"Oh..." "I-I called you." "Do you remember?" "I'm Barry Nichols." "I hope it's all right, but you said that if I ever needed you again, to come back." "Well, erm..." "I'm in a bit of a mess, you see, and there's nowhere else I can go to." "Oh, thanks." "That's really good of you." "I have nothing further to add, my lord except to draw your attention to the specialist's report on the defendants." "Thank you, Mr Brunscombe." "Edmund and Dorothy Yates..." "I shall not distress this court further by summarising your crimes." "...as my views will reflect those of every civilised man and woman in this country." "During 22 years on the bench, I have not found a more sickening nor disturbing case." "You, Yates, were not wholly aware." "...of the depths of degradation to which your wife had sunk." "Ultimately, though, your complicity and guilt were beyond question." "Normally, I would have no hesitation to impose the death penalty on you both." "However, in view of the doctors' reports before me..." "I have no alternative but to make out a Section 65 order." "...that you both be committed within 28 days to a mental institution." "And let the members of the public be assured." "...that you shall remain in this mental institution." "...until there can be no doubt whatsoever." "...that you are fit and able to take your place in society again." "Come on!" "What you on about?" "Come on!" "Come on, hurry up." "Nice people, but nowadays..." "Who cares?" "Come on, mate." "No trouble, right?" "You're scared to death." "Oi, stop that." "I'm watching you." " Jealous?" " She's underage." "Just out of a convent." " It wasn't a convent!" " Did you get me one?" "No, get your own." " Put your bag down, will you?" " Oh, yeah." "OK." " A vodka and lemon and a pint..." " How old are you?" " 18." " Hop it." "18, I tell you!" "Look at that. 5,000." "Move your elbow." "You been?" "He wouldn't serve me." "And he was a real bastard, Alec." " What's up?" " He said he didn't serve tarts." "Oh, he did, did he?" "We'll see about that." "Alec!" "Alec!" "Is that him?" " Him over there?" " Yeah." " I want a word with you." " Wait your turn." "How would you like a fist in your face, you smart-arsed bastard?" " What's the matter with you?" " What did you call her?" " What did you call her?" " I called her nothing." "She's underage." " What did you call her?" " A tart!" " A tart, eh?" " I didn't call her anything!" "Right, that's it, John." "Out." "Pronto." "You." "Out." "Oh, I don't believe it!" "He pushed his wife out of bed, because he wanted a matt finish." "Oh, Emma." "You've got to laugh, haven't you?" " Haven't you, Graham?" " Oh, yes, very funny." "He's probably analysing the psychology of humour." "No, no, I start work at six." "And I had heard it before." " What do you do?" " I'm afraid I'm a psychiatrist." "Don't apologise, Graham!" "Force of habit." "People go quiet when I mention it." "Jackie won't." "She knows a lot about psychiatry." " Merle, I don't." " Do you go to one?" " Oh, no!" " It's just that her sister needs one." " Merle." " Sorry." " My sister's a bit of an extrovert." " Huh!" " She's a bit wild, but perfectly all right." " If she's your sister, she must be." "My, my." "That's managed to kill off the conversation as usual, Graham." "Well done." "I think I'll get some more wine." "That's him." "Good night, mate." "See you tomorrow." "Hello, barman." "Give us a drink, barman." "Where you going, eh?" "We didn't finish our chat." "Come on." "Don't you want to have a chat?" "There's a friend of yours here." "Do you remember her?" " Do you remember her?" " Yeah." "Now..." "You were a bit rude to her." "Do you remember that?" "She's lying." "I wouldn't serve her a drink, that's all." " I thought she was underage." " Calling her a liar now?" "Are you?" "What's going on here?" " I'm going to get the law." " OK, that's it!" "Knock it off." "Debbie!" "I said knock it off." "I said knock it off." "Now let's get out of here!" "Come on, Deb!" "Come on, hurry up!" "What are you doing?" " Take her." " Where we going?" " Rocky's Cavern to play pinball." " We went there last night." " I hate that place." " What's that?" "I'm not going to that gaff." "I think I'll go home." "I'll hitch a lift." "Do what you want, but don't hang around!" "The law's coming." "Merle, you're so good at this sort of thing, it makes me mad." "Yes, well, I'm thinking of taking it up for a living." " Thanks a lot, Merle." " Thanks for coming, Guy." "Bye, love." " See you tomorrow." " Right." "Don't forget McDonald's latecomers' purge." " Look who's talking." " Can I help you with that?" " Oh, yes." "Like a bit of that sort of thing." " Well can I give you a ring tomorrow?" "Yes, please." "That's enough of that." "He's got his career to think of." " So has he." " God..." "Finals in six days." " Yeah." " Good night, all." " See you." " Bye." "Did you, er, like her, Graham?" "Yeah, she..." "She