Original subtitles

[Music]

That's

peculiar. I

say I

say I say

[Music]

And you saw nobody apart from the woman

and the man lying down. I telling you, I

never looked. What were you doing off

the grinders that day?

He is certainly lying, inspector.

About what and why?

Oh, excuse me, sir, but there's a

gentleman here from Sea Hampton, a

dealer in old coins. He saw the picture

of Paul Alexis in the paper and thought,

"You ought to know something."

[Music]

Alexis did what? He drew his last £300

out of his bank account and bought 300

girls sovereigns.

What kind of man spends his last savings

on 300 gold sovereigns, buys a return

ticket to Darly, walks to an isolated

rock, and cuts his throat? As Banter

would say, a very gratifying little

mystery. But look here, I say if he did

have £300 in gold sovereigns on him, it

does give someone a motive for murder.

The inspector thinks that old Pollock

rode into the shore, stole the money,

and cut Alexis's throat. Well, it would

explain why his grandson went to Ireland

to dispose of a gold. Personally, I

think the gold might have a rather

different significance.

I hope I'm not intruding, Miss Bain, but

I thought you and Lord Peter might like

a nice cup of tea and some fancies.

That's very kind of you, Mrs. Frank. Oh,

think nothing of it, my dear. I always

say I'm not against my ladies seeing

their gentleman friends, nor contrary

wise, provided there's no trouble

caused.

Mrs. Leang, uh, according to what Miss

Fain has told me, you knew Paul Alexis

pretty well. Can you think of any reason

why I might have wanted to commit

suicide? Indeed, my lord, I cannot. And

you could have knocked me down with a

feather. Why only the night before he

was in such spirits laughing and joking

he was and talking wild. He just had one

of them foreign letters. All stuck over

with foreign stamps and addressed in

funny handwriting. He used to get so

excited when one of them came. He was

just like a little boy. Ma used to say,

"When my ship comes in, I'll give you a

tiara stuck full of diamonds and make

you housekeeper to royalty." Royalty? I

think that was just his way of talking.

And one of these letters arrived just so

it did. And it must have been a long

one, for he was shut in this very room

that Tuesday night. Hours and hours he

was pouring over it.

Oh, thank you,

Ma. You know, Ma, one of these days

you'll find that I've spread my wings

and flown

away. Drink your

tea. Poor boy. I can see now. That was

just his way of breaking it to me. But

how could I guess? He was in such

spirits. And that very morning, he gave

me his week's money. I know it's early,

he said, cuz of course it's not due

until Saturday. But if I give it to you

now, it'll be safe. Then out he went.

And I never saw him again. Oh, here's

your latch key, dear. I had a new one

cut because poor Mr. Alexis took his

away with him when he

went. Well, drink your tea while it's

hot and enjoy your fences. Thank you,

my

lord. High spirits took his latch key to

say nothing. I buy a return ticket. But

he did pay her a week's lodgings before

it was due, which suggests to me that he

knew he wasn't coming back. M. I'm still

putting my shirt on

murder. I've brought a little list of

suspects. I thought it might help to go

through them. Oh, by all means.

Um, first of all, Perkins. Thank you.

The uh hiker. That was his name, wasn't

it? Oh, yes. The man I met on the road

who was so terrified of encountering the

murderer, he turned and walked back with

me to Darling. Unless he was the

murderer and wanted to keep an eye on

him. I suppose that's

possible. He did appear rather

unexpectedly and then disappear just as

soon as I got to Darly to telephone the

police.

You don't think that he and Bright could

be one and the same? Oh, no. No,

definitely not. Perkins was thin and

weedy, but he was quite a different

build. And he certainly didn't have one

shoulder higher than the other. Well,

then number two is Mr. write the

itinerant barber in possession of the

razor and gives a very unconvincing

story of conveying it to Alexis. A funny

way he had of talking, quick and sort of

poetic, you

know. So he put the razor in his

pocket and he said, "Funny we should

meet

tonight. Two minds with but a single

thought." And then off he went.

Other fancy. Oh. Uh, no thanks.

Number three, old Pollock the fisherman.

If his grandson ever gets back from

Ireland, we might find out what he was

doing off the grinders that day. You

think that's important? Only if it

prevented him from speaking the truth

about who was on the shore. I

see. Number four must be Havlin Martin.

