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deaddogsdam
  • 12/05/2025
First broadcast 11th January 1987.

When a young bride moves into a country manor, long repressed childhood memories of witnessing a murder come to the surface.

Joan Hickson as Miss Marple
Geraldine Alexander as Gwenda Reed
John Moulder-Brown as Giles Reed
Frederick Treves as Doctor James Kennedy
Jean Anderson as Mrs Fane
Terrence Hardiman as Walter Fane
John Bennett as Richard Erskine
Geraldine Newman as Janet Erskine
Jack Watson as Foster
Joan Scott as Mrs Cocker
Jean Heywood as Edith Paget
Georgine Anderson as Mrs Hengrave
Edward Jewesbury as Mr Sims
David McAlister as Raymond West
Amanda Boxer as Joan West
Esmond Knight as Mr Galbraith
John Ringham as Dr Penrose
Eryl Maynard as Lily Kimble
Ken Kitson as Jim Kimble
Kenneth Cope as Jackie Afflick
Peter Spraggon as Detective Inspector Last
Sheila Raynor as Shop Assistant
Donald Burton as Bosola
Struan Rodger as Ferdinand
Gary Watson as Kelvin Halliday

Category

📺
TV
Transcript
00:00THE TRIAL
00:05THE TRIAL
00:11The TRIAL
00:14THE TRIAL
00:18THE TRIAL
00:22THE TRIAL
00:26Why on earth did you want to turn off the door?
00:32I like the sound of it.
00:33Anyway, I've hardly seen the sea yet.
00:36Going for a paddle, Gwendolyn?
00:38I might very well.
00:40Don't be superior.
00:41It's all new to me, darling.
00:42That's what you don't understand.
00:56Giles, look.
01:08What?
01:08Just stop.
01:10I've got to take a look at that.
01:16What?
01:18That house.
01:20Gwendolyn, what on earth would you do with a vast place like that?
01:26Live in it.
01:27It's just what I want.
01:29What I've always dreamed of.
01:32And the agents are in Dillmouth.
01:35See, I was right to come.
01:36Darling, you can't buy a house in Dillmouth when you're just married.
01:39People retire to Dillmouth.
01:41Well, I'm just an ignorant New Zealander.
01:43I can do what I want.
01:45Dillbraith and Penderly in 4th Street.
01:51Well, all right, if that's what you want.
01:53But it's the last house we see today.
01:56It might be the last house we're going to see.
01:58But that's all.
02:10It seems rather large.
02:12Is it seven bedrooms?
02:13Six.
02:14In my opinion, the seventh is a dressing room.
02:23It's a lovely big room, Mrs. Hangrave.
02:26But you can't see the sea.
02:33Are you a Devon man, Mr. Reid?
02:35Yes, I was born in Plymouth.
02:37But my wife has never been to England before.
02:39I just flew back last week.
02:42After three years in New Zealand.
02:44On business?
02:46Yes, the meat marketing board.
02:49My husband was with the bank.
02:51Really?
02:55And separately of the golf club.
02:57He was very much attached to Dillmouth.
03:00Leaning cupboards here.