was rather super." "I told you she was a looker." " He didn't believe me." " Are you coming or..." "No, I'll be kipping here tonight." "See you tomorrow." "Fine." "See you." "Thanks for having me." "See you, Merle." "I suppose you know what time it is." " Well, what are you doing?" " Nothing!" "I'm going to bed." "It's five past two in the morning." " That's why I'm going to bed." " I've told you before..." "I'm not interested in what you've told me." "I'm not interested in you!" "So why are you so interested in me?" "I'm responsible for you." "Don't be!" "Our parents are dead and you're not my mother!" "I was made responsible for you when you got slung out of that orphanage." " Don't call it an orphanage!" " Orphanage, convent." "It's the same thing." "Oh, don't be so childish." "I'm old enough to do what I like." "You're only 15 and I'm buggered if I'm going to..." "Debbie, I don't want to have to wait up for you again." " Don't give me that." " I beg your pardon." "You're not sitting up for me." "You're waiting to go out!" "You're dressed." "You're waiting to go out like you always do." "I've heard you!" "You creep out and creep back two hours later!" "If you can go out at two o'clock, I can come in at two o'clock." " Do you know who they were?" " No, I couldn't see." "One of 'em's called Alec." "They've been here before." " Your barman turned up yet?" " No, he must have gone home." "Funny, the way they were laying into him." "I thought he'd have come inside to clean up." " Found anything, Sergeant?" " Quite a bit of blood here." "We'd better find out what's going on, hadn't we?" "Don't get too near the fire." " It's spitting." "Must be a piece of slate on it." " You made me jump." " Didn't mean to." " I can't stay long, I'm afraid." "Yes, you're later than usual, aren't you?" "Yes, I had some trouble." "Debbie's found out." "What?" "That I creep out of the house at all hours of the night." "Oh, dear." " Oh, dear." "That was inevitable, wasn't it?" " Hm." "I'll make something up, I suppose." " Have you brought it?" " Of course I've brought it." "Good." " How is she?" " She's better, I think." "Well, better than she has been anyway." "Although..." " What?" " Shh." "I don't want her to hear me." " Well, where is she?" " I don't know." "But she's taken to just standing, listening." " I don't know why." " What were you going to say?" "Well, it could be my imagination, but..." "I have a feeling that she's trying to make me believe that she is better." " She's guessed what we're doing?" " Jackie!" "Hello, darling." "Hello, Mother." "How are you, dear?" "Very well." "You?" "You're standing there, letting that fire go out, Eddie." " We're going to bed soon." " Yes." "Well, I still have one or two things to do, haven't I?" " Yes." " Just one or two little things." "It's..." "It's such fun being a night person, isn't it, Jackie?" "Some people are day people but we like being night people, don't we?" "How's your migraine?" "I..." "I haven't had a migraine for many months now." "I thought you knew that." "Things have been so very much better since we came here." "I think I left all my headaches and problems behind at the..." "Other place." "I closed the door carefully when I left and I locked them all in." "Perhaps you won't be needing the parcels for very much longer." "Thank you so much for bringing it, Jackie." "Oh, dear." "It's left a..." "Mark on the table." "I'll see to it, Dorothy." "Why don't you just go and take it away?" "Thank you so much." "I'll see you next week?" "Next week." "She doesn't know." "I just sit here and get these ideas." "I must go." "Are you all right for money?" "Yes, thank you, dear." "We've got everything we need." "We haven't even touched Sir Joseph's Christmas bonus yet." "He's very generous." "All right, then." "Good night, Dad." "Good night, dear." "Take care." "Both of you." "Miss Deborah Yates?" "That's my sister." "So after you came out of the discotheque, you went round the back for your bikes ...and Alec..." ""Alec Morinisaw a man kick the barman."" " That's right." " And you went over to him." "No, just Alec and the boys, while I stayed by the bikes with the other two girls." "What did Alec do?" "I dunno." "He followed this guy round the corner and we heard a bit of shouting." "...and Alec told this guy to watch who he was being cheeky to." "That's all." "And then they came back and we went home." "You didn't ask what happened?" "No." "He wouldn't have told me anyway." " And you didn't see the barman again?" " No." "I see." " It's not quite the story as Morinitold it." " Look, it's what happened." "Fair enough." "Whether this goes any further or not will depend on what the barman has to say." "Meanwhile, young lady, be careful of the company you keep." "Right, two ultimatums." "Firstly, if the police ever come again, I won't cover up for you." "Secondly, my salary will not support two people." "If