Close to the Enemy (2016) s01e03 Episode Script
Episode 3
1 It's not written down, of course.
It's in here.
And that is what I'm going to unlock.
I don't know who you are, but you have influence.
So she scares you too, does she? I will have something for you in the next 24 hours that would mean us working together.
I know you understand the cost of ministerial incompetence and official deceit, but I know some things very few other people do how we could have won the war before it had even started.
I'm so envious of you being in that hotel, Cal.
What I really want to do is come and be there too.
You've done nothing but lie to me ever since I met you.
My daughter has gone! Lotte has vanished! They say this madman was in the hotel and he has taken my daughter! That man was your brother! I will get her back.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION.]
MAN: Do you know what's going on? WOMAN: What's happened? MAN: What's going on? Excuse me! I must tell you what I know.
Just a moment.
I was reading a story and she disappeared.
She just vanished.
That is what happened.
Please! I must tell you what I know.
I was reading her a story and she just vanished [INDISTINCT CONVERSATION.]
We'll do better on our own.
Come.
So what happened with the little man? I mean, what was he doing with Lotte? He was telling her a story.
I was right in the room next door, I could hear him reading to her, his voice No, that's not all he was doing.
Oh, Christ! What? We don't want them having anything to do with this.
Why did somebody call them? Because they think you're important, that's why.
What's that? What's that? Come on, come on, come on! You should think where your brother might be, where he likes to visit, what are his favourite places in the city There's a lot of those.
He likes to roam around a lot.
What does he do when he roams? He collects things.
He picks things up, off the pavement, off bombsites, anything that catches his eye.
His room, what's he got in his room? Should we go there? No, the police have been there already.
- There is no trace of him.
- No, no! Of course, but maybe, if we look at what he's collected, that might tell us something.
- There's a lot of stained glass.
- Then we need a church.
Does he have a favourite church? [TRAIN WHISTLE.]
Has anyone seen a man with a young girl? With a child? Does anyone here know Victor? I know Victor.
He is often here.
Sometimes, he sleeps here.
Not seen him tonight, though.
So, this is one of his churches.
Then we have to do every church we can! So, Lotte, if we manage this right, we really will reach the countryside.
[LAUGHTER.]
Hello, gentlemen.
I need some petrol coupons and will pay handsomely for them.
So who's going to be the lucky one, then? Women aren't allowed in here, love! It's not a good idea to go out dressed like that, love! Our house just collapsed.
The whole ceiling came down.
Bang! Just like that.
So, we must be on our travels.
Who's going to help us? - Any news? Any news at all? - No, no, not yet.
- Where have you been, sir? - We've been in church.
Just get them out of the hotel! - Just get rid of them! - I don't know how to do that.
OK, well, keep them away from me, at least.
Oh, what are they doing here? Nothing.
No.
We came to see if we could help.
Of course we can't help.
I mean, you will have thought of absolutely everything.
- But we wanted to be here.
- You really didn't need to do that.
Well, the party was well and truly over.
We had to come.
This is more like it, isn't it, Lotte? Countryside, bit of clean air.
It's so beautiful.
It's like the Blitz all over again.
Everybody's staying close in case they're needed.
Sorry it took so long, sir.
They will find your daughter, sir, I'm sure.
Thank you.
He's doing everything he can.
No, thank you.
Now it's light, we stand a much better chance.
I managed to get it on the radio, on the first bulletins.
My brother stand out a mile wherever he goes.
And with a little girl in tow Why is everybody so worried about your brother? Well, that's simple.
They think he's mad.
OK.
Here we are, Lotte, so get on the back seat and just lie down, as if you were asleep.
Don't say anything.
[SWING MUSIC PLAYS ON RADIO.]
Fill her up, please.
As much as I can get for these.
You know, you shouldn't be smoking while you're doing that.
Are you telling me what to do, are you? Get your daughter out the car if you don't like it.
I've only been doing this six weeks.
Do you think this, this is what I want to do with the rest of my life? Leave somewhere suddenly, did you? Sir! There's been a sighting of them, sir, at a petrol station in Sussex.
- They've seen them? - Yes.
There's an army base very close by.
They are sending out a patrol now.
No, no, no! That is not the right move at all! They must use the local police, all right? Get me the commanding officer on the phone now! If they go in, they're going to start shooting.
Is there anyone following us, Lotte? Let's go.
Come on! OK, Lotte, you are not safe with me, OK? You've got to go.
Get over that way, OK, as far as you can.
- Go, quick, quick! Keep going.
- [SOLDIERS SHOUT.]
Go, go! We know you are here.
Stand up with your arms up and walk towards us.
OK? Here I am.
A nice target.
Why don't you have a go? I don't think you can really miss, can you? Lotte! [HE SPEAKS GERMAN.]
Get out of the car.
Get out of the car, now! What the hell were you thinking?! What on earth possessed you to do that? Don't yell at me.
They are going to lock you up now and I'm not going to be able to do a single thing about it.
That's a brilliant result, isn't it, Victor? You might find this surprising, but if they don't lock him up, I may be able to help you with your brother.
Well, they will lock him up.
You've been very lucky, Ferguson, amazingly lucky.
Lucky? I've been lucky? The German is very grateful to you for the way you behaved over his daughter.
That's why you've been lucky.
We're finally making progress.
I want you to stay with him now until he delivers.
Until he delivers? That could be months.
Supersonic speed is the only thing that matters at the moment.
Breaking the sound barrier.
Boom! We have to do that before the Americans, or the Russians, of course.
- Your German - My German? Yes, your German can really help us do that, can't he? He trusts you now.
We need you to build on this new friendship until he's done it for us.
That's all you have to do.
Most people would kill for such a job.
- I'm not going to do it.
- Oh, yes, you are.
Shall I tell you why? [VICTOR RANTS OUTSIDE.]
Because your brother has committed a series of criminal offences abducting a child, stealing a car.
He will go to prison unless I stop it happening.
So you're blackmailing me? What are you going to do with your life now if you refuse? This way, you've got the run of a hotel, lots of free time to do what you want, work out your future.
You are doubly, maybe trebly, lucky.
Well, I'm certainly not if I have got MI5 or MI19 or any other bloody outfit on my back.
That's over.
That's all stopped.
If you do this, Ferguson, we'll get your brother good treatment in a hospital.
Absolutely not! No, I'm not having him locked up in one of your asylums.
I will take care of my brother.
So, what have you arranged with them, then? They're going to strap me down, are they, put wires all over my head, give me electric shocks? - Come with me.
- Mind you, you probably get incredible dreams when they fry you like that.
Come with me.
I just need to have a word with my brother in private.
- [LAMBS BLEAT.]
- What a beautiful place.
The army won't want to give any of these houses back, will they? I wonder where all the aristos have moved to.
They'll pop up again soon, I expect.
Victor, you're not going to prison, all right? - They're not going to press charges.
- Why not? Are they going to lock me away in hospital? No, you are to go back to Mrs Tooley.
You did a deal, didn't you? They want you to go on working with the German.
Well, why not? You've always loved that, haven't you? Flight and speed, building the fastest plane in the world.
- Why shouldn't you do it? - There is one condition, though, and that's that you don't go anywhere near the little girl - or back to the hotel again.
- No! If you do, you will be locked up, Victor! Do you promise you won't try and see Lotte or go back to the hotel? I didn't abduct her and you know that.
She was running away from a horrible man.
Do you promise? Of course.
Well, you'd better bloody mean it! I still have to live, don't I? And I was really hoping to just get a job at the hotel, just being a porter or something.
Nobody else will give me a job.
Well, it is possible I may be able to do something about that.
So, they've got a whole floor up there, have they? Yes, with a lot of files, it looks like.
And they absolutely deny it exists.
Official priorities have become even clearer, apparently.
They are now going to get hold of every German who might be useful to them before it's too late, and it doesn't matter what they've done.
But surely that can change, something can change that.
There you are, the two brothers.
We haven't been formally introduced, Victor.
My name's Harold Lindsay-Jones.
- So pleased to meet you.
- Are you? Well, seen up close, Victor, you don't look mad to me not mad at all.
Please, be seated.
So, Mr Lindsay-Jones - Harold, please.
- Harold.
You were saying you might have some things for Victor to do.
Some odd jobs around the house.
I'm not terrific at cleaning.
I thought I'd better make that clear right away.
Cleaning is not what I had in mind, no.
This library was a passion, both for my wife and myself.
We love books.
Since she died, it hasn't been quite the same.
What do you notice, Victor, about this library? - What do you see? - What do I see? The books are not in the right order.
They're in no order at all, in fact.
Neither alphabetically, by author or by title.
- Or by subject.
- Exactly.
You've spotted it at once.
During the Blitz, I had all the books removed at great expense to the country.
When they returned, the removal men put them back in any order.
I didn't have the heart to do anything about it.
I will pay you, Victor, to arrange the books alphabetically by author and when you've done that, to arrange this overflow on some new shelves in the room next door.
Can you do that? I can do that, yes.
That's terrific.
By the way, I'm not just doing this out of the kindness of my heart, as I'm sure you will have guessed.
There is something that I may need your brother's help with in due course.
Something that interests me intensely.
So, until Monday morning.
Ah, this is Lucy, my ward.
- This is Victor Ferguson.
- Hello, Victor.
Lucy's about to go back to Oxford.
So I won't see much of you, Victor.
Ah.
Well, then, you won't have to worry about me being alone in the house with her.
- Victor! - I wasn't worried about that, no.
Quite right.
In fact, despite appearances to the contrary, it's my brother you really have to worry about I'm going to get him out of here before you withdraw your offer.
My brother needs looking after, too.
You ought to believe me.
