Dixon Of Dock Green (1955) s18e01 Episode Script

Good evening, all.
Every day people are officially reported as missing in the Greater London area.
Usually, it's as a result of a domestic quarrel, and most of them turn up eventually.
Of course we can't chase around after everyone unless something else turns up that makes us suspect foul play.
It could be a tramp kipping down for the night.
- But why bolt me in? - Give himself a chance to get clear.
Must have moved fast.
- Anything here to pinch? - No.
It's all scrap.
- The place is closed down.
- Huh.
Doesn't sound like it.
It's an automatic pump.
North Sea gas, you know.
Where could he have got in? Not so easy this end.
The gates are all locked.
And the wall by the canal's too high.
And by the railhead? Far end.
Could be.
- What are they going to do with this place? - Dismantle 'em, I suppose.
Eventually.
- And them? - They're museum pieces, ain't they? A wonderful piece of engineering.
Well, we'll get back then, all right? - Do you think he's gone, then? - Listen, if he's spotted us he'll be miles away.
- Are you on tomorrow night? - Yeah.
I'm gonna lock myself in tomorrow night.
It's creepy enough round here as it is.
Is this yours? No.
My name's Forbes not Warren.
- What about your relief? - Jim Morris.
Let me see that.
- Call up the nick.
Sergeant Wills.
- Oscar Delta 7 to Oscar Delta.
- Is there no one working here at all now? - I don't know.
I'm only on nights.
- What time does your relief come on? - Eight o'clock.
Yes, George.
Colin Warren.
28 Linton Road.
Can you send a Panda out for him? - Where do you want him? - Over here.
Ah, have a chair, Mr Warren.
- He wouldn't tell me anything.
- There's nothing to tell you, I'm afraid.
Just a few more questions.
Is that yours? Now just look at it, don't touch it.
Yes.
Where'd you find it? Where was it normally kept? I don't know.
Pamela looked after that sort of thing.
Everything's been in chaos.
You know that Switch that off.
Remember what you told me last Monday evening? - Yes.
- I'm going to ask you to tell me again.
- Where's Sergeant Dixon? - He'll be back in five minutes.
- What have we got there? - Lipstick.
- Where was that? - By the coke hoppers.
Show me.
Well, I went straight on to my French class, sol didn't get home till nearly ten.
There was no sign of her.
No note.
Nothing.
- And no one looking after the baby? - No.
Had she ever gone out like that before? Not as far as I know.
But then I have these French classes twice a week.
So, when you've come home in the past, she's always been in.
She was out once, I remember.
Been down to the chemist.
Couldn't she have been there that Monday? Might have done.
- Was the baby ill? - She's had a cough.
- Now, you keep asking me this.
- Yes, I know.
What do you think could have happened? Have you ever been down here before? Yes, it's a short out to the Broadway.
- Does your wife use it? - A lot of people use it during the day.
Bigger than it looks from the outside, isn't it? People still working here? No, just some sort of pump going.
A few years' time it will be a housing estate, I suppose.
- Pity.
- No use to anyone now, is it? You've got no soul.
Here.
I see.
- Know what you're looking for? - No.
That helps.
It's Sergeant Wills.
Wants to know how long you'll be.
Hello, Johnny.
Can they stay on the desk? Oh, I don't know.
I'll call you back on that.
Listen, while you're on, can you dig out the late chemist rota? Right.
Find somewhere for Mr Warren to wait, will you? - You still haven't told me - There's nothing to tell at the moment.
As soon as there is, you'll know.
This way, sir.
Yes, Johnny.
This Monday night.
Right.
OK, thank you.
Mr Warren? Have you seen this before? - I'm not sure.
- Does your wife use pearly-frosted lipstick? - She has done, yes.
- But you couldn't positively identify it? I must say, neither could I, if someone asked me about my own wife.
One ought to notice, but one doesn't.
- What would she be doing here? - We don't know that she was.
- But the clinic card and - Could have been stolen, thrown away.
Well, if that is hers it would have been in her handbag.
- The card as well.
- That's what we're looking for.
A handbag.
Black leather, can't remember the buckle.
And no idea of the contents.
What else? What was she wearing? He first reported a mid-length coat, blue colour.
