what I'm doing.
But you do see it don't you?
If Moira is in that house
I've got to get her out.
You will be careful.
Yes,
yes, of course.
And I think Hawkins the chauffeur
will have to disappear.
I'll move over to the
station hotel at Ambledover.
It's only a few miles
away from the Grange.
But if you're not Hawkins,
who are you if I have to get hold of you?
I quite like being Mr. Spragge.
I think I'm going to do a little
sleuthing of my own.
Oh Frankie.
Follow up Roger's hunch.
The Caymans, the rotten old Caymans
who we know were not what they seemed.
You still have their address?
Yes, yes of course.
But I don't want you doing anything
that might be dangerous.
Look if it will make you feel any better
I'll get Dr. George Arbuthnot to help me.
It won't.
Well I suppose he's better than nothing.
Anyway, if the Caymans are as guilty
as you seem to think they are,
I'll bet you anything
the birds have flown.
As the Caymans have obviously fled,
can't we go to lunch?
Don't give up so easily George.
[ominous music]
Badger.
I've wrapped your gun in your pyjamas.
I don't want it now you fool.
I still wish you'd tell
me where you've been
and what's going on.
If I could tell anyone I'd tell you.
Look so far if anyone's known anything
something's happened to them
and I don't want anything happening
to you or Frankie that's why I made her
come back to London
and wanted you to meet me
here instead of the garage.
Why?
In case it's being been watched.
How's trade?
Could be worse.
Oh
When I get this cleared up, if ever I do,
we will really get down to it I promise.
Shall I take your chauffeur's uniform?
Oh, no, no, I better hang on to that
you'll never know.
Well,
I'd better get back to Staveley I suppose.
Forget I said that would you?
Oh, here we are.
Well, that was a waste of time.
What we found is a railway timetables
opened on page 37 Chipperfield, chipping
Camden Chipping Norton Chiping Sabra
Chipping Somerton, Chadley Nitin
well where are you going to start?
John Savage.
What?
Where have I heard that name before?
Oh I knew Sylvia Bassington-ffrench
when she was talking about Alan Carstairs
he'd been on Safari with Savage.
But what does it say?
Sir Robert Paul just
broke his leg yesterday
when his yacht the ill starred Andorra
was rammed leaving the harbour.
Could there be a jinx on his unlucky boat?
It will be remembered that it's last
owner the millionaire,
John Savage committed
suicide on learning he had cancer.
Well where does that get us?
Mrs. Rivington told
Bobby that Alan Carstairs
was very upset about Savage's death.
It could be.
Could be what?
It could be that we've been barking
up the wrong tree.
Supposing it was Savage's death
that Alan Carstairs
wanted to find out about
and supposing he was on
the track of something.
All right, supposing
how do we find out?
Why would anyone want
to kill a millionaire?
Money.
Something in his will?
Perhaps he left it all to Evans
you know, why didn't they ask Evans?
Good heavens, I'd forgotten all about him.
And you know when I do think about him,
I think he's a complete
and utter red herring.
Come on,
finish your coffee.
We're going to take proper cul-de-sac.
Where do we go now?
[Frankie] To see Mr. Spragge.
This is indeed a pleasure Lady Francis
and how is Lord Marchington?
Well, I trust?
Suffering from gout and bad temper.
In other words, much as usual.
Well know what to do
this totally delightful
but unexpected visit?
Blackmail, indiscreet letters?
I want to look at a will.
I don't know where you'd go
and what you do but there is somewhere
you can pay a shilling isn't there?
Well the Somerset House.
I wanted to look at a
will of a Mr. Savage,
Mr. John Savage.
Well now that is extraordinary.
I really don't know what to do.
Perhaps if you could give me your reasons.
Oh no, no I'm afraid I can't.
Lady Francis I really
believe I ought to warn you.
Warn me?
There's something afoot.
Either something is afoot or we have
to accept the most incredible coincidence
and as a legal man, I have difficulty
with the coincidence.
I have been impersonated lady Francis.
What do you say to that?
How did you find out?
You know something of this business?
Yes,
I'm afraid I do.
This is all my fault.
It was just a joke.
We
Wanted something to do.
And who had the idea of
passing himself off is me?
Room number six Mr. Spragge.
Thank you.
Mr. Spragge, it wasn't just anyone
passing themselves off as you.
Actually it was the young duke of.
[chuckling]
No,
no I mustn't mention any names it just
wouldn't be fair.
Oh you bright young people what
troubles you land yourselves in?
High spirits can sometimes
lead to complications
that can be extremely difficult
to settle out of court.
I feel terribly ashamed.
I suppose it was Mrs.
Rivington who gave us away.
Oh dear what exactly did she tell you?
Dear Mr. Spragge,
it's really too stupid of me
but I've just remembered something that
might have helped you
the day you called on me.
Alan Carstairs mentioned that he was going
to a place called Chipping Somerton.
I don't know if this will
be of any help to you.
I was so interested in what you told me
about the Maltravers case.
Yours sincerely,
Edith Rivington.
You can see now why I took it that
some extremely questionable
business was afoot,
whether connected with
the Maltraver's case
or with my client Mr. Carstairs.
Alan Carstairs
was a client of yours?
He consulted me yes.
Do you know the gentleman?
He came to see you about
Mr. Savage's will didn't he?
I gave him my opinion that nothing
could be done about the will unless
Mr. Savage's relatives, neither close
two second cousins living in Australia
were prepared to contest it.
But undue influence is
incredibly difficult to prove.
Undue influence?
Mr. Savage was a hard headed businessman,
but he was clearly as
wax in this woman's hand.
Oh that woman.
Alan got so heated about her I never
fully understood what had gone on.
Ocean trips are notoriously dangerous
and middle age bachelor's, pretty woman,
husband prepared to stay tactfully
in the background, fatal combination.