you haven't got a job by the end of the week, you can get out!" "You can fend for yourself and see how that grabs you!" "'Would the cast of the Robin Hood junior production... '" " There you are." "Now, don't touch it." " How am I meant to blow my nose?" "With great difficulty." "'I repeat." "Would the cast of the Robin Hood junior production... '" " I feel like crawling into a corner." " Oh, you in your corner and me in mine." "Everything's really getting me down, Merle." "Darling, in this job, anything less than screaming abdabs is perfectly normal." "Hello?" "Yes." "Why?" "I've got to talk to you." "I wouldn't have phoned if it hadn't been urgent." " But..." " 'Look, I'm outside. '" "I've driven Sir Joseph to his stockbroker's." " 'It won't take long. '" " It's terribly difficult." "Please, Jackie!" "It's about Dorothy." "All right." "All right, I'll come out." "I've got to go and see somebody." " Can you..." " Yes, don't worry." "Come in." " Yes?" " Mrs Crosby?" "Yes." "L" " I read this advert in Time Out." "I think it's very interesting that..." "Yes, I'm sure you do, dear." "It's a fascinating subject." "Er, come in." "Your timing's immaculate." "I've just put the kettle on." "Yeah?" "You bet I do." "Be down in a while." "Aren't I rude, keeping you waiting like that?" "You don't mind, do you?" "Of course not." "We must get down to work." "It's so..." "I don't know what to say." "It's all so accurate." "Exciting, isn't it?" "It's a bit unnerving." "You should have finished that earlier!" "It's..." "It distracts me." "I'm sorry." "Swords swords, swords swords." "It's all strife, isn't it?" "Strife and heartache and loneliness." "Not a lot of friends." "None at all to speak of." "No." "No close family ties?" "No romantic involvement, not even round the corner." "Never?" "Never any?" "This is the card that shows what lies ahead, Lillian." "Oh, it's symbolic of course." "It predicts an end to the strife and the loneliness - ...very soon." "It was last night, after you left." "That doesn't prove she knows we're tracking her." "It does." "I've found something else as well." "I didn't want you to know, Jackie." "For Christ's sake, I've been involved in this since I was eight." " What on earth can't you tell me about?" " I just want you to trust me." " Come down tonight and talk to her." " No." "I can't make her talk to me but she'll tell you the truth." "I can't come tonight." "I'm going out." "I've got a date." "That woman has had enough of my time." "She's not wrecking my love life as well!" "Look, I'm sorry, Dad, but I've got to draw the line somewhere." "Jackie." " I didn't want to show you." " Show me?" "'Oh, darling, touch me. ' What have they done to you?" "'I can never forgive Matt." "You must go to the police, now. '" "'You have no feelings, no idea of how I suffered and in one night. '" "Yes, I wanted to know that, too." "That's all right." "I'll ask Robin what happened." " I feel so guilty about this." " No, it can't be helped." " I'll take you home." " You will not!" "I've ruined the evening already." " I won't let you put yourself out." " It doesn't matter." "It means a lot to me." "My bus goes from over the road." "Promise you'll ring me tomorrow?" " Yeah, all right." " I'm terribly sorry." "Oh, God, I can't stand much more of this." " Get another place." " Hello, Merle." "Hello, Graham." " I thought you were studying all evening." " I thought you were going out all evening." " OK, I'll go to the pub." " Don't be a martyr." " We're all friends." " Friendship does have its limits." " I am not suggesting a ménage à trois." " Thank God." "Oh, go and make the coffee." " It's freezing out, isn't it?" " I can go if you like." "Sit down and don't pretend you have any intention of leaving." " Did she slap your face or something?" " She had to go home." " Some relative coming from Glasgow." " She didn't tell me." " I think it was an excuse, but don't tell her." " Of course not." " Mind you, you're probably right." " Is there someone else?" "Someone else?" "No!" "It's that sister of hers." "She's driving Jackie up the wall." "Ah, yes, she mentioned her at dinner." "What's wrong with her?" "What's right with her?" "She's a bloody delinquent." "She's absolutely uncontrollable." "They had the police this morning." "Didn't she tell you?" " No, she didn't tell me." " She wouldn't." "She spends half her life sorting that kid out and pretends it's all peaches and cream." " They should get her to a psychiatrist!" " Here I am." " You wait till you're asked." " I'd better offer then." " What?" "Now?" " Why not?" "Oh, come in." "Come in, Jackie." " Dad, I'm staying half an hour and that's all." " Don't go in yet." "I want a word with you." "This is a waste of time, you know." "I've been thinking about..." "what you showed me." " There must be a simple explanation." " Keep your voice down." "She's been in an asylum for 15 years." "She must