Come on.
[KNOCK AT DOOR.]
Come in.
Ah, I don't want to disturb you, especially in the middle of a chess lesson.
I just came to say that we are off in the morning.
Show you your new office.
Good.
I'll be very interested to see what they've given to me.
And you're coming too, Lotte.
I've been looking for you.
We need to have a word.
No, no, please! [HE GASPS.]
What were you doing to that little girl? I was just reading her a story.
That is all it was.
[HE GRUNTS.]
What were you doing to that little girl? Nothing! Nothing! Please, please, I can tell you something if you stop.
Something that will interest you about room 602.
- Tell me some other time.
- Captain Ferguson? Captain Ferguson? You're going to pack your bags.
You're going to book yourself out of the hotel tonight.
- Captain Ferguson? - And you're never, ever going to come back.
[HE YELPS.]
[WHIMPERING.]
- You all right? - Absolutely.
Mr Lombard is waiting for you in the conservatory bar, sir.
He sad you had an appointment.
[SLOW-PACED PIANO MUSIC PLAYS.]
There you are.
At last.
I've had to listen to this bloody music for at least half an hour.
- Are you all right? - Yes, I'm fine.
I just had a little matter to attend to.
Ooh! I hear you really are running the hotel now.
[THEY CHUCKLE.]
Ah, he's gon' be here a little while, so maybe we will get to hear him play the piano.
He'll be up there next week.
So, you're staying here for a bit? Seems that way, yes.
Looking after my my German.
You know, I can't really work out our friend, Mr Ferguson.
Never gives me a straight answer.
Oh, he doing something very hush-hush, obviously.
Keeping us all in this hotel is part of it.
I don't know what the hell it is, though, what he up to.
You know, I envy you.
You envy me, Alex? Well, that's a mistake, I promise.
I'm going to be unemployed quite soon.
Yes, but for now, you control how you spend your day.
I have to work so hard at the moment at the Foreign Office.
So bloody competitive, and the hours are unbelievably long.
And I feel I have to stay later than anybody else because I had such a cushy time during the war in Washington.
I have to be seen to be working the hardest.
I need to ask you a favour, Callum.
A favour? Of course.
Will you have lunch with Rachel? You know all about music and everything and I know nothing about the arts, and I'm totally tone deaf and she needs to talk to someone about her ideas.
Will you do it? Please? [AIRCRAFT ENGINE DRONES OVERHEAD.]
Right.
I'm going to show you your rather pokey little office now, Dieter.
This is all yours, Dieter.
Looks big enough, do you think? This may just be big enough, yes.
Naturally, you have a Spitfire here.
Of course.
And that is to inspire you.
This place used to be full of hundreds of people during the war.
And now there's only me.
And this is Rita.
She's going to be working with you.
I'm very glad to hear this.
I'm Dieter Koehler.
Rita and I used to work together before the war.
She knows a lot about jet engines.
Not as much as you, of course, but I know something.
You see, Lotte, Rita and I used to work for this wonderful man who invented the jet engine, Mr Frank Whittle.
Well, we Germans might dispute that, that you were the first.
And then our government refused to give him the money that he needed to develop his invention, so we lost our lead.
And now your dad is going to help us get it back again by breaking the sound barrier.
A plane that goes really, really fast.
Supersonic fast.
So, do I get my own car now so I can drive myself here every day? You don't get that yet, no.
You might drive somewhere we don't want you to.
Ah.
Thank you for finding that.
There may be various little documents from the Foreign Office that I should have given back.
Some even marked "Secret", like this one.
So, Victor - you've begun, I see.
- Yes, I have.
My progress will vary, though.
How quick I am will depend on how often the books interrupt me.
I see.
[LANGUID PIANO MUSIC PLAYS.]
I'm late, I know, and I'm so sorry.
Don't worry, I was expecting it.
- I know you're always late.
- I'm not always late.
You forget, I'm still in the army.
- Sort of.
- So you mean you're only late for me.
I quite understand.
I took the liberty, I hope you don't mind.
I've ordered us some ice cream.
- Some ice cream? - Mm-hm.
Well, that's bold of you.
- Because last time - It was disgusting, yes, but today I have a plan.
You asked for these tall glasses, ma'am, is that right? - I did.
- It's just they're rather large for ice cream.
Oh, no, it's perfect.
Thank you.
It's really good of you to see me, Cal.
Oh, don't be silly.
I was happy to.
Alex said you wanted to talk to me about some of your ideas.
Mm-hm.
About getting involved in music and theatre? You know, on the funding.
I'm sorry, I can't help wondering what you're going to be doing with that.
I have come prepared.
This ice cream was a challenge that I was determined to take on.
Last berries of summer.
Cooking in public.
Hmm! It's obscene, isn't it? Probably breaking all the rules.
- Do you want some? - Absolutely.
This this is my masterstroke.
[HE CHUCKLES.]
A dash of alcohol.
Will we get thrown out, do you think? No, no, they'll be queueing up at our table in a minute.
Well, one has to make one's own excitement, doesn't one? Even out of ice cream.
What does it taste like? Now, that is rather wonderful.
Mm! It's pretty good.
So, Cal here we go.
- My husband - Alex? No, my last husband.
Sorry, I meant to say my late husband.
It's a brilliant start.
Sorry.
No, my late husband, he, uh he was much older than me and he died very suddenly.
He left me rather a lot of money.
He adored the arts and he taught me a great deal about how to appreciate them.
He introduced me to all sorts of things in a really wonderful way.
And now I'm here and, uh, well, I thought that you could be my guide.
A starting point for me about how to go about all this.
Because I don't want to be this wealthy American blundering about offering people money that they might not even want.
They might run a mile, thinking that I want to interfere.
That again.
You know, you're always so worried about how things might seem.
You know, what people might think.
Well, that's not so foolish.
I want to get this right.
And, anyway, that's not true.
I've just done some very public cooking, haven't I? Well, there is one problem.
I don't know anybody in the arts.
Yes, but I can discuss things with you, can't I? As Alex suggested.
Rehearse my plans, who it might be a good idea to approach.
And you have the time, haven't you, Callum? Yes, I might have.
There's my German to look after and our secret office.
No, no, no, don't tell me.
You've got to keep your secrets.
I don't want you being thrown out of the hotel.
[PHONE RINGS.]
Yes? Hello, this is Kathy Griffiths.
Can I speak to Captain Ferguson, please? - Ah, Miss Griffiths! - You remember me, do you? Of course we remember you, Miss Griffiths.
Glad to hear it.
Can you put me through to Captain Ferguson? You want to speak to Captain Ferguson? I'm afraid he's not here at the moment.
He's not? May I ask where you are? I'm in his office.
Ah, that very small office I was shown.
Can you tell him I need to meet him, and maybe he can give me a time? Yes, I will pass on that message.
Tell him I have something to give him.
There's no getting rid of her, is there? [CHILDREN WHOOP.]
[HE SPEAKS GERMAN.]
[THEY GIGGLE AND WHOOP.]
Wheee! [HE GRUNTS.]
Careful, children.
You do not run in the passage.
Never run in the passage.
Are you all English? Moechtest du eine schokolade? What did he say? Yes? Do you have any chocolate, please, sir? Do I have some chocolate? That depends.
It depends on you being good children.
Are you good children? Are you? Then you may have the chocolate.
Hello, Victor.
I just came to say goodbye.
I'm off this morning.
What a pity.
We've hardly spoken.
You never know.
You might still be here when I get back.
You mean it looks like I'll take forever to do this.
No, it seems you've made a real difference already.
You will look after each other, won't you? I know he misses me far more than he says.
My specialty, of course, looking after other people.
Ah, there you are, Lucy.
Well, Victor, I see you're making a little progress.
Yes, I'm at a very crucial stage, as it happens.
Good.
And to make things even easier, I think it's time we dealt with these shutters, don't you? They're kept closed because the sun is meant to be bad for some of these valuable books, but to hell with it.
It's raining anyway.
Time to ignore these rules, don't you think? That's so much nicer.
It's always a good idea, ignoring rules.
Miss Griffiths? Thank you for taking time to see me, Captain Ferguson.
Of course.
I didn't think you'd want to see me again.
- What would you like to drink? - I'm not here to have a drink.
I came to show you these.
- Who took these? - I did.
I have to say, I've seen more flattering pictures of myself.
I always knew you were lying to me, about not having another office here.
I don't know why you simply didn't own up about it.
Tell me I couldn't see it.
That way, you might have gotten rid of me.
I could say I had to lie about it.
It's officially secret.
It's illegal to tell people about it.
But I'm not saying that.
Really? So what are you saying? I'm saying that I'll take you up there.
[WOMAN GASPS.]
It's quite an operation you've got here.
It is, yes.
I'm not going to introduce you to everybody, as this is an informal visit.
Could we all go to lunch, take a particularly early lunch? Well, blimey, that normally causes a stampede.
Now, come on, lunch.
Please.
I've got some pictures to show you now.
Why have you brought me here? Because I know you're not going to let me look in all these files, are you? - You're quite right, I'm not.
- So why do it, then? I can't see any advantage to you.
Rather an ugly collection, I admit.
These five Germans all have vital information some about the workings of Soviet intelligence, some about the latest development in armaments and technology.
I can't give you all the details, obviously, and this happened before I was even here.
But they've all been spirited away.
They've been taken to safe houses, been given new identities, and why? Because they all have knowledge that is crucial for the defence of this country, and none of them, none of them are on your wanted list.
Hmm.
You made sure you chose the right file.
Oh, I'm sorry, sir, I beg your pardon! We thought we'd clean this room now.
We saw everyone leaving for lunch, we thought it was a good moment.
