Original subtitles

I'm book and I run a book shop.

You must be here about the job.

You know I've come from, don't you?

I have a little hobby on the side and I find

it's taking me away from the shop more and more.

Well, you must stay with us, mustn't you?

Now that you've got the job.

What exactly is it you do?

I sell books.

Yeah, but that's not all, is it?

Yesterday.

Out there at a bomb site.

So you don't think they died in an air raid?

Income and street was already empty, wasn't it, Mr Bessar?

Schedule for demolition.

It's a chaotic world, Jack.

I have a system.

Do you think it was suicide?

Why would a chemist kill himself with something as horrible as Prasic acid?

It's murder.

There's a daughter, isn't there?

A right, money grabbing, little cow.

And then she has the goal to run off with him.

My dad was convinced that he was thieving.

Got the chemist wheel through, sir.

Daughter doesn't get a bean.

This is a sacred charge.

You understand that?

I wouldn't ask this off you if I didn't think you were wrong.

Already more than that, that you were the one

creature on this earth to whom I could entrust this.

This message must go to trotty and to no one else.

Is that clear?

Is that clear?

Good boy.

Off you go.

Good morning.

Morning.

Ah, Doc, stay.

Can I help you?

Oh, yes.

With wallpaper, that is.

It's a little early for that.

For what?

Never mind.

I'm looking for a Mrs. Book.

You've found her?

Well, that's a crying shame.

What is?

You're married, days.

Can I help you?

Yeah, yeah.

You got a message from your husband, said you

were having problems with your alternator.

My?

In the car.

That's what I do, you see, guys.

I see.

I missed a book sent for you, did he?

Yeah, yeah.

I mean, no idea why I didn't go with some more local, but I'm not saying no.

I'll go with the workers, right?

Quite.

Oh, got a light.

Yeah, yeah,

So, so you are a mechanic, Mr. Mickey.

Mickey Hall.

And, oh, yeah.

Yeah, I've got a garage, my lead.

All yours?

Why not me and the... Oh, yeah.

They all mine.

See?

Well, if you excuse me a moment, I need to lay my hands on her.

Well, find my car.

Right, oh, yeah.

Well, I ain't going anywhere, so...

The very man.

Oh, good morning, Missy's book.

Morning, Eric.

I wonder if you'd be an up-slip darling for me, Eric.

Lady Big for a lady?

As I recall, she lives a proud owner of a rather splendid daimler.

But if she's got a car on you... Yeah, she is.

Can I just pop into us to borrow the car?

Not any better.

I'm sure she won't mind.

It's just part round the back off.

Get the case for you.

Thank you.

Hello.

Hello.

What's up?

Pancha, I think, has Baldur's daddy.

I told him these wheels won't get me to Cambridge.

I don't suppose you could help me out.

It's not really my department.

I'm just looking after the place.

I'd be most awfully grateful.

Oh, yeah, all right.

I'll see what Mickey's got.

Oh, thanks, Elviso.

And there must be a repair kit back here somewhere.

I really appreciate this.

I like it with the puckslens on those random places.

It's loads of help.

It's loads of help.

They all know who I mean.

You guys would have trouble styling it.

You didn't mention it.

Maybe I should put my specs on.

Maybe.

Thank you very much, Mr. Hall.

That was quite a ride.

I thought at all, love.

And, er, anytime you want to go a bit further.

Sunday, maybe?

Hmm.

Desperately tempting, though, that is.

I find I'm washing my hair that evening.

Besides.

Besides?

I think perhaps your dance card may soon be a little full.

Quick word, Mr. Hall.

Well, isn't this nice?

Who are you?

We thought, Mr. Hall, that it was high time we had a little chat.

Listen, I know my right.

Straight out of the block.

This was pointing to hear me, Mr. Hall.

One point deducted already.

Point we're talking about.

Listen, you can't stick anything on me.

There you go again.

Right?

Textbook, quotidian, banal.

What?

