Death Of My Aunt By C.H.B. Kitchin

Oldtuberadio

David Griffin and John Shrapnel in Death of my Aunt adapted by FRANCIS KING from the novel by C.H.B. Kitchin.  When young Malcolm Warren is summoned from London by his rich aunt Catherine to help sort out her financial affairs. he finds himself involved in a murder mystery. The corpse? Aunt Catherine. The suspects? At least three members of the household, including Aunt Catherines husband Hannibal and Malcolm himself.  Producer: Piers Plowright Malcolm Warren: David Griffin Hannibal Cartwright: John Shrapnel Dace: Michael McClain Aunt Catherine: Betty Huntley-Wright Inspector: Stephen Thorne Anne Carvel: Eva Haddon Bob Carvel: Geoffrey Beevers Terence Carvel: Rolf Lefebvre  Saturday-Night Theatre Sat 3rd Nov 1973, 20:30 BBC Radio 4 FM  Tricked into delivering a fatal dose of poison to his wealthy aunt, Malcolm Warren, a conservative stockbroker, must solve the mystery of her murder before he becomes the prime suspect.  Kitchin was a man of many interests and talents, being called to the bar in 1924 and later amassing a small fortune in the stock market. He was also, at various times, a farmer and a schoolmaster, and his many talents included playing the piano, chess, and bridge. He was also an avid collector of antiques and objets d'art.  Do you enjoy the variety on Oldtuberadio? Like, Share and Subscribe to be notified of our new shows #radio #crime #thriller #drama To Support this channel please visit https://www.buymeacoffee.com/oldtuberadio https://ko-fi.com/oldtuberadio98 https://www.patreon.com/oldtuberadio https://locals.com/Oldtuberadio

Transcript

00:00:00Radio 4, the time now, five minutes past three.

00:00:10Afternoon theatre.

00:00:11Radio 4, the time now, five minutes past three.

00:00:41Radio 4, the time now, five minutes past three.

00:01:10I prepared myself for a long weekend of business and pleasure.

00:01:16An ingredient I was not prepared for was murder.

00:01:20We present Death of My Aunt, a play for radio by Francis King, adapted from the novel by

00:01:32CHB Kitching, with David Griffin as Malcolm and John Shrapnell as Uncle Hannibal.

00:01:38Death of My Aunt.

00:01:49Hello, Malcolm.

00:01:51Hello, Uncle Hannibal.

00:01:52Jolly decent of you to come at such short notice.

00:01:55Oh, Dace, take Mr. Warren's bag upstairs, will you, and unpack it.

00:02:00Right-o.

00:02:00We won't be needing the car again this evening.

00:02:03Very good, sir.

00:02:05A new face, isn't it?

00:02:06Who, Dace?

00:02:07Oh, he's been with us for some months.

00:02:10But of course, it's a long time since you last paid us a visit.

00:02:12Yes, a new face and a not particularly amiable one.

00:02:20But your aunt thinks the world of him.

00:02:22It's odd, you know, that's how she and I first met each other.

00:02:25I used to drive her myself when I hadn't a man free at the garage.

00:02:28That was just after your Uncle Morris' death, of course.

00:02:32Now, sit down and let me get you a spot of whiskey before we turn in.

00:02:36Thanks.

00:02:37How is Aunt Catherine?

00:02:41Oh, she's really very well.

00:02:44There.

00:02:45That about right for you?

00:02:46It looks awfully strong.

00:02:48Nonsense.

00:02:48You're a big boy now.

00:02:51Cheers.

00:02:52Cheers.

00:02:55Yes, I'm sorry about asking you to come at such short notice,

00:02:59but when your aunt gets some idea into her head,

00:03:01well, I don't have to tell you.

00:03:03It's about her investments, of course.

00:03:05Her investments?

00:03:07Oh, was that it?

00:03:08Well, I'm only...

00:03:09Well, I'm not a partner in the firm, you know.

00:03:12Far from it.

00:03:12Dear boy, she was struck by that paper you sent her.

00:03:15She said it showed you'd inherited the family flair for money.

00:03:19She doesn't think very much of my money-making abilities.

00:03:21No, I'm sure she's wrong.

00:03:22Well, when something has to be done, she likes it done at once, you know that.

00:03:26Quite what it is, if anything, that she wants done now,

00:03:29I just do not know.

00:03:31You'd be surprised how little I know about her affairs.

00:03:34Well, maybe she's going in for a big gamble of some kind.

00:03:37Well, it won't matter whether she wants me to do anything or not.

00:03:40I'm very glad to be here.

00:03:43I'll leave it to her to start the subject, shall I?

00:03:45Oh, as a matter of fact, Malcolm,

00:03:46she thinks you're going to look at the investment books straight away tonight.

00:03:50Tonight?

00:03:50Well, we expected you a bit earlier, you see,

00:03:52and she got quite worked up.

00:03:54Do you think you'll be here by dinner time?

00:03:56She kept asking me, as though I knew the answer.

00:03:58In the end, I got her off to bed,

00:04:00but she was so sure you'd want to work just as soon as you got here,

00:04:03that she asked me to hand you this letter.

00:04:05Where is it?

00:04:07Oh, yes, I put it in this pocket.

00:04:12It's sealed.

00:04:13Yes, she sealed it.

00:04:15She often does seal letters she asks me to deliver for her.

00:04:18I've no idea, no idea at all what's in it.

00:04:21It feels like a key.

00:04:24It's probably the key to her bureau.

00:04:27The fact is, Malcolm, that I'm not exactly in her confidence.

00:04:30I haven't been for a long, long time.

00:04:32I don't like admitting that, but it's not surprising.

00:04:35After all, no use blinking at matters.

00:04:37I am a bit of an intruder here.

00:04:39And your relations aren't all too eager to see me settling down.

00:04:42At first, I thought we'd all be good pals,

00:04:44but just lately, well, I don't know.

00:04:46Oh, I'm sure you're mistaken, Uncle Hannibal.

00:04:48Well, you've always treated me very well.

00:04:49Well, and your mother, too.

00:04:51But your Uncle Terence never took to me, did he?

00:04:54I don't blame him, mind you.

00:04:55Cultured man, first-class education,

00:04:58boss of an important firm of solicitors.

00:05:02Anne's different, but then she only married him.

00:05:05She's not one of the high and mighty Carville family by birth.

00:05:09As for that son of theirs...

00:05:10Don't you and Bob hit it off?

00:05:11He used to see the way he looks at me,

00:05:13as though I were some unsavoury criminal

00:05:15whose case he had to handle,

00:05:17even though he knew that he was guilty.

00:05:19He's always looked like that at me, too.

00:05:22Oh, it's just his solicitor's manner.

00:05:24I suppose I'll have to go over and see them tomorrow.

00:05:26Well, you won't find your Uncle Terence there.

00:05:28He's been away fishing for the last week in Wales.

00:05:30And Aunt Anne?

00:05:31Oh, she's at home.

00:05:32Poor woman.

00:05:33Poor woman?

00:05:35Ah, yes, I suppose you haven't heard.

00:05:37That son-in-law of hers, James,

00:05:39he's got himself into some kind of financial scrape again.

00:05:42Anne got a wire from Augusta in Rome yesterday,

00:05:45and there have been two,

00:05:47well, perhaps even three telegrams before that.

00:05:50She seems to want her mother to go over.

00:05:53But, of course, that's out of the question,

00:05:54things being as they are.

00:05:55Why?

00:05:56Well, firstly, Terence is against it.

00:05:59And then Anne's been far from well, you know.

00:06:02As a matter of fact, she went to town today

00:06:03to see some Harley Street quack.

00:06:05Oh, she's always worrying about her health.

00:06:07Poor Aunt Anne.

00:06:08Yes.

00:06:09Well, I expect you want to take a deco at your aunt's letter.

00:06:13And I dare say that in any case,

00:06:15you're fagged after the week's work and the journey.

00:06:17Would you like to go up?

00:06:18Yes, I suppose it is getting late.

00:06:20Damn.

00:06:22What an hour to ring.

00:06:25Hello.

00:06:27Oh.

00:06:28Hello.

00:06:30Yes, she's fine, thanks.

00:06:32Fine.

00:06:34Had dinner in her boudoir.

00:06:36I've got Malcolm here with me.

00:06:38Malcolm.

00:06:40Yes.

00:06:42Yes, yes, I'll tell her.

00:06:46Good night.

00:06:48Who was that?

00:06:50Oh, that old busybody, Mariah Hall.

00:06:54Mariah Hall?

00:06:55Who's she?

00:06:56You know, the vicar's wife.

00:06:58You've met her, I'm sure.

00:07:01What does she want?

00:07:02Bringing you up at this hour.

00:07:03Well, she had tea with your aunt yesterday,

00:07:05and she seems to have, uh,

00:07:07well, to have got scared about her health.

00:07:10Don't ask me why.

00:07:13Well, there you are.

00:07:14The bachelor's room.

00:07:15Not too uncomfortable, I hope.

00:07:17If you need anything in the night,

00:07:18I'm in the end room of all.

00:07:20The end room?

00:07:21But I thought...

00:07:21Oh, your aunt's turned me out of there.

00:07:23Made the dressing room into her boudoir now.

00:07:25Well, that's how it goes.

00:07:28My first act, as soon as I had shut the door behind me,

00:07:31was to tear open my aunt's letter to see what she had to say.

00:07:33My dear nephew Malcolm,

00:07:37I've decided to wait up no longer for you.

00:07:40Here is the key of my bureau in the boudoir,

00:07:42the room next to yours,

00:07:44so that you can look at my investment book before you go to sleep.

00:07:48You will find the book lying on top of the blotter.

00:07:51Come and see me after breakfast, without fail.

00:07:54Your affectionate Aunt Catherine.

00:07:56P.S.

00:07:58You will, of course, understand

00:07:59that I do not wish my investment book

00:08:01shown to anyone or its contents discussed.

00:08:05I took the key,

00:08:06opened the door between my room and the boudoir

00:08:08as quietly as I could,

00:08:09went to the bureau and unlocked it.

00:08:11The book was lying on top of a leather blotter.

00:08:14I lifted it out reverently,

00:08:16shut the bureau, locked it,

00:08:17tiptoed back to my room and shut the door.

00:08:20I remember how I then sat on my bed

00:08:21with my shirt half off,

00:08:23calculating on the back of my aunt's letter

00:08:25the rough value of her securities.

00:08:27I couldn't also help calculating

00:08:29the commission I should receive on the order

00:08:30that I was already planning to recommend to her.

00:08:34When I finally went to bed,

00:08:36perhaps because I had been sitting there so long

00:08:38in a state of half-undress,

00:08:39my teeth began to chatter.

00:08:42There was nothing for it.

00:08:43I should have to go downstairs

00:08:44and fetch my coat as an extra cover,

00:08:46unless I could find a rug to put on my bed.

00:08:49There were no rugs to be seen in the hall,

00:08:51but at least my overcoat was thick.

00:08:54In the hall, I noticed an ashtray

00:08:55and took that, too.

00:08:57There was none in my room

00:08:58since Aunt Catherine disapproved of smoking.

00:09:01Then I crept upstairs again.

00:09:04I remember noticing that the light was on

00:09:06in my uncle's room at the end of the passage.

00:09:10After that, I slept soundly.

00:09:11Oh, there you are, Malcolm.

00:09:15I was wondering what on earth had happened to you.

00:09:17I suppose you managed to oversleep.

00:09:20Oh, no, Aunt Catherine.

00:09:22I've been up for hours.

00:09:24In fact, Uncle Hannibal and I

00:09:25have just returned from a trip to the village.

00:09:27He never asked me if he could have the car.

00:09:29We didn't go in the car.

00:09:30He ran me down there on his motorbike.

00:09:32Oh, that vulgar, noisy thing.

00:09:34It's so undignified for a man of his age and position.

00:09:37And why did you go down to the village

00:09:39instead of coming in to see me as I asked?

00:09:41I didn't want to disturb you

00:09:42until you'd had your breakfast out.

00:09:43Oh.

00:09:44And, well, and besides,

00:09:47I wanted to buy the Financial Times

00:09:48and the Investor's Chronicle

00:09:49before we had our chat.

00:09:51Also, I needed a nail brush.

00:09:52A nail brush?

00:09:53Well, in the rush,

00:09:54I forgot to pack mine last night.

00:09:55Well, sit down, sit down.

00:09:57Oh, no, not on my bed.

00:10:00On that chair.

00:10:01Throw that book somewhere.

00:10:02Oh, anywhere.

00:10:04It's by that man Lawrence.

00:10:06Anne lent it to me quite revolting.

00:10:08Aunt Anne's far from well, I hear.

00:10:10Well, you know how she worries about her health.

00:10:13Ah, people always come to me with their troubles.

00:10:16When I have troubles, I deal with them myself.

00:10:19There are times, Malcolm,

00:10:20when I find myself longing,

00:10:22just longing to get away from here

00:10:24and from everyone who knows me.

00:10:27Oh, I suppose that'll never be.

00:10:30You got my letter?

00:10:31Yes, I have it here.

00:10:33Did you find the book?

00:10:35Yes, I have it here, too.

00:10:36Oh, and here's your key.

00:10:38I was so excited, you know, Aunt Catherine,

00:10:40that I lay awake for hours.

00:10:41I hope you haven't excited yourself for nothing.

00:10:44The majority of my investments,

00:10:46I want to leave just as they are.

00:10:48Well, of course, Aunt Catherine.

00:10:50All your important holdings seem,

00:10:52well, absolutely safe.

00:10:53There are many calls on my income

00:10:55of which you know nothing.

00:10:56Well, in that case,

00:10:57obviously, security of income must come first.

00:11:00Yes, yes, of course.

00:11:02You realize, don't you, Malcolm,

00:11:04that your Uncle Morris left me a very rich woman.

00:11:07Well, I always imagined that.

00:11:08Now, Malcolm, I've taken you completely

00:11:09into my confidence over my affairs.

00:11:11On no account do I want you blabbing

00:11:13about them to anyone else.

00:11:14Your Uncle Hannibal, least of all.

00:11:16You're such a little gossip.

00:11:19I know how to behave professionally, Aunt Catherine.

00:11:21You are my only relative to know

00:11:23what is in that investment book.

00:11:24Now, now, tell me, Malcolm,

00:11:26what would you do?

00:11:28What prospect should I have

00:11:30if I decided to entrust you with, well,

00:11:34say, a hundred thousand pounds on my behalf?

00:11:38Well, I'd like to give the matter

00:11:42a lot of thought, of course.