Right, well, let's get out of this place, shall we? What's the matter? Are you expecting somebody to be following us? Well, maybe.
I mean, the cleaners looked shocked to see me in that room.
They're our secret cleaners, with security passes.
Very few people know about that floor in the hotel.
You must really like that, the secrecy of it all.
Of course, nobody gets to see what's in those files.
So you broke the Official Secrets Act for me? Why, exactly? To get rid of you.
Well, you just said if I hadn't lied to you, you would have gone away.
So I think there's a very good chance of that working, don't you? Or of course it could have exactly the opposite effect.
You know, it's lunchtime, and I fancy something rather sweet for lunch.
Something with a lot of sugar in it.
And since I've not been able to get rid of you yet, maybe you'd like to join me.
Something sweet for lunch? That's crazy.
You can't get sugar anywhere, especially not round here.
This is definitely my first toffee apple since before the war.
I'm not sure eating them here was such a brilliant idea.
Making people jealous.
Yes, well, however many children gawp at us, I am not going to feel guilty.
It's difficult to make you feel guilty, isn't it? I was waiting for you to say something like that.
I'm sorry, but showing me that file and buying me a toffee apple, it's hardly going to change what I think.
- Which is? - That it's extraordinary that only a year ago, crimes were being committed, people were being murdered on an unimaginable scale in camps, and yet somehow it seems that that's just a side issue for nearly everybody.
Not remotely as serious as beating the Russians, or getting ahead of the Americans.
Those are the only things that count now.
That's shocking, isn't it? Oh, put like that, yeah, it is shocking, of course.
How else could you put it so it doesn't sound shocking? Some people might say that if we don't make national security our first priority, what happens next may be even more horrific than what happened in those camps.
What does that mean? The Soviet Union is a real threat right at this moment, far more than people realise, and I know, from my own personal experience, how terrible it is if we're not ready for that.
So nothing else matters? That will always take precedence, being ready for the next war? Stopping the next war.
Ah, the food is exactly on time.
That's good.
Especially as you're going to start starving me soon.
During the war, I worked at SOE headquarters in Baker Street.
I saw what happened to many of our agents after they got across the Channel.
They were betrayed brutally tortured, and then executed.
My old boss, Vera Atkins is at this moment crisscrossing Europe trying to find those responsible and bring them to justice.
It's what's had such an effect on me, and made me so committed to catching people who are guilty of war crimes.
And then, of course, finding out that some of these people are right here, under our nose, being looked after by you.
- It's really hard.
- But you don't know that yet that we have anybody really bad.
In fact, right now, there's only one German left in the hotel, my scientist.
Nobody else.
I'm not sure I believe that, Captain Ferguson.
Anyway, having just seen your real office, and how big your operation is in the hotel, I've realised you are in fact in no position to help me, Mr Ferguson.
I don't follow.
Because they won't let you.
They'll finish you off if you try to help me.
Finish me off? How? Well, that depends how much you inconvenience them.
If what you did proved a major nuisance you'll be disappeared, most probably.
Nobody's going to lay a finger on me, Kathy, I can assure you of that.
Especially not at the moment when I've got the German working for me really well.
You're almost certainly being watched right now.
Let's see if we can spot them.
Who do you think it is? I'm not easy to intimidate, and no nobody's watching.
Thank you for the toffee apple.
It was a rare treat.
So, this is going to seem doubly ungrateful, but the only reason I can think of why you might do something for me Is what? is because you really like taking risks, Mr Ferguson.
It is very kind of you, Mr Lindsay-Jones, to suggest we have lunch together.
- Thank you so much.
- It's quite all right, Victor.
You don't have to eat quite so quickly, we're not in a race.
Not in a race, no, but I don't want to take too much time away from my work.
- I want to get the task done.
- I know you do.
And today I'm doing very well.
Sometimes I do get distracted, I know, and not just by the books but I think about things, things that have happened in the past, and I get angry.
It's quite all right to get angry.
You can get as angry as you like here, although preferably not with me.
Of course not.
Do you ever get angry, Mr Lindsay-Jones? - I can't really imagine that.
- Oh, you'd be surprised, Victor.
There are some things that have happened which have made me angry.
Really angry.
I think about them every day.
- Really? - Yes.
Because the truth hasn't been told about these particular things.
Sorry, darling, I just realised I left my papers in here.
I fell asleep working on them last night.
So much to do.
I didn't mean to wake you.
Is everything all right, darling? Yes.
By the way, I don't think I told you, it went quite well with Callum.
Well, at least he seemed to listen to me rattling on.
I've sort of arranged to meet him again.
- I hope that's OK.
- Of course, darling.
I knew he'd be helpful.
Are you all right here, Lotte? I won't be gone for long.
Don't worry, Mr Ferguson, we'll take good care of her.
Well, I don't believe it.
Honestly, I don't believe it.
I mean, you're actually saying that we don't need a sweptback wing to go supersonic? Of course, they are the future, there's no question of that, but if your priority is to beat the Americans, to do the sound barrier before anybody else, if this is your number one objective, you can do it with a fixed-wing plane.
We can't present them with it.
We can't say that we went to all this trouble to get him working for us, and now he is recommending that we stick to what we've got already.
And the government has just cancelled the latest fixed-wing fighter.
You're too obsessed with copying what we were doing.
What I'm telling you is, if you want to be absolutely certain of being first, you can do it with a fixed-wing plane, and with this new engine we're going to build here.
Yeah, well, we are going to be the first, and we are going to do it with a sweptback wing.
We just wanted to know, sir, if you have any more chocolate? What are you three up to? We we got the wrong room number, miss.
We were just looking for somebody.
- We got the wrong person.
- Don't you fib to me.
- What were you after? - He has got chocolate.
Yes? Please do not give these children chocolate.
They shouldn't be asking strangers for sweets, or for anything else.
Are you their sister? Or their mother, even? I'm just a resident in the hotel.
Come along.
Oh, my God, I completely forgot I had to be back at the hotel at three o'clock.
Well, that's going to be difficult, it's now ten to four.
Ten to four? No, it can't be! I promised I'd No.
"They just couldn't stop themselves from opening the door.
"Inside the large kitchen, there was a golden dish, "sitting on a table with steam rising out of it.
"They weren't able to believe their eyes.
They'd found the food at last! "But as the three of them got closer, "a terrible voice seemed to come out of the dish.
"A low, hissing voice.
"It said, "'Eat me and you will die!'.
" There you are! That is a record.
Nearly two and a half hours late.
I know, and I'm so very sorry.
Well, you seem to have found a way to spend the time, though, I see.
Well, we had a hunt among the books in the hotel, found this strange story about three hungry witches.
We'll have to finish this another day, girls.
- Oh! - I promise you we will.
Now, go and play in the yard by the kitchen.
They've been running all over the hotel, apparently.
From the other lady.
Oh, thank you.
I'm impressed.
They do everything you say.
Well, today they do.
Now, we're far too late to go to the gallery.
Would it be very wicked if we went to the movies? [INDISTINCT FILM DIALOGUE.]
- Come on, let's go up here.
- Why? You see a sign and you have to disobey it? It'll be nice up here, you'll see.
I told you the best seats in the house.
Yes, except every time the seat creaks, I'm going to think the ceiling's coming down! And, look, we are completely alone.
Well, almost alone.
Oh, don't worry.
She can't see us, I promise.
[GUNFIRE IN FILM.]
You see, I told you, she can't! - You love this, don't you? - Love what? You're just like your brother.
You have to take on authority, it doesn't matter who it is, you have to try and break the rules.
Well, if the rules are particularly stupid, like now, then, yes, I'll break them.
Anyway, I'm not half as wild as my brother.
You know, he's doing much better at the moment.
I really like that, how much you take care of him, look out for him.
Both of your parents are dead, aren't they? Oh, how did you know that? Come on, it's easy.
You're so obviously on your own, you and your brother.
And, of course, you clearly never worry about what they'll think.
She's going to get us soon.
You know, I think you might be right.
Let's move.
Go on.
Go on.
Oh, look at this! It's like it's waiting for us! It's all clean! Like somebody's been polishing it, even though nobody's allowed in.
But did they leave any liquor for us? I'll have a whisky soda, Barman.
Well, sadly, they didn't leave any drink behind.
Oh, hang on, what's this key? Maybe there's a cupboard full of alcohol.
If only we could find it.
- You know why we're meeting? - No.
Why are we meeting? - I'm curious to know.
- Because Alex is so busy.
He has to work such long hours right now, that's why.
[SHE SHRIEKS.]
She was terrifying, absolutely terrifying.
It was like the murderer coming in.
Her eyes, she seemed so excited to catch us.
Did she? It was only a kiss, after all.
And that's all it was, Cal.
Was it? - Only a kiss? - Well, that's what I'm calling it, so that's what it was.
It was because you were really late today.
So everything became chaotic.
You brought chaos.
So it's all my fault? Entirely.
Of course.
It's never a good idea to be late, I told you.
Anyway, it won't happen again, any of it.
Won't it? No.
Let's talk about more important things.
Well, what could be more important? Well, Lotte needs to be found a school, for a start.
Of course.
The government will arrange that.
She needs to go to a good school, and she wants to see her brother again.
No, no, no, that is not a sensible idea at all.
Well, I think it is.
Harold's having a dinner party on Thursday.
We could ask him to invite your brother, Lotte, Dieter, and you, of course.
You're doubling the size of his dinner party, probably! We can't ask him to do that! Of course we can! [LIFT BELL PINGS.]
I've been waiting for you.
Did you get my note? I did.
It was a bit cryptic, wasn't it? I've got to talk to you about what's happening on the floor below.
So go on.
