Alleyn Mysteries (1990–1994): Season 1, Episode 2 - The Nursing Home Murder - full transcript

𝒯𝓇𝒶𝓃𝓈𝓁𝒶𝓉e 𝓊𝓃𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓉 E𝒩𝒢LI𝒮H

Come on, come on, come on…

Police!

Put it away

- What if they find us?
- Burn those papers

Help him

Police. I have a warrant
to search these premises

You're making a lot of noise

I suppose you have an
explanation for this invasion?

You'll soon find out, sir.
Hold him!

Drop it!



Ask the Chief inspector
to come here

I’m here, Brer

- Anyone hurt?
- No

But look at this

Sir Derek O'Callaghan

Ah, Sir Derek

- My apologies, Prime Minister
- Nice to see you

Congratulations

- Nice to see you back
- Thank you very much

Gentlemen, we can begin

My secretary telephoned,
I believe, with the news

We've been discussing it.
Scandalous

Things can't be allowed
to go on like this

It has been suggested that
more troops be sent in



Do you agree?

Well, with respect, Prime...

Sir Derek!

- Home Secretary, some brandy
- No, please

Please, no brandy. Some... water

Some water

Thank you

Sorry about this

My dear fellow, what
on earth was it?

Keep meaning to see my
doctor, but, well...

this Palestine business
is so pressing

But you mustn't ruin
your health over it

Gentlemen, I think it best
if we adjourn for the moment

No, there really is no
need, Prime Minister.

The pain comes and
goes quite quickly

I wanted a private word with you anyway.
Gentlemen

This really is quite unnecessary,
Prime Minister. Your time is valuable

I’ve asked Chief inspector Alleyn
of Scotland Yard to arrange things

but I have to

Walther PPK 9mm

Officer issue

There's a lot that
came back as souvenirs

Yes

Well, he was carrying
it and it was loaded

Yes, I know, Brer

We didn’t set up that raid to find
one measly little gun, did we?

Well, it could tie up

Isn’t Sir Derek responsible
for Palestine?

Well, he's trying to deal with
the situation, but responsible?

I think that rather
begs the question

Get Bailey to check all
the prints from the house

against the prints of
our three prisoners

That should at least tell
us if we've missed anybody

Right

I’d better have a word with this
fellow Blautwicz, hadn’t I?

Tell you what, Brer, see if you can get
an opinion from the handwriting people

about that stuff you
saved from the fire

So this is the land of the free?

Freedom does not mean liberty
to break the law, Mr Blautwicz

You know that as well as I do

And what crime have I committed?
You invade my house. Why?

A gun was found on your premises

A gun

A little gun

The world is full of
guns, Chief inspector

The detritus of war

Was it necessary for half
the police in London

to strip my house

to find one little gun?

Where did you get it?

How did it come to be
in your possession?

That is a long story,
Chief inspector

I’m in no hurry

The gun belonged to SS
Colonel Halberschmidt,

in charge of oven BZ-79

at Auschwitz

I’m sure I don’t have to
explain to you why I was there

While we were being liberated, I managed
to get hold of it, and I shot him

Am I going to be
charged with murder?

Your actions elsewhere
do not concern me

Here they do. The gun was loaded.
Why?

I have enemies

Personal enemies?

I am a Jew, Chief inspector

Do you consider Sir Derek
O'Callaghan to be an enemy?

I am not aware of the gentleman

Come now, I find
that hard to believe

He's deeply concerned
with events in Palestine

Sir Derek O'Callaghan is
receiving threats to his life

His name was found on
paper in your house

And you were found in
possession of a loaded gun

Now, what do you say
to that, Mr Blautwicz?

I think in the land of the free,

I am entitled to see a solicitor

It’s not the end of the world

You're young and pretty,
you'll find somebody else

That's what you'll do

Find somebody else

You've no feeling

Now, come on, you're not a child

Let's be adult over this.
We've had good times together

They aren't good times
when you remember them

and know you were just
a man's good time

I loved you

Don't make a scene

How can you treat me like this?

What am I to do?

I love you, but if I
could kill you...

I’m not staying to listen
to this stupid talk

Oh, that's right, run away

I hate you

I hate you

- Nash?
- Yes, my lady?

Has Sir Derek come back?

Yes, my lady. He's in the study

Thank you, Nash

Shall I serve dinner, my lady?

How was Sir Derek?