Not sure of the material.
Fawn blouse and skirt.
But today he said it might have been a blue skirt.
- Shoes? - Blue shoes.
But he's a bit vague as to what she had in her wardrobe.
Any money on her? Well, he thinks she should have had about ten pounds.
What do you reckon? Not much to go on.
- Big place to search.
- Shall we try a dog on it? - All right.
- All right.
Is there anyone at home at the moment? I got a neighbour in to look after the baby.
I need your wife's fingerprints for elimination and a few items of clothing.
I'll get an officer to drop you back there.
I'm glad somebody is taking an interest at last.
I telephoned your station twice yesterday.
A lot of people go missing, Mr Warren.
They usually turn up again.
Did you have a row with your wife on Monday? - No.
- Or over the weekend? The station sergeant asked me that twice.
Different people may be asking you the same questions during the day, I'm afraid.
She didn't just walk out on me, I'm sure of that.
- But did you have a row? - No.
All right.
Could you come with me now, please? - You know that towpath? - What about it? - Well, two years ago there - We know what happened two years ago.
But there's a high wall all along.
Let us work it out, Mr Warren.
That's what we're here for.
Yeah.
I think it might be as well to have a few men standing by, sir.
Yeah, they'll let you know.
At the moment I wouldn't like to speculate.
All right, sir.
- This is my mate, Jim.
- Jim Morris.
- Can I go now? - Not yet.
You're an old hand here.
Yeah, I've worked on the holders all my life till er I busted this.
- And now they've given me this job.
- Hm.
So you know your way around? - Every inch of it.
- That's useful.
- You didn't catch a glimpse of anyone? - No.
- Or hear anything? - Well, not till the door was shut.
What first drew your attention to this place? Well, the door was open.
It shouldn't have been.
- Was it shut yesterday? - As far as I remember.
- And last night? - Pretty sure it was.
- But not certain.
- Well, it's a big place to look after, innit? And what about Monday night? I don't remember seeing it open.
Got his nose to it? Try these.
- Do you want a fag? - Yeah.
I don't see the connection.
If anything did happen to that woman, it happened Monday night.
- We're assuming.
- Yes.
Even so, no one would hang around here until this morning.
- Unless it happened this morning.
- What was she doing in the meantime? - Out on the town? - What, with a baby in the house? Do you know anything about her? Or the husband? Works in a travel agency, that's all.
- And he's very nervous.
- It's natural enough.
Well? Jigsaw.
The old man will be obliged if you make your minds up.
Well, you'd better judge for yourself, sir.
- Has this been identified? - Yes.
- And the lipstick? - Several prints, but smudged.
- They're being checked now.
- But a woman's? Or a child's.
Clinic card, lipstick, earring.
All in different places.
- Well apart, sir.
- And somewhere you'll find a handbag.
Well, we are looking, sir.
With three men and a dog, I don't know what you've been hanging about for.
Right-hand side first.
Ten feet apart.
Follow the wall down to the far end and then back up by the railway lines.
- There's a pond in here, isn't there? - There's a pond and also a basin, leading through to the canal where the old barges used to come in.
- Are we dragging them? - Not yet.
All right, lads.
Right-hand side first.
Follow the wall right down to the far end and then back along by the railway line.
Right? Familiar? Should be.
I spent many a night behind that cemetery wall.
- But that was two years back.
- We never caught him.
- You think he's been lying low all that time? - Three separate attacks, right? - All on women, all on that towpath.
- Non-fatal.
They were lucky.
And now he's at it again.
That's the first thing that crossed George's mind.
First thing that crossed my mind.
But there's one thing against it.
That wall.
Nobody could drag a body over that.
And why bother? You could just tip it into the canal.
- Perhaps he has.
- And all those bits and pieces? They were in her handbag.
The bag was chucked over the wall.
Then where is it? And why are the contents so spread around? I have thoughts about that.
Let's go down the bottom end.
Three possibilities at that time of night.
- The laundrettes would be open.
- She doesn't use them.
- Off-licences.
Does she drink? - Not really.
- Does she go to the pub much? - Never on her own.
Well, then, back to what I said earlier.
Late chemist.