00:11:44I have some ideas already.

00:11:47Good heavens, has it gone eleven?

00:11:49I must send off a letter

00:11:50before the midday post.

00:11:51Be an angel and give me that pad

00:11:53on the table over there.

00:11:55A pad?

00:11:55I can't see any pad.

00:11:59Are you sure?

00:12:00Quite sure.

00:12:01Oh, grat, that girl.

00:12:02She must have tidied it away.

00:12:05Where would she have put it?

00:12:06God knows.

00:12:07But there's another pad in the bureau.

00:12:08I expect in my boudoir.

00:12:10Have a look.

00:12:11Here, take the key.

00:12:14I found a pad in the bureau

00:12:15and lying on top of it

00:12:16there was a flat bottle of pink glass.

00:12:19Not unlike a large scent bottle

00:12:20wrapped round with a pamphlet.

00:12:23Curiously, I couldn't remember

00:12:25it's having been there

00:12:26when I fetched the investment book

00:12:27from the same place

00:12:27the night before.

00:12:30The wide neck bore an ornate label

00:12:31with the words

00:12:32Le Secre de Venus in gold letters.

00:12:36What could it be?

00:12:38Rashly, I decided to ask my aunt.

00:12:41What have you been doing, Malcolm?

00:12:43I found a pad.

00:12:45And something else.

00:12:46Look.

00:12:47Really, Malcolm?

00:12:49Didn't that expensive education

00:12:50for which I paid

00:12:52ever teach you

00:12:52that it is extremely rude

00:12:54to rummage among other people

00:12:55treasures.

00:12:55Now, give me that at once.

00:12:57What is it?

00:12:58It's a tonic.

00:12:59A very special tonic

00:13:01from France.

00:13:03Contains vitamins

00:13:04and all kinds

00:13:07of other things, too.

00:13:09I meant to take a dose

00:13:10this morning.

00:13:12Give me that glass

00:13:13over there.

00:13:14Your aunt.

00:13:16And the jug, please.

00:13:17There.

00:13:18I suppose that's about

00:13:24a teaspoon, isn't it?

00:13:28Ah.

00:13:30Looks like Epsom salts.

00:13:32You can read what it says

00:13:33on that pamphlet

00:13:34wrapped around it

00:13:34while I dash off my note.

00:13:36I'm not sure, though,

00:13:37that it's really suitable

00:13:38for a boy of tender years.

00:13:40Mm.

00:13:43Oh.

00:13:45Oh, what a horrible taste.

00:13:47But, as the French say,

00:13:48il faut souffrir

00:13:50pour être rebelle.

00:13:52What do you think

00:13:52of Dace, huh?

00:13:54A great improvement

00:13:55on that slack old

00:13:56full page.

00:13:57Dace was in the

00:13:58Coldstream Guards,

00:13:59you know.

00:14:00I didn't think

00:14:06it was so bitter.

00:14:08Horrible.

00:14:11Oh!

00:14:13Oh!

00:14:14Oh!

00:14:20Will you please sit down,

00:14:22Mr. Warren?

00:14:23Thank you, Inspector.

00:14:24I'm sorry to have to ask you

00:14:26to go over certain details

00:14:28of your story again, sir,

00:14:29but, uh...

00:14:30Well, there's no harm

00:14:31in my telling you.

00:14:32In fact,

00:14:32it's my duty to tell you

00:14:34that tests have now confirmed

00:14:36that, as Dr. Matthews

00:14:37suspected,

00:14:39Mrs. Cartwright

00:14:39met her death

00:14:40through poison.

00:14:42Poison?

00:14:43Yes.

00:14:44Poison, Mr. Warren.

00:14:46Suspected by the medical gentleman

00:14:47of being oxalic acid

00:14:49and of having been concealed

00:14:51in a preparation

00:14:51known as

00:14:52Le Secret de Venus.

00:14:53Oh, how terrible.

00:14:55Yeah, I was afraid

00:14:56that the news might

00:14:57come as a bit of a shock

00:14:58to you.

00:14:59Now, Mr. Warren,

00:15:01you told us before

00:15:03that when you mentioned

00:15:05your Aunt Anne,

00:15:05Mrs. Carville,

00:15:07the deceased

00:15:07referred to troubles

00:15:08of her own.

00:15:09Now, have you any idea

00:15:10what they were?

00:15:12None.

00:15:12Nothing to do with money?

00:15:14Oh, no, no.

00:15:15My Aunt Catherine

00:15:15was a very wealthy woman.

00:15:16But she said she had

00:15:17many calls on her.

00:15:18That's right.

00:15:19What did you take that

00:15:20to mean, Mr. Warren?

00:15:22I suppose she was alluding

00:15:23to her poor relatives.

00:15:24Yeah.

00:15:25Did Mrs. Cartwright

00:15:28make you an allowance?

00:15:29No.

00:15:30But you had presents

00:15:31from her, money presents.

00:15:32Yes, at Christmas

00:15:33and on my birthday.

00:15:35Not at other times.

00:15:36Excuse me if I ask

00:15:38for what amount?

00:15:39Usually for a hundred pounds.

00:15:41Yeah.

00:15:43Suppose these troubles

00:15:44of which your Aunt spoke

00:15:45were not money troubles.

00:15:48What could they be?

00:15:49I've no idea.

00:15:51Yeah.

00:15:52I want you now

00:15:53to tell me

00:15:53what opinion you formed

00:15:54of the relations

00:15:55between your Aunt

00:15:56and your uncle.

00:15:57Your Uncle Hannibal.

00:15:59I'm not sure

00:16:00that I've formed any opinion.

00:16:01Oh, come, come, Mr. Warren.

00:16:03You do want to help us,

00:16:04don't you?

00:16:05Do you think

00:16:06that in recent months

00:16:07they were getting on

00:16:07as well as before?

00:16:10Hmm?

00:16:11Perhaps not quite as well.

00:16:14One can't imagine

00:16:15that husbands and wives

00:16:16live in a perpetual

00:16:17state of bliss.

00:16:18Oh, I see.

00:16:19You take a rather cynical

00:16:20view of marriage.

00:16:22Now then,

00:16:23let's go on

00:16:24to this question

00:16:24of the bottle.

00:16:26Now, you say

00:16:26that you did not see it

00:16:28last night

00:16:28when you opened the bureau.

00:16:29That's right.

00:16:31But that doesn't mean

00:16:31it wasn't there.

00:16:33I may just have

00:16:33failed to notice it.

00:16:34And when you saw it

00:16:35this morning,

00:16:36was it full?

00:16:37I can't be certain.

00:16:39I didn't look that careful.

00:16:40Was it you

00:16:41who took out the stopper?

00:16:42No, my Aunt did.

00:16:43Had she any difficulty

00:16:44in doing so?

00:16:45None that I saw.

00:16:46Very well then,

00:16:48Mr. Warren.

00:16:49I think that's all

00:16:50for the present.

00:16:53Oh, by the way,

00:16:54as a pure matter of form,

00:16:56would you oblige me

00:16:56by letting me

00:16:57take your fingerprint, sir?

00:16:59After I had been interrogated,

00:17:01it was the turn

00:17:01of my Uncle Hannibal.

00:17:03Tell me,

00:17:04Mr. Cartwright,

00:17:05was this bureau

00:17:05of your wife's

00:17:06generally kept locked?

00:17:08I think so, yes.

00:17:09How do you mean

00:17:10you think so?

00:17:10Don't you know?

00:17:11Well, it was my wife's

00:17:12private bureau.

00:17:13I never tampered with it.

00:17:14Oh, I see.

00:17:15Where did your wife

00:17:16keep the key to it?

00:17:17In her bag, perhaps.

00:17:18I really don't know.

00:17:19Well, where did she

00:17:20take it from

00:17:20when she put it

00:17:21in the envelope

00:17:21addressed to your nephew?

00:17:22I don't know.

00:17:22I wasn't there.

00:17:24I wasn't even sure

00:17:24that it was the key

00:17:25of the bureau.

00:17:26How did you know

00:17:27it was a key at all?

00:17:28By the feel of it.

00:17:30Besides,

00:17:31she told me

00:17:31she'd arranged

00:17:32for my nephew

00:17:32to get at the book.

00:17:33Well, weren't you surprised

00:17:34that your wife

00:17:35didn't give you the book

00:17:36straight out

00:17:36and ask you

00:17:37to pass it on to him?

00:17:37Not altogether.

00:17:39Why not?

00:17:40Well, my wife

00:17:41was always rather

00:17:42secretive,

00:17:43I suppose I might call it,

00:17:44about money matters.

00:17:45She didn't want people

00:17:46to know how much she had.

00:17:48Not even her husband?

00:17:49No.

00:17:52When did you first

00:17:53see the bottle

00:17:54containing the preparation?

00:17:57When I went

00:17:57into my wife's bedroom

00:17:58with the doctor.

00:18:00At least that's

00:18:01when I might have

00:18:01seen it first.

00:18:02Now, do you mean?

00:18:03Well, I might have

00:18:04seen it when I rushed

00:18:04upstairs on first

00:18:05being told the news.

00:18:07I don't remember

00:18:07seeing it very clearly.

00:18:08I was naturally

00:18:09very much

00:18:10taken aback

00:18:11and, well,

00:18:13shocked by

00:18:14what I found.

00:18:17Quite so.

00:18:19Can you describe

00:18:20the bottle?

00:18:21Oh, yes.

00:18:22It was of pink glass

00:18:23with a,

00:18:24rather like a fancy

00:18:25scent bottle

00:18:26with a wide neck

00:18:27and a label

00:18:28with gold writing

00:18:29on it.

00:18:30How come you can

00:18:31describe it so well

00:18:33if you don't remember

00:18:33seeing it very clearly?

00:18:34Well, I suppose

00:18:35I must have taken

00:18:36in the details.

00:18:37Or my nephew

00:18:38may have told me

00:18:38what it was like.

00:18:40Or,

00:18:41Yes?

00:18:42Well, I did,

00:18:44in fact,

00:18:44see another bottle

00:18:45with the same label

00:18:46this morning.

00:18:47Oh, you did?

00:18:48Where?

00:18:48At Bales,

00:18:49the chemist's

00:18:49in Maysbury.

00:18:50And what were you

00:18:50doing at the chemist's

00:18:51this morning?

00:18:52Well, I ran my nephew

00:18:52into the town

00:18:53on my motorbike.

00:18:54He wanted to buy

00:18:55some papers,

00:18:56the financial papers.

00:18:58And then he saw

00:18:59the chemist's shop

00:18:59and said that he

00:19:00wanted a nail brush.

00:19:02He went inside

00:19:02and I hung

00:19:03about outside.

00:19:04There were two

00:19:05or three of those

00:19:06bottles in the window.

00:19:07Now, you didn't

00:19:08actually go into

00:19:08the shop yourself?

00:19:09No, as I told you,

00:19:10So you don't actually

00:19:11know that your nephew

00:19:12did buy a nail brush?

00:19:13Well, he came out

00:19:14with a white paper parcel.

00:19:15But couldn't this parcel

00:19:16have contained

00:19:17a bottle of the mixture?

00:19:18Well, yes.

00:19:20I suppose it's just possible.

00:19:21Well, doesn't it seem

00:19:22to you rather extravagant

00:19:23buying a nail brush

00:19:24when you're only

00:19:24away for a weekend?

00:19:25I don't know.

00:19:28Perhaps.

00:19:28Is your nephew

00:19:31well off?

00:19:32It depends what you mean.

00:19:35Considering he lives

00:19:35in a smart part of London

00:19:37and has some smartish friends,

00:19:39well, perhaps he isn't.

00:19:40Is he extravagant?

00:19:41I don't know.

00:19:42I suppose he spends

00:19:43pretty well all he has.

00:19:44Most young fellows do.

00:19:45Has he ever asked you

00:19:46for money?

00:19:46Never.

00:19:47He knows I haven't

00:19:48any of this spare.

00:19:49Or your wife?

00:19:51I don't think so.

00:19:52But you're not sure?

00:19:53Well, she never told me

00:19:54he had.

00:19:55I shouldn't think he would.

00:19:56My wife never liked

00:19:57to lend money.

00:19:57She resented it

00:19:58if people asked her.

00:19:59Did your wife,

00:20:00Mrs Cartwright,

00:20:01care for your nephew?

00:20:03Yes, very much,

00:20:04I should say.

00:20:05And was he devoted to her?

00:20:06Well, not devoted, perhaps,

00:20:08but I never saw them

00:20:10getting on badly together.

00:20:13Well, I think that's

00:20:14about everything

00:20:15for the moment.

00:20:16As a matter of form,

00:20:17do you mind

00:20:17if I just take

00:20:18your fingerprints, sir?

00:20:20After tea that same day,

00:20:21the inspector summoned me

00:20:22again to my aunt's room.

00:20:25First, he made me go

00:20:26through exactly

00:20:26the same movements

00:20:27that I had made

00:20:28when looking for the pad.

00:20:30How had the bottle

00:20:31been lying in the bureau?

00:20:32How had I picked it up?

00:20:35Next, he was making me

00:20:36use a bottle of scent

00:20:36as a dummy.

00:20:38I had to reenact

00:20:39how I'd given the bottle

00:20:40to my aunt.

00:20:41Had she touched

00:20:42my hand at all?

00:20:43Had she taken the bottle

00:20:44by its neck?

00:20:45Or lower down?

00:20:47In which hand

00:20:47had she held it?

00:20:49Had she difficulty

00:20:49in pulling out the stopper?

00:20:51I couldn't understand

00:20:52why he should be so eager

00:20:53to get all these details

00:20:54exactly right.

00:20:56They seemed

00:20:56pretty unimportant to me.

00:20:58And eventually,

00:20:59my impatience

00:20:59proved too much for me.

00:21:02You know, Inspector,

00:21:02I honestly think

00:21:03I'd be able to help you

00:21:04better if you told me

00:21:05exactly what you're

00:21:06getting at.

00:21:07All right then,

00:21:07Mr Warren.

00:21:08I'll be quite frank

00:21:09with you.

00:21:10What we are puzzled

00:21:11about is this.

00:21:12When you handled

00:21:13the bottle just now,

00:21:15you made finger marks

00:21:16all over it,

00:21:16except perhaps

00:21:17within an inch

00:21:18to do with the neck.

00:21:19Now, here's the snag.

00:21:21On the actual bottle,

00:21:22on the bottle

00:21:22containing the mixture,

00:21:24there's no trace

00:21:25of your finger marks

00:21:26at all.

