Ordeal by Innocence (1984) - full transcript
Paleontologist Dr. Arthur Calgary visits the Argyle family to give them an address book that belongs to Jack Argyle. But he is told that Jack has been executed for the murder of his wife. But the address book can prove that Jack was innocent, so Dr. Calgary starts the investigation all over.
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Ordeal by Innocence (1984)
- Mr. Argyle?
- Mr. Argyle is in the library.
- Does he expect you, Mr...
- Calgary.
No.
If you would tell him that
I have come with his address book...
Mr. Leo Argyle's address book?
No. Mr. Jack.
Jack Argyle.
Come in.
I'll tell him you're here.
Will you wait here?
Will you come this
way please, Mr. Calgary?
Don't be alarmed, Calgary.
None of them is loaded.
It never fails to impress me, that.
What? Weaponry?
No, good grammar.
None of them is.
I never get it right.
Always say none of them are.
Arthur Calgary.
Sit down, will you?
- Nice, nice collection you have here.
- Oh, thank you.
It's more than that.
I'm actually compiling what
I hope will be the definitive
reference work on small arms.
Their history, manufacture and use.
Miss Vaughan, my secretary, undertakes
a good deal of my field research.
How do you do?
Arthur Calgary.
You don't feel threatened
with all these weapons, hmm?
Oh, guns run in our family.
I can trace at least four generations
of Argyles who were gunsmiths.
In any case, I thought you
Americans felt quite at home with guns.
Yes, not quite this many.
So you have come with
Jacko's address book, have you?
At long last, yes.
- When did you find it?
- Two years ago.
- Were you a friend of Jacko's?
- No, it's a bit silly, really.
I gave him a lift to Plymouth.
I was...
Sailing the next morning.
I was part of the Hayes-Bentley
expedition and...
He must have dropped it in the car.
My oversight really. It ended up
going to the Antarctic and back.
So I felt I should complete the trip.
I went to school with Charlie Hayes.
I'm surprised you ever got there.
Hmm.
When did you leave?
February? March?
The expedition? March 16th.
And you gave Jacko
a lift the night before?
In the evening, yes.
- Are you sure of that?
- Yes, of course I'm sure.
6:55 to be precise.
I checked the time
when he got in the car.
We had assembly on the boat at 7:30,
and I'm never late.
Never.
I see.
Well, thank you for taking the trouble
of returning it.
Well, I had hoped to have
the opportunity to
present it to him personally,
um, and explain.
Is that not possible?
Can I see him?
My son is dead, Dr. Calgary.
I'm, I'm dreadfully sorry.
He was hanged...
No.
For murdering his mother, my wife,
on March the 15th,
two years ago, between 7:00 and 7:30.
He was with me between 7:00 and 7:30.
Jacko always claimed
he was hitching a lift at the time.
None of us ever considered
the possibility
that he might be speaking the truth.
Because nobody came
forward to prove his alibi.
Well, if you are right about the time,
it appears you were his alibi.
The case must be reopened.
It's not for you to decide,
Dr. Calgary.
If you would care to leave
your name and address,
the police and our solicitors will
be in touch with you in due course.
Thank you and goodnight.
Why did you come here?
You don't know this family.
You don't know what they went through
with Jacko, and after.
You can't bring him back
into their lives.
Why bring him back into their minds?
Oh, God!
Dr. Calgary!
- Was he really innocent?
- Who are you?
Jacko's sister.
I'm so sorry.
Yes, he was.
Can they really hang you
for something you didn't do?
- I didn't believe they could.
- No, I didn't.
Jacko deserved it.
To be dead? Never.
Just because he's dead
doesn't change how he was.
- What kind of a doctor are you?
- I'm a paleontologist.
I see.
No, you don't.
Paleontologists look at fossils.
They pick up rocks
and they can tell you
what life was like
five million years ago.
That's what I do.
Dr. Calgary,
if I give you this stone,
could you see what this family
was like two years ago?
"Statement.
Arthur Calgary.
"At 6:55 p.m. on the evening
of March the15th, 1956,
"I gave a lift to a young man
who was hitchhiking into Torquay.
"I subsequently learned
he was Jack Argyle."
Now, did he tell you his name?
No, no, it was in the address book.
In the front.
And did Mr. Argyle
ask you to come here today?
No, not exactly, no.
And you know, of course,
it's up to the family to apply
to the Home Secretary
to have the case reopened.
Don't you think you could have waited?
If I'd acted immediately before,
Inspector,
that lad would not
have been hanged.
I have lectures,
I'm due back in the States.
I didn't want it to slide.
I feel...
- Didn't anybody check his alibi?
- We're not idiots, Mr. Calgary.
Everybody's alibi
was checked very thoroughly.
In fact, Jacko's defense counsel
thought his alibi sounded phony...
So, without you, he could not account
for the crucial half hour
between Mrs. Argyle being seen alive,
and the discovery of her body.
You've got a remarkable memory for
times, Mr. Calgary, two years later.
I keep notes.
How was he supposed to have done it?
The boy?
Well, he smashed her over
the head with a poker.
Not a pretty sight...
And he'd been heard
to threaten her earlier that evening.
They were having
a violent row about financial matters.
She had stopped his allowance.
She was even prepared
to cut him out of her will.
We were satisfied that no intruder
was involved, and we knew Jacko.
We were trying to make
a bookmaking charge against him stick.
Excuse me, sir.
Excuse me.
Right, where were we?
We have to wait for direction
from the Home Office.
We can't just reopen a case
without new evidence.
New evidence?
You have new evidence.
I'm new evidence.
He couldn't have done it
because he was with me at the time.
My God,
a man has been wrongly hanged.
Doesn't that mean anything to you?
There's something
I think you ought to know.
I was in charge of that case.
Hello, Miss Vaughan.
Dr. Calgary, you're back.
I have to see Mr. Argyle
about what we can do about having
Jacko officially declared innocent.
Why should that concern you?
That boy's on my conscience,
Miss Vaughan.
If, if I hadn't gone
to the Antarctic, then...
We must have made
a mistake, Dr. Calgary.
You must have been wrong
about the time you picked him up.
Miss Vaughan. Did Inspector Huish
tell you to say that?
What? I tried to make a report
to the police.
It's like talking to a brick wall.
You had no business doing that.
You should have left it to Leo.
I got to go, miss.
You're interfering in our lives.
It was settled.
Jacko was no good.
He'd have done anything
to get what he wanted.
He was innocent.
- His innocence matters.
- What about us?
How much do we have
to suffer to prove our innocence?
You don't understand, Dr. Calgary.
You shouldn't even try to understand.
Is Mr. Calgary staying here long?
Leaves in the morning,
as far as I know.
Interested in him, are you?
Not if he leaves in the morning.
Ah.
There's something
I think you ought to know.
I was in charge of that case.
Ah! Calgary.
Oh, that was careless.
Hope I didn't startle you.
I took you for a poacher.
Is that what you do with poachers?
Shoot them like rabbits?
Oh, these?
Oh, merely a little vermin control.
It's important to preserve
the right balance.
- Don't you think?
- Not at the expense of justice.
A concept rather lost
on rabbits, I suspect.
I hate to see anything
die that doesn't have to.
That's the trouble with capital
punishment, there's no room for error.
We seem to have
come back to the subject of my son.
Because the police
don't show the slightest
interest in reopening the case.
I doubt they took very kindly to an
outsider telling them their business.
Like everybody else, they look on
Jacko as the ideal solution.
My God, man, he was your son.
Jacko...
Jacko was lost to me and to himself.
He lacked a single saving grace,
such as common decency.
Maybe all he lacked
was the opportunity to show it.
You know, old chap,
you really can seem
quite patronizing at times, can't you?
The police won't do anything until your
solicitors apply to the Home Office.
Will you instruct them to do that?
That's rather up to them,
don't you think?
If they feel the evidence
is such that I should...
They won't do anything
until you say so.
Perhaps you should stick to
the main drive in future, Dr. Calgary.
These woods could prove fatal.
You should have left it to Leo.
"This address book
is the property of Jack Argyle,
"viper's Point, Devon,
England, Great Britain,
"Western Hemisphere, The World."
"Philip and Mary Durrant,
Gatehouse, Argyle Point."
I made the dire mistake
of marrying a war hero.
Two years after we were married,
he got himself shot down.
He's been in a chair ever since,
or in those.
How is it possible
that someone could not care
that your brother was wrongly hanged?
Was he really so detestable?
Oh, he had charm when he needed it.
And when that didn't work, he had guts,
more than anyone else around here.
Then I don't understand.
An impossible situation was over.
When he was hanged?
Yes.
A very convenient solution
for all of us until you arrived.
I suppose we're all suspects now.
We all should be.
Oh, my God. Of course,
there was no intruder, was there?
Someone in the family
must have done it.
One of you
must have killed your mother.
I could have killed her you know.
Try it.
I won't tolerate scandal.
I love you Mary, but you're not
capable of making sensible decisions.
When have I ever had the opportunity?
And if you leave,
I'll write you out of the trust.
You won't see a penny of it,
and neither will Philip. Oh, yes.
I had good reason.
Do you think I could have
a glass of scotch, please?
Oh, yes, please, help yourself.
I was going to leave Philip.
You see, I'd been having an affair.
Well, I don't love Philip.
I haven't for years.
He's weak and he's feeble.
