Shoestring (1979) s01e08 Episode Script

You're listening to Early Call, here on Radio West 329 medium.
It's 5 30 and time now for our first weather report of the day.
- Going to have a drink, Jossy? - No, not me, angel.
- Do you want something? - No, thanks.
Little drops of water, little grains of sand.
Yes.
Make a mighty ocean and a pleasant land.
- But you're going.
- Have to.
We always do the shopping Friday lunch time, while everybody else is queuing in the bank.
God.
Creatures of habit.
Well, wouldn't want me to break a habit just at this moment, would you? - Mmm Bye.
- Bye.
- Bye then, angel.
- Bye.
There's his car.
- Mr Hargreaves.
- Good morning, squire.
What What do you want? Just brought an old chum to see you.
Now don't be difficult, sir.
What's the matter with him? - He's dead.
- He can't be.
I hardly touched him.
He's, er, dead.
- He's what? - He must have had a weak heart.
You were too damned rough.
I didn't even hit him.
Put him back in the car before someone wakes up.
Then drive it somewhere and dump it.
And tell Packer to get me out of here quickly! Hello, is that Radio West? I'd like to leave a message for Eddie Shoestring, please.
Go ahead, caller.
You're being recorded.
Oh.
All right.
Um Eddie, it's Andy Stapleton here.
Listen, Eddie.
I just saw a murder.
I saw these two blokes pull another bloke out of his car.
It was an old blue Skoda.
And then he fell and one of them said, "He's dead.
" And then they put him back in the car and one of the blokes Good morning.
Who are you phoning? - Uh, there's nobody there.
- Really? Now, move! I said, "Who were you phoning?" Who were you Good morning.
Putting up the barricades, eh? Load of turf for Mrs Bayliss.
I'll need a signature.
Oh, good.
It's arrived.
You never told me you're having a lawn delivered.
Yes, I did.
Why are you wearing a suit? I've got an important meeting.
But you promised to help me lay the lawn.
Don't you remember? It's Friday.
I've taken the day off specially.
- I'll do it later.
- Mmm.
You'll do it later.
Promise.
Give him this, will you? Oh, and the cheque.
That's four years' rent.
Are you sure she ordered that much? Five hundred tons, it says.
Can't take them back, mate.
It's for the garden.
Get away! You can't just leave it there! Terraced houses, mate.
You'll have to cart 'em round the back yourself.
Hey, Andy! Where the hell do you think you're going? Meriton Street.
And that is our milkman.
Wait, Baker! - Where? - That way! Mr Shoestring, I thought you'd be in ages ago.
I was just moving a cricket pitch.
Anything urgent? Only your meeting with Mr Satchley and Mr Cording, one of our lawyers.
I meant really urgent.
Well, this was phoned in earlier for you.
Eddie, it's Andy Stapleton here.
Listen, Eddie.
I just saw a murder.
I saw these two blokes pull another bloke out of his car.
It was an old blue Skoda.
- Oh, forget it, Sonia.
- I did wonder.
Well, your instinct was right.
It's nothing to worry about.
- It's Andy.
- So, he does know you.
Yeah, he's phoned me every week since I started this job.
He sees crime on every street corner.
Everything from Jack the Ripper to the mafia.
A crank? He's no crankier than me.
We were in the same psychiatric wing.
When he left, though, he got a nice, quiet job as a milkman.
He used to phone the police all the time till they got fed up with him.
Now it's me.
That's how I know Andy.
Hey! Anyway, for Hank, Chris, and little Debbie, here's the hat man himself, Elton John with a track from his "Blue Moves" album.
Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word.
I wonder if Elton got himself one of those big fur hats while he was in Moscow? It's a try-on, it has to be.
If Strickland's lawyers think he has a case, then Radio West is gonna find itself facing a libel action.
On what grounds? He claims that Shoestring's words, without actually naming him Well, then, case dismissed surely.
No name, no grounds.
Fallacy.
You've read the transcript, I take it.
Strickland's name has been changed to Sharp.
It's rather a good choice, I thought.
Almost a compliment.
Reference to his farm house, trips to the continent, even a recent silver wedding.
All tantamount to identification.
I didn't realise you were sailing that close, Eddie.
And here's where he does it.
Here's where he puts our neck right in the noose.
He said, and I quote, "With those cold grey eyes, and scarred lip, "his face is his record.
" The description fits Strickland to a tee.