00:21:27Oh, we found

00:21:27Mrs Cartwright's prints

00:21:28on the stopper

00:21:29and the neck

00:21:29and lower down,

00:21:30but not one,

00:21:31not a single one

00:21:32of yours.

00:21:33Now, it's a little problem

00:21:34that has us puzzled.

00:21:36Perhaps you can explain it.

00:21:38Well, of course.

00:21:40I've got it.

00:21:41I never touched

00:21:42the bottle containing

00:21:43the mixture at all.

00:21:44You never touched it?

00:21:46What do you mean,

00:21:47Mr Warren?

00:21:47Well, there was

00:21:47this paper wrapper

00:21:48round the bottle,

00:21:49covering the lower part.

00:21:51I should think

00:21:52it went to within

00:21:52an inch and a half

00:21:53of the neck.

00:21:54It was wrapped

00:21:54tightly round,

00:21:55and of course,

00:21:56it was that

00:21:57that I touched.

00:21:58Good Lord.

00:22:00What became

00:22:00of this wrapper?

00:22:02When my aunt

00:22:02took the bottle

00:22:03by its neck,

00:22:03it slipped out

00:22:04of the wrapper,

00:22:05which remained

00:22:05in my hand.

00:22:06Why didn't you

00:22:06tell us this before?

00:22:08It seemed

00:22:08such a trivial detail,

00:22:10and I suppose

00:22:10I was so upset

00:22:11that, well,

00:22:12I forgot about it.

00:22:12What did you do

00:22:13with the wrapper,

00:22:13can you remember?

00:22:15I must have stuffed

00:22:16it in my pocket,

00:22:16because I pulled it

00:22:17out in the drawing

00:22:18room while waiting

00:22:18for Dr Matthews.

00:22:20And yes,

00:22:22then I put it

00:22:23on the coffee table.

00:22:24On the coffee table?

00:22:25Yes, I'm almost

00:22:26sure of that.

00:22:26Did you mention the wrapper

00:22:27to Dr Matthews?

00:22:28Oh, I don't think so.

00:22:30No, it didn't seem important.

00:22:31Did you mention it to...

00:22:32To whom?

00:22:35Well, never mind that now.

00:22:37So, for all you know,

00:22:38the wrapper is still

00:22:39on that coffee table.

00:22:40Yes.

00:22:41Well, let's go

00:22:42and find it.

00:22:43But when we arrived

00:22:44in the drawing room,

00:22:45it was obvious

00:22:45that the wrapper

00:22:46had gone.

00:22:47The inspector

00:22:48nodded at me curtly.

00:22:50That'll do for the moment.

00:22:51Thank you, Mr. Warren.

00:22:52Through the window

00:22:53of the sitting room,

00:22:54I had already glimpsed

00:22:55Aunt Anne,

00:22:56always a favourite

00:22:57of mine,

00:22:58walking with Uncle Hannibal

00:22:59in the garden.

00:23:00I hurried out

00:23:01to join them.

00:23:03Poor Malcolm.

00:23:04This must all

00:23:05be dreadful for you.

00:23:06Yes, I do feel

00:23:07rather shattered.

00:23:09I've just had

00:23:09my third interrogation.

00:23:11But do you think

00:23:12they want me again, too?

00:23:13They didn't say so.

00:23:15They're conducting

00:23:15a kind of search party.

00:23:17A search party?

00:23:18What for?

00:23:19A wrapper

00:23:19that was around that bottle

00:23:21and has now disappeared.

00:23:22A wrapper?

00:23:23Well, perhaps

00:23:24I'd better go and see them.

00:23:25One never knows.

00:23:27Well, goodbye, Anne.

00:23:29And thank you

00:23:30for coming to cheer us up.

00:23:32Goodbye, Hannibal.

00:23:33And try not to worry.

00:23:36Oh, poor Pet.

00:23:38It's all very well

00:23:38to say that to him,

00:23:39but he's always been

00:23:41the worrying kind

00:23:42under that calm manner of his.

00:23:44I sometimes think

00:23:45it would have been

00:23:45far better for him

00:23:46if he'd never met Catherine

00:23:47and got mixed up

00:23:48with us at all.

00:23:50Aunt Catherine

00:23:50was never very nice to him,

00:23:52was she?

00:23:53Except at the beginning.

00:23:55Sometimes I used to feel

00:23:56quite embarrassed

00:23:56just to hear her tone.

00:23:58I've telegraphed to Terence.

00:24:00As you've probably heard,

00:24:01he's away fishing in Wales.

00:24:02You'll be glad

00:24:03to have somebody

00:24:04who knows about

00:24:04the practical side

00:24:05of these terrible affairs.

00:24:07In many ways,

00:24:08poor Hannibal

00:24:09is so utterly innocent.

00:24:11Oh, I've wired to Bob, too.

00:24:13I should think

00:24:13he'll catch the train tonight.

00:24:15I'm lucky, I suppose,

00:24:16to have such an extremely

00:24:17efficient husband and son.

00:24:20I can always leave them

00:24:21to cope with things.

00:24:23I'm not a coper at all,

00:24:24and neither is poor Hannibal.

00:24:27Aunt Anne?

00:24:28Hmm?

00:24:29Have you any idea

00:24:30when Catherine

00:24:30could have bought

00:24:31that bottle of hers?

00:24:32Oh, yes,

00:24:32on Friday morning.

00:24:34How can you be so certain?

00:24:35Well, I went to see her

00:24:36that day,

00:24:37very early

00:24:38before I set off

00:24:39for London,

00:24:39and she was full

00:24:40of this quack mixture.

00:24:42Some friends of hers

00:24:43had told her about it.

00:24:44It eliminated wrinkles

00:24:46and brought colour

00:24:47to the hair

00:24:47and, oh,

00:24:48did wonders

00:24:49for one's sex life.

00:24:51She'd seen a bottle

00:24:52at Bales

00:24:53and was going

00:24:53into Macebury

00:24:54to buy it

00:24:54that very morning.

00:24:56Well, so you knew

00:24:57the stuff was

00:24:57in the house last night.

00:24:58Hmm.

00:24:59Do you realise

00:25:00that you may be

00:25:00the only person

00:25:01who knew that?

00:25:02Hardly.

00:25:03At least one other person

00:25:04must have known it, too.

00:25:06The person who used

00:25:07his or her knowledge

00:25:08to do this ghastly thing.

00:25:10I suppose

00:25:11Dace drove at a Macebury.

00:25:12That revolting creature.

00:25:14Yes, I suppose he did.

00:25:15So he would have known?

00:25:17Yes.

00:25:19Tell me, Malcolm,

00:25:20honestly,

00:25:21how far do you think

00:25:23that the police

00:25:23suspect poor Hannibal?

00:25:24About as much

00:25:25as they suspect me.

00:25:27We both had splendid

00:25:28chances of doing it

00:25:29and we both had motives.

00:25:30Oh, Malcolm.

00:25:31As long as there are

00:25:32two of us equally

00:25:33under a cloud,

00:25:33I don't think we'd be

00:25:34in a hurry

00:25:34to arrest either.

00:25:36When one is cleared,

00:25:38oh,

00:25:39I don't see how

00:25:40either of us

00:25:41can be cleared

00:25:41until the real murderer

00:25:42is caught.

00:25:43Oh, but that's terrible.

00:25:45A consciousness of innocence

00:25:46is a great comfort,

00:25:47you know.

00:25:49I suppose it couldn't

00:25:51have been suicide.

00:25:52Well, it's physically possible

00:25:54that Aunt Catherine

00:25:55put the poison

00:25:55in the bottle herself,

00:25:56but everything else

00:25:57points the other way.

00:25:58Do you think

00:25:58I ought to go to the police

00:25:59and tell them

00:26:00what I know?

00:26:01Sooner or later,

00:26:02they'll certainly

00:26:02ask to see you

00:26:03and there'll be questions,

00:26:05endless questions,

00:26:06like the ones

00:26:06I've had to put up with.

00:26:07Such as?

00:26:09Well,

00:26:09did you buy the medicine

00:26:10for Aunt Catherine?

00:26:11Did you visit the house

00:26:12again after your day

00:26:13in London?

00:26:14What do you know

00:26:15about my relationship

00:26:15with Uncle Hannibal

00:26:16and Uncle Hannibal's

00:26:17relationship with Aunt Catherine?

00:26:19Yes, it'll be tedious,

00:26:20I see.

00:26:22And what am I to say

00:26:23about Hannibal and Catherine?

00:26:25I suppose they imagine

00:26:26that all proper husbands

00:26:27and wives dote

00:26:28on each other.

00:26:29Well, I should just say

00:26:30that as far as you know,

00:26:32Uncle Hannibal

00:26:32and Aunt Catherine

00:26:33always got on

00:26:34very well together.

00:26:35Yes.

00:26:35I tried to give them

00:26:36a more truthful answer

00:26:38than that,

00:26:39with the result

00:26:39that the inspector

00:26:40accused me

00:26:40of taking a cynical view

00:26:42of marriage.

00:26:43Oh, dear.

00:26:46Tell me, Aunt Anne,

00:26:47do you think

00:26:48that Uncle Hannibal

00:26:49suspects me?

00:26:50Oh, of course not.

00:26:51Do you suspect him?

00:26:58I can understand

00:26:59the police suspecting him.

00:27:00Yes, but you...

00:27:02Well, in some ways

00:27:05I don't see how

00:27:06I can help suspecting him.

00:27:09Poor Hannibal.

00:27:11Oh, Aunt Anne,

00:27:11please, don't do that.

00:27:13Oh, forgive me, Malcolm.

00:27:16I don't know why.

00:27:20I suppose I'm

00:27:21more affected

00:27:22than I thought I was.

00:27:24Aunt Anne,

00:27:25is everything all right

00:27:26with you?

00:27:26All right?

00:27:27Well, I gather

00:27:27you had to see

00:27:28some Harley Street man

00:27:29on Friday.

00:27:30Oh, yes, that's right.

00:27:31I get very nervous

00:27:32about myself at times,

00:27:33you know that,

00:27:34but, well,

00:27:35I was reassured.

00:27:37Nothing serious.

00:27:37I'm awfully glad

00:27:38to hear that.

00:27:39I've also been

00:27:40worrying about Augusta.

00:27:42Augusta?

00:27:43Well, she's not ill, is she?

00:27:44No, not ill.

00:27:45Pregnant.

00:27:46Well, that's nothing

00:27:48to get worked up about,

00:27:49is it?

00:27:49Or do you dread

00:27:50becoming a grandmother

00:27:51for the first time?

00:27:52Oh, no.

00:27:53Good gracious, no.

00:27:55But, well,

00:27:57this is the worst

00:27:59possible moment

00:28:00for something like that

00:28:01to happen.

00:28:01Why?

00:28:03She and James

00:28:03are in a bad way

00:28:04financially.

00:28:06I thought he had

00:28:06a lot of money.

00:28:07And didn't Augusta

00:28:08get that legacy

00:28:09from her godfather?

00:28:10Oh, they both

00:28:10had quite a bit.

00:28:11Once.

00:28:13But he put it

00:28:14into some travel agency

00:28:15in Rome

00:28:15that promptly

00:28:16went and failed.

00:28:18Oh, I'm afraid

00:28:19Terence is right

00:28:20about poor James.

00:28:21He has the reverse

00:28:22of the Midas touch.

00:28:24Are they still in Italy?

00:28:25Yes.

00:28:26I'd like to go out

00:28:27to them that Terence

00:28:28is against it.

00:28:29He thinks I'm far

00:28:30too possessive a mother

00:28:31and ought to leave them

00:28:32to get on with things,

00:28:33but it's difficult

00:28:35when you keep getting

00:28:36these anguished pleas

00:28:37from your daughter.

00:28:40Oh, I do wish

00:28:41Terence liked James more.

00:28:43But you know

00:28:44how important it is

00:28:45to him that people

00:28:46should be sound.

00:28:47I don't think

00:28:48Uncle Terence

00:28:49thinks me awfully sound.

00:28:51In many ways,

00:28:53his view of life

00:28:53is awfully narrow

00:28:54and conventional.

00:28:56Hannibal is different.

00:28:58I suppose if you've

00:28:59served in the Merchant Navy,

00:29:01you acquire a wider view.

00:29:03You know,

00:29:04Uncle Hannibal

00:29:04never ceases

00:29:05to surprise me.

00:29:06How do you mean?

00:29:07When I first met him,

00:29:08I thought him

00:29:10so utterly ordinary,

00:29:12as most people do.

00:29:14But bit by bit,

00:29:15I've come to see

00:29:16that in fact

00:29:16he has all kinds

00:29:17of hidden complexities

00:29:18and depths

00:29:18to his character.

00:29:20Oh, you're so right

00:29:21about that.

00:29:21So right.

00:29:23And as you say,

00:29:24most people

00:29:25never see them.

00:29:26I wonder if

00:29:26Aunt Catherine did.

00:29:28Of course not.

00:29:29She never appreciated him,

00:29:30not for a moment.

00:29:32Fancy preferring

00:29:33the company

00:29:34of that awful Dace.

00:29:35Dace is very handsome.

00:29:37Well, so is Hannibal

00:29:38if it comes to that.

00:29:40Catherine would never

00:29:40have married a man

00:29:41who wasn't handsome.

00:29:45Well, I suppose

00:29:47I'd better be

00:29:47setting off for home.

00:29:49Perhaps you'd be a dear

00:29:50and tell the inspector

00:29:51that if he wants

00:29:52a word with me,

00:29:53I'll be in

00:29:53for the rest of the day.

00:29:55I don't feel

00:29:56I can face him

00:29:57just for a moment.

00:29:58I'll tell him.

00:29:58Good.

00:29:59Oh, your belated

00:30:01birthday present

00:30:02is at last

00:30:02almost ready.

00:30:04When you come over,

00:30:04I'll give it to you.

00:30:05What is it?

00:30:06Shall I tell you?

00:30:07Or do you want

00:30:08it to be a surprise?

00:30:09Oh, no.

00:30:10Tell me.

00:30:10I hate surprises.

00:30:12Well, I've been

00:30:13binding André Gide's

00:30:14novel, La Porte et Trois.

00:30:16It's a great favourite

00:30:17of mine.

00:30:17I thought you might

00:30:18like it.

00:30:19And I've used

00:30:20this really rather

00:30:21beautiful pale grey

00:30:22Morocco.

00:30:23It sounds marvellous.

00:30:24You are clever.

00:30:25Well, wait

00:30:26until you see it.

00:30:27The next day

00:30:34was Sunday.