He's destroyed my life.
You're totally selfish.
And you're not.
I'm going away with Charles
and I don't care how it looks
because I want my chance.
Try it.
I was trapped.
I couldn't leave.
Boy, oh, boy.
Well, I guess I'd better go
talk to the rest of this family.
- Micky Argyle?
- Yeah.
- I'm Arthur Calgary.
- Oh, yeah. Thought you might be.
Come in.
Come through.
Er, Tina, this is er,
this is Mr. Calgary.
If you ever need an alibi,
don't count on him.
Oh, Mr. Calgary, er, meet my sister.
Hello.
How do you do?
So you haven't found our family
grieving
for poor, wrongly condemned Jacko?
You won't.
They're too bloody
comfortable thinking he did it.
You're about the worst thing
that could happen.
So they tell me.
What were you doing in the Antarctic
for two years?
I was researching evidence
of the continental drift.
Do you mind if I turn
that down a little bit?
Did you, er,
get on well with your brother?
We shared an equal dislike for
the family and its self-righteousness.
Only our motives were different.
He wanted the trust fund,
and I just wanted out.
An equal dislike for the family,
or for your mother?
Oh, Rachel was the family.
Perfection on the surface,
and underneath the sort of personality
that made you so angry with yourself,
so frustrated inside, you just wanted
to kick out, kick so hard it hurt.
It would make you want to kick out,
it wouldn't make you kill.
Look, Professor, why don't you
just go back to your fossils
and your bloody continental drift,
and leave us alone?
Nobody's going to thank you.
They just want you to go away
and stop your snooping.
They hanged your brother.
They hanged him for something
one of you did.
Somebody got away
with murder just because
I wasn't here at the right time.
That's not how it's gonna be.
No, that's how it is, that's how it
bloody well is, this whole damn country.
Anything can happen, but if you've got
enough money, you can cover it up.
You think
you can do something about it?
Come off it, Professor. It took you
two years to find the address book.
Miss Argyle.
Don't let Micky shock you.
He likes playing games.
We're not brother and sister, well,
not in the real sense.
We were all adopted.
You're adopted?
The whole family.
Go outside and play now, Micky.
Your mother and I want to talk.
- When are we going home, Mom?
- Go on, Micky.
Rachel couldn't have any
children of her own
so she bought herself
a nice little family by adoption.
Micky's right about one thing.
Nothing's going to happen.
Leo will see to that.
Leo? We'll see.
Come off it, Professor.
It took you two years
to find the address book.
Mr. Calgary.
That car just tried to run me down!
Did you see him?
Are you sure?
He tried to kill me, for Christ sakes!
Don't you think you've got this
all out of proportion?
- I mean, this is England, Mr. Calgary.
- This is England?
Why don't you just go back
to your hotel room and pack your bags?
Aren't you leaving tomorrow?
Is that what you said when Mrs. Argyle
was murdered, "This is England"?
Goodnight, Calgary.
- Hello?
- Room 19, please.
I was supposed to be leaving tomorrow,
but I'd like to stay
a couple of extra days, all right?
I'm nights, sir. You'll have to talk
to the manager in the morning.
Yeah, well,
you can leave a message, can't you?
Night, sir.
Goodnight.
Oh, he had charm. And when
that didn't work, he had guts.
Maureen?
Uh-huh.
You knew Jack Argyle?
Better than you did, obviously.
I was his wife.
- Why'd you want to know?
- Oh, your name was in his address book.
Could I... Could I talk to you
for a couple of minutes?
Yeah.
Hang on, I've got to look around.
- What are you looking for?
- Oh, anything people leave behind.
Are you the police? No, it's a little
more complicated than that.
I'm the missing witness.
I'm, er, I was his alibi.
He was in a car with me
when his mother was being killed.
Yeah?
He didn't do it and I can prove it.
So?
So?
So, he was innocent.
He didn't kill his mother.
Look, it doesn't make
much difference now, does it?
Not to him, anyway.
You thought he'd done it, did you?
I was surprised that
he was supposed to have picked up
that poker and bashed her.
They all thought
he was uncontrollable.
He wasn't.
Jacko was always in control.
Always.
He was capable, all right.
You should have seen
the bruises he gave me.
Scared the hell out of me sometimes,
but it wasn't temper. He liked it.
The, er... Did he tell you that
he had been adopted?
He mentioned it.
I don't think it mattered to him.
He would have treated them the same
if they had been real family.
They were scared of him,
you know. They all were.
The only one he had
any time for was the housekeeper.
Jacko kept our marriage quiet.
They wouldn't have approved.
I don't think he approved, really.
I just suited him at the time.
You're going to
want to talk to me again, aren't you?
Um, maybe, yeah, yeah.
- D'you want my number?
- All right, thanks, yes.
Yeah.
I'm usually there nights
after the last show. Call me?
Yeah.
Thanks.
Thank you.
She turned up here the day after.
Wanting to see Mr. Argyle.
I thought she was lying,
coming here asking for money,
but it was all so muddled.
- Did you take her to see him?
- Yes.
He was surprised.
Jacko had never mentioned her.
It wasn't a real marriage.
He had other women.
I saw him one night in the town
with Mrs. Leach. Hester.
You have a too vivid imagination.
You know perfectly well
you're not allowed out at night.
Mrs. Leach?
He worked with Mrs. Leach.
Her husband was, is,
a bookie of sorts.
Jacko was involved with him somehow.
- Did he make money from it?
- Never enough.
He lived on credit,
but even that didn't help.
He had a talent for getting himself
into tight corners over money
and getting out again.
He's looking into the past.
Well, that's not
a very sensible occupation.
The past is sometimes
better left alone.
I suppose you want to know what I was
doing at the time it all happened.
That was my first thought.
I was right here with Kirsten,
peeling potatoes
or chopping vegetables or something.
I left Hester here in the kitchen
and went up to get
Mrs. Argyle's coffee cup.
I found her.
She was already dead, but I called
for an ambulance in any case.
Kirsten was a nurse
before she came here.
What about Mrs. Argyle's money?
- That's family business.
- You have no right to ask me that.
I, I didn't mean how much.
I meant the will.
How did people expect to share in it?
Oh.
Well...
When Mrs. Argyle died,
the money was to be divided equally
among all the children.
But shortly before...
Shortly before the murder,
she made some alterations.
Come in, Kirsten.
I'd just like you to witness this.
I've made some changes to my will.
Our arrangement
remains quite separate.
You'll still receive your annuity.
If you'll just sign here, my dear.
Any more trouble with the police,
anything,
and I'm cutting Jacko out
of the will.
It's the only way to stop him.
Do you think that unreasonable?
He's never very
reasonable with you, is he?
Nobody knew it then, but he already
had a criminal charge hanging over him,
so he probably wouldn't have got
the money, no matter how she died.
The only one he had any time
for was the housekeeper.
I don't love Philip.
He's weak and he's feeble.
Mr. Durrant?
Mr. Calgary?
Come in.
Come in.
Sit down, sit down.
The man with the mission.
Well, we can slander
the entire family in privacy.
I thought that...
Oh, that I'd be a valuable source
of peripheral detail, hmm?
You might be right.
- You married, Calgary?
- No. I was, yes.
I try not to let my wife
get too close to the orchids.
Well, the alcohol
on her breath, it could
endanger an entire species, hmm?
What do you think of my little
enterprise, Calgary, hmm?
This one's a particular favorite
of mine, Paphiopedilum Durrant.
Bred it myself.
Hardy bugger.
Could withstand
the entire Argyle family.
You, er, you don't
like the Argyles, huh?
Like them? Like them?
I don't know.
Pretty uncharitable bunch.
Altogether too keen
on seeing Jacko hang for something
I never thought he did, either.
You didn't? Why?
Why risk killing someone when he had
a much more lucrative business here?
What? What? He was blackmailing
someone in the house.
Blackmail? Well, I saw him one night,
being paid off.
Who was it? Oh, I don't know.
It was a woman, I didn't see her face.
That narrows the field down
a bit, don't you think, Calgary?
A woman.
Er, was Tina living here then?
Ah, I see you've met the family
dissidents, eh? No...
No, they had already left to pursue
their mutual desires elsewhere.
Hester!
I swear, that girl would
have been invaluable
to British intelligence
in the last war.
There is, er, there's something else.
Something else
even the police don't know.
Tina, she was here
the night Rachel was killed.
- Tina was here?
- I saw her.
Well, nobody else did,
of course, but, er, she was here.
You see a lot, Mr. Durrant.
Well, I may not get around much,
but...
I make damn sure I know
what's going on.
Instinct for survival, Calgary.
Hello, Mr. Calgary.
Nice to see that you're still here.
What are you doin'? I've just replaced
this broken cylinder.
I'm trying to make a statement
about women and machinery.
Not very successfully, I'm afraid.
Would you like a cup of coffee?
Yeah, I'd love one,
if you have the time.
- You don't have to finish that?
- No, no, I'm happy to leave it.
Micky's out.
Why do you live like this?
What, you think that we're nice rich
middle class kids playing at being poor?
Leo did offer us our share of
the trust when Rachel died,
but we wouldn't take it.
Why not?
Micky called it blood money.
Yes. Perhaps it is a bit melodramatic.
But in a sense, he's right.
Do you want some milk?
No, thanks.
You see, we weren't just orphans
that Rachel adopted.
