Franchise Affair, The (1951)

[bunniefuu]

Betty

Good Afternoon,George

Hello,Blair,had a look at
that property for me yet?

-No,I do something about it tomorrow
-Good

-Oh,Mr Blair
-Good Afternoon Miss Spence

How very fortunate running
into you like this

I wonder if it would be too much to ask

if you could come out to the
Noude one day this week.

My sister wants to change her will again

So soon?Well,I'm going out to Craiglands
on Friday,I could call in on the way back

Good,we'll give you tea,Amy
does so enjoy going over her will

Yes,so I gather

Oh,and do remember us to
your dear aunt Lin,won't you?

-Yes,of course
-See you Friday then

-Good Bye
-Good Bye Miss Spence

-Are my papers(?) ready Miss Tuff
-Yes,Mr Blair,they are on your desk

Good,I'm going off early I
want to get up to the golf club

Very good,Mr Blair

What's this? Who is Miss Sharpe?

One of those two women from London
who came to live at the Franchise

She telephoned three times

What's it about,do you know?

She wouldn't say,she said she
wanted to speak to you personally

Over to your Aunt telephoned

to remind you to collect the fish
for dinner on your way home

You are slipping,Miss Tuff

It should be biscuits today,
surely,it's Wednesday

-Cake tomorrow
-We fell out of biscuits,Mr Blair

And so is the shop

Yes

There is a Miss Sharpe on the
line for you,Mr Blair

Well,put her through,will you?

Is that Mr Blair?

Yes,speaking

You don't know me,Mr Blair

My name is Sharp,Marion Sharpe

I live at the Franchise the
house on the Laubury Road

Yes,I know

Mr Blair,I need a lawyer urgently

How?What's the trouble?

-Scotland Yard
-Scotland Yard?

Yes,I haven't m*rder*d anyone
if it's that what you are thinking

but it is something quite serious

I can't explain over the phone

I see

Well,I'm afraid I know very
little about criminal law,Miss Sharpe

my firm is not really equipped
to deal with cases of that sort

I don't want a criminal lawyer

I've seen you in Melford
and I like you to advise me

But you would be much
better off with a solicitor

who is used to police cases,you know

Someone

Mr Blair

There are people from Scotland Yard here
in this house and I don't know what to do

If it is something you feel
you don't want to mixed up in

you can always pass it on
to someone else afterwards

Couldn't you possibly come?

Please

I'll be with you in about 20 minutes

I saw you coming I didn't want you to ring

My mother lies down in the afternoon

and I'm hoping we can get this
business over before she wakes up

I'm most grateful for you for coming

The Law is in here

-You know Inspector Hallam,of course
-Yes I think so

And this is Inspector Grant from London

I'm glad you come

I couldn't very well proceed unless
Miss Sharpe had some legal support

I see

And what are you charging her with?

We are not charging her with anything,yet

I'm supposed to have kidnapped
and beaten up a girl

Perhaps I'd better explain explain

Yes do,after all it is your story

Some weeks ago a girl called Betty Kane

went to spend her holiday with an
aunt in a little place called Stone Hill

between here and Larborough

I know Stone Hill

When the time came for the girl to go
back to school she hadn't returned home

So her guardian,a Mrs Wynn,
wrote to the aunt to send her back

The aunt immediately wired

to say that Betty had left for
home a fortnight previously

The police took all the usual measures

but before they could really
get going the girl turned up

she suddenly appeared at her
home in Aylesbury late one night

wearing only a dress and
shoes in a state of collapse

She's been badly knocked about

She said that while she
was waiting at the bus stop

for a coach to take her
home from her aunts

A car pulled up with two women in it

The younger one told her that
she has missed the coach

And asked if they could give her a lift

They were going nearly into Melford

where she could catch a
different coach to Aylesbury

By then it was beginning
to rain and growing dark

So the girl got in beside
the old woman at the back of the car

The old woman?

A thin old lady like a witch
with white hair and no hat

Dressed in black

Ha,three strange men

May I present them,mother

This is Mr Blair of Blair & Sons

the firm who had that lovely
old house by the Wool Market

Need re tidying

And this is Inspector
Hallam of our local police

You shouldn't had sat in that
chair,you are far too heavy for it

And this is Inspector
Grant from Scotland Yard

Mrs Sharpe

I'll tell her

Mother,the Inspector wants us to see a
young girl who's waiting in a car outside

She was missing from home
for two weeks or more

And when she turned up again

she said she'd be detained by people
who wanted to make a servant of her

And when she refused,
they locked her up and beat her

And starved her

How very enterprising of them

It's not a joke,mother

The suggestion is that she was
kept a prisoner in our attic

And what did we beat her with?

I wouldn't know

The point is the Inspector
wants us to meet this girl

So that she can say
we are the people or not

Have you any objections,Mrs Sharpe?

On the contrary,Inspector,I look
forward to the meeting with impatience

It's not every afternoon

that I lie down to rest a dull old woman
and rise up a potential monster

Then if you excuse me,I go and get the girl

Just a moment

Might I know your reason for
bringing in the girl to this house?

Certainly

First is the reference to
Melford and secondly

I read you the extract from her statement

From the attic

I could see a high stone wall with a
big iron gate in the middle of it

There was a road on
the other side of the wall

I couldn't see the traffic
because the wall was too high

And I couldn't see through the gates

because they had shield
surveyor on the inside

Inside the gate the drive
went straight for the little(?)

and then went round in a
funny little circle to the front door

The whole story is absolutely fantastic

no one could hope to get a
servant by kidnapping her?

No normal person of course

But believe me I'd come across
dozen things more incredible

There's no end to the extravagance
of human conduct

I agree but the extravagance is
just as likely be in the girl's conduct

After all she's the one
who has been missing

Also these ladies may be able to
provide a perfectly good alibi

for the day in question

I'm afraid not,Mr Blair

Our days here vary so little

I've no idea what I was doing on that day
and I don't suppose my mother has either

Complaining about the weather most likely

Is there no one else who might remember?

No one

We live alone

We never been able to keep a maid

The Franchise is so lonely

-This girl,Betty,
-Kane

Betty Kane

May we know some more about her?

Why guardian and not parent for instance?

She is an orphan

She was evacuated as a small
child and billeted on this Mrs Wynn

who has a boy of her own two
or three years older

What happened to the girl's parents?

They were both k*lled in the bombing

Mrs Wynn are grown very fond of the
child and was glad to keep her

She looks on Mrs Wynn as her mother

I see, what about the girl's character?

A very quiet girl by all accounts

she has never been in any kind
of trouble either in school or out

Mrs Wynn her guardian?

A very sensible woman all together
she's behaved admirably

In all that remains is for us to take
with the same admirable detachment

Miss Sharpe,the girl not
only describes your house

she has described you and
your mother accurately

You must see my position

Yes, I suppose I must

Then if you are ready and
Mr Blair has no further questions

No,not at the moment

Then I bring her in

Do you wonder that I wanted
help in a hurry,Mr Blair?