Well, you see, the inspector and I have been through this routine a hundred times.

Thousand.

You have no idea how tedious it is, having to listen to the same old stock

responses from gnarly old lags, like something from the musical.

Hold your hand out, you naughty boy.

Hold your hand out for them.

So here's the question that you would ask, would it not for your fear of me,

dinging you?

Why would I want to kill poor Mr. Harkup?

Well, why would I?

I wouldn't hurt a fly.

I never did it, but you meant to go into the shop.

Yeah.

Yes, all right.

I went there to talk things from to reason with him.

Now me and Marula got a little one on the way.

Oh, did you go with the express intention of

filtering the Jade elephant and replacing that?

That's a dirty lie.

Oh, bravo.

I haven't heard that one in a while.

You should put copper at the end, though.

What?

That's a dirty like copper.

It's much more effective.

But you ain't a copper, is ya?

No, fair point.

No, I ain't.

Isn't.

Aren't.

But I do have a special letter from Churchill.

So?

And well, you can't prove I did that.

No, but it's very probable you'll admit what happened then?

I waited outside the shop.

I knew he'd be in.

He never goes anywhere except Mondays and Thursdays.

I played dominoes down the ball.

I don't wait until after seven, but there was no sign of him.

So you went into the flat?

No sign of him.

But first, she'd come out.

Who?

The char.

Mrs. Dredge.

Coming out of chemist, acting all chifty.

Yeah, well, you know all about her.

She had something in her coat.

Trying her best to keep it hidden.

Didn't let her see me, obviously.

Where was this?

About six.

Come on.

And someone else come.

Looks like a bikini circus on your name book.

Couldn't see him properly what me eyes are now.

Oh, yes, we've heard all about that.

But it was a hymn.

I don't know the difference, mister.

Your reputation precedes you.

It was all bundled up.

Scarf.

Overcoat.

After he left, I went to the flat.

My door was shut behind my way around a lock.

So, you know, I went and...

That's not found him.

Marulu's dad days stung that...

Sir, naturally, you thought you should call the police.

Well, that wouldn't have been a very wise thing to do with it.

I almost just licked it.

And then I remembered about the ornaments.

A jade figures.

A month ago, he told me about how precious they was.

I thought no one was going to miss one of them, aren't I?

Last for you, that wasn't quite a kiss.

I made a little chest set with me.

So I swapped one.

Then I took off straight home, I swear.

I never killed Harkup.

I never even touched him.

He was dead when I got there.

All right, son, maybe you're telling the truth, maybe you're not.

Let me assure you, if you are lying, if you think

you can take Scott any hard for her, all right?

I'll come down on you so hard you won't be able to see straight till Christmas.

I'll throw the bloody bucket at you.

It's Spectre.

Are we believing?

Ben does dog's hind leg.

Is he a murderer?

I need to think.

Do you have time to kill?

I'm planning a casserole.

Is your stopping moaning, love?

Chance would be a fine thing.

Come on, ain't it sharp?

No, that's not going to wrap itself.

Well...

She's new.

At NYU, we'll be able to breathe and die.

What?

You're watching?

Over, over, under, under.

Thank you.

Bye.

Bye, come on in, let's be having you.

So now to turn your vegetarian.

Oh, our cat brought home a pigeon the other night.

And?

Well, Mrs. Bliss was sorely tempted.

You have plenty of pigeons in the wall.

Are they wrong with a bit of pigeon?

Yeah.

I know, but now it's all over.

We want to wave a bit higher, don't we?

We got all of us in the gutter and some of us are looking at the starlings.

Right, bugger this.

All right.

Excuse me.

Police business coming through, coming to police business.

Police business, thank you, thank you.

Sorry, sorry, madam.

Police business, thank you very much.

Oh!

But your bloody turn like the rest of us.

Oh, sorry, madam, sorry, madam.

Could just ask you to take a few steps outside.

Urgent police business.

Afternoon, Eric.