00:30:35I was wandering

00:30:36in the garden

00:30:36after breakfast

00:30:37when I saw

00:30:38my cousin Bob,

00:30:39Aunt Anne's son,

00:30:40coming through

00:30:40the gates.

00:30:44Bob!

00:30:44Hello, Malcolm.

00:30:45I can't tell you

00:30:46how glad I am

00:30:46to see you.

00:30:48I was only saying

00:30:49to Uncle Hannibal

00:30:49at breakfast

00:30:50that it was essential

00:30:51for us to have a solicitor.

00:30:53You and Uncle Terrence

00:30:53acted for Aunt Catherine,

00:30:54didn't you?

00:30:55In most things, yes.

00:30:56But when she wanted

00:30:57to keep something secret

00:30:58from the family,

00:30:59well, you know

00:31:00how she was.

00:31:01Presumably,

00:31:01you dropped the will.

00:31:03No, that was done

00:31:03by a little man

00:31:04called Smolt.

00:31:05Quite an able fellow

00:31:06in a way,

00:31:07though hardly out

00:31:07of the handkerchief drawer.

00:31:09As a matter of fact,

00:31:10I've just come on

00:31:11from his office

00:31:11after a little chat.

00:31:13He told me a good deal.

00:31:14About the will,

00:31:15you mean?

00:31:16Yes.

00:31:18Well, Catherine apparently

00:31:19made her first will,

00:31:21or rather her first will

00:31:22after Hannibal came

00:31:22on the scene,

00:31:23a few days before

00:31:24her marriage.

00:31:25I gather that in it

00:31:26almost all her money

00:31:27was left to him.

00:31:28That will was revoked

00:31:30some eight months ago,

00:31:32and Catherine then

00:31:32made a second will

00:31:33in which she was

00:31:34far less generous

00:31:35to her beloved husband.

00:31:37Two months ago,

00:31:38she made yet another will.

00:31:40And what were

00:31:41the terms of that?

00:31:42Far more satisfactory

00:31:43from our point of view.

00:31:44So, you and I

00:31:45are the executors,

00:31:46and for our trouble,

00:31:47we each get a thousand pounds.

00:31:50After a host

00:31:50of little legacies,

00:31:51you know the kind of thing,

00:31:52the estate is then

00:31:53divided into ten parts.

00:31:55Three-tenths to your mother,

00:31:57three-tenths to my father,

00:31:58two-tenths to charity,

00:31:59and one-tenth each

00:32:01to Hannibal and Augusta.

00:32:02One-tenth to Hannibal?

00:32:03But that's...

00:32:04that's disgraceful.

00:32:06I mean, when death duties

00:32:07and the legacies

00:32:08have been paid...

00:32:08I had no idea

00:32:09you were so attached

00:32:10to the Carthaginian.

00:32:11Well, after all,

00:32:12it's only fair

00:32:13that one should pay

00:32:14for one's pleasures.

00:32:15And there's no doubt

00:32:16that the Carthaginian,

00:32:17as you and Uncle Terence

00:32:18chose to call him,

00:32:19was a...

00:32:20Well, he was a great pleasure

00:32:21to Aunt Catherine

00:32:21for eighteen months

00:32:22after a marriage,

00:32:23and for several months

00:32:24before it.

00:32:26Does Dace get anything?

00:32:28Four hundred.

00:32:29He's the unlucky one.

00:32:31Aunt Catherine evidently

00:32:32thought she was not

00:32:32being generous enough

00:32:33to him,

00:32:34and too generous

00:32:34to Hannibal,

00:32:35and on Friday

00:32:36wrote to Smolt

00:32:36to ask him

00:32:37to prepare a new will

00:32:38for her.

00:32:39According to that will,

00:32:40Dace was to get

00:32:41that one-tenth

00:32:42of the estate,

00:32:42and Hannibal,

00:32:43nothing whatsoever.

00:32:44She was going to call

00:32:45and sign this new will

00:32:46sometime next week.

00:32:48Oh, look,

00:32:48there's Hannibal now.

00:32:49I don't care to speak

00:32:50to that bounder.

00:32:51Oh, Bob, you must.

00:32:53Hello, Bob.

00:32:53If your mother said

00:32:54you'd be over

00:32:54sometime this morning.

00:32:55I've come round

00:32:56in my professional capacity

00:32:58as representative

00:32:59of Aunt Catherine's solicitors.

00:33:01I see, I see.

00:33:02I don't know

00:33:02if all her private papers

00:33:03and money are locked up.

00:33:04If not,

00:33:05they ought to be.

00:33:05Well, most of her private things

00:33:07were in the bureau

00:33:08in the boudoir.

00:33:09The police have the key

00:33:10of that

00:33:10and of the boudoir itself.

00:33:12There may also be papers

00:33:13in the drawers

00:33:14of her desk

00:33:14in the sitting room.

00:33:15Locked, I take it?

00:33:16Yes.

00:33:17Where's the key?

00:33:17I think the police

00:33:18must have it.

00:33:19I should like to be sure

00:33:20that no unauthorized person

00:33:22can gain access

00:33:23to those drawers.

00:33:24Why the hell are you

00:33:25taking it on yourself

00:33:26to make these arrangements?

00:33:27I should have thought

00:33:28the job was either mine

00:33:29or the police's.

00:33:30After all,

00:33:30I was married to your aunt.

00:33:32I am here,

00:33:32as a matter of fact,

00:33:34as the executor

00:33:35of my aunt's will.

00:33:36Are you the only executor?

00:33:38No.

00:33:38Malcolm's the other,

00:33:39but I'm sure he'll appreciate it

00:33:40if I say that he has

00:33:41no professional status.

00:33:43Why, you're a bloody

00:33:44conceited idiot.

00:33:45Would you mind

00:33:45not shouting at me?

00:33:47I'm not used to this kind

00:33:48of ill-bred vulgar way of...

00:33:49Why, you...

00:33:49Uncle!

00:33:51Steady on!

00:33:51Let go of me, Malcolm!

00:33:52Come, let go of me!

00:33:52He asked for that!

00:33:53Control yourself!

00:33:54You'll only make things worse.

00:33:55All right!

00:33:56All right!

00:33:57But he's a bloody runt!

00:34:01Bob, are you hurt?

00:34:02My jaw feels stiff.

00:34:03I hope he hasn't broken it.

00:34:05Where is he?

00:34:07Oh, taken to his heels, I see.

00:34:09You shouldn't have

00:34:10baited him like that.

00:34:11He's naturally

00:34:12very upset at the moment.

00:34:13Baited him?

00:34:13I was merely attempting

00:34:14to carry out my legal duty.

00:34:16I really think this is a matter

00:34:17to report to the police.

00:34:18We can't have him

00:34:19tampering with justice.

00:34:20Tampering with justice.

00:34:21How's he doing that?

00:34:22By not letting me ensure

00:34:23that Aunt Catherine's effects

00:34:25are in safekeeping.

00:34:26He's done nothing

00:34:26to prevent you.

00:34:27We can go in now,

00:34:28if you like.

00:34:29I think I've done

00:34:30all I'm called upon to do.

00:34:31As I passed through the hall,

00:34:34after saying goodbye to Bob,

00:34:35I met Dace.

00:34:37They've just sent me in again.

00:34:39They don't seem to remember

00:34:40the questions

00:34:41they've asked once already.

00:34:43I felt like telling them

00:34:44that their memories were so bad

00:34:46they ought to take some notes.

00:34:49That's a rum do, isn't it, sir?

00:34:51What sort of questions

00:34:52have they been asking?

00:34:53Well, I suppose it's all right

00:34:55to tell a third party.

00:34:56Well, don't if you feel

00:34:57you shouldn't.

00:34:58This bottle of the mistresses.

00:35:00If they'd asked me once,

00:35:02they've asked me a hundred times

00:35:03if I'd ever seen it before

00:35:04or seen her buy it.

00:35:06Well, I took her to Bales

00:35:08last Friday,

00:35:09but I was seated in the car

00:35:10waiting for her,

00:35:11so how was I to know

00:35:12what she'd bought herself?

00:35:14There was this parcel,

00:35:15that's all I know,

00:35:16lumpy-like.

00:35:17And what else did they ask you?

00:35:18Well, they wanted to know

00:35:20how the master and mistress

00:35:21got on together.

00:35:22They asked me that, too.

00:35:24What did you tell them?

00:35:26Well, I thought it better

00:35:27not to mention

00:35:28that they had so many rows

00:35:29I mean,

00:35:31it might have given

00:35:32the wrong idea,

00:35:33mightn't it?

00:35:34So I just said

00:35:35that I thought

00:35:36they got tired

00:35:37of each other

00:35:38from time to time.

00:35:39Like most married couples?

00:35:41Well, I don't know

00:35:42if most married couples

00:35:43go at each other

00:35:43hammer and tongs

00:35:44as I've heard them doing.

00:35:47And then the inspector

00:35:48asked me

00:35:48if Mr Cartwright

00:35:50ever gave his wife

00:35:51any cause for jealousy.

00:35:53And what did you say

00:35:54to that?

00:35:54Well, I said

00:35:55not that I knew of.

00:35:58I almost said

00:36:00why should she be jealous

00:36:02seeing as how she seemed

00:36:04to have lost

00:36:04her interest in him.

00:36:06Yes.

00:36:07Well, I'd better

00:36:08rejoin Mr Cartwright.

00:36:09You know, sir,

00:36:10I have the feeling

00:36:12they're on to something.

00:36:14Don't ask me why

00:36:15but I just have

00:36:17that feeling.

00:36:19The first time

00:36:20they questioned me

00:36:21and the time after that

00:36:21it was different.

00:36:23But this time

00:36:24yes, they know something.

00:36:29Something's turned up.

00:36:32Late that afternoon

00:36:33my Uncle Terence

00:36:34Aunt Anne's husband

00:36:36and Bob's father

00:36:36arrived.

00:36:38I asked him

00:36:39if he wished me

00:36:39to call Uncle Hannibal

00:36:40but he said

00:36:40that he would like

00:36:41to put some questions

00:36:42to me first.

00:36:43This he did

00:36:44making me feel

00:36:46as if the inspector

00:36:47were yet again

00:36:48interrogating me.

00:36:50Then with his usual

00:36:50ponderous manner

00:36:51he delivered his judgment.

00:36:53To my mind, Malcolm

00:36:54the case is a simple one.

00:36:56Simple, Uncle Terence?

00:36:57Yes, simple, Malcolm.

00:36:59I'm afraid

00:36:59there are many homes

00:37:00that seem superficially

00:37:01harmonious and united

00:37:03but if one looks deeply

00:37:04all manner of vile complications

00:37:07at once strike the eye.

00:37:09I don't think I follow you.

00:37:10Come now, Malcolm.

00:37:11We're not as naive

00:37:12as all that, I should hope.

00:37:14In households

00:37:14where an imprudent

00:37:15and foolish marriage

00:37:17has been made

00:37:17you know I'm sure

00:37:18what I mean

00:37:19one may almost

00:37:20always assume

00:37:21that beneath

00:37:22a superficial

00:37:23semblance

00:37:24of agreement

00:37:24there are bound

00:37:25to be murky patches.

00:37:27I'm sure that

00:37:27Aunt Catherine

00:37:28and Uncle Hannibal

00:37:29must have had

00:37:29their differences

00:37:30from time to time

00:37:31but at the same time...

00:37:32I like your loyalty, Malcolm.

00:37:34It's a quality

00:37:34I've always liked in you.

00:37:37One does not wish

00:37:38of course one does not wish

00:37:39to say anything

00:37:40unfeeling about your aunt

00:37:42at a moment like this

00:37:43but at the same time

00:37:44I have no doubt

00:37:45no doubt at all

00:37:46that she'd begun

00:37:47to regret

00:37:47her miserable marriage.

00:37:49I don't know

00:37:49what reason you have

00:37:50for saying that.

00:37:51Ample reason.

00:37:52I happen to know

00:37:52that she was preparing

00:37:53to revoke her will.

00:37:55She was not one

00:37:56to whom the admission

00:37:56of error came easily.

00:37:58You must have noticed

00:37:59that yourself.

00:38:00But at long last

00:38:01she had come to see

00:38:02that those nearest to her

00:38:03your mother included

00:38:04had been right

00:38:06all along.

00:38:06My mother and Hannibal

00:38:07have always got on

00:38:08rather well.

00:38:09We all get on well

00:38:09with a number of people

00:38:10whom we would hardly

00:38:12consider suitable

00:38:12marriage partners

00:38:13for our nearest

00:38:14and dearest.

00:38:14well all we can do

00:38:17now is to avenge

00:38:18her death.

00:38:19It will give me

00:38:19the greatest satisfaction

00:38:21I am not speaking

00:38:22vindictively here

00:38:23when the guilty person

00:38:25has been brought

00:38:26to justice.

00:38:26I don't much care

00:38:27for the idea

00:38:27of vengeance

00:38:28Uncle Terence

00:38:29but I agree

00:38:30with you completely

00:38:31in hoping that

00:38:31everything will soon

00:38:32be cleared up.

00:38:33If no one we know

00:38:34is involved

00:38:34so much the better.

00:38:35No one we know?

00:38:37I'm afraid Malcolm

00:38:38you're simply

00:38:38blinding yourself

00:38:39to the facts.

00:38:40The facts?

00:38:41What are they?

00:38:43That's what I'm

00:38:43continually asking myself

00:38:45and what the police

00:38:46are no doubt

00:38:46continually asking

00:38:47themselves too.

00:38:48I use the words

00:38:49facts rather loosely

00:38:51I concede.

00:38:52I was referring

00:38:53to three important

00:38:54things in a crime

00:38:55of this nature

00:38:55motive, opportunity,

00:38:57probability.

00:38:58By probability

00:38:59do you mean

00:39:00well murderous

00:39:01disposition?

00:39:02That is not the

00:39:02expression I might

00:39:03myself have chosen

00:39:04but by and large

00:39:05yes.

00:39:07Now it's quite clear

00:39:08to me that no member

00:39:09of your family

00:39:10or mine would

00:39:11commit a murder.

00:39:12That wouldn't count

00:39:13for much in a court

00:39:13of law would it?

00:39:14No.

00:39:15I agree with you

00:39:15there.

00:39:16But when we look

00:39:17at the case rationally

00:39:19unhampered by the

00:39:20rules of evidence

00:39:21we can I think

00:39:22venture certain

00:39:23conclusions

00:39:24and we are justified

00:39:25in looking for

00:39:26evidence to fit

00:39:27those conclusions.

00:39:28What conclusions

00:39:29do you mean?

