Original subtitles

You all right there?!

Yeah, all right!

- Constable Oates? Thank God! - What's up, Mr Pomeroy?

There's been a bad accident, in the bar. Someone's been killed

Look at me, please, Mr Kirby

On the night of the 15th there was...

a programme of dance music by Mr Henry Hall

On the third programme there was a talk on Egyptology

Do I take it, Mr Kirby, you are an Egyptologist?

Henry Hall. Yeah, that's right

We had a bottle of stout, Beryl and me, and some sandwiches and that

and then we listened to Henry Hall

Mr Kirby, you amaze me

For the first time in my life, I find myself addressing a man who,

despite all the rules of logic and natural law,

experiences no difficulty at all

in placing himself in three different locations at the same time

While you were at home with Miss Hoskins listening to Mr Hall,

you were also, as Miss Hoskins has already testified,

at the pictures with her watching Oliver Twist,

the young man who asked for more

You were also, as the court has already heard

from three other independent witnesses,

deep in conversation with Mr Slater at the Ajax Cafe

A remarkable achievement on your part,

for which you must take full credit

Do you want any more, Mr Kirby?

Oh, well done, you

Mr Watchman

Thank you

As I see it, you are asking me once again

to subsidies your inordinate vanity

Rory! I was just talking about our victory

- Well done - Thank you

This is my cousin Sebastian Parish whom you may have seen on the stage

- How do you do? - Hello. Are you going to risk it?

I think I might

Thank you

Can I persuade you to change your mind?

- No, you can't - Oh, but, Luke...

What I suggest to you is that you take Mr Micawber's advice

and learn the difference between solvency and insolvency

Rory!

Oh. Splendid, thank you

You have to give in to the pain. Enjoy it

- Crack of dawn we are off to Penota - Cornwall, near Tintagel?

Yes

I can't get away till Thursday

Discovered it in our Oxford days. We've been returning ever since

Seb here, Seb's friend Norman,

who paints pretty pictures,

and myself

Mr Cubitt is a talented professional artist

Yes, yes, of course

I trust you'll all have a wonderful time

What the hell do you think you're playing at?

- It was my right of way! - I didn�t hear you

- What? - I didn�t hear you coming

You should have sounded your horn

I�m sorry, but I don�t think there's any harm done

No, I suppose not

If you wouldn�t mind backing up, see if we can free them?

And for God�s sake, drive properly!

You watch out for young Will there. He's been at sea all night

See you, John. Bye

Don't take any notice of him. You know what he's like

- Mr Watchman - Hello, Abel. Bit late, I�m afraid

Missed dinner, have I?

No, sir. I told Mrs Ives to keep back a lobster for you

Oh, good man

- Come on, Will - Can't. Not with you on his mind, Decie

Take no heed, Will

There. See? Perfect

That's our game, I think. George, your round

Best of three, Alec, remember?

Ey, after what you've been downing,

I doubt if you'll hit the board

Well done, Will

Evening, Mr Watchman

Welcome back

What's all this, then? Mothers' meeting?

See that?

I can see an old boot needs mending

That's another of your pesky rats, that is

Keep your voice down, George. Don't need the whole world to hear

One of them as near damn it got my ankle

What are you going to do about it, eh?

- It�s all in hand - In hand!

In hand, I said, George

As you will find out if you will just mind your own interference

What's he on about, George?

This was worth motoring 200 miles for

- Good evening, Decima - Evening, Mr Watchman

- Is that all you have to say to me? - Yes

That's all

- Pretty, isn't she? - Very

What, even prettier than last summer?

I do hope you're not going to be a bore, Sebastian

If the girl could do it, she�d make a presentable Juliet

Oh, would she? To your Romeo?

Well, I don�t see you playing opposite her

Mercutio, maybe

Anyway, Luke,

this summer she only has eyes for her very handsome young fisherman,

which is all that her father wants

So everybody�s happy, eh?

I think Decima is old enough to decide for herself

You be careful. That's poison you've got there

There, that should do for the little beggars

Not before time

No, no

Some utter halfwit driving too fast did his best to kill me

What are they doing out there? A chap could die of thirst

Next thing I see, his confounded car here in the garage

Strange thing is,

I�m sure I�ve seen his face before

- Somewhere - No shortage of lunatics in cars

Put it under lock and key, out of harm's way

Fair enough

Sorry, Bob. Pint, is it?

When you've got a moment, Decie

Oh, my God! It�s the chap I ran into. He must have heard every word

I think we met on the way down

Unfortunate circumstances

I�ve forgotten all about it. Cigarette?

Thanks

Allow me to introduce myself. Robert Legge

Luke Watchman

Luke, how are you?

- Good run down? - Yes, interesting

You're looking well, Norman. How's the portrait coming?

Oh, interesting

Come on, Norman. Double or quits

All right. As long as you promise to pay

Do you play?

Once a year when we come down. You?

- His aim's deadly - Really?

- How deadly? - I never miss

Well, now, is everybody having a good time?

Hello, Mr Watchman. Gin and lime, please

- When did you get here? - Just over two hours ago, Miss Duffy

- Ah, good - What have you been up to?