be cured." "We've both been in an asylum, Jackie." " Then you ought to know it best of all." " I found something else." " Oh, God, no." " Look." " What are they?" " Tarot cards." " Found them in a drawer." " So?" "Well, it takes two to play that game, Jackie." "And if I'm not the other one..." " who is?" " Who are you talking to, Eddie?" "Oh, Jackie, it's you." "How nice." "How are you feeling, Mother?" "See how much I've done since I saw you last week?" "I've almost..." "How are you feeling, Mother?" " Pardon, dear?" " You heard what I said." "Mother, I know we agreed not to talk about the past." " But Dad and I have been discussing..." " Jackie!" " I've got such a migraine tonight..." " The one you haven't had for months?" "I don't understand you, dear." "You understand every word I say." " You just choose to ignore most of it." " Jackie, don't." "I don't know what's come over you." "Just tell me one thing, Mother." " Are you well?" " Am I well, dear?" "I don't understand." "You know what I mean." "I..." "Have you started again?" "Oh, how can you?" "How can you ask me that?" "How can you be so cruel?" "That was months ago." "Years ago." "That was in the..." "Old place." "So long ago, so many years ago." " All over so long ago." " Then what are these?" " Hello." "Are you Debbie?" " Yeah." " Is your sister in?" " No." "She's not?" "Any idea when she'll be back?" "My name's Graham Haller." "Actually, it was you I wanted to speak to." "Do you mind if I come in for a minute?" "Thank you." "They come and go." "Lonely people." "All lonely people." "Not a friend in the world." "And I help them." "I haven't got a friend in the world." "You know that." "Only you." "We're trying to help you, Mother." "You're trying to help me back into that asylum!" "By trying to trick me into thinking I'm not better!" " All I've done is ask you one question." " And I've given you an answer!" "I never go out of this house." "It's so lonely here all day." "Can't I have any interests?" "And those cards are my property." "Give them back to me, you thief." "You don't like me having anything of my own, do you?" "I'm not allowed to keep anything." "Oh, Eddie." "They even took my baby away from me." "My only child." "She..." "She doesn't even know I exist." "Now, now, Dorothy." "Don't upset yourself like this." "There's no need." "Let's forget any of this happened." " Y-You plotted it all between you." " No, no!" "Jackie insisted on coming down." " Dad!" " It's all over now ...and we're going to forget this ever happened." "We're not going to mention it again." "And we're going to go on just like we were just the two of us together." "Hm?" "Oh, I..." "I've lost my needle." "I'll get you another one, dear." "You know how I look forward to your visits, Jackie... with your little parcels." "I do appreciate the trouble you take." "You know that, don't you?" "You will keep on bringing them, won't you, dear just to please me?" "You will, won't you?" "Did anyone ever tell you you've got a great bedside manner?" " That's not quite the right expression, is it?" " It is for what I've got in mind." " Thank you, Doctor." " Graham." "Thank you, Graham." "You were telling me about the orphanage." " No, I wasn't." " You said you didn't like it." "I don't want to talk about it." "It's boring." "Did you resent being there?" "Are you screwing Jackie?" "I asked first." "If I tell you, will you tell me?" " No." " That's not fair!" " Did you ever see a photo of your parents?" " I don't know." "I can't remember." "I don't even care about them." "I haven't even met them." "I think you do care, Debbie." "I think you care very much." "I can't stand his music." "He's a great musician." "He was at the Rainbow last week." "We waited for him to come out." "Jackie went mad." "I didn't get home till three." "Didn't you?" "Huh!" "Oh, hello, Jackie." "How long have you been here?" " Not long." "We've just been chatting." " Do you mind?" " It's time you were in bed." " For Christ's sake!" " Don't shout at me." " I'll shout at you whenever I like!" " Stop showing off." "Where are you going?" " Out." " You're not." " Try and stop me!" " Don't treat her like a child." " Thank you for that piece of analysis." "Why don't you sit down and talk to her?" "I'll think about that, after what you've achieved." "Yes, we were getting on well." " Talking about me, I suppose." " No, mostly about your parents." "I just wish you'd asked me first, that's all." "But you would have said no." "Look, Jackie, Merle says you like to pretend that nothing's the matter but something is the matter and Debbie can be helped." " By you?" " Yes, I'd like to try." "It's too early to draw conclusions - I'd need more time with her " " But it's clear she has an identity problem." " I can't stand that jargon." "It's very simple if you'd just listen!" "Look on the surface, she seems cold and insensitive, but that's because she's got no