Original subtitles

Oh my god.

Oh, good morning, sir. Good morning.

Sergeant Anson, you are without doubt the most inept, inefficient, inexpert,

incompetent, incapable, inactive, in... I can't think of the word.

Ineffective, sir.

Thank you.

Morning, sir. Good morning, Meredith.

Morning, Sergeant.

Morning, sir.

All right, Sergeant, you can get back on the job and call me later.

Yes, sir.

Right.

Oh, thank you, sir.

Most promising sergeant in the force, that lad.

Yes.

So I believe.

Well, heaven help me when you promote him somewhere else.

I'm going over to the home office. I'll be there most of the day.

Yes, sir. There's some stuff on my desk I'd like you to deal with.

Anything special?

Routine. Just routine.

Except for one thing. Do you know a Mr.

Karadis?

Karadis.

Mr. Raymond Kouraris of Eden Gardens.

That's the chap.

Yes, origin's supposed to be Greek.

More like an Albanian. Very wealthy. Likes the high life, you know, racing,

gambling. Bit of an art collector.

Friend of yours?

Sir, I just read the gossip columns. Why?

You might arrange to pay him a visit. He wants permission to install a private

telephone line to us.

Unusual. Not unheard of.

If he gives good reasons.

Reading between the lines, Mr. Karadis seems to think there are a number of

people around who might like to murder him.

Mr. Karadis will see you now.

Mr. Samuel Viney.

This is the first time you have been here.

Yes.

I hope it impresses you.

No windows.

I do not care to look out. And I do not care to have people looking in.

Sit down.

No one saw you come here?

No one, I swear it.

Don't swear, Mr. Viney. I don't like people who swear.

I came the way you said. No one saw me.

Good.

And the letter?

Open it.

Put it there.

Good.

It's word for word.

Post it as soon as you leave here.

What did you do with the first draft?

I got it at home.

Burn it.

Right. And your gun?

Loaded? What use is a gun if it's not loaded?

You will unload it now.

You will only use it for threatening.

You will not shoot. Is that clear?

I don't understand what it's all about.

You're not required to understand, Mr. Viney.

You're merely required to do exactly as I tell you.

Once again, is that quite clear?

Yes, it's clear, all right.

Good.

How do you want me to get there?

In a car of mine, driven by my chauffeur.

If you like, I don't need the chauffeur.

Sir.

Arrange to pick this man up at 9 o'clock tomorrow night.

Are you sure you won't be needing me, sir?

Tomorrow I will drive myself.

You see, we are sending you to your work in style, Mr. Viney.

John, I'm here.

Hello.

How long this time?

41 minutes from Eaton Gardens.

You get yourself killed one of these days.

Oh, by the way, Grace is here. Oh, good.

Oh, Grace, my dear. How nice to see you.

Hello, Caradus.

My surname. Why so cool?

You expect me to be otherwise.

Let me get you a drink.

Thanks, but I mistrust you with a cocktail shaker. I'd rather have a

scotch on the rocks.

Grace is getting lud, so it's bound to be better than last time.

I am honored.

John hadn't told me you would be here.

Come on, darling, there's masses to eat.

Besides, you're a wonderful cook.

Useful as well as pretty.

I'll go and see to it all.

Thank you, darling.

Give us a shout from this Reddit.

Well, that should give us a few minutes.

What did you want to see me about?

This letter.

When did you get this?

Morning's post.

From Mr... What's his name? I can't read it.

Viney, I think it is.

Viney?

Does the name mean anything to you? No.

What do you think I should do?

There's only one thing to do.

What are you doing?

Why keep it?

Well, that's not going to solve anything.

He's coming this evening.

Well, tell him to go to hell.

Oh, fine.

Look, John, you know the rules of the game.

Once you start paying money, you'll go on paying for a long, long time.

What I can't understand is how this man Viney knew about me in the first place.

Neither can I.

You haven't said anything to anyone, have you?

John, what do you take me for?

Forget it.

Have you told anyone?

No.

Not even Grace?

Of course not.

What am I going to do?

Threaten him.