And by all accounts this Mrs. Templeton
was particularly good looking.
Certainly Mr. Savage
found her so attractive
that he accepted her invitation to go down
and stay at her cottage
at Chipping Somerton.
Well there's no doubt he came more
and more under the influence.
And then came the tragedy.
Mr. Savage feared that
he may be suffering from
certain disease.
Cancer.
Subject became an obsession.
The Templetons persuaded
him to go up to London
and consult a specialist.
This he did.
Here, Lady Francis,
I preserved an open mind.
But that specialist
who was a distinguished
man swore at the inquest that Mr. Savage
was not suffering from cancer, that he
told him so but that he was so obsessed
by his own belief that he refused
to accept the truth.
So what do you think happened Mr. Spragge?
Well it seems likely that Mr. Savage
may have thought the doctor's reassuring
words not true but what is known is that
he came back to Chipping Somerton
in a state of great mental distress.
He sent for a solicitor,
reputable local man
who there and then drew up a will
which Mr. Savage signed and delivered over
to the solicitor for safe keeping.
Later that same evening, Mr. Savage took
a large overdose of chloro leaving
a letter behind in which he explained
he preferred a quick,
painless death to a long,
painful one.
The jury brought in
their usual sympathetic
verdict of suicide while of unsound mind.
Poor man.
That lady Francis is one thing he was not.
By his Will he left a generous
sum to various charities
and the sum of 700,000 pounds free
of legacy duty to Mrs. Templeton.
700,000 pounds?
That if I may say so was
Mr. Carstairs' reaction.
His contention was that the will
was completely
uncharacteristic of Mr. Savage
who had no liking for organised charities
and strong views as to money passing
through blood relationship.
I had to tell him the possession was
nine points of the law and Mrs. Templeton
already had possession.
And no one knows anything
at all about her?
Went to live in the south of France
and refused to enter
into any communication
over the matter.
Well with 700,000 pounds
who can blame her?
Mr. Spragge, you've been wonderful.
Simply a wonderful I feel touchant.
You bright young people,
you should be more careful.
You've been an angel.
Young duke?
Miss Cook,
bring me in Bucks Peerage will you?
Going out this time of night, sir?
A spot of fresh air on the bike
before turning in you know.
I don't sleep too well.
You look out for potholes sir.
Young George Chaplin came
off his bike last week
just outside the greengrocers, nasty mess.
I'll be careful, don't worry.
Sylvia.
[bell gonging]
[coughing]
A nightcap George?
No thanks, early start tomorrow.
Bad news?
From Roger Bassington-ffrench,
the inquest is the day after tomorrow.
He wants me to go down.
[ominous music]
Sorry.
[ominous music]
Bond,
Bond
something's around go get
the wretched detector on.
[suspense music]
[dogs barking]
Nothing this way.
Only the lemon and that cider tree down.
Gate's been left open, nothing else.
Clear this way, that's the trouble
with working with bunnies,
you end up burying things.
[laughing]
[suspense music]
Bobby's disappeared.
Your friend Bobby Jones alias Hawkins?
And Moira's vanished.
Moira.
We're sure Nicholson knows where she is.
Bobby thought it would be easier to keep
an eye on the Grange from
a hotel in Ambledover.
He registered on Wednesday evening.
I sent him a wire to say that
I'd look in on him on the
way down to the inquest
and the wire was there, he wasn't.
Landlord said he'd gone out for a breath
of fresh air that first night
and hasn't been seen since.
Then perhaps he was on
the trail of something
moved on, didn't have time to explain.
Leaving all his things behind?
Did you bring them with you?
I didn't think, should I have?
Well there might have
been something, some clue.
You think I'm silly to worry.
No, I don't think you're silly.
I don't like the sound of it either.
You asked me to let you know when
the coroner arrives.
Yes, thank you, Ross.
We'd better get through.
Suicide while of unsound mind.
You don't think it was.
Do you?
I think we were most fortunate to have
Dr. Davidson as coroner,
he was be both tactful
and considerate.
Everything went off perfectly.
Almost too perfectly wouldn't you say?
Like a good stage performance.
I think I know how lady Francis feels,
my brother was murdered
Dr. Nicholson, I mean it.
The law may not regard it
as such but murder it was.
Whoever induced my brother to become
a slave to that drug murdered him
as surely as if they'd struck him down.
To induce a man to take drugs is indeed
a most terrible crime.
You came down by car lady Francis?
No accidents this time, I hope.
No.
No I think it's a pity to gain
too much for accidents don't you?
I'm sure a chauffeur drove you.
My chauffeur has disappeared.
Indeed.
He was last seen heading for the Grange.
Perhaps you've been
paying too much attention
to the local gossip lady Francis.
I myself have heard the wildest stories,
for instance that my wife
and your chauffeur have been seen talking
together down by the lake.
Haven't you heard from your wife yet?
Not yet lady Francis.
Aren't you at all worried about her?
Not as much as you seem to be about
the disappearance of your chauffeur.
Frankie, this just came for you.
Thank you for coming.
Are you sure you are all right?
I'm fine.
But how I would have
managed without Jasper
I just don't know though everyone's
been most wonderfully kind.
Sylvia I really must be going now.
Of course.
Excuse me.
Dear Frankie,
I'm on the trail at last.
Follow me as soon as possible
to Chipping Somerton.
You better come by train
and not by car, the
Bentley's too noticeable.
You want to come to a
house called Judah cottage.
I'll write the directions
for finding it below.
Don't tell anyone where you're going
because the deeper we get into this
the more sure I am there is no one
at Staveley we can trust.
No one.
I know it's grim, but
you've got to believe me.
Yours ever Bobby.
Interesting?
Not really.
You'll stay to lunch?
I must be off.
I've hardly seen you.
There will be other times.
Roger would you do me a favour?
The Bentley's making a
funny tick ticking noise
and I can't possibly cope with it
breaking down on my own.
