"Taxi!" " Still pretty thick." " Sure is." "A real London fog." "Shall I call a cab for you?" "No." "I can walk it." "We live across the square." "Thank you." " You're welcome, Mrs Preston." " Bye-bye." "Hold on to Mummy's hand, Alfred." "We don't want you getting lost." " Yes, Mummy." " Taxi!" " Taxi!" " Taxi!" "Oh." "Mrs Preston." "Over here." "So close I could reach out and put my hands on your throat." " Who are you?" " Here." "Over here now, Mrs Preston." "By the statue of your late president." "Who are you?" "What do you want?" "You'll know when the time comes, Mrs Preston, just before I kill you." "Careful, Mrs Preston." "I wouldn't want you to get hurt." "Not yet." "Nora!" "Nora!" "Nora won the Irish Sweep and left." "I'm the new maid." " Oh, Tony." " What is it?" "Swallowed too much fog?" "I've never been so frightened." "I couldn't even scream." "I just ran." "You've no idea." "It was horrible." "He said he was going to kill me." " Who said?" " A man." " What man?" " I don't know." " You don't know?" " I couldn't see him." "All I heard was a horrible voice coming out of the fog." "First it was this side, then that side." "It was high and sing-song." "Like a puppet's." "Like a puppet?" "Promise you won't hit me?" "Someone's been pulling your leg." " There was a man." "I heard him." " I'm sure you did, darling." "He's laughing his head off at the local with the other members of the club." " What club?" " Look, darling..." "Whenever there's a thick fog in London - a peasouper - practical jokers crawl out of the woodwork." "Wait till you see the morning's papers." "Dozens of ladies will have complained about invisible goblins in Hyde Park and 100 to one there'll be a bedpan on top of Nelson's Column." "But he called me Mrs Preston and he knew I was an American." "How?" "How do you climb Nelson's Column?" "Practical jokers have talents." "Not commendable, but highly special." "Well, I can't believe it." "Is it true?" "Of course." "How do you think I lost my hat?" "Hat?" "Yes." "Barrelling down Piccadilly at two miles an hour, black as ink," "I stuck my head out of the window and a hand lifted my brand-new homburg off my head." "A grateful voice murmured, "Much obliged, guv'nor."" "He might well have been." "That hat cost me £10." "This is incredible." "I'm sorry you were scared, darling." "Even sorrier about my hat." "You've got lots of hats." "Let's have a drink." "Well, I need something." " Straighten everything out at the Embassy?" " Finally." "They do a lot of lost passports." "I'll get mine next week." "Good." "That'll save us trouble in Italy." " Italy?" " Yes." "On our way to Venice." "Venice!" "Oh, Tony!" "Do you mean it?" "Three short months ago I promised you a honeymoon." "Every day's been a honeymoon." "You've never felt married to a corporation?" "Well, now that you asked, yes." "Darling, when do we leave?" "21st." "I booked a gondola for midnight." "Can you make it?" "I think so, ducks." "To Venice." "To us." "It's a ruddy shame, if you ask me." " No respect for English heroes." " What happened?" "Some hooligans went up in the fog and painted him pink." "Horatio Nelson, mind you." "Pink." "Here we are, ma'am." "Preston Building." "That'll be eight and six, ma'am." "Eight and six..." "Take it out of this, will you, please?" "Add a good tip for yourself." " Thank you very much, ma'am." " You're welcome." "..someone who knows I borrowed on the shares to keep the mine running, who knows that if he can drive the stock lower, I'll be sold out, ruined." "By "someone", Mr Elliott, do you mean someone here at Preston's?" "You hold my note, only the men in this room have seen my engineer's report." "There's a fortune waiting if you buy in at the bottom." "We're not in the habit of destroying the men we deal with." "I don't know." "I'm no financier." "Gold's my game." "Isn't that beside the point, Mr Elliott?" "Are you going to extend my note or do you let me go under?" "Let me remind you, you've been granted two extensions." "And we do have an obligation to our shareholders." "However, we'll see what can be done." "Daniel, see Mr Elliott out." "If I lose Wiluna West, somebody's going to pay for it." " Oh!" " Allow me, Mrs Preston." " What...?" " Please forgive Mr Elliott." "I will if he's on his way to an eye doctor." "You're looking marvellous today." "That's a most becoming outfit." "You always say exactly the right thing." " I'll tell Mr Preston you're here." " All right." "Hi, darling." "What do you think?" "Don't let Carstairs see." "He has a weak heart." "It's called Midnight Lace." "Do you like it?" "At least you'll be cool." "No telling what will happen to my temperature." "If it doesn't go sky-high, this goes back in the morning." "You've got a sale." "Hartnell's, Michel." "An expensive morning." "Only on approval." "I wanted you to like them before I bought a thing." " That's odd." " What's odd?" " I just had a call from Hartnell's." " From Hartnell's?" "Yes." "The sales girl said you'd overpaid her by five pounds." "Oh, dear." "English money gets me into more trouble." "Your inventive mind helps a little bit too." "I didn't want to fib, darling." "I was going to tell you at lunch, after your martini." "Oh, about that." "I'm afraid it's my turn." "I'm sorry." "Oh, Tony." "Not again." "I phoned you, but you'd gone out." "It's an all-day session." "I had a lovely table on the terrace at Les Ailes." "It can't be helped." "Come on, darling." "Fair exchange." "One fib for one broken date." " My mistake." "Several broken dates." " Is it really important?" "Darling." "Do you think I'd give up having lunch with you if it wasn't?" " How are you, Kit?" " Hello, Charles." " Are you coming to say hello?" " I was just leaving." "Too bad." "The board could do with a touch of glamour." " Do you mind if I use your phone?" " Help yourself." " I'll see you to the lift." " Goodbye, Charles." " Will they hold our table till dinner?" " It'll be chilly." "I've got a better idea." "Let's have Nora fix us something at home." " Would you rather?" " It's safer with my temperature up." "This little lace thingumabob." " Excuse me, sir?" " Carry on, Kevin." "The noon post, sir." "That's right. 