00:39:30Come come Malcolm

00:39:31if you don't know

00:39:32what conclusions

00:39:33I mean

00:39:33then I'm afraid

00:39:34that this whole

00:39:34conversation of ours

00:39:35has been wasted.

00:39:36Well I suppose

00:39:39I'd better

00:39:40toddle along

00:39:40and have a word

00:39:41with the inspector.

00:39:43I have one idea

00:39:44which I hope

00:39:45to follow up.

00:39:46I hardly expect

00:39:47it to yield

00:39:47any result

00:39:48at this late stage

00:39:49but no stone

00:39:50must be left

00:39:51unturned.

00:39:53As I lay in bed

00:39:54that night

00:39:54my mind began

00:39:55to weave

00:39:56improbable plots.

00:39:58Improbable

00:39:59but not impossible.

00:40:02Suppose that

00:40:02by some

00:40:04extraordinary means

00:40:05Uncle Terence

00:40:05had contrived

00:40:06to enter

00:40:06the house

00:40:07on Friday.

00:40:08Suppose that

00:40:09he had some

00:40:09confederate

00:40:10and Dace

00:40:11was the most

00:40:11likely person.

00:40:14Of course

00:40:15he would have

00:40:15to have known

00:40:16that Aunt Catherine

00:40:16intended to buy

00:40:17that bottle

00:40:17at the chemist

00:40:18and then he would

00:40:19have to have

00:40:20substituted a

00:40:21poison one

00:40:21for the one

00:40:22that she had

00:40:22bought.

00:40:24Yes

00:40:25it was improbable

00:40:27but it wasn't

00:40:28impossible.

00:40:31The case against

00:40:32Hannibal on the

00:40:32other hand

00:40:32was less far-fetched.

00:40:35It was greatly

00:40:35to his interest

00:40:36that Aunt Catherine

00:40:37should die

00:40:37before she had

00:40:38cut him entirely

00:40:38out of her will.

00:40:40She had told him

00:40:41of her purchase

00:40:42of the tonic

00:40:42and the arrival

00:40:44of his nephew

00:40:44had provided him

00:40:45with the perfect

00:40:46opportunity

00:40:46to shift the guilt

00:40:47onto someone else.

00:40:50Eventually

00:40:50I could stand

00:40:51the uncertainty

00:40:52no longer.

00:40:53I threw back

00:40:53the bedclothes

00:40:54hurried into

00:40:54my dressing gown

00:40:55and slippers

00:40:55and made

00:40:56for my uncle's

00:40:56room.

00:41:00Uncle Hannibal!

00:41:01Uncle Hannibal!

00:41:04Are you asleep?

00:41:06What the devil?

00:41:08What's going on?

00:41:09I'll put on the

00:41:10light.

00:41:12Malcolm!

00:41:13What time is it?

00:41:15Good God!

00:41:16It's twenty to four!

00:41:17I'm sorry

00:41:18Uncle Hannibal

00:41:18but I simply

00:41:20have to thrash

00:41:21this whole thing

00:41:21out.

00:41:21Thrash what out?

00:41:23This whole business

00:41:23of Aunt Catherine's

00:41:24murder.

00:41:26You realize

00:41:26don't you

00:41:27that the police

00:41:27must have

00:41:27two chief suspects

00:41:28myself and you?

00:41:31Us?

00:41:31Well who else?

00:41:33It never struck

00:41:34me for one moment

00:41:35that anyone

00:41:35could possibly

00:41:36suppose that

00:41:37you might have

00:41:37Look at the facts

00:41:38or rather

00:41:39look at how

00:41:40they might appear

00:41:40to one of those

00:41:41unsympathetic

00:41:41police officers.

00:41:42I really think

00:41:43you're getting

00:41:43yourself needlessly

00:41:44worked up.

00:41:45Just imagine

00:41:45how they see me.

00:41:47Since living

00:41:48in London

00:41:48I've found

00:41:49my expenses

00:41:49increased with

00:41:50my opportunities

00:41:50for spending.

00:41:52Although I'm

00:41:52not a present

00:41:53in debt

00:41:54I've been eager

00:41:55for some time

00:41:55to live on

00:41:56a different scale.

00:41:56We all know

00:41:57that's tosh.

00:41:58You're just not

00:41:58the kind of

00:41:59character who

00:42:00We may know

00:42:00Uncle.

00:42:01We may know

00:42:02but they don't.

00:42:04So much for motive.

00:42:06Now for opportunity.

00:42:09Supposing I'd managed

00:42:10to obtain

00:42:10some oxalic acid

00:42:11crystals.

00:42:12There's not much

00:42:13difficulty in that.

00:42:14And when I came

00:42:15down this weekend

00:42:15I brought them

00:42:16with me

00:42:16just in case

00:42:17I had the

00:42:17opportunity

00:42:18of using them.

00:42:21And then on

00:42:21the evening

00:42:22of my arrival

00:42:22a magnificent

00:42:23opportunity

00:42:24was presented

00:42:24to me.

00:42:26Magnificent

00:42:26opportunity?

00:42:27What do you

00:42:27mean?

00:42:29Well when I

00:42:29went to the

00:42:29bureau for

00:42:30the investment

00:42:30book there

00:42:31was the bottle

00:42:32containing

00:42:32le secret de

00:42:33venus.

00:42:34The bottle

00:42:35had already

00:42:35been opened.

00:42:37It was easy

00:42:37to take out

00:42:38the stopper

00:42:38pour out a

00:42:39little of the

00:42:39preparation

00:42:40into an

00:42:40envelope

00:42:41since destroyed

00:42:42and substitute

00:42:43the poison.

00:42:45Well I had

00:42:45little difficulty

00:42:46the next morning

00:42:46in persuading

00:42:47my aunt to

00:42:47take the dose.

00:42:49The risk of

00:42:49being discovered

00:42:50was slight

00:42:50as I could

00:42:50admit to

00:42:51handling the

00:42:51bottle and

00:42:52unlocking

00:42:52the bureau.

00:42:53Really Malcolm?

00:42:54Now let's

00:42:57look at the

00:42:57case against

00:42:57you.

00:42:59You'll admit

00:42:59won't you

00:43:00that it was

00:43:00greatly to

00:43:00your interest

00:43:01that Aunt

00:43:01Catherine

00:43:02should die.

00:43:02It was the

00:43:03last thing

00:43:03I wanted

00:43:04to die

00:43:04in such

00:43:05a horrible

00:43:05manner.

00:43:06But if she

00:43:06hadn't died

00:43:07just then

00:43:07as far as

00:43:09the police

00:43:09are concerned

00:43:10you had

00:43:10plenty of

00:43:11motive.

00:43:11I don't

00:43:12care a

00:43:12damn

00:43:12about your

00:43:13aunt's

00:43:13legacy to

00:43:14me.

00:43:14Well the

00:43:14police might

00:43:15not credit

00:43:15that.

00:43:16You knew

00:43:17about Aunt

00:43:17Catherine's

00:43:17purchase of

00:43:18the bottle.

00:43:19She told

00:43:19you of it

00:43:19herself.

00:43:20And you

00:43:21knew the

00:43:21bottle was in

00:43:21the bureau of

00:43:23Am I

00:43:23right?

00:43:24Yes.

00:43:25You counted

00:43:26on my

00:43:26leaving the

00:43:26bureau key

00:43:27on the

00:43:27dressing table

00:43:28in my

00:43:28room and

00:43:28decided to

00:43:29take it

00:43:29from there

00:43:29while I

00:43:30was asleep.

00:43:31I made

00:43:32this unnecessary

00:43:32for you by

00:43:33going down

00:43:33into the

00:43:34hall to

00:43:34fetch my

00:43:34overcoat

00:43:35and an

00:43:35ashtray.

00:43:37During

00:43:37this period

00:43:38it was

00:43:38easy enough

00:43:38for you to

00:43:39slip into

00:43:39my bedroom

00:43:40and take

00:43:40the key.

00:43:41I must

00:43:41say you

00:43:42have a

00:43:42very fertile

00:43:43imagination.

00:43:44And what

00:43:45did I do

00:43:45next?

00:43:46Do tell

00:43:46me.

00:43:47You went

00:43:47into the

00:43:48boudoir as

00:43:48soon as

00:43:48you were

00:43:49sure I

00:43:49was asleep.

00:43:50You put

00:43:51the poison

00:43:51in the

00:43:51bottle

00:43:52and then

00:43:52left it

00:43:52in a

00:43:52conspicuous

00:43:53position

00:43:53on top

00:43:54of the

00:43:54blotter

00:43:54so that

00:43:55it should

00:43:55not be

00:43:56overlooked

00:43:56by Aunt

00:43:57Catherine

00:43:57or by

00:43:58myself.

00:43:58And what

00:43:59about the

00:43:59key?

00:44:00How did

00:44:00I get

00:44:01that back

00:44:01into your

00:44:01possession?

00:44:02Easy.

00:44:03You came

00:44:04into my

00:44:04room early

00:44:04the next

00:44:05morning,

00:44:05remember?

00:44:06To ask

00:44:06me about

00:44:07the time

00:44:07of my

00:44:07bath.

00:44:08I

00:44:08thought

00:44:08that

00:44:08a bit

00:44:09odd.

00:44:10I

00:44:10expected

00:44:10Dace

00:44:10to concern

00:44:11himself

00:44:11with

00:44:11something

00:44:11like

00:44:12that.

00:44:13You

00:44:14then dropped

00:44:14the key

00:44:14when I

00:44:15wasn't

00:44:15looking

00:44:15onto the

00:44:16handkerchief

00:44:16where I

00:44:16distinctly

00:44:17remember

00:44:17having

00:44:17left it

00:44:18the night

00:44:18before.

00:44:20The position

00:44:20of the

00:44:20handkerchief

00:44:21of course

00:44:21was quite

00:44:22lucky for

00:44:22you.

00:44:23It meant

00:44:23you could

00:44:23put down

00:44:24the key

00:44:24without

00:44:24making

00:44:24any

00:44:25sound.

00:44:25You

00:44:25make me

00:44:26sound

00:44:26far

00:44:27more

00:44:27efficient

00:44:27and

00:44:28far

00:44:28cooler

00:44:29a customer

00:44:29than I

00:44:30am in

00:44:30real life.

00:44:31And then

00:44:32what?

00:44:33You

00:44:33contrive to

00:44:33be away

00:44:34from the

00:44:34house on

00:44:34Saturday

00:44:35morning so

00:44:35as to

00:44:35avoid being

00:44:36at hand

00:44:36during

00:44:36the

00:44:37administration

00:44:37of the

00:44:37poison.

00:44:39Yes,

00:44:39I seem

00:44:40to have

00:44:40been very

00:44:41clever.

00:44:42Not at

00:44:42all the

00:44:42bungler

00:44:43that your

00:44:43aunt always

00:44:44accused me

00:44:44of being.

00:44:45Very

00:44:46clever.

00:44:47Except for

00:44:47one important

00:44:48thing.

00:44:49One important

00:44:50thing.

00:44:51And what

00:44:51was that?

00:44:52Your

00:44:53fingerprints.

00:44:55You

00:44:55managed to

00:44:56destroy the

00:44:56wrapper of

00:44:57the bottle

00:44:57when you

00:44:57saw it

00:44:57lying on

00:44:58the coffee

00:44:58table in

00:44:58the drawing

00:44:59room where

00:44:59I'd thrown

00:44:59it.

00:45:00But what

00:45:01you don't

00:45:01know and

00:45:02what you

00:45:02can't know

00:45:02until the

00:45:03police tell

00:45:03you is

00:45:04whether you

00:45:05left any

00:45:05prints on

00:45:06the neck.

00:45:06You

00:45:07make me

00:45:07look as

00:45:08guilty as

00:45:08hell the

00:45:09way you

00:45:09tell it.

00:45:09The facts

00:45:10are pretty

00:45:10damaging

00:45:11Uncle

00:45:11Hannibal.

00:45:13Oh Uncle

00:45:13Hannibal please

00:45:14please tell

00:45:15me the

00:45:16truth.

00:45:17You are

00:45:18innocent aren't

00:45:18you?

00:45:20It's hardly

00:45:21likely that I'd

00:45:22say no if I

00:45:22weren't.

00:45:24But as a

00:45:25matter of

00:45:25fact I

00:45:26am.

00:45:28Don't you

00:45:28believe me?

00:45:29Yes.

00:45:30Yes I do.

00:45:31I do.

00:45:32I just

00:45:33can't imagine

00:45:34you're not the

00:45:35kind of person.

00:45:37You must

00:45:38admit that a

00:45:38lot of the

00:45:38evidence looks

00:45:40as though

00:45:40someone had

00:45:41forged it.

00:45:41I mean to

00:45:42put the

00:45:42blame on

00:45:43you.

00:45:43Well I

00:45:43see a

00:45:44good deal's

00:45:44got to

00:45:45come up

00:45:45but I

00:45:45preferred to

00:45:46have kept

00:45:46secret.

00:45:48I suppose

00:45:49there's a

00:45:49woman in

00:45:50it.

00:45:50Yes.

00:45:53You know

00:45:53all about my

00:45:54marriage to

00:45:55Catherine.

00:45:55I suppose she

00:45:56was well

00:45:57infatuated with

00:45:58me and I

00:45:59though I was

00:45:59never really

00:46:00in love with

00:46:00her.

00:46:01Not really.

00:46:02Well I

00:46:03thought she

00:46:03was fun to

00:46:04be with.

00:46:05And I

00:46:05wanted to

00:46:06settle down

00:46:06after being

00:46:07a rolling

00:46:07stone for

00:46:08so many

00:46:08years and

00:46:09well it

00:46:10seemed that

00:46:11it all

00:46:12might work

00:46:12out.

00:46:13But it

00:46:14didn't.

00:46:15It just

00:46:15didn't.

00:46:16And then

00:46:17to cut a

00:46:18long story

00:46:18short there

00:46:20was this

00:46:20housemaid

00:46:21Jessie

00:46:22told her.

00:46:22You may

00:46:23remember her.

00:46:23No I

00:46:24can't say

00:46:24I do.

00:46:24She was

00:46:25a rather

00:46:25pretty little

00:46:26thing.

00:46:26Silly but

00:46:27pretty.

00:46:29But when

00:46:29your aunt

00:46:30dismissed her

00:46:30the January

00:46:31before last

00:46:32there was

00:46:33nothing.

00:46:34Almost

00:46:34nothing

00:46:34between us.

00:46:35Just

00:46:35well human

00:46:37companionship

00:46:38you know.