Would you mind if I left it here?
No not in the least
providing you let me
drive you to the station
and don't worry too much about Bobby,
perhaps he's gone to London.
[Bobby] Turn right out of the station
away from the village.
This is the track that will
take you to the cottage.
[train chugging]
[ominous music]
When you can see the
cottage, hoot like an owl
twice, I'll be waiting.
[ominous music]
[hooting]
Bobby.
Oh.
[ominous music]
Frankie,
Frankie.
Bobby.
[grunting]
Frankie.
Oh we've been here for max haven't we?
How did they get you?
Was it after you wrote that letter?
What letter?
You know telling me how to get here.
I never wrote you a letter.
Frankie, you didn't.
Oh but I did.
Honestly it sounded exactly like you
even used the word grim.
Grim?
What's that got to do with it?
Well you're always using it.
No I'm not.
Even all that about not telling a soul
made argh all sense.
Oh, oh chloroform
always did make me feel sick.
Chloroform?
Is how they got me.
How did they get you?
I wanted to have a look at the Grange
after dark to try to find Moira
I nearly brought it off too when somebody
must have crept up behind me
and given me the most tremendous wallop.
I went down like a light.
Nicholson I bet
sort of underhand thing he would do.
No, no it couldn't have been Nicholson.
I'd heard him calling from the house
only a few seconds before.
Whenever we think it's him
he's always somewhere else.
Anyway, whoever it was
why just knocked me out?
Wouldn't it have been terribly
easy to finish me off?
I didn't think Nicholson had stick
anything like that.
Same reason as before.
They got to make it look like an accident.
You don't mean they're
gonna have another go at me?
What day is it?
Friday.
I was knocked out on Wednesday.
Dash it all I have been
pretty well unconscious
for two and a half days.
I wonder how much morphia
they used this time.
Oh don't start that again.
I must be pretty well pumped full
of the stuff by now.
Frankie,
you don't think I'm going to end up like
poor old Henry do you?
Look, I think there's every possibility
we're both going to end up like
poor old Henry, dead.
Too bad I won't be able to use all that
information I got from Mr. Spragge.
The real Mr. Spragge?
He told me John Savage committed suicide
having made a new will
of leaving 700,000 pounds
to a woman he met on board ship,
a Mrs. Emily Templeton
married to Edgar Templeton
of Tudor cottage Chipping Somerton.
Here.
Here.
By jov.
So do you think it's the
Templeton's have got us?
Apparently they are in the south of France
enjoying her ill gotten gains.
And Moira?
She's still missing.
If that brute has laid a finger on her
Frankie we've got to get out of here
for her sake.
I'd quite like to get
out of here for my own.
Oh.
Let's see if I can undo
your hands with my teeth.
Aww, that was me.
Oh sorry
No,
no not quite making the
slightest impression.
Yes it's loosening, it's loosening.
[suspense music]
Unworthy of you my dear young lady
to fall into such an easy little trap.
I knew it was you.
I have made your suspicions very obvious.
Possibly a little too obvious.
Just so you know, but anyway,
let me check if you're still comfortable.
Up we go.
There now, I trust you won't find
this too intolerable, but it will
only be for a very short while.
What are you going to do to us?
You taunted me lady Francis,
we've been too fond of accidents.
Maybe I am.
At any rate, I am going
to risk one more accident.
Lady Francis Derwent,
her chauffeur beside her
mistake a turning and turn into a disused
road leading to a quarry.
The car crashes over the edge,
Lady Francis and her chauffeur are killed.
Oh, and just to add
credibility to the event,
it will be made to look as if lady Francis
had most certainly been doing the driving.
You.
You can't count on us
being killed out right?
Oh I promise you both you
and lady Francis will both be quite dead
when your bodies are discovered.
You're making a big mistake you know
especially where lady
Francis is concerned.
Yes.
Yes,
in that very clever letter you forged
you told me to tell nobody.
Well, it just so happens
I made an exception.
I told Roger Bassington-ffrench
and if anything happens to us,
he will know who's responsible.
Very good bluff but I'll call it.
What about Moira, your wife, you swine?
You murdered her too.
Moira is still alive.
How much longer she will remain alive
I really don't know.
You know what annoys me
most about this business.
What?
Being catapulted into the next world
without knowing who Evans is.
Well, why didn't you ask him?
You know sort of last minute boon,
he can't refuse to tell us now not
not while we're going to die.
Oh my God.
What?
That man isn't Nicholson.
Frankie?
When I told him Roger
knew about the letter,
he gripped the cane a little more tightly
and the light fell on his face.
Yes, I can see it now.
It should have had a
scratch on it and it didn't.
One of Nicholson's patients scratched him
at the Grange when I
was asking about Moira.
That man had no mark on him at all.
Who is it then?
There's only other person it can be,
Roger.
Are you sure?
He was the only other person in the room
when I taunted Nicholson
about the accidents.
Frankie, you know what this means?
It really is all up with us now.
Moira is a prisoner,
you and I are bound hand and foot.
Nobody else has the
least idea where we are.
Badger.
Bobby.
Badger.
I can't begin to tell you.
Quick Badger, pull off my shoes.
Don't try to talk you fool
just haul it off anyhow.
Chuck it down there in the middle of
all that glass.
Get under the bed Badger, quickly.
Very clever
extremely acrobatic.
How did you manage that then I wonder?
Perhaps these ropes should
be a little bit tighter.
Perhaps they should.
Houdini I believe saw these
sort of thing as a challenge
I do hope you won't be so foolish
as to make that sort of mistake.
I'm sorry if it's a little draughty now
you'll have to blame your
enterprising chauffeur.
Quick Badger.
That floor is filthy under there.
Have you got a knife?
I didn't exactly come prepared for this.
Now dosh up
and look, there's a good chap.
Torch, hold that a second would you?