03:01is this the bathroom oh yes it is well the mahogany surround oh Giles look isn't that wonderful
03:16it's quite old-fashioned but my husband wouldn't change it oh I really love it I can just see
03:21celluloid ducks in a bath like that I think you mean plastic Gwendo I was celluloid when I was
03:27little and then there must be another bedroom here I'm sorry this is angry it's just that I feel so at
03:37home here this is the room for me and there's the seat
03:57what's up I don't know it's like vertigo someone on my grave
04:07this house isn't haunted is it I never heard so but someone died here
04:16my husband died in St Monica's nursing home
04:22of course you told us I'm ever so sorry in a house of this age there must have been some deaths
04:31this Elworthy from whom we purchased it seven years ago was in excellent health
04:37she went abroad to do missionary work and now I expect you want to see the garden
04:43we have a man who comes twice a week but it's so difficult to get people since the war and
04:49it's not exactly relevant oh dear excuse me yes of course
04:55do you think it's someone else wanting to view well I doubt it the price is pretty steep
05:02well that forsythia will have to go it completely blocks the view anyway there should be steps here
05:09down to the lawn the steps Gwenda I thought this place gave you the creeps oh that was just silly
05:15I really want it Giles Aunt Mary's furniture will be perfect it's 500 over the top make an offer then
05:23do a brutal deal with Galbraith and Penderly and feel happy
05:27we've got to get up why just because you're a man of leisure for the next two months
05:55moving into this house is the hardest work I've ever done in my life and the workman will be here
06:03and Mrs. Cocker she said something yesterday about the devil and idle hands and I think she meant you
06:10hi Mrs. Cocker they make a powerful lot of dust they workman yes I know I found this to cover the
06:26table in the dining room it's quite valuable not a bit too soon in my opinion madam I'll do it now
06:31oh dear how silly of me I always think there's a door through here well it would save a tidy bit of
06:41trouble madam to have a door there do you think so I'll have a word with Mr. Sims about it if you
06:46could put this on the table for me I'll take this up to my husband and get his breakfast very well madam
06:53it's from Raymond West who Raymond West my cousin in town the writer I told you about him oh yes
07:02what does he want wants us to spend a few days with them in London he says he and Jen are dying to
07:09meet you and show you around oh no Giles oh Gwendo why not they're perfectly harmless it might be an
07:15idea for us to have a break and there are one or two things I should do in town
07:19why don't you want to go there's too much to do here you know it'll be chaos darling it'll be chaos
07:28anyway why don't we let Sims and Mrs. Cocker fight it out or we take a break no you go if you want
07:36darling it's you they want to see after all these years I'll stay here you'll be lonely don't be too
07:45sure I might have a mad affair with Reg Reg he's the mason is here
08:15looks like you're going back to old times miss old times yeah come across their old steps see
08:28just like you want them now when someone planted over and covered them up that was silly of them
08:34you want a view here down to the lawn and the sea yes and they shrubs will make it dark in the
08:40years too still they was growing a treat oh the saithia ain't much are they wigglers I cost money
08:47oh but this is much nicer yeah well maybe it is mr. Foster I hope it here before the hangraves they
08:58didn't stay in this house very long no matter of six years or so before them the missiles worthy's
09:05stretchy folk missions to the even who was it for that oh yes I know this is Findison proper gentry
09:13she was planted most of this garden before I were born did she die here no died out in Egypt or some
09:21such place but they brought her home here and she buried in the churchyard there when none of the new
09:26hoses built up along then yeah changes well I suppose they have to be changes improvements well
09:34I don't see any I used to be the cottage hospital down there nice and handy and then they goes and
09:41builds that new place a mile out of town changes all the time now what's the good of that you can't
09:45do no proper planting if you don't plan ahead what do you fancy mrs. Regan we got a nice candy stripe we
09:53do a lot of that one or two walls and a matching emulsion it's contemporary this won't be your room I
10:05take it well not when the others been decorated I do like this room being a nursery at one time I
10:13fancy what it bars on the windows still I know what I want with bunches of tiny scarlet poppies and
10:29something else yes poppies and bunches of blue corn flowers to match this a white background and
10:41bunches of red and blue flowers oh mrs. Reed oh and another thing this is stuck even my husband
10:49couldn't get it open do you think
10:51been painted over a good few times I can't never see to that the redecorating will take care of any
11:02damage and it won't order the estimate mr. Sims because my husband you're all bless us now it got some
11:11good news for you on that score as it happens mrs. Reed you have that door downstairs to the dining
11:17room you said you wanted well red scrape some plaster away he said there's been a door there before
11:22there was a door simplest thing in the world to put it back so that'll take a few pounds off what I quoted
11:30did you I knew there was a door I knew there was a door common sense really but
11:37there won't make me too cool flares
11:40I can just see celluloid ducks in a bath like that I think you mean plaster
12:00that door downstairs to the dining room that you said you wanted well red scrape some plaster away
12:09he said there's been a door there before
12:11like you're going back to old times miss old times yeah come across the old steps just like you want
12:20to know
12:50I'll be in the nursery one time, my friend, sir.
13:20We've been painted over a good few times.
13:25My carpenter will see to that.
13:28The redecorating will take care of any damage.
13:50I want a wallpaper with bunches of tiny scarlet poppies and bunches of blue cornflowers.
14:10Hello? Hello?
14:22Gilles? Are you all right, darling?
14:38Are you in London?
14:40Yes, I'm calling from the West. Look, Gwenda, they really would love you to come down just for a few days.
