"Well, there's nothing in this briefcase we can pin on Paul Culbertson." "Photograph's useless without Ballard's testimony." "Ah, it was crazy, completely crazy, letting him make his own way in." "Well, it was part of the deal." "He insisted on coming in." "No cops picking him up, nothing like that." "Well, we're right back where we started." "No live witness, no line on Paul Culbertson." "Mr Clean, as usual." "We take him, this time." "We take him." "Hold it!" "Hold it." "That's dirty." "You know what's the matter with you two, don't you?" "Yeah, we're outnumbered." "Get up." "Yeah, sure I'm getting up." "Just as soon as he promises not to knock me down again." "Oh, don't feel too bad about it." "You're good, both of you." "The best." "But I got the drop on you psychologically." "Oh, yeh." "Shot your foot off." "Yeah." "Why?" "Why what?" "Why have you got the drop on us?" "Well, ask yourself a question:" "who trained you, taught you?" "Of course, Alex Bolt might know something." "Bolt?" "He worked with Ballard on and off." "They did time together." "What?" "Well, it's worth having him in." "I'm surprised you waited, knowing you." "Are you, David?" "Are you surprised?" "Well, spell it out, George." "Culbertson knew about this little trip." "And?" "Well, who knew about Ballard?" "Who knew he was coming in?" "It's a pretty short list." "There's you as head of CI5;" "me as head of Special Branch." "Did you discuss it with any of your people?" "Well, we've made..." "certain plans." "Refresher courses!" "Yeah, who needs 'em?" "Everybody does!" "Oh, yeah?" "Everybody does." "Truce, truce!" "Truce." "You wouldn't hit an old man, would you?" "You've gotta be kidding;" "he'd hit an old woman." "I kick dogs." "Hey, hey, hey!" "Yeow!" "Stop him!" "Confidence, confidence, you see." "A while ago, you knew you couldn't take me-- in your subconscious, you knew." "And now, after a refresher course, you think you can." " Think?" " I've got the drop on you" " because you know I'm better." " Oh, yeah?" "And I've got the drop on him because he's an old softie." "He hasn't got the heart to take his old mentor." "There's nothing soft about these, mate." "Ah, with a paint brush in one hand and a gin and tonic in the other?" "He does a bit of art on the side, you know." " Yeah, yeah." " He's not bad at it, either." "Get in." " Who's buying the breakfast, then?" " You are." "Oh, that's all right, then." "Yes, we put some time in, me and the Major." "Cowley." "All right, Cowley." "But to me, George Cowley will always be the Major." "He was when I met him, you see." "Not Korea again." "Well, why not?" "We were fighting for the flag when you two were in your prams." "I tried to enlist, didn't I?" "Yeah, his mum wouldn't let him go." "Hey, hold it here!" "What?" "I want to get a paper." "Well, the ball's in your court." "Better luck with Alex Bolt." " Yeah." " Back to the Yard." "Sir." "Life story time, eh." "Yeah." "He's been around a bit, old Barry Martin." "Recruit Number One as far as CI5's concerned, you know." "The best-laid plans have gone adrift this time." "A false beard in this day and age?" "He would have been the biggest informer in years." "Special Branch were bringing him in." "But you can't force a man to accept protective custody." "He has done a lot of time." "Obviously allergic to it." "He was allergic to bullets;" "everyone is." "We could have flown him down, convoyed him." "Och, the criminal mind." "Do you... do you think there was a leak?" "Who knows what Ballard did at the other end." "A call to a trusted crony;" "that's always a risk in the criminal fraternity." "A call to a girlfriend;" "that's risky, too." "You don't think there was a leak this end?" "What do you mean by "this end", Miss Pettifer?" "Well, sir, Special Branch, us." "Whoever knew." "We'll have to see about that." "Cowley to Base." "Pass me through to Doyle or Bodie." " Doyle." " Cowley." "Where are you?" "In the car." "I know you're in the car, man!" "Whereabouts?" "Uh..." "Bridge Road, sir." "Bodie with