Add the implication of the criminal past and it becomes a libel.
- We're right in it? - Up to our necks.
Shoestring's function as a private eye for this station is one thing, and I have my own opinions about that, but if programme is another, it's a legal death trap, it should be taken off.
With respect, that's my province, Peter.
It has great listening figures.
No offence, Don, but I think it's muck raking and irresponsible.
Everything I've said about Strickland's past is true.
An assumption based on hearsay.
Unless you have special access to police files which nobody else has.
It's all right.
I changed my socks this morning.
What's this? Why don't we stop pussyfooting around, we all know Strickland's a crook.
There's no racket he hasn't got his grubby little fingers into.
He's practically the Godfather of three counties.
There you go again, assumptions unsubstantiated.
His name isn't even Strickland anymore than it's Sharp, its Warrell.
Anthony Worrall, born Bermuda, some time of Montry, or some time of Jersey.
That is a photostat of a Canadian police file, listing nine convictions ranging from fraud to corporation graft.
Now, if you're finished with me, I'd like to check my notes with the producer for my next bit of muck raking.
Oh, burn that, would you, Don? Or we'll all be in the legal dustbin.
Is this bit true, where you hid in a grain silo for 24 hours? Yeah, I looked like the little man out on the flour packet.
Okay, I'll have it all typed up by Monday.
Don't bother, I never read it.
What's that? Hello, Radio West, can I help you? Eddie Shoestring, please.
- Mr Shoestring? - I'd - Who is this, please? This is Andy Stapleton again.
Listen, is Eddie there? I've got to talk to him.
It's a matter of life and death.
Didn't he get my message? Yes, he did.
But I'm afraid he's very busy at the moment.
Look, I'm in trouble.
Real trouble.
And I need his help, honestly.
Hello? Are you there? Quick! Where can I contact him? He sounds desperate.
- Andy.
- Eddie! Listen, I don't have very much time.
They're after me, the blokes that did it.
Look, why don't we just meet up sometime and swap stories? Remember the one about the two psychiatrists in the corridor? Oh, Eddie, please! One says, "You look in good cheer this morning.
How am I?" Look, honestly, I saw it happen.
The bloke was dead.
His briefcase hit the road before him and a lot of stamps fell out.
And then they tidied it up and they drove him away.
Oh, come on, Andy, that's for the police.
You know they won't believe me, not after the last time.
All right, give me some more details, Andy.
Andy? He hung up.
Couldn't verbalise any more so he relocated.
What does that mean? He's probably gone back to his daily milk round.
You could be clear on this one, Shoestring.
But you're still a legal gun to Radio West's head.
What's your fee for the day, Cording? Fifty quid plus petrol? Radio West.
- New toy, Pete? Yeah, latest in rifle mics.
Makes eavesdropping simple at 300 yards.
- Really? - Want to try? Yeah, why not? Follow me.
This is the one.
Main link should be here.
You stop off somebody's phone ends, you realise.
Bloody insomniacs, drunks and nut cases.
Break for a cuppa, then? Before we open up? Let's have one in the bar there.
Too many of those, I could find myself out of a job.
between the Local Residents Association and the Council Leaders.
A man died early today when his car left the cliff top road at King's View.
The car was spotted submerged below the 80-foot drop and shortly afterwards the body was found.
It was identified as 52-year-old West Country stamp dealer, Mr Jocelyn Hargreaves.
It is believed that Mr Hargreaves may have suffered a heart attack before his car plunged on the road bend on the cliffs.
Now for some weekend sports news.
Instant lawn.
There's always a touch of magic about it.
And a touch of hard labour.
I remember when they laid one in the courtyard of the computer firm when they visited the Queen and her husband.
They put in instant flower beds, too.
And a waterfall.
And the Queen went out the wrong door.
And they never saw it.
Don't just sit there! Take your jacket off! Well, how did you get on? The photostat floored Cording completely.
There are very few sights to compare with a lawyer with egg all over his face.
You forget, I'm one.
You also forget the risks I run to try and help get you off the hook.
I'm on my knees, what more do you want? You didn't manage to find out about that accident, did you? Yes.
The stamp dealer died of a heart attack.
The police have no reason to suspect foul play.
In fact he was probably dead when his car hit the bottom of the cliff.
Satisfied? Didn't happen to learn what make the car was, did you? Yes.
A blue Skoda.
Oh, bring another turf, Eddie, will you? Eddie? - You've got him, then? - Of course.