roots." "She wasn't given much understanding in the orphanage so this is the result." "But she has a further problem in the shape of a close relative" " You - who refuses to tell her about her parents." "Why won't you discuss it with her?" "You must remember them." "The one thing you're leaving out." "...is the fact that I know her, and I know how to handle her." "I'm sorry, but I don't think you do." "Jackie, I'm trying to help." " I want to help you." " I don't need help!" "Graham, I'm very tired." "We're going to have to leave it there." "Yes, you've had a very busy evening, haven't you?" "Good night, Graham." " How are you going to do it?" " Somerset House." " Did Jackie ask you to go?" " No." "Why are you doing it, then?" "I don't know really." "I think you need your head examined." "What's all this about, Deb?" " Come here!" " You come here." " This yours?" " I use it to keep things in." "I've got summat in here for you." "Nice!" "Jesus Christ!" "Nasty, isn't it?" " How did he get in there?" " I put him in there." "Why?" "If he was left where he was, you'd be in a cell by now." "I didn't do that to him." "Look at his head." " I didn't do that." " Who did, then?" "But I hardly..." "Oh, Christ." "What are we gonna do?" " Dump him." " Where?" "Bring your brother's van tonight and we'll stick him in the quarry." "No." "Leave him there, then." "Graham, there was a callout for you." "Yes, er..." "Excuse me, David." "Dr Lytell." "Could you spare me a moment now, please, sir?" "Oh, Graham, of course." "By all means, come on in." "I should have seen you long ago but I've had one of those mornings." "Now, what's your problem?" "Forgive me if I potter a bit while we're talking." "It's a favour, sir." "Could you give me an introduction to one of the supervisors at the Lansdown?" "The Lansdown?" "That's a bit off your beat." "What are you working on?" "Well, it's a patient of mine, sir." " She's under the impression..." " She?" " Yes, it's a young lady." " I see." "She's under the impression that her parents are dead but they're not." "They were committed to the Lansdown in 1957." "I'm trying to find out why." "You have been busy." "Well, I think it's important, sir." " Is it vital?" " Yes, I think so." "Fair enough." "If it's vital, I'll get you in touch with Matt Laurence." "He's the medical superintendent." "I didn't expect you to go to all that trouble, sir." "No, it's nothing." "He and I are old friends." "We were at King's together." "Give me a line, will you?" " Did you cut them, dear?" " Yes." "Then... we shall see what we shall see." " Are you warm enough?" " I'm fine, thanks." "It does get so chilly here sometimes." "You didn't come by car, did you?" " Why?" " No, I don't think you did." "Now, this signifies you, dear." "The Queen of Pentacles." "Cunning." "Passionate." "Self-reliant." "This covers you." "This crosses you." "This beneath you." "This behind you." "This crowns you." "And this is before you." "I think you've had a sudden loss, haven't you?" "Not a death." "Sudden departure." "Someone you love." "I think it's your husband." "Yes?" "Yes." "You did say your name was Delia, didn't you?" "You don't like being left on your own, do you, Delia?" "You're frightened you're going to be left by yourself." "Don't worry about that, will you, dear?" " You said you were alone." " Sometimes the little animals come in." "And go all over the place." "They're awfully naughty." "Do you like little animals?" "Little squirrels and things?" "I'm not all that fussy." "There's one peeping at you down there." "Oh, not really." "My husband..." "Will he come back?" " What else do you know about him?" " Nothing." "But I know everything about you." "One look and I know it all." " Then perhaps you'd like to tell me." " "Perhaps you'd like to tell me."" "Perhaps I wouldn't..." "Delia." "Look, I've paid you a considerable amount of money." "There is your considerable amount of money!" "There is your future!" "You are quite mad." "I suppose you know that." "You've locked this door!" "Help me." "She's not dead yet." "Dorothy?" "Dorothy!" "Dorothy!" "Dorothy!" "Oh, my God." "Dorothy?" "I had to do it." "I had to do it." "I had to!" "I had to!" "Is she the first?" "What have you been doing to them?" "What have you been doing to them?" " She was a cannibal." " I'm sorry?" "I can't put it more daintily than that, I'm afraid." "The fact is, she ate people." "Horrifying, but thankfully quite unique." "Caused a bit of a scandal in 1957." " Probably you remember." " I was a bit too young." "Oh, yes, of course." "I tend to forget." " What was the case history?" " It goes way back." "Sit down." "Here we are." "Yes." "She had a pet she was very fond of when she was a girl." "A rabbit or something similar." "It died." "I'm afraid the parents were foolish enough to use it as food." "It was in the middle of the Depression." "Meat was hard to get hold of." "And