Yes, your mysterious camper. He arrived

just before the death and left just

after. Are we anywhere near Darly? Yes,

10 minutes down the road. First right,

half a mile in left. He deliberately

chose a campsite right by the sea. With

access to a horse that could have

conveyed him to the flat iron rock. But

surely I'd have seen the horse from down

on the beach. Not if he'd slapped it on

the ramp and sent it home and then seen

you approach him, hid in the niche in

the rock. Well, then why didn't Pock see

him from his fishing boat?

Ah, maybe he did see him and he's

lying.

So, Hav and Martin is our favorite so

far.

We've yet to establish a motive. Well,

the only person we know to have had a

perfect measure of is Henry Weldon, who

was quite determined that his mother

shouldn't marry Paul Alexis. And as far

as we know, he was in Lincolnshire.

However, Bunter, at my suggestion, is

taking the liberty of checking up on our

Mr. Weldon. Oh, well, I might beat him

to it. I'm going to do a little private

detecting myself. Yeah, Henry Weldon has

invited me out tomorrow with his mother.

I think he wants to pump me, but I shall

pump him instead. I shall buy a big hat

and a flowery dress and high heel shoes

and vamp him. What an appalling idea.

No, not really.

After all, it's in my interest to

establish whether or not he's a possible

murderer. You've left out one

suspect. Harriet

Vain. Recently tried for the murder of

her lover and acquitted by the skin of

her teeth. Says she saw Alexis dead at

around 2:00, but can bring no evidence

to prove she didn't kill him. Took 3

hours to walk 4 and 1/2 miles to

telephone the police, by which time the

body had been washed away.

claims to have met Perkins on the road,

but can neither produce him nor any

evidence that he

exists. The police suspected her from

the beginning and probably still do. I'm

sure they don't. You do realize they

searched my room at the respplendant.

Did they? By God. I shall have something

to say to an inspector about that. Oh,

for God's sake, Peter. Spare me your

night errantry. Do you think I have no

wits? Do you think I don't know why you

came galloping down here at 5 minutes

notice? Do you think it makes it any

more pleasant for me to know that it is

only the patronage of Lord Peter Whimsy

that prevents men like Traround from

being openly hostile to

me? I suppose you thought I was being

rather brazen getting publicity out of

the thing? What did you expect me to do?

Wait for the newspapers to drag the

juicy bits out of the dust bins for

themselves? What did Sulam Hardy say to

you when he telephoned you? I say,

whimsy, that vain woman has got herself

mixed up in another murder. What did you

say to him? Threatened to kick his teeth

in if he didn't show me more respect.

No, no, not quite, but pretty

near. I wish you'd stop meddling in my

affairs. I know I'm supposed to be

grateful, and I suppose you think that

if you go on protecting me long enough,

I'll eventually be softened and weakened

and fall into my arms. Oh, Harriet, do

give me the credit for a little

intelligence. Do you think I don't know

that I'd stand a much better chance if I

was deaf, blind, maimed, starving,

drunken, and dissolute, so that you

could have the fun of being magnanimous?

That's a beastly thing to say. Is it?

Why do you think I treat my own

sincerest feelings like something out of

a comic opera? If it isn't to save

myself from the humiliation of seeing

you try not to be utterly nauseated by

them. Do me the justice of remembering

that you can hurt me a damn sight more

than I can hurt you.

I'm sorry. I'm being horribly

ungrateful. Oh, hell am I never to stop

hearing the bleed of that filthy

adjective. I don't want gratitude. I

don't want kindness. I don't want

sentimentality. I just want common

honesty. But that's all I ever

wanted. I don't think it's to be

had. Harriet, I do understand.

I know that you don't want ever again to

be dependent on another person for your

happiness. That's true. That's the

truest thing you've ever said. All

right, I can accept that. But you've got

to play the game. Don't force an

emotional situation and then blame me

for it. I don't want any situation. I

just want to be left in peace. But But

you're not a peaceful person. You'll

always make trouble. Why not fight it

out on equal terms and enjoy it? I'm a

Bonnie fighter. Well, all right.

It all sounds so dreary and exhausting.

Oh, Harry, don't say that. Harry,

darling, beast, angel, vixon, don't say

that. Call me anything you like, but not

dreary. Not like one of those things you

find in clubs. Here, here, take this

one. It's much bigger and quite

clean. Don't tell me I've been boring

you internably all this

time. You once said that if anybody

married me, it would be for the pleasure

of hearing me talk piffle. Well, I how

dare say that sort of thing Pauls after

a while. Oh, I'm babbling. I know I'm

babbling. What on earth am I to do about

it? It's not fair.