This kind of man is always a coward.

What with?

For 24 hours, I can risk being without this.

Put it in a drawer so that Grace won't see it.

threaten this man, Viney, with it.

I guarantee it will produce a remarkable effect.

No, Dr. Griswold, it's out of the question. I already have somebody here

and I can't possibly receive any more visitors tonight.

Look, I can see you at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning, earlier if you like.

In fact, I don't care how early, but I cannot possibly see you tonight.

I'm sorry about that.

Now at last, let me get you a drink.

Scotch or a glass of wine? Scotch, please.

Soda? Thanks so much.

Tell me, do you happen to know this Dr. Griswold? Of the traveler?

Writes books about Arabia and so on. Yes.

No, I don't think I've met him.

You'd remember him if you did.

Thanks. Like a watchful old spider.

Eyes that stare at you as if he were mad. Or as if you were.

For my sins, I employ him.

You're not to write books.

In his travels, he finds out some very interesting things. And he reports them

to me.

You see, I do business with the Middle East.

Yes, I wondered where the money came from.

With all his faults... Dr. Griswold is a very useful agent.

He's British?

As indeed I am, Mr. Meredith.

Interesting door.

Yes.

Solid steel?

Very solid.

But quite ordinary.

So you lift this bar and let it drop.

And you're completely cut off from the outside world unless somebody blows a

hole through the wall.

Very simple, very efficient, very necessary.

I was brought up in a very un-English way, in very un-English places.

I took part in business and politics.

Of course, they're just the same thing.

It was impossible to succeed without making enemies.

I know these enemies.

They will not rest until they have killed me.

But that was a number of years ago. But I still receive messages of their

intentions.

You mean they write you to the post, you mean?

I still receive their messages.

That is why I had this room built.

But I don't trust even that door.

That is why I asked for a direct line.

If need be, I can take refuge here until your people arrive.

Oh, excuse me. If it's that man Griswold again.

Hello, yes.

Yes, it is.

Yes.

It's for you, Scotland Yard.

Thanks.

Hello, Meredith here.

It's you, Sergeant Ansel. What are you up to now?

What?

Yes, I'll be there right away.

Apologize. I have to leave.

Some trouble?

Someone just phoned the yard to say he's killed a man.

All right, Anson.

Briggs. Roger.

Well, I'll say good night, then. Good night, Doc, and thanks very much for

your help. That's all right.

Right, we'll talk to Lexman.

I owe you a cigarette.

Mr. Lexman, you were cautioned and you made a statement to the local police,

which Sergeant Anson has.

Yes. Now, I'm rather bothered by your statement.

Well, it says exactly what happened. It doesn't begin to answer the questions

that are in my mind. And the first question is about this letter you had

from Viney.

I must warn you that Sergeant Anson will take down your answers.

It came this morning. Yes.

Addressed you here.

Yes.

Now, why here, do you think, and not your London address?

Well, he must have known I was here.

I see.

And what did it say exactly?

Well, as near as you can remember.

It said, um... Dear Mr. Lexman, we've never met. You don't know me, but I

happen to know a very great deal about you.

Including some things which you'd very much like to be kept quiet.

I'm thinking particularly of...

Well, I know what comes next, but I'd rather not say it.

Why not?

Well, a couple of years ago, I was mixed up in a rather unsavory affair.

Nothing to do with the police, but I behaved very stupidly over a woman.

My name never got into the papers.

But if it got into the papers now... Well, I'm engaged.

It would certainly wreck that.

Yes, I see.

Anyway, a letter went on.

I'm willing to keep quiet about this, providing you pay me the sum of a

thousand pounds.

You can pay this in installments if you like.

I'm calling on you this evening at 10 o'clock sharp to discuss this.

Sincerely, S. Viney.

You remember it very well.

Yes.

Well, it was hard to read. It was a bit of a scrawl.

And where's the letter now?

Burnt.

You burnt it? Why?

Seemed the best thing to do at the time.

The best thing would have been to have gone to the police.

Yes. I see that now.

Now, the second question in my mind.