No,I don't

It was good that Mr Blair to come at
such a short notice and so quickly

Wasn't it mother?

You have licence(?) well Mr Blair

Why Mrs Sharpe?

I imaging that defending criminal
lunatics is a little out of your line

I find it extremely stimulating

Yes I expected that the (?)in Melford are

somewhat scarce most are addicted to golf

as you have gathered we
had more interest in vices

Yes,these are the women

It's a very grave accusation,you know

-You've no doubt about it?
-No

A remarkable liar

Might I ask Miss Kane a question?

Yes,she doesn't need to answer
if she doesn't want to

-Miss Kane?
-Yes

How did these ladies come
to bring you into this house?

While we were in the car

they said I had time to come in to
have a cup of something hot with them

That I only had to wait in the
rain if I got to Melford too soon

What happened then?

They brought me and gave me some coffee

As soon as I drank it I
began to feel very sleepy

And what did we do?

That when you asked me if I'd
like to stay and work for you

And what did you say?

I said no of course

And then you said

I could at least come upstairs and
see what a nice bedroom I'd had if I stayed

I don't remember much
more until I woke up,up there

Now the girl has identified us
what do you propose to do? Arrest us?

I want to take a look upstairs

So Miss Kane's description
of the attic can be verified

If it is I report on the
case to my superior

and he decides what further steps to take

An admirable precaution,Inspector

Now,if you excuse me, I shall go
back to my interrupted rest

But don't you want to be present
when we verify Miss Kane's statement?

Oh dear no I've not the faintest
doubt Miss Kane will identify the attic

Indeed I should be surprised
beyond belief if she failed to do so

For two people who have
been in such close contact

we're distressingly unacquainted

I hope to know you much better
before this affair is finished,Miss Kane

Good Bye,Mr Blair

I hope you continue to find it stimulating

And now Miss Sharpe if you don't mind
perhaps we could take a look at the attic

Certainly

The statement goes on "when
I woke up it was daylight

The light was coming in through a
round window up near the roof

I found most of my clothes had
been taken so I couldn't run away

They left me only a slip

The younger woman came in and try to
persuade me to give the maid's job a trial

I asked her to give me back
my clothes and let me go

But she wouldn't

The bed was in that corner

There are castor marks there

There was a bed there,we
got rid of it a few days ago

Why was that?

We didn't need it

What else was in the room,Miss Kane?

You speak of a chair,
a table and a wash stand

It wasn't a real table,it was
a sort of old fashioned trunk

I used to have my supper on it

That's the wash stand

Can you describe the trunk?

It was dark brown with a
flat top,it was quite big

It had like ribs round it

Have you a box room,Miss Sharpe?

Inspector,I'm not going to disturb
my mother again this afternoon

I must admit there is just
such a trunk her room

It is brown it has a wooden bands around it

It's quite an ordinary trunk

And the chair?

I'm afraid I can't help you about that

What kind of chair was it Miss Kane?

I don't remember

She took it away after I
tried to break the window

You can see where I hit it

That was the first time she went for me

How did you get away from here eventually?

The old woman brought me
some porridge one night

and as she went out I noticed the key
made a funny clicking noise in the lock

I tried to worm it open

I waited for a few minutes cause
I thought it was another trap

And then?

I crept down to the landing

I could hear them talking in the
kitchen,so I went out the front way

In your statement you said
you were only wearing a slip

didn't you arrive home in a dress?

I forgot to say that her slip
had been changed for her dress

there is no heating in here in nothing
but a slip she'd probably had died

If she was ever here

If,as you say,she was ever here

And now the garage if you please

One of the wheels was being lighter than

the others and it didn't
look as if it belonged

The different wheel was
in front and on my side

I noticed it when they first
stopped to pick me up

Well,Miss Sharpe I think that's
what about all for the moment

Before you go,Inspector, I should like
make my position absolutely clear

I think I owe that to Mr Blair

And I am glad that this girl is
presently here what I have to say

I've never to my knowledge seen her before

I did not give her lift anywhere

on any occasion

She was not brought into the house
either by me nor by my mother

Nor was she kept here

Is that clear?

Very

In other words,Inspector

my clients asked you for this as
a complete denial of the girl's story

Quite

I shall be able to get you,I suppose,
should I want to talk to you further

Oh,yes,Inspector,we have no
intention of going anywhere

You're awfully late,Robert

Yes,dear

Did you bring the fish?

No,dear

I'm sorry,Aunt Lin,I forgot

But I am glad we didn't wait for it

Christine is in a huff as it is,
she wants to go a meeting

I offered to cook the dinner myself
but of course she wouldn't hear of it

Can't think why,you
cook just as well as she does

Oh no,she doesn't,does anyone thinks that
your aunt makes better than me,Mr Robert?

Hot cross buns but only once a year

No one makes butter
tarts like you,Christine

What kept you so late,dear?

I rang up the golf club

I had to go out to the Franchise

Those people?I didn't know you knew them

I didn't,they wanted some legal advice

Well,I hope you get paid,dear,
they haven't any money,you know

So I gathered

The father drank himself to death
and left them without a penny

Old Mrs Sharpe kept a
boardinghouse in London

and her daughter was made a w*r worker

Yes,yes and they were just
being turned out into the street

when the old man at the
Franchise died so providential

He was some sort of friend of the mothers

Aunt Lin,where do you
get all these stories?

But it's true,dear,perfectly true

It's gossip

I never pass on gossip,Robert,you know that

Speak no evil,see no evil,there
are no evil,please hurry up,Mr Roberts

I'm sorry,Christine,I started later

You'd be late for the last
judgement,then where will you be

Where indeed

What's the Franchise like,dear?

I always wondered what
was behind those iron gates

Rather gloomy they got some
nice pieces of furniture then

Not so well kept as ours I'll be bound

Have they got a maid now?

Hm,no

Well I'm not surprised,they
starved the last one,you know

Aunt Lin

But I assure you

For breakfast she had the crust soft
for toast and then they had a milk pudding

Auntie,you really must
go on repeating such things

That bit about the maid is particular
dangerous for them just now

Why?

They may have to answer
a charge of kidnapping one

There,what did I tell you?

Oh,Robert I suppose you
know what you are doing

But it does seem very odd that you
should be mixed up with people like that

I'm not mixed up with
them,I'm acting for them

But Robert,this is quite out of your line

The firm hasn't handled a criminal
case sine your dear grandfather's time

When the old squire got drunk
and carried off young Polly Gratten

And that was a most unpleasant business

It was indeed

He wasn't looking for a servant

-Good Morning,Mr Blair
-Good morning,Bill

Good Morning,Mr Blair

Your car won't be ready
for another 10 minutes

I'll drive it down to the
office for you if you like

All right,thanks Stan

Do you know anything for today?