14:47Are you there? Gwenda?
14:50Yes.
14:52I'm here.
14:54Hop on a train and I'll see you at Paddington tomorrow. What do you say?
14:57Yes. Yes, I will.
14:59Splendid. Raymond and Joan will be chuffed. And there's someone they would like you to meet.
15:06And here she is. Aunt Jane. This is Giles' wife, Gwenda.
15:10How do you do, Miss Marple?
15:12Oh, how do you do?
15:13Do sit down.
15:14What an unusual name.
15:16It's Welsh. My mother was Welsh.
15:18Oh, but I thought Joan told me that you came from New Zealand.
15:22My mother died when I was born. We were living in India, so my father sent me out to New Zealand to live with relatives.
15:29It wasn't long before he died himself.
15:31Oh, dear me, yes. Such a treacherous climate. I know one or two old India hands in St. Berdymede. That's my village.
15:39Aunt Jane's something of a local celebrity.
15:41Oh, dear boy.
15:42She solves puzzles, and not the ones in the times.
15:45Well, I'm very fond of the crossword.
15:47What sort of puzzles, Miss Marple?
15:50Very murky puzzles, Giles.
15:52The things that happen in an English village would utterly amaze you.
15:55Which is why I suppose you spend so much time there, Raymond.
15:58Yes, my angel. The ambience suits me to perfection.
16:02Under the thatch of the lilacs and darjeeling, dark passions stir.
16:07Here in simple uninhibited London, we need the arts to jazz things up.
16:11Which reminds me, we're taking you all to the court tonight.
16:14Oh, the court?
16:16It's a theatre, darling.
16:18Oh, thank goodness.
16:21More to the dark passions, actually. The Duchess of Mulfi.
16:24Where's the jam?
16:26Alas! How have these offended?
16:30The death of young wolves is never to be pitied.
16:34Fix your eyes here.
16:35Constantly.
16:36Do you not weep?
16:38Other sins only speak.
16:40Murder shrieks out.
16:43The element of water moistens the earth, but blood flies up and bedews the heavens.
16:51Cover her face.
16:53Mine eyes dazzle.
16:55She died young.
16:57I think not so.
16:59Her infelicity seems to have years too many.
17:03She and I were twins.
17:04And should I die this instant, I had lived her time to a minute.
17:18It seems she was born first.
17:19You have bloody approved the ancient truth that kindred commonly do worse agree than remote strangers.
17:33Let me see her face again.
17:34How do I know why she's weak?
17:35I don't see.
17:36Well, Webster was much possessed by death, of course.
17:37You're well done, Raymond.
17:38Personally, I loathe Jacobean drama.
17:39I suppose it was a shock.
17:40Boy, I think we should find it something much more than that, Jo.
17:41I must apologize.
17:42Gwenda's very sorry and so am I.
17:43She's gone to bed.
17:44Oh, how is she, poor dear?
17:45Well, she's still very happy.
17:46I don't know why she's weak.
17:47I don't know why she's weak.
17:48I don't see.
17:49Well, Webster was much possessed by death, of course.
17:50Well done, Raymond.
17:51Personally, I loathe Jacobean drama.
17:52I suppose it was a shock.
17:53Boy, I think we should find it something much more than that, Jo.
17:58I must apologize.
18:01Gwenda's very sorry and so am I.
18:04She's gone to bed.
18:05Oh, how is she, poor dear?
18:08Well, she's still very shaken.
18:10I don't quite know what to do.
18:12It's all rather a muddle.
18:14Like one of your puzzles, Miss Marple.
18:17I don't think I should leave her alone too long.
18:19No, no.
18:21Well, I wonder.
18:22Well, I don't like to interfere, but you think I might possibly speak to her?
18:26That would be very kind.
18:28Yes, she'd like that.
18:29Oh, good.
18:30Yes, well then I'll go up, shall I?
18:31I'm pouring drinks, Aunt Jane.
18:33What do you want?
18:34Cocoa would be very nice.
18:36And hot sweet tea for Gwenda.
18:38And lots of hot water bottles.
18:41You know the room?
18:48Have we any cocoa?
18:50Or hot water bottles.
18:52Dear Aunt Jane.
18:56Whiskey we have.
18:57And you deserve a large one.
18:59Thanks.
