Original subtitles

Hello, Alan. Eric.

What does it look very businesslike?

I've got a session with my accountant. I'm supposed to be there at 11.

Well, you'd better make it snappy. It's ten past now. Yes, I know. I'm always

late these days.

Is Harry Brent about, or has he gone back to London?

No, Harry's still here. I don't think he's going back until this evening. He's

with Carol.

How is Carol?

Well, she's not too good, old boy. She can't sleep.

Matter of fact, the doc's been taking a look at her. He's only just left.

He's been held to pay because he won't let her go to the office.

I can imagine.

Why do you want to see Harry?

We've found his wallet.

Really?

That's quick work.

Well, I'm down.

I never thought you'd be behind anything.

May I go in?

Yes, of course, Alan. The door's open. I'll see you later.

He's a silly old fool, and if he had a grain of common sense... He's an

extremely good doctor, and he knows precisely what he's doing. Now relax,

Carol. Because it doesn't matter what you say, you're not going to the office,

not today at any rate. Don't be stupid, Harry. I've got to go to the office. If

it's only for a couple of hours... Not today, Carol.

May I come in?

Oh, hello, Alan.

Look, Alan, isn't it ridiculous? That Richard little doctor won't let me go to

the office. He's told her to take it easy for today at any rate. But don't

you understand? They'll be in a terrible state at Fielding. They just won't know

which way to turn.

Well, I should do what the doctor says, Carol.

We found your wallet, but I'm afraid the money's missing.

I'd like you to check the other things. Where did you find it?

Somebody dumped it in a bin at the back of good ships. These scrap metal people.

I never thought I'd see this again. I'm sorry about your money.

Yes, so am I. Is everything else there? Well, it seems to be. There wasn't

anything of any value except... Hello, what's this?

It's a theatre ticket. Yes, I can see that.

But it's not mine. It doesn't belong to me.

You mean it wasn't in the wallet when it was stolen?

No, it wasn't. Why should anyone put a theatre ticket in your wallet? It must

be yours, Harry. I tell you it isn't. Surely I know whether I'm going to the

theatre or not.

Dalesbury Repertory Theatre.

Why should I go all the way out to Dalesbury? If I wanted to see a show,

I'd go to one in the West End.

You're quite sure it's not yours? Yes, absolutely sure.

Why? Is there something odd about that ticket, apart from the fact that it was

found in my wallet? Barbara Smith had a theatre ticket in a handbag. Same

theatre, same performance.

The very next seat.

Next seat?

You mean D4, Saturday, November the 14th.

This is D5.

I don't believe this. It's true, Mr. Brent.

Well, there's obviously only one explanation. Whoever stole my wallet put

the ticket in it.

You think that's what happened? Yes, I do.

Well, I've certainly never seen that ticket before.

Right, thank you.

Have you questioned the girl, Barbara Smith, about the ticket? It's possible

she might... I'm afraid we can't question Miss Smith about anything,

Carol. She's dead.

Dead? Yes.

When did this happen?

She committed suicide early this morning.

Hello? 913?

Yes? Oh, could I speak to Inspector Milton, please?

This is Anna Milton speaking.

Mr. Milton, my name's Tolly.

Mrs. Tolly. I used to work at Fielding's.

We met last Christmas with your fiancée. I beg your pardon, Miss Viner. Yes, I

remember you, Mrs. Tolly. Well, what can I do for you?

Well, I've been reading about what happened at Fielding's and...

What about the murder, I mean? I wondered, could I come round and have a

word with you, Inspector, sometime? I'd rather not go down to the station, if

you don't mind.

Well, I'd be glad to see you, Mrs. Tully.

Why don't you come here?

I'm in the high street, above Jackson's, the estate agent's. You can't miss the

door. It's on the right-hand side. Yes, I know where it is. Can I come round

straight away, then? I'll be in all evening. Come when you feel like it,

Mrs. Tully. Oh, thank you. Thank you very much indeed.

Hello, Carol.

Alan, can I see you for a moment? Well, yes, of course.

Come in.

Can I get you a drink? No, I haven't time. Harry's downstairs in the car and

he wants to catch a 6.15 back to town. Ah, yes.

I thought you might like to see this.

It was at the office when I arrived. It's addressed to Mr. Fielding. What is

it? It's a photograph.

It was posted in Lucerne on Tuesday. It should have arrived Friday morning.

There was nothing with it, just the photograph.

Well, what does it mean, get rid of this girl?

I don't know, Carol.