[SLOW PIANO MUSIC PLAYS.]
Are there other people from the Secret Service operating in this hotel? No, no-one.
I think whoever told you that was lying.
You should have a look at room 602.
[HE STOPS MUSIC.]
So what are we going to do? You are going to go in there on your own.
Me? Why me? - You're the one in Intelligence.
- Well, you're the actress.
Well, you've met him already, you have a better chance of finding something out.
But I also live here, in case you've forgotten.
I've managed to get a very good rate for my room, maybe with a little help from one of my gentlemen friends, but I have managed it, and I have a roof over my head, Callum, and I intend to keep it.
No-one gets thrown out of the hotel, Julia, unless I agree to it.
That's true for the moment.
But it might not last.
Don't worry, you can do it, Julia.
Look, I'll be right here.
Oh [SHE KNOCKS ON DOOR.]
Hello again.
I just wanted to apologise for sounding so bossy this afternoon, you know, with the children.
No.
What you said was perfectly right.
Yes, but I didn't mean to sound so rude.
I'm staying just on the floor above and I know how horrid it is to feel you have to avoid people in a hotel.
Hello, Mr Ferguson.
I wondered when you'd be along here.
Sent somebody into the room to nose about for you, have you? Maybe.
Who have you got in there, anyway? Quite a catch, in fact.
Horst Kleinow.
He's a senior German counter-intelligence officer.
Did all sorts of unpleasant things to our agents when he was interrogating them.
God knows what else besides.
Helped to kill a lot of Jews as well.
But he has astonishing information on the Russians.
Astonishing? Astonishingly valuable, yes.
And that little man, Mr Emmanuel? - What about him? - Ah, that tiny man.
He was just a contact.
A go-between to help us get Kleinow here.
- Are you staying here long, Mr? - Schmidt.
Hans Schmidt.
No, I will be leaving in a few days, but what about you? I'm an actress, Mr Schmidt.
My career's very much in its early stages, I have to confess.
But I'm quite determined, which is a good thing, don't you agree? Oh, yes.
Maybe we should discuss each other's futures before you leave, Mr Schmidt.
What do you think? What are your plans for the invaluable Mr Kleinow? We're going to disappear him.
We're going to fake his death.
He's going to get pneumonia over the next few days, right here in the hotel, so plenty of witnesses can see him deteriorate and then off he goes to hospital to die.
It's one of the old tricks.
Still very reliable, though.
The Americans are doing a lot of this too with their Nazis right now.
Seems the season for it.
Had a nice chat in there? This is Mr Salter, a colleague of mine - in a way.
- Yes.
He's a most charming gentleman.
Of course he is.
[SHE PLAYS PIANO.]
Still up, dear? [PIANO STOPS.]
Yes.
If I don't stay up, I hardly ever see you.
You're still in your coat.
Yes, I just ran straight up the stairs when I heard the noise.
It is a noise, yes, you're right.
It's a lovely surprise you're still up, darling.
You look so beautiful.
[HE COUGHS WHEEZILY.]
[HE BREATHES HEAVILY.]
Are you all right, Mr Schmidt? It's my lungs.
The air is filthy in this city.
[PHONE RINGS.]
Yes? Ah, Miss Griffiths, it's Callum Ferguson.
Yes, Mr Ferguson? Horst Kleinow, is he on your list? - He most certainly is.
- He's staying here at the hotel.
- I just found out.
- You've just found out? No, I have, I've just found out.
[COUGHING CONTINUES.]
I can't use anybody here, obviously.
But since he's on the official wanted list, you can get a warrant for his arrest using the local police.
They can take him into custody.
- Can you do that? - I will do that, yes.
You don't have long.
48 hours at the most.
I understand that.
Riding on a choo-choo On my choo-choo train I didn't want to leave you Oh! Mr Ferguson! Well, we haven't seen you for a while.
- Well, I've missed being here.
- Huh! I was just rehearsing something.
Anna here makes a good audience.
I hope I'm a good audience.
You, on the other hand, Mr Ferguson, do not make a good audience.
You always seem to come here when there's something on your mind.
- It's that obvious again, is it? - [SHE CHUCKLES.]
Certainly is.
I keep telling you, if you some kind of spy, you must be a lousy one.
You just can't hide it.
You think that's amazing, don't you, that I can see that? Well, let me tell you, there's nothing amazing about it.
- I believe you.
- So what is going on right now? You worried about making a wrong decision? Mm, I hit the mark there.
[HE COUGHS.]
Ah, there you are, sir.
We need to consult you about the files, sir, which sections we're going to try first.
Not now, Ringwood.
Listen to me.
You stay right here and you don't let anybody leave that room.
Ah, there you are.
I didn't know you'd arrived.
They're watching the front of the hotel as well.
Nobody's left the room, sir.
I don't know how they did that.
We were keeping watch the whole time.
Well, that went well, didn't it? Maybe they left something in the room we missed.
What is it? I thought there might be one left.
Now, where did they go? The hospital.
They went to the hospital.
The man was very ill.
Now, don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you.
But you are going to tell me.
Now, just nod your head.
Did they go to the airport? Hmm? Southampton? Come on.
Harwich? We need a car.
We need to get a car.
Callum? You're not ready yet.
You're not dressed.
Oh, God, the dinner party! Look, I hadn't forgotten, Lotte.
Tell them I'll be joining them later.
Please, tell Victor that I'll definitely be there soon.
I'm very early.
I'm the first, probably, aren't I? Ah, Victor, yes, you are a little early, but I always like people who are early.
I brought some food.
Just a few tins I had spam, sardines.
In case we run out of hot food, how sensible.
I ought to say, I haven't eaten with more than one person in a long time and my brother tends to get a little nervous about me meeting new people, so I hope I remember how it's done.
Why are they taking him to Harwich, if they really are? Because he's going back to Germany, I expect.
So he can go through the intelligence that the British have on the Russians over there.
They needed to stage his death in England because so many people disappear in Germany.
It's hard to be officially dead and be believed over there.
Why are you suddenly helping me to get Kleinow? Because I didn't like the way he looked at me.
[SHE SCOFFS.]
Are you going to tell me the real reason? I can believe totally in what we're doing, of getting the best German minds working for us, but I can also believe that there are one or two really nasty people that deserve to answer for what they've done.
- I don't see a contradiction.
- Others might.
You really think they're going to let you do this, get away with it, that nothing's going to happen afterwards? I believe I can get away with it, yes.
Two slices of roast beef for everyone.
The height of luxury, I hope.
I used weeks of meat rationing for this.
Fabulous, what a treat.
Splendid.
And unlike everywhere else, it's not overcooked.
Ah, the English way let's make it taste as close to old leather as we possibly can.
[GUESTS TITTER.]
Yes, there may not be enough meat to go around because some of us were added to the guest list.
There's plenty, Victor, don't worry.
I've got some tins here, though, as you can see, if we need some more.
Feel free to ask when you fancy some.
We will.
- Can I ask a stupid question? - Of course.
How are you going to get them to hand Kleinow over? It shouldn't be too difficult, providing we can find him.
It won't? Are they just going to say, "Take him, by all means.
"He's all yours.
" That's what's going to happen? They'll be keeping him in a room somewhere out of the way.
No-one is expecting us to show up.
So I just walk in and say I want an urgent word with him, in private.
- You don't believe me? - No.
So, Victor, I hear you've been sorting out Harold's library? Yes, I think I've been knocking it into some sort of shape.
Victor's brought a sudden energy into the house.
- It's highly contagious.
- Which is a very good thing, isn't it? Absolutely.
I think we were all running around with so much energy during the war, then we tried to turn it off like a tap, which doesn't work, of course, because the adrenaline is still there, ticking away all the time.
It's best to do something about it.
- Like what, for example? - Like getting younger, for a start.
[GUESTS CHUCKLE.]
I'm serious.
I think we settle for being old far too quickly.
I tried to dress like my father as soon as I could, which was ridiculous at 18, in a bowler.
You go out into the street, you see young women dressing like their mothers again as if nothing had happened.
I think we should plan to get younger and not pretend that this energy has all gone away.
So true.
Of course, one has to have done something in the war, to have that energy.
He built jet planes, I was in the army.
What did you do? I was in Washington, stationed at our embassy.
What about you two? Foreign Office as well, no doubt.
As was I, Victor.
I'm sure we all worked hard.
I've said the wrong thing, haven't I? Nobody's offended.
- It's absolutely fine.
- No, I've said the wrong thing, because nobody is allowed to talk about who did what, about what some of us really saw, really did.
It's such bad form.
And I'm sorry I look like this, I must have just mislaid my dinner jacket, mustn't I? And I realise that these tins maybe look a bit ridiculous.
You see, I haven't done this sort of thing recently and so seeing your faces so clearly, especially your faces, has been difficult.
It was a big mistake, me coming here.
I'm so very so very sorry.
Victor Victor has his own approach to things.
It takes a bit of getting used to.
[HE SOBS.]
It's all right, Victor.
- Don't be upset.
- I'm not upset.
You're crying.
I'm not upset in that way, not in the way you think.
You don't know what I think.
Nobody cares about whether you're wearing a dinner jacket, they really don't.
And the tins were a good idea, they were.
I promise.
After all, there were more guests.
I find it so difficult.
I find even the easiest things so difficult.
I can't get them right however hard I try.
I can feel it happening when I'm with people and I start to do things I shouldn't, like I'm not able to stop myself, and I hate it.
I hate not being able to.
I know.
I know.
[CAR HORN BLARES.]
Wait, I think I see him.
Excuse me.
Thank you.
Coming through.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION.]
[THEY LAUGH.]
You said it would be simple.