you?" "No." " Yeah." " And you're alone?" "Yes, sir, we are alone." "Good." "I want you to pick up Alex Bolt at Flat 39," "Great Marsden Mansions." "Yes, sir?" "Then if you've got it, confirm!" "Uh, you want us to go and pick up Alex Bolt at 39, Great Morstan" "Marsden." "Marsden Mansions." "Sir." "Thank you, Doyle." "That's, uh, now, is it, sir?" "It is now." "Right now." "This Alex Bolt." "Should we expect any trouble?" "Only from me if you don't bring him in." "Miss Pettifer, would you say that Doyle can be a wee bit obtuse at times?" "On the contrary, sir, I would have said alarmingly perceptive." "Would you, now." "And what about the other one-- Master Bodie?" "That one's fairly impenetrable." "But he doesn't miss a thing." "Aye." "Sorry about that." "Yeah." "We lost out on breakfast." "It's all right; we'll take a raincheck." "We got a call." "Anyone interesting?" "Nah." "It sounds pretty routine." "We've got to pick up some guy called Bolt." "Bolt?" "Alex Bolt, is that?" "Why, d'you know him?" "Oh, no." "Not personally, anyway." "Ahh, I had a couple of bets on the greyhounds last night." "Both out of the frame." "Ah, never mind." "We'll take you home." "I'll stick with you." "Come along for the ride." "Checking up on us, eh?" "Could be." "I reckon our old mentor believes we can't handle the real thing." "This looks like it." "No." "Nah, not that one." "Yeah, here we are." "Great Marsden Mansions." "Fire escape?" "Yeah, bound to be." "Why do they want him, anyway?" "I don't know;" "Cowley didn't say." "Bolt's place is top floor right." "My chance to prove I'm not rusty." "You two take the front;" "I'll take the rear." "All those stairs?" "You'll knock yourself out." "We'll give you a headstart." " Meter man or plumber?" " Plumber or lift engineer." "How d'you know there's a lift?" "That's a point." "Yes?" "Uh, sorry to trouble you, madam, it's the plumber here." "It's about the leak in Number 32." "Is that the one above you?" "Yes, it is." "Uh, well, you see, the tenant's not answering." "We were wondering if you could let us in." " Why, yes, of course." " Thank you." "See, no lift." "All right, Miss Marples." " Good morning." " Good morning." "Nice pair of... eyes." "Eyes?" "Yeah." "Clear blue, full of Eastern promise." "I thought you were a leg man?" "Hallo, Alex." "End of the line, old son." "Doyle!" "Bodie!" "He saw me." "Saw me outside on the fire escape." "I tried to take him, but he had a knife." "Well, look." "You can see for yourself." "What do we tell Cowley?" "Everything." "Tell me everything." "There's not much to add to what you already know." "What about Martin?" "Oh, it looked worse than it was." "He's gone to hospital." "Yeah, Prince of Wales Hospital." "It's a straight sewing job." "Tell me, whose idea was it that Martin should take the fire escape?" "It just happened that way." "No, it was his idea, sir." "Who was this Bolt, anyway?" "That's not important now." "So why all the questions?" "Sir." "Questions?" "What questions?" "Do you consider yourselves exempt from questions?" " No, sir." " All right, that's all." "And, Doyle." "Next time you say you're alone, include anyone stopping off to buy newspapers." "Even if it is one of our own." "If you hadn't gone in like gangbusters, you might have picked him up alive." "All right." "Two dead witnesses and Culbertson's as free as the wind." "Aye." "He smuggles narcotics by the kilo and immigrants by the dozen, and we know he's working for the Commissars, but we can't nail him." "So that's what it's all about." "Paul Culbertson." "The Red Millionaire." " Barry Martin, please." " What's your name?" " First right." " Thank you." "Martin." "Right, thank you very much." "Now who's going to put who on the floor?" "I could handle you two with one arm tied behind my back." "Yeah, you took care of Bolt." "Didn't you?" "They're still picking up the pieces." "All he had to do was come quietly." "Excuse me." "Thank you." "What was it all about, anyway?" "Well, it's tied in some way with Paul Culbertson." "The Red