Not a thing,I hadn't had a bet for weeks

Ah I'm 2 £ down on a cow called BuyPromise

Let me know when you do
have some,won't you?

Sure

Nice little number that,
reminds me of a Brit I knew in Egypt

same kind of eyes looked as if
butter wouldn't melt in her mouth

-Can I borrow this?
-Sure I'm finished with it

-Good Morning
-I say

I hear your car was outside
the Franchise yesterday

-Yes
-A police car too,I'm told

Was it?

-You acting for these women?
-Yes

Being quite a smart aren't they?

This is the blessing of
our legal system, Carley

is people are presumed innocent
until they are proved guilty

But this is enough to stir up
public opinion against them

till they won't dare to show their faces

You know there is a strong belief around
here that they are witches,don't you?

Just as well as witch hunting
is no longer popular then,isn't it?

Don't you believe it

give half these people a chance
and they'll witch hunt for the best

Really

Then I'll be seeing you

Says she was kidnapped
two Melford women questioned

I suppose we should
consider ourselves lucky

as they didn't publish our
photographs or at least our names

Shouldn't congratulate yourselves
about that too much

From what I hear people have
already put two and two together

And now they are saying
the police is failing to their duty

and not arresting us of course

If the girl was never here

How could she have known about this house?

She did know quite a bit

I just can't explain it

Even the gates are never left open

And certainly couldn't see over the wall

The whole thing is extraordinary

I think all our effort have to be devoted

proving not that the girl
wasn't here at the Franchise

during those weeks but
she was somewhere else

What can we do in way
of private investigation

I expect you realize
we've very little money

To begin with I'm going myself to
see the various people involved

To find out,if possible,on what lines
any inquiry should be based

Extraordinary kind Mr Blair

I hope you won't regret it

You've been here about a
couple of years,haven't you?

Yes,I am afraid we are still looked
upon us as foreigners in Melford

I suppose we've kept ourselves
to ourselves a little too much

But we've enjoyed the privacy of this house

It's so wonderful having a home of our own

Mother and I have always
lived in boardinghouses

My father was one of those optimist
who was always going to do(?) it tomorrow

He died without a penny

What did you do?

I wasn't trained for a profession so
my life has been spent in odd jobs

You know,helping those gentile
businesses,tea shops,flowers

bric-a-brac,lampshades

Old Mr Crowe who left us
this house was my father's cousin

I remember the old chap well

It's good of you to show
confidence in us,Mr Blair

when are you then
start your investigations?

Today I begin with this Mrs
Wynn,the girl's guardian

Excuse me

Hello

Is this the Franchise?

Yes

You and your old mother better
clear out quick,if you don't we'll...

What's the matter?

Some woman,she sounded crazy

something about whips,she'd
say they'd whip us out of town

and all this caused by a slip of a girl

Where was she during those weeks?

I'm glad someone took it over

I hope I meet them someday

I'd like to shake them by the hand

Mr Blair,if they did take this to court

and did get a verdict,what
would that mean for us?

I'm not sure whether it would be
2 years imprisonment or 7 there

I told you I was a broken reed where
criminal procedures was concerned

I'll have to look it up

Yes,do there's quite a difference

You are under no obligation
to talk to me,Mrs Wynn but

I very much hope that you won't
refuse I won't keep you a moment

We have nothing to hide

Is Betty in?

No,she's gone to the
pictures with Leslis,my son

I was rather surprised that
newspaper getting hold of this story

I should have thought you'd been very
much against that kind of publicity

I am,I was very annoyed about it

I'm afraid it was Leslis's doing

he was so furious of the
police not making an arrest

That was foolish thing for him
to have done,of course

but the trouble is he's always
been so devoted to Betty

Is this Leslis with her here?

Yes

One time they were quite inseparable

Aren't they now then?

Well,Leslis did get rather interested in
the girl down the road for a while ago

You know what boys of 19 are

How did Betty liked that?

Well I expect she missed
not coming first in for a time

She wasn't jealous?

I don't think so

She's a nice girl,Mr Blair

So I understand

I've always wanted a daughter
and Betty filled that gap

She was terribly knocked about you know

Did she have anything in her
pockets when she came home,Mrs Wynn?

She only had one pocket,one in her dress

Was there anything in it?

Just a lipstick

A lipstick?

She's a bit young for that,isn't she?

My dearest,Mr Blair

they start experimenting with
lipsticks now at the age of 10

As a wet days amusement it's taken
the place of dressing up in mother's things

Very probably

When she first told you her story,
did she tell it in all in one piece?

Oh,no it was spread over a day or two

The outline first

And then filling in the
details as she remembered them

Things like the window
in the attic being round

Should have thought her days
of coma would blur her memory

Not with Betty,she's got
a remarkable memory

Even as a child she could look at
the picture in a book just one instant

and then tell you everything
there was in it

What you might call a photographic memory

Yes I suppose you would call it that

Well,thank you,Mrs Wynn,I am
very grateful to you for seeing me

Mummy,Leslis been...

Good Afternoon

Good Afternoon

This is Leslis

Your mother and I was just been saying

what a pity it was that you
gave that story to the newspaper

Nobody is going to ill treat
Betty and get away with it

Mrs Wynn

if it ever should occur to you

that something in Betty's story
doesn't quite ring true

I hope you won't decide
to let sleeping dogs lie

Don't pin your faith on that,Mr Blair

You mean you would?

No

No I mean the hope of
my doubting Betty's story

If I believed her in the beginning
I'm not likely to change my mind

One never knows

I suppose they still will have
to have a lawyer as anyone else

But hardly expect me
to have any sympathy for them

-After all I am Betty's aunt,Mr Blain
-The name is Blair,Mrs Jarrett

Oh,yes of course

How did Betty pass her time
when she was staying with you,Mrs Jarrett?

Oh,she went to Larborough most days

Alone?

Oh,she was on here on holiday,wasn't she?
Poor thing after all that school work

What good all that book learning
does for a young girl like that

I really don't know

Mrs Hallop's daughter she could hardly
write her name and she married a man..

How did she spend her time in Larborough

Betty I mean

At the pictures mostly

You can do that from morning till night
in Larborough if you are given that way

And that was Betty did?

Well,only the mornings I think

She's sensible Betty is

It's simpler(?)if you ban
before 12 you know

So she didn't come back here to lunch?

No,she had a coffee lunch
somewhere in Larborough

we have our main meal at night,you know

It's always been my priority to
have a good nourishing 6 o'clock meal

What was she doing in the afternoons?

Bus driving mostly

Would you care for one of those biscuits,
Mr Blain,they are fresh from the tin?

No thank you

Bus driving,where?

Oh anyway the fancy took her

Did she go to Melford on the
bus,do you know Mrs Jarrett?