- Well, I�ve taken up watercolors - Really?

Yes, I�m making fair progress, wouldn�t you say, Norman?

Yes, Miss Duffy, very fair progress

- Two and six - Oh, thank you

Here's good health to you all and let's pray for good painting weather

Do you mind coppers?

Let Jock have them

- He hasn't missed yet - There's always a first time

He wouldn�t do it

There you are, you see. Told you, didn�t I? The man's deadly

Well done, Patrick

You survived

Tickets, please

Tickets, please

I will now hear the first witness, Dr Shaw

An autopsy on the deceased, Mr Luke Watchman KC,

was carried out by you, Dr Shaw, at the weekend

at the request of the Illington Constabulary

With what result?

The main finding was a grain and a half of cyanide in the blood

Enough to cause death?

Half a grain would have been sufficient

The index finger of the right hand had been penetrated to the bone by the dart,

virtually pinned to the dartboard

But there can be no doubt death was caused by poisoning

Visitors to St Nicholas' church at Looe

will find in its tower a 'scolds cage'

for the incarceration of nagging wives

- Bet that's worth looking at - But you're not married

Anyway, it's 30 miles from Penota

Sorry

Scheele's acid mixed with prussic acid?

For the extermination of rats

on Mr Pomeroy's premises

Mr Bartram, did you hand over the substance direct to the purchaser?

No, sir, a Mr Parish came into the shop on Thursday afternoon,

acting on behalf of Mr Pomeroy

He said the rat bane I supplied previously was ineffective

Would I please ginger it up a bit?

From what I�m putting together,

our Mr Watchman seems to be a bit of a handful

Bit of a reputation, I�m afraid

First at Oxford

Very young KC

Very effective in court

He was lethal in the Slater case

The only time I saw him in action

Sounds like a gentleman who should have gone all the way to the top

Did you um... Did you like him?

I admired him

Superintendent Harper,

would you tell the court the results of certain forensic tests,

namely to the pieces of a broken glass from which the deceased drank brandy

and to a bottle of iodine which was applied to his pierced finger?

Neither the broken brandy glass nor the bottle of iodine

contained any traces of cyanide

nor any other poisonous substance, sir

The train on Platform 1 is the 4.15 from Paddington

All change here, please

I believe you knew him professionally

Yes, sir. Perhaps the best advocate of his generation

Fat lot of good it's done him

Here we are

I suppose the coroner brought in an open verdict?

Death by misadventure, inspector. What else could it be?

Having to close my private bar is bad enough

It�s the height of the season

Everything's topsy-turvy

Glasses out of the bar, darts taken away by police

Yes, well, you'll have to get used to it

A man has died on these premises from rat poison,

brought into this hotel at your instigation

Well, is this our office?

It�s my parlour

Mr Pomeroy

I�m so sorry we have to get under your feet

I hope it won't be for too long

Thank you

Have you taken their cases up?

Two and four. Was that right?

- That's what I said - All right, no need to snap!

Who's snapping?

- Nice motor car - Belongs to the actor Parish

- Watchman's cousin - Bet that cost him a bob or two

If indeed it's paid for

- Fingerprints on the jar? - Only Pomeroy's

- How much of the poison was left? - It was full

We've got the stuff in a bottle now, back at the station with the other things

- You've had it analyzed? - Not yet, no

I didn�t think it was necessary. We know what it was

Do we?

- Well... - With respect, sir,

I think your lab boys should look at it right away

- Don't walk away from me! - No, I won't!

Just sit down there, sir

Now, I want you to take your time, Mr Pomeroy,

and tell us what happened last Friday evening in the private bar

Well, now, let me think

There was a dickens of a storm

The lights kept on flickering on and off

They were playing Round The Clock

Be with you in a minute

Next thing they're all at it, drinking brandy

If I�d had any inkling of what was going to happen,

I�d have picked up that blessed bottle and hurled it into the sea

But you didn�t, did you, Mr Pomeroy?

No. I did not

That calls for a drink on the winning team. What will it be?

Oh, well, I declare, the drinks are on me

My bottle of Courvoisier, Decima, my dear

Brandy all round?

Time we had a new road in this place, if you ask me

Bloomin' government talking about utopia for the masses,

equality and all that malarkey

You can't even get into the village on a wet day

without driving through a flood

Come on, George, things aren't that bad

What were you saying, lad?

Fetch some candles for the private, Decie - sharp

Oh, that's better. Now then...

Who hasn't had any? Will. Here you are

Thank you

- How about the other half, Dick? - I�ll be on my way

Shan't stop out long, not in this

Just down the bottom and back up this way

I�ll stop in again and have it then

- Rather him than me - Just in case

Good idea

Now then, Luke, being on the losing side,

are you prepared to risk your hand tonight?

Course I am. I�m game

But I insist on new darts

Abel, break out some new arrows

You take care of them

Aim straight, for God�s sake

Nobody's asking you, are they?

I feel like William Tell's son without the apple

Oh, do be careful

Fire away

Keep still, Luke

Luke!

- I�m so sorry - You bloody f...