500 each way, Bold River at Sandown." "What do you mean, you can't take it?" "I don't care how much I'm into you for." "I'm no welsher." "There are plenty of other firms where my credit will not be questioned." "You don't think so?" "We'll see." "Anything the matter, Charles?" "No." "I'm just bothered about that Elliott business." " Think there's anything in it?" " I doubt it, but we'll look into it." "Look out below!" "Look out below!" " Are you all right?" " Yes, I think so." "What happened?" " What happened, Harry?" " The ring snapped." "Use a heavier one before you wipe out half the population." "The pretty half." " Are you sure you're all right?" " No, I'm not." "I'm terribly sorry about this." "I'll get your things for you." "Kit!" " What on earth...?" " I'm all right, Peg." " Need any help?" " No." "Everything's fine." "Thanks to..." "Brian Younger." "I'm the contractor." "I hope your building stays up." "So do I!" "I'll take these things up for you." "No." "No, really." "I'm perfectly fine." " Are you sure?" " Yes." "Thank you very much." "I hope you'll forgive us, Mrs Preston." "Of course." "Mr Younger?" " Yes?" " How did you know my name?" "I thought I handled that rather brilliantly." "I asked the postman." "Excuse me." " What are you doing back so early?" " What?" "I met Tony this morning." "He said you had a luncheon date." " Oh, that." " The groom was like a little boy." "The groom stood me up for a meeting." "Oh." "Well, don't look so glum." "At least your husband comes home at night." "All I have of Roy is a signature at the bottom of a weekly letter." " Try curling up with that." " Where's his boat now?" "Dry dock in Singapore." "For your information, darling, in the Royal Navy, they call it a ship." "Oh." "I'll remember that." "When do we meet this husband of yours?" "He's due for a leave in a couple of months." "I hope we recognise each other." "Come up and we'll have a cry over a hamburger." "As soon as I've posted this - for Roy to curl up with." " Oh." "With or without onions?" " With." "When your husband's ten thousand miles away, what does it matter?" " How do, Mrs Preston?" " Hello, Malcolm." "Nora, I told you to go home." "You should not be working with that cold." " I'll be off in a jiffy." " Goodbye, Mother." "Thank you." "You'll get it back and more." "Goodbye, dear." "Take care of yourself." "Cheerio, Mrs Preston." "Oh, Malcolm?" "How's the new job going?" "Going's not the word for it." "It's gone." "G-O-N-E." "Gone." " I'm sorry." " There's no need to be." "Really." "They were a dreadful bunch of clots." "Nose to the grindstone from nine till five." "I felt like a shoe salesman." " What are you going to do now?" " I don't know really." "I was thinking of going into public relations." "It's quite the thing." "Do you know anything about it?" "Oh, PR's merely a question of knowing the right people and I'm luckier than most chaps in that department." "Considering everything, you know?" "If you mean you're lucky having Nora for a mother..." "Yes, I know." "Well, er, I'm due at the Ivy for a bite." "My best to Mr Preston." "Oh..." "Thank you for everything you've done for Mother." "I'm very glad she's here." "Bye now." " Nora?" " Yes, ma'am?" "Just a minute." "Here." "I want you to buy yourself a decent coat and I don't want to see you until your cold is better." " Do you understand?" " Bless you, ma'am." "Oh, Lordy." "I nearly forgot." "A cable came for you." "I put it on the bar." "Thank you, Nora." "Hello?" "Yes." "Yes, I remember." "What?" "What a horrible..." "You must be insane." "Why?" "Who are you?" "Who are you?" "!" "Who...?" " Who is it?" " Peggy." "Peggy..." "I brought some pickles to fight the onions." "What on earth...?" "Kit, what is it?" "A man on the phone just now..." " An awful man." " Who was he?" "I don't know." "He told me to listen and then he said it." "Said what?" "Just... filth." "You must have got one of those telephone talkers with a kink." "I know a girl who didn't get the blush off her face for a month." "Then what?" "He said he was going to kill me before the month is out." "You got one of the less romantic ones." "Oh, Peggy, he means it." "They always sound as though they mean it, pet." " But I'm scared." " Yes, you are, aren't you?" "Shouldn't we call Tony?" "No..." "No." "He's at a board meeting." "I'll tell him tonight." "Don't let it get you down." "The man's had his fun." "Ten to one you'll never hear from him again." "That's what Tony said the first time." "The first time?" "You mean it's happened before?" " Yesterday in the fog." " And he said the same thing?" " Yes." "The same voice." " About killing you?" "That makes it more important than any board meeting." "Mrs Preston, can you think of anybody who might want to kill you?" " No, Inspector." " Or upset you for any reason?" " No." " A servant you dismissed?" " Isn't this a little far-fetched?" " No, I don't think so." "A former admirer who may have set his cap at your fortune?" " No." " No enemies?" "None that I know of." "Not that revenge is often a motive in these cases, of course." "It's usually just the impulse of a man who's sexually off the track." "Oh, no need to be alarmed, Mrs Preston." "They get their satisfaction at the end of the telephone by shocking you, making you gasp." "The intake of your breath is like a kiss." "Come in." "Whenever you're ready, sir." "Sometimes I think the Blitz left us with more derelict minds than derelict buildings." "These phone cranks, for instance." "Our file on them is a mile high." "One of ours wasn't on the phone." "Yes." "The park." "All cut from the same cloth." "The fog made him just as anonymous as the man on the phone." " Was it the same voice each time?" " Yes." "Yes, it was." "Do you recall any distinguishing characteristic?" "Accent, timbre, some oddity of phrasing?" "Anything?" "Yes." "His voice was very high-pitched..." " She said it was sort