They asked me that,of course,
but I couldn't say yes or no

-They?
-The police

Oh,yes of course

Well,I mustn't waste your time any longer

You are not the police,I think you said

No,of course you are a lawyer,you told me

I do hope I told you all the
things you wanted to know,Mr Blain

You've been very helpful,Mrs Parrett

-Rob my dear fellow
-Kenneth

How are you? Sorry to keep you waiting

The case took longer than I expected

but as you see I dashed
straight over from courts

I thought you dressed up
like that to impress me

Did you? That's look good
I think I have a scent(?)

Ah,how are you,Kevin,Mrs
Chattle told me you were busy

Oh,up to my eyes in it

I'm dining out tonight

and catching a late train
got a case of (?) tomorrow

I didn't ask you rob all business
I never see you otherwise

Kevin,I want some friendly advice

What's the trouble?

Scotland Yard

Good heavens you must be slipping what
Scotland Yard got to do with Blair & Sons

They are on the doorstep and
I don't know how to deal with them

Come and tell you about all that by that(?)

The Yard I take it

trying to find corroborative evidence
to back up Betty Kane's story

Got it

If I were them I'd risk an arrest

They got a good enough case

Do you mean you believe her story?

I never believe anyone's story

What's you want to know do
I find the girl's story believable

Of course I do

But Kevin if you met these two
women you'll say it was absurd

Not at all,women who live lonely lives
sometimes do extraordinary things

Only the other day

an elderly woman who was found
to kept her sister chained to a bed

in a room no bigger than
a cupboard for three years

Feed her on potato peelings and
scrapped it ,didn't want it herself

What on earth for?

Said her money was going away too fast
and that was her way of making ends meet

She had quite a good bank balance actually

Now there is much more
absurd and unbelievable stories

I'm glad you are not
representing Betty Kane

my clients would be behind bars already

Mind you I could just as well to present
the case from the opposite angle

Kevin,you are infuriating,you just said
that you find the girl's story believable

So I do

I could also find it believable
if it is a tissue of lies

I could make a case for either side

On the whole though I should
prefer to be Counsel for Betty Kane

It must be a tissue of lies

I'm quite sure that neither of these two
women could possibly do such a thing

What does she look like?

-Who?
-Betty Kane

Now you caught,the one you're
interested in,this Marion Sharpe

Kevin McDermott?

Yes,he's an old friend of mine

I just wanted to get an unbiased
opinion on the situation

And was he helpful??

Not really

Have you heard anything further from Grant?

No we hadn't heard from the police

We had some more unpleasant telephone calls

We stopped answering

-That newspaper
-Yes

A titbit like this apparently
must be a gift to them

It will slack off it's just a tide

Meanwhile

We have to deal with
what's left on the beach

A particularly horrid beach

Anonymous letters?

Yes,I must say they show
a very vivid imagination

And when they arrive
at out of words ,they draw..

Listen Hallam, you must give them
some sort of protection,you know

I might send them men out a couple of
times a day,to show the uniform so to speak

That'll be something

Well,all right

-I'll do that
-Thank you Hallam

I think you'd better come and
padlock the gate,Miss Sharpe

I can't imagine what it would
be like without you to help us

Good Afternoon

could I speak to someone

who would know about the Larborough
to Melford bus service?

Timetable on the wall outside

But I don't want about times

I want to know if you ever run
a double decker bus on that route

No

Never?

Look I am a solicitor

There are no double decker
buses on the Melford run

What do you want?

Could I have those spares for Norton

(See you out on your way)

I couldn't contradict him straight out,
not in the mode he is in now

but he's wrong about them
double decker buses,you know?

Once or twice this year we had to use them

when one of the single decker broke down

Would it be possible to
find out exactly when

the double decker was used on that route?

Sure,in this firm it is
recorded every time you spit

Come on I look it up

The double decker bus passed
the Franchise on two occasions

during the time that Betty Kane was
staying with her aunt with her aunt

And from the top of the bus
she could have seen over the wall

She could have seen the round
attic window,the circular drive

and the two women probably
getting into this car with the odd wheel

You're taking rather lot for
granted,aren't you?

Even if she was on one of these buses
and saw such a picture as you suggest

She could never taken it in all in the time

Ah,she's got a photographic memory

I learnt that from her guardian

This is all pure supposition,Blair

Still doesn't explain

how the girl was able to describe
the inside of the house,the attic

I realize that but surely this is a
supposition you people should look into

We are not interested in
suppositions when we got facts to go on

You believe her story,don't you Hallam?

Yes

She is a genuine and nice kid I should
say,might have been one of my own

We checked her story and it checks

And one single piece of evidence to
back it up,we shall make an arrest

Evening,Mr Blair

-What is it whitewash?
-No,Sir

Good quality paint
takes some going off

Inspector send me out to have
a look round and there it was

Some people never go out of it

Out of what?

Writing things on walls

Does the Sharpes know about this?

I told them and I went in to phone the Srgt

Are you going to hang on here?

Srgt said to stay until dark

There really should be someone
here all night you know

We haven't a man for spare for that,Sir

What do you think of our wall decoration?

It has to go to someone to clean it out

I've tried,I've been on the
phone for at least half an hour

Every one say they are
busy all of a sudden

Who have you tried?

I've tried them all,no one
can do anything tonight

And tomorrow morning it seems

all their men going out
early on important jobs

-It's like that,is it?
-Yes

And I'll see what I can do

I find out something interesting
in Larborough today

At least I think its interesting

I know now how the girl
could have seen quite a lot

Everything in fact except
the inside of the attic

-How?
-Over the wall

Double decker buses run past
here recently on two occasions

I'm glad about this

Glad because,quite
apart from everything else

It'll help to remove any doubt

That might just

Muddled my crystal mind?

Yes

My mind is quite clear

Thank you

You know,Bill,when the army
gave me that free toy,Billy

I got a phobia

I took a great dislike to slogans on walls

That's funny,so did I

Not bad

Not bad at all considering

I told you not to worry,Mr Blair,Inspector

I thought Mr Blair ought to know about it

Of course

I got a wallop with a bottle

Well,Mr Blair,are you still
find it stimulating?

You plan to stay on here,Mrs Sharpe?

Certainly

You mustn't do that I'll find you
a quiet hotel in Larborough

I've never heard of anything so absurd,
of course we're going to stay

What will a few broken windows matter?

It may not stop at broken windows

No

And you are a great responsibility
to us as long as you are here

A responsibility we really haven't
got the force to deal with

I'm sorry to for your
nuisance,you Inspector

but this is our home and
here we are going to stay

Quite apart from the questions of ethics

how much of our home will there
be to come back to if we left it empty?

