"So, what did she say?" "'For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?" "'" "I had to reply, 'A new church organ, Mrs M, that's the whole point.'" "I mean, it's bingo in the church hall." " Mm." " Not exactly money lending in the temple." " Morning, Mrs Browne." " Good morning." "I shouldn't be surprised, really." "She once told me she doesn't hold for tombolas." "They're Satan's work, apparently." "We should hurry." " If you'd like tea." " Actually, I have something for you." "Oh!" "Hey!" "Come on!" " Morning, Mr Finch." " Morning, Miss Parker." "It's just a little thank you for being so kind recently." " You didn't have to do that." " Oh, it's nothing." "Hilary Franklin." "I have a parcel to collect." "The one all the way from America?" "We don't get many of those." "Will you be taking Bible studies this week, Mr Finch?" "I do hope so." "You always say such clever things." "Please be gentle." "Miss Parker has a weak heart." "Please." "Leonard!" "Hello." "You're getting so big." "So..." "Eh?" "I leave her alone for five seconds and she's got a man fawning over her already!" "Must get it from her mother." "Well, it's better that than my taste for Martinis." "How are you?" "I got a job." "At the Fitzwilliam." "That's wonderful." " It's just a few mornings a week, but..." " That's wonderful." "You're dripping all over my clean floor!" "Bath!" "Come on, then!" "Ooh!" "Could you bear to have her Friday?" "I'll have her any time you like." "Thank you so much, Sylvia." "Come on, then." "The path to righteousness is never easy." "The vicarage." " What is it?" " Is he all right?" "What's happened?" "So you didn't manage to get a look at his face?" "The..." "The mask." "You see?" " He had dark eyes." " Dark, because of the mask?" "Possibly." "How tall was he?" "My height?" "Geordie's height?" " Geordie's height." " Your height." "Or somewhere... there... abouts." "Nine millimetre." "A Browning, maybe?" "It was bigger than that." "The gun was bigger than nine millimetres." "I know that much." "Dad." "Excuse me." "Has somebody checked her heart?" " She has a weak heart." " I'm fine, honestly." " You're sure?" " Mr Finch stood up for her." " He did." " He stood up for me." " It was nothing, really." "Doesn't sound like nothing." "He was a bit of a hero." " He was an absolute hero." " Gary Cooper, step aside." "You know, they say, in moments of peril, your life flashes before your eyes." "Well, I didn't see anything at all." "Apart from the back of your jacket." "All I saw was an overdue library book at my bedside table." "A penny a day." "Imagine the fine." "So, as I was saying, the GPO van came over first thing this morning." "They go from post office to post office." "Pension day, you see." " So the till would be at its fullest?" " 20 pounds, yes." "20 pounds?" "!" " That much?" " I'm sorry, Dad." "I'm..." "I'm so sorry." "Oh, no, no." "No need to get excited, my dear." "Well, if you could put us in contact with the GPO, Mr Parker, that would help a great deal." "Certainly." "Ready?" "That's what he was wearing!" "With the... insignia and everything." "That's what he was wearing." "Walter Dunn." "He's got previous for aggravated assault and armed robbery." "_" "Be careful." "This bastard's spent more time inside than he has out." "He's extremely dangerous." "And we know he's armed." "If he fights back, you wait for my command before you fire." " Do you understand?" " Yes, guv." "Let me speak to him." " I'll go." " I don't think so." "You're staying here." "Let's move." "Your boss." "Where is he?" "He's up there." "Police!" "On your feet!" "On your feet." "On your feet, Walter!" "Jesus Christ, what the hell were you thinking?" "His hand moved." "I thought he was trying to reach for the gun." "His hand moved!" "He's dead." "He was already dead." "What's that?" "Is that a button?" "So, there's some sort of struggle." "He's shot point-blank." "He falls back." "Someone turned the chair." "It's funny, isn't it?" "We just go through life." "We just assume we'll get up tomorrow, that we'll go about our business." "But we could be gone." "That's the truth of it." "All those plans." "All those dreams." "Have you ever been?" "I've never been anywhere." "So I've got that interview coming up, the sergeant's job." "And you're telling me this now, because...?" "I