she found out." "She went into such shock that she twisted the horror into something pleasurable." "She began killing animals and dissecting them, eating them." "Secretly." "Nobody found out about it for years." " God." " She was very interested in their brains." "They held some sort of weird fascination for her." " How long before she started on..." " On people?" "By the time she met her husband..." "What was his name?" "Edmund." "...it was 1955." "She was a hopeless case." "The craving had become almost uncontrollable." "He, it seems, helped her to find human victims." "They killed six people before they were caught." "They were sent here in 1957." "It was the only case of caribanthropy on record in this country." " Cariwhat?" " Caribanthropy." "Pathological cannibalism." "A couple of cases in the US, but almost unheard of." "They had children, this couple, didn't they?" "Oh, you're one up on me there." "Yes, there was a daughter, born in 1948." " Jackie." " Jacqueline, that's right." "She was from the father's previous marriage." "She lived with an aunt who later died." "Another daughter, Deborah, was born shortly after they were committed." " They put her in an orphanage." " That's correct." "Suddenly it all makes sense." "I've always felt that the father was the more interesting of the parents." "It's my opinion that he shouldn't have been committed." "It was never established that he was involved with the murders." "He knew about them, certainly." "But it was more of a case of his being totally devoted to his wife turning a blind eye to absolutely anything she might do." "Even towards the end, I was almost certain." "...that he was deliberately faking derangement to remain here with his wife." "Towards the end?" "You mean they died?" "No, they were released, some months ago." "He's got a job." "Some aristocrat's dogsbody or something." " Released?" " Don't look so flabbergasted about it." "We didn't kick them out for the fun of it." "They're completely cured." "As sane as you or I." "You won't tell anyone, will you, Eddie?" "It'll be our secret, won't it?" "You won't tell, will you?" " Haven't got much choice, have I?" " No one would be interested." "These people, they've no friends, no relations." "No one will miss them." " Are they all in here?" " Most of them." "Let's go back, Eddie." " When did you find out about the parcels?" " Find out, dear?" " You've known all along, haven't you?" " I wanted to please you, Eddie." "You started as soon as you left the Lansdown, didn't you?" "Let's go back, Eddie." "It's not right that you should be here." "In future I'll come here by myself." "In future!" " Tell me everything." " That's just my jacket." "Everything." "I couldn't bear it, Eddie." " What?" " To be sent back." "You won't be sent back." "You do understand, then?" "I understand." "And..." "You're not angry with me?" "You're not angry?" "I always wondered why people got glasses of water thrust at them after crying." " It relaxes you." " Really?" " Do you want to talk about it?" " Yes, I do, quite honestly." "Oh, I'm sorry." "I interrupted you." "Breaking down like the fragile creature I'm not." " You've been researching something..." " No, it can wait." "Tell me what's wrong." "I feel like falling on my knees and asking for forgiveness." " Why?" " I was wrong about Debbie." "I should have taken everybody's advice." " Now it's too late." " Why?" "She got involved in a fight a few nights ago." "A man was killed." " She told you?" " No." "I found her jacket covered in blood." "I had to force her to tell me." "Did..." "Did Debbie kill the man?" "No." "No, her boyfriend, so-called..." "He..." "He hit him with a thing, a bicycle chain." "Debbie panicked and hid..." "Hid the body." " Oh, Christ." " Come on." "That's the worst over now." "Finding out and then having to tell me." "I'm so worried about the police and..." " There's no need." " Debbie's committed a crime." "I want to do all I can to help you both." "My offer still holds, you know." "I don't deserve you, do I?" "We'll have to do something about that inferiority complex of yours." " Is she here?" " In her room." "We're leaving now, Debbie." "It'll be all right." "Graham knows what to do." "Oh, you'd better give me the key." " We'll be back as soon as we can." " See you soon." "Stay here till we get back." "That was done with a bicycle chain?" "Look, I'm sorry, but I don't understand." "What are you talking about?" "Mind if I have a word with your sister, please, miss?" "What did you mean by "more than murder"?" "Exactly what I said." "Now, if we could go back to your flat, please." "She's gone, Graham." "The wardrobe's empty and her suitcase is missing." "'This is a missing persons call to all units." "'Deborah Yates, aged 15 and wanted for questioning 'in connection with the murder of Douglas Mecik on February 27th... 