00:46:39She was

00:46:40lonely.

00:46:41I was

00:46:41lonely.

00:46:43Oh it's

00:46:44bloody

00:46:44embarrassing

00:46:45to have to

00:46:45tell you all

00:46:45this Malcolm.

00:46:46There's no

00:46:46need to be

00:46:47embarrassed

00:46:47uncle.

00:46:49Well after

00:46:50her dismissal

00:46:51she got a

00:46:51job with

00:46:51those business

00:46:52people who

00:46:53bought that

00:46:53large house

00:46:54above the

00:46:54golf course.

00:46:55One day I

00:46:56saw her

00:46:57walking back

00:46:58to them from

00:46:58the station.

00:46:59Must have

00:46:59been her

00:46:59day off I

00:47:00think.

00:47:01On an

00:47:01impulse I

00:47:02stopped and

00:47:03I gave her

00:47:04a lift in

00:47:04my sidecar.

00:47:06I was

00:47:06sorry for

00:47:07the poor

00:47:07little thing

00:47:07as she

00:47:08talked about

00:47:09being overworked

00:47:10and her

00:47:10mother being

00:47:11ill and

00:47:11well the

00:47:13upshot was

00:47:14that I

00:47:14arranged to

00:47:15see her

00:47:16again and

00:47:18again until

00:47:19she became

00:47:20your mistress.

00:47:21yes we

00:47:23used to

00:47:24walk out

00:47:24on the

00:47:24links but

00:47:26it couldn't

00:47:26happen more

00:47:27than six

00:47:27or seven

00:47:29times and

00:47:31then suddenly

00:47:31she changed

00:47:32overnight as

00:47:33it were.

00:47:34She refused

00:47:35my lift

00:47:35talked a lot

00:47:36about the

00:47:37danger of

00:47:37not keeping

00:47:37to one

00:47:38station in

00:47:38life.

00:47:39I never

00:47:40saw her

00:47:40again.

00:47:42It was

00:47:42four or

00:47:43five days

00:47:44later that

00:47:45the first

00:47:45letter arrived.

00:47:46blackmail?

00:47:47Yes.

00:47:48From her

00:47:49brother name

00:47:50of Alfred.

00:47:51He said

00:47:52that Jesse

00:47:52was going

00:47:52to have

00:47:53a baby

00:47:53and demanded

00:47:54two hundred

00:47:54pounds for

00:47:55nursing expenses

00:47:56and compensation.

00:47:58I could

00:47:58hardly believe it.

00:47:59I'd always

00:47:59been so careful.

00:48:00What was the

00:48:01address?

00:48:01Oh little

00:48:02tobacconists near

00:48:03the golf club.

00:48:04The old woman

00:48:05in charge of the

00:48:05place either

00:48:06couldn't or

00:48:06wouldn't tell

00:48:07me anything.

00:48:08But I learned

00:48:09that this

00:48:09brother this

00:48:10this Alfred

00:48:10he'd been a

00:48:11caddy at the

00:48:12golf club until

00:48:13about three

00:48:13months before

00:48:14he'd been

00:48:14sacked for

00:48:15pinching

00:48:15something from

00:48:16someone's

00:48:16locker.

00:48:17No one

00:48:18knew what

00:48:18had become

00:48:18of him

00:48:18since.

00:48:19You didn't

00:48:20send him

00:48:20the money

00:48:20I hope.

00:48:21No no.

00:48:22I even

00:48:22wondered whether

00:48:23to go to

00:48:23the police.

00:48:24Aunt Catherine

00:48:25wouldn't have

00:48:25liked that.

00:48:25That's what

00:48:26I thought.

00:48:27So I did

00:48:27nothing.

00:48:29Until about

00:48:30ten days

00:48:31later another

00:48:32letter came.

00:48:33And what

00:48:33did that say?

00:48:34I had exactly

00:48:35one week to

00:48:35pay up.

00:48:36Otherwise

00:48:37Catherine would

00:48:38be told.

00:48:39It was two

00:48:40days after the

00:48:41arrival of that

00:48:41letter that

00:48:43both the

00:48:43letters vanished.

00:48:45Vanished?

00:48:46Yes.

00:48:47From the

00:48:47attaché case in

00:48:48which I kept

00:48:48them locked

00:48:49up.

00:48:50Anyone could

00:48:51have forced

00:48:51the case open

00:48:52with a suitable

00:48:53key or with

00:48:53no key at

00:48:54all.

00:48:55Do you think

00:48:56that Aunt

00:48:56Catherine...

00:48:57It was unlike

00:48:58her to do

00:48:58her own

00:48:59dirty work so

00:48:59I decided that

00:49:00probably Dace

00:49:01had done it

00:49:01for her.

00:49:02He'd suddenly

00:49:03become much

00:49:03more insolent

00:49:04than usual to

00:49:04me.

00:49:06Well, I

00:49:07searched

00:49:08Catherine's

00:49:08bedroom and

00:49:09the drawers of

00:49:10her desk in

00:49:10the drawing

00:49:11room with no

00:49:11success at

00:49:12all.

00:49:12So I

00:49:13decided that

00:49:14probably the

00:49:14letters were in

00:49:15the bureau in

00:49:16the boudoir.

00:49:17And that

00:49:17means you did

00:49:18take the key

00:49:19from my room.

00:49:19Yes, you

00:49:20were right about

00:49:20that, absolutely

00:49:21right.

00:49:22I heard you

00:49:23make your way

00:49:23downstairs and

00:49:24at once I

00:49:25nipped in and

00:49:25found the key

00:49:26and shot out

00:49:26again.

00:49:27And did you

00:49:27find the

00:49:27letters?

00:49:28Yes, they

00:49:29were in one

00:49:30of the pigeon

00:49:30holes of the

00:49:31desk.

00:49:32I remember

00:49:33seeing the

00:49:33bottle.

00:49:34One could

00:49:35hardly help

00:49:35seeing the

00:49:36bloody thing.

00:49:37But I

00:49:37never did

00:49:38any more

00:49:38than just

00:49:39move it a

00:49:39fraction out

00:49:40of my way

00:49:40when I was

00:49:40searching.

00:49:41I never

00:49:41opened it

00:49:42or tampered

00:49:42with it at

00:49:43all.

00:49:43And the

00:49:43wrapper?

00:49:44I never

00:49:45thought about

00:49:45the wrapper.

00:49:46My fingers

00:49:47may have

00:49:47touched it

00:49:48or they

00:49:49may have

00:49:49touched

00:49:49the neck

00:49:50or they

00:49:50may have

00:49:51touched

00:49:51both.

00:49:51I honestly

00:49:52can't

00:49:52remember.

00:49:53I put the

00:49:54wrapper on

00:49:54the coffee

00:49:54table in the

00:49:55drawing room.

00:49:56It's

00:49:56disappeared.

00:49:57Did you?

00:49:58Well, if it

00:49:59was lying

00:49:59there, I

00:50:00was so

00:50:00dazed that

00:50:01I didn't

00:50:01take it

00:50:01in.

00:50:02If you

00:50:02didn't

00:50:02remove it,

00:50:04then the

00:50:04question is,

00:50:05who did?

00:50:06I don't

00:50:06know, Malcolm.

00:50:07I just

00:50:08don't know.

00:50:09Who had

00:50:09the opportunity

00:50:10of taking

00:50:10it?

00:50:11Obviously

00:50:11I had, but

00:50:12I didn't.

00:50:14You had, but

00:50:15unfortunately, or

00:50:17it may have

00:50:17been fortunately,

00:50:18you didn't.

00:50:19Who else?

00:50:21Any of the

00:50:22indoor staff?

00:50:23At first, it

00:50:24looks as if the

00:50:25person who took

00:50:25the wrapper must

00:50:26have been the

00:50:26murderer.

00:50:27I suppose that

00:50:28anyone who left

00:50:28prints on the

00:50:29wrapper must have

00:50:30left prints on the

00:50:31bureau.

00:50:32Yes, I should

00:50:32think so.

00:50:33Except, of course,

00:50:34for the assistant

00:50:35of the chemist and

00:50:36Aunt Catherine

00:50:36herself.

00:50:38So if, as I

00:50:38imagine, the

00:50:39murderer has

00:50:40somehow destroyed

00:50:41the wrapper, then

00:50:42the police will have

00:50:42at least three sets of

00:50:43prints on the

00:50:44bureau.

00:50:45Yours, mine, and

00:50:47those of someone

00:50:48still unknown, with

00:50:49no wrapper to rule any

00:50:50of them out by

00:50:51negative evidence.

00:50:52Well, you've

00:50:53accounted for your

00:50:54prints, and

00:50:54probably they

00:50:55believed you, whereas

00:50:56I, I lied to

00:50:59them.

00:50:59Well, you had a

00:50:59good reason for

00:51:00your lies, and

00:51:01when they come

00:51:02out, well, they

00:51:02oughtn't to weigh

00:51:03much against you.

00:51:04Malcolm, do you

00:51:05think I should make

00:51:06a clean breast of the

00:51:07Jesse business right

00:51:08away?

00:51:08No.

00:51:10Better to wait until

00:51:10you've seen a

00:51:11solicitor.

00:51:12My own inclination is

00:51:13to suspect days of

00:51:14having taken the

00:51:15wrapper, just as we're

00:51:16also pretty certain he

00:51:17stole the letters.

00:51:19But do we suspect

00:51:20him of having

00:51:20poisoned Aunt

00:51:21Catherine?

00:51:21I should like to.

00:51:23So should I.

00:51:24Why should he do

00:51:25it?

00:51:26Does he get a

00:51:26legacy?

00:51:28Yes, but I happen

00:51:30to know that if

00:51:30Aunt Catherine had

00:51:31lived, he would

00:51:32have got a far

00:51:32bigger one.

00:51:33And me, much

00:51:34less.

00:51:35Yes.

00:51:36Oh, that looks

00:51:37bad.

00:51:38It would be one of

00:51:40life's little ironies

00:51:40if Dace knew

00:51:41nothing about the

00:51:42increased legacy and

00:51:43killed Aunt Catherine

00:51:43before she had

00:51:44time to make it

00:51:44legal.

00:51:46But it seems more

00:51:47likely that he did

00:51:48know about it.

00:51:48Why do you think

00:51:49that?

00:51:50Well, if he stole

00:51:51the letters for

00:51:51Aunt Catherine, they

00:51:53were obviously in

00:51:53league together and

00:51:54she probably told

00:51:55him of her intention

00:51:56to cut you out of

00:51:56her will and reward

00:51:57him handsomely.

00:51:59In which case, I

00:52:00can't for the life

00:52:01of me see why he

00:52:02should murder her.

00:52:03But if he didn't

00:52:04murder her, then why

00:52:05do you suspect that

00:52:05he took the wrapper?

00:52:07Why should he want

00:52:08it if he was

00:52:08innocent?

00:52:09After all, by taking

00:52:10it, he'd probably put

00:52:11his own fingerprints on

00:52:12it and that would be

00:52:13awkward for him if the

00:52:14police got hold of it.

00:52:15Is it possible that

00:52:15he'd been searching the

00:52:16Bureau for something

00:52:17else?

00:52:18And so touch the

00:52:19bottle?

00:52:19Well, I can't imagine

00:52:21what.

00:52:22Oh, I don't know.

00:52:24I think that's as far

00:52:25as we can go tonight.

00:52:27Perhaps we should try

00:52:27and get some sleep.

00:52:29Shh!

00:52:30What?

00:52:32Didn't you hear something?

00:52:33No.

00:52:34Outside the door.

00:52:36Wait here.

00:52:37What?

00:52:39Dace!

00:52:39What are you doing here?

00:52:41I saw the light, sir,

00:52:41and the voices, I wondered

00:52:43if everything was all

00:52:44right, sir.

00:52:46Quite all right, thank you,

00:52:47Dace.

00:52:48Oh, well, in that case,

00:52:49sir, I'll go back to bed.

00:52:53Good night, Mr.

00:52:53Cartwright.

00:52:55Good night, Mr.

00:52:56Warren.

00:52:57Uncle Hannibal and I went

00:52:58to bed soon after, but it

00:53:00was a long time before I

00:53:01slept.

00:53:01How much had Dace heard?

00:53:05Had he taken the letters?

00:53:07Had he also murdered

00:53:08Aunt Catherine?

00:53:10If so, what was his motive?

00:53:14I finally fell asleep

00:53:15towards dawn, and it was

00:53:16after ten when Dace came

00:53:18into my room.

00:53:19I thought it best to let

00:53:21you lay as long as you

00:53:21wish to, sir.

00:53:23Shall I draw the curtains,

00:53:25or would you prefer if I...

00:53:26No.

00:53:27No, please draw them, Dace.

00:53:30Very good, sir.

00:53:31Oh, yes, that's fine.

00:53:37Would you like your

00:53:37breakfast up here, sir?

00:53:39Um, no, thank you.

00:53:42I'll join Mr. Cartwright,

00:53:43unless he's had his

00:53:44breakfast.

00:53:45Mr. Cartwright's gone, sir.

00:53:48Gone?

00:53:49What do you mean?

00:53:50Well, Inspector Glaze

00:53:51called about half an hour

00:53:52ago, and they went away

00:53:52together.

00:53:53The inspector asked me

00:53:54to ask you to call

00:53:55at the police station

00:53:56at your convenience

00:53:57sometime this morning.

00:53:58How do you mean Mr.

00:53:59Cartwright went away

00:54:00with the inspector?

00:54:00Was he...

00:54:02Did he take any luggage?

00:54:03Yes, sir.

00:54:05They went to Mr.

00:54:05Cartwright's room

00:54:06and came down

00:54:06with a suitcase

00:54:07and set off

00:54:08in the inspector's car.

00:54:10I see.

00:54:12Right.

00:54:13Well, I'll have my bath now,

00:54:14and after that,

00:54:15perhaps you bring up

00:54:15my breakfast for me.

00:54:17And then I'd like to be

00:54:18driven down to the

00:54:18police station.

00:54:19Very good, sir.

00:54:22Good morning, Mr. Warren.

00:54:23Good morning, Inspector.

00:54:25I hope I haven't put you out

00:54:26by asking you to come here.

00:54:28No, no, not at all.

00:54:29Mr. Cartwright told me

00:54:30that you've gone to bed

00:54:31very late,

00:54:31and so I thought

00:54:32you'd rather sleep on

00:54:33than have me disturb you.

00:54:34I was very thoughtful of you.

00:54:36Is Mr. Cartwright...

00:54:37I'm afraid that Mr. Cartwright

00:54:39is now under arrest.