19:00Gwenda's still very upset.
19:02Well, I think I'm going mad.
19:06I must be going mad.
19:09All those things that happened in the house.
19:13In Hillside.
19:17And then tonight.
19:19Yes.
19:20It happened.
19:33Quite suddenly.
19:39I was enjoying the play.
19:41Not thinking about the house or anything.
19:44And then he said those words.
19:45The Duke.
19:46Cover her face.
19:47Mine eyes dazzle.
19:48She died young.
19:49And I was there.
19:50On the stairs at Hillside.
19:51Looking down through the banisters.
19:52And I saw her lying there.
19:53Her hair all golden.
19:54And her face.
19:56She was strangled.
20:02There was a man.
20:03I saw his hands.
20:06They were grey.
20:07and i saw her lying there her hair all golden and her face
20:14she was strangled there was a man
20:21i saw his hands they were gray
20:27wrinkled like monkey's paws she was dead who was dead helen
20:37why did i say that i don't know any helen you see i'm mad i want to see a psychiatrist at once
20:47unless it's too late well you can always do that when you wish but i think it's better to examine
20:52the simplest explanation first now you say that several things about this house seem familiar
20:58is that right yes well then the easiest and most natural explanation is that you've seen them before
21:05in another life you mean no dear no i mean in this life but i've never been in england until six weeks
21:15ago my father sent me straight from india to new zealand do you remember that you remember the
21:22voyage to new zealand no well then i think it's quite possible that you came to england for a time
21:29and actually lived at hillside and the room that you remember was probably your nursery it was a
21:35nursery there are bars on the window but that's impossible no no not impossible just a remarkable
21:45coincidence and in life coincidences do happen remember you chose the house and you had no
21:54revulsion of feelings until that very definite moment when you started to come downstairs and looked
21:59into the hall then that's true as well i mean helen well dear i think we have to face the facts that if
22:10those were memories this is a memory too remember you told me you saw the body through the banisters
22:18just as you would have done standing on the stairs as a little child
22:29i must speak to aunt allison in new zealand
22:35she'll know
22:36oh good morning miss marple am i disturbing you oh my dear boy of course not no no in the least
22:51gwenda's just coming down she had breakfast on a tray it was pretty late before we got to bed last
22:56night oh and was gwenda able to get in touch with her relations in new zealand i don't think aunt allison
23:02quite realized it was the middle of the night here but what you said to gwenda was quite true
23:07it seems her father took her to england after her mother's death and on the way over he met a young
23:12woman on the boat and married her in london oh a stepmother and did aunt allison recall her name
23:20i gather she walked out on him quite soon that's why gwenda was sent to new zealand but aunt allison did
23:26remember one thing they had a house in devonshire dartmouth she thought it was but it could have
23:32been dillmouth so that all fits and did gwenda explain to aunt allison why she was making all
23:38these inquiries she said something about having a strong feeling she'd been in england before but
23:43the lion wasn't too hot and aunt allison seems to have left one or two things unsaid in the past to
23:48gwenda obviously it wasn't a happy marriage i suppose she thought it best forgotten
23:53oh there you are my dear good morning miss marple raymond's battering his typewriter but where's joe
24:01in the studio miss giles told you all the news and how brilliant you are oh we just couldn't get to
24:08sleep it seemed to explain so much and then so much it didn't oh yes that's true now we've got to find
24:15out of course find out what the truth who was helen and was she really murdered i've got to know oh my
24:26dad i do advise you i do advise you most strongly not to do that why i expect it's all imagination but
24:34gwenda won't be happy until she knows charles is right miss marple i've got to see it through
24:40don't you don't you understand oh yes of course i understand because you're both so young and
24:44charming and you you're just beginning and you simply can't imagine anything yes i was thinking
24:52of freddie lovelace he was dareman at home farm and his mother had apparently once won first prize for
24:59chrysanthemums oh long before freddie was born quite a triumph for her and when she died he tried to
25:06find the certificate to have it framed she was so proud of her you see it was a grave mistake
25:13why it turned out she hadn't won oh no my dear it turned out she wasn't his mother
25:20all i'm saying is that i wish oh i do so wish that you would leave the past alone was it here a bit near
25:30the stairs i think it must be true what miss marple said i mean and you can't remember anything else here
25:44in the hall just helen well no one in dilmouth seems to know anything so it can't have been a murder
25:52the parish registry of deaths wasn't much hope
25:57what idiots you know who we should ask who the land agents my father must have bought this house
26:06or at least rented it of course galbraith and penderly
26:11was a holiday day my prep school new yorkshire
26:2270 years ago good god i why come to me i'm an old man retired years ago we thought perhaps you might
26:34remember mr galbraith because my father came here from india and mr penderly said you were out there in
26:40the first world war india do you say we think gwenda's father might have rented hillside well is it called hillside then