Oh, much more his usual self,
I’m happy to say, my lady

Then we may as well
eat as usual, Nash

Very good, my lady

Derek?

I’m sorry, Cecily

That damn pain again

You can't keep putting
off seeing a doctor

Have you spoken
to John about it?

No, I haven't seen him for weeks.
Why?

He rang my office
this afternoon,

asked if he could come round
and see me here tonight

I wondered...

Oh, people talk, I suppose

It’s just as well you see him

He's a surgeon, not a doctor

You must see him. You
can't go on like this

After this Palestine business
is over tomorrow, I can...

ease up a little,
get proper advice,

and a good rest. There

And that's my speech
for the House tomorrow

Now, don’t worry

Have you had any more
of those letters?

You mustn't worry about them...

Evening, Miss Ruth. I’m
afraid Sir Derek...

Oh, my God, it's Ruth!

I don’t know why you let
her bother you so much

She's my sister. I can
hardly forbid her to visit

I’ll get rid of her

I’m sorry, they are not at home.
I assure you that they're...

Really, Cecily. Nash
said you were out!

- He meant "not at home", Ruth
- Ah, Derek, dear

- I did my best, madam
- Thank you, Nash

- Feeling better, I’m sure
- Yes. Yes, Ruth

Oh, I knew you would be

And here are new supplies

Mr Sage's remedies
really are splendid

Remarkable, and all from
natural ingredients

Nothing chemical, nothing
artificial, you know

Yes. I do know, Ruth You've
told me several times

There are some things, Cecily,
which are worth repeating

Not all natural substances
are good for one

An expert like Mr Sage knows...

Dinner

Mafeking has been relieved

There's a curious mark
on this paper, Brer

You can just see
the faint outline

Bailey says there's one set
of prints unaccounted for

So, three in the cells,
four sets of prints...

Four in the gang. We missed one

We missed more than
that, didn’t we?

Yes

Bad luck on Sir Derek

If we’d found the
weapons, it would have

given him a head start
in the House tomorrow

What's that?

Censure motion by the Opposition

on his handling of the
situation in Palestine

I’m too busy with crime
to bother with politics

Well, you'll jolly well have to
bother with them in this case

Let's see. We've got
the Stern Gang...

You've heard of them, I take it?

Supposed to have a cache of
arms at Blautwicz's house,

ready for shipment to Palestine

All we find is one little pistol and a
piece of paper with Sir Derek's name on it

So, what's going on, Brer?

Well, it looks like the
threats came from Blautwicz

The likelihood is
we've stopped those

Yes, but for how long?

Blautwicz has already
got his lawyer busy

What do you make of that?

Not a lot

Couple of snakes up a tree

That's a caduceus

Oh, yes. What's that?

A symbol of the
medical profession

- Good evening, Sir John.
- Is Sir Derek in?

I believe he's in the
library, Sir John.

Perhaps you’d care to wait in the study
whilst I inform him of your arrival

Very well

May I take your coat
and hat, Sir John?

Er, not now

John!

Cecily

Hello

I’m so glad you've come

That will be all.
Thank you, Nash

You know Derek has been unwell.
You must have heard

- Of course, yes, but...
- He refuses to see a doctor

until this wretched
Palestine debate is over

What with that and the stress
of threatening letters...

- Well, you must know about those, surely?
- Yes, but...

There you are, John.
Sorry to have kept you

Do have a word with him, John, please.
I’ll get Nash to send in some coffee

We'll share something stronger, I think.
Come inside, my dear fellow

Your coat, John

It doesn't matter. I
shall not be here long

I’ve been so busy lately and
politics are a damned curse

And as for this Palestine...

Do sit down, dear fellow

I’ve not come here to
exchange pleasantries

What?

You're an unfeeling,
insensitive blackguard

Your conduct has been
beneath contempt

I don't know what the
hell you're talking about

I’m talking about Jane Harben

What's she to you?

Her happiness is more important to me
than anything, and you have ruined it

Come on, old boy. Good Lord!

We had fun together for a
few months, that's all

She enjoyed it, I enjoyed it

Women aren't ruined nowadays for
enjoying a bit of what they fancy

It was not fancy, as
you call it, with Jane

She loved you. I cannot
fathom why but she did

And she believed that
her love was returned

It was only because
of this that she...

You have ruined her life

If she thought I
loved her, I’m sorry

But as for ruining her...