How did Mr. Viner get here?

In a car.

A big one, by the sound of it.

Did you see it?

No, but I heard it arrive.

Did you hear it drive away?

No, I was in too much of a state.

But there was a driver.

Obviously. Home you didn't see.

No.

Now the third question, the gun.

Sergeant Anderson.

Sir. Read Mr.

Lexman's statement, will you?

I took the gun from the drawer and waited at Barney to frighten him.

He thereupon took a gun from his own pocket.

It seemed to me that he was about to shoot me.

I pointed my gun at him and told him not to be such a fool.

I didn't even know my gun was loaded.

In any case, I thought the safety catch was on.

I hardly touched the trigger of my gun, but it went off, killing Viney.

Correct. Of course, we'll test your gun.

Safety catch, trigger pressure, so... Yes, you'll see.

What intrigues me is Mr. Viney's gun.

Well, it was a black revolver.

You pointed yours because he pointed his.

Yes.

His gun, which is nowhere to be found.

What?

No gun on the body, no gun on the floor, no gun in the house.

Nowhere. But that's impossible.

Yes, it is, isn't it?

Now, your gun now. You haven't said in your statement where you got it from.

It was given to me at lunchtime today by a friend of mine named Caradis.

Raymond Caradis.

Yes, I entirely agree.

A most strange coincidence that you were with me at the exact moment when John

shot... Hmm?

You know, I'm shattered by this business.

Is there anything I can do to help?

Yes, I think there is.

Anything in the world. John was a very dear friend of mine.

Now, if it's money he needs, you know, I am not without resources.

What he needs is the right answers to a couple of questions.

Questions? Yes.

Forgive my walking about. It's an old habit I've never got out of.

Mr. Corrales, you went there for lunch.

Yes.

Miss Grace Nilsen was there, too.

Yes, John's fiancée.

Were you alone with Lexman at all?

No. Oh, yes, yes. Just after I arrived.

Grace went off to prepare lunch.

Ah.

And what did you two talk about?

Talk about?

Talk about?

You hope I can tell you what John's state of mind was?

I hope you can tell me what you two talked about.

Everything and nothing? You know.

Lexman said he showed you a letter, did he?

John did not show me any letter. I have no idea what he's talking about.

A letter demanding money?

No. From a man called Viney?

No. You told Lexman to threaten him?

No. You gave Lexman your gun?

What?

But this is sheer fantasy, Mr. Meredith.

You're making this up.

Bring Maxman in here.

Yes, sir.

I thought I'd bring you two together so that you can tell him personally of your

desire to help.

You mean John said these things?

I just do not understand it.

No, no, Mr. Corrales.

I'm the one who doesn't understand.

Come in.

John, I cannot tell you how sorry I am.

I simply cannot believe that it is true.

Laxman, Mr. Corrales denies all knowledge of the letter. He also denies

all knowledge of the gun.

Well, that's that, isn't it?

Well, that's a pity.

And what do you think is going to happen now?

Can't say.

But you can guess.

Well, he'll come up for trial. The court will decide.

And you have a good idea what the court will decide?

Yes, I have.

He killed a man for no reason.

No provocation.

No proof of self-defense.

The gun was remarkably light on the trigger.

Does that help much?

No.

Miss Nilsen, John Lexman says that Corrales gave him that gun.

So we checked it for fingerprints.

And? And the only fingerprints we found were John Lexman's.

Could you remember if Corrales was left alone at any time in that room after

lunch?

Yes.

Yes, he was.

What, enough time to have gone to the drawer, taken out the gun and wiped it

clean?

Yes.

Did you notice anything at all that might help John Lexman?

Mr. Meredith, I didn't see the gun.

I didn't see the letter.

And I don't like answering questions.

Thanks for your help.

No, I'm sure Mr. Corrales will be delighted to see me. But I'm quite sure

that it's impossible. What's the system?

Ring three times? Please.

Hanson, you stay out here and keep him company. I'll keep Mr. Corrales company.

Provided the latch isn't done.

What are you doing here?

I'm sorry to barge in like this. I know you're a very busy man.