Plutocrat." "Oh." "Political top drawer?" "Something like that." "Cowley wants him real bad." "What did the Old Man have to say?" "Well, he's not very pleased." "Seems to think if we hadn't gone in mob-handed, we'd've picked him up no trouble at all." "D'you fancy a drink?" "Or shall we take you home?" "Well, let's have one at my place." "I want to get this shirt off and clean up a bit." "All right." "You sure?" "Of course I'm sure!" "I'm not a basket case yet, you know." "Won't be going dancing, though." "Hey?" "Johnson saw you in a disco the other night." "Is that right?" "Putting some down with a young lady." "I can still get it together." ""Yeah, baby, let it all hang out."" "Oh, my God." "I meant to tell you about that, by the way." " Eh?" " Your shirt!" "Your man Barry Martin must be quite a handful." "Oh, yes, he's that, all right." "You certainly want him on your side in a roughhouse." "Well, he is on our side." "Isn't he?" "If you're about to pop the question, the answer is yes." "He was at the briefing when the Ballard business was discussed." "What about Bodie and Doyle?" "No." "No, they were on an assignment." "But Martin's above suspicion." "I didn't quite catch that, George." "Is above suspicion, or was?" "Above suspicion." "Here." "Bit down-market, isn't it, for a man-about-town image?" "Ah, serves its purpose." "Oh, you wait till you get inside; you'll love it." "Bird-puller's paradise." "It's got the hi-fi, the king-size bed, automated drinks trolley." "It's like one of those talking adenoids." "Androids." "That's what I said, didn't I. It's got" "Uh, my bird." "Hallo, Maggie." "Oh, what have you done now?" "Broken your arm?" "No, no, no." "Had a little run-in with someone." "Oh, Bodie, Doyle:" "Maggie." "My best friend this term." " Hi." " How d'you do." "You two in on this?" "Oh, well, sort of." "We were a fraction late." "Yeah." "Look, take the boys to the Blue Anchor." "I'll go in and change, get rid of the gore, and I'll join you later." "Okay." "Two good-looking fellas can't be bad." "Need any help?" "No, you go ahead." "I'll manage." "Come out of there, and come out slowly." "Culbertson." "You're taking a chance, aren't you?" "Well, you took a chance this morning, didn't you?" "I'll give you a tip." "When you find a gun easily, assume you're supposed to look for another one." "It was merely a precaution." "I didn't want you to jump to conclusions when you came in and start blasting away." "You underestimate me." "I think first and blast later." "Do you?" "What about Ballard?" "Did you think then?" "Yeah, more than you know." "Steve Ballard was as weak as water." " He'd have hung us all." " Possibly." "But if you'd told me he was coming in, I could have put out a contract." "There wasn't time for that." "Well, the system's fine." "You put out a contract, it gets passed down the line." "Five or six guys take money, and the one who gets the job has a photo and a shooter and he does the deed, and he doesn't know who he's topping or why." "Well, there's no motive, no get-caught." "But there wasn't time for that." "When Cowley, my boss, told us the score, I had to work fast." "It could have been arranged." "Ballard was arriving with evidence he could back up." "I took the initiative." "Commendable." "But considering that you personally were not implicated" "When I went on the take with you," "I didn't know you were in bed with the Reds." "All I was to do was to give you the nod when anyone got close on your smuggling capers." "But it's a lot bigger than that, and you know it." "They all want you, Culbertson-- and my boss most of all." "I'm a realist." "If they bring you down, you're going to take everyone with you." "Possibly." "This way, you owe me a bonus." "A large bonus." "Yet more money to spend on your young lady?" "What happened to your arm?" " Knife wound." " Well, it's bleeding." "You really shouldn't go rolling around the floor." "Not in your condition." "Well, it was self-inflicted." "I had some tidying up to do after Ballard." "I had to take care