It's not fair. You always make me

laugh. I can't fight. I'm too

tired. You don't seem to know what tired

means. Stop. Let go. I won't be bullied.

Please go away, Peter. Leave me alone.

[Music]

You really want that? Yes. Yes, I do.

[Music]

You are ready. Come on now. You

[Music]

are here. Morning.

Mr. Weldon about

You're from the bank, I suppose. No, I'm

not. As a matter of fact, Mrs. Weldon,

is it? Mrs. Stern. Mr. Weldon isn't

married. I'm his housekeeper. Sorry. No,

I just wanted to chat with Mr. Weldon

about his insurance. Oh, why?

Well, he isn't here, I'm afraid.

[Music]

Was he expecting you? No. No. I had

other business in the area, so I took a

chance. You don't know when he'd be back

then. I really couldn't

say. His mother had a bit of trouble.

You might have read about it. A

gentleman friend of hers cut his throat

on the beach. Oh, yes. I read about that

in the paper. So, Mr. Weldon had to go

to Wiveron to be with her. Well, that

would explain it. Farmers don't often

leave the place in my experience. Oh,

Mr. Weldon gets away two, three days,

most every month. Really? Business or

pleasure? I couldn't

say. He's quite a sporting gentleman. He

often goes to New Market and he's very

keen on them pointto-points.

Good rider, is he?

My husband is cowmaner. He says there

ain't nothing Mr. Weldon don't know

about animals but he don't know much

about

farming. I shouldn't have said that. Not

at all. We can't all be good at

everything. He leads quite a social life

then. Oh no. They do say he's quite a

one with the ladies, but I've never seen

any sign of it here. No, Mr. Weldon is

very quiet. His mother used to visit,

but she hasn't been here in the last

year or

two. And there was that bearded

gentleman came to stay last June.

Bearded, eh? I wonder if that might be a

colleague of mine. Tall, slim chap,

foreign. Oh, dear me. No. Quite

respectable, Mr. Field was. Definitely

not

foreign. Wore a dark suit. More what you

call a city gen.

Oh, well, mustn't waste any more of your

time. Would you tell Mr. Welen I called?

Certainly.

Oh, uh, Mrs.

Stern, just for my own record, I uh did

try and contact Mr. Welen on the the sea

the

16th. That would have been the day that

Mrs. Welen's friend was found on the

beach. Oh, no. He was away from home all

that week. I remember. He got back here

on a Thursday. Then he had the letter

from his mother and he had to say off

again.

I

see. Tragic business then. Come along,

Miss Vain. I know you ladies like sweet

things. Oh no, I really shouldn't.

David, we're going. Goodness for that.

You know, it was some one lump of sugar,

wasn't it? Yes. Thank you.

easily for you. Do it. I have to do it.

So,

what a nice place this is. Yes, Henry.

It really was very clever of me to find

it. It's so simple and charming. It's

not the only thing that's charming.

Mr. Well done. Or tea, can you dear?

Thanks. Yeah, bit quiet for my taste. I

wouldn't mind buying it. See if I can

make a go of it.

Get a gaming license. Turn that room

into a casino. Build a dance hall out

the back where the stables are. Oh, but

I think that would quite spoil the

atmosphere. Don't you, Miss? Well, I

don't really know. I expect Mr. Weldon

knows best. Gentlemen usually do, don't

they?

You could set up a riding stables, but

then I suppose you'd have to know an

awful lot about horses for that. Well,

as a matter of fact, knows all about

horses. He wins races and everything.

Goodness. Do you really? and with the

odd point to point, you know. Do you own

a horse, Mr. W? No, I can't afford it.

Wesler. Oh, now Henry, we're not going

to talk about money when we're all

having such a lovely time. Miss Bane do

have a cake. They're just like the

ones they make in the warming pan in

Wilk. I couldn't eat another bite. Thank

you. They don't actually make them in a

warming pan.

How absurd you are. You know perfectly

well the warming pan is a tea shop. Oh,

he's such a tease, Miss

You know, I believe that's the first

time I've laughed since poor Paul's

death. I can never forget him, even for

a moment.

But pain will get less. I know it

will, especially if Dear Lord Peter can

discover who murdered him.