I hope this will not become a habit, Mr Meredith.

Well, since you are here, what can I do for you?

I'd like to have a talk with your chauffeur.

My chauffeur?

Yes. You're the man who drives your car.

Certainly.

If it's not too much trouble.

Sir.

Is the chauffeur in the house? Yes, sir. Bring him in here immediately. Just a

minute. Do you mind if my sergeant goes with him?

Not at all.

Many hands make light work.

You know, I drove down to John's cottage by myself.

Yes, I'm sure you did.

You want to check on my movements? Not in the least. I want to check on your

chauffeur's movements.

May I ask why?

Yes, you may ask.

What's his name?

Finch, sir. I've explained about you.

Finch? Yes, sir.

Finch, where were you last Wednesday night?

In Birmingham, sir.

Birmingham? Yes, sir. My last job for my previous employer.

You should have explained, Mr. Meredith.

The man you want to see was Brennan.

He left me last Thursday.

What do you mean, left you?

He got a telegram from his mother.

Urgent business at home.

She wanted him to return to Ireland immediately.

You wouldn't have his address in Ireland?

I don't think we would.

But I expect you could find the telegram if I wanted it.

I don't think we could.

All right, Anson.

I'm sorry we were not my help.

John Lexman would be even sorrier.

Poor John.

By the way, I'm giving permission for your direct line to the yard.

You are most kind.

Not at all.

I do see your point.

I think you may need it.

Full turn to results.

Late final.

Late final.

Thank you.

Late final.

Sergeant Anderson!

Right, there you are. At your bunk over there.

Come in.

Make yourself at home.

What's your name?

Mine's Amis.

A-M-I-S.

As if you cared.

He's Fisher.

Well, sit down, give your feet a rest.

What are you in for?

Something I was tricked into doing.

Hey, Fishy, they sent us a gentleman to raise the tone of the cell.

High time, too.

Oh, well, you're just like us, then.

I never broke into that jeweller's shop, and Fishy never robbed his benevolent

employer.

Victims of tyrannical injustice, that's what we are.

No, but straight, though.

What are you in for?

And for how long?

Murder.

A lifer, eh?

But you said you was framed.

Yes.

By a man called Caradus.

Called what?

Karadis. Raymond Karadis, the Greek millionaire.

Yes.

Tell me about him.

Old Fisher's little stable ends next week, so he's looking out for his next

situation. Come on, give.

Yes, sir, I do understand, sir.

You do not understand.

It's time we close the file, sir. It's two months ago now.

We haven't found Brennan.

No, sir.

Then why haven't we found Brennan?

Well, it's not for the want of trying, sir.

Because Caradis is hidden him away somewhere.

Or bumped him off, for all I know.

Guesswork. What else do you expect but guesswork when you don't provide me with

any solid evidence?

We've searched seven of Vani's apartments and found nothing.

And we haven't found his gun.

If he had one.

Well, I'm making the assumption that this man Brennan removed the gun while

Lexman was telephoning from his study.

Yes, I know you are, sir.

So where the gun is, Brennan is.

Or chucked away in a river or something.

Anyway, it's not to be found.

And the letter's burnt.

It's hopeless, sir.

Manson, I'm not going to rest until I've proved that Viney's death was

accidental.

And Lexman was unjustly convicted.

And when I say I'm not going to rest, I mean that you are not going to rest.

Any luck?

Samuel Smith, 93 Great James Street.

London West One.

Up here, first floor back.

Of course, there's nothing unusual about me not seeing Mr. Smith all these weeks.

Always as quiet as the grave he is, no trouble to nobody.

Just sits up here and writes his letters, keeps himself to himself, as

you might say. I'm sure he does. Because this is pay to tear.

I never can understand him sometimes.

Of course, he always pays me three months in advance, so I'm well covered,

as you might say.

This the room, dear? Yes.

Funny you should be asking about this room just now.

It's rent's nearly due, and if you don't show up soon, I shall have to get a

locksmith in. Excuse me?

No, he's trying to open the door with MPs, dear. Mr Smith's got the only key

to the door.