God, that looks nasty, Luke

Light the candles

- Decie, please - Hang on

- Just get me something! - Here

Always the same. Lights go out, everybody panics

Can't be that bad. It�s only his finger

If you don't want to help...

How about some light in here for the proletariat?

Just hang on, George, will you? We've had an accident

Can I help? I used to do bandaging with the St John's

Now, let's see. Is there any iodine?

Here we are

- Is he OK? - Give it a good cleaning

Will, brandy

Please, drink some of this, make you feel better

Get a grip of yourself

Careful he bites his tongue. Calm down. Calm down.

So I told Decie to phone for a doctor

And I went out to look for Dick Oates

Thank you, Mr Pomeroy

Sorry to have taken up so much of your time

You're welcome

Well, if there's nothing else...

Nothing else

For the time being

So...

time to look under a few stones

See what's crawling underneath

I thought it was time for lunch

And there's a smugglers' tunnel all the way down to the beach

I think we can safely leave smuggling

to His Majesty's Customs and Excise, don't you?

Yes

Sorry, sir

Our matinee idol

Mr Parish

Chief inspector

I was very shocked by the death of your cousin

We got to know each other, as colleagues

I find it difficult to take it in

I keep expecting to see him there at the bar

It�s like some nightmare

I keep expecting to wake up, you know

I�m sorry

If only I hadn�t brought that bloody rat poison back from Illington

You've no reason to blame yourself for that

You asked the chemist to ginger it up a bit

Who told you that?

Good morning

Ah, you haven't met. My friend Norman Cubitt

Chief inspector Alleyn

Is there anything I can tell you, inspector? I love being questioned

- The man who threw the dart... - Legge?

Did Watchman know or had he met him before?

I don�t think so. Seb?

No, I�m sure they hadn�t

Look, if there's nothing more,

we ought to go, get on with my portrait

While the tide�s right

Oh, yes, of course

Well, Mr Parish seemed very distressed at the death of his cousin

I nearly cried my eyes out

Luke Watchman seemed affable enough at his club

but I did detect a certain atmosphere between him and Parish

I�m not sure Mr Cubitt might not have something to do with it

Where's Mr Legge off to?

'And there, my friend,

since unavailing woe bursts from my heart and mingles with the strain,

had the sword laid thee with the mighty low,

pride might forbid e'en friendship to complain. '

- You're looking pleased with yourself, Seb - Because I am

I mean, putting poor old Luke to one side for the moment,

you could say things are looking distinctly brighter

While I was fighting for King and country...

Winning your Military Cross

...Luke was absolutely coining it

So I am looking forward, Norman,

to being a man of means

Keep still

What's wrong?

Nothing, as long as you stop fidgeting

I thought we might start with a little holiday

I mean, a proper holiday abroad

India, maybe

Then...

well, if Luke's money is all I take it to be,

I might go into management

I�ve always wanted to do The Vortex

You could do the sets and costumes

Fine

Then I bought my boat with the gratuity

Probably paid over the odds for it

Bit different from flying Hurricanes, eh?

It�s a lot safer,

most of the time

What do you want to know, inspector?

How well did you get on with Luke Watchman?

- I didn�t - Did you quarrel?

We had a difference of opinion

He thought he was welcome here in Penota

I didn�t, and told him so

Was...

Was that on account of Decima Pomeroy, Mr Moore?

You seem to know all the answers, inspector

Why ask the question?

Miss Duffy

Good afternoon

Oh, dear, I�m so sorry

I didn�t hear you

I didn�t mean to startle you

Well, nice spot you've chosen

Yes, but I can't get my sea right today

It keeps coming out too green. I�m sick of it

That's enough for today

Have you tried mixing cobalt with a touch of aquamarine and white?

Oh, yes, I�ve tried that and it still comes out

looking like spinach and mashed potato

- Shall I? - Thank you

Miss Duffy, were you by any chance painting here last Friday?

Yes, indeed I was

And in view of everything that happened that day,

every single minute is etched in acid up here

Every minute?

I was on my way up here. It was about half past ten

I was just passing the old graveyard...

Will, don't be so childish

Can't you see how stupid you're being?

Stupid? What do you think he's come here for?

Well, I don�t know

- To be with his jolly friends? - Decie...

Will!

Oh, don�t look at me like that

What do you expect me to do? Push him off the cliff?

Good morning

Morning

What makes you so sure she meant Watchman?

Well, everybody in Penota knows she had some sort of fling

with him last year

A fling?

Oh, well, anyhow...

she seems to be spending a lot of time with young Moore,

much to old Abel's relief

He�d rather a local man than some sophisticated London barrister?

Lord, yes!

Luke had some sort of power over her

Power?

Yes, he�d only got to lift his little finger and...

It wasn't just Decima, either

Just a few things to settle first

No-one's been in since

Fox, what are you looking for?

Anything that may have been overlooked

Right, Mr Pomeroy, soon as I�ve done in here,

you'll get your keys back

Good afternoon, Miss Pomeroy

You're from Scotland Yard, aren't you?

Yes, I am

I imagine this must be quite a change for you

after the hurly-burly of Oxford

It�s different

Inspector...

