"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen." "Those of you who have been sitting on the edge of your chairs since last time will be glad to know that tonight we shall definitely present the final chapter in our story" ""I Killed The Count"." "For those of you who have missed the earlier installments, or have lost your scorecards, I shall present a resume." "Within a few hours after Count Victor Mattoni was found dead in his London flat with a single bullet hole in his head, the detectives found themselves with three persons, each of whom confessed that he, and he alone, killed the Count." "They were Bernard Froy, an American," "Mullet, the lift man and Lord Sorrington, an important industrialist." "In each case, there is some corroborating evidence." "Mullet obligingly left his fingerprints on the Count's wallet," "Froy had written an incriminating letter, and Lord Sorrington's pistol was found on the scene." "There was also a fourth bit of evidence." "Skin and blood under the Count's fingernails indicated he had scratched his assailant, yet none of the three suspects bore any scratches." "Neither Froy, nor Lord Sorrington, nor..." "I don't know why I bother to explain all of this, for the brief three scenes which preface tonight's story will make everything quite clear." "The Count was murdered last night." "Yeah, I know." "Well, if you liked that commercial, you'll love our story." "Now, to review the bidding." "Within a few hours after Count Victor Mattoni was found dead in his London flat, with a single bullet hole in his head, the detectives found themselves with three persons, each of whom confessed that he, and he alone, killed the Count." "They were Bernard Froy, an American," "Mullet, the elevator man and a Lord Sorrington, an important industrialist." "In each case, there is some corroborating evidence." "Mullet obligingly left his fingerprints on the Count's wallet, and Froy had written an incriminating letter," "and Lord Sorrington's pistol was found on the scene." "There was also a fourth bit of evidence." "Skin and blood under the Count's fingernails indicated he had scratched his assailant," "yet none of the three suspects bore any scratches." "Neither Froy, nor Lord Sorrington," "nor..." "I don't know why I bother to explain all of this, for the brief three scenes which preface tonight's story will make everything quite clear." "The Count was murdered last night." "Yeah, I know." "I killed him." "Well." "Well, you're obviously going to find out the truth sooner or later, so I might as well admit it." "Admit what, sir?" "I killed him." "You killed whom?" "I killed Mattoni." "That's impo..." "Are you sure, I mean..." "Did you say you killed him?" "Yes, that's right." "I killed the Count." "Now you'd better tell me all you know about this murder and who you're shielding, and I want the truth." "Do you understand?" "The truth." "All right." "Oh, heavens, you'll never believe me now." "With my record, you'll never believe me." "I killed Mattoni." "I didn't mean to." "Honest, I didn't." "What?" "Now see here, Lummock." "Are you seriously contending that you killed Mattoni?" "Yes, sir." "That's right." "I killed the Count." "Oh, no." "No, no." "No, two's enough." "Every Tom, Dick and Harry who enters this flat telling me he killed the Count." "I don't have to stand for this sort of thing." "I won't have it." "Do you hear?" "I won't have it!" "Excuse me, sir." "Inspector, don't you think you ought to talk to Mullet now, sir?" "All right." "Let's have your version, Lummock." "And it had better be a good one, I'll tell you that." "Well, Inspector, I've been working steady and going straight ever since the war, but not long ago a pal of mine put me on a scheme for the dogs." "He said it couldn't lose, but it did." "Well, I needed money in a hurry." "So you see, sir, every night when I put the Count to bed..." "Now, just a minute." "How did you happen to be putting him to bed in the first place?" "Why, I happened to be here one night, sir." "He was blotto, so I helped him to bed." "He was so pleased that he asked me to come in every night and give him a hand." "I see." "Go on." "Well, he was usually wearing his smoking jacket, sir, with his coat tossed down somewhere in the bedroom and pretty near always" "I could see his wallet peeking out." "Well, one night, when the system had let me down," "I lifted a few quid." "Didn't matter." "He never noticed." "Stealing from a man who was paying you, eh?" "Oh, no, sir." "I was only borrowing it, sir." "No, I'd have put it back when my dog come in." "Yes." "Of course." "Hmm." "Well, go on." "Well, last week was the worst yet." "I had to