'is missing from her home in Beaufort Street, SW10." "'She's 5' 2", light brown hair, light colouring." "'She's probably wearing jeans... '" " It's a bit early for me." " You're over 18, aren't you?" "Early in the evening, idiot." "Think of it as Dr Haller's nerve tonic." "My nerves need more than a tonic, I can tell you." " Neat?" " Of course." "Cheers." " Better?" " Give it time." " I've made rather a mess of it." " I wouldn't say that." " You would if you knew everything." " I think I do." "You don't, Graham." "That's the trouble." " I was at Lansdown today." " Oh, God." "I wouldn't say you'd made a mess of anything." "I can't understand why you feel you've got something to be guilty about." "Your parents were certified sane." "That's the way you've got to treat them." "I know it must have been difficult for you but don't you see it's all over now?" "It's not all over, Graham." "I'm afraid it's just beginning again." "I can't see nothing." "We're in the middle of nowhere." "What is all this?" "It's a place where they won't find us." "Stay here." "I'll check everything's all right." "Well, hurry up." "I'm freezing me bollocks off out here." "I don't like your gloomy face, Eddie." "It reminds me of a gargoyle." "It's gloomy enough here already." "Only the little animals are happy." "They come and see me sometimes when you're not here, Eddie." "I wish you could be here during the day to see them." " What's the matter?" " A noise." "Someone else in the house." "Who are you?" "Hello, Dad." "I can't believe it." "It's our little girl, Eddie." "It's true." "Hasn't she grown?" "My God, I wanted to protect her from this." "We were going to tell you, Eddie." "In time." " How long has she known?" " Always." " Jackie told me." " She promised!" "She promised me." " Who else have you told?" " My boyfriend outside." "She's so grown-up, isn't she?" "There..." "There's a..." "I found..." "Oh, no." "Please!" "Deb!" "What the hell were you thinking of?" "It's ludicrous." "It was Dad's idea." "A week after they left Lansdown he knew something was wrong." "Dorothy used to just sit and gaze into the fire." " It seemed she was pining away." " So you played amateur psychiatrist?" "You thought you could diminish her so-called killing instincts by doing it for her." "...and taking down these things from the butcher's?" "It seemed to work." "And Dad wouldn't consider the alternative." " What was that?" " She'd be sent back to Lansdown." "You didn't know what the hell you were thinking about." "Dorothy was in the best care for 17 years." "She was certified sane." "I swear there's still something wrong." "She's probably going through readjustment." "If there is something wrong, it can be remedied by outpatient treatment in her own home if necessary." "I never considered anything like that." "I had nobody to talk to." "Well, you have now." "Eight o'clock." "What about it?" "Well, you could be down there in an hour and a half." "It's hardly likely a psychiatrist would make a house call at night." "Oh, that's right." " You could go for a reading." " With her set of marked tarot cards?" " You're going?" " Mm." "Something else I want to check on." " About Dorothy?" " No, about Debbie." " Debbie?" " Mm." "After all, she is Dorothy's daughter." " No alternative." " No alternative, Eddie." "The boy knew everything." "We've got to wipe the slate clean, haven't we?" "How many more?" "How many more before the slate is wiped clean?" "One more." "Jackie." "No." "No!" "Stop kidding yourself, Dad." "Jackie's an enemy." " I won't listen to this!" " She's an enemy." "She'll break the family up." " You don't know what you're saying." " She wants to break us up." "She tried to keep me away from you for as long as she could." "No arguing." "Not when we're all together again." "This has gone too far, Deborah." "I can't handle this any more." " Is it for you?" " We never have visitors." "Police?" " Take her to the attic, Dorothy." " All right, Eddie." "This way, dear." "Good evening." "Sorry to trouble you." "I wonder if Mrs Yates could give me a reading." " Not at this time of night." " It's rather difficult for me, you see." "I'm leaving early in the morning, so I won't get another chance." " Call in next time." " Perhaps I could persuade you." "I'm rather worried about my health." "I think I may be very ill." "I'd like to know one way or the other." "You understand?" " Come in." " I'm very grateful." "I won't stay any longer than necessary." " Wait here." " Thank you." "I'll tell my wife." " You go through." " Thank you." "Mrs Yates?" "Hail to thee, Knight of Pentacles." " I'm sorry?" " You are the Knight of Pentacles." "This is your card." "Oh, I see." "Sit down." "The other side." "Would you like me to pay you beforehand?" "Yes." " Your name was?" " Robin." "I'm a commercial traveller, in the village one night." " How did you know about me?" " Through a friend." "His name?" "Well, he's not exactly a friend." "It was a party