I know why you're here. Why don�t you just ask your questions?

Very well

I�m trying to find out how Luke Watchman spent last Friday,

the day that he died

I see

Where he went, whom he met

I know, for example, that you spent the morning with Will Moore,

and that you quarreled

Who says so?

But you also met Luke Watchman that morning

Was he the reason that you quarreled?

I�d much rather you admitted it yourself, Miss Pomeroy

Although I know it to be true

How?

A French cigarette packet,

a few Dog ends with lipstick,

and this

It�s yours, I think

How very clever of you

So?

Would you please care to tell me

what happened when you met Luke Watchman that Friday morning?

It can't matter much now, can it, now that he's dead?

It might

I usually take a walk along the cliff in the morning

I�d just got to the headland and Luke called out to me

Decima!

I want to talk to you

What about?

Sit down, have a cigarette and I�ll tell you

This refugee outfit of yours...

Thinking of joining, are we?

Hardly

Decima, you're...

You can do anything you want. Why waste yourself?

You're not in love with me, Luke

You just want me

I adore you, Decie, and you know it

Come here

- Luke, it's over! - Is it?

Leave me alone. I wish to God you�d never come back

Will, wait for me!

I chased after Will

But of course he�d seen me and Luke and there was a terrible row

But you've now made up?

Yes, I think so

Well, I hope so

Inspector bullying you, Decima?

Just doing my duty, Mr Moore

Come on

Luke loved this place. He was happy here

Then it's only fitting he should remain here, Mr Parish

- Wednesday at noon, then - Thank you, vicar

You've been a great comfort

What exactly are you looking for, Brer?

Well, there should be a massive rock over there

in the shape of a woman, more or less

- But there isn't - How very disappointing for you

Do you think we could get back to the private bar?

Oh, yes, of course

- The wood box - By the fireplace?

Yes, stuffed with newspapers, stinking of brandy

- Brandy? Interesting - Yes, that's what I thought

Anything else?

Oh, yes

According to the legend,

that headland is where Uther Pendragon,

the father of King Arthur, met Igraine,

the beautiful wife of the Duke of Cornwall

You can just imagine it, can't you, sir?

'So flashed and fell the brand Excalibur

But ere he dipped the surface rose an arm,

Clothed in white samite, mystic, wonderful,

And caught him by the hilt and brandished him three times

And drew him under the mere'

I thought a mere was a lake, sir

Nothing gets past you, does it, Brer? Come on

Rotten thing to live with

Seeing a man in full health suddenly die when you've thrown the dart

Damn silly trick, I shouldn�t have tried it

I can imagine what they've been saying to you

I can feel their suspicion down my neck like a draught

Whose suspicion, Mr Legge?

Abel Pomeroy, for one

You see, Chief inspector, I�m a pacifist,

and since his daughter Decima sympathises,

he blames me

He thinks I turned her against him

Perhaps

But I think we should concentrate on the death of Luke Watchman

He must have moved his hand, he must have done

I had nothing against the man personally, I hardly even knew him

If I were you, I would be making enquiries

as to who stood to gain by his death

I�ve got all the essentials

What's bothering you, Norman?

I�m fed up

You and me?

Of this place

I can finish this at home

Let's push off tomorrow, Seb

I don�t see that meeting with the Chief inspector�s approval

Oh, him!

Don't you like him? Oh, I think he's rather nice

Nice? Him and his little Sir Echo

Come in, sir

Mrs Ives!

I�m sorry to disturb you, sir,

but some of our guests like a nice hot drink last thing at night

and I was wondering whether you�d like one...

Miss Pomeroy?

I�m sorry, I didn�t mean to startle you

- We�d like to go over what happened - Do we have to go over it all again?

I�m afraid we must

When the dart struck Luke Watchman, whereabouts were you?

About here, I think

Why did you give him the brandy?

To revive him

He�d gone so pale, I just picked up a glass and...

Where from?

The bar counter

Would you mind?

Whose glass was it?

Well, it could have been Sebastian's

I don�t know

I didn�t stop to think whose glass it was

Well, you don�t think of things like that in a crisis, do you?

No, you don't. Please go on

I poured some more brandy

and I took it over to him

I said something,

like, 'Have a sip, make you feel better'

Then I held it up to his lips and...

Oh, it was awful. I�m sorry, I can't

Just forget about us, miss

Try to remember what happened

I did manage to get him to drink some of the brandy

I think he was struggling to say something

I can't be sure

Thank you, miss. That's just about what the others told us

Oh, my dear Mr Pomeroy, how are you?

I was simply appalled to hear what had happened

- Closed the private bar - Good gracious!

But it's preposterous

Why did this happen?

- Of course I�m entitled to know - I�m sorry, sir...

Now listen, when something as...

devastating as this happens, there must be a reason

- Yes, sir - Well, I want to know what it is

We need another talk with young Will

There's something not right between him and our landlord�s daughter

What's that?

She lied to us. She knew whose glass it was

What was she frightened of?

Perhaps she's trying to implicate our thespian

- What's wrong? - Nothing

What's the matter?