Matches, we could burn them I suppose.
Oh come on Badger.
Pen knife.
No no no ladies first.
Sorry.
Oh Badger, whatever
rotten things I've said
about you in the past
I'm well and truly sorry.
Oh I think my thumbs are gonna drop off.
Well did you get a good look at him?
Yes, you're absolutely right
and no scratches I can see now.
All the same I have to admit it's a pretty
good performance.
I've got cramp.
Oh, how we could ever have thought
it was Nicholson.
What, who is what?
Her charming friend who's just gone out
and she thought he was somebody else.
But that was, that was
Roger Bassington-ffrench
didn't you know?
We know now but how did you know?
Well, I went to Oxford with him.
Oh it's the chloroform,
I'm still dreaming.
Marvellous actor but bad hat though.
Bad business about forging
his Peters name on a check.
Old Man hushed it up.
He was a year to two
ahead of me of course,
but I recognise him anyway.
Why didn't you tell us you knew him?
You never asked me.
Come to think of it you've never even
mentioned this name
and point of fact you've been jolly
secretive about the whole.
Look what I want to know is what
miracle brought you through the skylight?
Sh sh keep your voices down.
Well you see after you went off,
I got into a bit of a mess.
I couldn't pay the bills so I came
to find you to see if
you'd lend me a fiver.
Oh Badger.
Badger if we ever get out of this
I'll get father to give you
as many fivers as you want.
Well that's not what friends are for.
But how did you find us?
By being jolly cunning that's how.
All you told me was Staveley
so I looked it up on the map,
I reckoned if I couldn't find you,
I'd certainly find the Bentley
and I did.
But I left it at Merroway court?
I found it before I got to
Staveley actually outside the.
Station hotel.
That's right a village called.
Ambledover.
How did you know that?
Because that's where I was staying.
Well that's what I thought.
Anyway there were some things,
rags and things in the back of the car,
nobody about so I got in
and I pulled the rags over me
and I was about to give
you a surprise of your life
when you came out.
I did?
Well the bloke I thought was you.
He was wearing your chauffeur's uniform.
He had a cap donned down over his head,
he was wearing a moustache.
He must have got it out of my room
at the station hotel.
Well he got into the car and drove off.
But I was just about spring out
and say got you when I realised
it wasn't you at all.
Roger again.
I'm sorry I told him everything,
where you were staying, that all your
things were still there.
It's all my fault.
But I was so worried about you.
Were you really?
Desperately.
Don't you want to know what happened next?
Yes, yes of course.
Well finally, we arrived here,
he drove the Bentley into the garage.
There was a little window hole
and saw you arrive, I thought you'd
come to rescue me actually.
Well then the chauffer fellow grabbed you
well I'm not a complete fool,
I knew something was wrong,
but all the downstairs
windows are shattered.
So then I scaled the drain pipe
and found that and then I fell.
Well but for you Badger, my lad,
Frankie and I would have been
corpses in about an hour's time.
Well, now that I've arrived
in the nick of time,
what do we do next?
There's only one thing we can do.
[suspense music]
Ready lady Francis?
Got you.
Good evening, Mr. Bassington-ffrench.
Well I'll be.
You will be I have anything to do with it.
Quick Badger, get him on the bed.
Right all right there's
really no need for all this.
There certainly is
and apart from anything else,
it's your turn to find out how
jolly uncomfortable it is.
How could you?
Sorry.
You forged that letter
from Bobby, didn't you?
Yes, I did.
Another of my talents.
And Bobby?
Bobby, Bobby was easy.
I got him neatly on the back of the neck
with the sandbag didn't I?
All I had to do is drag him out to where
my car was waiting, shove him in the dig,
and drive him down here.
I was back at Merroway the next morning
in time to console the grieving widow.
Why did you pretend to be Nicholson?
Why did I now?
Partly I think fun seeing
if I could spoof you both.
You were so absolutely certain
he was in it up to the neck.
You mean he's totally innocent?
As a child unborn but he did draw
my attention to that
car accident of yours,
made me realise you mightn't be
quite the innocent young
thing you seemed to be.
There's something you've got to tell me.
Got to?
No point in not telling me now.
And it's been driving
me mad with curiosity.
Who is Evans?
[laughing]
You don't know?
You really don't know?
That is very amusing.
[laughing]
It just goes to show
what a fool one can be.
Meaning us?
No no no meaning me.
Do you know if you
don't know who Evans is,
I don't think I'm going to tell you.
Roger.
So, what are you going to do with me?
The police of course.
Quite right yes, ring
them up hand me over.
The charge will be abduction I suppose.
I should plead a guilty passion.
What about murder?
Murder?
My dear you haven't a scrap of evidence.
Badger I think we better go
and ring the police.
Hey, what about, what about.
He'll be all right, I can lock the door.
How terribly distressful of you.
By the way, there's a pistol in my pocket
if you'd like it.
It's yours actually.
Do be careful won't you, it's loaded.
Right.
I'll go first.
Frankie,
I think you better keep between us.
Frankie, straighten my
collar for me would you?
One likes to look one's best when
meeting the Constabulary.
Thank you so very much.
All right, now quietly.
We must be quite sure
and not make a mess of things now.
He's a queer chap isn't he?
Damn good looser.
We better check this room first.
We don't want to be taken in the rear.
Look.
It's Moira.
She's still breathing.
Only just, she's been drugged.
Morphine again I shouldn't wonder.
We better get a doctor.
Frankie,
Frankie wait.
Look, she's your friend.
Do you want her saved or don't you?
Probably cut the wires.
Oh good.
Doctor first, police second.
No police first, they'll bring a doctor,
here let me.
It's men like you who stopped
women getting the vote.
Operator
operator oh come on.
Well I know you'll try to stop me
but I'm going to see if there is
something to eat, come on Badger.
Police station this is an emergency.
