Dixon Of Dock Green (1955) s20e16 Episode Script
Sounds
Good evening, all.
You knew, there's nothing so maddening as that telephone call when someone is cutoff before they finish what they want to say.
Particularly when the call may be a matter of life or death.
In this case, it was only four words and a few sounds that could have meant anything.
Janey, go down and play with that in the yard.
- I don't want to.
- Oh, go on.
There's a good girl.
- I want you to come - Shh.
Go downstairs.
Dock Green police.
Hello.
Hello? Dock Green police.
I keep telling this bloke it's a civil action.
There's nothing we can do.
But he's called five times in two days.
- Be quiet, please.
- Says he'll write to the Superintendent.
Be quiet! Hello? Hello? Are you still there? Sarge, it's a woman.
She started to say something and then I heard scuffling, as if she was being choked.
- Is it still open? - Yes.
- I'll try and get it traced.
- This is Dock Green police.
Can you hear me? This is Dock Green police.
Hello? Is anybody there? Hello? This is Dock Green police.
Hello? Is anybody there? Hello? This is Dock Green police.
The tape.
The one we used for those nuisance calls.
Hello? Is anyone there? - Hello? - Who was it? A woman.
She just started to say something and you were talking.
I couldn't hear.
- Sorry.
- Hello.
Is anyone there? Then I heard a scuffling noise as if she was being strangled.
Hello.
Who is that? Hello.
Wait a minute.
Mummy.
Mummy.
Mummy's fallen down.
I think she's asleep.
Never mind.
You tell me your name.
Janey.
Yes.
And what's your other name, Janey? Hello? Hello, Janey.
Are you still there? Janey.
- Andy, any luck? - I doubt it.
Not enough time.
All right, supervisor.
Thanks for trying.
- No luck? - No.
They'd have needed another two minutes at least.
What age would you say she was? Oh, young.
It's hard to say any more.
She only got four words out.
"Is that the police?" - In a low voice, you said? - Mm.
As though she was afraid of someone overhearing.
- Accent? - Four words, Inspector? I'd say London or south-east, anyway.
- Educated? - Mm probably working class.
But, honestly, I couldn't swear to it.
That fits with the little girl.
- Can you guess her age, George? - About five or six.
I doubt if she was much older.
- All we know is that her name is Janey? - Janey Elizabeth.
And there are sounds on that tape I'd like to hear again.
- Machinery.
- Yes.
And a ship's hooter.
Well, let's say she's six.
- 10 o'clock on a weekday.
- Yeah.
Why isn't she at school? Mm.
I'll follow that up.
Thank you.
Hello? Who is that? Miss Wood, please.
WPC Hawkins, Dock Green police.
Miss Wood? I wonder if you could help us.
We're trying to trace a little girl called Jane - or Janey - Elizabeth.
So it's somewhere near a workshop or factory.
That heavy thumping noise.
- Sounds vaguely familiar.
- Yeah, so it does to me.
If we could identify that machine Let's get back to that ship's hooter.
Er 37 on the counter.
That's it.
Mummy's fallen down.
I think she's asleep.
- It sounds like a tug.
- Mm.
Two hoots.
It's turning to starboard.
PLA and Thames Police.
Identify that ship, tug, whatever it was.
I want the name of every ship on the river at 10am that sounded its hooter and where it was when it did so.
- Will do.
- Use another phone, Mike.
- I want to concentrate.
- OK.
And no calls through here unless it's absolutely urgent.
If we could estimate how far that sound would travel Mm.
It's a pretty wide arc.
It depends on the wind.
Met Office? What about Greenwich Naval College? They'll have it at their fingertips.
Get me the Greenwich Naval College, please.
And then again it depends on the height of the building she was in.
At the top of some high-rise flats, you can hear river sounds for miles.
Yeah Hello? Dock Green police here.
Could you give me the wind speed and direction on the river at 10am this morning? Run over by a lorry? No, it wouldn't be that one.
- Possible wounding, asphyxiation.
- Is she in dock now? We don't know.
That's why we're asking you.
- We've already tried Dock Green General.
- That would be downstream.
- Having a baby? I've no idea.
Hang on.
- That's a possibility.
- Was she having contractions? - How would I know? Check with WPC Hawkins.
It's a thought.
The wind was due west.
12 knots on the river.
So we know the sound of that ship's hooter would have travelled further west than east.
Mm.
Except the river bends all over the place.
We'll have to get a ship's navigator to work that one out.
Right.
Quite a lot of traffic on the river this morning.
But mainly small craft.
That mine sweeper that's showing its flag at Tower Bridge went downstream at 9:30.
- That isn't a naval siren.
- There were two tugs operating.
- One pulling barges - Sounds more like it.
Both in stream at the moment.
Thames Police are calling them right now.
But, Andy, we still can't be sure that call even came from our manor.
- It could've come from south of the river.
- But she had our number.
That's a bit odd.
If she was in trouble, why didn't she call 999? It's quicker to dial.
And more natural for a member of the public.
Somebody who had our number readily to hand.
- Informant, maybe? - Well even the wife of one of our lads.
Mike, please.
Certainly.
Could you make some discreet enquiries without starting a panic? - Right.
- CID.
Brewer.
Yeah? Oh, right.
No, not yet.
Right.
Yeah, that'll be it.
Thanks very much.
- Well? - Tug named Delilah.
- Used its hooter around ten for manoeuvring.
- Where? A 400-yard stretch between No.
8 Dock and the furniture warehouse.
Let's see if we can pin that down.
Inspector Crawford.
Thomas, Thames.
This is Mr Neil Erickson, skipper of the Delilah.
- You've explained to Mr Erickson? - Yes, I have, sir.
He made a starboard warning signal right on the bend of the river there.
Ja.
Just 200 metres from the jetty.
At ten o'clock? Maybe ten.
Before ten, maybe.
After ten, maybe two minutes.
Near enough.
Could you go out and do it again for us, at the same spot? It's not my tug.
You speak Mr Jackson, PLA.
Yes, we'll speak to Mr Jackson.
Jolly good.
Two blasts.
At intervals.
Keep it up till we call you.
All right? Ja.
If we take an arc from the bend of the river, say a mile deep, put patrol points at quarter-mile intervals - Got that, Johnny? - Yeah.
It's like a spider's web with listening points at intersections.
Now, Andy, we need to get some height.
I suggest we put someone on top of one of those council blocks at Park End.
All right? And where will you be? Fine.
I'll call you back when we're set.
Slater.
Get all the patrols on the air for me.
We want them spaced out where these marker flags are.
Out of their cars, away from traffic, with their walkie-talkies at the ready.
OK? Right.
Johnny, I want you to listen to this.
Some sort of heavy press.
Yeah, but there's a lot of small sounds as well.
Air or steam under pressure.
- Laundry? - I don't think so.
I've heard it before but I can't place it.
Can we get someone to isolate it for us? Well, we could try C6, you know? Technical support.
The hi-fi division.
That's right down at Denmark Hill.
Isn't there someone local? What about those lads with that hi-fi shop in the parade? That's right.