could do with someone putting in a good word." "That someone being me?" "Well..." "I hoped." " Maybe." " After you nearly blew my head off?" "Paperwork!" "That's the only word you'll be hearing for the foreseeable." "And every bullet has to be accounted for." "Got yesterday's date." "That and the state of the body..." "He'd been dead a good 12 hours before the robbery took place." "So who's the chump in the gas mask?" "Well, my guess, it's the fella who shot Walter with his own gun." "So, we're agreed?" "I do as the solicitor suggested?" "Book a guest house?" "Tip off a private detective?" "Pretend to have the energy for an affair?" "Mm." "Has Sidney volunteered his services?" "To be the other man?" "We're friends." "It wasn't always the truth, but it is now." "I..." "I want you to see Grace, I do." "As much as you like." " Are we wrong?" "To give it all up?" " Guy..." " Marriages go through worse, don't they?" "So much worse." "Guy..." "For her sake, please, just let's be civil." "I'll book the guest house." "I'll do it." "You shouldn't have to go through that." "What time did you two get in?" " Nine." " About nine." "So, you've been here for three hours and you haven't been up to his office?" "No." "Three hours?" "And you didn't once check on him?" "Mr Dunn doesn't like to be disturbed of a morning." "He likes a drink, you see." "The morning after a night before, he isn't the cheeriest of fellows." "It'll be Alice." "It'll be his wife telling him his dinner's on the table." "..and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." "Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and..." "Alice!" "It's about Walter." "He's dead, isn't he?" "Oh, God!" "Is God punishing me?" "Why would he punish you?" "This is my punishment, isn't it?" "Sssh." "It's OK." "Rest your eyes." "Why would she say that?" "Why would she think that she's being punished?" "Maybe Walter found out pretty boy Frank is screwing his missus." "There's a scuffle." "If he was all over my wife like that, I'd have something to say about it." "Is it still going on?" "You and Margaret?" "You were going to end it." " I tried." " Oh, well, that's all right then!" "We made a pact." "Oh, Jesus Christ, this isn't bloody school." "I don't feel good about it, Sidney." "I don't feel good about any of it." "Er, Frank Camber, the mechanic at Dunn's garage." " Any background yet?" " Nope." "But this might interest you." "Well, I doubt it, Phil, but let's give it a go." "The breakdown from the GPO." "The money Parker put in the till this morning." "Five one pound notes, three bags of pennies, two of threepenny bits and three bags of shillings, so that's..." "Ten pounds." "Plus a bag of half crowns." "That's 2s/6d times ten..." " Plus the pennies." " Plus the pennies." "It's ten pounds." "It's ten pounds." "Ten less than he told us." "Sweating like a strumpet on Sunday." "I give it ten minutes before he falls apart." "Make that five." "Regarding the post office robbery," "I believe I told you that 20 pounds was taken." "I apologise." "It was a mistake." "It was, er, it was only ten pounds." " That's quite a mistake." " Isn't it?" "Well, erm, my daughter is, er... very unwell and my..." "my wife died some years ago." "Did you rob your own post office, Mr Parker?" "I..." "I am utterly... outraged that... that..." "that you would suggest..." " Yes or no?" " No!" " Were you trying to fiddle the insurance?" " That is outrageous!" "Did you kill Walter Dunn?" "What?" "Did you kill him, take his gun and use it to rob your own post office?" "No!" "No." "All right, I saw a way to make some money by lying about the amount." "I did it for the insurance." "I confess, I confess it all, but I..." "I would never rob anyone." "I would never hurt anyone." "I'm an honourable citizen, a good man." "I believe him." "Do you believe him?" "I believe him." "Everything but the 'honourable citizen' bit." "Well, your boss, in his infinite wisdom, is reluctant to press charges." "You're free to go, Mr Parker." "Did you see that?" "She just said something." " I think that was a hiccup." " No." "Did you try to say 'duck'?" "Did you try to say 'duck'?" "Our daughter is a genius!" "She gets that from me." "Oh, sorry." "It's the shock." "It does funny things to you." "Er..." "I hope it was worth all the trouble." "The