and I heard him talking about you." " Do you travel in medical supplies?" " No." "I see healing hands." "You're either something to do with a hospital or you're a doctor." "That'll be all the doctors I've been to." "There have been so many." "It's not the doctors you've been to." "I'm telling you it's you." "I was a medical student once." "It was a long time ago." "Were you, now?" " You're worried about something." " Yes, very." "A girl." "No, two girls." "Two girls." "There's a romantic involvement with one and some other involvement with the other." "What is it?" "Ha!" "Isn't that strange?" "I come back to the healing hands." " Why are you lying to me?" " I'm not lying to you." "You called me Mrs Yates." " You've come here for a purpose." " To have my fortune told." "No, there's something else." "What is it?" " I told you, I'm worried about..." " Be quiet." "You've come here to search." "You're searching for..." "No." "No, not searching." "Investigating." " Investigating me." " You're dead right he is." "Debbie!" "What did he tell you his name was?" "This is Robin, my dear." "This is Graham, my dear." "Dr Graham Haller, to be exact." "One of Jackie's little friends." "She sent him to put you back in the nuthouse." "That's not true." "You lie, you lie, you lie, you lie!" "I have the proof here in the cards!" "Come on, love." "We're waiting for you." "I'm sorry, Merle, I just can't concentrate." " Oh, don't worry, kid." "We'll wind it up." " No, we'll go on." "No, it was one of my stupid ploys to try and get your mind off things." " You're obviously not up to it." " I'm sorry." "Don't worry, kid." "We'll have a chat." "That's what you came round for, isn't it?" "Yes." "Very much so." "I couldn't bear sitting alone in the flat, just waiting." "Well, what are friends for?" "Oh, bugger." "Hang on a minute." " You know what really drove me out?" " What?" "I knew that any second the phone would ring." "...and it would be the police to say they'd found Debbie." "That would be the end, wouldn't it?" "You're building this up into something it isn't." "Why would it be the end?" "They don't send 15-year-olds to prison now." " They send them to a reformatory." " They won't send Debbie anywhere." "Jackie, it's for you." " Who knows I'm here?" " It sounds like Debbie." " Hello?" " 'Jackie, it's Debbie. '" " Debbie, where are you?" " I'm at the farm." " The what?" " 'I'm at the farm with Mum and Dad. '" "But how?" "Look, I can't explain now." "Will you come down?" " Yes, of course." " 'Graham's here. '" " Yes, I know." " You will come down, won't you?" " 'Straightaway. '" " OK, see you, then." "Debbie?" " I'm flying high with an ace." " I knew it." " Was it her?" " Yes." " Where is she?" " She's found a place to hide." " Oh." "Are you going?" " I must." " What about the police?" " I don't know." "I don't know." "Jackie!" "Debbie, is that you?" "I almost hoped you wouldn't come, Jackie." "Why are you prowling round with the lights off?" "I won't be spoken to like that in my own home." " Especially by you." " Especially by me?" " What am I supposed to have done?" " You hurt me, Jackie." "You hurt all of us." "What are you talking about?" "What's Debbie been saying to you?" " She's told us the truth." " And you believed it?" " She is my daughter." " And I'm not, I suppose?" "We both feel closer to Deborah." " You stupid old man!" " How dare you!" "You've been taken in by a 15-year-old delinquent." "If that's the way we want it, you can get along without me." "You all can." "I wash my hands of the lot of you." "Shh!" "Jackie, if only you hadn't come." "What is it?" "What's going on?" " Where's Graham?" " Who?" "The man..." "I'm not going to stand here talking to you in the bloody twilight." "No, Jackie." "Don't put the light on." " What's the matter with you?" " Nothing." "You've been hit." "You've been hit with something." "Who was it?" "It was Dorothy, wasn't it?" "She did it... with this." "Your stepmother's very sick, Jackie." "How sick?" "How sick?" "She's had a very serious relapse, I'm afraid." "Jackie, I love her." "Can you understand that?" "But I can't do any more for her now." "Deborah's looking after her." "Looking after her?" "What do you mean, looking after her?" " She's with her now." " A 15-year-old girl?" "No!" "They have a lot in common, you know." "More in common than you would think." "Where's Graham?" "Where is he?" "They said she was well again." "They said she was well." "Graham?" "Graham!" "Leave us alone, Jackie." "No!" "No!" "Aargh!" "Shut up that stupid screaming!" "You knew." "You knew." "Why did you let them?" "No!" "Please!" "Please, no!" "Dad!" "Please help me!" "For God's sake, Dad!" "Please don't let them..." "'And let the members of the public be assured." "'That you shall remain in this mental institution." "'Until there can be no doubt whatsoever." "'That you are fit and able to take your place in society again. '"