Yes,

mother. Would you like a game of ping

pong, Miss Vain? Mother will settle up,

won't you? Oh, no. We can't leave, Mrs.

Nonsense. You young people go and enjoy

yourselves. Waitress,

I must say I think it's perfectly

splendid of you to come and stay with

your mother when she's in such trouble.

It can't be easy to leave the farm. No,

it's a beastly nuisance. As a matter of

fact, still, it makes such a difference

to have somebody kind and sympathetic to

talk to. Glad you find me sympathetic.

Mr. Weldon, I was talking about your

mother.

Only dukes and lords for you, eh?

Bet you find me a bit different from

whimsy. Oh yes, rather.

I say it's a dashed awkward hat of

yours. Oh, don't you like it? Oh, yes.

Topping suits you down to the ground,

but does keep a fellow at a distance.

So, I should hope. We are supposed to be

playing

pingpong, right? Should we have a little

practice

first?

Here it goes.

Sorry. I say, talking of whimsy, I want

you to do something for me. Yes.

Anything I can. Well, do see if you can

persuade him to drop it. Drop it. Yes.

All the time my mother thinks there's

anything in this idea of Alexis being

murdered. She'll hang on in Wilverham

like grim death. Besides, she's making

complete ass of herself. I want her to

go away and put the whole thing behind

her. Yes, I do understand. I'll do what

I

can. Though I doubt whether I'll be able

to persuade Lord Peter. You know what

men are. Bet you know. All right.

I'm not very good at this. I think I'll

have to take my hat off. Good idea.

You

know, the truth

is I don't think you're holding your bat

quite right. Let me show

you. You know, you're a dashed

attractive.

Hello,

[Music]

Mr. Fell. You see, that's what I

remembered about the camper Martin. that

he had a red and blue snake tattooed on

his arm. There's no doubt about it.

Henry Weldon and Havlin Martin are one

and the same. I've been kissed by a

murderer.

Did he know you'd spotted it? I don't

think

so. He was trying to kiss me, so I

screamed and boxed his ears very hard.

I'm delighted to hear that. And then we

went back to Mrs. Weldon. We said that

the children had lost a ping pong ball

or something. And then Henry drove us

back to Wilham very badly. And then I

dropped the messaging at your hotel.

Very glad you did.

I'm sorry I provoked that stupid

quarrel. It's all my fault.

You're in an awkward

situation. I'm in an awkward

situation. I'd like to make a proposal

to you. No, not that one. I'll try not

to say silly things, even if I think

them. And you I'll try not to be stupid

and ungracious just because you once

saved me from the gallows. And together,

in a free and equal partnership, we will

endeavor to solve this singularly

fascinating

murder. That a bargain? Should I spit on

my hand? If you've been kissing Henry

Weldon, I'd rather you do.

But look here. Surely the murder's

solved. where agreed Henry Weldon had

the motive. He didn't want Alexis to get

hold of his mother's money. Now we

discover he's disguised himself as

Havland Martin. Planted himself on a

campsite not far from the scene of the

crime. The case is solved. Shall I tell

the police for you? I think you should,

but not quite yet.

Like to give Henry a bit of a surprise.

You feel him brave? Not very.

Good evening. Well

done. Hey,

would you mind joining us?

You gave Miss Vain quite a shock. What

business is it of yours? I really think

you ought to have told us that you'd met

Miss Vain before.

What are you talking about? Last

Wednesday at Hanks Lane. If you wish to

remain incognito, Mr. Well, can I

suggest you get rid of that tattoo?

I suppose the cat's out of the bag.

You're not denying that you were in

Wilkham the week of Alexis's death. Not

much point, is there? So, you came down

here in elaborate disguise to prevent

your mother's marriage to Paul Alexis?

Not exactly in

disguise. To be perfectly frank, I have

a lady friend in Cambridge. Miss Vain

won't mind. You're a woman of the world.

Oh, certainly. Nice little woman,

devoted and all that. Husband won't

divorce her. Suits me all right. But if

my mother ever found out, so whenever I

want to nibb over for a spot of uh

domestic bliss, where Mr. and Mrs.