I�m thinking of cutting this so-called holiday short, getting out of here

Why?

Cos I�ve been onto Luke's solicitor

And?

And I�ve just heard how cousin Luke liked to have his little joke,

from beyond the grave

at my expense

Listen to this, Brer

Robert Legge, agent for the Devon and Cornwall Philatelic Society,

Secretary and Treasurer of the Refugee Rehabilitation and Resettlement Fund,

previous history: none

But who is he? I don�t like mysteries

Come in

Excuse me, gentlemen, Mrs Ives is wondering if you'll be taking luncheon

- What do you say, Brer? - Oh, definitely, yes

Drink at the bar first, whet the appetite?

Even better

I�ve got something rather special. I think you'll enjoy it

Not rat poison, I hope

As my next of kin...

- He's left you all his money? - No

Well, that's what he promised

And no-one knew better than Luke how much I need it

- He hasn't cut you out? - No

The joke, Norman, is that you and I inherit

Me?

Jointly

- I hope you find it amusing - Why me?

Oh, I can think of several reasons

You needn't look so astonished

I�m looking astonished because I am

Really?

I know that as recently as last Christmas, I was his sole heir

So what could possibly have taken place, dear boy,

between then and now, eh?

Search me

There you are, sir

- That's a fine dry sherry, that is - Indeed it is

Kind of you

- Good health to you, gentlemen - And to you

- Nectar - Oh, very nice

- Shall I do them, or will you? - I�ll do them if you like, it's no trouble

Decima, get a decanter for the gentlemen's sherry

Excuse me, Bob

If Mr Legge can spare you

Thank you very much, sir. It will be ready on Tuesday

- No - Why, what's wrong with it?

Everything. Makes you look like a spiv

I take it you have got a tie in this benighted establishment

that a gentleman can wear?

I think it's rather nice

It isn't

Luke would have had a seizure

I don�t think Luke would care tuppence whether we wear black or not

He may not, I do

And I knew him rather better than you

Better,

fractionally

I shan't rest, dear boy, until we get to the bottom

of this whole sordid business

Meantime we conduct ourselves here with

as much grace and dignity as we can muster

Black armbands as well, I suppose

May we join you, Mr Legge?

Help yourselves

Thank you

Do you know, I�ve always found this interesting

but I�ve somehow never found the time

Well, you need time all right

Never interested me until...

well, I became ill

Oh, bad luck

Very ill

Found I had time on my hands

Seven years

Long time out of a man's life

So, what brings you to this part of the world?

Well, I came here to regain my strength

Plenty of Cornish pasties, eh?

I got hold of the Philatelic Society

and landed a job as their agent for Devon and Cornwall

And I do volunteer work for the refugees

which is no-one's business but my own

No, of course not

Luke Watchman...

What about him?

Did you know him?

Well, not socially, not to speak to, no

But I never forget a face. I recognized him straightaway

Oh, really?

He didn�t recognise you?

Well, why should he?

Oh, it was a long time ago, early years of the war

He was a sharp, young barrister on the way up

Midsummer�s party

I see

There didn�t seem to be any point to mention it the other day

Luke Watchman KC,

Legal bigwig in his world

Me in mine

Might have taken it the wrong way, don't you think?

Perhaps

Miss Pomeroy... good afternoon

What is it?

I was wondering if you could help me again

May we?

Miss Pomeroy, I�ve got a man murdered...

and I�m completely in the dark

Well, I don�t know what I can do

No?

- I was wondering if you might tell me... - What?

Whatever it is that's troubling you

Wouldn�t it be better to tell me now?

It was Friday morning

After Will and I had quarrelled about Luke

Will was in the garage yard

and... I saw him go into the stable

I don't know what for. There was nothing in there

Except the rat poison

Ever since then I�ve been frantic, wondering, was it Will?

Thank you

But haven't you something else to tell me?

The brandy you gave Luke Watchman

You've been wanting me to think that the glass you poured it into

might have been anybody�s

But that isn't the case, is it?

It was Will's glass, wasn't it?

- Pensive, Brer - No, sir

Angry

With myself

Trying to call something to mind

I can't get there

It�s just...

There was something that should have been there and wasn't

I can't remember what

When you do remember, perhaps you�d let me know

Good morning, sir

It�s a bit embarrassing, Chief inspector

Just as well you suggested doing an analysis

The liquid from the jar Abel Pomeroy put in the garage?

Turned out to be surgical spirit

Well, look on the bright side, sir. At least we've confirmed one thing

Now we know where the poison came from

Our murderer took the pot out of the rat hole

Emptied out the acid and put the surgical spirit in instead

He or she was counting on it being left,

untouched and... untested

Then if you're right,

if...

looks as if he, or she,

emptied the stuff into another container

ready to put it on the dart that killed Watchman

No

What do you mean, no?