Good God! She's not
pregnant, is she?

Damn you, no!

Well, then, what the hell
does she want from me?

- Money. Is that it?
- You're a bustard, O'Callaghan

I love Jane

If you drive me too far...

Don't be so dammed melodramatic

I don’t want the woman.
If you do, take her

I warn you, I know your ways

If you make the slightest move to
hurt or take advantage of her again,

I swear I will kill you

Dammed fool!

Is that another
of those letters?

No, no, it's nothing like that

What's the matter with Nash?

Nothing. I wanted to
bring it to you myself

To wish you luck on your big day

Well, that's very sweet of you.
Thank you

Perhaps we could have a
weekend at the cottage

A change would do you...

us good

Yes, yes, why not?

I’ll give myself a
good going over

and get rid of this,
whatever the damn thing is

I’m sure two aspirins
would do you

more good than those
things of Ruth's

Pleases her to think
she's helping me and...

herbs can't harm me, can they?

I can't understand why
people won't trust nature

After all, nature made us,
so nature must know best

It is rather obvious.
Don't you agree, Mr Sage?

Alas, not everyone has your
clarity of mind, Miss O'Callaghan

Now...

remember, it's essential these are taken
regularly until the treatment is complete

Oh, yes, yes. I’ve explained to Derek very
clearly and he's promised to take them

Good

Well, into battle

I hope they're not
too hard on you

I can give them as good
as I’m likely to get

Don't worry

You will take care, won't you?

Look

Armed guard, never lets
me out of his sight

Dammed nuisance, actually

Ah, Chief inspector

Am I to be shot?

We hang people in this country,
Mr Blautwicz, but no, not today

Bail has been arranged.
You're free to go

So, British justice
works after all

With a good solicitor it does

Ah, you're a cynic,
Chief inspector

Will my gun be returned?

I advise you to keep clear of
guns in future, Mr Blautwicz

Oh, I shall, Chief
inspector, I shall

I wouldn’t want to lead
you to another mistake

One moment, sir

What? I might be arrested again?

My paper, sir

Your pardon, Officer

Slippery customer, sir

I think he plays a
fairly straight bat

Could I see your paper?

- Did you tear this out?
- No, sir

He must have

Order! Order!

I wholeheartedly support the
decision of this Government

to develop the atom bomb

Order! Order!

No, no, I will not give way

The defense of this country and the
safety of our troops in Palestine

- is my prime concern
- Hear! Hear!

We hold that country
not for any gain,

but under mandate from
the United Nations

to seek a peaceful solution
to the conflict there

Hear! Hear!

It is a burden we
reluctantly assume

Why don’t we get out, then?

It may be in the nature
of the honourable

member's party to run
away from responsibility,

but on this side of the House
we have a sense of honour

Order! Order!

Order!

Sir Derek

Sir Derek?

To yield to terrorists...

.. to succumb to force is not...

is not a characteristic
of our island race

Please let me pass. I’m
Sir Derek's sister

Oh, it's you, Cecily

Yes, darling, it's me

Try not to talk

- Please stand aside - Sir
John has given instructions

- I am well acquainted with Sir John
- But, madam...

Get out of my way,
you silly girl

I’m Sir Derek's sister. I
insist you let me see him

- Ruth, what are you doing?
- Ah, Cecily

Thank goodness. This silly girl is
trying to stop me from seeing Derek

- I’m sorry, my lady, but...
- Sir Derek is my brother

I keep telling her

It’s all right, Nurse
Banks, thank you

Sir John Phillips would like
a word, Lady O'Callaghan

I don’t think we
should disturb him

I don’t think I’m likely to
disturb my brother, Cecily

He's hardly conscious

You will be staying,
Nurse Banks?

Oh, yes, my lady. Sir John
told me not to leave him

Good

Poor Derek. Is the
pain very severe?

Oh, Ruth, it's dreadful

You must take some of
Mr Sage's fulvitavolts

If you take one now, it
will ease it immediately

I’m sorry, madam, but you
cannot give that to the patient

Nonsense, it will do
him the world of good

Nothing must be given to the patient
without the Doctor's permission

Very well

That's the trouble. The medical
profession is so prejudiced

They think the knife
cures everything

Cecily, it's
probably peritonitis

An operation is
really imperative

I think we should get
Somerset Black to do it

But, John, surely you'll do it

Somerset is very capable

An excellent surgeon

I have no doubt, but...