One of them fixed my record player for me.
And bored me to tears with technical jargon.
Dave someone.
Dave Dave Fox.
Used to go to the tech.
I'll have a word with him.
Hello there.
I'd like you all to be quiet.
All right? We want to do some testing.
OK, then? Oscar Foxtrot to Oscar Delta.
Come in, please.
Oscar Delta to Oscar Foxtrot.
We are ah' set.
Over.
We're at Park End.
You've got a home beat man here, haven't you? That's right.
Fiat 46, fourth ï¬oor.
PC Wakeman.
- He's at home at the moment.
- Right.
Tell him he's got visitors.
Give us three more minutes then call up the tug.
Over and out.
Hi.
What on earth have you got there? - Just a bit of basic gear.
- Basic? If he needs any more, we're sending a truck for it.
The WP office is empty now.
You can use that.
- Fine.
Have you got the spool, please? - Yes.
Don't you want the machine as well? What, that thing? It's a toy.
- We got that skipper on ship-to-shore, sarge.
- Yeah.
- They know the routine? - Yes.
Well, repeat it.
The tug gives two hoots and repeats at 15-second intervals.
Each patrol records the sound on the broad frequency channel on their radio receivers.
We contact them only on their walkie-talkies so as to keep the other band clear.
Right.
Each signal to be logged and numbered with the position of the patrol at the time.
Oscar Delta to Oscar 1.
Stand by.
All other patrols to keep listening watch only.
Oscar 2 will start receiving on the broad channel 15 seconds after Oscar 1.
Right.
Tell that tug skipper to get blasting right away.
All right, sarge.
Captain Erickson, go ahead in one minute, please.
- Stand by.
- Window open or closed? I guess hers would be open.
Oscar 1, come off the air.
Stand by, Oscar 2.
Close down, Oscar 3.
Stand by, Oscar 4.
Close down, Oscar 4.
Stand by, Oscar 5.
How's it going? - You wanna hear it? - Yeah.
- There's still too much top.
- What? - I'll tweak it a bit.
- Oh, yes? Listen.
I'll play you some voice.
This is the best I can do.
Mummy? Mummy? Mummy's fallen down.
I think she's asleep.
Close down, Oscar 8.
Return to your car.
Resume on Band 4.
- Get that last one? - Yes, sarge.
Right.
I want to talk to him.
Captain Erickson.
That's all we need, Captain, and thank you very much for your help.
Oscar Delta to all patrols.
Return to normal duties.
Over and out.
Now what? We wait.
- Anyone fancy a cup of coffee? - Best idea yet.
Do you think it's a waste of time? We're going to a lot of trouble on very little evidence.
Well, you could be right.
A woman rings us from out of nowhere.
Stops in mid-sentence.
We hear a sound that could be choking.
A few minutes later, a little child comes on and says her mummy's asleep.
Then the line goes dead.
She may have put it back on the hook or someone may have put it back for her.
Her mother may have slipped, blacked out for a few minutes, then recovered and carried on as normal.
Minor accident.
Nothing more.
Reasonable? - Possible.
- But she did call us in the first place.
And she hasn't called back to complete what she wanted to say.
Dave.
Hi.
Just taking out some of the white noise.
The shash.
I cleaned some of it.
You want to hear it? - No.
I've got something else first.
- I'll stretch out that background rhythm.
I've got to ask you to drop that.
- I'll transfer it from one tape to the other.
- I've got something more exciting for you.
We've recorded that ship's hooter from different distances.
Ah.
I'd like you to compare these recordings with the ones you've got of the original and tell me which is the nearest match.
Fine.
The original came through on a phone, so we'd lose We tried to emulate roughly the same conditions by recording it through radio receivers.
Ah, that's beautiful.
But your sets would be a bit sharper than the phone.
- I'll have to compensate.
That's all right.
- OK.
I'll leave that to you.
- Has that been logged? - Yes.
Fine.
You're learning.
You sure it couldn't fit any woman in your beat? No, as soon as the call came through, I checked on the women with small children in these blocks.
With any luck, she has a husband who comes home for lunch.
Well, we don't have that kind of luck.
Come on, George.
Let's have something.
- Could it have been from a telephone box? - No.
It was a subscriber's call.
Yes? Yes, George.
Map.
Hang on a minute.
Right.
I'm with you.
Now, there are a lot of reservations on this one, Andy.
As our hi-fi buff points out, sound waves can do funny things.
But you can probably discount patrol points three, four and seven as being too far away, and points one and five as being too close.
But if she was at street level or the window was closed, they would both have to be taken into account.
Now, that leaves us with points two and eight, both of which gain the same level as the original.
Well, unfortunately, they're over a mile apart.
Still, it gives us a couple of places to start from.
Hang on a minute, George.
Wakeman, one of these search points is only a quarter of a mile from here.
- May we use this flat as a control point? - Of course.
It belongs to the firm, anyway.
Thanks.
Hello, George? I'm going to set up a base here.
Can you send some equipment and an operator down? Right.
I'll let you get on with that.
Now, Wakeman, where's the highest point around here? Er new block, by the river in York Lane.
Get your climbing boots on, Mike.
Right From lower Bridge Street, across Cicada Place is your segment.
Every house, every flat and every block.
If you get no answer anywhere, ask the neighbours who's living there and call in.
All right? On your way.
This is a police message.
We are trying to trace a woman, possibly alone in a house with a small girl aged five or six.
The child's name is Janey Elizabeth.
If any of you know of a family with a child of this name, would you please call the police immediately.
This is a police message.
We are trying to trace a woman, possibly alone in a house with a small girl aged five or six.
The child's name is Janey Elizabeth.
This is a police message.
We are trying to trace a woman, possibly alone in a house with a small girl aged five or six.
The child We'd better include those streets beyond the railway lines as well.
- Not much point.
- Are you telling me or asking me? Anything near that line, we'd have heard train noises.
Assuming they were passing at the time.
A mainline.
Trains on that every 20 seconds between nine and 10:15 in the mornings.
- You've checked? - Yeah.
It's a tube line, isn't it? Yeah, well, I'm glad to see you've clone something on your own initiative.
Come on, little girl.
Get hungry.
Get tired.
Get irritable.
Shout.
Scream.
Unless the little girl's asleep, too.
Now, let me tell you what I've done.
- Can you manage it in plain English, Dave? - Of course.
Basically, I've slowed it right down so that we can pick out definite sounds.
Now, this is the original one.
Now a slower version.
Now, basically, there are five sounds in there.
There's a sort of sound.
There's a clank.
There's a whirring noise and a hiss.
And there's a Well, a sort of a clickety-click.
A rattle.
Listen.
I'll play them again.
It's a sort of um clang .
.
clickety-click .
.
clang .
.
clickety-click clang clickety-click.
- Right? - Brilliant.
Now, that hiss goes all the way through, but right at the beginning it stops short.
Suddenly it goes Notice that? - A suction pad? - Yeah, it could be.
What about that clank? Oh, metal against metal? Yeah.
And the whir and the rattle? - Bobbins, perhaps.