Havland Martin, all perfectly

respectable and right as rain, besides,

it saves gossip and so on. How very

convenient. Yes, isn't it? And it means

that I could come and snoop around here

and see what I could find out about this

little jigalow's plans without my mother

knowing. Buy him off. Persuade him it

would be a good idea. And did you see

him in pursuance of this ingenious

scheme? No, he cut his throat first. Bit

of luck that. So first thing Thursday

morning, I packed up and left. First

thing Thursday morning, how did you know

Alexis was

dead? Oh no, you don't catch me as easy

as that. I went into the feathers on

Wednesday night and they were all full

of the dead man found on the shore and

the local Bobby came in and said that

identified him as Alexis. I thought I'd

better nip off home in case my mother

wrote to me which she

did. I say Miss Vain, you won't tell her

all this, will you? That depends. The

police would have to know. Oh, I don't

mind about the police. I have nothing to

hide from them. Johnny, where's that

scotch? Yours?

No. Perhaps you wouldn't mind uh giving

an account of your movements on

Wednesday last October the 16th. Oh, no.

Rather not. All the details, as they say

in the tech stories, eh? Well, let's

see. I had breakfast about 9:00. Eggs

and bacon, if you want to be particular.

And then I thought I'd better be getting

into Wilkum. Couldn't get that nasty

little car to start again, so I thought

I'd better get a lift. Oh, do you have

any luck, sir? almost at glance. Very

decent sort of woman in a big red open

Bentley. Oh, do you know her name, sir?

Oh, I never thought to ask, but I do

remember the number of the car. Oh,

really, sir? Rather a funny one, as a

matter of fact. Oi

0101. I remember saying to this woman,

it's rather unlucky to have a number

like that because if you would wanted to

do a bit of speeding, it might stick in

a Bobby's mind. Oi, oi,

oi. We both laughed about that.

O I I

very amusing sir. So you got to welcome

about what time? Flagged the lift just

after 10. The good lady dropped me in

the market square and asked if I'd like

to be taken back to Darly. That was very

civil of her, sir. Oh, well, we headed

off pretty well, you know. Dash fine

looking woman. Anyway, she said she had

to leave just before 1:00 cuz she had a

tennis party to go to in Heathbury that

afternoon. So we arranged to meet in the

market square at 10:21. So you got to

welcome between what 10 10:30

and then No, I wandered down to the

winter gardens. I knew my mother was in

the habit of going to the band concert

and I wanted to make sure I'd be in the

clear up at the hotel with the

jigal. Sure enough, there she was. So I

dodged in the back row.

Dodged? But you were in disguise, sir.

Ah, well, dark glasses and a wig and a

mustache might be all right for other

people, but I couldn't chance it with

the old mother love and all that. So,

you didn't stay for the concert? Oh,

yes. I saved for the first half. I

bought a program. I've got it somewhere.

I'll let you have it. Won't do you any

good. It's all that silly classical

nonsense. And just as the first half is

supposed to be finished, Dashley didn't

play something extra. Uh, Bark's air for

a G-string or something.

Anyway, at Halime, I made sure my mother

was going to stay on, and then I

disappeared off up to the respplendant

to look for the jigalo.

And did you see him, sir? No, he never

showed. I waited for some time, but he

never made an appearance, so I decided

to call it a day. I met the lady with a

big red Bentley. Right. Oh, I got there

early, so I bought some collars at a

shop in the market square near the near

near the war memorial. Have a m I've got

the receipt

somewhere. You know how one puts these

things away? Yeah. Ah, here it is. Yes.

Gent outfitter Wilham. It's even got the

date on it.

Look. So, the lady drove you back to

Darly. You wouldn't know what time you

arrived there. Oh, as a matter of fact,

I do cuz I remember the church clock

striking one and saying that I hoped she

wouldn't miss her tennis party. Quick

thinking, sir.

So then I had lunch at the feathers and

then I thought I'd better get back to

the campsite to have another go at the

car, but it never got a spark out of it.

So I got hold of the garage man and he

came along and traced the trouble to a

fault in the HT lead and put it right.

And what time would that be? Oh, blessed

have I now? 3 half. Garage man could

probably tell you. Yes, I'm sure he

probably could, sir. Thank you.

Watertight. Watertight. Damn.

Suspiciously watertight. Do you know

what worries me? What? The woman who

gave him the lift and incidentally his

entire alibi? Why should she have a car

number that's so remarkably memorable?

Whoever even notices a car registration

number in the normal way. Oi 0101. I

don't believe it. Nor did I, but

unfortunately it exists. Constable Orman

recognizes it belongs to Mrs. Morham.

She owns a red Bentley and comes here

every year to visit the vicorage at

Heathbury. The vicorage? Afraid so.