have 20 quid by this morning or the bookie said he was coming round here to get it, and I knew what that would mean if the boss found out, so I got Martin to let me stay on the lift last night." "I waited till about 2:00." "That was later than usual." "But I wanted to make certain that he was asleep." "And it looked like he was, all right, stretched out on the sofa, dead to the world." "Well, Mullet." "No, bring my wallet with you." "Yes, sir." "I was only just going to borrow..." "Put your hands up." "Yes, sir." "I suppose you thought I was asleep." "You were going to rob me again, eh?" "Oh, no sir, really, I wasn't, sir." "It was just..." "Now, don't bother to lie." "You think I haven't missed the money you've been taking?" "You know, I'm not always so drunk I can't see." "It's just I got into trouble." "See, it's only temporary, sir." "I was going to pay it back, sir." "Now, just you stay there where you are." "What are you going to do, sir?" "I'm going to call the police, of course." "What do you think?" "Oh, no, sir." "Please, please don't do that, sir." "Give me a chance." "I got the wind up when I saw that blood." "I guess I panicked proper." "I couldn't think of nothing but getting out of there." "It was an accident." "You can see that." "I didn't even have a gun." "It was his pistol." "I didn't want to kill him." "I just didn't want him to telephone." "Yes, I see." "Let me see your hands." "Your neck." "Nothing, eh, sir?" "No, no, no." "Not a sign." "All right, that's all." "Inspector." "Yes?" "Here's Mullet's uniform coat, sir." "We found it in the corner of his locker." "Oh, yes." "Take charge of him." "Yes, sir." "Come on, Mullet." "That looks like blood." "That little tassel, Raines, where is it?" "Here, sir." "There, you see?" "Uh-huh." "That's where it came from." "Makes his story rather convincing, doesn't it?" "Yes, sir, those three confessions will certainly make an impressive exhibit when they're all typed up and signed." "Don't you think so, sir?" "Do you think they might put them in the museum at the Yard, sir?" "Raines, at this moment, I don't care if they put them in the museum or not." "I'm..." "I'm trying to think about this insane case, and I'd be grateful if you would do the same." "Yes, sir, I will." "Well, splendid." "Then suppose you give me your theories of all this." "Yes, sir." "I'd rather hear yours first, though." "Meaning, of course, you have none, is that it?" "Have you, sir?" "No." "But there's nothing supernatural about this, Raines." "It's happened, so something has caused it, and when we find the cause we'll have our solution." "Very penetrating, sir." "When do you think that will be, sir?" "How should I know?" "Maybe never." "Might be shrouded in mystery till the end of all time, sir." "Nonsense, Raines." "Don't be defeatist." "Oh, no, sir." "Have you decided what you want to do next, sir?" "Yes." "I want you to take them all down to the Yard, but arrange for separate transportation." "I don't want them to know about each other till they get there." "Oh, you're going to bring them together, sir?" "Yes, I'm curious about the reaction when each of these murderers discovers that the other two have confessed to his crime also." "Sounds promising, sir." "Might be very revealing." "Well, we'll hope so." "It's worth a try, at any rate." "I'm sure two of them must be lying." "Yes, sir." "You know, this is awfully good for your record, isn't it, sir?" "What?" "Well, you know, before you had 12 murders but you'd only caught 11 murderers." "Well, now you've caught three more murderers and only added one murder." "That leaves you two killers ahead, doesn't it, sir?" "Has the surgeon's report on Count Mattoni been sent up yet?" "Yes, sir." "I'll get it for you." "Oh, hello, Mr. Froy." "Would you step in here, please?" "This is my office." "If you'll wait here a few moments." "Mr. Froy, this is Mullet, night porter at Oxley Court." "Oh, hello, Mullet." "How do you do, sir?" "Yes." "If you'll both make yourselves comfortable, I'll be with you in a moment." "Would you like a light, sir?" "Oh, why, yes." "Thank you." "Did you knock him off, sir?" "No." "I thought that you drew the black ace." "Would you care for a cigarette?" "Oh, thank you, sir." "I don't mind if I do." "Yes." "I drew the black ace, but he was dead already when I got there, lying on the floor." "So I put him in the chair and left the clues for all of us as we'd planned, but I didn't do him in, sir." "Then Lord Sorrington must have done it." "Yes, but why?" "I suppose he thought saving your life didn't warrant your killing a man for him." "He did a lot more than save our lives." "And all of us there in