00:54:40Under arrest?

00:54:41I'm afraid so.

00:54:43But I didn't bring you

00:54:44all the way here

00:54:44just to tell you that.

00:54:46No, what I wanted to say

00:54:47is that you're now at liberty

00:54:48to go anywhere you wish,

00:54:50provided that you leave

00:54:51a note of your whereabouts

00:54:52with me,

00:54:52and provided also

00:54:53that you attend the inquest

00:54:54on Mrs. Cartwright

00:54:55at two o'clock

00:54:56tomorrow afternoon.

00:54:57Am I to take it, then,

00:54:59that you no longer

00:54:59suspect me?

00:55:02Isn't that rather like

00:55:03asking me whether

00:55:03I've stopped beating

00:55:04my wife, sir?

00:55:05Well, I was a suspect,

00:55:07wasn't I?

00:55:08Oh, now, you must remember,

00:55:09Mr. Warren,

00:55:09that the police

00:55:10always examine

00:55:10a case of this nature

00:55:11from the side of facts,

00:55:12not persons.

00:55:14The first facts we struck,

00:55:16well, yes,

00:55:17they did seem to involve you.

00:55:19After all,

00:55:19you were the only person

00:55:20present when Mrs. Cartwright

00:55:21swallowed that fatal dose.

00:55:24But now,

00:55:25well, I may say that now

00:55:26the facts don't point

00:55:27to you at all.

00:55:29I'm very relieved

00:55:30to hear that.

00:55:31Of course,

00:55:31we're always on the lookout

00:55:32for new facts.

00:55:33We're never above

00:55:34owning up to a mistake.

00:55:36I can't say

00:55:36where they may lead,

00:55:37but for the present,

00:55:39you're well outside

00:55:40the picture.

00:55:40Can I see,

00:55:41Mr. Cartwright?

00:55:42I don't see why not.

00:55:44Here,

00:55:45I'll get somebody

00:55:45to take you down.

00:55:48Hello, Malcolm.

00:55:50How good of you to come.

00:55:51Hello, Uncle.

00:55:52As soon as I get out of here,

00:55:54I'm going to telephone

00:55:55to my mother's solicitors

00:55:56to send someone down.

00:55:58I don't really think

00:55:59we want Uncle Terrence

00:56:00handling your defense.

00:56:01Oh, God forbid.

00:56:02Oh, I'm sure we'll be able

00:56:03to straighten things out

00:56:04in no time at all.

00:56:05I hope you're not

00:56:06worrying them too much.

00:56:07Well, it's damned hard

00:56:09not to worry.

00:56:10You'd probably like

00:56:11something to read.

00:56:12And what about cigarettes?

00:56:13Oh, I've enough of those

00:56:14for the present.

00:56:16But Malcolm,

00:56:16I don't want to drag you

00:56:17or anyone else

00:56:18into this mess.

00:56:19But it's you

00:56:20that have been dragged in.

00:56:21They haven't turned you

00:56:22out of the house, have they?

00:56:23Oh, heavens no.

00:56:24But your room's been locked up.

00:56:26I wanted to go and see

00:56:27if it contained all...

00:56:29all that it contained

00:56:30last night.

00:56:31But I couldn't get in.

00:56:33I suppose if there was

00:56:34something you really needed,

00:56:35they'd let me in

00:56:35under escort.

00:56:36Yes, perhaps.

00:56:37I'd rather you didn't trouble.

00:56:38I feel I don't want

00:56:39to see the place again

00:56:40and I'm sure you don't either.

00:56:42By the way...

00:56:43Have you heard anything more

00:56:45from the vicar's wife?

00:56:47Mariah Hall?

00:56:49Why on earth should I?

00:56:50I've been a little puzzled

00:56:51by that telephone call.

00:56:53When did she telephone?

00:56:54Don't you remember?

00:56:56You can't have forgotten.

00:56:58The night I arrived

00:56:59on Friday,

00:57:00just as we were going up to bed.

00:57:01Oh, yes, yes, of course.

00:57:03No, that was nothing important.

00:57:05Just to ask how

00:57:05your aunt was getting on.

00:57:07But why did she want to know?

00:57:09As late as that.

00:57:11It's been puzzling me.

00:57:12I haven't an idea.

00:57:14Was there any reason

00:57:14for her to suspect

00:57:15that Aunt Catherine

00:57:16might not be well?

00:57:17Oh, no, no, no.

00:57:18But as I think I told you,

00:57:20she'd been to tea

00:57:21the day before

00:57:22and, well, I suppose

00:57:23she might have thought

00:57:24your aunt was not

00:57:25looking entirely herself.

00:57:26But Aunt Catherine

00:57:27was quite well

00:57:28on the Thursday,

00:57:28wasn't she?

00:57:29Oh, yes.

00:57:30As far as one could judge.

00:57:31But there's no accounting

00:57:32for the ideas

00:57:33that get into the heads

00:57:34of these old women.

00:57:36Mariah is known

00:57:36to be a fusser

00:57:37and a busybody.

00:57:38I don't think I've met her.

00:57:39Well, you haven't

00:57:40missed anything.

00:57:41Sorry, sir.

00:57:42I'm afraid your time's up.

00:57:44Very well, officer.

00:57:46Sorry, Uncle Hannibal.

00:57:48It seems to be that.

00:57:49Anyway, it's been a comfort

00:57:50to have this little chat with you.

00:57:52Try and take things calmly.

00:57:54Everything that we can do

00:57:55will be done.

00:57:56Oh, and we'll get you

00:57:57out of here

00:57:57in no time at all.

00:57:59Well, I hope to God

00:58:00you're right.

00:58:02As I was escorted

00:58:03away from the cell,

00:58:04I was still thinking

00:58:05about Mariah Hall.

00:58:06Why did she telephone?

00:58:09And had it in fact

00:58:10been her who had called?

00:58:13The bell had rung

00:58:14and my uncle had spoken.

00:58:16I had not been in a position

00:58:17to hear the voice

00:58:18at the other end.

00:58:20When Hannibal had sworn

00:58:21his innocence to me,

00:58:22he had,

00:58:24well, God knows why,

00:58:25at once convinced me.

00:58:26But when he had said,

00:58:28refusing to meet my gaze,

00:58:29that yes, of course,

00:58:30he remembered a call

00:58:30from Mariah Hall,

00:58:31somehow I knew

00:58:33that he was lying.

00:58:35I was filled

00:58:36with a sudden excitement.

00:58:38Clearly,

00:58:39he had a clue

00:58:39in which I did not share.

00:58:42Dace was waiting

00:58:43for me by the car.

00:58:46And how was

00:58:47Mr Cartwright?

00:58:48As well as could be expected

00:58:49in the circumstances?

00:58:50It's all very odd,

00:58:51isn't it, sir?

00:58:52I'd never have thought.

00:58:54The inspector just had me

00:58:55in there for questioning again.

00:58:56When?

00:58:57Now?

00:58:57Yes,

00:58:58after he'd done with you, sir.

00:58:59What did he want to know?

00:59:01Oh, nothing.

00:59:01In you, really.

00:59:02Just going over

00:59:03the same old ground.

00:59:05All about my driving

00:59:06the mistress down

00:59:06to the chemist's on Friday

00:59:07and whether I could be

00:59:08absolutely 100% certain

00:59:10that you came out

00:59:11with a parcel.

00:59:12You said yes?

00:59:13Yes.

00:59:14Well, I saw her with a parcel.

00:59:16But what was in the parcel,

00:59:17well,

00:59:18it was all wrapped up,

00:59:18you see.

00:59:20Then the inspector

00:59:21asked me again

00:59:21about the quarrels

00:59:22between the master

00:59:23and mistress.

00:59:25Is it, uh,

00:59:26is it home now, sir?

00:59:28Yes.

00:59:29Yes.

00:59:30No.

00:59:31Now, hang on a moment.

00:59:33Is there a public library

00:59:35in Maysbury?

00:59:36A public library?

00:59:37Oh, no, sir.

00:59:38Well, where would be the nearest?

00:59:40In Rothbury, sir.

00:59:41Well, let's go to Rothbury.

00:59:43Well, it's nearly one o'clock, sir.

00:59:44Well?

00:59:46Well, I was thinking

00:59:46about your luncheon, sir.

00:59:48That'll have to wait.

00:59:49Very good, sir.

00:59:53Even while I'd been

00:59:54talking to Dace,

00:59:55it had suddenly come to me

00:59:56that Hannibal must be

00:59:57shielding someone.

00:59:58And I thought I had

00:59:59a pretty good idea

01:00:00who that someone was.

01:00:02But first,

01:00:03I had to do a little research

01:00:04in the public library

01:00:05at Rothbury.

01:00:07I wonder if you could...

01:00:08Would you be so good

01:00:09as to lower your voice?

01:00:11This is a reading room.

01:00:12I'm sorry.

01:00:14I wonder if you could

01:00:15show me where

01:00:16the medical reference section is.

01:00:18There's something

01:00:19I want to look up.

01:00:20Over there,

01:00:20in the far left-hand corner,

01:00:22second and third shelves.

01:00:23It's quite clearly marked.

01:00:26I found the shelves

01:00:27and ran my eyes along them

01:00:28until I found the book

01:00:29I wanted.

01:00:30Here we are.

01:00:32Forensic medicine.

01:00:35Now,

01:00:36let's see.

01:00:40O, O, X,

01:00:42oxalic acid.

01:00:45One of the oldest

01:00:46known organic acids.

01:00:49Oxalic acid

01:00:49is very poisonous

01:00:50and by reason

01:00:51of its great similarity

01:00:52in appearance

01:00:53to Epsom salts,

01:00:54it's been very frequently

01:00:55mistaken for this substance

01:00:57with, in many cases,

01:00:58fatal results.

01:01:01Ah, here we are.

01:01:04It is frequently used

01:01:05as a photographic developer

01:01:07and in leather work.

01:01:11What I discovered there

01:01:13took me straight round

01:01:13to Aunt Anne's

01:01:14and straight into some advice

01:01:16from Uncle Terrence.

01:01:17Frankly, Malcolm,

01:01:18without, of course,

01:01:19wishing in any way

01:01:20to criticize your motives,

01:01:22I must say,

01:01:22I think you've taken up

01:01:23rather a misguided attitude

01:01:25in this affair.

01:01:26Misguided?

01:01:26How do you mean,

01:01:27Uncle Terrence?

01:01:28It was, I have no doubt,

01:01:29a generous motive

01:01:30that led you to leave

01:01:31Descartes' defense,

01:01:32visiting him this morning

01:01:34and getting him a lawyer

01:01:34and so forth.

01:01:36But I may tell you,

01:01:37speaking as a lawyer myself,

01:01:39the case seems to me

01:01:40to be conclusive.

01:01:41Absolutely so.

01:01:42Conclusive?

01:01:43I really can't agree with you.

01:01:45I dare say you're unaware

01:01:46that one little piece of evidence

01:01:47hitherto wanting

01:01:48has now been supplied.

01:01:49What piece of evidence?

01:01:51Hannibal's fingerprints

01:01:52have been found

01:01:52on your aunt's bureau

01:01:53and on the neck of the bottle

01:01:55from which she drank

01:01:56the fatal poison.

01:01:57There's a reason for that.

01:01:59A reason that has nothing

01:02:00to do with murder.

01:02:02He went to the bureau

01:02:02and may have touched the bottle

01:02:03while he...

01:02:04Yes?

01:02:06For the moment,

01:02:07I'd rather not say anything further

01:02:08without Uncle Hannibal's permission.

01:02:10It strikes me as rather odd, Malcolm,

01:02:13that you should prefer

01:02:14to take sides

01:02:15with this intruder

01:02:16against your own flesh and blood.

01:02:18I'm sure your mother

01:02:19would agree with me.

01:02:21You realize, don't you,

01:02:23that when the sentence

01:02:23is eventually pronounced,

01:02:25you'll be seen

01:02:25in a very ugly light

01:02:27if you persist

01:02:27in aiding Hannibal's defense.

01:02:29I happen to believe

01:02:30that Uncle Hannibal

01:02:31is innocent.

01:02:32A somewhat eccentric belief.

01:02:34Well, look at the facts, dear boy.

01:02:36Just look at them.

01:02:37Let me give you some idea

01:02:39of how tomorrow's inquest will go.

01:02:41First, you will be called

01:02:43and fully examined

01:02:44as to your story.

01:02:45From some little hints

01:02:46that have been dropped,

01:02:47I gather that your evidence

01:02:48to the police

01:02:49is by no means

01:02:49entirely favorable

01:02:50to Hannibal.

01:02:51Next, the two doctors

01:02:53will give their testimony.

01:02:54Death by poisoning,

01:02:56oxalic acid.

01:02:57The family, and perhaps Dace,

01:02:59will give evidence

01:02:59of Catherine's state of mind,

01:03:00so making suicide

01:03:02most unlikely.

01:03:03The shop assistant

01:03:04will next testify

01:03:05to the purchase

01:03:06of the bottle on Friday,

01:03:07and the inspector

01:03:08and the fingerprint men

01:03:09will say how they found

01:03:11Hannibal's prints

01:03:11on the bureau,

01:03:13inside the bureau,

01:03:14on the blotter,

01:03:15and on the neck

01:03:16of the bottle.

01:03:17They may also call smoke

01:03:19to prove that he had instructions

01:03:20to alter her will,

01:03:21thus supplying Hannibal

01:03:22with his motive.

01:03:25Now, what is your reply

01:03:26to all that?

01:03:28Uncle Terence,

01:03:30may I please speak

01:03:31to Aunt Anne,

01:03:32alone,

01:03:33as soon as possible?

01:03:34She's lying down.

01:03:35Well, then,

01:03:35may I go up to her?

01:03:36Won't it wait?

01:03:38I hardly think

01:03:38she'd welcome an intrusion.

01:03:40She has a migraine.

01:03:42I'd prefer to speak

01:03:43to her at once,

01:03:44to,

01:03:45to get it over.

01:03:50Malcolm,

01:03:50I heard that you were here.

01:03:52I was just coming down

01:03:53to ask you

01:03:53for news of Hannibal.

01:03:54I feel so desperately

01:03:56worried about him.

01:03:57You don't think...

01:03:58I mean,

01:03:59it isn't conceivable,

01:04:01is it?

01:04:01I just don't believe

01:04:03that...

01:04:03Neither do I,

01:04:04Aunt Anne.

01:04:05Uncle Hannibal

01:04:06is shielding someone.

01:04:07Shielding someone?

01:04:08I'm sure of it.