I have more confidence in you, John,
than anyone, as I am sure Derek has

You're sure you’d not
prefer Somerset Black?

Absolutely

I mean him no disrespect,

but I would be much happier
if you would operate

Very well

Get the theatre prepared, Mr Thoms.
And the anaesthetic, Dr Grey, I think

He's in Birmingham, Sir John.
Lister conference

Oh, well, I’ll get Roberts.
Will you take Lady O'Callaghan

back to Sir Derek?

- I’ll join you shortly.
- Thank you, John.

I know he could not
be in safer hands

Dr Roberts. Oh, Sir John, yes

I’m at St Quinten's.
Dr Grey is unavailable

Unavailable? Oh, yes, I see

It’s an emergency. Sir
Derek O'Callaghan

Sir Derek O'Callaghan?

Acute appendicitis

I must operate as
soon as possible

I shall be over at once

Thank you, Roberts

Always an honour to
work with you, Sir John

I shall bring my own
equipment as usual

Of course

- Goodbye - Goodbye

Have you heard the news?
- No, depress me further

Oh, you had to let
Blautwicz go, then?

Ex-concentration camp victim,

one very small pistol, good solicitor.
What else?

Sir Derek O'Callaghan collapsed in the
Commons. He was rushed to hospital

Good Lord! Nothing suspicious?

No, natural causes.
Appendix, they think

We can hardly accuse
Blautwicz of that

No, we can't

I really think I should
take more exercise

I’ll walk to the corner

The corner?

Yes, I have this sudden,
overwhelming desire...

.. to buy a newspaper

Sir John is going to operate immediately,
Miss O'Callaghan. You must leave now

It’s wrong. The knife is wrong

Nature's way is best

You should let nature
cure him, not the knife

I can understand
how you feel, Ruth

On your head be it

On your head

- I’m sorry, John. Ruth...
- Please, please, I understand

I’ll do what I can.
Try not to worry

No...

Not him

Don't let...

- Don't let him...
- It’s nothing

Pain sometimes makes
patients delirious

It will all be over soon

Nurse Harben, you
should know by now

that Sir John uses his
own hyoscine solution

Put that back in the store

Sorry, Sister

- Your tray is ready, Sir John
- Thank you

Dressings, Nurse

Not giving him two, are you?

One tube was empty

Oh, well. Roberts has arrived

I’ll get scrubbed up

Nurse Banks, doctors
are dressing

Politics is an
honorable profession

May be. Trouble is the
nuts who enter it

Power and the glory, that's what
they're after. Egomaniacs mostly

- Do you really think so?
- Obvious

Always handing each other titles

Knighthoods, peerages, all that stuff.
Right, nursey?

So you think Sir Derek
O'Callaghan's an egomaniac, then?

Hardly got a humble opinion
of himself, has he?

And look at the mess he's
been making in Palestine

No wonder there's Jews threatening
to take pot shots at him

Are there?

I’ve heard he gets
threatening letters

Course, could be some of
your pals, eh, nursey?

I have no pals among assassins

Though sometimes
they can be right

If they’d managed it with Hitler,
who would have complained?

Of course, he was mad

You shouldn’t be here, Jane

Do you think I want to be?

I have no choice. It’s my job

I’ll speak to Sister Graham.
I’m sure she...

No, you mustn't

- But surely you...
- You mustn't speak to anyone

I... I want to be here

I don’t understand you, Jane

I don’t understand
myself, so how can you?

All I want is to help you.
I love you

Don't say that, please

How can you have any
feelings for him?

- He threw you aside -
What feelings I have, I...

Don't ask me to talk about them

I’m afraid of them myself

No more than I am of mine

I hate him for what
he has done to you

Is everything ready, Sir John?

- I’ve given him 100th of hyoscine
- I’ll have him ready in a moment

If you please, Nurse

Forceps

Mop

The pulse is weak, Sir John
I don’t like his pulse

Camphor, three grains

Quickly, Nurse

Inject it

Serum, Nurse

Serum, Nurse Harben

Serum

Serum, Nurse Harben

Pay attention, Nurse

Sorry, Sister

How is he?

Not so good

I’ll give him oxygen

Nasty mess. Must
have neglected it

No doubt

Better take him back

Nurse Harben seemed a bit
not here today, didn’t she?