Every year. School friend of the vicar's

wife. Oh dear. Oh dear, indeed. But I

have had a notion for an identification

confrontation. Oh. Well, when Mrs.

Morham picked him up if she did. Henry

Weldon was disguised as Havlin Martin

with his ginger wig, dark glasses,

mustache, and so on. Now, if I bring

them together unexpectedly and she

recognizes him without his disguise, I

mean, even the faintest flicker of a

recognition, then you'll know they were

in cahoots. But do you think they were?

Not really, but uh we have to make sure.

Do you think you could keep Mrs. Welen

out of the way tomorrow? Oh, yes,

certainly. She suffered enough as it is.

If Henry Welen really is the murderer,

I'd rather not be there when she finds

out. You say that you and Lord Peter

have discovered

something. Can you tell me yet what it

is?

Yes.

It hasn't yet been publicly announced,

but I don't see why the police would

mind. After all, we were engaged.

Yes. It appears that poor Alexis had

£300 in his bank

account, and that just a few days before

his death, he drew it all out and bought

300 gold

sovereigns.

Rather, rather an extraordinary thing to

do.

Of

course, I see it all. Really? Oh,

yes. My dear Paul was always so

conscious of the fact that I had more

money than he did.

And he was such a child. He drew out all

his money and bought that gold as a

wedding present for me.

Well, that's why I wanted to see you

privately. You see, I've had a word with

Inspector Patan, and he thinks there's

no reason why your mother should be told

by your little masquerade. After all,

you haven't done anything against the

law. And since you never actually met,

Alexis, it's jolly decent of your

whimsy. I do appreciate it. We men were

stick together, eh?

Good lord.

Thought I

recognized. Yes, it

is. Good morning.

Good morning. I dare say you've

forgotten. You very kindly gave me a

lift in your car the other day. Did I?

Well, yes. I believe you were wearing

dark glasses, weren't you? And you look

different then. Didn't you have a

mustache? I shaved it off. Oh, well,

that explains it. I hope the Morgan has

recovered itself. Oh, yes. The garage

people came and they discovered the

fault. Well, I'd better not delay. The

police want to see me. Something about

fixing the time of death of that poor

man who cut his throat. I had to be in

Wolver this morning for some last minute

chopping. I go back to London tomorrow.

So, the inspector suggested that we

should meet here. Better than the police

station, eh? Oh, yes. I was quite

alarmed when this nice young constable

came to the vicorage. afraid they were

going to have me up for speeding. Oy, I

I Oh,

yes.

Oi. To see.

Well, good

morning. What an extraordinary thing.

Why didn't the police tell me they'd

found her? Oh, I expect they wanted to

speak to her first. Check on my

alibi. Oh, well, no trouble about that.

Oh, no, inspector. No doubt at all.

That's the gentleman I gave the lift to

last Wednesday. He was wearing dark

glasses then, and he had um whiskers.

But as soon as I looked at him more

closely, and besides, he made some silly

joke about the number of my car, and we

both laughed at it. You know how one

does. And he mentioned it again just

now. No one else could have known about

that.

Yes. And you picked him up just outside

Darly at uh must have been about

10:00 and I dropped him in Wuungum and

arranged to pick him up again at a

quarter to 1 which I did. I dropped him

again in Darly at

1:00. I know that because I was going to

a tennis party at Colonel Cranton's and

I remember I looked at my watch and

decided that I had just enough time to

get back to Heathbury, have lunchon and

change.

Yeah.

Well, thank you very much, madam, for

your

assistance. Oh, perhaps you wouldn't

mind giving me your address in London.

No, of course not. It's 70 Park Grove,

Kensington. Well, I suppose I'd better

get on with my

shopping. You haven't found that poor

man's body yet.

No, madam. Not yet.

[Music]

The body was wedged into a deep crevice

at the far end of the grinder's rocks.

Normally, it would have floated free,

but was heavily weighted down with a

cash belt containing £300 worth of gold.

Was anything else found on the body? Uh

there was a passport, sir, recently visa

for France. And in the breast pocket of

the deceased, there was a leather note

case containing three one pound notes,

the return half of a railway ticket from

Wilkham to Darly Halt, and there was a

photograph. Perhaps you would describe

the photograph. Yes, sir. It was of a

lady in evening dress wearing diamonds

and a tiara. And it was inscribed uh

with my love Theodora.