Has anyone else seen this?

No, I opened the envelope myself.

When I saw what it was, I thought you'd better see it straight away.

And you haven't shown it to anyone else? No. Well, no one at the office.

What does that mean?

Well, I told Harry about it naturally.

And showed him the photograph?

Well, yes.

Carol, how well did Harry know Tom Fielding?

Well, he hardly knew him at all.

They met for the first time about ten days ago. It was on my birthday.

We were having dinner at the Falstaff and Mr. Fielding came in with a party of

friends. Well, naturally, I introduced Harry.

Well, why are you so interested in Harry?

He's got nothing to do with this affair.

Hasn't he, Carol? Look, I'm going to tell you something.

It's something I don't think I should tell you. Look, Alan, if it's something

you shouldn't tell me... Oh, for God's sake, Alan, now just listen, please.

Just before Barbara Smith died, she regained consciousness and she kept

asking for someone.

A man called Harry Brent.

Who told you this? Dr. Fess. He was in the ambulance with her.

I don't believe it.

Now, look, I've told you this in confidence. You're not to repeat it. Not

to anyone. Yes, but if Harry didn't... Not to anyone.

Do you understand?

Yes, all right, Alan.

Right.

Hello, Roy. Come in.

I'm not interrupting anything, I hope. No, I was expecting you. Come on in.

Have you been to Daylesbury? Yes, just got back.

You know Carol, do you? Yes, we met before. Good evening, Miss Finer. Good

evening, sir. Go along in. Have a beer, if you like.

Right. I'll be with you in a minute. Thanks.

There's no need to come down, Alan.

Oh, no, I'll come down.

I always used to.

Now tell me about Dalesbury. What happened? Did you go to the theatre?

Yes, I did.

The box office weren't particularly helpful, I'm afraid.

They thought it's possible, just possible, that both theatre tickets, the

one in the wallet and Barbara Smith's, might have been bought by Miss

Jacqueline Dawson.

Jacqueline Dawson?

Yes, she's the star of the show, you know, guest artist.

Last month she was down here at Market Weldon doing the same play.

Week before Southampton, week after Nick's Leatherhead. And she bought both

tickets? A box office thinks she may have done, but they're not sure. They're

not sure about anything.

Miss Dawson has a large circle of friends, and she loves to see them out

in front whenever she's performing. So she buys up a lot of tickets and gives

them away to people.

Did you see Miss Dawson?

No, she hadn't arrived before I left.

Besides, I thought I'd leave her to you. These sophisticated women aren't much in

my line.

Hello, are you expecting someone? Yes, I am. A Mrs Tolley.

She phoned up about ten minutes ago.

She wants to see me about something. Tolly? Yes, sir, sir. Is that the woman

that used to run the canteen at Fieldings? Her husband's got a stall in

the market. Yeah, do you know her? I don't know her, but I've seen her

around.

Mrs. Tolly?

Inspector Melton?

Yes, that's right. Yes, come on in, please.

Thank you. Just go straight through, will you? Thank you.

I didn't know there was going to be anyone else here. That's all right, Mrs.

Tolley. This is Sergeant Phillips. He's a colleague of mine. Good evening, Mrs.

Tolley. Come in. Come in. Sit down, will you?

Would you like a drink?

Well, yes, I think I would rather.

Have you got a gin and a bit of lemon? Yes, I think. Well, a tonic, anyway.

That'll do.

I didn't know really whether to come or not, but I talked it over with Harold.

That's my husband.

And he said, well, Phyllis, if I were you, I'd go and have a word with the

inspector about it. It might help.

If it does, no harm done.

Is it about Mr.

Fielding that you've come to see the inspector?

Yes, it is. It's about the murder.

I've been very upset about it, very upset. Yes, of course.

When did you leave Fielding's, Mrs. Tolley?

About six months ago.

I was having a bit of trouble with my back.

One day I said to myself, well, Phyllis, you're still a young woman, but if you

don't take things easier... Oh, thank you.

It's very nice of you I can do with this, I must say.

Cheers.

We met last Christmas, didn't we?

With your fiancée.

I beg your pardon, with Miss Viner.

Yes, that's right, at the staff party. Yeah, that was quite a do.

Yes, yes, it was indeed.

What was it you wanted to see me about?

Well, I've talked to quite a lot of people about what happened on Friday.

Friends of mine, at Fieldings, I mean.

Of course, I've read all about it in the newspapers. I've read every blessed

thing that's been written about it.