He particularly is about it. Very private, as you might say.

Well.

What a dump.

Violet's high, that.

Could be.

Sir, come look at this.

A draft of Viney's letter.

What did Lexman's statement say?

Dear Mr. Lexman, we have never met, and you don't know anything about me, but I

happen to know a great deal about you, including some things you would very

much like kept quiet.

And so on and so forth, pretty well word for word. If that isn't proof, I don't

know what is.

Proof that Samuel Viney, sometimes Samuel Smith, sent Lexman this letter.

And the gun, as Lexman described it.

Proof that Viney was armed.

Put the two things together.

And you still have no proof that Karadis was lying. It's still quite possible

that Lexman told Karadis nothing at all.

Karadis arranged the whole thing.

I'm sure of it.

Well, what are you going to do about it?

I want to have John Lexman released from prison.

What?

Why?

Because he was wrongly convicted.

And because he'll lead me where I want to go.

Here's the flower, sir, if you'd like to read it.

All right, I will. Later on.

By the way, your friend Caradis' name came up in conversation this morning.

Oh, where? How?

Ever heard of Lady Buckland?

A rich widow committed suicide a few weeks ago for no reason at all. That's

right. We had a letter this morning from the woman who was her maid. You know the

sort of thing.

Nobody knows, but I know, and I think you ought to know.

She says that Lady Buckland paid out quite a lot of money to Mr.

Caradis. You might like to see that letter, though I don't think there's

much you can do about it. If I may coin a phrase, sir?

Well?

I'm going to get Caradis if it's the last thing I do.

Good morning, sir. Good morning. My name's Meredith.

Mr. Caradis is expecting you, sir.

You're new.

Yes.

Well, I've seen you somewhere before.

Quite possibly, sir.

I was a waiter at the Constitutional for a time.

What's your name?

Pike, sir.

And much as I wish it could be otherwise,

I deeply regret I am unable to help you in this matter. Yours very sincerely.

All right? Yes.

And now, a letter to...

It must be Mr. Meredith.

Come in.

That will be all. We'll do our business later, Miss Holland. Be around, Mr.

Curtis.

Ah, Mr. Meredith, how nice to see you.

I don't think you've met, Miss Holland. No, how do you do?

How do you do?

That'll be all now, Miss Holland.

Charming. New?

Yes.

New manservant, too. What happened to the old one?

She called her by telegram.

On an urgent family problem?

Not a very good joke.

No, we haven't found Brennan yet.

And his family didn't send that telegram.

You surprise me.

We get a certain number of corpses on our hands.

When I get one that looks like Brennan, I'll ask you to come along and identify

him. You may ask.

Will you have a cigarette?

Thanks.

And now, may I ask the object of your visit?

Yes, I believe you knew a certain Lady Buckland.

Who didn't? Poor woman.

And I believe she paid you large sums of money.

Who on earth gave you that idea?

Why, it isn't true?

No. If you like, you can inspect my bank account.

I'd much rather inspect your safe.

Well, go ahead.

If you can get in.

Stop that!

Licensed, I hope?

I do not carry unlicensed weapons, Mr. Meredith.

Not even for lending to other people?

I nearly forgot to tell you. Good news.

I'm having John Lexman released from prison.

What about that, eh?

Got some snout off the baron right under the screw's nose and he didn't notice a

blooming thing.

Here, Lexie, want some of me snout? I do.

I'm not giving you any. You're in my debt already.

Lexie. Oh, Mr.

Lexman, sir, cheer up.

You're only inside for another... how many years is it? Shut your trap.

Every time I start a bit of polite conversation...

You on for tonight?

Tonight? Aye, Eon.

Yes. I've got organized at the concert.

Hey, what is all this?

Less than 48 hours before the papers for his release were going to be signed.

But he didn't know.

No, he didn't know.

Did he write you from prison?

Yes.

Those letters wouldn't help you.

But can you help me?

I've got to find John Lexman.

Well, advertise.

Tell him he's going to be pardoned.

Why not?