I take it that if you are too short
of men to guard human beings

you certainly haven't got enough men
to guard empty property

Well,there is that Miss Sharpe

And that I think poses a
question our leaving the Franchise

-Sugar
-Yes,please,Madam

-Mrs Sharpe
-Now look

What you want is a lodger

What do you say if I move in and
sleep here starting tonight

No meals,just a sleeping night
watchman,they all sleep anyway

-Haven't you got a wife?
-No,I'm married to a dog thus so far

What about your landlady?

Oughtn't we to let her know?

I can slip a note under the door

She won't be worried about him
anyway,he's been out nights before

And

Delivering cars to customers

You can do it half a time at midnight

Well,if you are going to be our
guest I'll go and get your room ready

I suspect your head feels
like a very painful turnips

Can I give you a hand?

Yes as a matter of fact you can

I shall never forget what
you two have done for us

When I think of tonight,
it won't be those louts I remember

But you two

What about your business Mr...

-Peters
-No sugar,thanks

My business?

Well,I meant if your customers find you
become a night watchman at the Franchise

they take their custom elsewhere

Well,there's nowhere else to take it?

Lynch is drunk five nights of seven

and old Biggins couldn't
put a chain on a bicycle

I wonder

You wonder what?

Suppose you went around to Scotland Yard

and told them what you
found out about the buses

It doesn't prove anything

Hallam was very clear on that point

Yes,but surely they should investigate it?

After all the police are supposed
to be department of justice

Department of law,justice begins in court

You had a bad day here,haven't you?

Yes

Even worse than the wall and
the anonymous letters came

We decided in future to burn
everything before we open it

It's the best thing to do

It was nice of you to get Stan
and Bill to clean the wall for us

I do thank you for that

Yes,they are good chaps

I'll see what I can do about
the windows in the morning

I'm afraid this horrible affair is
taken up a great deal of your time

It's become a personal matter with me

Personal?

The one ambition of my life
is to discredit Miss Betty Kane

Oh,I see

A number of people gathered last night
outside a house in the Melford district

Two men working on the premises
came to blows with the demonstrators

and in a serious scuffle
windows were broken

it is understood that the
occupants of the house

remained discreetly out of sight until
the last of the demonstrators had dispersed

Marion

Get the car out

Charlie,when old Beyer comes in ask him
to come over to my office,will you,

I want him to do a job for me
put some windows in

Right,Mr Blair I'll tell him

What about the row at the
Franchise last night I see

I told you these people would
make it hot for them

If I were you I'd advise
them to go away from here

sell the house and settle
down somewhere else

They would never do it and
I never advised them to

You can't go through life

with a tin can tied to the tail and
pretending it is not there

Matter of principles

You can pay a too high
price for your principles

Good Morning Miss Truelove

I'm afraid all the tables are reserved

Indeed,very well,then we'll wait

The tables are booked all morning

We will wait

Good Morning Mr Blair

We just flew in on our broomsticks
for a cup of hot blood

May I have a table for
three,please,Miss Truelove

I'm sorry Mr Blair all
the tables are booked

I'm sure you'll understand I must
study the feelings of my customers

Fiddle-dee-doo,we intend
to have a cup of coffee

Don't look so worried it's only a gesture

You are merely providing these
people with a free spectacle

They must get used to it

If they see a giraffe once a
year it remains a spectacle

If they see it every day it
becomes part of the scenery

Well, we propose to become
part of the Melford scenery

All right become part of the scenery

but come out of this place now and have
your coffee with me at the Rose and Crown

Mr Blair,that would be delightful but it
wouldn't relieve my spiritual indigestion

As a personal obligation to
me as your lawyer

That is blackmail

It's an answer anyhow

Seems we are going to
have coffee at the Rose and Crown

Good

Oh,Mr Blair this must be dreadful for you

Do you think you(?)

I couldn't care less

Let's make something stronger than coffee

Yes

Inspector Hallam is on
line for you Mr Blair

Put him through,will you?

-Is that you Blair?
-Yes,speaking

I feel I have got bad news for you

Grant's here,he came to apply
for a warrant to arrest the Sharpes

That's not possible

You'd better come over
and have a word with him

Right

This news is a great shock tor me,Inspector

I expect it is,Mr Blair

We found some new evidence

What we think is conclusive evidence

-Might I know what it is?
-Certainly

A girl has come forward prepared to swear

she heard scream coming
from Franchise attic

During the time Betty came and
claimed to be detained there

-Who is this girl?
-Her name is Rose Glynn

She works at the farm near the Franchise

And apparently used to go there,
now and again,to clean the place

But why a warrant to arrest,
my clients aren't going to run away

The girl was missing for over 2 weeks

She was very badly knocked about

Deliberately

It's not a case to betaking lightly

When do you want them to appear in court?

On Monday

Then I suggest you serve then a
summons to appear on Monday

My superiors have suggested an arrest

Your superiors have
no knowledge of local conditions

If the Franchise is left without occupants
it will be a wreck in no time

There's a lot in what Mr Blair says

The feeling here is very
strong against these two women

Very well,then

We'll make it a summons

I'll get that signed

If we avoid a remand on Monday,Mr Blair

The case can go straight to be decided

Can you be ready with your
defence by Monday,you think?

With all the defence my clients have
we could be ready by tea time

You know,I think your clients are luckier
than they deserve in their solicitor

I can only hope they are
less luckier in our counsel

Otherwise I may find myself being
talked into voting them in testimony(?)

Robert

-Good Evening,Inspector
-Good Evening,Miss Sharpe

I'd like to speak to you and
your mother for a moment

I'm afraid my mother is resting

Well,perhaps you'd
ask her to come down

It's important

I don't believe it

You mean you are charging us for this thing

You mean we have to appear in public
court to be accused of a thing like this

I'm afraid there's no alternative

But

I think I ought to tell you

in case he doesn't, but from Mr Blair here,
you'll both be sleeping tonight in a cell

Don't bother Miss Sharpe,
I'll let myself out

Is that true?

Yes

And what is this evidence?

You used to have a girl

who came in occasionally to help
you clean the house,didn't you?

Yes,Rose Glynn,we had to get rid of her

Get rid of her? Why?

Stealing,she stole a watch of Marion's

We'd overlook taken an odd
shilling or two from a purse,

we needed to help but when it
came to the watch that was too much

We asked her about it,of course

she hadn't seen it so we told her we
wouldn't be needing her anymore

I see,and how did she take that

She went very pink

She went red as a beetroot
and bridled like a perky dog

Why do you ask?

Because she would say on oath that
she heard screams coming from your attic

Will she indeed?

That was known as a bit of a face up

Yes,definitely

A face up of you too

Your faced with the possibility
that we've been lying

Really,Marion

If I'm faced with anything it is
the choice with your words and Rose Glynn's

I wish,oh,how I wish

that we had one small,just one small
piece of evidence on our side

She gets away with everything
that Kane girl,everything

We keep on saying it isn't true but
we have no way showing it isn't true

It's all inconclusive

Or negative or feeble denial

Things can bind back her lies

but nothing happen to help prove
that we're telling the truth

Nothing

Sit down,Marianne, a tantrum
won't improve the situation

I could k*ll that girl,I could k*ll her

When I think what she has done to us

We'll get everything straightened
out eventually

How?