Actually, sir, I�m convinced it wasn't the dart that killed Watchman

We've got the evidence, Alleyn. Cyanide on the damn thing

Only the slightest traces

Sir, hydrocyanic acid is highly volatile

Expose it to the air and it evaporates

There was no way that dart could have been poisoned before it was thrown

Mr Pomeroy opened a new set and they were in full sight of everybody all the time

But the blasted lights were going on and off

Not between the time that Abel opened the new box of darts

and the dart was thrown that hit Watchman

And in any case, by the time the dart was thrown,

the bulk of any cyanide would have simply evaporated

After the candles were knocked over and the whole place was in darkness,

- somebody... - The murderer

...picked up the dart and smeared it with poison

Incriminating Legge after he�d thrown the dart

Exactly, so the question remains, how did the poison get into Watchman?

That Dog

That's what's missing, the collection box

- She's over the worst now, inspector - Oh, good, thank you

Mrs Freeman, I can't tell you how sorry we are about this

It was bad luck really

No, I�m afraid not

Mrs Freeman, did anybody else know

that you�d be picking up the RSPCA box today?

No

As a matter of fact I was early going for it

- Early? - Because of the holidays

I usually collect them at the end of the holidays

You must have been surprised to find a bottle

No, no

People put in all sorts of things, you know

Buttons and bottle tops and...

bus tickets

Oh, dear

So when I saw this little bottle roll out,

like a silly Duffer, I put it up to my nose to smell it, like you do, and...

I suddenly felt very sick and...

dizzy and... and I don't...

I don�t remember much else

I don�t know what to say, sir

A lethal bottle of iodine,

just sitting there, in the Dog,

right under our noses and we...

That poor woman

- I know - I feel ashamed of myself

Nonsense, Brer

But you do see the implication?

Before it got into the Dog,

our killer had put it into Pomeroy's first-aid box

Where anybody could have used it

Exactly, before Legge's trick with the darts

They've clearly got no conscience at all

He couldn�t have known there�d be an accident

No, he couldn�t, but I think he managed to engineer one

by making sure that everyone was drinking Parish's brandy

- Whereas he... - Or she

...stayed stone-cold sober, chucking their brandy into the wood box

There you are, ready to do what could only be done in the dark -

switch the iodine bottles, put the innocent one where the lethal one was

and throw that one into the Dog

Waiting for Mrs Freeman to pick up her little Jock

Her Dog

Oh, yes

Implore you, be at usual place tomorrow

8.30 am. Must talk

Whatever you want, just tell me and I�ll do it

- I just can't stand much more of this - Bob!

If you�d been through what I�ve been through, you might understand

- Of course I understand - Do you?

They've been asking questions, talking to everybody

When it comes down to it...

It�s me, isn't it?

Just don�t draw any attention to yourself and you'll be all right

The police have to do their duty. We all have to put up with that

- It�s intolerable - Well, self-pity won't get you anywhere

See? You, too

No!

You know I�ll do my best for you, but I...

I can't. I...

I wouldn�t...

Wouldn�t you?

Bob, you know how much I feel for you

Why can't people leave me alone?

Well, I suggest that you come back to the inn,

put on a black tie...

...come to the funeral and show some respect for the dead

'Man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live

And is full of misery

He cometh up and is cut down like a flower

He fleeth as it were a shadow

And never continueth in one stay

In the midst of life we are in death

Of whom may we seek for succour... '

Which one's the killer, Brer?

Who's the front runner?

- I know which one I�d bet on - Yes, I know

But they all had motive and most of them had opportunity

I wouldn't rule anybody out

- Including the ladies? - Including the ladies

"Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts... "

I was wondering if our young fighter pilot

wasn't too good to be true

Even Pomeroy?

Too true to be good

Thing is, we don't have a scrap of incontrovertible evidence

against any of them

'O God most mighty

Thou holy and merciful saviour

Thou most worthy judge eternal

Suffer us not at our last hour

For any pains of death to fall from thee"

I�ll go back to the car

Not quite the abbey but I think it all went off rather well, don't you?

Dear Mr Cubitt currying favour with the aristocracy

- I�m sorry? - Oh, didn�t you know?

- She's poor old Dunatholl's sister - Irish peer?

No-one had even heard of him until he hit the headlines

He was convicted, wasn't he, of embezzlement and fraud?

- Bit of a cause celebre - Got cousin Luke started

What?

Why do you think yon Violet's so chummy, eh?

Dear cousin Luke was leading counsel for the defense

Brilliant performance

Got the old fraudster a minimum sentence,

Duffy's undying devotion,

and set him on the road to his silk

Dunatholl? There was another defendant in the case, wasn't there?

His partner. Jingle? Dingle? Something Dickensian

Can't remember much about it

I wasn't around at the time. King and country

Pringle

Well, it's only to be expected

Villages are like that. Close community

They're getting restless

- Trouble? - Who knows?

What time do you get into Paddington?

Six. Be at the Yard before seven and back here tomorrow

The Chief Constable has asked me to take you both

to his house for dinner tomorrow night

That's extremely kind of him

Inspector Fox and I would be delighted to join him

He's... keen to know how it's going

Then I hope we won't disappoint him, sir

Sir...

what do we have to wear?

Black tie, I suppose

Is that a problem?

No

It�s cruel, but accurate

May I congratulate you on your inheritance, Mr Cubitt?

Oh, yes

Well, I wasn't expecting anything

He was really Seb's friend

But I�m not complaining, naturally

When did you hear?