You don't know the identity of this

lady. Inquiries are proceeding, sir. I'm

quiet. There was one other document in

the notecase. A single sheet of paper

covered with writing in purple ink.

Purple?

Mhm. It is badly stained with blood and

seaater and appears to be written in

code. Code, I see. Thank

you. I take it you've not yet succeeded

in deciphering this code. No, sir. Oh,

quite. Thank you, Jason. I gather we

have a witness to the original discovery

of the body on the

shore. You said that when you examined

the corpse, which was soon after 2 p.m.,

the blood was liquid. Yes. I handled the

sleeves and the front of the coat and

the gloves and they were soaked in

blood. They felt limp and wet. They

weren't stiff at all. Were they sticky?

No, they appeared to have been soaked in

fresh blood.

In your opinion, Dr. Furch, what was the

cause of death? Acute hemorrhage coupled

with the severance of the respiratory

tract.

Now, you've heard Miss Bhain's account

of her discovery of the body and her

statement that at 10 minutes past 2, the

blood was still liquid. What inference

do you draw as regards the time of

death? It would have occurred within a

very few minutes before she found the

body. Certainly not earlier than 2:00 at

the outside.

In your

opinion, would it have been possible for

the deceased to have cut his own throat?

Oh, really?

In my opinion, taking all the

circumstances into consideration, it

would appear probable the fatal injury

was self-inflicted in spite of the

absence of prior surface cuts. It is

rather rare for a suicide by this method

to be completely successful at the first

attempt, but it is by no means unknown.

In fact, Dr. Fudge,

it is unthinkable that Mr. Alexi should

have taken his own

life. He and I were engaged to be

married.

Can you uh can you tell us anything

about the photograph signed uh Theodora?

No.

But I know that Mr. Alexis had had a

very unhappy early life chiefly because

of the Russian Revolution. That this

lady may have

been his his sister or

In my opinion, Mr. Alexis was murdered

by Bolsheviks.

Any evidence to support that opinion?

Madam, I think that is for the police to

discover.

Quiet. Thank

you. I I let him take the razor and put

it in his pocket, though I'm sure if I'd

known what use he meant to make of it.

You said this meeting with the deceased

took place at midnight with the water

lapping against the espanade.

Yes, sir. Would it surprise you to know

that at midnight on that particular

night it was low tide and the water

would have been nowhere near the wall of

the Espanade? Uh, I could have been

mistaken. There. What did I say? I I

mean about the water, the waves. I've

been there a long time, but everything

else happened just as I said. I gave the

razor to the man I now know to have been

Mr. Alexis. I'm very sorry to say it,

but I did.

Farewell. You may stand

down. Members of the jur, you have heard

the evidence.

I won't disguise from you my own opinion

that the deceased took his own life. No.

No. As to why he should have done this.

It's not your business. Or would it be

my life?

[Music]

Well done, Inspector. I never saw an

inquest better handled. Such a tasteful

combination of disclosure and

suppression. I'm sure I don't know what

you mean, my lord. No, our uh big

problem now is keeping track of that

fellow Bright. I'm pinning my faith in

Sultan Hardy for that. Mr.

Bright, can you give me an address where

I can reach you?

Well, the reward, I'm sure you want to

claim the reward of my papers offering.

Oh, yes. Of course. In my situation, the

money would be very welcome. That's what

I thought out. So, where can I reach

you? to bring in a wicked verdict like

that. So good. I'm so sorry, Mrs. Welen.

It's very upsetting. I know.

I suppose you'll be leaving, Wilam.

It'll always have such distressing

memories. Indeed, my dear. I certainly

shall not. Nothing in the world could

persuade me to leave until the cloud is

lifted from my dear Paul's

memory. He did not commit

suicide. He was murdered.

And I know that you and dear Lord Peter

will prove it.

[Music]

She can't know that if we are to clear

Alexis's name of suicide, we have to

break her son's alibi. Yes, poor woman.

Do you think we can? To our

damnest. What I can't understand is why

Henry looks so

surprised when the time of death has

given us 2:00.

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

Mr. Landy, I see you keep your clock 10

minutes fast. So we do, Melo. All our

clocks are kept 10 minutes fast, but we

set them by the wireless every day, so

we always know what the right time is.

Excellent, because we were just

discussing the time that Mr. Alexis

killed himself. Oh, it's a shame about

that poor unfortunate gentleman, but it

has put Darly on the map at last. Daisy?