26:53was it chap young wife and a baby little girl that was me you don't say so well well
27:05now now now what was his name halliday that's right my dear nice fellow very pretty wife
27:18young fair-haired wanted to be nearer people or something like that
27:23yes very pretty who were her people hmm no idea no idea at all my dear didn't look like you
27:36no well
27:39st catherine's yes that's what the place was called it took st catherine's at eight guineas a week
27:48while mrs finderson was out in egypt
27:53didn't she run off with someone that young girl halliday's wife we thought you might tell us
27:59this oh i don't know my dear it's a devil of a long time ago anyway you can tell beryl i want my drink
28:20i didn't dream it then
28:33so the stepmother was young and she had fear here
28:40but we still don't know her name
28:42we didn't this is from raymond i asked him to make a check for me at somerset house what somerset
28:51house the registry of births deaths and marriages yes here it is a duplicate of your father's certificate
28:59kensington registry office august 7th
29:04kelvin james halliday
29:05to helen to spend life kennedy but it can't have been her you saw galbraith said she went away
29:18how do we know how do we know she went away
29:35i thought it was you well my dear i cried a surprise to you i'm sure what are you doing here well my
30:04doctor ordered me to the seaside for a change and you always told me how attractive doing this was
30:09and i uh i have a friend who had a cook who now takes borders on the front so i came here well why
30:15didn't you come and see us oh i think the old person is rather a nuisance to a young married couple
30:20no not you well it made me welcome i'm sure well now how are you both getting on to tell you the truth
30:27i was thinking of you only a moment ago you were yes i've been studying the local newspaper
30:32all the source of information ah then you've seen our advertisement i'm afraid we haven't all
30:40together taken your advice well good advice is almost certain to be ignored but that's no reason for
30:45not giving it now i always find it personal so intriguing well anyone with the knowledge of helen
30:52and spend love helen may kennedy etc etc so it was helen yes yes it was well you must forgive me if i seem
31:02concerned but my life has so few excitements and i know you won't think being positive if i asked you to
31:08let me know how you're getting on no of course not if it wasn't for you i've probably been a loony bin
31:14no we'll tell you everything and you must come to afternoon tea and see the house we've put the
31:19advertisement in the times as well so we're bound to get some answers don't you think yes i think so i do
31:27think so my dear god's hill woodley bolton dear son in answer to your advertisement in the times helen
31:37spenloff kennedy is my sister i've lost touch with her for many years and should be glad to have news
31:43of her yours faithfully james kennedy md oh lord you don't mean to tell me you're gwenny yes
31:54i'm gwenny this is yours for some ceremony we must have tea please sit down thank you
32:02so you've bought the house in dillmouth have you yes it's quite a strange coincidence we bought hillside
32:10i believe you told me on the phone it was for sale you see it's the same house my father had all those
32:18years years ago hillside oh but surely they changed the name i think just before the war i got the right
32:25place on the leehampton road as you go down into town yes it used to be called st catherine's of course
32:33ah mrs roll we thought we'd have some tea some cakes or some hot butter toast or something
32:40i don't usually go in for tea what made you want to come back to st catherine's you can't remember
32:49much about it surely no very little but somehow it felt like home it felt like home so i hoped you could
32:58tell me all about it my father and helen well everything well there's not much helen was coming
33:08back from india she met your father on the boat he'd lost his wife fell in love with her and she felt
33:14sorry for him and there you are it's hard to know how these things happen but they married in london and
33:22then they came down to me i was in practice in dilmouth then a nice fellow kelvin bit nervy and
33:28run down but they were very happy together then however in less than a year she'd run away with someone
33:35else you probably know about that who did she run away with she didn't tell me i wasn't in her
33:41confidence but i'd seen i couldn't help seeing there was some friction between her and kelvin
33:48she didn't want me to know what was going on i wouldn't have approved delvin had people to stay
33:55with them i always imagined it was one of them there wasn't a divorce then oh no helen didn't
34:00want a divorce kelvin told me that that's why i imagine perhaps wrongly it was a case of some married
34:06man someone whose wife was a catholic perhaps and my father he didn't want a divorce either
34:12why did he suddenly decide to send me to new zealand well i gather your people out there were
34:20pressing him and after the breakup of the marriage but why didn't he take me himself i don't know
34:26he was in rather poor health at the time but what did he die of i'm afraid i don't remember all the
34:33details as i say he was in poor health and he went to a sanatorium somewhere on the east coast and
34:38he died there about two years later where was it exactly i'm sorry i don't remember can you tell
34:47us where he was buried you know i don't think we should dwell on the past it was all such a long
34:54time ago and we rather lost touch when he left dillmouth i have no idea at all where your father