Oh, no, sir.

Now, stewing steak.

I've kept to the side, sir.

You are a prince amongst men.

Oh.

You've got something just there, hm?

Oh.

Excuse me.

Parded egg.

Bit of a rush breakfast.

How's Sheila?

Well, sir.

Well.

She's driven up to Sheffield.

Nice.

Terrible about your dark, huh?

Said Liz.

Oh, you are.

A wager old base art won't shed any tears.

Huh?

I never got on.

When you run in during the blitz, arc up was a stickler for the rules.

Always on a mister base art for being too slack.

Black out girl and showing light, that sort of thing.

Rob your tick.

Right then.

Where are we up to with the murders?

Murder, huh?

There's only one as far as I know.

Oh, yes.

Well, Mrs. Dredge, so she saw the chemist at approximately 6 p.m.

We have only her word for that.

Yes.

We did?

But Mickey Hall did say he saw her leaving with shop around

that time with something in her coat she wanted to keep hidden.

And she has a strong motive.

Now we know she inherits the heart.

So, harkup appears to have died somewhere between 6 and 10 according to Dr. Colter.

An awful lot could have happened in those four hours.

Now, we're presuming the killer called around and had no sign of false entry.

So, harkup knew them?

Probably.

I've told you this before.

In the out, Mr. Harkup, please.

It's about Marola.

I suppose you better come through.

So, he let them in.

There was some talk chat.

The killer proceeds to put Prusic acid down his throat.

I've got crooks.

Literally, I should imagine.

But why did he take just the one piece?

Well, well, well, well, well, well, grab the nut.

Then it would look like burglary, but as he wanted to make it look like suicide.

There we are, sir.

Oh, bless you, Eric.

Oh, um, anything for the dog.

I'll spoil you.

We'll do.

Would you like it, rats?

No, no, no.

He won't mind.

Thank you.

Toodle-pip.

Enjoy your day, gentlemen.

Cheerio.

Oh-ho, barrel.

Mrs. Dredge has motive and opportunity.

Mickey Hall, motive and opportunity.

What about Marola?

Mickey says the bundled up stranger is a man.

Then he would.

If they were in it together.

Do they know that Harkup is going to disin-head them?

Hello, Jack.

Sir.

Not for you.

Well, if you're done.

Oh, tied it up.

Tied it up.

Oh, dear.

Well, you said you wanted things cataloging.

So...

I need to put it in a proper order.

You've only done these shelves so far.

Yeah, sorry.

It takes time, you know.

Thank God.

Put it all back.

Hey?

Put it all back, just as it was.

I told you I have a system.

You'd said that...

Catalog it, I said, not desecrated.

Christ.

Oke.

I'm sorry.

He said, soon as men do they.

Well,

I think I might have done something right.

You found something?

Yeah, I have.

It's been cleaned recently.

The residue, you can see.

That's remains a silver polish.

Meaning?

Meaning that it got into the ground recently.

Probably dropped.

Or something far more sinister.

What are you getting at?

1665, year of the play.

Very specifically the year of play.

Not a year or two before.

Catalog.

Too convenient.

Horribly.

We're better to hide a tree than in the forest.

11 skeletons in the plague pit from the 17th century and the 12th of 1946.

Oh, bloody hell.

You said earlier, murders, plural.

Yes.

Linked.

No, I should think so.

Top of the class, Jack.

Really, I should give you the afternoon off to go to the pub.

So I will.

More specifically, the bull.

But the late Mr. Harkup used to play dominoes.

Take Nora.

Nora?

I believe you've met.

She's good at this sort of thing.

You can learn a lot.

Very much something.

What's this?

A list of addresses and a very particular question.

I'd be ever so grateful if you go a little field trip for me.

All right.

If you cook tonight.

I am.

Casserole.

Oh, Casserole.

Casserole.

Very irregular, this.

Kitty's on the premises.

I'm more kid.

You look like one.

Appearances can be very deceptive.