- Mm.
All right.
I'll give it to you again.
I'll take the base down a fraction and put the level up.
- Any ideas? - A letterpress printing machine.
She's right.
That's where I've heard it before - in a printer's! If we could find out the type and the make A Heidelberg Superspeed Platen.
Er we could hear it in the station office.
So could the printer's apprentice who's just walked in with our stationery.
It's a Heidelberg Superspeed Platen, letter press printing machine.
How many of them about? Not too many, according to George.
It's one of their older models from before the war.
Wakeman, trades directories.
Letter press printers.
Concentrate on the two zones we marked on the map.
As soon as we find one of these machines still working, check it out, and all the houses and flats nearby.
There's an old printing place in Hammond Street.
Even the governor must have been there since Caxton.
Hammond Street it is, sir.
Woman and her small daughter occupy the flat above.
- Did he find them? - No.
Door was locked.
No sound from inside.
Well, tell him to do nothing till we get there.
- Not here.
- The flat's been turned over.
And no woman, no child.
Our number and two others.
Social security office, one of them.
The other's not in our manor.
Flat belongs to the printer below.
It was let to a Mrs Turner two weeks ago.
- Husband? - Never mentioned one.
Took it on a weekly rent while she looked for something else.
- Where's she come from? - Never told them.
- Didn't they ask for references? - They didn't bother.
She paid in advance.
The old boy downstairs said she was a nice woman with a sweet girl but he felt she was in trouble.
A prophet no less.
Get the DFO.
I want this whole area dusted for prints.
- I'll question the neighbours.
- Search the building and the yard at the back.
Right.
Social security office? Dock Green police.
Do you have a Mrs Turner registered with you, of 52A Hammond Street? No, I'm afraid we don't have a Christian name.
But we do have a child's name, if that helps.
Jane Elizabeth.
- 'Ere, see you, darling.
- Thanks very much.
Well, she may have applied for benefits within the last two weeks.
We'd like to know her previous address, marital status - any other information you can give us.
Hello, this is Dock Green police.
- See you.
Who am I speaking to? Right.
Security service? I see.
We've just found your number in the flat of somebody we're trying to trace.
Now, obviously this number meant something to them, and we'd like you to help us.
It's a Mrs Turner.
Does that mean anything to you? Well, the address she's been staying at for the past fortnight is 52A Hammond Street.
- Got a Christian name? - Yes.
Anne.
It's a Mrs Anne Turner.
Oh, it doesn't? All right, then.
When you've made your enquiries, perhaps you'll ring us back.
Thank you very much.
She applied for supplementary benefits two days ago.
Someone was going to call on her but they haven't got round to it yet.
She said that she and her husband were separated but that he wasn't maintaining her.
Didn't give her husbands name or occupation, by any chance? No.
That was one of the questions the home visitor would have asked.
- But he hasn't called on her yet.
- Mm.
All right.
Well, I'm going down to Hammond Street.
I'm expecting a call back from this security service - Right.
- .
.
so if they've got any information, - get in touch with me straightaway.
- OK, sarge.
Hello, George.
- The longer this goes on, the odder it gets.
- Yeah.
Two numbers on her wall for quick reference.
Leaving out the welfare number, they're just the local police and a security service.
That's no ordinary housewife.
It's a woman under some sort of threat expecting trouble at any minute.
Possibly came to live here to run away from him.
- What have you found out down here? - Nothing that makes any sense.
Looking for valuables? Yeah, could have been.
A burglar, eh? She disturbed him.
Well, that would be a simple answer, but from what you tell me, I don't think so.
No, I I think she knew this man and was frightened he would call.
- Her husband? - Or ex-boyfriend.
These security people - what do they specialise in? Property protection and debt collecting.
Not divorces? That did spring to my mind, but they don't touch it.
- George! - Yep Young Sally's just been on.
- That security mob.
- Called back? One's going to the nick.
Name of Davis.
He wants to talk to you.
Well, they didn't have to send anyone personally.
- How'd you do with the neighbours? - Saw nothing, heard nothing, smelt nothing.
Three brass monkeys.
But it is possible to leave here through the back.
At the far end of the yard, a narrow alley leads straight onto that open-air market.
Have you talked to the shopkeepers? Yeah.
But you know that market at ten in the morning.
You could carry bodies through there and they'd think you just wanted to flog 'em.
You didn't have to come all the way down, Mr Davis.
- You could have told me on the phone.
- That's all right, Sergeant.
I was on patrol this way and the girl called me.
Oh.
Well, what have you discovered? Well, nothing exactly.
You see, we're a bit puzzled, Sergeant.
That number you had is a special line, ex-directory.
- Used mainly for confidential matters.
- And who knows it? To the best of our knowledge, only the patrol officers, investigating officers and directors of the company.
And what about the wives of these people? Oh, yes, the wives, perhaps.
Mr Davis, you don't happen to have a man called Turner on your staff who'd have access to this number? No.
As the girl told you, the name's not familiar.
- Have you had in the past? - Not that I recall.
And I've been with the firm since it started.
Look, Sergeant, can you let us in on this? After all, investigation's our line of country, too.
- What do you want to know? - This woman.
What's she done? - Nothing.
- But you're looking for her? We're looking for her because we have reason to believe she may have come to some harm.
Oh, I see.
But it's obvious you can't help us very much, Mr Davis.
Well, I'd like to, if only to discover what she's doing with our private number.
Who's in charge of this case? Detective-Inspector Crawford.
And he's down at What was it? .
.
Hammond Street now, is he? Yes.
Why? I thought I might have a word with him.
Two heads are better than one.
He doesn't need any help to do his job, Mr Davis.
Just information.
Well, he certainly wasn't bothered about prints.
Fingers all over the place.
Then he's got no form, or he would've done.
What puzzles me is there's not a single thing in this flat to identify that woman.
No letters, no document, no handbag.
He cleaned them all out, whoever he was.
That's why he went through the drawers.
Make sure she'd be hard to trace.
Supposing Johnny Wills is right- he left through the back way.
How'd he get the woman and the child out? Quite.
He could hardly have dragged her down the stairs, through a passage and a yard without leaving some trace.
I've get a feeling new they went under their own steam.
- Willingly? - Ah, it doesn't follow.
But if he had the child, she'd have no choice but to go with him.
Then at least they'd have been alive.
When they left here, almost certainly, but we can't assume anything after that.
- Inspector Crawford? - Yes.
Ah, my name's Davis.
Security officer.
It was our number you found.
- I've just had a word with Sergeant Dixon.
- Oh, yes? I've got to get back on duty shortly but I had a few thoughts that I think might help.
- Thoughts about what? - A couple of years back, we had a girl who worked the switchboard.
Her name was Turner.
Anne Turner, I think.
And she had a little girl who must be five or six by now.
- Are you sure it was Anne Turner? - I'm pretty certain.
She was only with us a month but I remember she was very efficient.
But, trouble was, she always seemed to be having problems.
- What sort of problems? - Boyfriends, running her husband ragged.
- Where did she live then? - Can't remember now.