of "sing-song"." " Yes." "Yes." "It was unreal, I thought." "It all seems so unreal." " He disguised his voice of course." " Ready, Inspector." "Mrs Preston, would you sit over here?" "Once in a blue moon we manage to pull these fellows in." "Then we tape their voices on the QT - in a cell, court, anywhere." "There's a chance you might recognise your man." "We'll forgive you if you blush." "Some of them would make Freud sit up and blink." "There." "Mr Preston?" "I suppose a man in your position is bound to have some enemies." "There's a few men who won't send flowers to my funeral, but this isn't their cup of tea." "Your wife's in good health?" "Yes." "Like a young racehorse." "Why?" "It's sometimes a factor." "Your work keep you away from home much?" " No more than the next man." " Much less than it does me, I'm sure." "How does she like London?" "Does she miss the American way of life?" "If you want to know if my wife's happy, I suggest it's she you ask." " I'm sorry." "We have to." " Mind telling me why?" "We waste time looking for crank phone chaps who don't exist, except in the minds of unhappy women." "You'd be surprised how far a wife will go to make her neglectful husband toe the mark." "I don't think so, Mr Preston." "I don't think so at all." " Any luck?" " The last was closest, but I don't..." "Crowther." "He's doing three years in Dartmoor." "Crowther?" "Oh, yes." "Wild for long red hair." "That's all we can do till next time." " The next time?" " Perhaps." "If he enjoyed your gasp." "Please, please don't worry, Mrs Preston." "If he'd meant it, he'd have done something in the park." "Just one thing." "I'd stay out of peasoupers, if I were you, in future." "Just to be on the safe side." " Thank you." " Not at all, Mr Preston." "Bea!" "Oh." "Gosh, it's good to see you." " Oh, I've missed you terribly." " Same here." "Oh, I haven't done this in years." "Not in public, anyway." "There you are." "You've beaten me through Customs." "Basil, I've been one step ahead of you since you boarded at Karachi." "You're right, by Jove." "Lucky for me it was a jet." "One more hour aloft and I'd have been done for." "I was beginning to tire over the Alps." "Darling, this is Basil Stafford." "You've probably drunk his quinine water." " My niece, Kit Preston." " How do you do?" "Can I give you a lift into town?" "I have a car, thank you." "Wonderful." "I'll dismiss my chauffeur." "No, no." "You run along like a good boy." "I haven't seen Kit since one of your countrymen kidnapped her from my shack in Bermuda last summer." "It's going to be woman talk." "All right." "I'll give you a ring." "Claridges?" " I won't leave the phone." " Dazzling!" " But you're staying at the Plaza." " If he cares enough, he'll find me." " Oh, Bea." " Let me look at you." "Three months of wedlock haven't done any harm." "You look radiant." " How's the groom?" " He's fine." "He wanted to be here but something came up at the last minute." "Ah, the jungles of finance." "Men must work and women must weep." "I used to think Father was eager." "Tony's got him beat." "The office lets us have breakfast together." "Count your blessings." "At least he has an office." "You wouldn't want what I've had." "Three charming lapdogs with no ambition beyond clipping my coupons." " Oh, Bea." " That's it, ma'am." "Ten pieces." "The car's just over there." "Daimler hire." "A dedicated hunter, the Maharajah." "The trouble was I didn't realise that all the time I was stalking tigers, he was stalking me." "Believe me, I was much safer in the jungle than in the palace." "Oh, Bea." "Don't ever change." "I try not to, but the bills at the beauty parlour get bigger every year." "Oh." "You don't know how good it makes me feel having you here." "Good and safe." "What do you mean?" "Safe from what?" " Did I say that?" " Come on now." "You haven't been able to fool Aunt Bea since you were two." "Well, it's just some stupid thing that's been happening really." "A man's been calling me on the telephone and saying that he's going to kill me." "Kill you?" " Have you reported it to the Embassy?" " We went to Scotland Yard." "Yes." "They're supposed to be good too." "Well?" "He's just a crackpot." "They call them telephone talkers." "Oh, one of those." "They have them here too?" "Scads of them, they say." "I was once in Dublin for a horse show and I got a call at the Sheldon from a man who wanted to dress me in black underwear...personally." "It was the most stimulating minute I spent in Ireland." "Oh, you're beautiful." "Oh, Kitten, don't worry about that crackpot." "I'm here and everything's going to be all right." "Starting tonight." "Tony's taking us out on the town." "Good." "Thank heaven there are no tigers in London." " Is that you, Tony?" " Yes, darling." " You look beautiful." " Thank you." "More." "After I've had a pick-me-up." "I didn't waste my day." "It's already made." "What a perfect wife." "How's Bea?" "Bring any stuffed heads back with her?" "One." "She met him on the plane." " She's bringing a date tonight." " The stuffed head?" "No." "An old beau." "You'll never guess." "Charles Manning." " Our Charles Manning?" " The very same." "Your treasurer." "I thought his only hobby was slow horses." " Come on." "We're in a hurry." " Wait a minute, darling." "I've got a little knick-knack for you." "Oh, Tony." "What is it?" "One of the Crown Jewels." "Don't wear it around the Palace." "I love presents." "Tony." "I'm afraid it doesn't float." "Oh, darling." "Thank you." "I'll have the only diamond gondola on the Grand Canal." "Oh, Kit." "I, er..." " We're not going." " Not for a while." "That Elliott business." "And this was just to soften the blow." "I rather hoped it would." "Believe me, darling, if other people weren't involved, I'd drop everything." "Why don't you go to Venice as planned?" "I'll join you." "Take Bea." "At least you'll have a chuckle or two." "That's the way I've always dreamed of going to Venice." "The moon on the Grand Canal and the gondoliers singing... and Aunt Bea beside me, chuckling." "I've