Not a sausage,
not even the wherewithal
to make a cup of tea.
You know I don't believe anyone's
lived here for months.
[knocking]
[Man] Open up in the name of the law.
I never believed they really said that.
Now what's all this about now?
And where's my patient?
Please doctor this way.
Just one moment could I
have your name please?
I'm lady Francis Derwent.
My father is the earl of Marchington.
Oh yeah.
Now please will you come on.
And I suppose the your
father's the archbishop
of Canterbury then sir?
Oh no, no, the vicar of
St. Stephens actually.
My name is Bobby Jones
and this is Badger Beadon
and upstairs is a dangerous criminal.
Upstairs sir?
Yes, we've got him tied up actually,
he can't escape.
This way please.
Oh do hurry.
It's morphine all right,
I better get her into a
nursing home right away.
He's in there.
Oh,
sorry, here you are.
Well sir.
Ah, there you are.
Don't be so horribly vigorous.
Where's Badger?
Still asleep.
Agenda maid unsuccessfully called
him four times already.
Living in London he has great difficulty
in waking before 12.
Perhaps he should try
running an all night garage.
Oh how can you?
Must be the sandbagging
probably broken up
contusions in the brain.
Oh have you phoned the nursing home?
Oh, yes.
Now apparently Moira has gone to London
to a nursing home place in Queens gate
said she'll feel safer there.
She never did have much nerve.
Well anyone might be scared
with a cold blooded murderer like
Roger Bassington-ffrench
loose in the neighbourhood.
He doesn't want to murder her,
we're the ones he's after.
Toast and mint tea for one
and more toast for you.
Thank you.
Why do you bring out the medaulin
in everyone except me?
Oh,
by the way, what do you make of this?
Where did you find it?
Last night at the cottage.
It had slipped behind the telephone.
Mr. Cayman?
Excuse me, do you know who that is?
No.
Well I've seen the gentleman before
but I can't quite call to my
oh yes,
it's the gentleman who had
Judah cottage Mr. Templeton,
they gone away now
summer abroad I believe.
700,000 pounds.
No wonder they had to get Alan Carstairs
out of the way.
The start of the whole thing must be
John Savage's death.
Look I still have the notes I made
after looking at his will.
The witnesses were
Rose Chardley Cook and
Albert Meir Gardner.
They shouldn't be difficult to find.
And then there were the lawyers
Elford and Leigh, very respectable local
firm Mr. Spragge said.
Right.
But Rose you were there
when Mr. Savage died
weren't you?
Who ma'am?
The gentleman from Tudor cottage,
Mr. Savage, you were there when he died?
Who?
The man who left Mrs.
Templeton all his money.
Oh him the man there was the inquest on.
You remember Fred?
That's right.
Used to come and stay
quite often, didn't he?
Oh, I as for that I couldn't say ma'am.
I'd only been there a few weeks.
Oh I thought you were there
much longer than that?
No, that'd be Gladys.
Gladys?
She was house parlour maid.
She was there about six months.
And there was just the two of you?
Yes,
she was house parlour
maid, I was the cook.
And you witnessed Mr. Savages will?
Yes,
me and Albert Mere the gardener.
I never done anything like it before
and I didn't like it I can tell you
What happened exactly?
I beg your pardon sir?
Who called you in to sign your name?
Mrs. Templeton ma'am,
she came down to the kitchen
and said I was to go
outside and get out Albert
and we was both to go upstairs
and there was the poor
gentleman sitting up in bed.
I'd never seen it before,
but he looked ghastly.
Said so to you Fred, didn't I?
But Mr. Elford said it was quite alright
there was nothing to worry about,
just to sign my name where
he signed his which I did
and put cook after it and the address
and Albert did the same
and I went down to Gladys in the kitchen.
All of a tremble, I had never seen
a man look so like death.
And Gladys said he'd looked
all right the night before.
Must have been something
in London that upset him.
He got up to London early that morning see
before anyone was up.
And he died when?
The very next day as ever is
he shut himself up in his room that night
and when Gladys went up to call him
in the morning, he was stiff and dead
and a note by his bed
to the coroner it said.
Well then there was the inquest
and everything and Mrs.
Templeton went abroad
and she got me a very nice
place up north to live.
Nice lady, Mrs. Templeton.
Pretty too.
Thank you Mrs. Chudleigh.
Good afternoon to you miss
and to your young gentleman.
And I hope you'll both be as happy
as what we and Fred is.
I'll catch you up.
Mrs. Pratt, there was
just one other thing.
I found him
pity he can't talk.
Why?
He might have told us the answer
to the one thing that's still puzzling me.
Why Mrs. Templeton sent for the gardener
to witness the will when
the house parlour maid
was there all the time.
Why didn't they ask the parlour maid?
It's odd you're saying that.
Why?
Because that's why I went back to ask
Glady's name and address.
Well?
The parlour maid's name was Evans.
You've just asked the same question.
The poor old Alan Carstairs asked
after he was pushed off the cliff.
Why didn't they ask the parlour maid?
Why didn't they ask Evans?
Bobby, we're getting there at last.
Carstairs must have been nosing around
just as we are looking for something fishy
and the same point struck him too
that's why he went to Wales.
Gladys Evans is a Welsh name.
Evans was probably a Welsh girl.
He was following her.
Someone was following him.
And so he never got to her.
All right.
So why didn't they ask Evans?
With a couple of female staff in the house
why send for the gardener?
Perhaps because both Rose
and Albert were chumps
Bobby.
Sorry I was.
Whereas Evans may have
been rather a sharp girl.
It can't only be that.
Mr. Elford was there too
and he's shrewd enough.
Oh the answer is so close.
Evans.
Why Rose and Albert but not Evans?
I'm getting it
just a sort of flicker.
Bobby
if you're in a house with two servants
which do you tip?
The house parlour maid of course,
one never tips the cook, one never sees
her for one thing.