I was wrong.
[LAUGHTER CONTINUES.]
It's in here.
And that is what I'm going to unlock.
I don't know who you are, but you have influence.
So she scares you too, does she? I will have something for you in the next 24 hours that would mean us working together.
I know you understand the cost of ministerial incompetence and official deceit, but I know some things very few other people do how we could have won the war before it had even started.
I'm so envious of you being in that hotel, Cal.
What I really want to do is come and be there too.
You've done nothing but lie to me ever since I met you.
My daughter has gone! Lotte has vanished! They say this madman was in the hotel and he has taken my daughter! That man was your brother! I will get her back.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION.]
MAN: Do you know what's going on? WOMAN: What's happened? MAN: What's going on? Excuse me! I must tell you what I know.
Just a moment.
I was reading a story and she disappeared.
She just vanished.
That is what happened.
Please! I must tell you what I know.
I was reading her a story and she just vanished [INDISTINCT CONVERSATION.]
We'll do better on our own.
Come.
So what happened with the little man? I mean, what was he doing with Lotte? He was telling her a story.
I was right in the room next door, I could hear him reading to her, his voice No, that's not all he was doing.
Oh, Christ! What? We don't want them having anything to do with this.
Why did somebody call them? Because they think you're important, that's why.
What's that? What's that? Come on, come on, come on! You should think where your brother might be, where he likes to visit, what are his favourite places in the city There's a lot of those.
He likes to roam around a lot.
What does he do when he roams? He collects things.
He picks things up, off the pavement, off bombsites, anything that catches his eye.
His room, what's he got in his room? Should we go there? No, the police have been there already.
- There is no trace of him.
- No, no! Of course, but maybe, if we look at what he's collected, that might tell us something.
- There's a lot of stained glass.
- Then we need a church.
Does he have a favourite church? [TRAIN WHISTLE.]
Has anyone seen a man with a young girl? With a child? Does anyone here know Victor? I know Victor.
He is often here.
Sometimes, he sleeps here.
Not seen him tonight, though.
So, this is one of his churches.
Then we have to do every church we can! So, Lotte, if we manage this right, we really will reach the countryside.
[LAUGHTER.]
Hello, gentlemen.
I need some petrol coupons and will pay handsomely for them.
So who's going to be the lucky one, then? Women aren't allowed in here, love! It's not a good idea to go out dressed like that, love! Our house just collapsed.
The whole ceiling came down.
Bang! Just like that.
So, we must be on our travels.
Who's going to help us? - Any news? Any news at all? - No, no, not yet.
- Where have you been, sir? - We've been in church.
Just get them out of the hotel! - Just get rid of them! - I don't know how to do that.
OK, well, keep them away from me, at least.
Oh, what are they doing here? Nothing.
No.
We came to see if we could help.
Of course we can't help.
I mean, you will have thought of absolutely everything.
- But we wanted to be here.
- You really didn't need to do that.
Well, the party was well and truly over.
We had to come.
This is more like it, isn't it, Lotte? Countryside, bit of clean air.
It's so beautiful.
It's like the Blitz all over again.
Everybody's staying close in case they're needed.
Sorry it took so long, sir.
They will find your daughter, sir, I'm sure.
Thank you.
He's doing everything he can.
No, thank you.
Now it's light, we stand a much better chance.
I managed to get it on the radio, on the first bulletins.
My brother stand out a mile wherever he goes.
And with a little girl in tow Why is everybody so worried about your brother? Well, that's simple.
They think he's mad.
OK.
Here we are, Lotte, so get on the back seat and just lie down, as if you were asleep.
Don't say anything.
[SWING MUSIC PLAYS ON RADIO.]
Fill her up, please.
As much as I can get for these.
You know, you shouldn't be smoking while you're doing that.
Are you telling me what to do, are you? Get your daughter out the car if you don't like it.
I've only been doing this six weeks.
Do you think this, this is what I want to do with the rest of my life? Leave somewhere suddenly, did you? Sir! There's been a sighting of them, sir, at a petrol station in Sussex.
- They've seen them? - Yes.
There's an army base very close by.
They are sending out a patrol now.
No, no, no! That is not the right move at all! They must use the local police, all right? Get me the commanding officer on the phone now! If they go in, they're going to start shooting.
Is there anyone following us, Lotte? Let's go.
Come on! OK, Lotte, you are not safe with me, OK? You've got to go.
Get over that way, OK, as far as you can.
- Go, quick, quick! Keep going.
- [SOLDIERS SHOUT.]
Go, go! We know you are here.
Stand up with your arms up and walk towards us.
OK? Here I am.
A nice target.
Why don't you have a go? I don't think you can really miss, can you? Lotte! [HE SPEAKS GERMAN.]
Get out of the car.
Get out of the car, now! What the hell were you thinking?! What on earth possessed you to do that? Don't yell at me.
They are going to lock you up now and I'm not going to be able to do a single thing about it.
That's a brilliant result, isn't it, Victor? You might find this surprising, but if they don't lock him up, I may be able to help you with your brother.
Well, they will lock him up.
You've been very lucky, Ferguson, amazingly lucky.
Lucky? I've been lucky? The German is very grateful to you for the way you behaved over his daughter.
That's why you've been lucky.
We're finally making progress.
I want you to stay with him now until he delivers.
Until he delivers? That could be months.
Supersonic speed is the only thing that matters at the moment.
Breaking the sound barrier.
Boom! We have to do that before the Americans, or the Russians, of course.
- Your German - My German? Yes, your German can really help us do that, can't he? He trusts you now.
We need you to build on this new friendship until he's done it for us.
That's all you have to do.
Most people would kill for such a job.
- I'm not going to do it.
- Oh, yes, you are.
Shall I tell you why? [VICTOR RANTS OUTSIDE.]
Because your brother has committed a series of criminal offences abducting a child, stealing a car.
He will go to prison unless I stop it happening.
So you're blackmailing me? What are you going to do with your life now if you refuse? This way, you've got the run of a hotel, lots of free time to do what you want, work out your future.
You are doubly, maybe trebly, lucky.
Well, I'm certainly not if I have got MI5 or MI19 or any other bloody outfit on my back.
That's over.
That's all stopped.
If you do this, Ferguson, we'll get your brother good treatment in a hospital.
Absolutely not! No, I'm not having him locked up in one of your asylums.
I will take care of my brother.
So, what have you arranged with them, then? They're going to strap me down, are they, put wires all over my head, give me electric shocks? - Come with me.
- Mind you, you probably get incredible dreams when they fry you like that.
Come with me.
I just need to have a word with my brother in private.
- [LAMBS BLEAT.]
- What a beautiful place.
The army won't want to give any of these houses back, will they? I wonder where all the aristos have moved to.
They'll pop up again soon, I expect.
Victor, you're not going to prison, all right? - They're not going to press charges.
- Why not? Are they going to lock me away in hospital? No, you are to go back to Mrs Tooley.
You did a deal, didn't you? They want you to go on working with the German.
Well, why not? You've always loved that, haven't you? Flight and speed, building the fastest plane in the world.
- Why shouldn't you do it? - There is one condition, though, and that's that you don't go anywhere near the little girl - or back to the hotel again.
- No! If you do, you will be locked up, Victor! Do you promise you won't try and see Lotte or go back to the hotel? I didn't abduct her and you know that.
She was running away from a horrible man.
Do you promise? Of course.
Well, you'd better bloody mean it! I still have to live, don't I? And I was really hoping to just get a job at the hotel, just being a porter or something.
Nobody else will give me a job.
Well, it is possible I may be able to do something about that.
So, they've got a whole floor up there, have they? Yes, with a lot of files, it looks like.
And they absolutely deny it exists.
Official priorities have become even clearer, apparently.
They are now going to get hold of every German who might be useful to them before it's too late, and it doesn't matter what they've done.
But surely that can change, something can change that.
There you are, the two brothers.
We haven't been formally introduced, Victor.
My name's Harold Lindsay-Jones.
- So pleased to meet you.
- Are you? Well, seen up close, Victor, you don't look mad to me not mad at all.
Please, be seated.
So, Mr Lindsay-Jones - Harold, please.
- Harold.
You were saying you might have some things for Victor to do.
Some odd jobs around the house.
I'm not terrific at cleaning.
I thought I'd better make that clear right away.
Cleaning is not what I had in mind, no.
This library was a passion, both for my wife and myself.
We love books.
Since she died, it hasn't been quite the same.
What do you notice, Victor, about this library? - What do you see? - What do I see? The books are not in the right order.
They're in no order at all, in fact.
Neither alphabetically, by author or by title.
- Or by subject.
- Exactly.
You've spotted it at once.
During the Blitz, I had all the books removed at great expense to the country.
When they returned, the removal men put them back in any order.
I didn't have the heart to do anything about it.
I will pay you, Victor, to arrange the books alphabetically by author and when you've done that, to arrange this overflow on some new shelves in the room next door.
Can you do that? I can do that, yes.
That's terrific.
By the way, I'm not just doing this out of the kindness of my heart, as I'm sure you will have guessed.
There is something that I may need your brother's help with in due course.
Something that interests me intensely.
So, until Monday morning.
Ah, this is Lucy, my ward.
- This is Victor Ferguson.
- Hello, Victor.
Lucy's about to go back to Oxford.
So I won't see much of you, Victor.
Ah.
Well, then, you won't have to worry about me being alone in the house with her.
- Victor! - I wasn't worried about that, no.
Quite right.
In fact, despite appearances to the contrary, it's my brother you really have to worry about I'm going to get him out of here before you withdraw your offer.
My brother needs looking after, too.
You ought to believe me.
Come on.
[KNOCK AT DOOR.]