We were part of a war nursery
that she set up for the evacuees.
I mean, most of us had
our own parents.
When the war was over,
she decided to hang on
to as many of us as she could.
She believed her money made her a better
mother than the ones we already had.
Than your own mother?
No, your real parents
would never accept that.
Well, both my parents were dead,
but Micky's weren't.
He used to cry
at night for his mother.
Oh, God. He hated Rachel,
and he hated the house.
He just wanted to go home.
You're sure this is acceptable
to you?
You won't be able
to change your mind later.
Quite honestly, I'm only too pleased.
You can do much better
by him than me.
Would you like a check
or would you prefer cash?
Cash is easiest.
All right, then, ?100.
Of course, it wasn't really Rachel
that he hated, it was his mother.
But you cannot condone
Mrs. Argyle's behavior.
It was unforgivably callous.
Micky. You having a party
and I'm not invited?
- How's it going, Professor?
- Pretty good.
And why do I get the feeling
I've been talked about?
Coffee?
All right.
Seriously, Micky,
when I was at the house,
Philip was talking about you.
Ah, he must be reveling in it,
watching all their doubts and
suspicions rise to the surface.
He has some doubts
and suspicions of his own.
Such as?
Well, he said you were at the house
the night of the murder.
He says he saw you.
I went to get some sheets.
They were ours and I needed them.
You've got to believe
a story like that.
- Did anybody see you?
- No, I had a key.
Did you get the sheets?
- I changed my mind.
- You changed your mind?
Yeah, I think, er, I think what
the Professor is getting at
is that perhaps you
saw someone yourself.
Either that,
or he thinks you did it.
I heard something.
I didn't see anything.
I heard two voices.
- I can't do it.
- Of course you can.
It'll be over so fast,
she won't know.
I'm afraid.
Just do it.
After, everything will be wonderful.
How can you be so sure?
Hmm.
- Why didn't you tell the police?
- Because I didn't know who it was.
No, but you thought you knew,
didn't you?
You thought it was Leo and Gwenda.
Yes.
Yes, I suppose that's what I thought.
- Morning.
- Remember me? Inspector Huish.
I can't forget you, can I?
I want to have a word with you.
There's a fella around town,
a big, tall American...
- I can't do it.
- Of course you can.
It'll be over so fast,
she won't know.
- I'm afraid.
- Just do it.
- After, everything will be wonderful.
- How can you be so sure?
You thought it was Leo and Gwenda,
didn't you?
Yes.
Yes, I suppose that's what I thought.
Come in.
I know it's a little late
to come calling, but, er...
Have a drink.
Some other time, thanks.
I see you're a methodical man,
Mr. Calgary, I'm impressed.
I see also you're applying your
working methods to the Argyle case.
I guess a posthumous pardon
wouldn't exactly be a feather
in your cap, right, Inspector?
Is that it? Is that why you refuse
to take a fresh look at the facts?
All right, you had Jacko's address book
and obviously you gave him a lift.
Could you not have been mistaken
about the time?
No, I was not mistaken.
Now, come on.
Even you can't remember details
two years later, Mr. Calgary.
If you're so concerned
with details, Inspector,
it's not "Mister", it's "Doctor".
Well, Doctor,
had it not occurred to you that
he might have committed the murder
before you picked him up?
Has it not occurred to you
he might be using you,
using you as an alibi?
Did you know Tina was at the house
the night Mrs. Argyle was murdered?
Have you any idea what you're doing
by stirring all this up? Huh?
Have you thought about the Argyles?
That's my point.
If Jack didn't do it, and nobody ever
knows who did, they'll all suffer.
They've suffered enough, Mr. Calgary.
Will you just let me do it
my way, huh?
Would you prefer I spent me time
digging up fossils for you?
He had other women.
I saw him one night
in the town with Mrs. Leach.
Leach.
Sunshine Girl.
I'll give you fives.
Never mind him,
I'll give you fives here.
Even ten on Worried Times.
Ten shillings on Worried Times.
Ticket 175.
Fiver on Worried Times, please.
Thank you very much. Fiver, Worried
Times. Two tens, Worried Times.
?5 on Worried Times, please.
Five on Worried Times, ticket 177.
Ten shillings, Ghoster.
Ten shillings, Ghoster, ticket 178.
Can I put a bet on Fay's Choice?
Two shillings and six pence.
Don't you mean half a dollar, sir?
Go on, half a dollar, got it,
guvnor, uh, 179.
Are you Archie Leach?
No, Archie couldn't get out of bed
this morning, sir.
Ten shillings on Ghoster,
please, Archie.
Ten shillings Ghoster.
Fifty bob to ten Ghoster, ticket 180.
Jack Argyle used to work for you,
didn't he? What if he did?
Well, the police were pressing charges
about illegal bookmaking against him
just before his mother was killed.
Ghoster's off. Go on, move away.
No, no, no, it's important.
I figured you might
know something about it.
And they're off.
I was the one who was pressing
the charges, fiddling the books.
He made out with what,
200 quid by the time he was finished.
- Still, he got what he deserved.
- Not if he didn't kill her.
Oh, I don't mean that.
I mean, him and my wife.
Ooh, meant for each other, those two.
Still, I don't know
what he saw in her.
- That's true, then they were, er...
- Oh, yes.
So what happened?
She got up and went, a year ago now.
I don't mind that so much.
I always thought I could trust him.
He used her to try and clear it
with me.
I didn't know that at the time,
though.
He offered to pay it back?
She said, if I dropped the charges,
he'd see me right.
She seemed to think there was money
coming from somewhere.
- Did I win or lose?
- What do you think?
Thanks.
Hold your fire!
Ah! Hey!
Dr. Calgary!
Er, I'm so glad
you decided to drop by.
Well, I was in the
neighborhood, so to speak.
Oh, you've made quite an impression.
We've had Inspector Huish with us
all morning,
chatting to everyone
in the house about Tina.
Remarkable what you can achieve
if you stick at it, isn't it?
Have you spoken
with your solicitors?
Great fun, this gun.
It was developed from
one of the very first automatics
John Moses Browning ever made,
which was blowback
operated gas principal.
This has recoil,
which came a little later.
Cut a man down at 50 yards.
You don't want to know
who murdered your wife?
You know very well
I know. It was Jacko.
So you'll make no formal request
to have the case reopened?
Oh, I was quite satisfied
with the conclusion.
If Jacko was innocent,
you let him hang, not me.
- And Miss Vaughan?
- What about Miss Vaughan?
Well, she seems to be...
More than just a secretary.
Oh, yes,
but not in the way you think.
Gwenda, demonstrate the derringer
for Dr. Calgary, will you?
This is a rim-fire pistol,
a popular pocket weapon
from the 1830s onwards.
A similar model was used
to assassinate Abraham Lincoln.
He was an American I believe
much concerned with justice.
A woman full of surprises,
don't you think?
And now, would you care
to show Dr. Calgary the way out?
I can't think of any reason
which would justify a further visit,
can you, Doctor?
Not if you're happy living with
a murderer in the family, no.
Doesn't it worry you, not knowing
who killed Mrs. Argyle?
I wouldn't be able to sleep.
I'd wake up shivering, wondering
who might be there.
I have a lock on my door, Dr. Calgary.
And what do you care
who might be there?
Was Jack blackmailing you,
Miss Vaughan?
Well, he was blackmailing
somebody in the house.
I don't like what
you're implying, Doctor.
I think you've overstepped the mark
even by your somewhat
generous standards of behavior.
And you think I should leave?
I'll walk you to the gate.
No.
It's all right,
I can find my own way out.
Hello.
Is that the boatyard?
Can you come out?
I'm stranded down by the point.
All right, I'll come right away.
Mrs. Durrant, fancy meeting you here.
Well, well, well.
You been shopping?
I need an excuse to come over.
Something to do with my time.
- Can I get you a drink, sir?
- Yeah, Bells, and a gin and tonic.
A large one, I have tonic.
So, how are we progressing?
Well, I think I must be
doing pretty well.
Everybody wants me to leave town.
As yet, that doesn't include me.
As yet.
Your drinks, sir.
Thanks.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Your husband's been a great help.
That's good to hear.
He told me that...
Jack was blackmailing
somebody in the family.
Didn't know who.
A woman.
Well, it wasn't me.
It might have been
more interesting if it had been.
Alas, I was with Philip that night.
Any idea who it might be?
What do you think?
Gwenda.
She seems to me to be the one
with the most to lose.
I came across on the ferry with her
this afternoon.
She's always struck me as being
a very capable young woman.
Yes, she struck me, too.
Yes, I heard about that.
Gwenda. I keep getting little pieces
of information.
A piece from Philip, a piece
from Tina.
Inspector Huish doesn't seem too
interested in what Tina has heard,
so far as he's interested at all.
I don't think Tina told him anything.
I think she was afraid that
maybe one of the voices that she heard
might have been Micky's.
Tina should keep her doubts
to herself.
Hmm.
No, I mean it.
Somebody killed Rachel.
Remember?
Just a second.
I won't tolerate scandal.
Try it.
Oh, Micky.
Somebody killed Rachel.
Oh, God, you scared me.
Sorry.
Tina?
You caused this!
If you hadn't come here,
she'd still be alive!
I know that.
Inspector Huish... Please.
My guess is two,
possibly three blows
to the side of the head
with the wrench. They called me out.
Death would have been instantaneous.