No.
And she never sees you.
What are you getting at?
They couldn't ask Evans
to witness that will
because she would have seen the man
making it wasn't Savage.
Well, who was it then?
Three guesses.
Not Roger Basington-ffrench again.
Don't you see, Roger impersonated Savage.
I bet it was Roger too the wind of
the doctor made all that
fuss about having cancer.
Remember Mrs. Pratt said he left early
that morning before anyone was awake?
I bet poor Mr. Savage never
left the house at all.
They probably drugged him, kept him
in that foul garage they shut us up in
while Roger did his impersonation stunt,
as soon as the will is signed,
they popped Savage back into his own bed
gave him an overdose of chloral
and Evans finds him dead in the morning.
I do believe you've hit it Frankie.
But how do we prove it?
I don't know
yet.
But an expert should you'll be able
to detect that that
signature is a forgery.
They didn't before.
Ah because nobody raised a question.
One thing is certain,
we've got to find Evans.
She may be also tell us a lot.
Where are we going?
The post office.
Two shillings worth of stamps please.
Two shillings is it?
There we are my dear.
Thank you.
Lovely day, isn't it?
For those that has time to enjoy it.
Actually you do get much better weather
here than we get in our
part of the country.
I come from Wales, you wouldn't
believe the rain in Wales.
Oh, we get a fair bit of
weather here ourselves.
Yesterday now, very nasty day yesterday.
What part of Wales are you from?
Marchbolt.
Do you know now I come to mention it
we have someone there who comes from
this part of the world, her name is Evans,
Gladys Evans.
Gladys Evans?
Yes.
Oh, she was in service at Tudor cottage
but she wasn't a local girl,
came from Wales, went back
there too to get married.
Roberts her name is now.
I say you wouldn't have her address
I borrowed a raincoat from her
and forgot to give it back.
Now if I had her address,
I could post it to her.
Of course I know her address,
sends me a postcard now and again.
She and her husband have
gone into service together.
Ah, now where did I put it?
Ah here it is.
Mrs. Roberts,
the vicarage Marchbolt.
Thank you.
Thank you.
There she was at the vicarage all the time
looking after father, looking after me.
But now you can see how dangerous
it was from their point of view,
you and Evans were actually
under the same roof.
With Roger at large it's still dangerous.
That's it.
Back to Marchbolt.
Dash it all you might
have awakened a chap.
Do you know what time it is?
Do you?
There you were rotting in bed.
Well I was feeling a bit rough that's all.
Well you will be feeling a lot rougher
by the time I finish with you my lad.
I've been giving a lot of serious
thought to you Badger,
I'm going to get father
to clear your debts, buy that garage
and put you in as manager.
I say
spiffy.
On one condition
that you make that Bentley
go like a bat out of hell
and get us back in
Marchbolt in record time.
Why, why the hurry?
Because Roger Bassington-ffrench
is still at large.
Because we finally found out
who Evans is.
Because I have a feeling something awful
is gonna happen if we don't.
Badger you're simply not trying.
We go any faster, we'll take off.
That's it, barely miles from here
there's an aerodrome there
we can take an air taxi.
My dear girl.
That would be having a couple of hours.
Anything you say.
[car honking]
Whatever is the matter with you?
Sorry I just can't get
into one of those things.
Why ever not?
While you can't just stop I mean get out.
Oh, all right you bring the Bentley, oh
and Badger.
Yes my dear.
Thank you.
Cheer up Bobby.
Think of Mrs. Robertson,
Roger Bassington-ffrench.
Remember we don't know where he is.
That's true.
Parker
there's an outrage on the lawn.
[upbeat music]
Hello father,
must dash.
Tell me that was my daughter.
Come to think of it, that was my car.
Looks quite enough.
What did you expect?
Royal artillery?
Come on.
Thank goodness you've come.
Moira.
I'm so glad to see you,
I didn't know what to do.
What on earth brings you here?
The same thing that brought you.
You know who Evans is too?
It's a long story.
Come inside.
Oh no, please before we go inside,
isn't there somewhere we could go?
A cafe that's safe?
I don't understand why?
You'll understand when I tell you.
Oh please Bobby do come.
If you don't it may be too late.
I couldn't bear staying where I was,
I told them I'd rather go to
a nursing home I knew in London.
It wasn't true of course.
I just wanted to get away by myself.
Where I wasn't known
and nobody would know where to find me.
I got on the train,
just as it was starting to move
I went along the corridor.
Moira?
Oh God.
What is it?
He's followed me.
Who?
Roger, he's out there in the street
with a woman with red hair.
Mrs. Cayman.
Be careful oh please do be careful.
Now what do we do?
Has he gone?
Oh he's dangerous Bobby,
horribly dangerous.
You are sure he was there?
Sure if you only knew how
that man frightens me.
Do brace up Moira, don't be such a rabbit.
Now look here, it's all right.
He can't do anything as long
as we all stick together.
Now sit down,
drink your coffee.
Mh who put sugar.
Oops sorry.
Very useful things sugar bowls,
don't you think?
Have you gone batty Frankie?
What the devil are you doing?
Taking a sample of this coffee
for Georgia Arbuthnot to analyse.
It's no good Moira, I
was almost sure before
but then it came to me in a flash.
You put something in our coffee,
didn't you when you sent us out
there looking for Roger.
The game's up Mrs. Nicholson or
do you prefer Templeton?
If she denies it, ask her
to come to the vicarage
and we'll see if Mrs.
Roberts can identify her.
You bitch.
Why do you think she wouldn't
come to the vicarage?
You interfering bitch.
I'll see you both damned in hell
before I let you take what's mine.
Let go of me.
[screaming]
It wasn't me I tell you,
it was him, him, him.
[screaming]
Spot of trouble is there?
Nice cup of tea my lady.
Thank you.
Vicar will be back later.