I'll have a drink if that's what you're worried about.

It would make it worse.

Should I have a lemonade?

Oh, what?

And I'll have a bottle of mild, please.

All right.

Thanks.

You'll have to get these.

What?

I'm going in money.

And now... Ask Mr. Buck.

We'll advance you your wages.

There you are.

Thanks.

Take the change.

You were saying, Mr. Hawker.

That's right, son.

Every Monday and Thursday.

Sit just over there.

Yeah, Mr. Welbel over the butcher.

Mr. Bess Hartley, R.P.

Warden.

Mrs. Eggers from the junk shop.

Mr. Cool in the tailor.

It's like happy families.

Mr. Two of you from the cobblers.

Mr. Hawker.

Oh, I've got the rest of his soul.

Yeah.

Are you with the coppers then?

In a manner of speaking.

I mean, I don't mind.

You know, I was in the force of myself back in the day.

Ah, poor old Hargle.

Didn't seem the type.

You know, to do with himself in.

Then, do they ever?

I know.

We had a teacher.

Life and soul drowned herself in a weird one.

I wasn't.

You didn't last saw him.

Well, that's the thing you see.

I saw Mr. Hargle just the day before.

Oh.

Yeah, he held a character it was.

Yeah, he marched in here in the middle of the day.

He was a man of very regular habits.

So it seemed a bit queer.

It seemed like I had a lot on his mind.

Said he was sitting on a secret.

Obviously eating them up a bit.

Did you get out of him?

The secret.

Ah, not at first.

No.

More than my life's worth, he said.

He said that.

It's very words, son.

And the next dear.

Dead.

Did he, erm... elaborate?

Yes, son.

Eventually, he did.

Now, Mr. Hargle was a very upright citizen.

You see, he suspected one of his pals was cheating at Spotty's.

Spotty's?

Spotty's?

Domino's?

I don't smash him.

Well, Kess is useless.

Better than what you're used to.

Oh, yeah.

So, er, you were saying, er, Scarlet Fever?

Well, that's what brought us together, yes.

We met on the Scarlet Fever Ward when we were, what, both?

Twelve?

And so, what?

You fell for each other, right from the off?

Er, it wasn't quite like that, no.

A profitable day.

Oh, I'm not sure.

I put my foot right in it.

Oh.

I tried to tidy Mr. Book's bookshelves.

I mean, I don't think I did too much damage, but...

And then I was out and about with Nora, detecting.

Well, it's certainly put some colour in your cheeks.

So, go on then.

If you didn't fall for each other straight away, when did you know?

You'll forgive me, my dear, but we'll have to know each

other rather better before such confidences are exchanged.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry.

No, not at all.

I didn't mean to overstep, but... Not at all.

You haven't.

I do hope we'll become fast friends, Jack.

It's complicated.

That's all.

Book and I weren't separable for years.

Then...

Life got in the way.

Love is where it falls, isn't that what they say?

I didn't trouble you for life, can I?

Sorry, I...

I don't smoke.

Sure.

And why are things more than formal between you and your employer?

I present that question, Inspector.

Nevertheless.

I won't deny there was a degree of affection between George...

between Mr Harkup and myself.

If you've been doing for someone all those years...

Well, that's my point, Mrs Tregis.

I know what you were doing.

What my friend is trying to suggest... I know full well what he's trying to suggest.

What he's trying to elucidate then is whether this affection took any more...

tangible form.

Well, what's it going to do with you?

Well, the fact is, Mrs Tregis, certain new facts have come to light.

Mr Harkup gave the lot to you, love.

The shark will go well this whole estate.

All yours.

Never.

I didn't see that coming.

Everything.

Is your son at home, Mrs Tregis?

He's so upstairs in bed.

A late riser.

A war hero.

His Wellington came down over Holland, 44.

I'm sorry.

Nothing to be sorry for.

He survived, didn't he?