- He's in there.
- Is he? Splendid.
You got the wrong man.
What do you mean? I was in the flat.
- That is not the milkman! - How was I to know? I never got a proper look at him when we were chasing him.
You should have gone after him.
He walked into the flat.
You answer it.
You tell him you made a mistake.
Yes.
Yes.
Problems.
I've brought the wrong man.
Then you'd better find the right one.
And quickly.
And what do we do with this one? Search his pockets, see if you can find out who he is and then get rid of him.
Any way you like.
And Blake.
Yes? Find the man I want.
The whisky.
Where am I? In your bed.
I was on a motorway.
Yes, you really do pick the stupidest places to get drunk.
I was on a motorway.
Yes, you were on a motorway.
Then you were in a police car, then they brought you here, having phoned me.
And this time, Eddie, there's absolutely nothing I can do for you.
How about an X-ray? Yeah, the police doctor says there's nothing broken.
Oh, well, just the neck of a bottle.
It was forced down me.
I've got to get up.
Andy He's in real trouble if they find him.
For once he really was on the scene of a crime.
The stamp man? Yeah.
What'd they want with Hargreaves, pulling him from a car? And if he did have a heart attack then, would that be murder? Next best thing to it.
I've already spoken to the detectives.
I'm making some additional enquires.
Joss had a bad heart.
He had a minor attack four years ago.
Gave up cigarettes, he took up a pipe.
He wouldn't cut down on the travelling though.
Selling stamps? Buying and selling.
Nothing big.
We were comfortable.
He was away a lot, then? Most weeks, two, three days.
He always came back on Fridays though, for the shopping.
From wherever he'd be.
Down south, or over in Wales.
On Mondays he'd do his selling around here.
Mrs Hargreaves, I realise this is a bit of a bad time to ask, but would your husband have had any enemies? Joss? Yeah, in his line of business maybe.
Well, I don't know any stamp people.
I never had any interest.
Shouldn't have thought so.
Joss was a very mild sort of man.
Mild and bitter I used to call us.
Your husband's accident Well, his death might not have taken place at the cliff-top.
What are you saying? I may be just a jump or two ahead of the police.
Who are you? Shoestring.
I usually to carry a card.
I work for Radio West.
- Why? - I quite Why are you making these enquires? You make it sound as if Joss was murdered.
Is there anything else you can tell me about your husband? Did he have an office? His old briefcase was his office.
The police gave it back to me.
Would there be anything in that that would help me find out more about him? Stamps, catalogues, there's a book with some names in it.
Customers, I expect.
Well, you think I could check through that? Take the briefcase if it's any use.
As I said, I never did have much time for stamps.
The milkman didn't turn up for his round this morning.
Keep looking.
How about the man you grabbed by mistake? Pumped him and dumped him.
On the motorway.
And this card with the name Shoestring on it.
Eddie Shoestring? You know him? Why didn't you tell me straightaway? How did Shoestring become involved with this? Also had this in his pocket.
Didn't you realise, either of you? That's me! It isn't funny.
I want to know what Shoestring's up to.
No, you see these aren't mine.
They belong to Jocelyn Hargreaves.
Who? Don't you know him? This is your catalogue.
He's a dealer.
He was, you mean.
Then you know about his death.
Oh, no.
I'm sorry.
After a long illness, was it? No, it was quite sudden.
He died yesterday.
Oh, he gave up the stamp world a long time ago.
I assumed because of his health.
He was still travelling.
Really? Well, not to the usual venues.
We used to meet occasionally at auctions.
But he hasn't been seen and he hasn't been selling to dealers, I would know.
How do you account for your catalogue? This is two years old.
Well, the stamps in his briefcase? Well, these stamps don't amount to much, I'm afraid.
A mishmash, worth very little.
And not the stock of an active dealer.
This book then, I mean, it's full of names.
Would they be collectors, dealers? Well, there are no dealers.
Nor do I recognise any names.
And you get to know most keen collectors, Mr Shoestring.
Thank you.
Thanks very much.
I wonder if you'd be kind enough to go through all this and send what it's worth to the widow.
Uh, yes, yes, of course.
Thanks.
Hello.
Mrs Bayliss, it's Andy Stapleton.
I met you once when I was with Eddie.
Andy, where have you been? Eddie's been looking for you.
- Has he? I thought - Where are you now? I'm down by the river.