Burma, sir." "Oh, killing a creep like the Count is nothing to what I'd do for him, sir." "Ah!" "Thank you very much, sir." "Don't mention it." "Will you step into my office a moment, please?" "Good afternoon, sir." "Oh, hello, Mullet." "My dear boy, what on earth are you doing here?" "I'm afraid they brought me in, sir." "I killed our Italian friend." "What?" "Yes, you see, I brought you three gentlemen together because I thought you might be interested to learn that each one of you has confessed to the murder of Count Mattoni." "Preposterous!" "What did they do that for?" "There must be a mix-up, Inspector." "I killed him, there's no doubt about it." "Excuse me, sir." "Could I see you outside a moment?" "Oh, later, Raines." "Not now." "I'm busy now." "It's very important." "I'm sure you'd like to know about it, sir." "Quite possibly, but not now." "Yes, sir." "But I really think I should insist." "All right." "Now, look here, you fellows." "It's ridiculous for us to argue about this." "Why don't we let the police worry about it?" "Certainly, why not?" "They're bound to pin it on me, with my record." "Nonsense." "Personally, I should be delighted to kill a blackguard like Mattoni any time." "So would I." "All right, now." "What is it?" "It's Miss Rogers, sir." "She has something very important to tell you, and I think you should hear it from her, sir." "What's the matter with you, Raines?" "Why can't you tell me?" "Well, I just think it would be better if she did, sir." "All right, where is she?" "She's in the waiting room." "She's not feeling very well..." "I say, have either of you been here before?" "No, sir, I haven't." "Not me." "Is..." "Is that part of Scotland Yard over there, do you suppose?" "I don't know." "Where, sir?" "That." "Over there." "I don't know." "Looks as if it might be, doesn't it?" "Dreary-looking dump, isn't it?" "Yes." "All right, come along." "Look here, sir." "I was supposed to do that job." "Why did you horn in?" "What?" "Why did you kill him?" "I was the one who drew the black ace." "But I didn't." "But you must have." "He was croaked when I got there, lying on the floor." "But..." "No, not I." "Are you sure you didn't, sir?" "Absolutely." "I never went near his flat last night." "I didn't either." "But..." "If none of us did it, who did?" "Why didn't you tell me she had fainted?" "She hadn't when I left, sir." "She was just feeling dizzy." "I think she'll come out of it in a moment, sir." "No, I can't stand here until she does." "Come on, Raines." "Don't you think you ought to wait a moment longer, sir?" "No, Raines, I do not." "It's up to you, sir." "Raines, you know what she wants to tell me, don't you?" "Yes, sir." "Well, then, out with it." "I'm getting sick of this." "Well, it's going to upset you, sir." "I suppose you're going to tell me now that she killed Count Mattoni." "Yes, sir." "Raines, if this is some of your alleged humor..." "No, sir." "It's perfectly true." "She says she's Lord Sorrington's daughter." "The Countess Mattoni." "Oh, does she?" "Yes, sir." "And it looks like she is." "She saw Sorrington being taken away from the flats, asked if it was in connection with the murder, then said that he had nothing to do with it, that she killed him." "Raines, you don't seriously believe..." "I don't know, sir." "She sounded very convincing." "Oh, don't they all?" "Inspector, she's feeling better now." "Ah." "You all right now?" "Oh, yes, thank you." "Good." "Now, Miss Rogers, am I to understand that our long and fruitless search for the murderer of Count Mattoni is at an end, and you are the one?" "Yes, Inspector." "Now, you're Lord Sorrington's daughter, Countess Mattoni?" "Yes." "Would you care to tell us about it?" "Though I must warn you that anything you say will be taken down in writing and may be used in evidence against you." "I know." "Well, I came up to London to talk to him, to try once more to persuade him." "When did you see him?" "Last night." "I went to his flat at about 10:30, but he wouldn't listen." "He just laughed at me." "I said I wanted to kill myself and he laughed at that too." "He gave me a pistol and said, "Go ahead. "" "Well?" "His face..." "I remember his laughing face." "And suddenly I said I'd kill him instead." "So I turned the pistol on him." "And you shot him." "No." "No, not like that." "I don't know whether I would have or not." "Maybe I would." "But he grabbed for the pistol before I could..." "It went off and he fell to the floor." "And then what happened?" "Well, that's all." "I dropped the pistol and hurried out, back to my room." "Miss..." "Countess Mattoni, you say you shot your husband last night, but we have no proof