Given that we don't believe Mr Harkup took his own life...

you can see why that leaves you in a rather difficult position.

Do you never think I talked to him?

The fact remains, you're in a rather sticky position, Mrs Tregis.

The new will was properly signed the witness.

Well, I don't know anything about that.

But you could have done.

You could have found a draught when you were cleaning...

and decided to speed things up a bit.

What am I knocking off, Mr Hark?

Yes.

Barmy.

No, it's her you should be talking to, Marula and him.

Mickey Hall, have you nabbed him?

He is assisting us with our inquiries.

Oh, well, good.

That's something, then.

In fact, Mr Harkup's been most helpful.

Yes?

Yes.

Yeah, most helpful.

In fact, he told us...

that he saw you leaving the chemistry shop the night of the murder.

There's no mystery there.

I told you.

I saw it.

Leaving and trying your very best to conceal something.

Bandages are hot.

I told you for else.

I was just trying to hide.

You lost a leg, didn't you, your son?

Ha, ha, ha.

One of them worn and creased the other, almost completely smooth.

His prosthesis must need constant attention and painful.

I should imagine.

Very, very painful.

Of course.

Came for enough for morphine.

Why didn't you just ask, Mr Harkup, to help?

I couldn't.

Alf needs more than he's ever given by the doctor.

Someone needs some extra.

I didn't think Mr Harkup would notice when he did.

And he assumed Mickey Hall must have done it.

I couldn't tell him it was me.

He was such a stickler, you see, for the rules.

Well, how could I tell him I'd had away with drugs from his own shop?

You've no idea what it's like, the pain.

My poor elf.

See, you dropped in on the pretext of getting

bandages and instead stole more morphine.

And Mr Harkup was alive when you left him.

I swear on my son's life.

If you'll excuse me.

Yes, of course.

Oh, and...

When do I get it there?

Hey, Cotton?

They're money.

Not that event.

No, life is hard, Mrs Harkup, but not a killer.

No, then he did it.

Bem, two murders, remember?

Bem, then.

I'll expose it to you straightforward for you to, you know, just tell me.

It would be my friend.

Well, no.

Not my pleasure.

You're going to need backup, Inspector.

What?

What?

Oh, no, no, sorry, we're just...

Good evening, sir.

Eric.

Oh, we're just closing, I'm afraid.

That's all right.

Her Sheila.

Well, you asked me that, Mr Book.

Oh, yes.

She's in Sheffield.

What day did you drive up there?

Oh, it was, um...

Thursday.

Yes, Thursday.

Nice.

Well, if there's anything special, I'm going to help you with, sir, you know?

I've got a lot on.

But she couldn't have done that.

Could you, Eric?

When Trotty bought it her car.

On Friday.

No, then, Mr Wubber loved her.

I didn't mean a do-or-in.

I can't come on.

Things hadn't been right for some time.

Always raring, we were.

And then...

I'll make her...

Thinking.

Oh, an old fool and a young beauty.

It's a very old tale.

When did you know, Mr Book, if you don't mind me asking?

I suspected right away that something was off.

And that was confirmed when I discovered that

some of the bones in the plague pit were newer.

Though you'd made an effort to age them.

Gravy brown in hell.

Sheila uses it on her legs.

When the fool would get annoyed on.

That's the knife marks on them are very distinctive.

I checked your handiwork.

That bone you gave me for dog.

So, for the sake of a future with Messina Dclag.

You sent your wife to me a make-up.

Then, for yourself confronting the murderer's oldest dilemma.

Getting rid of the corpse.

It's been simple for you, not being a stranger to the notion of chopping things up.

Unfortunately Inspector, people can tell the

difference between the bones of hogs and homo sapiens.

So, I think that after removing the flesh from your unfortunate wife.

Flensing her.

You still needed to dispose of her skeleton.

Which is where the caustic soda comes in.

Precisely freely available at any chemist.

Getting rid of her body, are you?

Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

Drines.

It's for the Drines, George.