I don't know how but we will

Is that natural optimism,
Mr Blair or belief in the triumph for good?

Or what?

I think truth has its own validity

(?) didn't find it very
valid nor ask us later

They did it in the end

Frankly I don't look forward
appear in prison

waiting for truth to demonstrate
its validity

So you see,Kevin,something must be
done quickly,we are in a frightful jam

That's schoolboy's description
but extremely accurate

Kevin,couldn't you come for the weekend
and let me talk to you about it?

Aunt Lin was saying
yesterday it was six years

since you spend a night with
us so you're overdue anyhow

Well,look would Christine
lead with some butter tart?

Yes,I guarantee it

It's a deal.I say Rob

Have you considered the possibility
that the police have the right of it?

You mean the girl's story may be true?

Are you keeping that in mind?

As a possibility I mean

No I am not

-All right Good Bye
-Good Bye

Hello,dear,look what I managed
to get for you today,Dollymore

What on earth did I ever
need stomach powder?

Well,you never know,dear,you might,
you haven't been looking at all well lately

And Mr Dollymore said

Robert,you put the fish down on the table
and it's so (?)into mahogany

And Christine will be waiting for me

Which are you charging me with?
The mahogany or keeping Christine waiting?

What I don't know what's
come over you lately

I'm sorry,Auntie,I am a
bit on edge these days

It's not very pleasant
for anyone in the town

to see the notoriety that's overtaking it

It's always have been such a
quiet thing and fine little place

I don't like Melford as much
as I did so I save my tears

It's all very difficult for me

For you?

Yes,now that you are
representing these people

I can't talk about it to anyone

It's quite maddening,dear

Like wanting to be sick
and having to postpone it

Only this morning at the Anne Boleyn

Miss Truelove was condoling with me
and now being mixed up in it

What she did? Well I condole
with Miss Truelove's sister

Condole with her? Of what?

For having a sister like Miss Truelove

So you're best, given the
police court tomorrow

and then get it assigned to Larborough

Just what do you mean
by given the police court?

Well,you've got no evidence on
your side there will be a fight of it

So let them parade their evidence

and as you are there
the defence supply for bail

It should be a very formal affair,
so I am assured of

When are the assizes?

On the 14th

Sure the Handicap day

Are you interested in racing?

I am

Who do you think is going to win Handicap?

Favorite?

Not on your life

None of them (?) are any good
when it comes struggle they just turn it up

Well,what shall I bet then?

Nothing

My brother Charles always used
to say when he was at Leithways

Horse-sense is the instinct that
keep horses from betting on men

Leithways?

You are not Charles sister(?)are you?

I am

Did you know Charles?

The penny I ever had on my
own was bet by Charles(?)

What's Charles doing now?

Didn't he go to Canada or somewhere?

Yes,Montreal

He wrote to us some time back asking
us to go and keep house for him

But at that time we
had inherited this place

So we said we wouldn't

I'm beginning to wish now we had

-Good Morning Mr Blair
-Good Morning Stan

-Want your car?
-Yes, I'm going into Larborough

-Good Morning,Bill
-How are things,Mr Blair?

Fierce

My Missus went to the police court

Said she wouldn't believe that Betty Kane

even if she told her there
were 12 p in a shilling

No matter what that Rose Lynn might say

Why not?

Much too good to be true she said she was

Oh no she was never came in here
I should have remembered her if she had

Fancy treating a poor thing like that

How do you know they did?

Oh it says so in the paper

The paper only reports what the girl said

But they wouldn't put a thing
like that in the paper if it wasn't true

Beside what the other girl said

You're a detective?

Part time

How much do you get an hour?

Not really enough

Haven't got a union I suppose

Poor,luv,what an experience for her

-Such a nice face too
-Poor luv

Those (?) has to be picked
up that's all she get,(??)we say

Thank you

BTW have you ever seen her?

Light ale

-How do you do,Sir?
-Hello,Albert

Strange case that so
reading about that girl

Yes,suppose you've never seen her in here

Not that I remember

She looks a bit young for this place,Sir

Half a bitter

Half a bitter

You know when I come to
think of it,I'm not so sure

She wouldn't look so young
with a hat on,would she?

No,that's true

Yes,of course

That's the girl in the green hat

You mean she did come in here for coffee?

No for tea

For tea?

Yes,of course that's the girl

Fancy me not recognizing her

Albert

Are you absolutely sure of this?

Yes

I remember I noticed her
she always came in alone

First I thought she was
waiting for relations

That's the sort of girl she looked

Nice and neat clothes and no airs

You could have knocked me down with
a feather when she picked up that man

You mean the
man picked her up surely?

Don't you believe it,he hadn't even
thought of it when he sat down

She didn't look that sort

You'd have thought that butter
wouldn't melt in her mouth

Goodness

And to think I never
recognized without the hat

What was the man like,did you know him?

He was not one of my regulars

Young,darkish with a moustache

Commercial type I would say

Did she ever come back?

I don't remember seeing
either of them again,Sir

Would you the know the man if you saw him?

Not to swear to it,Sir

We get a good many of that sort in here

You planning any swearing to,Sir?

We'll talk about that,Albert,
when we found him

So to start with,Mr Ramsden,I want you
to try and find this man she picked up

He might be able to give
me just the information I need

Albert,the lounge waiter,
knows what he looks like

I think I get over in Larborough now

Oh,I have a better photograph
of the girl tomorrow

but perhaps you could lend
me your newspaper the one for today

Certainly

How are you going to
get another photograph of her?

Oh,ways

-Good day,Mr Blair
-Good day

And now,Mr Ramsden,what luck?

I've got to tell you Mr Blair

you're throwing good money away,
it isn't a business proposition for you

Is it as hopeless as that?

We can never hope to trace the man

except through the girl

and we'll never find about the girl
because their photograph is quite useless

How do you mean?

I mean when she left her
aunts when she disappeared

She must have ordered her appearance
so that she couldn't be recognized

For instance with her hair swept up

and some make up and possibly
a hat she'd look quite different

That's why I don't want waste
any more of your money,Mr Blair

That means we are sunk

I'm sorry,Marion

It certainly wasn't worth you
making another appearance in Melford

just to hear this

It isn't your fault,
I was determined to come

-I'll drive you back
-Thank you

It's infuriating to think
that girl getting away with it

At least you got something
to shake confidence in her

This business picking up
a man in Larborough

I can't prove it Marion

even if I could it doesn't touch
her story about you having kidnapped her

That's what we got to disprove

There is still time

About all there is time for,
I'm afraid,is a miracle

You are just tired,Robert

It's become a personal matter,Marion

I remember you said that once before

I know

But this time I mean it rather differently

I mean

I want you to marry me,Marion

Do you,Robert?