Because I want to find out where he is without him knowing. I want to watch

him, see what he does.

It may help me to achieve something.

Which is?

Which is to put Raymond Corrales behind bars, if possible, for the rest of his

life.

If John gets in touch with you, will you let me know immediately?

Mr. Meredith, I think I'd better tell you that I'm going abroad tomorrow.

For a long holiday.

I want to see Carradus. The master is not in, sir.

Don't try that nonsense on me. Of course he's in. He's expecting me. I've got

something for him.

Your name, sir?

You're new since I was here last, aren't you?

Yes, sir. Well, my name is Griswold.

Dr. Griswold.

Yes, sir.

That means nothing to you?

No, sir.

Well, you do read books occasionally.

Yes, sir. Well, in that case, there's hope for us both.

What's your name?

Pike, sir. I don't like it.

All right, but don't let's waste any more time just to go in there and tell

Corotis that I'm here. He really is not at home, sir.

Certainly got you well trained, hasn't he? If you would care to see his

secretary. There's only one person that I want to see, and if you're not going

to tell him that I'm here, I know where to find him.

He's not here.

Man was telling the truth.

A rare thing in this house.

You Corotis' secretary?

Yes.

Dr. Griswold?

Oh, I was expected.

I don't think so.

You did think so.

Didn't Caradus get my letter from Baghdad?

I haven't seen it.

Well, he ought to have got it.

It was posted days ago.

I know Mr. Caradus will be very anxious to see you.

He said he'd be back at four.

Splendid. What am I supposed to do until then?

Perhaps if you'd like to wait? No, I don't think I would.

If I could read... No, no, no, don't you bother.

You just tell Mr. Caradus I'll be back when I feel like it.

You might also tell him I've got something for him.

He'll see that too when I'm ready.

Now I don't need to. I can find my way out of this house without any damn

servant to help me.

Don't move, Miss Hollands.

Or should I say, Miss Buckland.

Daughter of Lady Buckland. Dear dead Lady Buckland.

And tell them to deal with it as soon as possible.

Manson, come and look at this.

What is it, sir?

This, look.

No, I shall read it to you. Out loud, with expression.

I want to enjoy it myself all over again.

Dear Mr. Meredith, I don't know whether you have plans for this evening, but

could you or your excellent sergeant be in your office round about 10 p.m.? In

any case, I propose to call on you then.

Posted yesterday, delivered this morning, marked private and personal.

Signed, John Lexman.

If you're busy tonight, sir... I wouldn't miss this for worlds! I shall

be here!

And so, my excellent sergeant, will you.

And I bet you we'll have the time of our lives. What about the men? I'll get out

on the job. Call them off. Call them off. All of them.

If John Lexman says he'll be here tonight, I'll bet you any odds he will

be.

Yes? Dr.

Griswold is here, sir.

Show him in.

Yes.

Mr. Carradus will see you, sir. Oh, that's very considerate of Mr. Carradus

to deign to see a scholar who's been doing his dirty business for him.

God knows he's been dirty enough over the years. I'm sure, sir.

Oh, well.

Let's get on with the dirty business.

I'm not going to that place again, not if you pay me double.

Well, I'm glad you liked it. I liked it myself.

Yes, I will, whatever you say.

Thank you for the compliment.

Same to you.

I suppose the bank will honor your check.

Damn you, Mr. Caradis.

Don't trust him.

Get paid in advance. I always do.

I find Mr. Kouradis very good about money. Don't you believe it, don't you

believe it. Get your money in advance or refuse to work for him, that's my motto.

What was that?

That means Mr. Kouradis does not want to be disturbed.

That contraption of his won't protect him when the time comes.

What time do you make it, Sergeant?

Five past. Oh, yes.

Should be here by now.

Got a cigarette?

Good evening, Mr. Meredith.

Good evening, Sergeant.

Well, I've come to deliver myself into your hands.

Very kind of you, but I wish you'd saved yourself the trouble.

Then I'd miss all the excitement.

You know, I've spent a great deal of time trying to prove your innocence.

That's very kind of you.

If you'd waited a couple of days longer, you needn't have broken out.