American version had such lovely illustrations." "Oh, my." "It's got your favourite in." " Thank you." " Oh..." "Everyone in the village is talking about you, saying how brave you were." "Mr Chapman asked if we might be stepping out to the bingo together." "I do... ..think of you, Leonard." "Do you ever think of me?" "Oh." "Er, don't mind me." "As you were." "Sorry, do you mind if I..." "No, no." "I wasn't going to tell you." "There wasn't really anyone else to tell and..." "I don't want you to think I'm asking anything of you." "Margaret..." "I thought I might be pregnant." "I'm not, but... ..there were a few days I thought I might be." "I know you don't like to think about it." "The future and everything." "I don't either, but... one day we might have to." "Robbery in progress." "Ellsworth Post Office." "Oh, shit." " Mr Parker's on the phone." " How many units on the road?" "Four, but the closest is nine miles away." "They're not gonna get there." " Yeah, Mr Parker?" " Inspector?" " Can you see what's happening?" "No." "I'm in the back room." "But they've got a gun!" " How many of them are there?" " Two." " There's two?" "Can you describe them to me?" "They're wearing masks." "Gas masks!" "They're coming in!" "Oh, my God, they're coming in!" " Mr Parker?" " Stay away!" "Stay away!" "Aaah!" "Mr Parker?" "Mr Parker?" "Now, now, no tears." "Now don't go getting over-excited." " She's got a weak heart." " They know, Dad." "How much did they get?" "Oh, nothing." "Well..." "A few shillings." "I put most of it in the safe out the back." " And there were two of them?" "You're sure?" " Yeah." "In all their clobber." "Gave me quite a fright, I can tell you." "If they didn't get what they wanted..." "They're going to do it again." "I heard one of their voices." "She screamed when the other one shot me." "Right." "We're looking for two suspects." "A man and a woman." "We've got our very own Bonnie and Clyde." "How about that?" "Why would one person do the first robbery and two the second?" "What does any of it have to do with Walter Dunn?" "Frank Camber." "He did 12 months in Feltham Borstal during the war." "Seems while everyone else was running for the shelters, little Frank was using the blackout to knock off their homes." "Perhaps it's him and Alice." "Perhaps they're in on it together." "Paperwork, Phil." "Alice." "Alice!" "Martha's here." "I'm so sorry, Alice." "If there's anything I can do?" "That's not mine." "Alice Dunn, Frank Camber, I'm arresting you on suspicion of murder and armed robbery." "Frank!" "There's nowhere to run, Frank." "Where were you the night Walter was murdered?" "Church." "Where were you Thursday morning, ten o'clock?" " Church." " Last night?" "Church, too?" "Father Conlan says he hasn't seen you in weeks." "What's the nature of your relationship with Frank Camber?" "We're friends." "You see, I'm of the opinion that when a man is close with a woman... it's always more than friends." " I take care of her." " Why?" "She's nice to me." "She's kind." "And Walter?" "Was he kind?" "Did your husband ever hurt you?" "Perhaps, this time, you couldn't take it any more." " Did she kill him, Frank?" " No." "Perhaps Alice killed him and you needed to get her away." "I was at the dentist the night he died." "She was at the church." "You've got the receipt." "I've never seen it before." "I don't know how it got there." "A button is missing." "Like there's been some kind of struggle." "I've never seen it before." "Robbing houses while heroes fought?" "I was a kid." "I don't do that any more." "A few robberies?" "Get enough cash for the pair of you to make an escape?" "You'd do anything for that woman." "I work hard." "I keep my head down." "You'd do anything." " Wouldn't you?" " I can't go back inside." "Don't make me go back there." "A pretty boy like him?" "A fair bet he had a time of it in Borstal." "So why would he risk his freedom?" "If Alice killed Walter, why did she say his death was a punishment?" " Punishment for what?" " Sidney..." "Too many questions?" "Too many questions." "Just let them stew in the cells for a bit." "We'll get a confession out of them." "Don't fancy a pint, do you?" "Thanks." "Maybe another time." "Sidney..." "I don't have what you have." "God and..." "I don't have your strength." "We'd just walked