of Bolt, too." " What?" " Ah, don't worry!" " It was on the up-and-up." " Worry?" "Initiative is one thing;" "wholesale slaughter is another." "Well, you're in the clear." "There's nothing to tie it to you." "No?" "Bolt is tied in with Ballard, and Ballard with me." "I know what I'm doing." "I hope so." "I really hope so." "Barry's got this thing about a little island in the sun somewhere." "Or a little grey home in the west." "Come on, he's not that old." "He was in the service in the tropics, and I think he rather fancies that scene again." "What about you?" "What do you fancy?" "Me, I like it here for now." "Good." "I'm glad you're going to be around." "So is he, for a long time." "I see." "That's, uh, a nice car you've got." "Glad you like it." "You like the bright lights?" "Is this a chat up or an interrogation?" "It's a chat up." "I wouldn't let him bother you." "He can't resist trying it on." "He landed on his left side." "Ribs penetrated lungs and kidney." "Considerable bone breakage." "Messy, huh?" "I've seen worse." "Is there anything not consistent with the fall?" "Well, uh, now that you mention it." "Around the throat here, the bruising." "Very severe." "Consistent perhaps with a blow to the throat." " Karate chop, something like that?" " Yes." "A blow like that could choke a man to death, if he were given time to die and not heaved through a window." "Quite possibly." "I'll have to clean my own doorstep." "What?" "Oh, thinking aloud, that's all." "Thank you, Doctor." "Is it still hurting?" "Getting a bit stiff, that's all." "Why don't you let me change the bandage?" "Ah, it's okay." "Don't fuss." "No, leave that." "I'll clear up." "I think I'll turn in, anyway." "Well, it's this lousy arm." "Can you get back all right?" "I got here all by myself, didn't I?" "You look terrible." "Well, thanks." "Is there anything else wrong?" "Nope." "Are you sure I can't stay the night?" "I'm sure." "Okay." "Spend the night with that, see if I care." "You're a good kid, Mag." "Good at what?" "Thanks for the meal." " Ciao." " Ciao ciao." "Thank you." "Ah, Major." "Can I come in?" "Sure." "Nobody's more welcome." "You know that." "It's there, the door in there." "I was, uh, just going to turn in." "My, my arm's playing up." "Would you like a drink, Major?" "Why?" "Why did you do it?" "Do what?" "I've got no favourites; you know that." "But you were my first choice." "I thought of you immediately when I was asked to form the Squad." "The Devil you know, hey, sir?" "The Devil I didn't know quite well enough." "Remember this, Major?" "Taken just after we blew up the bridge." "You were pinned down, in a hell of a mess, and me and Jack Turner, Crazy Jack, charged that machine-gun post?" "Yes, I remember." "Well, you would have done the same thing for any of us, without thinking." "Why?" "Well, maybe I took a leaf out of your book, Major." "What does that mean?" "Well, okay, I-- Maybe I've broken the rules." "But that's what you've been doing all your life, sir." "I break the bad rules, the stupid rules." "But not the good ones." "They can never be broken." "Look at that photo." "Look at me." "Just a kid." "And now look at me." "I'm getting old, Major." "Aren't we all?" "And what've I got?" "Nothing." "I've killed men in just about every country you can name." "This one, too." "And today." "Who cares about the Bolts and Ballards of this world?" "Not you, Major." "Not even you." "It's time we left." "You're taking me in." "Is that it?" "You let me down, but, in some way," "I share the blame..." "because I chose you." "My only excuse is I, I chose you for what you were." "Not for what you've become." "If you must know, I did what I did to get out of this kind of place." "To get some money, to get away a long, long way away-- and to start living." "Let's go." "Won't you give me a break, Major?" "I already have, but you let me down." "Well, you could turn a blind eye." "Give me a half-hour start." "For old times' sake." "No." "I didn't think you would." "That's one of the "good rules", isn't