Seb told me yesterday

I rather wish he hadn�t

It makes me a suspect, doesn�t it?

Well, both of us, really

You see, we were both flat broke

Don't talk nonsense

Artistic temperament, overactive imagination

Not something I suffer from, Mr Parish

What have you been saying?

You may have just come from his funeral,

but I want to know when this inquiry is going to be finished

Don't, please

No, he's got a point there. We're all sick of it

So why don�t our sleuths get on with it?

Ladies and gentlemen,

I can understand your feelings but this is a murder inquiry

These things do take time, but I can promise you one thing

I shall find the murderer

Shove up a bit, won't you?

- Evening - Good evening, sir

Oh, Jenks

I�m sorry to bring you in but Bailey's gone sick on us

And I need this dusted for dabs sharpish

Photos, usual drill, OK?

No, thanks

Hello

Could you give me the number of Moss Bros, please?

Morning

You see that? Central pocket loop

Tinted arch there

and there, a plain whorl

This one...

left index off the bottle

Middle right, particularly good ulnar loop there

From the tumbler,

an exact match

Yes, so who?

Old Bailey, March 1941. Does that answer your question?

It does indeed

Miss Duffy, may I join you?

Of course

Do you know, I didn�t realize you were the late Lord Dunatholl's sister

And I didn�t realise that you were Sir George Alleyn's brother

You heard of my brother's trouble?

His health suffered dreadfully

When he came out, he�d lost the will to live

Not so the brilliant young barrister who led for the defense

Luke kept in touch

I was always grateful for what he did

Miss Duffy,

your brother was sentenced to two years imprisonment

His co-defendant Alexander Pringle got seven years

Was that fair, would you say?

Patrick was lucky

The family solicitors wanted the best defence, Luke Watchman was the best

He acted for Pringle as well, you know

Mr Pringle wasn't so lucky, was he?

I wonder why

Perhaps his face didn�t fit

Or was there another reason?

You seem to know an awful lot, inspector

It is my business, Miss Duffy

You've been spying on me, haven't you?

Well, I�ve told you all I know

And now, if you'll excuse me, I have other things to do

The train arriving on Platform 1 is the 12. 15 from London Paddington

You think it was me, don't you?

What?

You think I poisoned him

No!

Look, if we can't be honest with each other...

There could have been poison in the brandy I gave him

- It was my glass - I know

There were no traces of poison in the pieces, none at all

Friday morning, after you left me where did you go?

Why? Well, who's been talking to you?

No-one

It was me, I saw you

I saw you go into the garage yard, into the stable

And what?

Take out the rat poison? You think I took it?

No

Will...

I don�t know

Mrs Ives

Inspector Fox and I won't be dining in tonight

I�m sorry, we've been summoned by the Chief Constable

Oh, Colonel Bramington

Chief inspector?

Can you spare me a few minutes?

How did you know that Bob Legge and Alex Pringle were the same man?

It wasn't difficult, Miss Duffy

No, I suppose not

Now it's out, I really don�t know whether I�m... glad or sorry

And you knew about his pre-war history?

Yes

He joined the British Union of Fascists in 1936

- He was a Nazi in all but name - That's a long way from being a pacifist

Now perhaps you can understand his behaviour

He felt his past closing in on him

Forgive me for asking, but...

...your feelings for Mr Legge..?

Completely unreciprocated, inspector

Yes!

Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh, dear

This spells disaster

- Tomorrow? - OK

Thanks, Bob

- Hello, Miss Duffy - Decie, two beers

Is it finished?

Oh, yes, it's finished

I think we can safely say it's over and done with

May I see it?

I think it's wonderful

Nice of you to say so

But I�m glad it's finished

I�ve had enough of it

Decie, what happened to that sherry?

Ah, hello

- Your sherry, Mr Fox - Oh, thank you

Here you are, missy

All right

All right, Brer

All right

Come on

Up you get. Ready?

That's it...

That's it

All of it

Money isn't everything, Norman. It won't make you a better painter

- Pomeroy? - Sir?

Lock this away, please

Constable Oates?

No-one is to leave the premises

- Is that clearly understood? - Sir?

Close all the doors. Somebody has tried to kill inspector Fox

Oh! I can't believe it

There's a distinct smell of treachery about the place

- Oh! No... - No, no

No arguments, Brer

Just till the doctor gets here

I don�t want to see the doctor

- I should have taken your advice - Oh, what?

Gone home a couple of days ago

Chief inspector or no Chief inspector

Where is inspector Fox?

He's upstairs, the room at the end of the landing

Thank you

Could be here all night long

We might as well make ourselves comfortable

Decima, my dear,

does your father have anything worthy of the occasion tucked away behind the bar?

Hardly a time to start making fools of ourselves, Sebastian

I should keep off the sherry in future

Just a little sodium nitrate, inspector

It�s beef tea. Is that all right, sir?

Yes, if he'll take it. There's nothing better

Come in

Sorry to disturb you, Mr Fox, sir,

but I thought a little beef tea might be in order in the circumstances

Now then...