So it has, Mrs. London. Um, you had Mr.

Martin in here that day. Mr. Martin?

Gentleman with the dark glasses camped

up in Inks Lane. Oh, yes. So he was. He

had a nice lunch of boiled leg of mutton

and plum pie. I say that does sound

good. I don't suppose you remember what

time he arrived. Oh, no, Miss I wasn't.

Mrs. Morham dropped him off in that big

red car of hers at 1:00. Ah, uh, you

know, Mrs. Morgan. Well, the wife's

sister obliges at the vicorage at

Heathbury. Ah. Oh, really? And uh you

don't remember what time Mr. Martin

left? He left about half 1. Well, as

near as makes no difference. I remember

because I'd arranged to meet my sister

and I thought I was going to be late.

So, he had his lunch rather quickly.

Yes. So, he did, miss. He said he had to

get back to Inks Lane to have his car

fixed. So, half one. Off he went. Oh,

thank you, Mrs. Ly. We must come and try

some of that boiled mutton ourselves one

day. Thank you, my lord. Thank you, Miss

and rename it humble pie unless the

entire community including the childhood

friend of the vicer's wife is lying.

Henry Weldon alias Havlin Martin has a

cast iron alibi from 10 to 1:30. You've

always said you mistrust a cast iron

alibi. I have and so I do and if I could

break this one I would. But I can't. But

never mind. There's still the half hour

between when he left here and 2:00 the

time of a murder. Right. But is it

enough? And would it give him time to

get to the flat iron rock, commit the

murder unseen, and get away? Or hide in

the niche while I examine the body. An

alarming yet encouraging thought. Now,

means of transport or soccer. Oh, we

only have his word for it that the more

than one start. Isn't that put in the

car before the horse?

All right, let's say he dashed to the

campsite at Hinks Lane. Well, that's 15

minutes gone to begin with. Mhm. And let

us suppose he jumped into the Morgan and

drove like mad along the coast road,

scrambled down the cliff, dashed along

the beach to the flat iron rock, leaving

no footprints in the sand. Let's deal

with one impossibility at a time. Well,

there is that place further along where

that little rivullet runs down the

beach. Right. He tiptoed down the

riverlet, splashed through the waves,

and um left onto the flat iron rock to

keep his assignation with Paul Alexis.

All right, so that's 5 minutes. So if he

left here at 1:30 and given the 15

minutes it takes to get from here to

Hinks Lane, he must have driven from the

campsite to the clifftop in 10 minutes.

Test drive, my

[Music]

lord.

Ready, M. Ready, my lord. Go.

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

Heat. Heat.

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

12 minutes 20 seconds at an Average

speed of about 30 mph. Morton, which is

all very well if you're in a lag. Quite.

That rules the Morgan out. The coast

road is hardly the shortest distance

between two points. But the direct route

across the sands. Yeah, but the wheels

would sink in. Which brings us back to

Farmer Goodrich's horse. Fast becoming

my firm favorite. Who will oblige? Shall

we toss for it? He'll have to leave me

out, I'm afraid. I could only manage the

falling off bit. Heads or tails, bun?

Um, heads. Heads it is. And without a

saddle.

Very good, my lord.

All right, Mr. Bunder. Thank you, Mr.

Goodidge. Hey, come on. Gee up. Go on.

Good. Hey, up there.

[Music]

Can you see him? Not yet.

[Music]

Har. Yes.

We know this at Florence, Mr.

We do. On the fatal day, you arrived at

2:00ish. Yes. And the tide was right up,

starting to come in. Yes. And you could

see the dead man's footprints on the

sand. Yes.

Hoof marks from the water's edge to the

bottom of the rock.

There weren't any. Where?

There he is.

[Music]

Well done, Bunto. Well

[Music]

done. There rides the man who fills my

hot water bottle and cooks like his

[Music]

[Music]

coffee.

[Music]

Heat. Heat.

[Music]

[Music]

[Applause]

Come on, boy. Come on.

What's happened? I don't know, miss. He

just pulled up sudden as we approached

the rock.

Come on,

boy. Come on.

[Music]

Dead. Please don't.

Please don't make him, Peter. I won't. I

won't. Come on,

boy.

Well, Prince or

not, this horse witnessed the

murder. Heat.

Heat. Heat.

[Applause]

Heat. Heat.

Heat. Heat. Heat.

Hallelujah.