You will,won't you?

No,I won't

Why not?

Well,because just because as children say

Because of what?

For one thing,there's my mother and another

Yes,you're so spoiled by your aunt

Oh yes you are

You'll miss all this preacher
comforts and pampering

that I wouldn't know how to give you

And wouldn't give you,if I knew how

Marion,that's one reason
that I want you marry me

The fact is that you've got your head
outlined and wouldn't pamper me

Head out,mind you see,a
nice (?) to dinner with once a week

It's those sort of substitute for good
pastry and an uncritical atmosphere

I'm a very bad cook

Really,if you haven't got
any better reason than that

There is another thing,Robert

I don't think I would be
much an asset to Blair & Sons

I'm not asking you to marry,Blair & Sons

If we are ever cleared of
this charge against us

It wouldn't free me for being
the woman in the Franchise Affair

An unfortunate sort of
wife for a country solicitor

It wouldn't do you any
good,Robert,believe me

I'm not taking that answer
as final you know

You evidently don't realize
what misstep you got that

You don't really mean that you
are going to lose the case,do you?

-I most certainly do
-Robert

It's customary to have
a case put to the jury

We have no case

But you have Kevin

I know we have Kevin
and things even if we have

At least you make a fight of it

But even he should have
some evidence on his side

And here's none,no prospect of any

Why do you kept all this to yourself,dear

Was it because you thought I shouldn't
understand or agree or something

I was rather under impression
that you believed Betty Kane's story

Oh,no not after the police court

The court? But you weren't there

No,but Colonel Whittaker was

He didn't like that Betty Kane at all

Didn't he?

No,he says he once had

what are you to call it,Lance Corporal
in his regiment who was exactly like her

He ended up in the green
house,Colonel Whittaker said

The glass house

Of course,dear,if I known that
you were doubtful about the case

I should have said
prayers about it ages ago

I was going to the Gleason's
garden party tomorrow afternoon

I shall go to St Michaels instead
and spend a quiet hour there

The wireless said it
would probably rain anyway

Thank you,darling

I don't deny that we need your prayers

But I'm afraid in this case
I haven't very much hope

Ah,that's rather just it,Robert,
you haven't enough faith

It distinctly says that
faith will move mountains

Of course it requires a
tremendous amount of faith

And that's why mountains
are very rarely moved

I don't believe that an
angel is going to appear

with an account what Betty Kane did during
those weeks,if it's that what you mean

No,the trouble about you,Robert dear

you think of an angel
as a creature with wings

well it's probably it's a scruffy
little man in a bowler hat

If you told me that yesterday
I might have believed you

How do you want this wreck

About an hour

A year wouldn't do

I'll do what I can in an hour

Stan,Stan leave it will you,drive me
in your van to Melford,I must see Mr Blair

Sure

Hey,what's that,I have seen anyone look
like that since my sister Bula married a GI

Come on

There's a lady waiting to see you,Mr Blair

What does she want?

She didn't say,she just
said she wanted to see you

-Well,you'd better send her in
-Yes,Mr Blair

Mr Blair will see you now

Thank you

This way,please

Miss Tuff,get Mr McDermott
on the phone immediately,it's important

Yes,Sir

And when you done that ring up my Aunt Lin

tell her she was wrong about her angel

he's not a scruffy little man in a
bowler hat,he is a woman

Yes,Mr Blair

Quiet

Call Betty Kane

Betty Kane

Betty Kane

Hold the Testament in the right
hand and read this from the card

I swear by All Mighty God

that the evidence I give

should be the truth,the whole
truth and nothing but the truth

So you are saying,you were locked in
that attic without food for days on end?

Yes

And can you identify the two women
who kept you prisoner and ill treated you?

Yes

Those two

The accused?

Yes

Now Miss Kane

You just told the court that it was
dark when you arrived at the Franchise

Was it really so dark?

Yes,quite dark

Too dark to see the outside of the house?

Yes,much too dark

I see

Then

In the night you escaped,perhaps
that was not quite so dark?

Yes,it was even darker

So you never saw the
front of the house by daylight?

No,never

Never,well that's definitely enough

Let's see what you say in
your statement to the police

You said

The drive run straight for the little

and then went round in a funny
little circle to the front door

How did you know it like that?

I could see it

From where?

From the window in the attic

But from the window in the attic

it's possible to see only the
straight part of the drive

The edge of the roof cuts off the rift(?)

How did you know about
the funny little circle

I saw it,I saw it from the window

Really

So what you want us to understand

is that you see on a different
principle from ordinary human beings

on the principle of the Irishman's g*n
that shoots round corners

Or is it all done by mirrors

It's the way I described

Certainly it's the way you described

but what you described

is the view of some
one looking over the wall

say from the top of a double-decker bus

not by someone looking at it
from the window in the attic

Are you proposing to call a
witness as for the view of this window?

Two,My Lord

One with normal vision should be sufficient

Thank you Miss Kane

Miss Kane,you arrived
at the Franchise by car

Yes

Now,if it was dark,as you say

may we take there were lights on
the car illuminating the drive?

Yes,headlights

And could you see the
carriageway and courtyard?

Yes,of course I must have
seen the circle then

I knew I'd seen it,I knew it

Thank you,Miss Kane

Call,Rose Glynn

Rose Glynn

Rose Glynn

Hold the Testament in the right
hand and read this from the card

So you were just getting ready to leave
when you heard screams coming from upstairs

That's right

And what did you do?

I run to the foot of the stairs

but just as I was going up

Mrs Sharpe came out of the
drawing room and stopped me

Was the screaming still going on

No,it had stopped by then

I see

And then what happened?

Well,just then Miss Sharpe came down
the stairs and went into the drawing room

And the old lady followed her

Then I heard the old lady say
something about "ought to be more careful"

What did you do then?

I run home

I was frightened

Did you go back to the Franchise again?

Oh no I wouldn't have gone back anyway

but they came to the farm
next day with my money

said they wouldn't be needing me any more

Thank you,Miss Kane

Mr McDermott,do you wish to
cross examine this witness?

Yes,My Lord

Now Rose

I am going to suggest to you

that you did not want to come here today
and give evidence against these two people

No,I didn't

But you came

Yes

Why?

Was it because someone forced you to come?

Someone who held something over your head?

Someone who said you say what
I tell you to say or I tell about you

You don't answer,well I'm going
suggest you what really happened

And you tell me whether I'm right

Someone stole something from the Franchise

Shall we say a watch

And later sold it to another girl

a girl she got to know here in Larborough
at a cinema or café or some such place

Now I suggest that soon afterwards

The girl who bought the watch

Found out that it had been stolen

And threatened to tell the police

unless the stealer of the watch
promised to back up an untrue story

that it was to be told in court

I suggest that because of these threats

the stealer of the watch did
actually come into court

and did in fact back up
her friend's untrue story

I suggest you Rose that
it was really happened

No,I never had that watch

Would I be wrong in suggesting that
you are a friend of Betty Kane?