Here we go

Ooh, Mr Fox

You didn�t get that lying in bed

No, I think I got it falling over

Oh, well, I think we�d better have something to clean that up

Now you just hang on a minute

Mr Parish...

I mean, this is utterly ridiculous

It was you

What?

Why couldn�t you trust me?

I got to thinking that iodine would probably be the best but...

then I find that the blessed iodine bottle is

missing from the first-aid box in the bathroom

Brer Fox, I can't leave you for a minute

That's just what I said, Mr Alleyn

- Are you all right? - Oh, yes, yes

Mind you, it would be a lot simpler with just one box

There�d be a sight less confusion

Take last Friday morning when Mr Legge cut himself shaving...

There was blood streaming down his chin, he was in a fair pickle

I had to open up the cupboard in the private bar

- Mr Ives... - And fetch on out the other first-aid box

I thought Mr Pomeroy had the only key

No, I have a key to every lock in the place,

except Mr Pomeroy's safe, of course

Did anybody see Mr Legge with the box?

Not as far as I know, no

Thank you, Mrs Ives

You've been a great help

- I have? - You have

Give her some air

She's all right

- Is the doctor still here? - Miss Duffy, are you all right?

Yes. Just gently. Come on

All right? I�m going to get some water

Are you all right, ma'am?

Thank you, fine

- What is it, Oates? - It�s Legge, sir

- What about him? - Mr Legge, he's gone and run for it

Has he?

Take him into the parlour

- Sit him down and this time keep him there - Yes, sir

Well, that's it, then

We still have to prove it, sir

Anything you�d like me to do?

You could search his room, top to bottom

What are we looking for?

I don�t know but he's managed to poison

a sherry decanter without anybody noticing

This is an outrage

You do know that, don�t you?

Oh, yes, sir, a terrible outrage

Mr Pomeroy...

Do you think you could clean this gentleman's jacket?

Reckon so

Perhaps you�d better empty the pockets, Mr Legge

You can't keep me here

Is that all?

Thank you, Mr Pomeroy.

Now, Mr Legge...

I need a doctor

I gave express instructions that no-one was to leave

Why did you choose to run off?

- I had to - Had to?

Yes, had to

I couldn�t spend another minute in that room

Everyone looking at me, as if I did it

I have bad nerves, I�m highly strung

Ah, yes, of course, your... your illness

Seven years, I think you said

Pentonville Prison, wasn't it?

I don't deny my prison sentence...

...grotesquely unjust, though it was

It was 100 times worse than any illness

Dunatholl should have rotted in prison until he died

- You murdered Luke Watchman - No

You believe he got Dunatholl off with a light sentence...

...by shifting the blame onto you

He did

And all the time with that damn smile on his face

Or perhaps you murdered him

because you feared he would expose your past as a Nazi sympathiser

You're improvising

You haven't got a case

Oh, but I have, Mr Legge

It�s the oldest cheat in the book

If you can't find the guilty one,

you pin it on the man with a criminal record

How dare you?

Convince me

I not only know that you did it,

I know how you did it

You took the iodine bottle from the upstairs bathroom

You laced it with cyanide from the rat hole

and then using the pretext of a shaving cut,

you gained access to the first-aid box in the cupboard in the bar

Luke Watchman died the way you planned it

Not from a poisoned dart,

but from poisoned iodine

And this evening you got scared and attempted

to poison inspector Fox and myself

Now what do you say to that,

Mr Alexander Pringle?

What an intriguing maze a policeman's mind is

I would like to see that doctor now, please, if I may

- Any luck, Superintendent? - Nothing

I�m afraid he's got the better of us

- Best I could do, Mr Alleyn - Thank you, Mr Pomeroy

There must be some way we can hold him

give us more time

I don�t see how, sir

He's guilty of murder and attempted murder,

and I�m going to have to let him walk out of there

I will be bringing an official complaint against you personally, Chief inspector

And now I am sick and tired of this farce

I�d like my things, please

That's my pen

I�m sure it is

I think you'll find, Superintendent, that this...

is hydrocyanic acid

and it was dropped into a very fine sherry

Goodbye

- Well, that's it, then - Oh, you're welcome

Thank you very much

Tickets, thank you

Here, a guide book for you

It�s a present

Will?

Can you ever forgive me for not trusting you?

I love you

It�s not a bad life here, you know

And there are worse ways of making a living

It was Luke who said that I was wasting my life,

that I should better myself

You know...

it's an awful thing to say,

but now he's dead, I feel quite free

He�d never have married you anyway

You would never have been good enough for him

Pig!

- Are you sure you're good enough for me? - Yes

Lobster catcher

Bet you can't catch me

So what's in store for Mr Parish now?

Resting?

I haven't the faintest

You could say Legge did Sebastian a bit of good,

indirectly

And me

Do you know, Legge must have had Watchman in his sights for a very long time

Poor old Luke

Legge was an opportunist, an improviser

Just talking about Legge

Do you know, he must have waited and waited until he saw his chance

Doesn't bear thinking about

Now, I must get back to my own compartment

Give my regards to Miss Troy

Small world

Well, there's our man

He was a man who created his own darkness