I think they moved on shortly after she left us.
I've just been talking to Sergeant Dixon on the telephone and he said you couldn't remember her.
I'd forgotten all about her till just now.
She was with us such a short time.
We're heading to the station.
Tell us on the way.
If this is the same woman, it would certainly explain why she had our private number.
And this behaviour would be typical.
In what way? Some clays, she wouldn't show up at all for work.
We'd ring her home - no answer.
Even sent someone round there on one occasion to see if she was all right.
No sign of her.
Half-past five, she rang up.
Full of apologies and some tame excuse.
Turned out she'd spent the day with her boyfriend.
Came in next morning with a black eye from her husband.
- Her husband was violent, was he? - Oh, I don't think so.
Just driven to the end of his tether.
Look, I've got to get back now.
Assuming it was the same woman, I wouldn't waste too much time on her.
- She'll be back.
- I'd like you to help us for a bit longer.
Can you come back to the station? Yeah.
My van's just around the corner.
I'll call up the office on the radio and then I'll join you.
Right.
- OK, let's go.
- All right.
Anne? Why haven't you done what I told you? Don't tell me lies.
I've just left the police and they're still searching the town for you.
Now, do it and do it now.
Oh, and, Anne - from an outside phone box.
I don't want to take any chance of this call being traced.
Don't forget, I shall know if you haven't called.
And I'll be home.
Station office.
Hello? Oh, Mrs Turner.
Well, what happened to you? You had a slight accident? I see.
And what about Janey? Oh.
Well, that's good, then.
Uh-huh.
Yeah, well, why didn't you let us know before, Mrs Turner? It's a public call box.
Yeah? Yes.
Oh, no, but you called us, Mrs Turner.
Yes.
We spent a great deal of time looking for you.
If you'll tell us where you are, we'll send a car for you.
Er, hello? Hello? Shall I get young Dave back? Oh, no need to this time.
There's something much more familiar in the background.
She was calling from a railway terminus.
I could hear the announcements.
Mrs Turner? Would you get in the car, please? Come in.
- I hear she's rung you.
- Yes.
Like you said - full of excuses.
That's typical.
Anyway, one case solved.
I'll be off, then.
Nice to meet you, Inspector.
- Well, don't you want to knew how she is? - Well, yes.
How is she? Says she's recovered from her accident.
She slipped while phoning.
I see.
Well, I'm glad I could be of some help.
Oh, there are just a couple of things, Mr Davis.
Um I'm still puzzled as to why she had your firm's telephone number on the wall.
She was a switchboard operator.
She'd have known it.
Yes, of course, but why keep it there two years after she'd left? Ooh, probably still dating one of our lads.
Ah You You wouldn't know who? - Mm, no idea.
Does it matter? - Oh, it might.
All right, well, I'll make a few discreet enquiries and let you knew.
We've already started making our enquiries.
- From the firm? - Uh-huh.
Why are you lads suddenly worried about who she's knocking about with? Well, you know what we're like, Mr Davis.
Never let things rest.
Please sit down.
- Have you seen a doctor, Mrs Turner? - There's no need.
There's nothing broken.
How do you know? Is that what he told you? "There's nothing broken.
" I told you I slipped.
Janey left a toy on the floor and it got under my feet.
Look, Mrs Turner, I've sent for our surgeon.
You're not going to fool him.
Can I go home, please? Janey gets tired.
Oh.
Janey's being looked after all right.
Don't worry.
Has he beaten you up like this before? It's just between him and me, isn't it? A private matter, nothing to do with the police.
Will you stop repeating everything he tells you? There's no need to be afraid of him.
- I'm not afraid.
- But you went away.
You came down here to live in Dock Green, away from him.
He tracked you down, didn't he? Forced you to go back with him.
If you know all this, why ask? Where was Janey when all this happened? She didn't see.
See what, Mrs Turner? My accident.
Children aren't fools, you know.
Even at that age.
Do you really think this is good for her? What can I do? When I leave him, he finds me.
It's his job, finding people.
He'll always find me.
Wherever I go.
I came here today to help you, so what's all this about? You came to find out what was going on and tell me about the woman being irresponsible to get me to call off the search.
- Wasn't I right? Didn't she ring you? - Suspiciously soon after you mentioned it.
Are you trying to accuse me of something? Causing wasteful employment of police time.
- Want to make that a charge? - Number one charge.
It won't stick.
Everything I've told you today has been the truth.
She did work for us for a month and she was running about with two blokes at the same time.
And one of them was you.
The one who knocked her around.
Didn't you think we'd check with your firm? Is that the second charge - knocking her about two years ago? Oh, come off it.
Listen to me a minute.
I used to be a private investigator.
- I've worked with the top solicitors - Don't start giving me that.
All right, if you want to chance your arm.
But just hear me out first.
Any barrister could prove, without the shadow of a doubt, that all my actions today have been motivated by trying to help you solve this case.
If I hadn't turned up, you'd still be searching.
You yourself said that it was me who persuaded Anne to phone in and say she was all right.
Persuaded or threatened her? Threatening someone to make them give vital information to the police? What sort of a charge is that? You'd be laughed out of court.
You can be charged with assault this morning.
You won't slide out of that one.
The evidence is on her face.
All right, son, you have a go on that one.
But don't forget, you'll need a statement from her first.
Anne slipped and had an accident.
She'll tell you that.
- With bruises on her throat? - Self-inflicted.
She gets hysterical, tries to choke herself.
I have to tear her hands apart sometimes.
Oh, for Pete's sake.
No law in this country can dictate how a man treats his wife.
Unless she lays charges.
- Wife? - Turner's her maiden name.
She reverted to it after she left home.
But I'm sure I told you that, didn't I? - Where have you been all day? - I went back home.
- He persuaded me.
- Home? Our place in North London.
The other was just rented.
You don't have to stay with him, you know.
There have been good times as well as bad.
Sometimes it's you know real good.
It's just that he's got this temper.
Can't control it.
But it doesn't last.
We'll be all right again now.
Don't worry.
You tried to call us this morning to ask for our help.
Now, that was the right thing to do.
No, it was silly.
I get hysterical.
He's drummed that into your head, hasn't he? Look, Mrs Turner.
I'm going to prepare a statement.
And I want you to tell me, in your own words how you got those injuries.
I was trying to phone you I thought there was a burglar in the flat.
I slipped on one of Janey's toys.
I caught my eye on the edge of the banister as I fell.
He is my husband.
I love him.
Like I said, it's pretty good sometimes.
How long do you think she'll be, Sergeant? I've no idea.
She's still with the surgeon.
Then I'll hang on.
You won't.
You'll clear out of my nick.
Or shall I have you thrown out? Ooh, I wouldn't do that, Sergeant.
That constitutes assault.
Oh, tell Anne to try not to be too late home.
Janey gets tired.
Well, it was a borderline case.
There was no doubt that Davis had deliberately misled us but proving it was another thing.
So, in the end, we had to drop it.
One day, perhaps she'll have the courage to stand up to him.
And then there will be something we can do.
I hope she does.