35:01is buried that's strange well not really helen was the link i was always very fond of helen tried to take
35:08care of her she was my half sister you know much younger than i was she got involved early on with
35:15the most unsuitable young man and i took care of that and then she elected to go to india to marry
35:22walter fane son of dillmouth's leading solicitor and frankly as dull as dishwater when she reached bombay
35:30and saw him again it was all off and then she met your father coming home you see what i mean i was
35:38always worried about helen do you know where she is at all i'd like to get in touch with her again
35:47no no we don't know at all that's one of the reasons we came to see you
35:56but i thought from your advertisement
36:00so tell me why did you advertise we were hoping
36:03we thought someone who knew her might be able to tell me something about my father
36:13well yeah well now i'm sorry that's all i know
36:24what did you make of it i think it's hiding something i wish we'd never started this
36:33so
36:43jim
36:43jim
36:45not what i found here in the paper
36:47i almost strained the chips onto it will anyone with a knowledge of ellen spenlove alladay ney kennedy
36:54communicate with messrs newman well that's mrs alladay i was in service with at dillmouth
37:01her name was ellen right enough and she was sister to dr kennedy and has cured my chill blames
37:07well you think there's any money in it might be a will or something it's a powerful long time ago
37:14you don't think it could be police do you jim
37:18whatever you know what i always thought and i said it to edie but she wouldn't have it and i'd have
37:25said a tiny bit more at the time only i nipped out the pictures that night and i didn't want to draw
37:30attention to it no twin lightly be police not after all this time but it doesn't say to your advantage
37:39do you think i should jim not if i was you lily why ever not only leads to trouble that sort of thing
37:54when supper ready
38:08i'll answer it darling
38:24hello mr reed it's dr kennedy here hello dr kennedy
38:28i was thinking of our talk this afternoon one or two things i think you and your wife ought to know
38:38it seems odd to be healed again well now i take it you're still determined to find the sanatorium
38:51where your father died yes yes we are that should be easy enough for you i imagine after what i've told
38:56you shall we sit down thank you so i thought it better if you heard the facts from me it won't do
39:05you or anybody any good guenny but there it is
39:10your father wasn't physically ill the sanatorium in question was a mental home a mental home
39:29you mean he was mad he had a very severe mental breakdown he was suffering from delusional
39:39obsessions what kind of delusions he was under the impression that he'd strangled his wife no
39:47strangled and had he what no of course he hadn't how do you know my dear girl was never any question
40:00of such a thing he'd been in a very unbalanced state for some time and the shock when helen left him
40:08sent him over the edge if a man would rather his wife was dead than unfaithful he can persuade himself
40:15of anything even that he killed her so you're quite sure there's no question that he actually did what
40:22he said oh quite sure i'd had two letters from helen one when she went away after a week to france
40:31and another about six months later no the whole thing was a delusion pure and simple can you tell
40:38us about it i tried to he'd been having dreams and the dreams always ended up in the same way with
40:48throttling helen well it all came to a head one evening after i got back from the hospital
40:54it was a friday i remember kelvin was waiting for me in my consulting room he'd been there about a
41:02quarter of an hour and when i came in he looked up at me and he said i've killed helen well i didn't
41:12know what to think so i said have you had another dream he said no no no it's true she's lying there
41:20strangled well he seemed very cool and reasonable so i got the car out again and took him back to
41:30the house it was quiet and dark we went up to the bedroom the bedroom yes of course that's where
41:41it happened was when we got in there was nothing nothing disturbed the whole thing was a hallucination
41:51what did my father say and he persisted in his story of course so i gave him a sedative and put him to
41:57bed in the dressing room i found a note in a waste paper basket in here it said
42:06going away with the only man i've ever loved clearly he come in and read it and experienced a severe attack
42:15of hysterical amnesia that's all
42:24he wasn't alone that night in the house oh no of course you were tucked up in bed but
42:30i questioned the housemaid i took it upstairs into helen's room we went through her thing she'd packed a
42:36suitcase in the back before she went away so the next morning i talked to kelvin and he agreed to go
42:45into a nursing home now helen's letter came from berlitz she said she didn't want a divorce and she hoped
42:53that kelvin would forget her as soon as possible he went into the private mental home and that's where
43:03he died
43:07and you got another letter from helen oh yes post restaurant from florence she said if kelvin
43:12wanted a divorce she'd let him have the evidence well i i showed it to him and he said it once that
43:18he didn't so i wrote and told her and that's the very last i ever heard of course the war blotted out many things
43:34i'm sorry to have to tell you this granny but you had to know
43:40who had to know me
43:48aunt alison never breathed a word no no she never did
43:55I knew. I knew all the time.