No,I don't know her

So she couldn't have learned about
the inside of the Franchise?

What the attic was like?What
was in it for instance? From you

No,I don't know her

Very well,Rose,thank you

My learned friend has suggested that
pressure was brought on you to come here

Is there any truth in that suggestion?

No

What you said in the witness
box at the police court

and what you have said today is the truth?

Yes

Thank you Miss Glynn

That's all

That is the case for prosecution,My Lord

My first witness,My Lord and the members
of the jury,is Mr Bernard Chadwick

Call Bernard Chadwick

Bernard Chadwick

Bernard Chadwick

Mr Chadwick

You are I believe,a traveller for the firm
of Bren Haberden Company of London?

Yes

And you live with your wife in Ealing?

That's right

Did you in March of this year
come to Larborough on business?

Yes

And while you were here

Did you meet a girl?

Yes

What was her name?

Betty Kane

Do you see her in court?

Yes,over there

And how did you come to meet her?

She picked me up

Will you please confine yourself
to standard English in your replies

Mr Chadwick?

Surely,My Lord

And how did this acquaintance
between you and Betty Kane develop?

After that she used to come out
with me on my business trips

-Alone?
-Yes

She did have a girlfriend she
used to go to the cinema with

but she always got rid
of her before she met me

Did Betty Kane ever mentioned to
you the name of this girlfriend?

Yes,some kid called Rose something or other

Did these meetings between
you and Betty Kane

continued the whole time
when you were in Larborough?

Yes

And what happened when
the time came for you to leave?

I was prepared to pack it up but she wasn't

She said she wasn't expected home
and else for some time

but she could easily tell her aunt
that's where she was going

And what was your reply?

I wasn't too keen on the idea

I knew she was 19 but

She told you she was 19?

She had her 19th Birthday in Larborough

Cost me a lipstick

So?

After a lot of rag showing

Of what?

A lot of discussion,My Lord

Go on but do confine
yourself to English standard or basic

After a lot of talk

I decided it was no particular harm

in her staying at my bungalow
on the river near Borne End

It was only used occasionally at week ends

Where you there with her?

I was away on business most of the time

And then?

I had a bit of a shock

After she'd been there some days

she told me she actually been due back
home for her aunt several weeks previously

Did she said why she misled you?

Yes,so it would be impossible
for her to go back

She had no compunction about the suffering

she would cause people
who were devoted to her

No,she didn't seem to have
much time for her home

Have you any idea why
she was unhappy at home?

From what she said and other things

she was upset over some boyfriend
who'd found himself another girl

And that didn't suit Betty Kane?

No

You'd say she was the type who just
had to be the centre of attraction?

Yes

Where you worried about her?

Not particularly

by that time I'd learned she was
very well able to take car of herself

And what exactly do you mean by that?

I mean whoever was going to
suffer it wouldn't be Betty Kane

And how did the situation
at Borne End disintegrate?

I went down one night and found she'd gone

Thank you Mr Chadwick

Mr Chadwick, this is a very
belated story isn't it?

This case has been a
matter of press reports

and public comment for weeks
why didn't you go to the police

and tell them your story?

Because I've been abroad for my firm

I knew nothing about the
case until a few days ago

I see

You heard something of the
state in which this girl arrived home

where you responsible for that?

No

Thank you Mr Chadwick

Call Mary Francis Chadwick

Mary Francis Chadwick

Mary Francis Chadwick

When did you first suspect

that your husband had developed
an interest elsewhere?

A girl friend of mine told me he
had a guest at our bungalow on the river

And what did you do?

I went down there

Would you please tell the jury,in
your own words,exactly what happened?

Well,door was unlocked so
I walked straight into the hall

A woman's voice from the sitting
room called out "Is that you Bernard?"

So I went in and found her
as large as life on the sofa

in a kind of negligée you used to
see in the films about 10 years ago

she looked like nothing,I know

Please confine yourself to
essentials,Mrs Chadwick

I'm sorry,My Lord

I pulled her off the sofa and
gave her a smack in the face

From then on it was just a fight

Then who got the better of the exchange?

I did I was in a flaming
temper I told that silly...

And anyway you got the better of her?

Yes

She tripped over one of
her shoes and went falling

I waited for her to get up but she didn't

I thought she'd passed out so I went
into the bathroom and washed my face

tidied my hair and did me up a bit

Leaving the girl unconscious on the floor?

So I thought

but when I came back I found the faint
had been an act,the little girl had gone

And what did you do?

I slung all her things into the
cabin and cleared off

A couple of days later,the day before my
husband went abroad,I told him what I done

And what was his reaction?

He said it was a pity her mother
hadn't done the same thing years ago

Tell me,Mrs Chadwick,why did you take
so long to come forward with this story?

Because when my husband
went abroad I went with him

I thought it advisable

Quite

Mrs Chadwick

Do you recognize anyone in that photograph?

It's a photograph taken by a street
photographer in Bourne End,My Lord

I shall call him,if necessary

Yes,it is my husband and the girl
I found in our bungalow,Betty Kane

My Lord

The jury wish me to say something

Yes,what is it?

The jury wish me to say

that we already have enough evidence
on which to arrive at a verdict

Looks as though our two young perjurers
are foiled,a very pleasing thought

Now,Marion,perhaps

Robert

Look at that poor

Yes,it was quite an adventure at my age

Does Robert know that you are going away?

No,I haven't had a chance to tell him yet

Come on let's celebrate the victory

Going away?

Yes,we are going to Canada to join my uncle

Mother feels now she'd like to go

I see

"My very dear Robert

This is the hasty farewell note

just to let you know that
we are both thinking of you

We leave on a morning plane to
Montreal the day after tomorrow

Now that the moment is almost here

we've discovered that
what we both remember

are the good and lovely things and the
rest fade to comparative insignificance

This maybe only knocked out you in advance

I don't know

I only know that that we always
be happiness to remember you

And Stanley and Bill

Our united love to you

And our gratitude

Marion

Excuse me,Sir

Miss Spence called while you were out

Her sister wants to change her will again

She

She said could they expect
you about teatime tomorrow?

No alteration(?),thank you

You need a good holiday,Mr Blair?

I could easily look after things here
for a couple of months,you know

Thank you Anthony I'm sure you could

-Yes
-Robert

Yes Aunt Lin

About the fish,dear,I forgot to tell you

Try and get plaice will you that turbot
you got last time was a little poor bite

Right,plaice not turbot

That is unless you can get sole of course

Unless I can get sole,of course

I see,bye,bye then

I wonder what Robert is doing now

He is not at the fishmongers

Oh,Robert you don't know how
revolting you look when you are smug

That's a turn out from the books