If only for Janey's sake.
Good night, all.
You knew, there's nothing so maddening as that telephone call when someone is cutoff before they finish what they want to say.
Particularly when the call may be a matter of life or death.
In this case, it was only four words and a few sounds that could have meant anything.
Janey, go down and play with that in the yard.
- I don't want to.
- Oh, go on.
There's a good girl.
- I want you to come - Shh.
Go downstairs.
Dock Green police.
Hello.
Hello? Dock Green police.
I keep telling this bloke it's a civil action.
There's nothing we can do.
But he's called five times in two days.
- Be quiet, please.
- Says he'll write to the Superintendent.
Be quiet! Hello? Hello? Are you still there? Sarge, it's a woman.
She started to say something and then I heard scuffling, as if she was being choked.
- Is it still open? - Yes.
- I'll try and get it traced.
- This is Dock Green police.
Can you hear me? This is Dock Green police.
Hello? Is anybody there? Hello? This is Dock Green police.
Hello? Is anybody there? Hello? This is Dock Green police.
The tape.
The one we used for those nuisance calls.
Hello? Is anyone there? - Hello? - Who was it? A woman.
She just started to say something and you were talking.
I couldn't hear.
- Sorry.
- Hello.
Is anyone there? Then I heard a scuffling noise as if she was being strangled.
Hello.
Who is that? Hello.
Wait a minute.
Mummy.
Mummy.
Mummy's fallen down.
I think she's asleep.
Never mind.
You tell me your name.
Janey.
Yes.
And what's your other name, Janey? Hello? Hello, Janey.
Are you still there? Janey.
- Andy, any luck? - I doubt it.
Not enough time.
All right, supervisor.
Thanks for trying.
- No luck? - No.
They'd have needed another two minutes at least.
What age would you say she was? Oh, young.
It's hard to say any more.
She only got four words out.
"Is that the police?" - In a low voice, you said? - Mm.
As though she was afraid of someone overhearing.
- Accent? - Four words, Inspector? I'd say London or south-east, anyway.
- Educated? - Mm probably working class.
But, honestly, I couldn't swear to it.
That fits with the little girl.
- Can you guess her age, George? - About five or six.
I doubt if she was much older.
- All we know is that her name is Janey? - Janey Elizabeth.
And there are sounds on that tape I'd like to hear again.
- Machinery.
- Yes.
And a ship's hooter.
Well, let's say she's six.
- 10 o'clock on a weekday.
- Yeah.
Why isn't she at school? Mm.
I'll follow that up.
Thank you.
Hello? Who is that? Miss Wood, please.
WPC Hawkins, Dock Green police.
Miss Wood? I wonder if you could help us.
We're trying to trace a little girl called Jane - or Janey - Elizabeth.
So it's somewhere near a workshop or factory.
That heavy thumping noise.
- Sounds vaguely familiar.
- Yeah, so it does to me.
If we could identify that machine Let's get back to that ship's hooter.
Er 37 on the counter.
That's it.
Mummy's fallen down.
I think she's asleep.
- It sounds like a tug.
- Mm.
Two hoots.
It's turning to starboard.
PLA and Thames Police.
Identify that ship, tug, whatever it was.
I want the name of every ship on the river at 10am that sounded its hooter and where it was when it did so.
- Will do.
- Use another phone, Mike.
- I want to concentrate.
- OK.
And no calls through here unless it's absolutely urgent.
If we could estimate how far that sound would travel Mm.
It's a pretty wide arc.
It depends on the wind.
Met Office? What about Greenwich Naval College? They'll have it at their fingertips.
Get me the Greenwich Naval College, please.
And then again it depends on the height of the building she was in.
At the top of some high-rise flats, you can hear river sounds for miles.
Yeah Hello? Dock Green police here.
Could you give me the wind speed and direction on the river at 10am this morning? Run over by a lorry? No, it wouldn't be that one.
- Possible wounding, asphyxiation.
- Is she in dock now? We don't know.
That's why we're asking you.
- We've already tried Dock Green General.
- That would be downstream.
- Having a baby? I've no idea.
Hang on.
- That's a possibility.
- Was she having contractions? - How would I know? Check with WPC Hawkins.
It's a thought.
The wind was due west.
12 knots on the river.
So we know the sound of that ship's hooter would have travelled further west than east.
Mm.
Except the river bends all over the place.
We'll have to get a ship's navigator to work that one out.
Right.
Quite a lot of traffic on the river this morning.
But mainly small craft.
That mine sweeper that's showing its flag at Tower Bridge went downstream at 9:30.
- That isn't a naval siren.
- There were two tugs operating.
- One pulling barges - Sounds more like it.
Both in stream at the moment.
Thames Police are calling them right now.
But, Andy, we still can't be sure that call even came from our manor.
- It could've come from south of the river.
- But she had our number.
That's a bit odd.
If she was in trouble, why didn't she call 999? It's quicker to dial.
And more natural for a member of the public.
Somebody who had our number readily to hand.
- Informant, maybe? - Well even the wife of one of our lads.
Mike, please.
Certainly.
Could you make some discreet enquiries without starting a panic? - Right.
- CID.
Brewer.
Yeah? Oh, right.
No, not yet.
Right.
Yeah, that'll be it.
Thanks very much.
- Well? - Tug named Delilah.
- Used its hooter around ten for manoeuvring.
- Where? A 400-yard stretch between No.
8 Dock and the furniture warehouse.
Let's see if we can pin that down.
Inspector Crawford.
Thomas, Thames.
This is Mr Neil Erickson, skipper of the Delilah.
- You've explained to Mr Erickson? - Yes, I have, sir.
He made a starboard warning signal right on the bend of the river there.
Ja.
Just 200 metres from the jetty.
At ten o'clock? Maybe ten.
Before ten, maybe.
After ten, maybe two minutes.
Near enough.
Could you go out and do it again for us, at the same spot? It's not my tug.
You speak Mr Jackson, PLA.
Yes, we'll speak to Mr Jackson.
Jolly good.
Two blasts.
At intervals.
Keep it up till we call you.
All right? Ja.
If we take an arc from the bend of the river, say a mile deep, put patrol points at quarter-mile intervals - Got that, Johnny? - Yeah.
It's like a spider's web with listening points at intersections.
Now, Andy, we need to get some height.
I suggest we put someone on top of one of those council blocks at Park End.
All right? And where will you be? Fine.
I'll call you back when we're set.
Slater.
Get all the patrols on the air for me.
We want them spaced out where these marker flags are.
Out of their cars, away from traffic, with their walkie-talkies at the ready.
OK? Right.
Johnny, I want you to listen to this.
Some sort of heavy press.
Yeah, but there's a lot of small sounds as well.
Air or steam under pressure.
- Laundry? - I don't think so.
I've heard it before but I can't place it.
Can we get someone to isolate it for us? Well, we could try C6, you know? Technical support.
The hi-fi division.
That's right down at Denmark Hill.
Isn't there someone local? What about those lads with that hi-fi shop in the parade? That's right.
One of them fixed my record player for me.