Nurse Harben,
didn’t seem with us

- I didn’t notice - Hm,
not her usual self at all

- Must be love or something
- Doctor

It’s Sir Derek

He's gone

I understand that the
letters Sir Derek received

were from political extremists
opposed to his policy on Palestine

We feel that it's
hardly likely that...

I heard all this from
the Prime Minister

There is no point in
your repeating it

He is not aware, as I am,

that a woman with whom my husband
had had an unhappy relationship

and who was embittered
by his rejection of her

works as a nurse at Sir
John's nursing home

Forgive me, but are
you sure of this?

Wives are not fools,
Chief inspector

- Was she present during the operation?
- That I do not know

It is sufficient to
know she was there

I’m afraid that hardly constitutes
grounds for a postmortem,

particularly since the death certificate
was signed by two surgeons,

Sir John Phillips and a Mr Thoms

Cecily, you can't do it.
I won't allow it

You can't. It’s wicked.
It’s wrong

The body is a sacred vessel

Ruth, I have a visitor

Chief inspector Alleyn
of Scotland Yard

My sister-in-law
Ruth O'Callaghan

But surely it's...

You're Sir George Alleyn's
brother, aren't you?

He's George Alleyn's brother.
Aren't you?

We met at Stone
Towers, the Bellamys'

That's right, we did

You're a policeman. I remember

Yes, I am

You must stop her. There
must be no postmortem

- It's ridiculous. Derek must not be cut up
- Ruth

It’s indecent. He must be
left to sleep in peace

You may tell the Prime Minister,

I appreciate his motives
in sending you here

but I require to know the real
cause of my husband's death

The Doctors may be
satisfied but I am not

Cecily, please. Think of...

My mind is made up, Ruth

The Chief inspector
is leaving, Nash

Do you by any chance know the
name of the young woman?

Jane Harben. She's the daughter
of neighbors of ours in Hampshire

Thank you

You may be sure that the Prime
Minister will be kept informed

She's a Ratisbonne

They're a frosty lot

They have a great deal of
pull with the powers that be

- Got a bit yourself, haven't you?
- I have friends, Brer

I don’t have pull

I don’t use them

Well, perhaps in the
course of justice

Well, isn't that what Lady
O'Callaghan thinks she's doing?

There's no point worrying until we
get the results of the postmortem

- If she gets one - Rather
a big if, I’m afraid

As I said, she's a Ratisbonne

Their family motto
roughly translated is,

"We don’t stop until
we get what we want"

Anyway, look, this is
much more important

This might give us a
lead on our fourth man

"Anarchism, The
Means And The End?"

Your evening's
entertainment, Brer

Yes, yes, I see your point. Unfortunately
Lady O'Callaghan is a Ratisbonne

The family is very influential.
The party needs their support

I fail to see why my
professional reputation

should be sacrificed

on the altar of
political expediency

Quite, quite

Chief inspector, perhaps you could...
Quite, quite

Lady O'Callaghan
is very determined

There's nothing we can do to stop
her arranging a private postmortem

I have signed the
death certificate

So has Mr Thoms

There is nothing
unusual in the death

Then you've nothing to fear

The whole world of politics is nothing
but the embodiment of arbitrary power

As anarchists, it is our
duty to oppose corrupt

and bureaucratised states
of any political colour

Our aim is justice

But justice is not
the work of the law

Law is only a
declaration of justice,

controlled and administered by the
arbitrary power of entrenched capitalism

and privilege

Until they are uprooted
and destroyed,

there can be no true freedom

Let us not forget that these
ends would be achieved

by each and every one of
us in our daily lives,

particularly in our workplaces

And in this way,

we will undermine the system

that enslaves us...

.. and reform the world

There weren't a lot of you but I
thought you were very attentive

I thought that festival
session was very interesting

Because I think we
can actually...

Closing up now

Ah, excuse me, miss

That's quite all right

I beg pardon for
disturbing you, my lady

Never mind, Nash. What is it?

I scarcely know how
to begin, my lady

I’ve served the
family for many years

and would not presume to
interfere in personal matters

For heaven's sake, Nash, get to the point.
What is it?

I think you should
see this, my lady

Where did you find this?

In Sir Derek's wastepaper
basket, my lady

- Morning, Perkins
- Morning, sir

What load of misery have you
brought to start the day?