it, Major?" "Okay." "Let's go." "Go on." "You all right?" "How is he?" "Rough." " Is he in here?" " Yeah." "Can't go in." "There's half the medical staff in there now." "What happened?" "How should I know?" "They told me the same as they told you: get here, fast." "Shit." "Yeah." "This had better be important." "It is." "I told you never to come here." "There was nowhere else to go." "All right, what is it you want, Martin?" "I'm blown." "They know about Ballard and Bolt." "Oh, that's very unfortunate." "I want out." "Obviously." "And I need your help." "My help?" "How can I help you?" "Now, look." "I've been sticking my neck out for you for almost a year." "You were well paid for it." "Not now, Sean." "Tell Mother I'll be out in a moment." "I want a one-way ticket." "Out of here." "Oh, I see." "Now you'd like to take a little cruise." "Right on the nose." "Well, strange as it may seem, under the circumstances, you're in luck, Martin." "I do have a ship." "The Pole Star." "Sails from London Seadock at dawn." "Where is she headed?" "Does it matter?" "No." "No, it doesn't really, does it." "If you'll present yourself to Captain Kilarkis just before she sails," "I will have made the arrangements." "Thanks." "I appreciate it." "And I acknowledge a debt." "I'm sure you won't be offended if I ask you to show yourself out." "Your presence, to say the least, disturbs me." "Captain Kilarkis, please." "Kilarkis?" "Oh, Culbertson here." "You'll be having a passenger in the morning." "Martin." "Barry Martin." "I want you to see that he's..." "well taken care of." "You can go in now." "But only for a minute." "Right." "We can go in." "God, it's nearly morning." "Sir?" "Mr Cowley?" "Doyle." "Is that Doyle?" "Yes, sir." "Where's Bodie?" "Right here, sir." "Have to, have to keep our doorstep clean." "Martin." "Sergeant Martin." "Barry?" "Martin's gone bad." "Murdered Ballard and Bolt." "Tried to kill me." "Find him." "Find him." "Have to work fast before..." "before the other departments take over." "Important we, we clean our own doorstep." "We understand, sir." "You get some rest, eh." "He was my first choice." "I chose him." "Get him." "Martin." "Barry Martin." "I'd never have believed it." "Never." "You heard what the man said:" "before the other departments take over." "Let's pick him up." "We've been suckered beautifully right from the off." "Yeah, all that "me and the Major" guff." "Yeah, bloody near killed him." "So much for esprit de corps." "Well, you're the army man!" "All for one." "Yeah." "Doyle, CI5." "Where was he found?" "Upstairs?" "Uh, top floor." "Top floor, that's all we heard." "You have any news from the hospital?" " No, not at all." " No." " Anyone hear anything?" " Nah." "And if they did, they decided it was none of their business." "Home Sweet Home." "Well, he left in a hurry, as you might expect." "Took some of his things, though." "This place is a regular armoury." "Bathroom." "Taped behind the bowl." "Chinese takeaway." "Yeah." "Hey." "What was Maggie's second name?" "Dunno, I didn't get it." "What about when you were chatting her up?" "No." "Not even a phone number?" "Leave off, will you." "Oh, very good." "Come on." "Come on!" "We closed." "Hey?" "We closed." "No open twenty-four hour." "Yeah, I know that." "Just come down, will you." "What's that?" "Come down take a look." "All right, all right." "What you want?" "Hey?" "Uh, look, sorry to wake you." "Police?" "Yes, sort of." "Do you know this girl?" "Well, take a look." "Very nice girl." "Pretty." "Yeah, I know, but do you know her?" "Sure." "Regular customer." "You don't know where she lives, do you?" "Sometime she collects, sometime we deliver." "Beautiful." "That's Barry's Mini." "Here we go." "Yes?" "Oh, it's you." " Hallo, Maggie." " And you." "Never far apart." "Can we talk?" "What about?" "Well, let us in, will you?" "Give us a coffee." "It's a bit early, isn't it?" "What do you want?" "To talk." "About your boyfriend." "Oh, he's not here." "Didn't say he was, did we." "Yeh." "Come on, Maggie, open