You'd have been released anyway.

Released? Yes.

Does that mean you're going to release me now?

Yes.

I wouldn't do that if I were you, Superintendent.

No, why not?

Because if you do, I warn you, I'll kill Caradis.

There it is.

Yeah.

What?

Yes, I will.

Caradis has called on the direct line a moment ago.

What did he say, sir?

Nothing. According to the operator, he just picked up the receiver. Probably

somebody got to him before he could speak.

Come on, Ensign. You too, Lexman.

Sorry, sir.

All right, Sergeant.

You got all the fingerprints you want, Thompson?

Yes, sir.

Good.

All right, nice. You can go now.

Well,

the sooner we get this room clear, the better.

You better stay, Sergeant Edson. You too, Butterfield.

Well, Mr. Lexman, I'm keeping you in custody for the time being for your own

good.

Will you go with Sergeant Meredith?

Whatever you say, sir.

Butterfield, you got to the house first.

Now, who was here?

The manservant Pike's the only person we've discovered so far, sir.

I've got our men searching the rest of the house.

What about the chauffeur? It's his night off.

The other staff only come in during the day.

There's been nobody here since Dr. Griswold left at 9.45.

I told Pike that Mr. Corrales' phone to the yard had rung. He seemed very

surprised and upset.

Did he?

Well, we tried the door, sir, but of course it wouldn't budge.

And as you know, we started to cut the hole to get in as soon as the

oxyacetylene bloke arrived.

Yeah, well, right.

Thanks, sir.

Pike.

Yes, I'll talk to Pike later on.

So, Kouradis was here with his murderer.

Kouradis panicked and grabbed for the phone.

Perhaps he only managed to knock the receiver off, but anyhow, the bell rang

at Scotland Yard at eight minutes past ten.

Before he could speak into the phone, this other man pulled him away.

They struggled, and Kouradis was stabbed.

Right?

Right, sir.

Yes, I'll see you with me.

Where do we go from there?

Why are there two candles missing from here?

Why is this one lying on the desk... and the other one over by the door?

Well?

No idea, sir.

Well, forget the candles for the moment.

Now, this bar can only be lowered from inside this room.

What can we do for you?

I've come to get the safe open, sir. Ah.

Funny, behind that big picture on the wall there.

But there's no possibility of lowering it from outside the room.

Now, the bar was down when we got here, so the murder was still inside the room.

Except that he wasn't, sir.

Except that he wasn't.

The only thing inside the room was Mr. Caradis' dead body.

Now, how did the murderer get in?

And how the devil did he get out?

I'm sorry to interrupt you, sir.

Yes? This man Pike, sir. He was caught climbing out of the kitchen window.

With all this, sir.

Now, was he, now?

It's only that I was short of money, sir. I had to get out of the house

quick. You know me, sir.

I know your record, Mr. Fisher.

Alias Pike, alias Chubb.

And every other angling name in the dictionary.

In the normal course of events, I wouldn't have done anything so clumsy.

I've got it, sir. Right.

Send him down to the yard.

Yes, sir.

Well, sir, we found this young lady locked up in the attic, sir. She says

she's been there about 24 hours.

Are you all right, Miss Buckland?

Yes, sir, I think so.

Anyway, these will make you feel better.

Your mother's letters.

See if she gets home all right. Yes, sir.

Come in.

Morning, Mr. Lexman.

Morning.

How do you feel?

Glad. Well, the Kiralis is dead.

Yes.

I'd had to prove a murder, not even in a case like this.

But I've got to find the murderer.

Now, it seems there are several people who can help.

Yes. Carrada's had a lot of enemies.

Sit down, will you?

Lexford, I'm not going to ask you where you were at 8 minutes past 10 last

night, because I know it already. You were here in this room, but before that.

Lying low until after dark.

I didn't want to be arrested. I wanted to be sure that I gave myself up.

In other words, you can't help me.

No, I'm afraid I can't.

Well, I shall have to talk to the other people.

Who are?

Which one would you start with?

Well, the most obvious, of course.