Depends how you look at it, sir

Some bad news is good news

- Oh, really?
- Oh, yes, sir

Hip, hip, as the man said, when his
mother-in-law got the whoopers

Morning

Morning, Brer

Ah, you remember your two
snakes climbing up a tree?

They're on free notepads given to
doctors, hospitals and chemists

That's an awful lot of people

- Rosie Lee, sir -
Thank you, Perkins

Well, there was no luck
with the writing either

Didn’t match the hand of any
of the three that we nabbed

I suppose that
confirms something

That Blautwicz has a comrade
on the loose somewhere

- Who did you put on his tail?
- Robinson

Oh, that's really going to frighten him.
What happened at the anarchists'? Any luck?

Oh, nothing happened and no luck

There was no-one I’d
ever seen or heard of

What's Blautwicz doing with
the anarchists anyway?

Bit out of date,
I’d have thought

Still, he must have torn that piece
out of the newspaper for something

Let's have another look at it

Perhaps he was playing
us along, codding us

"Sage's herbal remedies"

I think we should try
some of those, don't you?

Out of sorts, are you?

The caduceus, Brer, the caduceus

On notepads given to doctors,
hospitals and chemists

That's the connection.
Pill pushers, not bolshies

Chief Inspector Alleyn's office

Yes?

Oh, yes, just a moment

It’s Lady O'Callaghan, she wants to see
you. Got important new evidence for you

Here is the proof

"Do not underestimate
me, O'Callaghan

If you trouble Miss Harben again, I will
surely kill you" Signed, John Phillips

My husband received that letter
on the morning of his death

and he died at the hands of
Phillips and that woman Harben

I do not wish to
be disturbed, Nash

I beg pardon, my lady. The Chief
inspector is wanted on the telephone

I took the liberty of putting
it through to here, sir

Alleyn. Yes?

I see

Thank you

That was the result of the
postmortem, Lady O'Callaghan

Well?

I'm afraid your husband
was poisoned...

.. by an overdose of hyoscine

I knew it

I knew it

He killed my husband

Blautwicz and the gun runners
will have to take a back seat

One never knows, Brer.
One never knows

Do you think it's murder?

Sir Derek O'Callaghan dies
of an overdose of hyoscine

That's the same drug administered by
Sir John Phillips during the operation

Who signs the death certificate?
Sir John Phillips

If it isn't murder, somebody’s
been awfully careless

- What the devil...?
- Just a tick, sir

Just a minute, miss

What was that all about?

She's an anarchist

She's certainly got
you stirred up

She was at that meeting

The one with the advertisement that
Blautwicz cut out of the newspaper

She could be number four, the one that
was missing from that raid on the house

I'm afraid not

According to the
handwriting experts,

the name Sir Derek O'Callaghan
was written by a man

Oh. Well, it's a link, though

I mean, he died here and that
nurse works for Sir John

Well, there you are, then

Thank you, miss. Would you like
to take a little stroll with me?

Unless it can be established that Sir Derek
somehow administered the drug himself,

the situation is
serious, Sir John

You do understand?

Of course. I...

- Will you smoke?
- No, thank you

Do you always use hyoscine?

Who prepares the injections?

I always do my own

These tablets packed in tubes of 20
make only one fifth of a grain in all

This is the tube I used. I
have since used one more

That makes 18

May I?

May I hang on to these?

There might have been some mistake
in the manufacture. And the box

Was Nurse Harben present
during the operation?

I won't have her name
brought into this

Did you write this letter
to Sir Derek O'Callaghan

because of his relations
with Nurse Harben?

You threatened to kill him

Do you deny writing this letter?

We do many things in a passion,

in a temper, that we regret

I did not want to
perform the operation

I asked Lady O'Callaghan to
let me get Somerset Black

to do it but she insisted

Did she tell you that?

- Did anyone hear you ask her?
- Mr Thoms was present, I believe

Nurse Harben has not
turned up for work today

- Do you know why?
- No, I do not

- Do you know a man called Blautwicz?
- No, never heard the name

So you do know a Mr Blautwicz?

I didn’t say I did

I said I wouldn’t tell
you whether or not I did

until you told me why you wanted
to know whether or not I did

Now, a few days ago you
attended a meeting

organized by an anarchist group

Is that against the
law, Inspector?

Er, no, Nurse. No, it isn't

I've also been to Tory, Labour, communist,
fascist and social realist meetings

- Did you see me at those?
- Er... no

I've told you all
I know, Inspector

Just a minute, I
haven't finished yet

There was a dirty glass
in Sir Derek's bedroom

Not at school today?