And bored me to tears with technical jargon.
Dave someone.
Dave Dave Fox.
Used to go to the tech.
I'll have a word with him.
Hello there.
I'd like you all to be quiet.
All right? We want to do some testing.
OK, then? Oscar Foxtrot to Oscar Delta.
Come in, please.
Oscar Delta to Oscar Foxtrot.
We are ah' set.
Over.
We're at Park End.
You've got a home beat man here, haven't you? That's right.
Fiat 46, fourth ï¬oor.
PC Wakeman.
- He's at home at the moment.
- Right.
Tell him he's got visitors.
Give us three more minutes then call up the tug.
Over and out.
Hi.
What on earth have you got there? - Just a bit of basic gear.
- Basic? If he needs any more, we're sending a truck for it.
The WP office is empty now.
You can use that.
- Fine.
Have you got the spool, please? - Yes.
Don't you want the machine as well? What, that thing? It's a toy.
- We got that skipper on ship-to-shore, sarge.
- Yeah.
- They know the routine? - Yes.
Well, repeat it.
The tug gives two hoots and repeats at 15-second intervals.
Each patrol records the sound on the broad frequency channel on their radio receivers.
We contact them only on their walkie-talkies so as to keep the other band clear.
Right.
Each signal to be logged and numbered with the position of the patrol at the time.
Oscar Delta to Oscar 1.
Stand by.
All other patrols to keep listening watch only.
Oscar 2 will start receiving on the broad channel 15 seconds after Oscar 1.
Right.
Tell that tug skipper to get blasting right away.
All right, sarge.
Captain Erickson, go ahead in one minute, please.
- Stand by.
- Window open or closed? I guess hers would be open.
Oscar 1, come off the air.
Stand by, Oscar 2.
Close down, Oscar 3.
Stand by, Oscar 4.
Close down, Oscar 4.
Stand by, Oscar 5.
How's it going? - You wanna hear it? - Yeah.
- There's still too much top.
- What? - I'll tweak it a bit.
- Oh, yes? Listen.
I'll play you some voice.
This is the best I can do.
Mummy? Mummy? Mummy's fallen down.
I think she's asleep.
Close down, Oscar 8.
Return to your car.
Resume on Band 4.
- Get that last one? - Yes, sarge.
Right.
I want to talk to him.
Captain Erickson.
That's all we need, Captain, and thank you very much for your help.
Oscar Delta to all patrols.
Return to normal duties.
Over and out.
Now what? We wait.
- Anyone fancy a cup of coffee? - Best idea yet.
Do you think it's a waste of time? We're going to a lot of trouble on very little evidence.
Well, you could be right.
A woman rings us from out of nowhere.
Stops in mid-sentence.
We hear a sound that could be choking.
A few minutes later, a little child comes on and says her mummy's asleep.
Then the line goes dead.
She may have put it back on the hook or someone may have put it back for her.
Her mother may have slipped, blacked out for a few minutes, then recovered and carried on as normal.
Minor accident.
Nothing more.
Reasonable? - Possible.
- But she did call us in the first place.
And she hasn't called back to complete what she wanted to say.
Dave.
Hi.
Just taking out some of the white noise.
The shash.
I cleaned some of it.
You want to hear it? - No.
I've got something else first.
- I'll stretch out that background rhythm.
I've got to ask you to drop that.
- I'll transfer it from one tape to the other.
- I've got something more exciting for you.
We've recorded that ship's hooter from different distances.
Ah.
I'd like you to compare these recordings with the ones you've got of the original and tell me which is the nearest match.
Fine.
The original came through on a phone, so we'd lose We tried to emulate roughly the same conditions by recording it through radio receivers.
Ah, that's beautiful.
But your sets would be a bit sharper than the phone.
- I'll have to compensate.
That's all right.
- OK.
I'll leave that to you.
- Has that been logged? - Yes.
Fine.
You're learning.
You sure it couldn't fit any woman in your beat? No, as soon as the call came through, I checked on the women with small children in these blocks.
With any luck, she has a husband who comes home for lunch.
Well, we don't have that kind of luck.
Come on, George.
Let's have something.
- Could it have been from a telephone box? - No.
It was a subscriber's call.
Yes? Yes, George.
Map.
Hang on a minute.
Right.
I'm with you.
Now, there are a lot of reservations on this one, Andy.
As our hi-fi buff points out, sound waves can do funny things.
But you can probably discount patrol points three, four and seven as being too far away, and points one and five as being too close.
But if she was at street level or the window was closed, they would both have to be taken into account.
Now, that leaves us with points two and eight, both of which gain the same level as the original.
Well, unfortunately, they're over a mile apart.
Still, it gives us a couple of places to start from.
Hang on a minute, George.
Wakeman, one of these search points is only a quarter of a mile from here.
- May we use this flat as a control point? - Of course.
It belongs to the firm, anyway.
Thanks.
Hello, George? I'm going to set up a base here.
Can you send some equipment and an operator down? Right.
I'll let you get on with that.
Now, Wakeman, where's the highest point around here? Er new block, by the river in York Lane.
Get your climbing boots on, Mike.
Right From lower Bridge Street, across Cicada Place is your segment.
Every house, every flat and every block.
If you get no answer anywhere, ask the neighbours who's living there and call in.
All right? On your way.
This is a police message.
We are trying to trace a woman, possibly alone in a house with a small girl aged five or six.
The child's name is Janey Elizabeth.
If any of you know of a family with a child of this name, would you please call the police immediately.
This is a police message.
We are trying to trace a woman, possibly alone in a house with a small girl aged five or six.
The child's name is Janey Elizabeth.
This is a police message.
We are trying to trace a woman, possibly alone in a house with a small girl aged five or six.
The child We'd better include those streets beyond the railway lines as well.
- Not much point.
- Are you telling me or asking me? Anything near that line, we'd have heard train noises.
Assuming they were passing at the time.
A mainline.
Trains on that every 20 seconds between nine and 10:15 in the mornings.
- You've checked? - Yeah.
It's a tube line, isn't it? Yeah, well, I'm glad to see you've clone something on your own initiative.
Come on, little girl.
Get hungry.
Get tired.
Get irritable.
Shout.
Scream.
Unless the little girl's asleep, too.
Now, let me tell you what I've done.
- Can you manage it in plain English, Dave? - Of course.
Basically, I've slowed it right down so that we can pick out definite sounds.
Now, this is the original one.
Now a slower version.
Now, basically, there are five sounds in there.
There's a sort of sound.
There's a clank.
There's a whirring noise and a hiss.
And there's a Well, a sort of a clickety-click.
A rattle.
Listen.
I'll play them again.
It's a sort of um clang .
.
clickety-click .
.
clang .
.
clickety-click clang clickety-click.
- Right? - Brilliant.
Now, that hiss goes all the way through, but right at the beginning it stops short.
Suddenly it goes Notice that? - A suction pad? - Yeah, it could be.
What about that clank? Oh, metal against metal? Yeah.
And the whir and the rattle? - Bobbins, perhaps.
- Mm.
All right.