They said the starter motor was dead.
But they weren't there
when you got there.
She's been dead about three hours.
I can be more accurate once
I've carried out the post-mortem.
I've got the wrench, Inspector.
Take it to forensic.
Now, will you be
proffering charges or not?
Against Micky? No.
But you've just said
he attacked you with a wrench.
He didn't know what he was doing.
He'd just found her.
All right, all right,
we'll sort this out at the station.
Bring him here.
He's not making much sense.
His times are all out.
I think he may be in shock.
He didn't do it. He loved her.
That's usually
a pretty good motive for murder.
I'm holding him for questioning.
I'm not arresting him.
Tying up the loose ends,
are you, Professor?
Get him out of here.
You realize what you've done, eh?
I mean, we're not pursuing
some academic theory.
This is real, pal.
If it wasn't for you,
she'd still be alive.
If it wasn't for me telling you
that she'd been to the house,
she'd still be alive.
That's what you think, is it?
Right, I need
a full statement from you.
You're quite good at statements
aren't you, Doctor?
There was a young lady asking
after you earlier this evening, sir.
- Did she leave her name?
- No.
- What did she look like?
- Like she'd be coming back, sir.
I hope you found
what you're looking for.
You should be in that police cell,
not Micky.
Micky didn't do it, I'm sure of that.
Why don't you go away
before someone else gets hurt?
There's nothing in any of these
local newspapers
to suggest any kind of
real investigation
into Mrs. Argyle's murder.
Is that because everybody took it
for granted that Jack had done it?
Or did Mr. Argyle have
enough influence around here
to keep things nice and simple?
What do you mean?
I mean, the police must have known
what was going on
between Leo and Gwenda.
They were already having
an affair, weren't they?
- Mr. Argyle's private life...
- Private?
He might have done his very best
to try and keep it private,
but he wasn't very successful.
Jack knew all about it.
He was blackmailing Gwenda.
Who told you this?
Dr. Calgary, you don't seem
to understand.
Mrs. Argyle knew about Gwenda.
Do you enjoy it?
Enjoy creeping around behind my back?
You must.
I can't believe you did it to
further your career.
- Rachel, I assure you...
- Oh, you assure me?
What did he say to you?
That you were helping our marriage?
Or was it just included in the list
of your secretarial duties?
Do you think a wife
can't see what's going on?
Perhaps it would be better
if I come back later.
The perfect ploy
for the perfect secretary.
You're not going, are you?
Why don't you ask Leo
for a reference?
I'm sure he'll give you a good one.
And I promise you,
you're going to need it.
She didn't leave.
He wouldn't let her. Why should he?
That way, neither of them knew
exactly where they stood.
It must be a woman.
Micky, I...
If it's about Tina, don't bother.
But...
I've made arrangements
for a lawyer for you.
I've already got one of them.
I know. I just thought
it might be better
if you had somebody
who wasn't retained by the family.
It doesn't make any difference.
I know you didn't do it.
Oh, well, I'm all right, then,
aren't I?
What can go wrong?
Look what happened to Jacko.
Help me, Micky.
It has to have been
one of your family.
No, I don't know.
I grew up with these people.
I didn't like them very much,
but I didn't live in fear of my life.
But one of them did it.
Well, whoever it was must have
come across on the ferry yesterday.
What are you doing in here?
You've no right to be in here.
You're holding the wrong man.
I'm releasing him.
His alibi's been confirmed.
On yer bike, son.
Why don't you do some work
and see if you can find a connection
in all this?
Well, why don't you go back
to your research, Doctor,
before your work permit expires?
The Home Office doesn't recognize you
as a detective.
There's the door.
Be careful, it's probably slippery.
This way, come on!
- Can I, er, speak to you for a minute?
- For what?
I just wanted to ask you
some questions.
- You're not police.
- No.
We had the police here
for a full hour.
Can you tell me who crossed from
Argyle Point yesterday afternoon?
Don't worry about
who was crossing yesterday.
You want to worry about
who was crossing today.
Hester!
Hi.
- I'm running away.
- I see that.
You don't believe me, do you?
It's not safe at the house anymore.
I don't know what anybody's like.
One of us killed mother
and now Tina's dead.
Yeah, but nobody's
going to get anywhere killing you.
- You going to stop me?
- Oh, not if you're determined to do it.
Where were you going
to sleep tonight, hmm?
- Isn't there any room at your hotel?
- I don't know.
You'd have to ask 'em.
Do you really think
I'd be safe at home?
Safer than you would be here.
Hmm.
It's not safe at the house anymore.
I don't know what anybody's like.
Well, if you're right about the time,
it appears you were his alibi.
You can't bring him
back into their lives.
Why bring him back into their minds?
Could you see what our family
was like two years ago?
I don't like what
you're implying, Dr. Calgary.
Why don't you go back
to your hotel room, pack your bags?
- Aren't you leaving tomorrow?
- Oh, yes. I had good reason.
You thought it was Leo and Gwenda.
Yes.
Yes, I suppose that's what I thought.
I was quite satisfied
with the conclusion.
If Jacko was innocent,
you let him hang, not me.
Well, whoever it was must have
come across on the ferry yesterday.
The only one he had any time for was
the housekeeper.
Why don't you go away
before someone else gets hurt?
It's gone. The key?
Your friend's already waiting for you.
You didn't call.
What are you doing, Maureen?
I saw your chess set.
Thought you might fancy a game.
Are you any good?
Jacko taught me. He used
to get angry, 'cause I always won.
Are you interested?
I'm tired.
I'm interested and I'm tired.
Seems a pity, seeing as how
I'm here and everything.
I'll get you a drink,
then you can go home.
Okay.
Pass us my cardy, would you?
I heard about Tina.
It's a shame.
Yeah. I keep thinking I could have
done something, but, er...
Are you getting anywhere?
It looks like you were right, don't it?
I don't know. You know Hester?
Yeah, she's in the cinema
all the time.
I saw her tonight coming off
the ferry with her suitcase,
and I thought, "My God, look,
look what I've done.
"I've made a 14-year-old girl
afraid of her own family."
What did you do?
Send her back?
- Yeah, what else could I do?
- You know, it's funny.
She was there the night
Rachel got killed.
- At the ferry?
- No, in the cinema.
She shouldn't have been.
It was an "X".
You know what they're like.
She's not allowed
out on her own at night.
I told you.
She's in the cinema all the time.
She told me
she was in the kitchen with Kirsten.
That's probably what she tells them.
Why don't you sit down?
You don't relax much, do you?
Sometimes.
- Do you spend all your time alone?
- No, no, I was married once.
Yeah? What happened?
My wife had it scientifically proved
that I was impossible to live with.
I think we'd better get you home.
He's dead.
Hester.
Stay where you are.
Hester called me. Is she okay?
Would you be if you'd just found him?
She's near to hysterical.
You'd better come with me.
You thought I did it, didn't you?
Maybe I still do.
You were in town yesterday.
Picking up a parcel for Leo.
I've already been through
all this with the police.
And before you ask, Leo was here
all afternoon on the telephone.
These aren't just alibis,
these are facts.
Then I don't understand
why all the cover-up.
What is it makes you so obnoxious?
I just don't like the way
the Leo Argyles of this world
get away with things.
Maybe that's just because
you don't understand him.
I found him in the conservatory.
- Philip's dead, isn't he?
- Yes.
I'm holding you responsible for this.
- Did you telephone the police?
- No, you'd better do it.
- Why have you come here?
- Because Hester asked me to.
It's gonna be okay.
Nobody else is going to get hurt.
D'you think you know who did it?
I saw her.
Police, please.
She was there when I got back.
There was a light
in the conservatory.
Mary.
Mary, kill Philip?
No.
I saw her.
I saw her do it.
No, Philip and Tina were murdered
because of something they knew,
or something somebody
thought they knew.
What I can't work out
is the connection
between Tina's two voices and Jack
blackmailing a woman in this house.
It's a pity you ever tried to.
I mean, the woman can't be Hester.
Isn't Gwenda.
Mary was with Philip
when he saw Jacko.
That leaves...
You, Kirsten.
Are you mad?
You were with Hester in the kitchen
when Mrs. Argyle was killed.
But you weren't there,
were you, Hester?
You were at an X-rated movie.
- It isn't his business.
- Why, why? I don't understand.
Why, if he was blackmailing you,
why kill her? Why not kill him?
Jacko, he wanted the money.
But you...
You killed her. Why?
I loved him.
He could have killed me,
I wouldn't have cared.
But he wanted her dead.
He planned it.
Of course you can.
It'll be over so fast, she won't know.
I'm afraid.
Just do it.
Don't think about it.
And after that,
everything will be wonderful.
He wasn't blackmailing me.
I'd have done anything for him.
I knew it had to be a lie,
but he made me believe he loved me.
That sounds foolish, doesn't it?
Even if it wasn't true, I loved him.
It was all a plan, the...
...hitchhiking, the address book,
everything.
Everything.
If you loved him,
how could you let him hang?
Because she found out he was married
and she felt betrayed.
What did any of this mean to you?
If you hadn't come here,
Tina and Philip would still be alive.
Quite a sacrifice, just for your
peace of mind, isn't it, Dr. Calgary?
You still think Jacko's
innocence matters, Dr. Calgary?
You were right.
- Kirsten, is it true?
- Yes.
I don't believe you.