got a job to do." "You wouldn't want an irresponsible husband." "No, Tony." "Just a husband." "I'm terribly sorry, darling." "You'd better get dressed." "They'll be here soon." "I'll be up in a minute." "Hello?" "Tony." "Keep talking." "I'll takeit in the bedroom." "Yes..." "Yes, I am here." "No." "No, don't..." "Don't!" "Why didn't you keep him talking?" "I couldn't stand it, Tony." "The things he said." "I might have spotted his voice." "I couldn't stand it." "I just couldn't stand it." "Oh, I'm sorry, my darling." " You've got to do something." " Yes." "Not at all, Mr Preston." "We're here to be disturbed." "Oh, he did?" "The same man, of course?" "Mm." "Persistent cuss." "My wife can't take much more of this." "It's pretty upsetting, this sort of business." "May I suggest you get an unlisted telephone number and keep a record of everyone you give it to?" "I'll call the GPO myself and make the request, if you like." "Not at all." "Just one more thing, Mr Preston..." "Were you there when the call came?" "Yes, I was." "Why do you ask?" "I merely thought perhaps you might have been able to listen for yourself." "Well, it didn't quite happen that way." "I picked up the extension, but..." "He'd rung off, I suppose." "Oh..." "Oh, your wife had?" "Pity." "Did she say why?" "You know what he's been saying." "She couldn't listen to another word." " Is that difficult to understand?" " Of course not." "We do have to ask rather odd questions in our job." "Surely that's not difficult to understand either?" "I'm sorry, Inspector." "I'm afraid this matter's wearing us all down." "Don't hesitate to call me at any time." "I'll see to the change of number." "I don't think Mrs Preston will have any more trouble." "Good night." "More champagne, Emilio." "The whole night's on a filly." "She beat the favourite." "Won me a packet." "Charles must be a very dedicated treasurer." "He adores the feel of money." "Why not?" "There's nothing wrong about money that having it can't cure." "Jolly good music." "May I, Kit?" "Kit?" "Oh." "I'm sorry, Charles." "Excuse me." " How about it, Bea?" " Not now, Tony." "Do you mind?" "No." "Relieved, actually." "What's wrong?" "Did Kit tell you about the man on the phone?" "Yes." "What about him?" "He called again just before you and Charles arrived." " Oh?" " It was pretty bad." " I phone the police, but..." " What?" "It's rather difficult to explain." "While I was talking to the inspector, I got the feeling of having to defend Kit." "Against what, for heaven's sake?" "The skeptical mind of Scotland Yard, case histories, the file devoted to women who pretend to receive these calls to get attention from neglectful husbands." "If he stuck Kit in that file, I hope you gave him a piece of your mind." "I think he had an idea." "The trouble is that no one but Kit has heard this man." "I suppose the Yard can't overlook any possibility." "Tony, would you call Kit a neglected wife?" "It's no picnic being married to an heiress." "I can't run Preston's by remote control." "I suppose there have been times when Kit felt neglected." "Then it's a good thing you have Venice." "That'll put an end to this nonsense." "There are no telephones in gondolas." " I had to call Venice off for a while." " Oh?" "That was sudden, wasn't it?" "Couldn't be helped." "Kit must have been disappointed." "Yes." "There was a slight chill in the air." "Oh, Tony?" "Yes?" "The phone call - did it come before or after you told Kit about Venice?" "It was after, now you mention it." "Why?" "Nothing." "I was just wondering." "Help!" "Help...!" "Mrs Preston?" "It's all right, Mrs Preston." "You're quite safe." "Oh, Mr Younger..." "Mr Younger..." "Mr..." "Please calm yourself." "We seem to be causing you a great deal of trouble." "One of our transformers has shorted a power circuit." "It'll be fixed directly." "I was coming up to warn you when I saw this thing stuck." "I thought you might have started down." "I called down to you, Mrs Preston." "Didn't you hear me?" "Yes, I heard you, but I thought..." "There we are." " Oh..." " It's going to be all right." "All right." "Calm yourself." "I'm afraid I don't have my land legs yet." "A brandy might help put your nerves back on course." "I think it might." "Isn't there a pub around the corner?" "Yes." "We could go there, if you like." "Yes, thank you." "Come on, Tim." "Back to work." "You'll never get that double three." "Give us a chance, old girl." "He'll never get it." "He's been trying for years." "I know how you must have felt." "I've been through it myself in a way." " Trapped in an elevator?" " Burning tank." " Mortar shell jammed the hatch." " Oh." "Strange thing, the human mind." "I think I've forgotten all about it and then no reason at all I can hear the explosion..." "I can smell the smoke... my hands start to shake and I'm back in a burning tank at El Alamein." "Sometimes when I come to... hours have passed." "Once, an entire day." "And I've no recollection of the missing time." "How awful to keep losing part of your life like that." "It's not so bad." "Chaps with me lost all of theirs." "But it has left me with very little affection for closed-in places." "Elevators, phone booths, that sort of thing." "I can imagine." "Is that why you work out in the open?" "Before the war, I'd planned on being an architect, but that meant an office and four walls." "I even sleep out under the stars whenever I can." "Camping trips and things like that." "That's fine if you're married to a Girl Scout." "I'm not married to anyone." ""Still looking" I believe the expression is." "In America, we call it "playing the field"." "Playing the field?" "Perhaps I should have gone to America." " I must be going." " You won't have another?" "No, thank you." "I'm just fine, Mr Younger." "Thank you very much." " Anything wrong, love?" " Oh, no." " Pretty thing, isn't she?" " Yes." " Shall I put the calls on the bill?" " What?" "The phone calls last night from the back." "You said..." "Yes." "Put them on the bill, Dora." "OK, ducks." "That was