Come in.
Ah, I don't want to disturb you, especially in the middle of a chess lesson.
I just came to say that we are off in the morning.
Show you your new office.
Good.
I'll be very interested to see what they've given to me.
And you're coming too, Lotte.
I've been looking for you.
We need to have a word.
No, no, please! [HE GASPS.]
What were you doing to that little girl? I was just reading her a story.
That is all it was.
[HE GRUNTS.]
What were you doing to that little girl? Nothing! Nothing! Please, please, I can tell you something if you stop.
Something that will interest you about room 602.
- Tell me some other time.
- Captain Ferguson? Captain Ferguson? You're going to pack your bags.
You're going to book yourself out of the hotel tonight.
- Captain Ferguson? - And you're never, ever going to come back.
[HE YELPS.]
[WHIMPERING.]
- You all right? - Absolutely.
Mr Lombard is waiting for you in the conservatory bar, sir.
He sad you had an appointment.
[SLOW-PACED PIANO MUSIC PLAYS.]
There you are.
At last.
I've had to listen to this bloody music for at least half an hour.
- Are you all right? - Yes, I'm fine.
I just had a little matter to attend to.
Ooh! I hear you really are running the hotel now.
[THEY CHUCKLE.]
Ah, he's gon' be here a little while, so maybe we will get to hear him play the piano.
He'll be up there next week.
So, you're staying here for a bit? Seems that way, yes.
Looking after my my German.
You know, I can't really work out our friend, Mr Ferguson.
Never gives me a straight answer.
Oh, he doing something very hush-hush, obviously.
Keeping us all in this hotel is part of it.
I don't know what the hell it is, though, what he up to.
You know, I envy you.
You envy me, Alex? Well, that's a mistake, I promise.
I'm going to be unemployed quite soon.
Yes, but for now, you control how you spend your day.
I have to work so hard at the moment at the Foreign Office.
So bloody competitive, and the hours are unbelievably long.
And I feel I have to stay later than anybody else because I had such a cushy time during the war in Washington.
I have to be seen to be working the hardest.
I need to ask you a favour, Callum.
A favour? Of course.
Will you have lunch with Rachel? You know all about music and everything and I know nothing about the arts, and I'm totally tone deaf and she needs to talk to someone about her ideas.
Will you do it? Please? [AIRCRAFT ENGINE DRONES OVERHEAD.]
Right.
I'm going to show you your rather pokey little office now, Dieter.
This is all yours, Dieter.
Looks big enough, do you think? This may just be big enough, yes.
Naturally, you have a Spitfire here.
Of course.
And that is to inspire you.
This place used to be full of hundreds of people during the war.
And now there's only me.
And this is Rita.
She's going to be working with you.
I'm very glad to hear this.
I'm Dieter Koehler.
Rita and I used to work together before the war.
She knows a lot about jet engines.
Not as much as you, of course, but I know something.
You see, Lotte, Rita and I used to work for this wonderful man who invented the jet engine, Mr Frank Whittle.
Well, we Germans might dispute that, that you were the first.
And then our government refused to give him the money that he needed to develop his invention, so we lost our lead.
And now your dad is going to help us get it back again by breaking the sound barrier.
A plane that goes really, really fast.
Supersonic fast.
So, do I get my own car now so I can drive myself here every day? You don't get that yet, no.
You might drive somewhere we don't want you to.
Ah.
Thank you for finding that.
There may be various little documents from the Foreign Office that I should have given back.
Some even marked "Secret", like this one.
So, Victor - you've begun, I see.
- Yes, I have.
My progress will vary, though.
How quick I am will depend on how often the books interrupt me.
I see.
[LANGUID PIANO MUSIC PLAYS.]
I'm late, I know, and I'm so sorry.
Don't worry, I was expecting it.
- I know you're always late.
- I'm not always late.
You forget, I'm still in the army.
- Sort of.
- So you mean you're only late for me.
I quite understand.
I took the liberty, I hope you don't mind.
I've ordered us some ice cream.
- Some ice cream? - Mm-hm.
Well, that's bold of you.
- Because last time - It was disgusting, yes, but today I have a plan.
You asked for these tall glasses, ma'am, is that right? - I did.
- It's just they're rather large for ice cream.
Oh, no, it's perfect.
Thank you.
It's really good of you to see me, Cal.
Oh, don't be silly.
I was happy to.
Alex said you wanted to talk to me about some of your ideas.
Mm-hm.
About getting involved in music and theatre? You know, on the funding.
I'm sorry, I can't help wondering what you're going to be doing with that.
I have come prepared.
This ice cream was a challenge that I was determined to take on.
Last berries of summer.
Cooking in public.
Hmm! It's obscene, isn't it? Probably breaking all the rules.
- Do you want some? - Absolutely.
This this is my masterstroke.
[HE CHUCKLES.]
A dash of alcohol.
Will we get thrown out, do you think? No, no, they'll be queueing up at our table in a minute.
Well, one has to make one's own excitement, doesn't one? Even out of ice cream.
What does it taste like? Now, that is rather wonderful.
Mm! It's pretty good.
So, Cal here we go.
- My husband - Alex? No, my last husband.
Sorry, I meant to say my late husband.
It's a brilliant start.
Sorry.
No, my late husband, he, uh he was much older than me and he died very suddenly.
He left me rather a lot of money.
He adored the arts and he taught me a great deal about how to appreciate them.
He introduced me to all sorts of things in a really wonderful way.
And now I'm here and, uh, well, I thought that you could be my guide.
A starting point for me about how to go about all this.
Because I don't want to be this wealthy American blundering about offering people money that they might not even want.
They might run a mile, thinking that I want to interfere.
That again.
You know, you're always so worried about how things might seem.
You know, what people might think.
Well, that's not so foolish.
I want to get this right.
And, anyway, that's not true.
I've just done some very public cooking, haven't I? Well, there is one problem.
I don't know anybody in the arts.
Yes, but I can discuss things with you, can't I? As Alex suggested.
Rehearse my plans, who it might be a good idea to approach.
And you have the time, haven't you, Callum? Yes, I might have.
There's my German to look after and our secret office.
No, no, no, don't tell me.
You've got to keep your secrets.
I don't want you being thrown out of the hotel.
[PHONE RINGS.]
Yes? Hello, this is Kathy Griffiths.
Can I speak to Captain Ferguson, please? - Ah, Miss Griffiths! - You remember me, do you? Of course we remember you, Miss Griffiths.
Glad to hear it.
Can you put me through to Captain Ferguson? You want to speak to Captain Ferguson? I'm afraid he's not here at the moment.
He's not? May I ask where you are? I'm in his office.
Ah, that very small office I was shown.
Can you tell him I need to meet him, and maybe he can give me a time? Yes, I will pass on that message.
Tell him I have something to give him.
There's no getting rid of her, is there? [CHILDREN WHOOP.]
[HE SPEAKS GERMAN.]
[THEY GIGGLE AND WHOOP.]
Wheee! [HE GRUNTS.]
Careful, children.
You do not run in the passage.
Never run in the passage.
Are you all English? Moechtest du eine schokolade? What did he say? Yes? Do you have any chocolate, please, sir? Do I have some chocolate? That depends.
It depends on you being good children.
Are you good children? Are you? Then you may have the chocolate.
Hello, Victor.
I just came to say goodbye.
I'm off this morning.
What a pity.
We've hardly spoken.
You never know.
You might still be here when I get back.
You mean it looks like I'll take forever to do this.
No, it seems you've made a real difference already.
You will look after each other, won't you? I know he misses me far more than he says.
My specialty, of course, looking after other people.
Ah, there you are, Lucy.
Well, Victor, I see you're making a little progress.
Yes, I'm at a very crucial stage, as it happens.
Good.
And to make things even easier, I think it's time we dealt with these shutters, don't you? They're kept closed because the sun is meant to be bad for some of these valuable books, but to hell with it.
It's raining anyway.
Time to ignore these rules, don't you think? That's so much nicer.
It's always a good idea, ignoring rules.
Miss Griffiths? Thank you for taking time to see me, Captain Ferguson.
Of course.
I didn't think you'd want to see me again.
- What would you like to drink? - I'm not here to have a drink.
I came to show you these.
- Who took these? - I did.
I have to say, I've seen more flattering pictures of myself.
I always knew you were lying to me, about not having another office here.
I don't know why you simply didn't own up about it.
Tell me I couldn't see it.
That way, you might have gotten rid of me.
I could say I had to lie about it.
It's officially secret.
It's illegal to tell people about it.
But I'm not saying that.
Really? So what are you saying? I'm saying that I'll take you up there.
[WOMAN GASPS.]
It's quite an operation you've got here.
It is, yes.
I'm not going to introduce you to everybody, as this is an informal visit.
Could we all go to lunch, take a particularly early lunch? Well, blimey, that normally causes a stampede.
Now, come on, lunch.
Please.
I've got some pictures to show you now.
Why have you brought me here? Because I know you're not going to let me look in all these files, are you? - You're quite right, I'm not.
- So why do it, then? I can't see any advantage to you.
Rather an ugly collection, I admit.
These five Germans all have vital information some about the workings of Soviet intelligence, some about the latest development in armaments and technology.
I can't give you all the details, obviously, and this happened before I was even here.
But they've all been spirited away.
They've been taken to safe houses, been given new identities, and why? Because they all have knowledge that is crucial for the defence of this country, and none of them, none of them are on your wanted list.
Hmm.
You made sure you chose the right file.
Oh, I'm sorry, sir, I beg your pardon! We thought we'd clean this room now.
We saw everyone leaving for lunch, we thought it was a good moment.