Will you have to leave us?
It's cold out here. Go and get me
something warm to put on.
Go on.
sync ? 26.11.2019
---
23.976 English
Sup-rip ? 26.11.2019
Ordeal by Innocence (1984)
- Mr. Argyle?
- Mr. Argyle is in the library.
- Does he expect you, Mr...
- Calgary.
No.
If you would tell him that
I have come with his address book...
Mr. Leo Argyle's address book?
No. Mr. Jack.
Jack Argyle.
Come in.
I'll tell him you're here.
Will you wait here?
Will you come this
way please, Mr. Calgary?
Don't be alarmed, Calgary.
None of them is loaded.
It never fails to impress me, that.
What? Weaponry?
No, good grammar.
None of them is.
I never get it right.
Always say none of them are.
Arthur Calgary.
Sit down, will you?
- Nice, nice collection you have here.
- Oh, thank you.
It's more than that.
I'm actually compiling what
I hope will be the definitive
reference work on small arms.
Their history, manufacture and use.
Miss Vaughan, my secretary, undertakes
a good deal of my field research.
How do you do?
Arthur Calgary.
You don't feel threatened
with all these weapons, hmm?
Oh, guns run in our family.
I can trace at least four generations
of Argyles who were gunsmiths.
In any case, I thought you
Americans felt quite at home with guns.
Yes, not quite this many.
So you have come with
Jacko's address book, have you?
At long last, yes.
- When did you find it?
- Two years ago.
- Were you a friend of Jacko's?
- No, it's a bit silly, really.
I gave him a lift to Plymouth.
I was...
Sailing the next morning.
I was part of the Hayes-Bentley
expedition and...
He must have dropped it in the car.
My oversight really. It ended up
going to the Antarctic and back.
So I felt I should complete the trip.
I went to school with Charlie Hayes.
I'm surprised you ever got there.
Hmm.
When did you leave?
February? March?
The expedition? March 16th.
And you gave Jacko
a lift the night before?
In the evening, yes.
- Are you sure of that?
- Yes, of course I'm sure.
6:55 to be precise.
I checked the time
when he got in the car.
We had assembly on the boat at 7:30,
and I'm never late.
Never.
I see.
Well, thank you for taking the trouble
of returning it.
Well, I had hoped to have
the opportunity to
present it to him personally,
um, and explain.
Is that not possible?
Can I see him?
My son is dead, Dr. Calgary.
I'm, I'm dreadfully sorry.
He was hanged...
No.
For murdering his mother, my wife,
on March the 15th,
two years ago, between 7:00 and 7:30.
He was with me between 7:00 and 7:30.
Jacko always claimed
he was hitching a lift at the time.
None of us ever considered
the possibility
that he might be speaking the truth.
Because nobody came
forward to prove his alibi.
Well, if you are right about the time,
it appears you were his alibi.
The case must be reopened.
It's not for you to decide,
Dr. Calgary.
If you would care to leave
your name and address,
the police and our solicitors will
be in touch with you in due course.
Thank you and goodnight.
Why did you come here?
You don't know this family.
You don't know what they went through
with Jacko, and after.
You can't bring him back
into their lives.
Why bring him back into their minds?
Oh, God!
Dr. Calgary!
- Was he really innocent?
- Who are you?
Jacko's sister.
I'm so sorry.
Yes, he was.
Can they really hang you
for something you didn't do?
- I didn't believe they could.
- No, I didn't.
Jacko deserved it.
To be dead? Never.
Just because he's dead
doesn't change how he was.
- What kind of a doctor are you?
- I'm a paleontologist.
I see.
No, you don't.
Paleontologists look at fossils.
They pick up rocks
and they can tell you
what life was like
five million years ago.
That's what I do.
Dr. Calgary,
if I give you this stone,
could you see what this family
was like two years ago?
"Statement.
Arthur Calgary.
"At 6:55 p.m. on the evening
of March the15th, 1956,
"I gave a lift to a young man
who was hitchhiking into Torquay.
"I subsequently learned
he was Jack Argyle."
Now, did he tell you his name?
No, no, it was in the address book.
In the front.
And did Mr. Argyle
ask you to come here today?
No, not exactly, no.
And you know, of course,
it's up to the family to apply
to the Home Secretary
to have the case reopened.
Don't you think you could have waited?
If I'd acted immediately before,
Inspector,
that lad would not
have been hanged.
I have lectures,
I'm due back in the States.
I didn't want it to slide.
I feel...
- Didn't anybody check his alibi?
- We're not idiots, Mr. Calgary.
Everybody's alibi
was checked very thoroughly.
In fact, Jacko's defense counsel
thought his alibi sounded phony...
So, without you, he could not account
for the crucial half hour
between Mrs. Argyle being seen alive,
and the discovery of her body.
You've got a remarkable memory for
times, Mr. Calgary, two years later.
I keep notes.
How was he supposed to have done it?
The boy?
Well, he smashed her over
the head with a poker.
Not a pretty sight...
And he'd been heard
to threaten her earlier that evening.
They were having
a violent row about financial matters.
She had stopped his allowance.
She was even prepared
to cut him out of her will.
We were satisfied that no intruder
was involved, and we knew Jacko.
We were trying to make
a bookmaking charge against him stick.
Excuse me, sir.
Excuse me.
Right, where were we?
We have to wait for direction
from the Home Office.
We can't just reopen a case
without new evidence.
New evidence?
You have new evidence.
I'm new evidence.
He couldn't have done it
because he was with me at the time.
My God,
a man has been wrongly hanged.
Doesn't that mean anything to you?
There's something
I think you ought to know.
I was in charge of that case.
Hello, Miss Vaughan.
Dr. Calgary, you're back.
I have to see Mr. Argyle
about what we can do about having
Jacko officially declared innocent.
Why should that concern you?
That boy's on my conscience,
Miss Vaughan.
If, if I hadn't gone
to the Antarctic, then...
We must have made
a mistake, Dr. Calgary.
You must have been wrong
about the time you picked him up.
Miss Vaughan. Did Inspector Huish
tell you to say that?
What? I tried to make a report
to the police.
It's like talking to a brick wall.
You had no business doing that.
You should have left it to Leo.
I got to go, miss.
You're interfering in our lives.
It was settled.
Jacko was no good.
He'd have done anything
to get what he wanted.
He was innocent.
- His innocence matters.
- What about us?
How much do we have
to suffer to prove our innocence?
You don't understand, Dr. Calgary.
You shouldn't even try to understand.
Is Mr. Calgary staying here long?
Leaves in the morning,
as far as I know.
Interested in him, are you?
Not if he leaves in the morning.
Ah.
There's something
I think you ought to know.
I was in charge of that case.
Ah! Calgary.
Oh, that was careless.
Hope I didn't startle you.
I took you for a poacher.
Is that what you do with poachers?
Shoot them like rabbits?
Oh, these?
Oh, merely a little vermin control.
It's important to preserve
the right balance.
- Don't you think?
- Not at the expense of justice.
A concept rather lost
on rabbits, I suspect.
I hate to see anything
die that doesn't have to.
That's the trouble with capital
punishment, there's no room for error.
We seem to have
come back to the subject of my son.
Because the police
don't show the slightest
interest in reopening the case.
I doubt they took very kindly to an
outsider telling them their business.
Like everybody else, they look on
Jacko as the ideal solution.
My God, man, he was your son.
Jacko...
Jacko was lost to me and to himself.
He lacked a single saving grace,
such as common decency.
Maybe all he lacked
was the opportunity to show it.
You know, old chap,
you really can seem
quite patronizing at times, can't you?
The police won't do anything until your
solicitors apply to the Home Office.
Will you instruct them to do that?
That's rather up to them,
don't you think?
If they feel the evidence
is such that I should...
They won't do anything
until you say so.
Perhaps you should stick to
the main drive in future, Dr. Calgary.
These woods could prove fatal.
You should have left it to Leo.
"This address book
is the property of Jack Argyle,
"viper's Point, Devon,
England, Great Britain,
"Western Hemisphere, The World."
"Philip and Mary Durrant,
Gatehouse, Argyle Point."
I made the dire mistake
of marrying a war hero.
Two years after we were married,
he got himself shot down.
He's been in a chair ever since,
or in those.
How is it possible
that someone could not care
that your brother was wrongly hanged?
Was he really so detestable?
Oh, he had charm when he needed it.
And when that didn't work, he had guts,
more than anyone else around here.
Then I don't understand.
An impossible situation was over.
When he was hanged?
Yes.
A very convenient solution
for all of us until you arrived.
I suppose we're all suspects now.
We all should be.
Oh, my God. Of course,
there was no intruder, was there?
Someone in the family
must have done it.
One of you
must have killed your mother.
I could have killed her you know.
Try it.
I won't tolerate scandal.
I love you Mary, but you're not
capable of making sensible decisions.
When have I ever had the opportunity?
And if you leave,
I'll write you out of the trust.
You won't see a penny of it,
and neither will Philip. Oh, yes.
I had good reason.
Do you think I could have
a glass of scotch, please?
Oh, yes, please, help yourself.
I was going to leave Philip.
You see, I'd been having an affair.
Well, I don't love Philip.
I haven't for years.
He's weak and he's feeble.
He's destroyed my life.
You're totally selfish.
And you're not.
I'm going away with Charles
and I don't care how it looks
because I want my chance.