that your story is true." "As a matter of fact, we already have..." "But I am telling the truth." "I..." "Look, when we struggled for the pistol, what he did." "Raines." "I told you those scratches would lead us somewhere." "Remember what I said earlier?" "Always be thorough and persevere." "Yes, sir." "You've certainly proved your point, sir." "Yes." "Now, Countess, you say you dropped the revolver on the floor, where we found it..." "Where did you say the body was?" "On the floor." "Not in the armchair?" "No." "Are you sure?" "Yes." "Was there a lamp knocked over during your struggle?" "No." "Hmm." "Countess Mattoni, it's very gallant of you to try and protect your father, but quite useless, I'm afraid." "Even if you did see your husband last night, you could not have killed him." "You mean you don't believe me?" "No." "But it doesn't matter, really, it doesn't." "Inspector." "May I see my father?" "Why not?" "Might as well have you all there." "You'll have enough for bridge now." "Thank you." "Helen!" "Father." "What are you doing here?" "Helen." "Bernard!" "Why have they brought you here, my dear?" "This is outrageous, Inspector." "No, father, I came by myself." "You mustn't do this." "It's no use." "I won't let you." "Helen, what are you talking about?" "Will you all sit down, please?" "Now then, I'm sure you'll all be happy to learn you have an addition to your forces." "It seems the Countess Mattoni killed her husband also." "You may also be interested to know that I intend to hold all of you here until I get to the bottom of this." "What do you mean, Inspector?" "You can't mean that all three of them are charged with my husband's murder?" "Not charged, my dear." "They've all confessed to it, and offered some very convincing proof, I might add." "Much better than yours in fact." "You're running a very bad fourth." "But that's ridiculous, Inspector, because I did it." "Look here, Inspector, I shall report this." "Bringing an innocent girl here, subjecting her to..." "She didn't, Inspector, because I did it, and you know that." "Quiet!" "Will you sit down, please?" "Now then, I don't know who did this yet, but I'll tell you this." "I'm going to find out." "One of you did it, and I don't care if I have to hold you here forever." "I'm going to get to the bottom of this." "Inspector?" "Could you step out a moment, sir?" "What is it now, Raines?" "You say you're going to hold all of them if necessary, sir?" "Yes." "We can't, sir." "What?" ""Two or more persons cannot be charged" ""as principals with a crime known to have been committed by only one person. "" "Of course." "That's it." "What, sir?" "Well, they..." "They knew about this." "Don't you see, Raines?" "They planned it this way." "One of them killed him and planted the evidence." "Then all of them confessed to it." "You mean it's a conspiracy, sir?" "Of course." "Yes, and now we know why." "You mean they're all in it, sir?" "Even Mullet?" "Of course." "Sorrington and Froy's connection is obvious." "And we'll find Mullet's in time, when we begin to dig." "But what about the girl, sir?" "The Countess?" "She saw the Count, of course." "The scratches prove that." "But she couldn't have killed him." "Too many discrepancies in her story." "Obviously trying to shield her father." "So we'll eliminate her." "So it was you?" "Yes." "It was an accident, but I did it." "All right." "Stick to your story and don't worry." "I'll explain later." "Raines." "What's the matter, sir?" "What's wrong?" "Do you realize if they stick to their stories we can never be certain which of them did it, never be able to charge any of them with this crime?" "You mean they've got away with it, sir?" "I don't know, Raines." "We'll stay with it." "It'll go higher of course." "But Raines, it looks as if they have." "Inspector?" "There's one good thing anyhow, sir." "What?" "It's lucky he deserved killing, isn't it, sir?" "I knew we'd finish that story if we kept at it." "I'm sure Inspector Davidson is longing for the good old days, when on investigating a robin's death, he simply went out and arrested the first sparrow he saw carrying a bow and an empty quiver." "A policeman's lot is not a happy one." "However, the Inspector's bulldog spirit did finally pay off, and our little band of conspirators eventually faced trial." "Fortunately, they were let off with light sentences." "In fact, when the jury found out what kind of a chap the Count was, it recommended the defendants for the Order of the Garter." "This, of course, was the end of our trilogy." "Next time, we shall resume our policy of telling a complete story on each program." "I hope you will join us then." "Good night."