marvellous." "Swan Lake always makes me terribly thirsty." "It's those long necks." "That will cost you one champagne cocktail." "Come on, Kit." "I'll wait for Tony." "You go on." " Mind if I talk to you for a moment?" " What is it, Malcolm?" "It's about my mother." "She'll have to stay in bed for a few more days, according to the doctor." "I'm sorry to hear that." "Tell her that I'll call her tomorrow." "Oh, that would be nice." "I wish that a phone call could pay the doctor's bills." "Ask her to send the bills to me." "That's very generous of you, I'm sure." "There are so many other expenses." "They just seem to add up." "Food, medicine, that sort of thing." "I'm doing everything I can but the old wallet's rather thin these days." "I'll see that your mother has everything she needs." "I could pick it up at the flat later." " I'll save you the trouble." " I'll see that she gets it, thank you." "Are you trying to suggest that I might pocket the money myself?" "A chap doesn't like to be accused of stealing money from his own mother." " Makes him out to be pretty low." " I wish you'd leave, Malcolm." "You can give orders to my mother, Mrs Preston, not to me." "I know you've been trying to come between us." "I don't like it." "I'd advise you to stop it or you will regret it" "Regret what?" "Are you threatening my wife?" " It's all right, Tony." " I ought to call the police." "We were talking." "What's the harm in that?" "There can be a good deal of harm in talking especially if you've been making nasty phone calls." "I don't know what you're talking about." "If you're lying, Malcolm..." "I don't want to see you around the flat again." "One day you'll both change your minds about Malcolm Stanley." " What did he want?" " The usual." "Money." "Poor old Nora." " Did you get your call, darling?" " Yes, it was Daniel." "Something he wanted to show me." "Very urgent, he said." " Do you mind awfully?" " No, darling." " Are you sure?" " Bea and Charles will see me home." "They'll baby-sit till you get back." " Back from where?" " I'll tell you later." "Go on." "Daniel did say it was important." "I'll see you at the flat." " Daniel, did he say?" " Yes." "At the office." " At this hour of the night?" " It isn't serious, is it?" "He didn't say." " Yes, Daniel?" " Look at this, sir." "I've underlined the transactions that I felt required your attention." "This leaves us with thousands of shares unaccounted for." "Exactly, sir." "In the neighbourhood of £1 million." "Someone's been using the money to squeeze Mr Elliott out of his stock in the Wiluna West." " Do you know who it is?" " I'd rather not say until I've checked further." "I've had the impression for some time that someone's been dipping a hand into the till, so I decided to burn the midnight oil until I was quite sure." "If you hadn't, he might have gone on bleeding us dry for years." "Cleverly done, I'll say that." "In a corporate structure like Preston's, it requires a knowledge of accounting procedure and a high executive position." " You haven't told anyone else, have you?" " Naturally not, sir." "Hello?" "Hello, Charles." "Just wondered if I could be of help." "I didn't suppose that Daniel dragged you there to interview a new charwoman - unless she was jolly attractive." "A cable from our engineer at Broken Hill." "Full report." "Has to know by tomorrow if he's to go ahead." "Sounds promising." "Good." "I thought it might be serious." "I'll see you at the flat." "No need to tell anybody until we're sure of our facts." "And our man." "I agree, sir." "By the way, Daniel, Preston's won't be ungrateful." "Thank you, sir." "I consider I have more to offer in some more responsible capacity." "Tony?" "Sorry." "I didn't mean my insomnia to be contagious." " Is something wrong?" " Just a few wheels that won't stop spinning." "Is it something Daniel told you?" "That's one of the smaller wheels." "No reason for you to worry." "Off to bed." "I'll join you in a minute." "All right." "Tony!" "Tony!" "The window." "I saw someone." "There's no one there, Kit." "Come and see for yourself." "But I could have sworn..." "Perhaps your scream scared them off." "Anyway, no reason why the inspector shouldn't have insomnia too." " No, Tony." "No." " Why not?" "I don't know." "I don't know." "Maybe it was just my nerves." "I've been so on edge lately." "Maybe it was just a shadow that I saw and jumped." "It's gone and there's no need to bother the inspector." "Poor darling." " Tony..." " Yes?" " You do believe me, don't you?" " About what?" "The phone calls." "Course I believe you, darling." "Why shouldn't I?" "No reason, darling." "No reason at all." "Mrs Corman, please." "One moment please." "It's Mrs Preston, madam." "Tell her I'll call her back as soon as I surface." "Yes, madam." "Mrs Corman will call you back directly." "Thank you." "Bea?" "Why are you doing this to me?" "Why should you want to kill me?" "No." "No, I'm not alone." "My maid is here." "Hello?" "Hello?" "Mrs Preston?" "Aunt Bea!" "Help me, help me!" "He's..." "Help me!" "Help me, please!" "Help me!" "Help me!" "Hurry!" "Hurry." "Hurry, please." "He's in there!" "He must have gotten away." "Tommy!" "Cover the back." "Stop anyone you see." "Right, guv'nor." " I'll check the other floors." " Oh!" " If you don't mind, young man." " I'm terribly sorry." "No go, guv'nor." "Not a soul." "'Ere." " All clear back there." " Who are we looking for?" "It's all right, boys." "Back to work." "Mrs Preston, tell me exactly how your visitor got into the flat." " I let him in." " You let him in?" "I mean, I didn't let him in." "I was running out of the flat." "You were running out of the flat?" "Yes." "There'd been another phone call and he asked if I was alone." "I thought he might be coming here." "I was very frightened and I ran and then when I opened the door... there he was." "I see." "What makes you certain he was the man who's been phoning you?" " He called me by name." " Your name's on the letter box." " But I know it was the man." " Did you recognise his voice?" "No." "But