01:04:11Someone else's fingerprints

01:04:12are on the wrapper

01:04:12of that bottle.

01:04:14Uncle Hannibal

01:04:15took the wrapper,

01:04:15probably he destroyed it.

01:04:17And without that wrapper,

01:04:19well,

01:04:20all the rest of the evidence

01:04:21points to him.

01:04:23Except that...

01:04:24Yes?

01:04:26Tell me,

01:04:26Aunt Anne,

01:04:27do you use much oxalic acid

01:04:29for your bookbinding?

01:04:31So you've guessed.

01:04:36Yes,

01:04:37I've guessed.

01:04:38And I've guessed right,

01:04:40haven't I?

01:04:41But how did you possibly...

01:04:43Well,

01:04:43as I said,

01:04:44I realised that if

01:04:45Uncle Hannibal

01:04:46were innocent,

01:04:46as I was certain he was,

01:04:48then obviously

01:04:49he was shielding someone.

01:04:51And it seemed to me

01:04:52that the most likely person

01:04:53for him to wish to shield...

01:04:55Was me?

01:04:56Yes.

01:04:58You've been having an affair,

01:04:59haven't you?

01:05:00Do I have to answer that?

01:05:01Well,

01:05:01it's not really necessary.

01:05:04I think I knew

01:05:05from the first moment

01:05:05that I saw the two of you

01:05:06together on the morning

01:05:07of Aunt Catherine's death.

01:05:09And then,

01:05:10after Uncle Hannibal

01:05:11had left us both together,

01:05:13there was something about

01:05:14the way that you spoke about him.

01:05:17Yes, Malcolm,

01:05:18you're right.

01:05:19We became lovers...

01:05:20Oh,

01:05:22about five months ago.

01:05:24And you killed Aunt Catherine

01:05:25so that he could be free

01:05:26and have some money of his own?

01:05:27Oh, no, no.

01:05:29No, it was because

01:05:30of Augusta and James.

01:05:31I was desperate about them.

01:05:33You mean James'

01:05:33financial troubles?

01:05:34Yes.

01:05:35I had to lay hands

01:05:36on 300,000 francs

01:05:37if he wasn't to go to jail.

01:05:39To jail?

01:05:40I had no idea

01:05:41it was as bad as that.

01:05:42Yes.

01:05:43He's committed

01:05:44some kind of fraud.

01:05:46Oh, I'm sure he'd no idea

01:05:47what he was doing, poor boy.

01:05:48You know how feckless he is.

01:05:50And Uncle Terence

01:05:51refused to help.

01:05:52I don't have to tell you

01:05:53how he disapproved

01:05:54of the marriage

01:05:54and of their decision

01:05:56to live out of England.

01:05:58And James never made

01:05:59any secret of finding

01:06:00poor old Terence

01:06:01pompous and silly.

01:06:03So when I approached Terence,

01:06:05well, Augusta was too terrified

01:06:06to do so herself.

01:06:08His only reaction

01:06:09was to tell me

01:06:10to let James

01:06:11stew in his own juice.

01:06:12So you then approached

01:06:13Aunt Catherine?

01:06:14Yes.

01:06:15As you know,

01:06:16I have no money of my own.

01:06:18But though she was

01:06:19full of advice,

01:06:20most of it highly critical

01:06:21of James,

01:06:22she wouldn't lift

01:06:23a finger either.

01:06:25It was good, she said,

01:06:26for that young man

01:06:27to learn a lesson.

01:06:28300,000 francs.

01:06:29Let me see that.

01:06:31It's about 2,500 pounds,

01:06:34isn't it?

01:06:34Yes.

01:06:34Oh, God, how mean of her.

01:06:36She must have about

01:06:37a hundred times

01:06:38that sum in the bank.

01:06:39I couldn't have poor Augusta

01:06:41exposed to that kind of scandal,

01:06:42particularly at a time

01:06:43when she was pregnant.

01:06:44James was given

01:06:46four weeks

01:06:47in which to raise the cash.

01:06:49When did you decide

01:06:50that murder

01:06:51was the only way out?

01:06:53On Thursday,

01:06:55the day before it happened.

01:06:56I'd been to tea with Catherine.

01:07:01Mariah Hall was there.

01:07:02After Mariah left,

01:07:03I again begged for a loan,

01:07:05but Catherine was adamant.

01:07:08I'm sick and tired of beggars,

01:07:10she said.

01:07:12Then she said that I,

01:07:14I wasted far too much money

01:07:15on seeing doctors

01:07:16about imaginary ailments

01:07:17and advised me

01:07:19to take this tonic,

01:07:20this new tonic

01:07:21that had been doing

01:07:21such wonders for her.

01:07:22You mean she already

01:07:23had a bottle

01:07:24on the Thursday?

01:07:25Yes.

01:07:27She told me to take

01:07:27a look at it

01:07:28in the Bureau

01:07:28and then promised

01:07:30to buy me a bottle

01:07:30the following day.

01:07:32That was the bottle

01:07:33she got from the chemists here.

01:07:35The other bottle

01:07:36had come from London.

01:07:37And you put the oxalic acid

01:07:38in the bottle

01:07:38on the Friday?

01:07:40Yes.

01:07:40I went to see Catherine again

01:07:43and asked if I could have

01:07:44a dose of this mixture

01:07:45to try.

01:07:46She was in bed.

01:07:48I said I'd put some

01:07:49of the crystals in an envelope

01:07:50and take them home with me.

01:07:52She gave me the key

01:07:53to the Bureau

01:07:54and after that,

01:07:56well,

01:07:58it was all plain sailing.

01:08:00You'd brought

01:08:00the oxalic acid crystals

01:08:02with you?

01:08:03That's right.

01:08:04I emptied out

01:08:05some of the crystals

01:08:06in the bottle

01:08:06and then I replaced them

01:08:08with those that I brought.

01:08:10And yours was the telephone call

01:08:11that was supposed to have

01:08:12come from the vicarage

01:08:13from Mariah Hall.

01:08:15Yes.

01:08:16By Friday night

01:08:17I expected to hear

01:08:17news of Catherine's death.

01:08:19When no word came

01:08:20I couldn't resist

01:08:22ringing up the house.

01:08:23Hannibal must have removed

01:08:24the other bottle.

01:08:25The one Aunt Catherine

01:08:26brought for you on Friday

01:08:27from the chemist

01:08:28in the village.

01:08:29Yes.

01:08:30And that gave me an alibi.

01:08:32The police assumed

01:08:34that that bottle,

01:08:35the second bottle,

01:08:36was the one in which

01:08:36the poison had been placed.

01:08:38And of course

01:08:39I'd not been near

01:08:41the house

01:08:41since its purchase.

01:08:42And Hannibal also

01:08:43destroyed the wrapper

01:08:44with your prints on it.

01:08:46I suppose so.

01:08:47So he knew.

01:08:49Yes, he knew.

01:08:50He must have known,

01:08:51must have guessed.

01:08:53And he decided

01:08:54to take the blame.

01:08:57But I can't let him.

01:08:58I can't let him.

01:09:00It's so brave of him,

01:09:02so unselfish,

01:09:02but I can't.

01:09:04I can't let him do it.

01:09:06Do you want to come

01:09:07to the inspector with me?

01:09:08I've not slept a wink

01:09:10since I realised

01:09:11that he was the one

01:09:11that they suspected.

01:09:13And now they've,

01:09:13they've actually arrested him

01:09:15and everything looks so black.

01:09:18I've written out

01:09:19a confession, Malcolm.

01:09:20It's here in my desk.

01:09:22I've written it all out.

01:09:23Everything I've told you.

01:09:24And I've signed it.

01:09:25I can't allow Hannibal

01:09:28to do this for my sake.

01:09:29He's such a,

01:09:30such a fine man.

01:09:34And you were clever enough

01:09:36to see that.

01:09:38Whereas Terence and Bob

01:09:40were their silly snobbery

01:09:42and prejudice.

01:09:44Here, let me give it to you.

01:09:45It's here in the Bureau.

01:09:47It's just here.

01:09:49Aunt Anne!

01:09:50Don't do that!

01:09:51Don't!

01:09:55At the inquest

01:10:00on Aunt Anne

01:10:01a few days later,

01:10:02Uncle Terence

01:10:03had to go into

01:10:03the witness box

01:10:04and give evidence

01:10:05about his son-in-law

01:10:06James' business affairs.

01:10:08It was all very painful.

01:10:11Mr. Carvel,

01:10:12was the deceased,

01:10:13your wife,

01:10:14right in thinking

01:10:15that you intended

01:10:16to turn your daughter adrift

01:10:17if your son-in-law

01:10:18failed to extricate himself

01:10:20from his financial difficulties?

01:10:22Oh, no.

01:10:23Good God, no.

01:10:24But you had

01:10:25shown yourself

01:10:26unsympathetic

01:10:27to your daughter's troubles.

01:10:28I'm afraid I must have done.

01:10:29I had no sympathy

01:10:30with my daughter's husband.

01:10:33If she'd left him,

01:10:33of course,

01:10:34if she'd been thrown

01:10:35on her own resources,

01:10:37well, then I might have

01:10:38stepped in.

01:10:40But I...

01:10:41Forgive me.

01:10:43At this point,

01:10:44Uncle Terence broke down

01:10:45and his pale green eyes

01:10:47filled with tears

01:10:48like little glass beads.

01:10:50I must say,

01:10:51I couldn't feel

01:10:52much sympathy for him.

01:10:53In a very real sense,

01:10:54he was the villain

01:10:55of the piece.

01:10:57As for Hannibal,

01:10:58it was touch and go

01:10:59that the police

01:11:00didn't charge him

01:11:00with complicity.

01:11:02But he never admitted

01:11:03to them that he had

01:11:03destroyed both the second bottle

01:11:04and the wrapper

01:11:05on the first,

01:11:06and they lacked

01:11:07the necessary evidence.

01:11:09I suppose that if they'd known

01:11:11that he'd been

01:11:11Aunt Anne's lover,

01:11:12things might have gone

01:11:13worse for him.

01:11:15As it was,

01:11:16he had to explain

01:11:17how his fingerprints

01:11:17had got on the bureau

01:11:18and the neck of the bottle.

01:11:20And so the whole story

01:11:21of Jesse and the blackmail

01:11:22attempt came out.

01:11:24You know,

01:11:24I always had a hunch

01:11:26that those letters

01:11:27that were supposed

01:11:27to come from Jesse's brother

01:11:29were really from Dace.

01:11:31They had a double purpose.

01:11:33They were intended

01:11:33to extract money

01:11:34from me

01:11:35and at the same time

01:11:36to make trouble

01:11:37between me and Catherine.

01:11:38I suppose he'll get

01:11:39a pretty stiff sentence.

01:11:40Well, the inspector

01:11:41seems to think so.

01:11:43It's pretty brazen

01:11:44to get a girl with child

01:11:45and then to attempt

01:11:46to blackmail someone else

01:11:47for having been responsible.

01:11:48Yes.

01:11:49How outraged Catherine

01:11:50would be

01:11:51if she were alive

01:11:52and knew the truth.

01:11:53She could forgive him

01:11:54the blackmail,

01:11:55I dare say,

01:11:55but not an affair

01:11:56with Jesse under her nose.

01:11:58And all the time

01:11:59she was convinced

01:12:00that he had eyes

01:12:00for no one but her.

01:12:02It's rather pathetic

01:12:03when you come to think of it.

01:12:04Catherine was never pathetic,

01:12:06never for a moment.

01:12:07No,

01:12:07no,

01:12:07she certainly wasn't.

01:12:10Tell me,

01:12:11Uncle Hannibal,

01:12:12if Aunt Anne

01:12:13had let you take the blame,

01:12:14would you,

01:12:15well,

01:12:16could you have seen it through?

01:12:18I don't know.

01:12:20I just don't know.

01:12:22I suppose I might have

01:12:23produced the wrapper

01:12:24and the bottle

01:12:24to get myself off the hook.

01:12:26I don't know, Malcolm.

01:12:28I loved Anne

01:12:29very much.

01:12:30I think you'd have

01:12:31gone through with it.

01:12:32You're that kind of man.

01:12:34Well,

01:12:34at least Augusta

01:12:36and James are safe.

01:12:38Anne would like to know that.

01:12:41Terence has lent Augusta

01:12:42some money

01:12:42until her legacy

01:12:43comes through

01:12:44and that's bailed James

01:12:45out of his present mess.

01:12:47Uncle Hannibal.

01:12:48Yes?

01:12:48What are you going to do

01:12:49with your money

01:12:50when it gets to you?

01:12:51Well,

01:12:51the first thing will be

01:12:52to get away from this place

01:12:53and all the gossip.

01:12:55I have a pal

01:12:55retired from the Navy

01:12:57out in Beowits.

01:12:58We thought we might

01:12:59buy a garage together.

01:13:00Anne,

01:13:02what are you going to do

01:13:03with your money?

01:13:04Well,

01:13:04I've got this red-hot tip.

01:13:06Australian mines.

01:13:07There's a packet to be made.

01:13:09Why don't you come in with me?

01:13:11No, Malcolm, no.

01:13:13I'd always rather be safe

01:13:14than sorry.

01:13:18Well,

01:13:18I lost most of that investment.

01:13:20I didn't make much success

01:13:21of being my aunt's

01:13:22favourite nephew

01:13:23and I haven't made

01:13:24any success at all

01:13:25of my career as a broker

01:13:26so far.

01:13:27Perhaps I ought to be

01:13:30a detective.

01:13:31I might be rather

01:13:32more successful at that.

01:13:47In Death of My Aunt

01:13:49by Frances King

01:13:50adapted from the novel

01:13:52by CHP Kitchen

01:13:53you heard David Griffin

01:13:55as Malcolm

01:13:55and John Shrapnell

01:13:57as Uncle Hannibal.

01:13:59Aunt Catherine

01:14:00was played by

01:14:00Betty Huntley-Wright

01:14:01and Aunt Anne

01:14:02by Eva Haddon.

01:14:05Dace

01:14:05was played by

01:14:06Michael McLean,

01:14:08The Inspector

01:14:08by Stephen Thorne,

01:14:10Bob Carville

01:14:11by Geoffrey Beavers

01:14:12and Terence Carville

01:14:13by Rolf Lefevre.

01:14:16Production

01:14:16was by

01:14:17Piers Plowright.

01:14:18가지고

01:14:25music

01:14:28on

01:14:29at

01:14:30across

01:14:31mine

01:14:32we

01:14:32were

01:14:33we

01:14:34we

01:14:35we

01:14:43we

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