I'll give it to you again.
I'll take the base down a fraction and put the level up.
- Any ideas? - A letterpress printing machine.
She's right.
That's where I've heard it before - in a printer's! If we could find out the type and the make A Heidelberg Superspeed Platen.
Er we could hear it in the station office.
So could the printer's apprentice who's just walked in with our stationery.
It's a Heidelberg Superspeed Platen, letter press printing machine.
How many of them about? Not too many, according to George.
It's one of their older models from before the war.
Wakeman, trades directories.
Letter press printers.
Concentrate on the two zones we marked on the map.
As soon as we find one of these machines still working, check it out, and all the houses and flats nearby.
There's an old printing place in Hammond Street.
Even the governor must have been there since Caxton.
Hammond Street it is, sir.
Woman and her small daughter occupy the flat above.
- Did he find them? - No.
Door was locked.
No sound from inside.
Well, tell him to do nothing till we get there.
- Not here.
- The flat's been turned over.
And no woman, no child.
Our number and two others.
Social security office, one of them.
The other's not in our manor.
Flat belongs to the printer below.
It was let to a Mrs Turner two weeks ago.
- Husband? - Never mentioned one.
Took it on a weekly rent while she looked for something else.
- Where's she come from? - Never told them.
- Didn't they ask for references? - They didn't bother.
She paid in advance.
The old boy downstairs said she was a nice woman with a sweet girl but he felt she was in trouble.
A prophet no less.
Get the DFO.
I want this whole area dusted for prints.
- I'll question the neighbours.
- Search the building and the yard at the back.
Right.
Social security office? Dock Green police.
Do you have a Mrs Turner registered with you, of 52A Hammond Street? No, I'm afraid we don't have a Christian name.
But we do have a child's name, if that helps.
Jane Elizabeth.
- 'Ere, see you, darling.
- Thanks very much.
Well, she may have applied for benefits within the last two weeks.
We'd like to know her previous address, marital status - any other information you can give us.
Hello, this is Dock Green police.
- See you.
Who am I speaking to? Right.
Security service? I see.
We've just found your number in the flat of somebody we're trying to trace.
Now, obviously this number meant something to them, and we'd like you to help us.
It's a Mrs Turner.
Does that mean anything to you? Well, the address she's been staying at for the past fortnight is 52A Hammond Street.
- Got a Christian name? - Yes.
Anne.
It's a Mrs Anne Turner.
Oh, it doesn't? All right, then.
When you've made your enquiries, perhaps you'll ring us back.
Thank you very much.
She applied for supplementary benefits two days ago.
Someone was going to call on her but they haven't got round to it yet.
She said that she and her husband were separated but that he wasn't maintaining her.
Didn't give her husbands name or occupation, by any chance? No.
That was one of the questions the home visitor would have asked.
- But he hasn't called on her yet.
- Mm.
All right.
Well, I'm going down to Hammond Street.
I'm expecting a call back from this security service - Right.
- .
.
so if they've got any information, - get in touch with me straightaway.
- OK, sarge.
Hello, George.
- The longer this goes on, the odder it gets.
- Yeah.
Two numbers on her wall for quick reference.
Leaving out the welfare number, they're just the local police and a security service.
That's no ordinary housewife.
It's a woman under some sort of threat expecting trouble at any minute.
Possibly came to live here to run away from him.
- What have you found out down here? - Nothing that makes any sense.
Looking for valuables? Yeah, could have been.
A burglar, eh? She disturbed him.
Well, that would be a simple answer, but from what you tell me, I don't think so.
No, I I think she knew this man and was frightened he would call.
- Her husband? - Or ex-boyfriend.
These security people - what do they specialise in? Property protection and debt collecting.
Not divorces? That did spring to my mind, but they don't touch it.
- George! - Yep Young Sally's just been on.
- That security mob.
- Called back? One's going to the nick.
Name of Davis.
He wants to talk to you.
Well, they didn't have to send anyone personally.
- How'd you do with the neighbours? - Saw nothing, heard nothing, smelt nothing.
Three brass monkeys.
But it is possible to leave here through the back.
At the far end of the yard, a narrow alley leads straight onto that open-air market.
Have you talked to the shopkeepers? Yeah.
But you know that market at ten in the morning.
You could carry bodies through there and they'd think you just wanted to flog 'em.
You didn't have to come all the way down, Mr Davis.
- You could have told me on the phone.
- That's all right, Sergeant.
I was on patrol this way and the girl called me.
Oh.
Well, what have you discovered? Well, nothing exactly.
You see, we're a bit puzzled, Sergeant.
That number you had is a special line, ex-directory.
- Used mainly for confidential matters.
- And who knows it? To the best of our knowledge, only the patrol officers, investigating officers and directors of the company.
And what about the wives of these people? Oh, yes, the wives, perhaps.
Mr Davis, you don't happen to have a man called Turner on your staff who'd have access to this number? No.
As the girl told you, the name's not familiar.
- Have you had in the past? - Not that I recall.
And I've been with the firm since it started.
Look, Sergeant, can you let us in on this? After all, investigation's our line of country, too.
- What do you want to know? - This woman.
What's she done? - Nothing.
- But you're looking for her? We're looking for her because we have reason to believe she may have come to some harm.
Oh, I see.
But it's obvious you can't help us very much, Mr Davis.
Well, I'd like to, if only to discover what she's doing with our private number.
Who's in charge of this case? Detective-Inspector Crawford.
And he's down at What was it? .
.
Hammond Street now, is he? Yes.
Why? I thought I might have a word with him.
Two heads are better than one.
He doesn't need any help to do his job, Mr Davis.
Just information.
Well, he certainly wasn't bothered about prints.
Fingers all over the place.
Then he's got no form, or he would've done.
What puzzles me is there's not a single thing in this flat to identify that woman.
No letters, no document, no handbag.
He cleaned them all out, whoever he was.
That's why he went through the drawers.
Make sure she'd be hard to trace.
Supposing Johnny Wills is right- he left through the back way.
How'd he get the woman and the child out? Quite.
He could hardly have dragged her down the stairs, through a passage and a yard without leaving some trace.
I've get a feeling new they went under their own steam.
- Willingly? - Ah, it doesn't follow.
But if he had the child, she'd have no choice but to go with him.
Then at least they'd have been alive.
When they left here, almost certainly, but we can't assume anything after that.
- Inspector Crawford? - Yes.
Ah, my name's Davis.
Security officer.
It was our number you found.
- I've just had a word with Sergeant Dixon.
- Oh, yes? I've got to get back on duty shortly but I had a few thoughts that I think might help.
- Thoughts about what? - A couple of years back, we had a girl who worked the switchboard.
Her name was Turner.
Anne Turner, I think.
And she had a little girl who must be five or six by now.
- Are you sure it was Anne Turner? - I'm pretty certain.
She was only with us a month but I remember she was very efficient.
But, trouble was, she always seemed to be having problems.
- What sort of problems? - Boyfriends, running her husband ragged.
- Where did she live then? - Can't remember now.
I think they moved on shortly after she left us.