in, hadn't we?" "Said good morning to Miss Parker." "'Good morning, lovely day', I said." "Well, maybe not 'lovely day'." "I might be embellishing just a little." "And then she went back behind the counter... and there he was." "There he was." "Like a wraith from the Tolkien novel." "You draw numbers." "Somebody wins." "That's gambling in my book." "It's a bit of fun, Sylvia." "Nothing fun is without sin." "I know." "Isn't it marvellous?" "Fantastic turn-out, Leonard." "Mrs Maguire!" "I've saved you a seat." "Quite a girl, Leonard." "I'd say she's a keeper." "Best watch out." "He'll be walking down the aisle before you do." "Whoo." "Whoo." "Ahem." "Excuse me!" "Excuse me!" "Er, hello." "Erm..." "I..." "I shall be your caller tonight." "Well..." "All right, then." "You're all aware of the rules, I hope?" "So, we shall play ten games, the last of which could win you a lovely Madeira cake." "So, eyes down for the first number." "Mrs M's age." "21!" "Never thought of myself having kids." "Just something that never crossed my mind." "You'll make a great mum one day." "It would be wonderful if you could stay the whole night." "Just one time." "I think Leonard might have found his calling." "We all thought it was writing impenetrable sermons." "How was Guy?" "I saw that he was here." "Do you know, he was... fine." "Pleasant, even." "We were discussing the legal plans." "You don't have to tell me." "I know." "As a friend... it's really none of my business." "I should get Grace home." "You could go back to him, you know." "It'd be easy enough." "To slip back into his life." "Back into his bed." "It's not like a friend can offer the same... comfort a husband does." "I don't like this any more than you do." "But we are where we are." "Seven pounds and six shillings." "It's hardly enough to buy half a pipe but it's a start." "What are you doing?" "I was thinking of joining you for a drink." "With Hilary." "What are you doing?" "She's a parishioner." "A friend." "Friends don't buy each other love poems." "Do you like her?" " Well, I..." " It's a simple enough question, Leonard." "She obviously likes you." "Do you like her in the same way you liked Daniel Marlowe?" "You're lying to yourself, Leonard." "You can be such a bastard sometimes." "I'm sorry that you're not very happy at the moment." "But that's not my fault." "A whisky, please." "How was the bingo?" "Thrilling." "Margaret thought she was pregnant." "She isn't, but..." "Bloody hell, Geordie." "The more I think about it... if it had happened, if she had been..." "In another life, maybe." "How is this all gonna end?" "All I know is, when I'm with her, it all goes away." "All the guilt." "Just for a moment." "Then I go home, I see Cathy and the kids." "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned." " That's the Catholics." " I know it's the Catholics." "At least you're living." "At least you're doing that much." "Having God doesn't make it easier." "If anything, it makes it worse." "Trust you to feel guilty." "You haven't even done anything." "I sometimes wonder if it would be easier being a Catholic." "You commit a sin, say a few Hail Marys." "Make it all... go away." "Why was Alice Dunn praying when we got there?" " She killed him." " What if she didn't?" "What if she's feeling guilty about something else?" "Five pounds to have a tooth extracted?" "That seem like an awful lot to you?" "A dentist in Northampton?" "Seems a long way to go, Frank." "Unless they provide other procedures." "Ones they don't advertise." "Sometimes we do things we're not proud of." "Sometimes we feel that we've let God down." "The guilt gets too much." "I couldn't keep it." " Alice?" " No." "Just let me say it." "Walter wanted a boy." "And we tried for such a long time." "But when it happened..." "You didn't want to have a baby with him." "Not how he was." "Not with the drinking and..." "You had an abortion." "And you went with her." "She was gonna hurt herself otherwise." "Do you know the worst of it... ..is that I don't even regret it." "God will forgive me, won't he?" "You both have an alibi for the night of the murder." "If this isn't yours, whose is it?" "You understand that they're still out there and they don't care who they hurt?" "I don't know for sure." "You have an idea, though." "I know I do." "Who?" "She was