How does it feel to be suspected of murder?

Who, me, sir?

I didn't do it.

It's not my line of business.

But immediately after the murder, you tried to give us the slip. Because of

that letter I found in the hall.

Have you got it?

I wrote it, sir.

What did it say?

It said... Don't tell me. Let me guess.

It said something like this.

Fisher, get out quick.

All right, take your words.

Come on, you.

Here.

Mr. Lexman's been on again, sir. Same thing as before. Permission to see Miss

Nielsen.

Well, tell Lexman Miss Nielsen's gone abroad.

For a long, restful holiday.

I think it's very nice, but why did you ask me to come here?

Not just to admire her flat.

No. Grace Nielsen's gone abroad.

Yes.

Miss Nielsen!

Yes, I told you that. I told everyone.

Miss Nilsen, can I introduce Linda Buckland? Miss Nilsen. How do you do?

Hello, but... First things first.

Linda's the daughter of Lady Buckland, who was blackmailed into paying Karanis

large sums of money.

Only never quite enough.

So she shot herself, poor woman.

So Linda decided to become an Abbott, a private detective.

Not much of one.

Oh, you found out a few things about Karanis, and I'd like you to hear them.

It may change your mind about helping me.

But I told you before, I know nothing.

Look, I'm doing everything I can to prove your fiancée innocent and Caradis

guilty. Well, Caradis is dead now, but that's not going to stop me.

I've got all the pieces in my hand, but they don't fit. They don't fit, Miss

Nilsen. And I think you know why.

He said four o'clock. I'm sorry about this.

That's all right. I've got nothing better to do.

He went up and didn't even tell me where he was going.

Anyone at home?

Anson, I'm going to recommend you for promotion.

Get the car out front.

I'm sorry I'm late, but I had to collect a few things.

Lexman, you said before you couldn't help me. Now I think you can, whether

you know it or not. Anything I can do. Right, we're off. Where to?

Where to? The scene of the crime.

Oh, Sergeant Anson, I shan't need you. Go and get yourself a sandwich or

something. Can't I stay, sir? No, I'd rather talk to Mr. Lexman alone.

Grace!

I thought we'd combine business with pleasure.

She got back from abroad only an hour ago.

Darling, I'm so glad to see you. Hello, John.

Now, let's get down to business.

I think I've solved this.

You mean you found the murderer?

It wasn't you, John. It couldn't have been.

The secretary, the manservant, wasn't them either.

That leaves only one person.

Who?

Well, let's try reconstruction, shall we?

I had the hole in the door patched up.

Everything as before.

Now, I'll be the murderer.

You'll be Kouraris, right?

I come in.

The bar's up. He's expecting me.

Karadis comes forward to meet me. Come forward, John.

I stabbed him! Now, don't bother to fall. Just stand where you are.

Now for the problem.

I've got to leave this room, leaving the bar down after I've left.

But I've got something up my sleeve.

What do I do?

I go out, closing the door very gently.

Outside, I talk to Pike for a minute or two, waiting for the bar to fall.

Then the murderer must have been Dr. Griswold.

Yes. But how... You said Griswold left here at 9.45,

didn't you?

Yes. Leaving Karadis dead.

Yes.

And that receiver was lifted from the telephone at 8 minutes past 10.

Yes, he probably tried to get... Wait a minute, wait a minute.

I think I know how it was done.

He took this candle and probably this paper knife.

It's got a weighted handle.

Put the blade underneath the receiver.

The candle here.

And when the candle melted...

Very clever.

Very clever indeed.

And that's exactly what you did.

Griswold's in Baghdad. He's been there all the time.

The Griswold that came here was really John Lexman.

Not a bad disguise.

You were Corrales' junior partner.

You were running a fashionable gambling racket and a blackmail racket too.

Only you wanted to be the senior partner.

So Corrales decided to get you out of the way.

And he used Brennan, the Irish chauffeur, to destroy all the evidence.

You found out about the partnership, didn't you, Grace?

She didn't want to break off the engagement when you went to jail.

So she was loyal to you and kept her mouth shut.