Thank you very much, Mrs. Roberts.
Evans.
Yes, will it?
However did you know?
We didn't.
It might have saved us an awful lot
of bother if we had.
Well Evans was my name before
I married Roberts.
We went through a lot of
trouble finding that out.
There's nothing wrong is there sir,
I mean apart from this afternoon.
Mrs. Roberts
does the name Alan Carstairs
mean anything to you?
Well the gentleman wrote me the letter.
He wrote to you?
Yes sir, wanted to see me sir
about Mrs. Templeton.
You see I was in service with her before
I come here with Roberts.
Mr. Carstairs said did I know that
she was a dangerous international
criminal wanted by the police.
He arranged to meet me on my afternoon off
it would have been but
then he never turned up
so I forgot all about it.
Anyway, my Mrs. Templeton could never be
anything so wicked, very nice young lady.
Well it was your Mrs. Templeton who took
a potshot at us just
now in the Orient cafe.
Never.
Mrs. Roberts
when Alan Carstairs didn't turn up
but a body did, didn't
that strike you as odd?
Well the man at the bottom of the cliff
was called Pritchard.
I mean why should a man called Pritchard
be a man called Carstairs I ask you?
And then those people that came
and identified him.
The Caymans.
Yes, well Believe it or not, Mr. Cayman
was your ex employer Mr. Templeton.
I said to Roberts I'd seen a man
reminding me of Mr. Templeton nearly knock
me down he did in the village.
Small world, isn't it?
No proper use too at Marchbolt.
No, no it's not is it?
Still no harm done then.
Three people dead and no harm done.
Oh, fair play Frankie.
We weren't all that bright ourselves.
I thought I did jolly well considering
I had no idea what was
going on in the first place.
The person I feel sorry for is Sylvia,
Moira will obviously drag Roger into it
and there'll be an awful lot of publicity.
This came for you my lady.
[Sylvia] Frankie,
Tommy and I need your help.
Desperate circumstances,
We'll be at Merroway tonight only.
Please come.
Sylvia.
[suspense music]
Sylvia.
I'm so glad you could come.
That tender heart of yours will be
the undoing of you Frankie.
You never can resist an
appeal for help can you
and before you start worrying,
Sylvia and Tommy are quite safe.
They're both in California
with Dr. Nicholson.
They may even make a match of it,
would be nice if there were at least
one happy ending, don't you think?
Won't you sit down now that you're here?
I don't have to tie you up this time do I?
I take it I can't get away?
The windows are shattered and padlocked
the keys in my pocket.
This time there's no convenient
skylight in the roof.
Unopened, nothing up my sleeves.
No morphia, no chloroform.
Makes a change.
Everyone thought you'd fled the country.
That's what they were meant to think.
But it really would have
been too stupid to try
and escape while the hunt was on.
No actually, I spent a couple of
very interesting afternoons
in the public gallery
at the old Bailey watching Moira's trial.
Fascinating, wasn't it?
Would you like to know
the truth about Moira?
Moira was an accomplished criminal
by the time she was 15.
If you hadn't stopped her, helpless little
Moira might have ended up running
the biggest drug ring in
the Western Hemisphere.
With you to help?
A man must have some ambition.
You were in love with her.
Well perhaps I thought I was for a time.
I was attracted by her
enormously.
We met in America.
Things were getting a
little too hot for her here
and for me actually so we decided
to move the entire operation over here.
That's why we married
her off to Dr. Nicholson.
Married her off?
Nicholson offered her a new name,
a new country, a new identity
and perfect cover, a clinic where
they cure drug addicts.
It didn't worry you at all the effect
you'd be having on innocent lives?
My dear Frankie,
I truly believe that every man has
the right to go to hell
in any way he chooses.
Like your brother you mean.
Like Henry.
Just as you didn't like Moira
I didn't like Henry.
He was a fool.
He didn't care about Merroway.
I do care.
I love it.
That time I thought I
wanted only two things,
Merroway and the money
to run it in the way
it deserved to be run.
And to restore it to its former glory.
I nearly got both, you stopped me.
But not in time.
Although my dear Frankie is merely
an acceleration of the natural process.
You're a monster.
Not cold are you?
I wouldn't like you to freeze to death.
You were quite prepared
to tip me into a quarry.
Oh, but I shouldn't have enjoyed it.
Did you enjoy killing John Savage?
Savage was the goose
that laid the golden egg.
Moira found him and set him up.
She was travelling as Mrs.
Templeton at the time.
Well you know how
romantic boat trips can be
Savage wrote a letter enclosing a
photograph of his beloved
and sent it to his friend Alan Carstairs.
Who you pushed off a cliff in Wales.
Do wish you could have seen me as Savage.
I was superb.
The plot may have been Moira's but
the performance was all mine
and Savage did die quite quickly,
I promise you.
Mrs. Templeton conveniently disappeared
abroad with the loot so that Moira
could reappear at the Grange to be
welcomed home by her doting
and totally unsuspecting husband.
How psychiatrists could ever trust a woman
I shall never understand.
Having forged your way
into 700,000 pounds,
why didn't you take the loot while
you were about it?
Far too suspicious.
No, the charity touch was my idea
sounded so respectable sort of unfishy.
And yet it was the charity touch
as you called it that made
Alan Carstairs so suspicious.
Yes,
that and the most appalling piece of luck.
Some friends brought
him down here for lunch.
He saw this picture of Moira
recognised it at once as the woman
in the photograph that
Savage had sent to him.
The trouble with Moira
once seen never forgotten.
Then he followed the
trail to Chipping Somerton
and then like you to Marchbolt.
And ended up with a broken back.
Not like you.
Do you realise,
if your friend Bobby had been an even
tolerably competent golfer, you
and I wouldn't be chatting here now.
Alan Carstairs would have died anyway,
his body would have been washed out to sea
and no one would have
been any of the wiser.