you said he would have disguised his voice on the phone." "So I did." "Tell me, Mrs Preston, did you try to close the door on him?" "No." "I went to answer the telephone." "Here's a man who wanted to kill you and you answered the telephone?" "Yes." "But you were running because of the phone." "Yes, I was but..." "I suddenly realised that if he was here in the hall, how could he be on the phone?" "And I was expecting a call from my aunt and I thought that she could help." "That makes sense to me, Inspector." "The logic isn't over my head either, Mr Preston." "Mrs Corman." "Do you recollect exactly what your niece said to you?" "Yes." "She said, "Aunt Bea, help me, help me."" "What did you assume she meant?" "That she needed help, Inspector." "Then will you explain why the phone call I received was from Mr Preston?" "Well, I was confused." "I thought Mr Preston would know what to do." "You didn't think your niece was in any immediate danger?" "That the man might threaten her life?" "It was all so quick." "She didn't mention the man." "I thought she was..." "She was what?" "In some kind of trouble, naturally." "I called Mr Preston, then I rushed here myself to see what I could do." "May I submit that it might have been wiser to call the Yard?" "Just a suggestion, in case you run into another emergency while you're visiting." "Mr Younger." "How long did it take you from the time you heard Mrs Preston call until you set foot in the flat?" "Oh, I'd say 15, 20 seconds." " You saw no sign of this man?" " No." "Then you immediately called down to your men to check the entrances?" "It depends on what you mean by immediately." "I made sure the intruder wasn't in the flat." " Say, ten seconds?" " Near enough." " And they saw no sign of him either?" " That's right." "About 35 seconds to negotiate four storeys and vanish into thin air." "I didn't have a stopwatch but it does seem to me he'd be in a hurry." "He must have been fleet of foot." "Why don't you say what you're thinking?" " What would that be?" " You don't believe me, do you?" "You think I made him up." "You think I made everything up." "The man in the square, the phone calls." "From the start you haven't believed me." "Now, Kit..." "We've delayed the rebuilding of London long enough." "You may go." "Everything will be all right, darling." "I can't deny that the thought had occurred to me, Mrs Preston, but we have to explore every avenue, then seal them off until there's only one left - the right avenue." "I'm sorry, Inspector." "I shouldn't have said what I said." "We'll continue to do everything we can." "Good afternoon." "Please don't trouble." "Tony, I can't stay here any longer." "I can't..." "I can't." "You don't have to." "We'll go to Venice as planned." "Away from telephones." "That's the first bright idea I've heard today." " But, Tony, you said..." " That's right." " How can you?" "What about...?" " Preston's?" "Let it come tumbling down." "Oh, Tony." " It's stopped raining." " Good." " I hope you have a wonderful trip." " We shall." " Thank you." " You will have it there before five?" "I'll see that your husband's initials are engraved." "Taxi!" "Taxi!" "Oh." "I'm sorry..." "No, you first." "Thank you." " You're an American, aren't you?" " Yes." "Good." "I like Americans, they're so..." "I don't really know why, I just do." "Pardon me?" "Could you tell a helpless American how to get to Grosvenor Square?" "I'm going right by there." "We shall have to change at Hyde Park Corner." " You just hang on to my coat-tails." " Thank you." "That's us." "Take your battle stations." " Call a hospital." " She was standing right next to me." " Let me help you up." " You all right, miss?" " Excuse me." " I'm all right, thank you." " You ought to have a doctor look at you." " No, thank you." "I'm all right." "Oh, Peggy." "Kit." "I saw the whole thing." " What's going on here?" " Wasn't my fault." "One second she wasn't there, then she was practically under my wheels." " Are you hurt, miss?" " No." "It wasn't anyone's fault." "It was an accident." "I slipped and I fell." "Taxi!" "You do want to be more careful with our weather." "All right." "Move along." "I'd just come out of Carroll's when I saw you." "I thought we might have tea." "I called." "Then I saw you fall and the bus coming toward you." "I thought you were done for." " Peggy..." " Yes?" " I didn't fall." " What?" " Someone pushed me." " Kit, are you sure?" "I felt his hand on my back." "It was the man who's been telephoning." " Did you see him?" " No, but I know he was there." "From the moment I left that luggage shop..." "I could feel his eyes on me." "Why didn't you tell the police?" "They don't believe me." "Not after all that's happened." "You've got to call Tony the moment we get home." "He won't believe me either." " There." " Thank you." " Peggy..." " Yes?" "What would your husband do if all of this were happening to you?" "Roy?" "Take me away somewhere, I suppose, until the man was found." "Just as Tony's taking you away to Venice." "Tony's taking me to Venice because..." "because he thinks..." "Oh, Peggy." "I know the man is real." "I've seen him." "Oh, I wish he'd call right now, so that you could hear it for yourself." "And tell Tony, you mean?" "It must be awful for you." "Peggy..." " Can't we say it happened that way?" " What way?" "That you were here, that you heard him on the phone." " Kit!" " Then Tony would have to believe me." "It isn't that I don't want to help, but it does seem to be going a bit far." "But it could have happened that way." "You were downstairs the first time he called but you could have been here." "Having tea." "Please, Peggy." "Won't you help me?" "Please." "Well, if that's what you want." "You'd better brief me." "What exactly does he say?" "Just filth, then he says that he's going to kill me before the month is out." "Pleasant little gorilla." "Kit?" " Did you expect him early?" " No." "Kit?" " Yes, Tony." " Sit still." "I'll go." "Peggy." "You won't let me down?" " Hello, Peggy." " Hello." " You been here