up." "We might think you're hiding something." "Well?" "You're made up nice and early." "Going out?" "Yes, I am." "With Barry?" "Hardly, in his state of health." "How is he?" "Well, when I left him yesterday, his arm was still playing up very badly." "Yesterday." "You like your fresh air?" "Barry provide all this, did he?" "No, he did not." "So what do you do for bread?" "I manage." "This go on all the time in CI5, dormitory checks on all the girlfriends?" "Think someone's been playing it a bit rough?" "I really must get on." "Okay, let's go." "There was a bandage in the kitchen." "Dodgy arm or not, he went over the balcony." "Ah, damn!" "I got the number." "He gave me a tip once:" "always keep a spare car." " So?" " So I know where it is." "SJB 150G." "3.7 to Base." "That's it!" "SJB 150G." "Okay, let's take him." "They've got him!" "Edge Street." " You're CI5, right?" " Yeah." "Well, he says he's with you." "One of your lot." "Yeah, he was, once." "Ah, no!" "Hallo, Mr Doyle." "Tell them!" "Tell them I'm with you!" "You remember me, don't you, Mr Doyle?" "I'm Geronimo, Mr Martin's contact." "You saw Barry?" "Yeah, about half hour ago." "I'm on a job for him." "He asked me to drive this car around." "Nowhere special, just around." "Yeah, all right, Geronimo." "Sorry." "False alarm." "Any bright ideas?" "I was just going to ask you." "Well, you know the man;" "what would he do?" "Well, if I was Barry," "I'd take the white Mini and on the assumption that lightning never strikes twice..." "Go home." "Well, it was a thought." "Well, he can't keep running for ever." "He's got to hole up sometime." "Or skip the country." "Hey." "Paul Culbertson." "If he can import, he can export as well." "Why should I know where he is, Mr Doyle?" "I haven't got the time to explain, Mr Culbertson." "Excuse me." "I want to phone my lawyer." "You don't mind?" " Ray." " What?" "I shouldn't bother, Mr Culbertson." "Be a shame to spoil his sleep." "Yeah, it's a bit early in the day for legal niceties." "Maggie." "You're not coming." "What do you mean, I'm not coming?" "Look, I'm going to be playing catch as catch can for the next year of my life." "I'll send for you." "Barry, I" "No, don't do anything about delaying the sailing time, don't give any indication that we're moving in." "Just a straightforward check on the sailing." "Okay?" "Out." "Too keen." "It's always the same: too keen." "Bodie?" "Yeah?" "Looks like they're getting ready to sail." "I know." "Do you think he's aboard?" "Could be." "I don't know." "If he is and he sees us, he's going to cry up." "Ah, we'd better wait till they hoist the ladder up, then, Jack." "Jack?" "Who's Jack?" "Where did he creep in?" "Just a figure of speech, old chap." "Hold it, Martin!" "Well, the other half of the double-act." "So you finally caught up with me." "You're a good teacher." "Too good, if you ask me." "No one's asking." "Put your hands on your head." "Slowly." "Otherwise, what?" "I'll kill you." "No way, Bodie." "As I told you before, I've got the drop on you." "Psychologically." "You counting on that?" "I'm counting on it." "Take him!" "Doyle, take him!" "I never shot him." "It came from the ship." "Seems someone else wanted him dead." "Well, you did well-- with a little outside help." "The captain admitted the killing, and implicated Culbertson." "How thieves fall out, eh." "I had him in my sights." "Aye." "I had him in my sights, and I couldn't pull the trigger." "I should throw the book at you, Doyle, but I can't." "In that position, I'm not sure that I would have done, either." "Well, uh, your grapes are very welcome, but it's my whisky I've been waiting for." "Uh." "Yeah, well, uh, we didn't bring any." "You didn't bring--?" "But I asked you, I specifically asked you to bring" "Doctor's orders, sir." "Yeah, hospital rules." "Och, you know my views on that!" "Some rules are just made to be broken!" "That's just, uh, the stupid rules, sir." "Not the good ones." "Yup, that's what you always say, sir." "Ah, great--!" "Oh, no!" "Get out!"