Now, there's only open Monday evening and that's on the Broadway, so she could have been on her way there.
- Along that towpath.
- That's what I think.
On the other hand she never arrived.
We've checked.
Neither has your doctor issued a prescription over the past three weeks.
But if it was just ordinary cough medicine Yes, but the baby was asleep.
So your little girl's cough wasn't bad enough to keep it awake.
I would have thought the tendency would be to wait till the morning.
Or wait for you to come home.
Perhaps it was something for herself.
Then it must have been pretty urgent.
Yes, well, she does get these migraines.
- Did she have one Monday? - Not when I left in the morning.
But they come on suddenly.
How long have you been married, Mr Warren? - Nearly two years.
- Happily? Yes! You keep harping on that.
- Have you had anything to eat? - I don't feel like anything.
Unless you get hold of a cup of tea.
I should think so.
You're taking French, aren't you? - Evening classes.
- At the Institute? Tech.
Language laboratory? Yes.
It goes with the job, I suppose.
It's useful to have it, yes.
Johnny, have you seen Newton? - Far end.
Do you want him? - Yeah.
Along the railway track and up this ramp.
It's a long way round.
That wall must be a quarter of a mile long.
Suppose she was lured in.
You're saying she knew her attacker, otherwise why would she come? Just exploring possibilities.
What about your "handbag over the wall" theory? Let's keep all the balls in the air for the moment.
And I've got another.
Come in, Mr Warren.
I believe you've met Mr Newton.
Have I? People look different in uniform.
Language lab.
He said you weren't there on Monday night.
You dropped out after the first term.
I found it too hard.
Well, then, where were you? - What does it matter? - Look, you've asked us to find your wife.
You won't help us by telling lies.
Then we begin to wonder what other lies you may have told.
- I went to the pictures.
- Alone? - Yes.
- What about the other nights? - Why should I have to account for them? - Girlfriend? - Yes.
- What's her name? What do you want to know that for? CID may want to talk to her.
- Her name? - Joan.
Smith.
- Where does she live? - I don't know.
Oh, come on.
- Sergeant? - They'll do.
Right, I want all those hoppers opened.
Can I have a word with you? Yes? It's about my mate on nights.
I don't quite know how to put this.
Just say it.
- Well, he imagines things.
- Such as? He's told me there's people creeping about.
He could be right.
Never seemed to happen when I was on nights.
- It might have started recently.
- Could have.
He's a bit odd.
That's all I wanted to tell you.
How odd? - You know he's been to hospital.
- What for? It's a way through the wall.
Tow path, canal beyond.
How? Swimming? Boat.
Where is it? Further up the canal, out of sight.
Why'd he bother to come in here at all? He was in here to start with.
That's why we couldn't find him two years ago.
So, he pops out, snatches women off the towpath, brings them back here then paddles off down the Grand Union.
One idea's as good as another.
You'll be telling me the body's in the gasholder next.
It's a thought.
Who was he? King Kong? I'm having trouble tracing this girlfriend of yours, Mr Warren.
"Smith" being a rather common name.
I can't help you.
- She never once told you where she lived? - No.
You just met her in the street and then left her in the street? Yes.
Why the mystery? Was she married or something? You're supposed to be looking for my wife! - We are.
- Why don't you get on with it? We all have our jobs to do, Mr Warren.
Mine, for the moment, is looking after you.
Now, when are you meeting her again? We didn't make any arrangement.
Then how'd you contact her? - We meet in a pub? - Which pub? - The King's Head.
- Dock Lane? Yes.
And you both just wander along every so often on the off chance of bumping into one another? Yes.
Well On class nights.
Did your wife know about this? - Of course not.
- How'd you know? - She would have tackled me.
- Not necessarily.
She might have been saving it up for a rainy day.
Some women do.
On the other hand, she might have decided to retaliate in kind.
- What do you mean by that? - Got herself a boyfriend.
Perhaps that's who she was with on Monday night.
She couldn't.
She's got a baby to look after.
Babies of that age sleep a lot.
She wouldn't go out and leave the baby in the house alone.
And the only reason you think she didn't have a boyfriend was because of the baby? Well I thought you told Sergeant Dixon yours was a happy marriage, Mr Warren.