Well, could you get up here to my house? No, no, no.
It's too risky, you see.
Do you know Eddie's boat? Yeah, uh, Price's yard.
Yes, go there and get aboard.
It's really strange, Miss Ollerton.
You're the fifth person I've met whose name is in Mr Hargreaves' book who doesn't even know him.
I assure you, Mr Shoestring, I'm not and never have been a stamp collector.
But your name is here.
Excuse me.
Diana Ollerton, Central Secretarial.
Oh, yes, Mr McBride.
It's on its way up, 20 copies.
Right.
Thank you.
Julie, Mr McBride's work right away.
I'm sorry, this is the typing pool, but really it's miracle alley.
It's as if we've never crossed the dateline.
Everything's done yesterday.
I know, I used to work for a big corporation.
And now Radio West.
We have our own miracle alley, too.
I wish I could help you, Mr Shoestring, but I've never even heard of Mr Jocelyn Hargreaves, let alone his stamps.
So you've no idea why your name is in this book? Not the faintest.
Perhaps I was just picked out of the phone directory.
And your office? Well, how do salesmen work? How do they get a mailing list nowadays? Diana Ollerton, Central Secretarial.
Oh, yes, Mr McBride.
Right.
He must have been here.
I found this receipt.
His first name was Jocelyn, his wife called him Joss.
Joss? Never knew he was a Jocelyn.
So he was a regular? Was? Yeah, he cashed in his chips.
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.
Sorry for that nice wife of his.
Mrs Hargreaves used to come gambling as well? Yeah, they were both keen.
Played the tables at least twice a week.
Keen and loaded.
- Loaded? - Yeah.
Always the big ones.
The speckly ones.
Hundreds.
Still, with that place down by sea, I reckon they could afford it.
I'm sure Eddie has a perfectly valid explanation.
- He always has.
- I was on a case.
- You were on a motorway, dead drunk.
- On foot! Three firms of lawyers have been onto us.
Not to mention the police.
A lorry and two cars damaged.
Aren't you pleased I wasn't? If the papers got a hold of this Now, perhaps, you'll believe me about the way Shoestring jeopardises Radio West's image.
Look, I take enough stick doing this job, I don't have to get it from you as well.
Try defending yourself to the Chief Constable.
The police don't like private eyes.
Neither does the legal profession, you're a bad risk all round.
All right, Peter.
Just what is this all about, Eddie? I'm trying to find out why a man was dumped over a cliff.
What man? You've got proof of this? I'll get proof.
I'm also trying to save somebody else from going the same way.
It's hopeless.
Yeah, but it would make a good programme.
Mr Shoestring, there's a message for you from Mrs Bayliss.
Your friend Andy's turned up.
You see? I was telling the truth.
I know you were, Andy.
Well, I'm sorry they got a hold of you anyway.
That's a bit of an understatement.
Who are they? What do they want with this guy that died? Well, didn't you hear anything else they said? No.
One of them went back to talk to the guy at the back of the car.
- There was a third man? - Yeah.
- You never said anything about that.
- Well, I never got a chance, did I? He was a big bloke with silver hair.
He was well dressed.
He'd a flower in his buttonhole.
He'd a scar on his lip and - Scar? - Yeah.
Does he look like that? Yeah.
Yeah, that's him.
Well, well.
You know him? Yeah, I do.
His name's Strickland.
Hey, Eddie you couldn't get me something to eat could you? I'm famished.
Oh, Andy.
Yeah, sure.
Andy! Andy! I'm looking for Mrs Hargreaves.
I'm sorry to bother you, my name's Shoestring.
Hello, Mr Shoestring.
So, listen, you're a long way from the typing pool.
How did you find out? Nobody at the office knows my home.
It's yours, is it? Joss and I bought it together.
I'm known here as Mrs Hargreaves.
Ah.
So I see.
Two lives.
Today really is full of surprises.
I wish you'd go away.
Well, don't you wanna know how he died? Or is that something you know already? He died of a heart attack.
Can't you just leave it alone? - Why were you in his book? - Does it matter? Yeah, of course it does.
He didn't travel in stamps any more.
He didn't travel, did he? He just stayed here.
Nobody's denying it.
Well, what did you and Joss do? Fill in a football coupon? By the look of his other place I wouldn't say he had much of a bank balance and you've just told me you bought this place together.
He had the money, it's none of your business.