Terrible poll.

Alkaline hydrolysis.

Is that what you were going for?

I read about it, see.

Funny the things you pick up in this train.

Caustic soda.

It is old flesh.

I'd used it before to get rid of carcasses, you know.

It didn't work properly.

You know, lots of them.

Lots of bones left.

I didn't know what to do.

And then... And then, Basshard mentioned the skeletons that he'd found.

Strange to think that if it wasn't for the Luftwaffe, we'd never have known those

poor devils were under our feet all these years.

You told the carpet?

Not just yet.

No rush, I suppose, out of 300 years.

I've put a tar over the crater.

Well, you know what, kids are like.

They probably run off with the bones and give them to a dog.

Anyway, cheerio.

Oh, no.

As

I said, we're better to hide a tree than in a forest.

Who would notice?

Oh, you.

And there was this, of course.

Eric here, though exhibiting a lively scale

at improvisation, is not an imaginative man.

No offence.

Not cool for it.

More kind.

It's me.

Rather overdid it by planting the coin in the plate pit.

That rang an alarm bell straight away.

So armed with a description of our suspect, my wife made

a short but instructive tour of the local curioshops.

All those.

I didn't know we hadn't gone further afield to get the coin.

An imaginative, remember?

Anyone conceiving so clumsy or clue would

never stray far from their own neighbourhood.

Eric was very much in the frame when I noticed the clincher in the queue.

And the butchers.

Notice what?

Powdered egg.

Oh, you've got something.

Just there, right?

Excuse me.

Powdered egg.

Bit of a rush breakfast.

Such an intimate thing to do.

With absolutely no acknowledgement from Mr. Welbelab.

Ah-ha.

I thought.

Ah-ha.

How's Sheila?

Well, sir.

Well.

She's driven up the Sheffield.

A nice family.

I inquired with Sheila's family.

In Yorkshire, they seem neither hide nor hear of her, of course.

So, it all looked rosy.

And then... I've got the note.

I suspected something of the kind.

Some sort of vague threat.

Urgent that we took.

I don't want to have to take this to the authorities.

I hope we can sort this matter between ourselves.

And you assumed it was about the murder.

Of course.

What?

And it wasn't?

No.

What?

And what was it about?

Domino's.

What?

Mr. Harkup was a stickler for the rules, as we know.

He suspected you of cheating at his favorite pastime.

That's all it was.

No, it had to be a threat.

About Sheila.

What else could it be?

So...

What happened next?

I didn't know I'd dare like to buy him off.

With cash.

With beef.

So he went round?

I was scared.

You know, scared of what he might say.

What if he wouldn't listen to the reason?

You know, there was poison everywhere all round.

And so I kept him talking.

I just needed to tell the truth.

George just told the truth.

Erick.

And then, yeah, I took my chance.

I got old of him, and then I pulled the poison down his throat.

Right.

You poisoned him.

Oh, yeah, it's all.

Nothing else.

Hey.

You see, that's very interesting, Erick.

Because before he was poisoned, George Harkup was struck over the head.

And the weapon left a bloody residue in his hair.

You remember there was blood, but no wound, Inspector?

Yes.

Dr. Calder analyzed it for me.

Cow's blood.

Ah.

And you would have known that, Erick.

If you'd been the one who'd hit him with a joint of beef.

No.

Yes, no, no, no.

I remember now.

No, I did it.

I don't think so.

So who did?

In it.

Obviously neglected to mention the part where she clobbered Mr Harkup.

Was it her idea?

From the start?

No!

She

was... In it family.

After I'd straggled.

After Sheila died.

She just took charge.

I didn't know what to do.

In it was so.

Thought I'd go.

And...

We rang him before he was going to be okay and...

What the hell did we do now?

Leave this to me.

Ah.

I had to finish the job.

Make it look like suicide.

She brought Prasic Acid down poor Mr Harkups.

Got it.

Thought we'd just say that I did it.

Please.