It wasn't.
Then that's the second lie you've told us.
Don't put your maulers all over it.
The DI wants to know whether you've got those prints yet.
Tell them to pull their fingers out.
Never mind.
Tell us what you've got so far.
Right.
They're going to ring back, sir.
No money.
Ten quid, according to Warren.
If you can believe anything he says.
You'd expect loose coins.
I don't believe she was attacked for money.
He probably took it because it was there.
If he took it at all.
There's the other earring, anyway.
Why take them off? Snogging session? She may never have had them on.
Just had them in the bag.
Intending to doll herself up later, to meet someone.
I'd hate to guess any woman's intentions on the contents of her handbag.
They're portable store cupboards.
Yes? Right.
That'll do for now.
Bolt on the machine shop door.
Children's.
That's what I thought.
I'll take a bet you'll find them on that handbag as well.
Now, where are those two so-called watchmen? When do you want to see Warren, sir? Let him sweat for a bit.
Nice little job for you - local streets.
Concentrate on the ones bordering the gasworks, whose kids use this place as an adventure playground.
I'll get you some help.
Wouldn't it be quicker to send round a loudspeaker car? Yes, much quicker.
But I don't wish to.
And don't make too much of a song and dance about it.
Just a casual enquiry.
Our friend might be local and I don't want to frighten him off.
It could take all day, sir.
Lauderdale, in every street you'll find an aged couple sitting watching the world go by.
Their every hour will be measured by the pitter patter of small yobbos pounding through their gardens, ruining their asters.
They will know their every move from dawn to dusk.
I'll expect you back here inside two hours.
Right, gentlemen, we're going to have a little chat.
This way.
If we can find an earring we ought to be able to find a body.
That earring was a stroke of luck.
What's that hound up to? Having the time of his life.
The place is full of rats.
The smell of gas won't help.
I don't know why the DI doesn't get divers in.
He's full of theories but no action.
He said the same about you.
Look, Andy, you're assuming there's a body.
On what grounds? All we've found is a handbag and its contents.
All right, so somebody just pinched her handbag.
Why hasn't she reported it? There was money in it, clinic card.
I think you ought to concentrate on the husband.
What's in your mind? Why tell all these lies? - Covering up his indiscretions.
- What, to us? What do we care? You think he's done her in himself? No, I'm just saying I think he knows more than he's letting on.
How long have they been married? Two years.
Those previous attacks on the towpath stopped two years ago.
You're clutching at straws.
He's had his urges satisfied for a couple of years, now he Before you start on that theory, Forbes, the night watchman is undergoing psychiatric treatment.
Yeah? He went in for voluntary treatment two months after those attacks.
Now, pick the bones out of that one.
Mr Warren.
Detective Inspector Jameson.
I'm sorry to have kept you waiting.
- Why am I being guarded? - Guarded? One of your men outside.
He even followed me when I went to the toilet.
Do you want to go home? Of course not.
Why are you so worried? This whole thing is a nightmare for me as it is.
Yes, I'm sure it is.
Mr Warren, we'd like a photograph of your wife.
Do you have one on you? - No.
- At your flat, then.
- There's a wedding photo.
- Fine.
That'll do.
I'll drive you over there.
Wills! - What's the state of play? - We've covered the ground area twice.
We're checking the top levels of those big buildings.
- Nothing new's turned up? - Not so far.
When you've done the buildings, tell Sergeant Dixon the men can go back to the station.
- Are you calling it off, sir? - I think we're on a wild-goose chase.
Giving up already, Inspector? We do have other things to do.
Look, my wife's been murdered.
Has she? If you don't think so, why all this? We've not found her, Mr Warren, which leads me to believe she's not here.
She may be somewhere else, anywhere.
It's a big city.
What about the handbag? She could have left it on a bus.
Someone slipped it under their jacket, found a quiet spot on the towpath ransacked it and chucked it over the wall.
- But it was hidden.
- Then kids find it.
They scatter the contents and hide the bag to come back for it later.
As kids do.
Your friend was telling me you've heard people moving round this place at night before.
Why is this the first time you've ever reported it? - Your people don't do nothing.
- We're doing something now.
Now, maybe.