Try it.
I was trapped.
I couldn't leave.
Boy, oh, boy.
Well, I guess I'd better go
talk to the rest of this family.
- Micky Argyle?
- Yeah.
- I'm Arthur Calgary.
- Oh, yeah. Thought you might be.
Come in.
Come through.
Er, Tina, this is er,
this is Mr. Calgary.
If you ever need an alibi,
don't count on him.
Oh, Mr. Calgary, er, meet my sister.
Hello.
How do you do?
So you haven't found our family
grieving
for poor, wrongly condemned Jacko?
You won't.
They're too bloody
comfortable thinking he did it.
You're about the worst thing
that could happen.
So they tell me.
What were you doing in the Antarctic
for two years?
I was researching evidence
of the continental drift.
Do you mind if I turn
that down a little bit?
Did you, er,
get on well with your brother?
We shared an equal dislike for
the family and its self-righteousness.
Only our motives were different.
He wanted the trust fund,
and I just wanted out.
An equal dislike for the family,
or for your mother?
Oh, Rachel was the family.
Perfection on the surface,
and underneath the sort of personality
that made you so angry with yourself,
so frustrated inside, you just wanted
to kick out, kick so hard it hurt.
It would make you want to kick out,
it wouldn't make you kill.
Look, Professor, why don't you
just go back to your fossils
and your bloody continental drift,
and leave us alone?
Nobody's going to thank you.
They just want you to go away
and stop your snooping.
They hanged your brother.
They hanged him for something
one of you did.
Somebody got away
with murder just because
I wasn't here at the right time.
That's not how it's gonna be.
No, that's how it is, that's how it
bloody well is, this whole damn country.
Anything can happen, but if you've got
enough money, you can cover it up.
You think
you can do something about it?
Come off it, Professor. It took you
two years to find the address book.
Miss Argyle.
Don't let Micky shock you.
He likes playing games.
We're not brother and sister, well,
not in the real sense.
We were all adopted.
You're adopted?
The whole family.
Go outside and play now, Micky.
Your mother and I want to talk.
- When are we going home, Mom?
- Go on, Micky.
Rachel couldn't have any
children of her own
so she bought herself
a nice little family by adoption.
Micky's right about one thing.
Nothing's going to happen.
Leo will see to that.
Leo? We'll see.
Come off it, Professor.
It took you two years
to find the address book.
Mr. Calgary.
That car just tried to run me down!
Did you see him?
Are you sure?
He tried to kill me, for Christ sakes!
Don't you think you've got this
all out of proportion?
- I mean, this is England, Mr. Calgary.
- This is England?
Why don't you just go back
to your hotel room and pack your bags?
Aren't you leaving tomorrow?
Is that what you said when Mrs. Argyle
was murdered, "This is England"?
Goodnight, Calgary.
- Hello?
- Room 19, please.
I was supposed to be leaving tomorrow,
but I'd like to stay
a couple of extra days, all right?
I'm nights, sir. You'll have to talk
to the manager in the morning.
Yeah, well,
you can leave a message, can't you?
Night, sir.
Goodnight.
Oh, he had charm. And when
that didn't work, he had guts.
Maureen?
Uh-huh.
You knew Jack Argyle?
Better than you did, obviously.
I was his wife.
- Why'd you want to know?
- Oh, your name was in his address book.
Could I... Could I talk to you
for a couple of minutes?
Yeah.
Hang on, I've got to look around.
- What are you looking for?
- Oh, anything people leave behind.
Are you the police? No, it's a little
more complicated than that.
I'm the missing witness.
I'm, er, I was his alibi.
He was in a car with me
when his mother was being killed.
Yeah?
He didn't do it and I can prove it.
So?
So?
So, he was innocent.
He didn't kill his mother.
Look, it doesn't make
much difference now, does it?
Not to him, anyway.
You thought he'd done it, did you?
I was surprised that
he was supposed to have picked up
that poker and bashed her.
They all thought
he was uncontrollable.
He wasn't.
Jacko was always in control.
Always.
He was capable, all right.
You should have seen
the bruises he gave me.
Scared the hell out of me sometimes,
but it wasn't temper. He liked it.
The, er... Did he tell you that
he had been adopted?
He mentioned it.
I don't think it mattered to him.
He would have treated them the same
if they had been real family.
They were scared of him,
you know. They all were.
The only one he had
any time for was the housekeeper.
Jacko kept our marriage quiet.
They wouldn't have approved.
I don't think he approved, really.
I just suited him at the time.
You're going to
want to talk to me again, aren't you?
Um, maybe, yeah, yeah.
- D'you want my number?
- All right, thanks, yes.
Yeah.
I'm usually there nights
after the last show. Call me?
Yeah.
Thanks.
Thank you.
She turned up here the day after.
Wanting to see Mr. Argyle.
I thought she was lying,
coming here asking for money,
but it was all so muddled.
- Did you take her to see him?
- Yes.
He was surprised.
Jacko had never mentioned her.
It wasn't a real marriage.
He had other women.
I saw him one night in the town
with Mrs. Leach. Hester.
You have a too vivid imagination.
You know perfectly well
you're not allowed out at night.
Mrs. Leach?
He worked with Mrs. Leach.
Her husband was, is,
a bookie of sorts.
Jacko was involved with him somehow.
- Did he make money from it?
- Never enough.
He lived on credit,
but even that didn't help.
He had a talent for getting himself
into tight corners over money
and getting out again.
He's looking into the past.
Well, that's not
a very sensible occupation.
The past is sometimes
better left alone.
I suppose you want to know what I was
doing at the time it all happened.
That was my first thought.
I was right here with Kirsten,
peeling potatoes
or chopping vegetables or something.
I left Hester here in the kitchen
and went up to get
Mrs. Argyle's coffee cup.
I found her.
She was already dead, but I called
for an ambulance in any case.
Kirsten was a nurse
before she came here.
What about Mrs. Argyle's money?
- That's family business.
- You have no right to ask me that.
I, I didn't mean how much.
I meant the will.
How did people expect to share in it?
Oh.
Well...
When Mrs. Argyle died,
the money was to be divided equally
among all the children.
But shortly before...
Shortly before the murder,
she made some alterations.
Come in, Kirsten.
I'd just like you to witness this.
I've made some changes to my will.
Our arrangement
remains quite separate.
You'll still receive your annuity.
If you'll just sign here, my dear.
Any more trouble with the police,
anything,
and I'm cutting Jacko out
of the will.
It's the only way to stop him.
Do you think that unreasonable?
He's never very
reasonable with you, is he?
Nobody knew it then, but he already
had a criminal charge hanging over him,
so he probably wouldn't have got
the money, no matter how she died.
The only one he had any time
for was the housekeeper.
I don't love Philip.
He's weak and he's feeble.
Mr. Durrant?
Mr. Calgary?
Come in.
Come in.
Sit down, sit down.
The man with the mission.
Well, we can slander
the entire family in privacy.
I thought that...
Oh, that I'd be a valuable source
of peripheral detail, hmm?
You might be right.
- You married, Calgary?
- No. I was, yes.
I try not to let my wife
get too close to the orchids.
Well, the alcohol
on her breath, it could
endanger an entire species, hmm?
What do you think of my little
enterprise, Calgary, hmm?
This one's a particular favorite
of mine, Paphiopedilum Durrant.
Bred it myself.
Hardy bugger.
Could withstand
the entire Argyle family.
You, er, you don't
like the Argyles, huh?
Like them? Like them?
I don't know.
Pretty uncharitable bunch.
Altogether too keen
on seeing Jacko hang for something
I never thought he did, either.
You didn't? Why?
Why risk killing someone when he had
a much more lucrative business here?
What? What? He was blackmailing
someone in the house.
Blackmail? Well, I saw him one night,
being paid off.
Who was it? Oh, I don't know.
It was a woman, I didn't see her face.
That narrows the field down
a bit, don't you think, Calgary?
A woman.
Er, was Tina living here then?
Ah, I see you've met the family
dissidents, eh? No...
No, they had already left to pursue
their mutual desires elsewhere.
Hester!
I swear, that girl would
have been invaluable
to British intelligence
in the last war.
There is, er, there's something else.
Something else
even the police don't know.
Tina, she was here
the night Rachel was killed.
- Tina was here?
- I saw her.
Well, nobody else did,
of course, but, er, she was here.
You see a lot, Mr. Durrant.
Well, I may not get around much,
but...
I make damn sure I know
what's going on.
Instinct for survival, Calgary.
Hello, Mr. Calgary.
Nice to see that you're still here.
What are you doin'? I've just replaced
this broken cylinder.
I'm trying to make a statement
about women and machinery.
Not very successfully, I'm afraid.
Would you like a cup of coffee?
Yeah, I'd love one,
if you have the time.
- You don't have to finish that?
- No, no, I'm happy to leave it.
Micky's out.
Why do you live like this?
What, you think that we're nice rich
middle class kids playing at being poor?
Leo did offer us our share of
the trust when Rachel died,
but we wouldn't take it.
Why not?
Micky called it blood money.
Yes. Perhaps it is a bit melodramatic.
But in a sense, he's right.
Do you want some milk?
No, thanks.
You see, we weren't just orphans
that Rachel adopted.
We were part of a war nursery
that she set up for the evacuees.
I mean, most of us had
our own parents.
When the war was over,
she decided to hang on
to as many of us as she could.