Right, well, let's get out of this place, shall we? What's the matter? Are you expecting somebody to be following us? Well, maybe.
I mean, the cleaners looked shocked to see me in that room.
They're our secret cleaners, with security passes.
Very few people know about that floor in the hotel.
You must really like that, the secrecy of it all.
Of course, nobody gets to see what's in those files.
So you broke the Official Secrets Act for me? Why, exactly? To get rid of you.
Well, you just said if I hadn't lied to you, you would have gone away.
So I think there's a very good chance of that working, don't you? Or of course it could have exactly the opposite effect.
You know, it's lunchtime, and I fancy something rather sweet for lunch.
Something with a lot of sugar in it.
And since I've not been able to get rid of you yet, maybe you'd like to join me.
Something sweet for lunch? That's crazy.
You can't get sugar anywhere, especially not round here.
This is definitely my first toffee apple since before the war.
I'm not sure eating them here was such a brilliant idea.
Making people jealous.
Yes, well, however many children gawp at us, I am not going to feel guilty.
It's difficult to make you feel guilty, isn't it? I was waiting for you to say something like that.
I'm sorry, but showing me that file and buying me a toffee apple, it's hardly going to change what I think.
- Which is? - That it's extraordinary that only a year ago, crimes were being committed, people were being murdered on an unimaginable scale in camps, and yet somehow it seems that that's just a side issue for nearly everybody.
Not remotely as serious as beating the Russians, or getting ahead of the Americans.
Those are the only things that count now.
That's shocking, isn't it? Oh, put like that, yeah, it is shocking, of course.
How else could you put it so it doesn't sound shocking? Some people might say that if we don't make national security our first priority, what happens next may be even more horrific than what happened in those camps.
What does that mean? The Soviet Union is a real threat right at this moment, far more than people realise, and I know, from my own personal experience, how terrible it is if we're not ready for that.
So nothing else matters? That will always take precedence, being ready for the next war? Stopping the next war.
Ah, the food is exactly on time.
That's good.
Especially as you're going to start starving me soon.
During the war, I worked at SOE headquarters in Baker Street.
I saw what happened to many of our agents after they got across the Channel.
They were betrayed brutally tortured, and then executed.
My old boss, Vera Atkins is at this moment crisscrossing Europe trying to find those responsible and bring them to justice.
It's what's had such an effect on me, and made me so committed to catching people who are guilty of war crimes.
And then, of course, finding out that some of these people are right here, under our nose, being looked after by you.
- It's really hard.
- But you don't know that yet that we have anybody really bad.
In fact, right now, there's only one German left in the hotel, my scientist.
Nobody else.
I'm not sure I believe that, Captain Ferguson.
Anyway, having just seen your real office, and how big your operation is in the hotel, I've realised you are in fact in no position to help me, Mr Ferguson.
I don't follow.
Because they won't let you.
They'll finish you off if you try to help me.
Finish me off? How? Well, that depends how much you inconvenience them.
If what you did proved a major nuisance you'll be disappeared, most probably.
Nobody's going to lay a finger on me, Kathy, I can assure you of that.
Especially not at the moment when I've got the German working for me really well.
You're almost certainly being watched right now.
Let's see if we can spot them.
Who do you think it is? I'm not easy to intimidate, and no nobody's watching.
Thank you for the toffee apple.
It was a rare treat.
So, this is going to seem doubly ungrateful, but the only reason I can think of why you might do something for me Is what? is because you really like taking risks, Mr Ferguson.
It is very kind of you, Mr Lindsay-Jones, to suggest we have lunch together.
- Thank you so much.
- It's quite all right, Victor.
You don't have to eat quite so quickly, we're not in a race.
Not in a race, no, but I don't want to take too much time away from my work.
- I want to get the task done.
- I know you do.
And today I'm doing very well.
Sometimes I do get distracted, I know, and not just by the books but I think about things, things that have happened in the past, and I get angry.
It's quite all right to get angry.
You can get as angry as you like here, although preferably not with me.
Of course not.
Do you ever get angry, Mr Lindsay-Jones? - I can't really imagine that.
- Oh, you'd be surprised, Victor.
There are some things that have happened which have made me angry.
Really angry.
I think about them every day.
- Really? - Yes.
Because the truth hasn't been told about these particular things.
Sorry, darling, I just realised I left my papers in here.
I fell asleep working on them last night.
So much to do.
I didn't mean to wake you.
Is everything all right, darling? Yes.
By the way, I don't think I told you, it went quite well with Callum.
Well, at least he seemed to listen to me rattling on.
I've sort of arranged to meet him again.
- I hope that's OK.
- Of course, darling.
I knew he'd be helpful.
Are you all right here, Lotte? I won't be gone for long.
Don't worry, Mr Ferguson, we'll take good care of her.
Well, I don't believe it.
Honestly, I don't believe it.
I mean, you're actually saying that we don't need a sweptback wing to go supersonic? Of course, they are the future, there's no question of that, but if your priority is to beat the Americans, to do the sound barrier before anybody else, if this is your number one objective, you can do it with a fixed-wing plane.
We can't present them with it.
We can't say that we went to all this trouble to get him working for us, and now he is recommending that we stick to what we've got already.
And the government has just cancelled the latest fixed-wing fighter.
You're too obsessed with copying what we were doing.
What I'm telling you is, if you want to be absolutely certain of being first, you can do it with a fixed-wing plane, and with this new engine we're going to build here.
Yeah, well, we are going to be the first, and we are going to do it with a sweptback wing.
We just wanted to know, sir, if you have any more chocolate? What are you three up to? We we got the wrong room number, miss.
We were just looking for somebody.
- We got the wrong person.
- Don't you fib to me.
- What were you after? - He has got chocolate.
Yes? Please do not give these children chocolate.
They shouldn't be asking strangers for sweets, or for anything else.
Are you their sister? Or their mother, even? I'm just a resident in the hotel.
Come along.
Oh, my God, I completely forgot I had to be back at the hotel at three o'clock.
Well, that's going to be difficult, it's now ten to four.
Ten to four? No, it can't be! I promised I'd No.
"They just couldn't stop themselves from opening the door.
"Inside the large kitchen, there was a golden dish, "sitting on a table with steam rising out of it.
"They weren't able to believe their eyes.
They'd found the food at last! "But as the three of them got closer, "a terrible voice seemed to come out of the dish.
"A low, hissing voice.
"It said, "'Eat me and you will die!'.
" There you are! That is a record.
Nearly two and a half hours late.
I know, and I'm so very sorry.
Well, you seem to have found a way to spend the time, though, I see.
Well, we had a hunt among the books in the hotel, found this strange story about three hungry witches.
We'll have to finish this another day, girls.
- Oh! - I promise you we will.
Now, go and play in the yard by the kitchen.
They've been running all over the hotel, apparently.
From the other lady.
Oh, thank you.
I'm impressed.
They do everything you say.
Well, today they do.
Now, we're far too late to go to the gallery.
Would it be very wicked if we went to the movies? [INDISTINCT FILM DIALOGUE.]
- Come on, let's go up here.
- Why? You see a sign and you have to disobey it? It'll be nice up here, you'll see.
I told you the best seats in the house.
Yes, except every time the seat creaks, I'm going to think the ceiling's coming down! And, look, we are completely alone.
Well, almost alone.
Oh, don't worry.
She can't see us, I promise.
[GUNFIRE IN FILM.]
You see, I told you, she can't! - You love this, don't you? - Love what? You're just like your brother.
You have to take on authority, it doesn't matter who it is, you have to try and break the rules.
Well, if the rules are particularly stupid, like now, then, yes, I'll break them.
Anyway, I'm not half as wild as my brother.
You know, he's doing much better at the moment.
I really like that, how much you take care of him, look out for him.
Both of your parents are dead, aren't they? Oh, how did you know that? Come on, it's easy.
You're so obviously on your own, you and your brother.
And, of course, you clearly never worry about what they'll think.
She's going to get us soon.
You know, I think you might be right.
Let's move.
Go on.
Go on.
Oh, look at this! It's like it's waiting for us! It's all clean! Like somebody's been polishing it, even though nobody's allowed in.
But did they leave any liquor for us? I'll have a whisky soda, Barman.
Well, sadly, they didn't leave any drink behind.
Oh, hang on, what's this key? Maybe there's a cupboard full of alcohol.
If only we could find it.
- You know why we're meeting? - No.
Why are we meeting? - I'm curious to know.
- Because Alex is so busy.
He has to work such long hours right now, that's why.
[SHE SHRIEKS.]
She was terrifying, absolutely terrifying.
It was like the murderer coming in.
Her eyes, she seemed so excited to catch us.
Did she? It was only a kiss, after all.
And that's all it was, Cal.
Was it? - Only a kiss? - Well, that's what I'm calling it, so that's what it was.
It was because you were really late today.
So everything became chaotic.
You brought chaos.
So it's all my fault? Entirely.
Of course.
It's never a good idea to be late, I told you.
Anyway, it won't happen again, any of it.
Won't it? No.
Let's talk about more important things.
Well, what could be more important? Well, Lotte needs to be found a school, for a start.
Of course.
The government will arrange that.
She needs to go to a good school, and she wants to see her brother again.
No, no, no, that is not a sensible idea at all.
Well, I think it is.
Harold's having a dinner party on Thursday.
We could ask him to invite your brother, Lotte, Dieter, and you, of course.
You're doubling the size of his dinner party, probably! We can't ask him to do that! Of course we can! [LIFT BELL PINGS.]
I've been waiting for you.
Did you get my note? I did.
It was a bit cryptic, wasn't it? I've got to talk to you about what's happening on the floor below.
So go on.
[SLOW PIANO MUSIC PLAYS.]