But it just doesn't make sense, Mr. Milton.

It doesn't add up.

What doesn't make sense?

Well, everyone seems to think that the murder came as a surprise, that poor old

Fielding... Mr. Milton, he knew he was going to be murdered.

He'd been warned about it. He knew it was on the cards.

Tom Fielding knew he was going to be murdered? Yes, he did.

He'd been told to be careful, to be on the lookout.

Who warned him, Mrs. Tye? Wait a minute.

Start at the beginning.

Let's have the whole story right from the beginning.

Well, well, I have a sister, a widow.

She lives right the other side of London, and I pop over once a month with

something or other.

Well, she's got three kids, and her husband only left a couple of hundred

quid, so she doesn't exactly rush from one gay party to the next.

Anyhow, I was over there four weeks ago, and I missed the last bus home I was

living.

Still, there's nothing I could do about it. I just had to walk to the nearest

tube and catch a train.

Well, I'd been walking about 20 minutes when I came to a cafe.

My back was playing me up, and I knew if I didn't sit down for a few moments, I'd

never make marble arch, let alone market Weldon.

Good evening.

What would you like?

Nice pot of tea, please, love.

I'm afraid we don't usually serve tea. Most of our customers drink coffee.

All right, then. Coffee. Plenty of sugar.

It's on the table.

Perry, you made it.

Oh, Tom, I'm sorry I'm late.

I hope you haven't been waiting too long. No, no, that's all right. I was

hungry, so I had something to eat. Sit down.

Well, I can't stay long. I'm in a mad hurry, as usual.

I'm seeing Jacqueline at 11.

And how is Armis Dawson?

She's all right.

But she's worried, Tom.

About me?

Of course.

Who else?

You know the last time we met?

You remember what we talked about?

I do. I do indeed.

The usual topic.

I hope you've changed your mind.

No, Harry, I'm sorry. I... Now, Tom, please... I've thought about this. I

know precisely what I'm doing. Now, please don't interfere. There's a good

chance. But do you know what you're doing? Do you really know?

I've taken risks before.

This isn't the first time. This is different, and you know damn well it's

different. I'm not changing my mind, Harry.

When I spoke to our friends, do you know what they said?

They said, tell Tom Fielding that if he goes through with this, it's a hundred

to one chance he'll be murdered.

That's just a risk I've got to take, isn't it? But you haven't got to take

it. That's just the point. You haven't got to take it. I'm sorry, Harry. I'm

not changing my mind. Now, please don't worry and tell Jacqueline Dawson not to.

If I get into any difficulty, I'll contact her. I promise you.

That's your last word?

My last word.

Well, all I can say is you really are an obstinate old bastard.

Yes, Harry.

I really am.

Pot of tea.

What?

Tea. Ciao.

all right.

Why,

Mrs. Tolley, this is a surprise.

Good evening, Mr. Fielding. No, no, don't get up.

I didn't expect to see you in this part of the world.

No, I've been over to my sister's place.

I usually pop over once a month if I can manage it.

I see.

Is that the one whose husband died about six months ago?

Yes, that's right.

And now you're on your way home?

Yeah, catching the 1150. Missed the last bus, I'm afraid.

Well, don't worry.

I can give you a lift.

Thanks. No, no, finish your tea.

There's no hurry.

And he didn't seem a bit worried.

He just sat there smiling.

I don't think he even realised that I'd been listening to his conversation.

Well, if he did, it didn't bother him at all.

On the way home, we talked about all sorts of things.

He was ever so nice, ever so friendly.

Quite like old times, in fact.

He never referred to his conversation with the other man, and of course I

didn't either.

And you say all this happened exactly four weeks ago?

Yes, four weeks yesterday, to be precise.

Did you tell anyone about it?

Discuss it with anyone? Well, only with Harold. That's my husband.

What did he say?

Well, he didn't believe me.

He said I must have imagined it, or I hadn't heard the conversation properly.

Well, I began to think he was right.

And then when this murder happened, we both got into a right old tiz.

Well, you certainly did the correct thing when you phoned the inspector.

There's no doubt about that, Mrs Tolley. I hope so. Mrs Tolley, you're sure the

name Dawson was mentioned?

Jacqueline Dawson? Oh, yes, I'm quite sure. I recognised it immediately.

She's an actress, isn't she?

Yes, that's right. She's an actress, Mrs Tolley.

Now tell us a little more about the other man.

The man called Harry.

Well, he was about 30.

Tall, dark, handsome.