I've just been talking to Sergeant Dixon on the telephone and he said you couldn't remember her.
I'd forgotten all about her till just now.
She was with us such a short time.
We're heading to the station.
Tell us on the way.
If this is the same woman, it would certainly explain why she had our private number.
And this behaviour would be typical.
In what way? Some clays, she wouldn't show up at all for work.
We'd ring her home - no answer.
Even sent someone round there on one occasion to see if she was all right.
No sign of her.
Half-past five, she rang up.
Full of apologies and some tame excuse.
Turned out she'd spent the day with her boyfriend.
Came in next morning with a black eye from her husband.
- Her husband was violent, was he? - Oh, I don't think so.
Just driven to the end of his tether.
Look, I've got to get back now.
Assuming it was the same woman, I wouldn't waste too much time on her.
- She'll be back.
- I'd like you to help us for a bit longer.
Can you come back to the station? Yeah.
My van's just around the corner.
I'll call up the office on the radio and then I'll join you.
Right.
- OK, let's go.
- All right.
Anne? Why haven't you done what I told you? Don't tell me lies.
I've just left the police and they're still searching the town for you.
Now, do it and do it now.
Oh, and, Anne - from an outside phone box.
I don't want to take any chance of this call being traced.
Don't forget, I shall know if you haven't called.
And I'll be home.
Station office.
Hello? Oh, Mrs Turner.
Well, what happened to you? You had a slight accident? I see.
And what about Janey? Oh.
Well, that's good, then.
Uh-huh.
Yeah, well, why didn't you let us know before, Mrs Turner? It's a public call box.
Yeah? Yes.
Oh, no, but you called us, Mrs Turner.
Yes.
We spent a great deal of time looking for you.
If you'll tell us where you are, we'll send a car for you.
Er, hello? Hello? Shall I get young Dave back? Oh, no need to this time.
There's something much more familiar in the background.
She was calling from a railway terminus.
I could hear the announcements.
Mrs Turner? Would you get in the car, please? Come in.
- I hear she's rung you.
- Yes.
Like you said - full of excuses.
That's typical.
Anyway, one case solved.
I'll be off, then.
Nice to meet you, Inspector.
- Well, don't you want to knew how she is? - Well, yes.
How is she? Says she's recovered from her accident.
She slipped while phoning.
I see.
Well, I'm glad I could be of some help.
Oh, there are just a couple of things, Mr Davis.
Um I'm still puzzled as to why she had your firm's telephone number on the wall.
She was a switchboard operator.
She'd have known it.
Yes, of course, but why keep it there two years after she'd left? Ooh, probably still dating one of our lads.
Ah You You wouldn't know who? - Mm, no idea.
Does it matter? - Oh, it might.
All right, well, I'll make a few discreet enquiries and let you knew.
We've already started making our enquiries.
- From the firm? - Uh-huh.
Why are you lads suddenly worried about who she's knocking about with? Well, you know what we're like, Mr Davis.
Never let things rest.
Please sit down.
- Have you seen a doctor, Mrs Turner? - There's no need.
There's nothing broken.
How do you know? Is that what he told you? "There's nothing broken.
" I told you I slipped.
Janey left a toy on the floor and it got under my feet.
Look, Mrs Turner, I've sent for our surgeon.
You're not going to fool him.
Can I go home, please? Janey gets tired.
Oh.
Janey's being looked after all right.
Don't worry.
Has he beaten you up like this before? It's just between him and me, isn't it? A private matter, nothing to do with the police.
Will you stop repeating everything he tells you? There's no need to be afraid of him.
- I'm not afraid.
- But you went away.
You came down here to live in Dock Green, away from him.
He tracked you down, didn't he? Forced you to go back with him.
If you know all this, why ask? Where was Janey when all this happened? She didn't see.
See what, Mrs Turner? My accident.
Children aren't fools, you know.
Even at that age.
Do you really think this is good for her? What can I do? When I leave him, he finds me.
It's his job, finding people.
He'll always find me.
Wherever I go.
I came here today to help you, so what's all this about? You came to find out what was going on and tell me about the woman being irresponsible to get me to call off the search.
- Wasn't I right? Didn't she ring you? - Suspiciously soon after you mentioned it.
Are you trying to accuse me of something? Causing wasteful employment of police time.
- Want to make that a charge? - Number one charge.
It won't stick.
Everything I've told you today has been the truth.
She did work for us for a month and she was running about with two blokes at the same time.
And one of them was you.
The one who knocked her around.
Didn't you think we'd check with your firm? Is that the second charge - knocking her about two years ago? Oh, come off it.
Listen to me a minute.
I used to be a private investigator.
- I've worked with the top solicitors - Don't start giving me that.
All right, if you want to chance your arm.
But just hear me out first.
Any barrister could prove, without the shadow of a doubt, that all my actions today have been motivated by trying to help you solve this case.
If I hadn't turned up, you'd still be searching.
You yourself said that it was me who persuaded Anne to phone in and say she was all right.
Persuaded or threatened her? Threatening someone to make them give vital information to the police? What sort of a charge is that? You'd be laughed out of court.
You can be charged with assault this morning.
You won't slide out of that one.
The evidence is on her face.
All right, son, you have a go on that one.
But don't forget, you'll need a statement from her first.
Anne slipped and had an accident.
She'll tell you that.
- With bruises on her throat? - Self-inflicted.
She gets hysterical, tries to choke herself.
I have to tear her hands apart sometimes.
Oh, for Pete's sake.
No law in this country can dictate how a man treats his wife.
Unless she lays charges.
- Wife? - Turner's her maiden name.
She reverted to it after she left home.
But I'm sure I told you that, didn't I? - Where have you been all day? - I went back home.
- He persuaded me.
- Home? Our place in North London.
The other was just rented.
You don't have to stay with him, you know.
There have been good times as well as bad.
Sometimes it's you know real good.
It's just that he's got this temper.
Can't control it.
But it doesn't last.
We'll be all right again now.
Don't worry.
You tried to call us this morning to ask for our help.
Now, that was the right thing to do.
No, it was silly.
I get hysterical.
He's drummed that into your head, hasn't he? Look, Mrs Turner.
I'm going to prepare a statement.
And I want you to tell me, in your own words how you got those injuries.
I was trying to phone you I thought there was a burglar in the flat.
I slipped on one of Janey's toys.
I caught my eye on the edge of the banister as I fell.
He is my husband.
I love him.
Like I said, it's pretty good sometimes.
How long do you think she'll be, Sergeant? I've no idea.
She's still with the surgeon.
Then I'll hang on.
You won't.
You'll clear out of my nick.
Or shall I have you thrown out? Ooh, I wouldn't do that, Sergeant.
That constitutes assault.
Oh, tell Anne to try not to be too late home.
Janey gets tired.
Well, it was a borderline case.
There was no doubt that Davis had deliberately misled us but proving it was another thing.
So, in the end, we had to drop it.
One day, perhaps she'll have the courage to stand up to him.
And then there will be something we can do.
I hope she does.
If only for Janey's sake.
Good night, all.