We might have done it before if you'd tried us.
- I learned on my last job.
- Where was that? The flour mills over at Bermondsey.
There's always people knocking about down there.
Must have been six or seven times we had the squad cars down.
Ten minutes flashing their torches then away again.
In the end they used to laugh at me.
I don't like being laughed at.
Have you noticed anyone hanging around that towpath late at night? I never go down there.
But you can see it from the offices or any of these buildings.
It's courting couples, innit? Then you have noticed.
It's none of my business.
- Do you like night work? - It's all the same to me.
- What does your wife think about it? - I'm not married.
- Ever been married? - Yeah, I was once.
- What happened? - She went off with a painter and decorator.
- Live locally, do you? - Tanner Street.
- At the back of the railway? - Yeah.
And you weren't working here two years back? I told you.
I was at Bermondsey.
Didn't need watchmen then.
This place was going all night.
Yes, of course.
- You lot off, then? - Yep.
I can go home, then.
I should think so.
What school do you go to, Susan? Dirtlane Primary.
- And your brother the same? - Yes.
- Do you like it? - It's all right.
- You were up early this morning, weren't you? - Yes.
- What time? - I don't know.
Six o'clock? - About then.
- Why so early? Holiday, innit? I bet you don't get up that early on school days.
No.
Which of you bolted the night watchmen up in that shed? - It was him.
- No, it wasn't.
It was her.
Perhaps it was both of you.
Bit of fun, was it? Which one of you found this? Eh? Both of us.
Where did you find it? It was just lying on the ground.
Whereabouts on the ground? - Right down this end? - Yes.
- Yesterday morning? - They say they found it this morning.
They didn't dare take it home so they nipped into the gasworks to find a hiding place.
- Inside the coke hopper.
- Typical place kids would find.
What about the contents? The clinic card dropped out swinging the bag around, I expect.
The girl picked up the lipstick and the earring and threw them away when they thought the night watchman was after them.
And the money? They both swear there was no money in it.
And you believe them? I'm inclined to.
They were honest about everything else.
Have we got any information on fingerprints yet? Could be a woman or a small child's.
That's all.
So, we are no further forward.
Unless you've got any more theories, sir.
Yours haven't been all that brilliant up till now.
I want to introduce you to someone.
- Woman Detective Garrard.
- Hello.
On loan from Southwark.
Pity we can't keep her.
If she was on this towpath on either night somebody must have seen her.
A number of people use this path regularly up till quite late.
I want two men down this end in plain clothes interviewing, discreetly.
Well away from the path itself.
Dixon, can I have a couple of men for the other end? - Yes, sir.
Also in plain clothes? - Yes.
But not interviewing.
I want them tucked well out of sight.
- Behind the cemetery wall.
- Fair enough.
I also want a man inside the gasworks itself.
Out of sight but high up so he can see right down this path.
And I don't want those two watchmen to know he's there.
- When do we start? - This evening.
If necessary, I'll keep it up for a week.
You think he'll be back that soon? I think somebody'll be back.
Excuse me, sir.
- Wouldn't fancy her job.
- Boring.
That as well.
Johnny? - Yeah? - Turning it in for the night.
Fair enough.
Excuse me.
- Has he done that before? - No.
He usually goes into the office for a kip after his round.
You never see him again till morning.
- All right, George, pack it in for tonight.
- Righto.
- Same tomorrow, sarge? - One more.
Pam? Pam! Oh, I'm sorry.
I All right, Mr Warren.
Into the car.
That's it, then.
I came to look for her.
Well, I thought you'd given up.
That how you've been spending your evenings, hanging around that towpath? No! You could have killed her at home.
Or is this more exciting for you? I tell you, I came to look for her.
I couldn't sit in the flat just thinking about I had to do something.
Let's go back a couple of years, shall we, sir? Excuse me.
Get a move on! Move, can't you? All right.
Where do you go from there? Where is she? I just wanted to keep her quiet but she struggled, see.
Where is she? Morris was sent to the Old Bailey and sentenced to life imprisonment.
He admitted the previous attacks and since then there's been no further trouble.
When I passed along the towpath yesterday, the first of the gasholders was being demolished.
Good night, all.