Had you ever seen him before? No. And you've never seen him since? No, I

haven't. What was he wearing, Mrs Tolley?

Well, he had a light-coloured coat.

Camilla, I think you call it. And he didn't have a hat. At least he wasn't

wearing one.

Is there anything else you can remember about him?

No, I don't think there is, really.

He had a pleasant sort of voice.

It's rather difficult to describe a voice to someone, isn't it? Would you

recognise him again if you saw him?

Yes. You're sure now, Mrs Tolley?

Yes, I'm sure.

I'd recognise him all right.

What is it, Tony?

Sorry, darling. There's a character out here who says he's Detective Inspector

Milton. He'd like to have a word with you.

Detective Inspector Milton?

Well, yes.

He doesn't look like a police inspector.

Or not the ones I've played.

That's all right, Tony. Ask him to come in.

May I come in? Yes, please do. Thank you for seeing me, Miss Dawson. I apologise

for disturbing you. That's all right. I'm curious.

I knew the audience were hostile, but I didn't think they'd send for the police.

I'm investigating a murder case. I think you might be able to help me.

A murder case, did you say?

Yes, I expect you know the one I'm referring to. No, I'm afraid I don't.

Tom Fielding?

Tom Fielding?

Yes, wasn't he a friend of yours?

No, I'm sorry, he wasn't.

Oh, wait a minute.

Is that the Market Weldon affair? He was shot by some woman or other.

Yes, that's right. A Miss Smith, Barbara Smith. Oh, yes.

Well, I'm afraid I don't know Mr. Fielding or Barbara Smith, for that

matter. Well, not until I read about them, that is.

Was the old boy having an affair with her?

I don't think so. Well, that's the usual story, isn't it?

Damn. Look, Inspector, do you mind if I get dressed? I'm supposed to be going to

a party. No, please, of course. Never mind. Thank you. That's very sweet of

you.

When we arrested Miss Smith, she had a theatre ticket in her handbag.

It was for your play, Miss Dawson, next Saturday's performance.

We made some inquiries. Apparently, it was one you bought.

One I bought? Yes. But that's not possible.

Unless she... Go on, Miss Dawson.

Well, to be quite truthful, Inspector, whenever I find I'm playing a

godforsaken turn like this, I always buy a certain number of tickets and give

them away.

But they're usually given to people that I know or have met at some time or

other. Oh, maybe you're mistaken. Perhaps you've met Miss Smith.

Barbara Smith?

Well, it's a common enough name, but I certainly can't remember. Maybe you met

her at a party or with a friend of yours, Mr. Brent, perhaps?

Brent? Yes, Harry Brent.

Isn't he a friend of yours?

Did you hear what I said, Miss Dawson?

Yes, I heard you.

I'm sorry, I've never heard of anyone called Harry Brent.

That's a photograph of Barbara Smith. Yes, I know. I've seen it. It was in the

papers. Not this one. I'm sorry. I'm afraid I can't help you.

Tony, are you nearly ready?

Coming, darling.

Who are you?

What are you doing here?

It's taken you a devil of a time to get from Dalesbury, Mr. Milton.

What did you do, walk?

Don't touch that phone. If you touch it, I'll blow your hand off.

Who are you and what do you want?

Unless I've been badly misinformed, dear boy.

I think you've got a packet of cigarettes on you.

Cigarettes? Aye, cigarettes.

Fags, if you prefer more pluralitarian phraseology.

Anyway. That's what I want.

That's all.

Just a packet of cigarettes.

Is this some kind of a joke? Oh, it's not a joke.

You'll soon find that out if you're daft enough to try and take advantage of me.

Now, don't move, dear boy. Don't be stupid.

I thought you wanted the cigarettes.

Take them out of your pocket and put them on the table.

I told you to put them on the table.

You heard what I said.

Ah, I understand.

I'm catching on. I get the message.

What did Jacqueline Dawson write?

What did she put on the cigarettes?

Go on, read it.

I've been looking all over the place for you, Blackie.

You're a confounded nuisance.

There's no other word for it. A confounded nuisance.

If I'd got any sense, I'd tie a brick round that wretched neck of yours and

toast you into the river.

Is this King's Down Mansions? That's right, yes. I'm the head porter here.

Can I help you?

Yes, I'm looking for flat 79.

Oh, it's just at the top of the first flight.

Have you got a key to this door? Of course I have. Well, get it open then,

quickly.

She's dead.

Her name's Tolly.

Have you seen her before?