long?" " An hour." "I always forget about that chain." "Any news of your husband's leave?" "I haven't heard from Roy for a couple of weeks." "I expect he's at sea." "Doesn't he think it's dangerous leaving an attractive girl for months on end?" " Tell Roy that when you meet him." " I might do that." " How's Kit?" " Well, frankly, Tony..." "Hello, darling." "Everything all right?" "Tony, he called again." " What?" " Peggy was here when it happened." " Is that right?" " Kit passed me the receiver." "She heard everything he said." "Every word." "When did he ring?" " Half an hour ago." "Wasn't it, Peggy?" " Yes." "About that." "I've been trying to reach you all day." "The phone's out of order." "It's still dead." "It's very silly, Peggy." " I only wanted to help." " Wasn't that rather overdoing it?" "I'm sorry, Peggy." "I had no right to drag you into this." "Sorry, you two." "Kit?" "I do think you ought to tell Tony about the bus." "What about the bus?" "It wasn't important." "Peggy seemed to think it was." "I fell in front of a bus, just as it was stopping." "You fell?" "Were you running?" " No." " How did you fall?" "Someone pushed me." "The man who was here pushed me." "Tony, you've got to believe me." "I'm not lying this time." "You're making it very difficult." "I don't know why I did that before with Peggy." "I just thought you wouldn't believe me about the man and the bus and..." "Of course I would have believed you, darling." "But did you actually see him there?" "The truth now." "No, but I know he was there." "I could feel it." "Don't, Tony!" "Let me." "Let me." "This is Mrs Preston." "Yes?" "Yes." "Yes, I heard you." "Well?" "It was the exchange telling us the line was clear." "Don't, Kit." " Oh, it's you, Bea." " It usually is when I've been invited." "Tea at 3:30, Kit said." "Come inside, Bea." "You're being mysterious." "What's happened?" "Kit had a run-in with a bus." " She isn't...?" " No, nothing like that." "No." "Not now, Bea." "We've got to have a talk." "I think I could use something stronger than tea." "How did it happen?" "Kit said she was pushed by the man who's been phoning." " She saw him again?" " No, not exactly." "What does that mean?" "This time she only had the feeling he was there." "Bea, I don't know any more." "I don't know if I'm married to a woman or a girl." "I don't know what to think." "I'm beginning to wonder whether any of it happened." "Of course it has." "It happened just as she said." "That's very loyal of you, but perhaps it would be better to face the facts." "The facts are that Kit is being tormented by a sadistic fiend." "Surely you believe that?" "I'm trying to." "She's my wife." "I'm sorry, Tony." "I know you've done everything you can." "Just now, Kit got a neighbour of ours to lie for her, to pretend she heard the man on the phone." "Oh, no?" "Yes." "And that bus thing gave me a jolt." "Heaven knows what threw her in front of it." "We've got to act before Kit does herself an injury." " She'd never..." " She might not be aware of doing it." "Bea, it's a chance." "You take it, pretend you're Kit." "If it's our friend, at least we'll know." "Hello?" "Yes." "This is Mrs Preston." "Yes." "I'm listening." "Well?" "Bea?" "It was him, wasn't it?" " You heard him, didn't you?" " Yes." "What did he say?" "Kit, go back and rest." "Why won't you tell me?" "Don't you know what I've been going through?" "Please stop treating me like a child." "Bea, what did he say?" "Kit, it's going to be all right." "We're going to help you." "Bea, what did he say?" "What did he say?" "He said, "What time shall I ring you, Mrs Preston?" "You haven't called me."" "Oh..." "Oh." "He's lying." "He knows my voice." "Don't you see?" "He knows my voice." "He's lying." "Oh, God..." "Tony, help me!" "Tony..." "Aunt Bea..." "Stop this, Kit." "Kit, stop this." "Lights, Nurse." "Mrs Preston, keep your head still, follow my finger with your eyes." "Don't move your head." "Just your eyes." "Thank you." " Now the X-rays, nurse." " Yes, Doctor." "This way, Mrs Preston." "Mrs Preston?" "So far I'd say she was in good physical health." "That's good news anyway." "As to the other - the phone calls, hiring a man to make them, the feeling of persecution - that doesn't show up in a blood count or on a photographic plate." "She may be the victim of disassociation of personality." "Living two lives without knowing it." "Probably the wisest course would be a talk with the psychiatrist." "You think...?" "He might be able to uncover some forgotten experience, some pattern of childhood behaviour, perhaps." "I could give you the names of some very good men." "It's up to you of course, Mr Preston." "Give it some thought." "Excuse me." "Oh, Doctor?" "Yes?" "We'd planned to go abroad tomorrow." "I suppose that's out of the question." "A change might do her good." "Relax the tension." "Make the psychiatrist's job easier." "I mean, if that's what you decide on." "Excuse me." "Well, Bea?" "Maybe Venice is the answer, Tony." "To clear the cobwebs away." "And if it isn't the answer?" "We'll do what's best for Kit, naturally." " Darling?" " Yes?" " Any luck with Bea yet?" " Just paging her." "Thank you." "For Venice, I mean." "Hope you're going to pack that." " Hello, love." "Gonna have the usual?" " Yes, thank you." "And a sandwich." " Lamb be all right?" " That'll be fine." " Bea will be here in half an hour." " Good." "Need any help?" "Just like a man - when I'm practically finished." "What's the matter?" "I shouldn't leave you alone at all tonight." "Oh, darling, I thought we'd settled all that." " Stop worrying." " I can call off the board meeting." "If it's a special meeting it must be important." "Darling, Aunt Bea will be with me." "Maybe she'll bring one of her elephant guns." " I'll be fine, really I will." " I'll make it as quick as I can." "I'll go and mix one for the road, wait for Aunt Bea to arrive." " Odd looking chap, isn't he, ducks?" " Yes." "The war, I suppose." "I don't blame the poor soul for how he looks but a thing like that has been known to