44:11We still can't be sure.
44:13I knew it was Helen. I saw she was strangled.
44:15But, Gwenda, there was no body.
44:18Your father was mistaken. You could have been mistaken too.
44:21No, Giles.
44:22Listen, Gwenda, it's the only thing that makes any sense.
44:25Supposing he came in and found her writing the note.
44:27Suppose he saw Red, grabbed a hold of her,
44:30he got his hands around her throat, and that's what you saw.
44:33And then what?
44:35Well, and then she passed out.
44:38He thought he'd killed her, rushed off to get Dr. Kennedy,
44:41and, well, meantime, she recovers or her lover turns up.
44:45No, it's impossible.
44:47I know she was dead.
44:49Like a dog that throws back its head and howls.
44:52Hello.
44:53Oh, Dad.
44:54What's she doing here?
44:56I forgot to tell you.
44:57I invited her to afternoon tea.
44:58Oh, Gwenda.
45:00Come on.
45:00We've got to go through with it.
45:01All right, if you say so, darling.
45:04Oh, hello.
45:07Hello, Miss Marple.
45:10How are you enjoying Dormuth?
45:12Oh, very much.
45:14Yes, I have friends who have friends here,
45:16and I've received a number of pleasant invitations.
45:19That's nice.
45:19Yes, indeed.
45:20Yes, indeed.
45:21Oh, what a beautiful spot.
45:25Well, I do so hope that you've settled in by now.
45:28Well, it...
45:29The fact is, Miss Marple,
45:32we've just had a visitor,
45:34and rather a shock for me.
45:43Well, my dears, I do see what you mean.
45:46It's what you thought in London, isn't it?
45:48I mean, you thought then that my father might be involved.
45:52Well, it occurred to me as a possibility.
45:55In a case of strangling,
45:56it's so often the husband who is involved.
45:59I wish now we'd taken your advice.
46:02But once you've started,
46:03you can't go back.
46:05No.
46:07However dangerous the journey,
46:08you can't turn back.
46:09Well, I don't see how we can go forward.
46:11Nothing makes any sense.
46:14Well, there's always a possibility of X.
46:16X?
46:17X, the unknown factor.
46:20Someone who hasn't appeared yet,
46:21but whose presence behind the facts can be deduced.
46:25A lover, perhaps.
46:26Someone who posted those letters from abroad,
46:29other than Helen.
46:31Of course, you're both too young
46:32to remember the case of Dr. Crippen
46:34when something similar occurred.
46:41We've got to visit the place where my father died.
46:45Perhaps we'll find something there.
46:47We've got to visit the place where my father died.
46:49We've got to visit the place where my father died.
46:50We've got to visit the place where my father died.
46:51We've got to visit the place where my father died.
46:51We've got to visit the place where my father died.
46:52We've got to visit the place where my father died.
46:53We've got to visit the place where my father died.
46:54We've got to visit the place where my father died.
46:55We've got to visit the place where my father died.
46:56We've got to visit the place where my father died.
46:57We've got to visit the place where my father died.