She believed her money made her a better
mother than the ones we already had.
Than your own mother?
No, your real parents
would never accept that.
Well, both my parents were dead,
but Micky's weren't.
He used to cry
at night for his mother.
Oh, God. He hated Rachel,
and he hated the house.
He just wanted to go home.
You're sure this is acceptable
to you?
You won't be able
to change your mind later.
Quite honestly, I'm only too pleased.
You can do much better
by him than me.
Would you like a check
or would you prefer cash?
Cash is easiest.
All right, then, ?100.
Of course, it wasn't really Rachel
that he hated, it was his mother.
But you cannot condone
Mrs. Argyle's behavior.
It was unforgivably callous.
Micky. You having a party
and I'm not invited?
- How's it going, Professor?
- Pretty good.
And why do I get the feeling
I've been talked about?
Coffee?
All right.
Seriously, Micky,
when I was at the house,
Philip was talking about you.
Ah, he must be reveling in it,
watching all their doubts and
suspicions rise to the surface.
He has some doubts
and suspicions of his own.
Such as?
Well, he said you were at the house
the night of the murder.
He says he saw you.
I went to get some sheets.
They were ours and I needed them.
You've got to believe
a story like that.
- Did anybody see you?
- No, I had a key.
Did you get the sheets?
- I changed my mind.
- You changed your mind?
Yeah, I think, er, I think what
the Professor is getting at
is that perhaps you
saw someone yourself.
Either that,
or he thinks you did it.
I heard something.
I didn't see anything.
I heard two voices.
- I can't do it.
- Of course you can.
It'll be over so fast,
she won't know.
I'm afraid.
Just do it.
After, everything will be wonderful.
How can you be so sure?
Hmm.
- Why didn't you tell the police?
- Because I didn't know who it was.
No, but you thought you knew,
didn't you?
You thought it was Leo and Gwenda.
Yes.
Yes, I suppose that's what I thought.
- Morning.
- Remember me? Inspector Huish.
I can't forget you, can I?
I want to have a word with you.
There's a fella around town,
a big, tall American...
- I can't do it.
- Of course you can.
It'll be over so fast,
she won't know.
- I'm afraid.
- Just do it.
- After, everything will be wonderful.
- How can you be so sure?
You thought it was Leo and Gwenda,
didn't you?
Yes.
Yes, I suppose that's what I thought.
Come in.
I know it's a little late
to come calling, but, er...
Have a drink.
Some other time, thanks.
I see you're a methodical man,
Mr. Calgary, I'm impressed.
I see also you're applying your
working methods to the Argyle case.
I guess a posthumous pardon
wouldn't exactly be a feather
in your cap, right, Inspector?
Is that it? Is that why you refuse
to take a fresh look at the facts?
All right, you had Jacko's address book
and obviously you gave him a lift.
Could you not have been mistaken
about the time?
No, I was not mistaken.
Now, come on.
Even you can't remember details
two years later, Mr. Calgary.
If you're so concerned
with details, Inspector,
it's not "Mister", it's "Doctor".
Well, Doctor,
had it not occurred to you that
he might have committed the murder
before you picked him up?
Has it not occurred to you
he might be using you,
using you as an alibi?
Did you know Tina was at the house
the night Mrs. Argyle was murdered?
Have you any idea what you're doing
by stirring all this up? Huh?
Have you thought about the Argyles?
That's my point.
If Jack didn't do it, and nobody ever
knows who did, they'll all suffer.
They've suffered enough, Mr. Calgary.
Will you just let me do it
my way, huh?
Would you prefer I spent me time
digging up fossils for you?
He had other women.
I saw him one night
in the town with Mrs. Leach.
Leach.
Sunshine Girl.
I'll give you fives.
Never mind him,
I'll give you fives here.
Even ten on Worried Times.
Ten shillings on Worried Times.
Ticket 175.
Fiver on Worried Times, please.
Thank you very much. Fiver, Worried
Times. Two tens, Worried Times.
?5 on Worried Times, please.
Five on Worried Times, ticket 177.
Ten shillings, Ghoster.
Ten shillings, Ghoster, ticket 178.
Can I put a bet on Fay's Choice?
Two shillings and six pence.
Don't you mean half a dollar, sir?
Go on, half a dollar, got it,
guvnor, uh, 179.
Are you Archie Leach?
No, Archie couldn't get out of bed
this morning, sir.
Ten shillings on Ghoster,
please, Archie.
Ten shillings Ghoster.
Fifty bob to ten Ghoster, ticket 180.
Jack Argyle used to work for you,
didn't he? What if he did?
Well, the police were pressing charges
about illegal bookmaking against him
just before his mother was killed.
Ghoster's off. Go on, move away.
No, no, no, it's important.
I figured you might
know something about it.
And they're off.
I was the one who was pressing
the charges, fiddling the books.
He made out with what,
200 quid by the time he was finished.
- Still, he got what he deserved.
- Not if he didn't kill her.
Oh, I don't mean that.
I mean, him and my wife.
Ooh, meant for each other, those two.
Still, I don't know
what he saw in her.
- That's true, then they were, er...
- Oh, yes.
So what happened?
She got up and went, a year ago now.
I don't mind that so much.
I always thought I could trust him.
He used her to try and clear it
with me.
I didn't know that at the time,
though.
He offered to pay it back?
She said, if I dropped the charges,
he'd see me right.
She seemed to think there was money
coming from somewhere.
- Did I win or lose?
- What do you think?
Thanks.
Hold your fire!
Ah! Hey!
Dr. Calgary!
Er, I'm so glad
you decided to drop by.
Well, I was in the
neighborhood, so to speak.
Oh, you've made quite an impression.
We've had Inspector Huish with us
all morning,
chatting to everyone
in the house about Tina.
Remarkable what you can achieve
if you stick at it, isn't it?
Have you spoken
with your solicitors?
Great fun, this gun.
It was developed from
one of the very first automatics
John Moses Browning ever made,
which was blowback
operated gas principal.
This has recoil,
which came a little later.
Cut a man down at 50 yards.
You don't want to know
who murdered your wife?
You know very well
I know. It was Jacko.
So you'll make no formal request
to have the case reopened?
Oh, I was quite satisfied
with the conclusion.
If Jacko was innocent,
you let him hang, not me.
- And Miss Vaughan?
- What about Miss Vaughan?
Well, she seems to be...
More than just a secretary.
Oh, yes,
but not in the way you think.
Gwenda, demonstrate the derringer
for Dr. Calgary, will you?
This is a rim-fire pistol,
a popular pocket weapon
from the 1830s onwards.
A similar model was used
to assassinate Abraham Lincoln.
He was an American I believe
much concerned with justice.
A woman full of surprises,
don't you think?
And now, would you care
to show Dr. Calgary the way out?
I can't think of any reason
which would justify a further visit,
can you, Doctor?
Not if you're happy living with
a murderer in the family, no.
Doesn't it worry you, not knowing
who killed Mrs. Argyle?
I wouldn't be able to sleep.
I'd wake up shivering, wondering
who might be there.
I have a lock on my door, Dr. Calgary.
And what do you care
who might be there?
Was Jack blackmailing you,
Miss Vaughan?
Well, he was blackmailing
somebody in the house.
I don't like what
you're implying, Doctor.
I think you've overstepped the mark
even by your somewhat
generous standards of behavior.
And you think I should leave?
I'll walk you to the gate.
No.
It's all right,
I can find my own way out.
Hello.
Is that the boatyard?
Can you come out?
I'm stranded down by the point.
All right, I'll come right away.
Mrs. Durrant, fancy meeting you here.
Well, well, well.
You been shopping?
I need an excuse to come over.
Something to do with my time.
- Can I get you a drink, sir?
- Yeah, Bells, and a gin and tonic.
A large one, I have tonic.
So, how are we progressing?
Well, I think I must be
doing pretty well.
Everybody wants me to leave town.
As yet, that doesn't include me.
As yet.
Your drinks, sir.
Thanks.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Your husband's been a great help.
That's good to hear.
He told me that...
Jack was blackmailing
somebody in the family.
Didn't know who.
A woman.
Well, it wasn't me.
It might have been
more interesting if it had been.
Alas, I was with Philip that night.
Any idea who it might be?
What do you think?
Gwenda.
She seems to me to be the one
with the most to lose.
I came across on the ferry with her
this afternoon.
She's always struck me as being
a very capable young woman.
Yes, she struck me, too.
Yes, I heard about that.
Gwenda. I keep getting little pieces
of information.
A piece from Philip, a piece
from Tina.
Inspector Huish doesn't seem too
interested in what Tina has heard,
so far as he's interested at all.
I don't think Tina told him anything.
I think she was afraid that
maybe one of the voices that she heard
might have been Micky's.
Tina should keep her doubts
to herself.
Hmm.
No, I mean it.
Somebody killed Rachel.
Remember?
Just a second.
I won't tolerate scandal.
Try it.
Oh, Micky.
Somebody killed Rachel.
Oh, God, you scared me.
Sorry.
Tina?
You caused this!
If you hadn't come here,
she'd still be alive!
I know that.
Inspector Huish... Please.
My guess is two,
possibly three blows
to the side of the head
with the wrench. They called me out.
Death would have been instantaneous.
They said the starter motor was dead.
But they weren't there
when you got there.
She's been dead about three hours.