I must say it was a bit of a blow
when I realised he hadn't
been killed outright.
I was in the most frightful dilemma
was just as well Bobby had to go herring
back to evensong, gave me just time
to remove the photograph of Moira
and plant one of Amelia
Cayman in its place.
We thought we were home and dry.
Then Bobby rocked the boat.
Why didn't they ask Evans?
Bobby knew about Evans but he didn't know
that Evans was at the vicarage.
Well, we couldn't afford
that link to be made.
So Moira drove down to Marchbolt
in Nicholson's green
Tolbat, popped an awful
lot of morphia into Bobby's bear
and thought that was that when she came
face to face with him in the grounds of
the Grange she was so genuinely surprised
she nearly passed out.
Still she put Bobby off
the trail jolly well
I thought
didn't you?
Oh Frankie
Merroway would have been
a perfect setting for you.
Merroway wasn't yours.
Narrative would have been there were
just two people in the way and ran to me.
A little boy
a little boy who liked you, trusted you.
I wasn't going to hurt him, only kill him.
I wanted Merroway to have an heir,
my heir.
You're mad.
I wouldn't say that if I were you.
[suspense music]
Anyway,
before I decided what to do about Henry,
Henry decided for me,
he fell off his horse
[chuckling]
always was a rotten rider.
He had a lot of pain so I
introduced him to morphia.
Before long he was an addict.
Our plan was to get him to
the Grange as a patient.
Once there Moira would organise
his suicide or an overdose.
I wouldn't be connected in any way.
Then you and your friend
Bobby got suspicious
so exit Henry.
He didn't kill himself.
No of course he didn't.
But you were with me and
Sylvia in the conservatory.
Brilliant improvisation my dear Frankie.
Sylvia was insisting that Henry
should go to the Grange remember.
I said I'd come back into the house
and telephone once more.
Of course I didn't telephone,
I came straight to the study.
Henry was sitting at his desk.
I said look here old mad
and shot him.
We would have heard the shot.
No there was an aeroplane going over head
don't you remember?
I was immensely grateful to it well,
otherwise I should have had to spin
some awful yarn about
bursting into the study
a second too late and there wouldn't have
been that lovely suicide note.
Forging that was easy.
Henry's hand had been trembling so much
for the past few months,
no one would have remembered what
his writing looked like.
Then I wiped my fingerprints off the gun
pressed Henry's hand around it,
I put the key of the
study in Henry's pocket,
and I went out locking the door from
the outside with the dining room key
which fits the lock.
Then I rejoined you and
Sylvia in the conservatory.
But you were with me
when I heard the shot.
Yes, I was.
I placed a bullet in the fire.
It gave me just long
enough to get back to you
and Sylvia before it exploded.
I slipped back in here later
and removed the evidence.
I really was quite
pleased with the result,
the fact that Nicholson
happened to come by
just that moment was a bonus.
And you should have
realised only a thoroughly
innocent man could have behaved quite
so suspiciously.
I'll remember next time.
Next time?
[suspense music]
Of course Bobby's knight errantry
wanting to rescue Moira from the clutches
of her evil plotting husband
was a bit difficult.
That's why Moira came
off down to the cottage.
Jolly grateful I was
to have her around too
banjo you were splendid.
I really thought you had me that time.
How did you get away?
Moira, she knew from the noise upstairs
that something had gone wrong.
She was drugged.
She injected herself with
a large dose of morphia
knowing it wouldn't take immediate effect.
Then while you were phoning the police
she slipped upstairs and got me free.
But Bobby had locked the door.
One door was locked but there are two.
Looks like a cupboard I know but it isn't.
The morphia began to take effect
and by the time the doctor arrived
she was genuinely off.
Terribly unsubtle all that stuff with
the coffee I know but
then she had to get you
and Bobby out of the way don't you see?
And then again
perhaps she knew how I was beginning
to feel about you.
Why have you got me here?
Because I couldn't bear the thought
of life without you, without Merroway.
So I thought
perhaps a fire.
We'd be found clasped in each other's arms
in the smoking ruins
of the ancestral home.
It's all right,
I'm far too much of a coward
and far too much of an optimist.
Now it's a fast car from here to the coast
I thought I'd borrow the Bentley
channel crossing or who knows,
perhaps even an Atlantic one,
only to reappear on another continent
with a new identity and try to make
good all over again.
Or should I say bad?
With your share of Savage's money?
No no Moira had kept that.
I was to get my share when I married her.
So here I am you see?
No money.
No girl.
Your affectionate enemy.
The bold bad villain of the piece.
Unless you come with me
and make an honest man out of me.
Yes,
that's what I thought.
So,
I'll just walk out of here, lock the door.
You're not going to leave me?
My dear Frankie,
you won't come with me so it's goodbye.
You really were a splendid adversary.
You won't get away with this you know.
Who's going to stop me?
I will for one.
If you ever get out
I don't think so do you?
Sure you won't change your mind?
No
I didn't think you would.
[fast paced music]
You damn.
Damn damn damn.
[ominous music]
Bobby what are you doing here?
Well you sent for me.
I never did.
Oh but I can't tell you how
pleased I am to see you.
Oh Bobby,
Bobby let's get out of here.
I telephoned the castle but nobody
knew where you were.
Then I got this wire from you saying
it was urgent to come at once.
Frankie, are you all right?
Yes.
Yes,
Roger was here and I'm all right.
What?
I'll tell you about it later.
Oh but he really is a remarkable person.
Yes well,
I suppose you always had a fancy for him.
He had charm, so had Moira.
Her face did sort of haunt me.
But then when we were
in that attic together
and you were so simply
splendid about things she
well, she just faded away.
You were so frightfully plucky.
[laughing]
I wasn't feeling plucky.
But I did want you to admire me.
Oh I did darling,
I always have.
Is that all you're going to say?
[soft music]