46:58We've got to visit the place where my father died.
46:59We've got to visit the place where my father died.
47:00We've got to visit the place where my father died.
47:01We've got to visit the place where my father died.
47:32I, uh, remember your father quite well, Mrs. Greed.
47:41I wasn't in charge of the case.
47:42That was Dr. Maguire, whom some were intended then, and I was his junior.
47:50Would you like to come in?
47:52Thank you, Dr. Pennell.
47:55I, um, had Dr. Kennedy's letter.
48:06I've been going through the notes of your father's case history.
48:12Very unusual features.
48:14Most interesting.
48:16I'm afraid I really know very little about my father, Dr. Penrose.
48:19We hoped you'd tell us as much as you can.
48:23Yes.
48:27Remarkable obsession.
48:28Believing he'd strangled his wife in a fit of jealous rage.
48:32The delusion itself wasn't untypical.
48:35And what was lacking was the accompanying evidence of psychotic symptoms.
48:38But what I mean is, Mrs. Greed, he wasn't mad.
48:44Or didn't appear so.
48:45How would you describe my father, Dr. Penrose?
48:48Very convincing.
48:50Gentle.
48:51Kindly.
48:53Over-controlled.
48:54Quite frankly, at first I was inclined to believe him.
48:56You actually believed he killed his wife.
49:00I said at first.
49:03Later, as we got deeper into Major Halliday's history,
49:06we diagnosed it as a delusional neurosis.
49:10With roots far back into his childhood.
49:13Unfortunately, we didn't have time to complete his analysis.
49:17You knew, I suppose, he committed suicide.
49:21No.
49:24No, we didn't know that.
49:26Oh, I'm sorry.
49:28I thought you'd been told.
49:30We admitted some responsibility.
49:34He'd been prescribed sleeping tablets before his admission.
49:38Clearly, he was pretending to take the nightly dose
49:40until he had sufficient.
49:43Was he so unhappy?
49:45Oh, no.
49:46It was guilt, not depression.
49:50He tried at first, you know, to call the police.
49:53Normal desire for punishment.
49:56I remember he told me
50:00that he thought at one time
50:01his wife was secretly giving him drugs.
50:04Probably related to his days in India.
50:07Cases of women driving their husbands mad
50:10with de cura poisoning
50:11often appeared in the native courts.
50:13Ah, here's a typical interview.
50:16Well, Dr. Maguire's notes, your father speaking.
50:19Came into the house, everything dark.
50:22Went into dining room as usual, poured drink.
50:26Then went through to drawing room.
50:29And then he said he remembers nothing
50:30till standing in bedroom looking down at Helen, strangled.
50:35He knew he'd done it.
50:38How did he know?
50:41Question
50:42Do you remember killing her?
50:44Answer
50:45No.
50:47Then how do you know?
50:49Answer
50:49Because she's dead.
50:51Same pattern, over and over again.
50:55Impossible to convince him.
50:57Oh, he left this diary, by the way.
51:00I suppose you might like to have it.
51:02It's not especially important to the record.
51:05Medically speaking.
51:07Would you like to have it, Mrs. Reid?
51:09Yes.
51:10Yes, I should like that very much.
51:12What's true?
51:37I've written to James Kennedy.
51:39Let Helen come to see me.
51:42If she's alive.
51:44He says he doesn't know where she is.
51:47But I'm not deceived.
51:49He's a good fellow.
51:52And he knows I killed her.
51:55After all the dreams, the nightmares.
51:58Because I always knew from the very first
52:01that there was someone else.
52:05So what's the possibility of X?
52:07The unknown factor.
52:09Someone who hasn't appeared yet,
52:10but whose presence behind the facts
52:12can be deduced.
52:14A lover, perhaps.
52:19Once you've started,
52:21you can't go back.
52:23No.
52:23However dangerous a journey,
52:27we can't turn back.
52:28This is the only way
52:40for me
52:41and for little Gwenny.
52:44I always knew that there was someone else.
52:49I always knew that there was someone else.
52:49You do.
52:50You can't go back.
52:51You can't go back.
52:52I just know who has a new life.
52:53Maybe there is someone else.
52:53You can't go back.
52:54I think there's someone else.
52:54I've not been through.
52:55Maybe there's someone else.
52:56I just need to go back to the end.
52:56Let's go back.