What was his business? Look, I have nothing more to say to you, Mr Shoestring.
Joss and I loved each other and that's all you need to know.
We met and we shared a house.
For part of each week anyway.
He was gentle and kind.
Didn't even have the heart to leave his wife.
I understood.
I've cried myself out.
To myself.
That's what you get for being the other woman.
I can't help you.
What does she do? She works in an office.
Doesn't need to though, does she? No, she seems pretty well off.
I suppose I knew.
When something isn't right between you.
It still hurts.
Yeah, well, you phoned me to say that you had something important to tell me.
You know those stamps you left with Mr Wood? Yeah, I thought they might be worth a few bob for you.
Few bob? He brought these particular two back, found them in a special pocket in the briefcase.
They're worth £10,OOO.
1935, Silver Jubilee.
Prussian blues.
Nice, aren't they? Where did you get them? They were hidden in his briefcase.
Now what would he be doing with a couple of stamps worth £10,OOO? He often had stamps of a very high value.
To sell? Mr Shoestring, if I tell you the truth will you promise to get the people responsible for Joss's death? Nothing would give me greater pleasure.
All right.
Joss was a go-between for a very powerful villain.
Strickland? Yes, how did you know? "A go-between.
" Now doing what exactly? His job was to pay people.
Backhanders? Payment for valuable information.
Inside knowledge from all sorts of organisations.
Including yours, The Planning Office.
I was tempted a long time ago.
Copies of tenders.
Once you're in it's hard to get out.
That's how I met Jos.
So wait a minute.
These stamps were used to cover up the payments.
A simple system using just two or three rare stamps.
The person being bribed would receive one and Joss would visit them and write them a cheque.
As a stamp dealer.
He was funded by Strickland, of course.
He received commission.
We wanted to pull out completely.
We were thinking of going to live abroad.
But Strickland wasn't buying that.
Joss told him last week that he was finished with it.
But he wasn't, was he? You realise that if I do blow this whole thing open, you'll be implicated.
I don't care any more.
Andy? That's the clincher, Don.
Now I can really go for Strickland.
Steady.
Remember what Peter Cording said about proof.
- I've got proof.
- What proof? The witness when Hargreaves was manhandled.
My mate Andy, I've got a message to say he'll be here.
He is.
Sonia, bring in Mr Stapleton, will you? All I've got to do is take him to the police.
It's not as easy as that, Eddie.
What do you mean? Hi, Andy.
How are you, pal, all right? Didn't harm you, then? No, I'm fine, I'm fine, Eddie.
Now, I want you to sit down and tell Don here what you saw.
Strickland, Hargreaves, everything.
I don't know what you mean, Eddie.
- How he died.
- Who? What the hell do you mean "who"? The stamp dealer! I never saw any stamp dealer.
When I rang you up it was just like the other times.
You know what I'm like, Eddie.
I just can't help making things up.
Andy! What'd they do? Threaten you? Pour money over you? You're lying.
I'm always lying.
Take it easy, Eddie.
Without Andy's evidence you've got nothing.
I've got the stamps, right? With Strickland's thumb print on them.
- I've just handled those myself.
- Yeah.
But does Strickland know that? Now, you and me, pal, have got some talking to do.
Because you're gonna steal those stamps from me and then phone Strickland.
'Cause you're working for him now.
Aren't you? Eh? Well done, Andy.
You have the stamps? How much do I get? How much do you want? I'll settle for 5,OOO.
5,OOO? You're very brave all of a sudden.
Oh, I promised to keep my mouth shut about how Hargreaves died.
That's right, Andy.
Eddie Shoestring knows about the way you use the stamps to bribe people.
So? He can't prove it.
Anyway, Hargreaves gave them the money.
It can't be traced to me.
I'm getting a touch irritated with you, Andy.
Standing out here in the open.
Good of you to come.
I've got nothing to say to you, Shoestring.
And I've got only one thing to say to you, Strickland.
Never trust empty spaces.
What? Well, you see nothing, right? Yet, there could be a rifle pointing at you from down there.
Over there.
Or even up there.
A rifle? Yeah, well, in this particular case, a rifle mic.
It's a very interesting piece of equipment.
Belongs to the radio station.
It could even pick up what you're thinking.
Okay, George? Good, just make sure the tape gets back to Don, all right? So remember.
Shh! Okay? Thanks, Andy.
I never did finish that story about the two psychiatrists.
No.
- In the corridor.