Are there other people from the Secret Service operating in this hotel? No, no-one.
I think whoever told you that was lying.
You should have a look at room 602.
[HE STOPS MUSIC.]
So what are we going to do? You are going to go in there on your own.
Me? Why me? - You're the one in Intelligence.
- Well, you're the actress.
Well, you've met him already, you have a better chance of finding something out.
But I also live here, in case you've forgotten.
I've managed to get a very good rate for my room, maybe with a little help from one of my gentlemen friends, but I have managed it, and I have a roof over my head, Callum, and I intend to keep it.
No-one gets thrown out of the hotel, Julia, unless I agree to it.
That's true for the moment.
But it might not last.
Don't worry, you can do it, Julia.
Look, I'll be right here.
Oh [SHE KNOCKS ON DOOR.]
Hello again.
I just wanted to apologise for sounding so bossy this afternoon, you know, with the children.
No.
What you said was perfectly right.
Yes, but I didn't mean to sound so rude.
I'm staying just on the floor above and I know how horrid it is to feel you have to avoid people in a hotel.
Hello, Mr Ferguson.
I wondered when you'd be along here.
Sent somebody into the room to nose about for you, have you? Maybe.
Who have you got in there, anyway? Quite a catch, in fact.
Horst Kleinow.
He's a senior German counter-intelligence officer.
Did all sorts of unpleasant things to our agents when he was interrogating them.
God knows what else besides.
Helped to kill a lot of Jews as well.
But he has astonishing information on the Russians.
Astonishing? Astonishingly valuable, yes.
And that little man, Mr Emmanuel? - What about him? - Ah, that tiny man.
He was just a contact.
A go-between to help us get Kleinow here.
- Are you staying here long, Mr? - Schmidt.
Hans Schmidt.
No, I will be leaving in a few days, but what about you? I'm an actress, Mr Schmidt.
My career's very much in its early stages, I have to confess.
But I'm quite determined, which is a good thing, don't you agree? Oh, yes.
Maybe we should discuss each other's futures before you leave, Mr Schmidt.
What do you think? What are your plans for the invaluable Mr Kleinow? We're going to disappear him.
We're going to fake his death.
He's going to get pneumonia over the next few days, right here in the hotel, so plenty of witnesses can see him deteriorate and then off he goes to hospital to die.
It's one of the old tricks.
Still very reliable, though.
The Americans are doing a lot of this too with their Nazis right now.
Seems the season for it.
Had a nice chat in there? This is Mr Salter, a colleague of mine - in a way.
- Yes.
He's a most charming gentleman.
Of course he is.
[SHE PLAYS PIANO.]
Still up, dear? [PIANO STOPS.]
Yes.
If I don't stay up, I hardly ever see you.
You're still in your coat.
Yes, I just ran straight up the stairs when I heard the noise.
It is a noise, yes, you're right.
It's a lovely surprise you're still up, darling.
You look so beautiful.
[HE COUGHS WHEEZILY.]
[HE BREATHES HEAVILY.]
Are you all right, Mr Schmidt? It's my lungs.
The air is filthy in this city.
[PHONE RINGS.]
Yes? Ah, Miss Griffiths, it's Callum Ferguson.
Yes, Mr Ferguson? Horst Kleinow, is he on your list? - He most certainly is.
- He's staying here at the hotel.
- I just found out.
- You've just found out? No, I have, I've just found out.
[COUGHING CONTINUES.]
I can't use anybody here, obviously.
But since he's on the official wanted list, you can get a warrant for his arrest using the local police.
They can take him into custody.
- Can you do that? - I will do that, yes.
You don't have long.
48 hours at the most.
I understand that.
Riding on a choo-choo On my choo-choo train I didn't want to leave you Oh! Mr Ferguson! Well, we haven't seen you for a while.
- Well, I've missed being here.
- Huh! I was just rehearsing something.
Anna here makes a good audience.
I hope I'm a good audience.
You, on the other hand, Mr Ferguson, do not make a good audience.
You always seem to come here when there's something on your mind.
- It's that obvious again, is it? - [SHE CHUCKLES.]
Certainly is.
I keep telling you, if you some kind of spy, you must be a lousy one.
You just can't hide it.
You think that's amazing, don't you, that I can see that? Well, let me tell you, there's nothing amazing about it.
- I believe you.
- So what is going on right now? You worried about making a wrong decision? Mm, I hit the mark there.
[HE COUGHS.]
Ah, there you are, sir.
We need to consult you about the files, sir, which sections we're going to try first.
Not now, Ringwood.
Listen to me.
You stay right here and you don't let anybody leave that room.
Ah, there you are.
I didn't know you'd arrived.
They're watching the front of the hotel as well.
Nobody's left the room, sir.
I don't know how they did that.
We were keeping watch the whole time.
Well, that went well, didn't it? Maybe they left something in the room we missed.
What is it? I thought there might be one left.
Now, where did they go? The hospital.
They went to the hospital.
The man was very ill.
Now, don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you.
But you are going to tell me.
Now, just nod your head.
Did they go to the airport? Hmm? Southampton? Come on.
Harwich? We need a car.
We need to get a car.
Callum? You're not ready yet.
You're not dressed.
Oh, God, the dinner party! Look, I hadn't forgotten, Lotte.
Tell them I'll be joining them later.
Please, tell Victor that I'll definitely be there soon.
I'm very early.
I'm the first, probably, aren't I? Ah, Victor, yes, you are a little early, but I always like people who are early.
I brought some food.
Just a few tins I had spam, sardines.
In case we run out of hot food, how sensible.
I ought to say, I haven't eaten with more than one person in a long time and my brother tends to get a little nervous about me meeting new people, so I hope I remember how it's done.
Why are they taking him to Harwich, if they really are? Because he's going back to Germany, I expect.
So he can go through the intelligence that the British have on the Russians over there.
They needed to stage his death in England because so many people disappear in Germany.
It's hard to be officially dead and be believed over there.
Why are you suddenly helping me to get Kleinow? Because I didn't like the way he looked at me.
[SHE SCOFFS.]
Are you going to tell me the real reason? I can believe totally in what we're doing, of getting the best German minds working for us, but I can also believe that there are one or two really nasty people that deserve to answer for what they've done.
- I don't see a contradiction.
- Others might.
You really think they're going to let you do this, get away with it, that nothing's going to happen afterwards? I believe I can get away with it, yes.
Two slices of roast beef for everyone.
The height of luxury, I hope.
I used weeks of meat rationing for this.
Fabulous, what a treat.
Splendid.
And unlike everywhere else, it's not overcooked.
Ah, the English way let's make it taste as close to old leather as we possibly can.
[GUESTS TITTER.]
Yes, there may not be enough meat to go around because some of us were added to the guest list.
There's plenty, Victor, don't worry.
I've got some tins here, though, as you can see, if we need some more.
Feel free to ask when you fancy some.
We will.
- Can I ask a stupid question? - Of course.
How are you going to get them to hand Kleinow over? It shouldn't be too difficult, providing we can find him.
It won't? Are they just going to say, "Take him, by all means.
"He's all yours.
" That's what's going to happen? They'll be keeping him in a room somewhere out of the way.
No-one is expecting us to show up.
So I just walk in and say I want an urgent word with him, in private.
- You don't believe me? - No.
So, Victor, I hear you've been sorting out Harold's library? Yes, I think I've been knocking it into some sort of shape.
Victor's brought a sudden energy into the house.
- It's highly contagious.
- Which is a very good thing, isn't it? Absolutely.
I think we were all running around with so much energy during the war, then we tried to turn it off like a tap, which doesn't work, of course, because the adrenaline is still there, ticking away all the time.
It's best to do something about it.
- Like what, for example? - Like getting younger, for a start.
[GUESTS CHUCKLE.]
I'm serious.
I think we settle for being old far too quickly.
I tried to dress like my father as soon as I could, which was ridiculous at 18, in a bowler.
You go out into the street, you see young women dressing like their mothers again as if nothing had happened.
I think we should plan to get younger and not pretend that this energy has all gone away.
So true.
Of course, one has to have done something in the war, to have that energy.
He built jet planes, I was in the army.
What did you do? I was in Washington, stationed at our embassy.
What about you two? Foreign Office as well, no doubt.
As was I, Victor.
I'm sure we all worked hard.
I've said the wrong thing, haven't I? Nobody's offended.
- It's absolutely fine.
- No, I've said the wrong thing, because nobody is allowed to talk about who did what, about what some of us really saw, really did.
It's such bad form.
And I'm sorry I look like this, I must have just mislaid my dinner jacket, mustn't I? And I realise that these tins maybe look a bit ridiculous.
You see, I haven't done this sort of thing recently and so seeing your faces so clearly, especially your faces, has been difficult.
It was a big mistake, me coming here.
I'm so very so very sorry.
Victor Victor has his own approach to things.
It takes a bit of getting used to.
[HE SOBS.]
It's all right, Victor.
- Don't be upset.
- I'm not upset.
You're crying.
I'm not upset in that way, not in the way you think.
You don't know what I think.
Nobody cares about whether you're wearing a dinner jacket, they really don't.
And the tins were a good idea, they were.
I promise.
After all, there were more guests.
I find it so difficult.
I find even the easiest things so difficult.
I can't get them right however hard I try.
I can feel it happening when I'm with people and I start to do things I shouldn't, like I'm not able to stop myself, and I hate it.
I hate not being able to.
I know.
I know.
[CAR HORN BLARES.]
Wait, I think I see him.
Excuse me.
Thank you.
Coming through.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION.]
[THEY LAUGH.]
You said it would be simple.
I was wrong.
[LAUGHTER CONTINUES.]