the only one with him that night." "It must have crossed your mind." "His secretary." "Martha Bennett." "He took a fancy to her from the start." "Please." "Don't..." "Don't be silly." "He made her life such a misery and..." "I stood by... because he stopped hurting me." "Oh, that poor girl." "So which post office carries the most cash?" " Well, it varies." " It's dependent." " On what?" " All sorts of factors." " Which one's been topped up..." " Which ones are being topped up today?" "The van starts at Milton and then works its way down to Fulbourn." "I want an armed guard on every post office." " Martha Bennett?" " Hasn't been seen since the wake yesterday." "The landlady's never seen her with a fella." "Never talked about a boyfriend." "Does she have a brother?" "A male acquaintance?" "Come on, Phil, we need to find these people!" "We need to go back over everything." "Right from the start." " So you were where?" " About here, I'd say." " And Miss Parker is here, is she?" " Yes." "And that's when... he comes in." "That's it." "That's..." "That's..." "That's all there was to it, really." "We're missing something here." "Start again." "Start at when you came in." " At the bingo, you said Miss Parker came back behind the desk." " Yes." "So, where was she when you came in?" "She was over here." "And she was putting up an advertisement." "Which one?" "I..." "I don't know." "It's not here." "Geordie." "What?" "She put it up, then took it down again." "Why?" "What if it was a signal?" " It was a signal for Martha?" "Wendy Parker is in on it?" " She heard you talking about the armed guards." "They've got no chance of robbing the post offices." " If they want to do it again, where will they go?" " Where the money is." "One more time." "Then we'll have enough and we can go." "Martha?" "Just one more time." " Miss Parker." " Mr Turnbull." "Thank goodness!" "Let's have a look, shall we?" "No!" "Go, Martha." "Run!" "Wendy, love." "Martha!" "You are already in an awful lot of trouble." "Come on now." "Martha, stop!" "There's no point!" "It's over." "Come on." "Martha Bennett, I'm arresting you for armed robbery and for the murder of Walter Dunn." "You're not obliged to say anything..." "We met on a Sunday-school trip." "A day out to the Crystal Palace." "The whole world in one place." "We bought each other these." "We said we'd go there one day." "Drink champagne." "Wear lovely dresses." "Dance with handsome men." "That's not real life though, is it?" "It wasn't just once." "It was every day." "He was... touching me and..." "You know you want to." "I think about you..." "What are you gonna do with that, girl?" "Eh?" "What are you gonna do, eh?" "Huh?" "You killed." "I'm sorry." "I'm so sorry." "He deserved it." "He deserved what he got." "Wednesday night..." "Martha phones you." "She was crying so much she couldn't get the words out." "We have to go." "You terrorised people." "You set up an innocent woman, a grieving widow." "I made the plans." "I told her what to do." " You shot your own father." " You don't know what he's like." "It's rules." "And fear." "And 'don't get excited'." "I have no life." "We were gonna go to Paris." "Like we always said." "If you're alive, it's never too late." "As long as it's still beating, it's never too late." "Mrs Goodheart has invited us for tea." "You're quite the celebrity!" "Hilary, I do think about you." "Often, as it happens." "I'm so glad." "I once said that..." " contentment is..." " A gift hard won." "I remember." "I thought it was beautiful." "The thing is, maybe it shouldn't be... difficult." "To be content." "With you, I don't find it difficult." "We have a nice time, don't we?" "And... we never run out of things to say and..." "Sorry, I'm not making much sense." "No, no, you are." "You're making perfect sense." "I'd be very pleased... if you said yes." "Yes." "Happiness, not in another place, but this place." "Not for another hour, but this hour." "We waste so much of our life." "This gift that God has given us." "We worry about our futures." "We dwell on our pasts." "We have grand dreams." "We make great plans." "But how many of us can say we see them through?" "This is the life we are here for." "Not yesterday." "Not tomorrow." "Now." "This is the life we are here for." "We owe it to ourselves to live it."