I can be more accurate once
I've carried out the post-mortem.
I've got the wrench, Inspector.
Take it to forensic.
Now, will you be
proffering charges or not?
Against Micky? No.
But you've just said
he attacked you with a wrench.
He didn't know what he was doing.
He'd just found her.
All right, all right,
we'll sort this out at the station.
Bring him here.
He's not making much sense.
His times are all out.
I think he may be in shock.
He didn't do it. He loved her.
That's usually
a pretty good motive for murder.
I'm holding him for questioning.
I'm not arresting him.
Tying up the loose ends,
are you, Professor?
Get him out of here.
You realize what you've done, eh?
I mean, we're not pursuing
some academic theory.
This is real, pal.
If it wasn't for you,
she'd still be alive.
If it wasn't for me telling you
that she'd been to the house,
she'd still be alive.
That's what you think, is it?
Right, I need
a full statement from you.
You're quite good at statements
aren't you, Doctor?
There was a young lady asking
after you earlier this evening, sir.
- Did she leave her name?
- No.
- What did she look like?
- Like she'd be coming back, sir.
I hope you found
what you're looking for.
You should be in that police cell,
not Micky.
Micky didn't do it, I'm sure of that.
Why don't you go away
before someone else gets hurt?
There's nothing in any of these
local newspapers
to suggest any kind of
real investigation
into Mrs. Argyle's murder.
Is that because everybody took it
for granted that Jack had done it?
Or did Mr. Argyle have
enough influence around here
to keep things nice and simple?
What do you mean?
I mean, the police must have known
what was going on
between Leo and Gwenda.
They were already having
an affair, weren't they?
- Mr. Argyle's private life...
- Private?
He might have done his very best
to try and keep it private,
but he wasn't very successful.
Jack knew all about it.
He was blackmailing Gwenda.
Who told you this?
Dr. Calgary, you don't seem
to understand.
Mrs. Argyle knew about Gwenda.
Do you enjoy it?
Enjoy creeping around behind my back?
You must.
I can't believe you did it to
further your career.
- Rachel, I assure you...
- Oh, you assure me?
What did he say to you?
That you were helping our marriage?
Or was it just included in the list
of your secretarial duties?
Do you think a wife
can't see what's going on?
Perhaps it would be better
if I come back later.
The perfect ploy
for the perfect secretary.
You're not going, are you?
Why don't you ask Leo
for a reference?
I'm sure he'll give you a good one.
And I promise you,
you're going to need it.
She didn't leave.
He wouldn't let her. Why should he?
That way, neither of them knew
exactly where they stood.
It must be a woman.
Micky, I...
If it's about Tina, don't bother.
But...
I've made arrangements
for a lawyer for you.
I've already got one of them.
I know. I just thought
it might be better
if you had somebody
who wasn't retained by the family.
It doesn't make any difference.
I know you didn't do it.
Oh, well, I'm all right, then,
aren't I?
What can go wrong?
Look what happened to Jacko.
Help me, Micky.
It has to have been
one of your family.
No, I don't know.
I grew up with these people.
I didn't like them very much,
but I didn't live in fear of my life.
But one of them did it.
Well, whoever it was must have
come across on the ferry yesterday.
What are you doing in here?
You've no right to be in here.
You're holding the wrong man.
I'm releasing him.
His alibi's been confirmed.
On yer bike, son.
Why don't you do some work
and see if you can find a connection
in all this?
Well, why don't you go back
to your research, Doctor,
before your work permit expires?
The Home Office doesn't recognize you
as a detective.
There's the door.
Be careful, it's probably slippery.
This way, come on!
- Can I, er, speak to you for a minute?
- For what?
I just wanted to ask you
some questions.
- You're not police.
- No.
We had the police here
for a full hour.
Can you tell me who crossed from
Argyle Point yesterday afternoon?
Don't worry about
who was crossing yesterday.
You want to worry about
who was crossing today.
Hester!
Hi.
- I'm running away.
- I see that.
You don't believe me, do you?
It's not safe at the house anymore.
I don't know what anybody's like.
One of us killed mother
and now Tina's dead.
Yeah, but nobody's
going to get anywhere killing you.
- You going to stop me?
- Oh, not if you're determined to do it.
Where were you going
to sleep tonight, hmm?
- Isn't there any room at your hotel?
- I don't know.
You'd have to ask 'em.
Do you really think
I'd be safe at home?
Safer than you would be here.
Hmm.
It's not safe at the house anymore.
I don't know what anybody's like.
Well, if you're right about the time,
it appears you were his alibi.
You can't bring him
back into their lives.
Why bring him back into their minds?
Could you see what our family
was like two years ago?
I don't like what
you're implying, Dr. Calgary.
Why don't you go back
to your hotel room, pack your bags?
- Aren't you leaving tomorrow?
- Oh, yes. I had good reason.
You thought it was Leo and Gwenda.
Yes.
Yes, I suppose that's what I thought.
I was quite satisfied
with the conclusion.
If Jacko was innocent,
you let him hang, not me.
Well, whoever it was must have
come across on the ferry yesterday.
The only one he had any time for was
the housekeeper.
Why don't you go away
before someone else gets hurt?
It's gone. The key?
Your friend's already waiting for you.
You didn't call.
What are you doing, Maureen?
I saw your chess set.
Thought you might fancy a game.
Are you any good?
Jacko taught me. He used
to get angry, 'cause I always won.
Are you interested?
I'm tired.
I'm interested and I'm tired.
Seems a pity, seeing as how
I'm here and everything.
I'll get you a drink,
then you can go home.
Okay.
Pass us my cardy, would you?
I heard about Tina.
It's a shame.
Yeah. I keep thinking I could have
done something, but, er...
Are you getting anywhere?
It looks like you were right, don't it?
I don't know. You know Hester?
Yeah, she's in the cinema
all the time.
I saw her tonight coming off
the ferry with her suitcase,
and I thought, "My God, look,
look what I've done.
"I've made a 14-year-old girl
afraid of her own family."
What did you do?
Send her back?
- Yeah, what else could I do?
- You know, it's funny.
She was there the night
Rachel got killed.
- At the ferry?
- No, in the cinema.
She shouldn't have been.
It was an "X".
You know what they're like.
She's not allowed
out on her own at night.
I told you.
She's in the cinema all the time.
She told me
she was in the kitchen with Kirsten.
That's probably what she tells them.
Why don't you sit down?
You don't relax much, do you?
Sometimes.
- Do you spend all your time alone?
- No, no, I was married once.
Yeah? What happened?
My wife had it scientifically proved
that I was impossible to live with.
I think we'd better get you home.
He's dead.
Hester.
Stay where you are.
Hester called me. Is she okay?
Would you be if you'd just found him?
She's near to hysterical.
You'd better come with me.
You thought I did it, didn't you?
Maybe I still do.
You were in town yesterday.
Picking up a parcel for Leo.
I've already been through
all this with the police.
And before you ask, Leo was here
all afternoon on the telephone.
These aren't just alibis,
these are facts.
Then I don't understand
why all the cover-up.
What is it makes you so obnoxious?
I just don't like the way
the Leo Argyles of this world
get away with things.
Maybe that's just because
you don't understand him.
I found him in the conservatory.
- Philip's dead, isn't he?
- Yes.
I'm holding you responsible for this.
- Did you telephone the police?
- No, you'd better do it.
- Why have you come here?
- Because Hester asked me to.
It's gonna be okay.
Nobody else is going to get hurt.
D'you think you know who did it?
I saw her.
Police, please.
She was there when I got back.
There was a light
in the conservatory.
Mary.
Mary, kill Philip?
No.
I saw her.
I saw her do it.
No, Philip and Tina were murdered
because of something they knew,
or something somebody
thought they knew.
What I can't work out
is the connection
between Tina's two voices and Jack
blackmailing a woman in this house.
It's a pity you ever tried to.
I mean, the woman can't be Hester.
Isn't Gwenda.
Mary was with Philip
when he saw Jacko.
That leaves...
You, Kirsten.
Are you mad?
You were with Hester in the kitchen
when Mrs. Argyle was killed.
But you weren't there,
were you, Hester?
You were at an X-rated movie.
- It isn't his business.
- Why, why? I don't understand.
Why, if he was blackmailing you,
why kill her? Why not kill him?
Jacko, he wanted the money.
But you...
You killed her. Why?
I loved him.
He could have killed me,
I wouldn't have cared.
But he wanted her dead.
He planned it.
Of course you can.
It'll be over so fast, she won't know.
I'm afraid.
Just do it.
Don't think about it.
And after that,
everything will be wonderful.
He wasn't blackmailing me.
I'd have done anything for him.
I knew it had to be a lie,
but he made me believe he loved me.
That sounds foolish, doesn't it?
Even if it wasn't true, I loved him.
It was all a plan, the...
...hitchhiking, the address book,
everything.
Everything.
If you loved him,
how could you let him hang?
Because she found out he was married
and she felt betrayed.
What did any of this mean to you?
If you hadn't come here,
Tina and Philip would still be alive.
Quite a sacrifice, just for your
peace of mind, isn't it, Dr. Calgary?
You still think Jacko's
innocence matters, Dr. Calgary?
You were right.
- Kirsten, is it true?
- Yes.
I don't believe you.
Will you have to leave us?
It's cold out here. Go and get me
something warm to put on.
Go on.
sync ? 26.11.2019