I mean I'll swing, won't I?

But he did.

The law must take its course.

I'm sorry I like I truly am.

I'm even more sorry for George Harkup.

And poor Sheila.

Oh.

Right.

Thought we'll charge that sign up.

We've been taken to a whole week.

Very good of you.

Thank Mrs Boog.

She said you might be a while.

Quite a tale.

Which I could have set in on it.

I'm pushing my luck as it is.

We've seen you play before with questioning now.

What exactly did you do in the war?

It must have been a pretty big for you to get that letter from Churchill.

If the inspector said you have a run of the shop like this.

No, no, Jack.

Don't be nosy.

Where would the fun be?

If everyone knew everything, right?

Besides I hardly had the run of the place.

Not with laughing boy there hovering the whole time.

It's just waiting for his chance to call me.

The slightest malfeasance.

Surely you're a model of respect to better aim, Mr Boog.

You'd be surprised.

They got Ivan the Velo for his petrol coupons.

All right, where are you?

There you go.

Eric.

Eric!

Right.

No, no, no, contact.

Can you?

Enough of that.

That's enough.

One for Eric.

Love you.

Right.

Eric, come here.

Pull back.

Oh, ow, ow, ow.

Eric.

Come on, man.

Don't be a fool.

Take us here.

Eric.

Did you?

That way.

Come on.

Come on.

Come on.

Where did he

go?

Oh.

Crater.

This is... Was... Incumin Street.

Which means...

Mr Bay's heart's fastidiousness has come good at last.

I guess the ready thing's still working.

All right, well be loved.

Come quietly.

See him?

There.

Eric, stop.

To lose him.

Try it.

I'm going in.

Let me talk to him.

Where are you going to run to, Eric?

There's nothing to be done.

Where will you go?

Eddie?

You can give

up today or tomorrow, Eric.

It's inevitable.

The law must take its course.

That's what you say.

You're not stringing me up.

Eric, no.

No.

You sure do that to me.

I've seen this girl.

It's not always kind.

Eric, stop.

What about Enid?

You're going to leave the face of the rope alone.

You're right.

She did all this for me.

All for me.

I

Can't leave her to face the music, can I?

If we're going to go.

We go together.

No!

For him, the headlock shall distill.

For him, the axe be bad.

For him, the jibber shall be built.

For him, the steak prepared.

I see him up there with Mr. Book.

And then...

Wallop.

He just fell.

Dropped like stone, I mean he must have broke his neck.

Sad business.

Very sad.

Well, this is a treat.

Pineapple chunks haven't had these before the war.

So what now?

What do you mean?

We'll just go back to selling books.

That's the job, Jack, just Jack.

Yeah, but that was... Yeah.

It was so bloody exciting.

It can't be like this all the time, young man.

And anyway...

Who are you?

You haven't really said.

Jack Blunt.

I was brought up in an orphanage, like I told you.

Made acquaintances with the wrong sort.

Had their time for it.

Oh.

Yeah, oh.

I was the driver for a smashing grab up Mayfair way.

They got away with a load of mint coats.

I got away for two years.

I missed the war.

Some of it anyway.

And then...

I'll get a letter.

From the Prison Reform Society.

And a dress.

For a job.

This a dress.

Well, there we are.

There's no need to mention it again.

Yeah, but why me?

Why'd you pick me?

Altruism.

What?

Giving a second chance to someone felt like the right thing to do.

Yeah, but you don't know me from Adam.

Oh, he was hopeless, wasn't he?

I was always wandering around the shop in the altogether.

Getting his fig leaf trapped in the tomb.

I'm serious.

I mean, bloody hell.

I am grateful and all that, but...

It's nice here.

It's really nice, but... Books is a raft on the great turbulency of life.

And you mean books are a raft?

No, no, books.

This place, my shop.

Don't dwell in it, Jack.

Just accept it.

It's a second chance.

But why me?

Why not?

You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.

Shakespeare.

May West.