unsettle a man's mind." " What are you getting at, Dora?" " He's been hanging around for days." "He's quiet enough and pays when you serve him, but take last night when Tim and I closed up." "I turned the lights off and I spotted him in the dark of a doorway, just standing there like he was waiting for someone with no good in his mind." "Fair gave me the creeps." "Go on." "That's it." "What do you suppose he's up to?" "A woman isn't safe on the streets any more, not with all you read in the papers." "Eat your supper, love." "Tony, pick up the phone." "Tony, quickly." "You've got to know I wasn't lying." "Yes." "Yes, I'm still here." "Sorry if I caused you embarrassment he last time I phoned, but I knew that wasn't your voice." "What else could I do?" "Are you there, Mrs Preston?" "You won't be going to Venice." "We have an appointment, remember?" "Oh, darling." "What can I say?" "Can you ever forgive me?" "That isn't important now." "You won't be safe until he's locked away." "How did he know about Venice?" "He seems to know about everything." "Do you think he knows about the meeting?" "Probably." "It was no secret." "Maybe that's what he meant about the appointment." "He could be waiting for you to leave." "Darling, I won't leave you now." " What are we going to do?" " I don't know." "The first thing is to ring the inspector." "Inspector Byrnes, please." "Inspector?" "Anthony Preston." "Yes." "About our friend." "He's just called again." "No, not quite the same, Inspector." "This time I heard him, too." "I think he intends to make his move tonight." "It's a good thing he didn't ring later - I'd have been on my way to a meeting." "Yes, I think he did know." "Yes." "I'm listening." "It's an idea, but I don't know." "Not unless she agrees." "I don't have the right to ask." "It's a lot to expect." "Yes, I suppose so." "What does he want me to do?" "Can you stay here by yourself for a minute or two?" "But why, Tony?" "I don't understand." "He wants the man to see me go - leave the building, get into the car and drive away." "Oh, no, Tony." "No." "I'll drive round the corner, park and come up the rear entrance." " I'll be back before you know it." " Don't ask me to do it, Tony." "The inspector will have the police downstairs." "He won't have a chance." "It's the only way." "All right." "All right." "All right, Inspector." "How long will you be?" "I'll leave here in exactly two minutes." "Freshen my drink, darling." "I'll be right back." " You'd better take this." " That's my girl." "Bolt this after me." "I'll be right back." "Kit, open up!" "Oh." "Answer it." "If it's our friend, let him know you're alone." "Go on, answer it." "Hello." "Yes, I'm listening." "He saw you leave and then he laughed." " What else did he say?" " The same..." "The same." "The terrace." "He could come from the building next door." "Put out the lights." "I've come to keep our appointment, Mrs Preston." "Everyone will understand." "It's all been too much for you." "Tony?" "Your mind couldn't take it any more." "You threw yourself over the terrace..." "with a little help from me." "Tony?" "It won't do you any good to scream, Mrs Preston." "You're a known hysteric." "You screamed and I tried to pull you back but you twisted out of my grasp and you fell." "And then it was all over, Mrs Preston." "Oh, Tony." "Oh, thank God." "We all meet death somewhere along the way." "So that's how he did it." "Recordings for all occasions." "Tony, it's the same man - the one who was here." "Timed his visit badly, I must say." "The police..." "Why aren't they here?" "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Kit." "But they should have been here by now." "I'm afraid they won't be here at all." "Why not?" "I didn't phone them." "You talked to the inspector." "That wasn't the inspector." "It was a girl who gave me the correct time." "In ten second intervals." "Come to think of it, I will be phoning him in a few minutes to report an accident." "Unfortunately, in trying to defend yourself out on the terrace, you fell to the street below." "Tony, what...?" "I was upstairs dressing." "I ran down when I heard the commotion." "In the scuffle, he accidentally shot himself with his own gun." "It's even better than my original plan." "What have I done?" "Why, Tony?" "Why?" "Money." "I had to find a way to put a million pounds back into my company." "And that's all you ever...?" "Sorry, Kit." "There have been times in the last three months when I've regretted the inevitability of this moment." "Peggy..." "Help me, Peggy." "Help me." "It's no use, Kit." "Peggy's my witness." "Who pushed you in front of the bus and played the recorder into the phone when I was here?" "We had an unexpected visitor." "Don't worry, darling." "It only helps our plan." "Roy!" "He couldn't have known a thing about us." "I've been writing to him, sending him gifts." "He couldn't have known." "Yet he knew." "Tony!" "Get her, Tony." "Get her." "Keep that light on her." "Tony?" "Call the ambulance." "You're all right, Mrs Preston." "You're all right." "Now easy..." "Let go of the girder." "Let go of the girder now." "It'll be all right." "Easy." "Don't look down." "Easy, easy." "Easy now, Mrs Preston." "Just a little bit more now." "One step..." "No, don't look down." "A little bit more." "Oh!" "Easy." "There we go." "Don't look down." "Just a little bit more now." "A bit more." "Rest a moment, Mrs Preston." "You'll be all right." "Just catch your breath." "There were too many letters, Peg." "Too many packages." "I knew there was something wrong." "I had to find out." "I followed you both for days." "I meant to kill you." "I wouldn't talk now." "The ambulance is coming." "Kit." "Here, darling." "Inspector?" "It's mere curiosity but would you tell me what brought you here tonight?" "You phoned me yourself, Mr Preston." "We tapped your line." "Just to make sure, you know." "Your last call was most informative." "We also got the correct time." "The world always underestimates the British." "How could I have made the same mistake?"