Do you want a sweetie?

Give my love to
your mother, yes?

- Bye-bye - Bye

Now...

There were three syringes used

Hyoscine, which Sir Jo-Jo used
in there, the anaesthetic room

He thinks it's safer,
if you know what I mean

Wouldn’t the anaesthetist
normally do that?

Ah, well, Roberts isn't happy with
needles, so Sir John did it for him

Why isn't Dr Roberts
happy with needles?

He's quirky. Takes all
sorts in medicine

Like politics

Now, this is camphor
used in the op

and this large one here...

This is the anti-gas gangrene

Was anyone in here with Sir John
when he administered the hyoscine?

Oh, no, Roberts was
in the scrub...

Er... Well, actually...

To be honest with you,
I couldn’t be sure

I don’t know

We like people to be honest

Sir John filled the
syringe where?

Oh, here. I saw him do it. He...

He what, Doctor?

Well, look, it doesn't
mean anything, not really

Then you've no reason for
not telling me what it is

It's just that I thought he might
have used two tablets, not one

You see, there were two tubes
but one of them was empty

Anyway, if he had given him two tablets,
that's only two 100ths of a grain,

nowhere near the amount that's
supposed to be in Sir O'Cally, is it?

Why do you say supposed?

Well, accidents
happen, don’t they?

Even at postmortems

And during operations

Well, couldn’t be
anything else, could it?

I mean, O'Cally was a political prat.
Look at what he was up to in Palestine

Well, no-one here is going to deliberately
do him in for that, are they?

I understand Sir John has left.
Where was he going?

I do not know. It's not my place
to ask Sir John where he's going

No, no, of course not, but did he
say how long he was likely to be?

No, he did not. And
stretch and stretch

He may have been going home or
to see a patient, I don't know

Have you had any word
from Nurse Harben

explaining why she hasn't
come to work today?

No. And it's very awkward.
We're short-staffed as it is

Don't slack, Mr Curtis

Without all this bother

What about Nurse Banks?
Couldn’t she have stayed on?

Help you out?

I saw you coming from the window

Ah, good

They think Sir Derek
O'Callaghan was murdered

Oh, thanks

Bit odd, isn't it?

Sir John suddenly
going off like that

I want to know why Nurse
Harben is missing

I expect she's gone home

I've got her address there

- Broughton, Hampshire - Might
pay her a visit. Now...

.. story so far

Sir Derek O'Callaghan dies
of an overdose of hyoscine

There are only two ways it could be
administered: by syringe or by mouth

It could hardly be by mouth
as he was unconscious

Syringe?

Well, there were three syringes
used during the operation

and there were three
puncture marks

found on the body during
the postmortem. So...

The dose must have been in one of the
syringes. Where else could it have been?

And there was only one
syringe large enough

to contain enough
hyoscine to kill

How about two small doses?

No, still not large
enough, apparently

If it was administered by a
syringe, it had to be the big one -

the sort of thing you'd
use on a horse -

which, according to Thoms,

was filled with
anti-gas gangrene,

whatever that is

- I suppose it could have been hyoscine
- Who filled it?

Nurse Banks

It's empty

- Do you want another one?
- No

I was just remembering what you
said about being taken by mouth

Banks said there was a dirty
glass in Sir Derek's bedroom

Sorry to keep you waiting. Chief
Inspector Alleyn, isn't it?

And you're Dr Roberts

- Do sit down - Thank you

I see you've been
exploring my work

Theodore Roberts, yes

Bit over my head, I'm afraid

Frohlich's synergenic
parallels...

conclusively prove Napoleon's
dystrophia adiposogenitalis"

Sounds rather painful

It's a matter of power
impulse and source

I need hardly tell you of
its connection with sex

There's an acute conflict between
the survival of the fittest,

nature's law as
defined by Darwin,

and the human tendency
to preserve the weak

Genius in the arts

and an excessive power impulse
are both deviants from the norm,

the extremes of
both being madness

Is the transmission of
their genes beneficial

to the human future?

Quite

I was hoping you might help me with
a rather more mundane problem,

the death of Sir
Derek O'Callaghan

Yes

Yes, that's quite dreadful

I... cannot deny that I am
rather selfishly nervous

on my own account. But...

I suppose it's difficult for
all concerned in the operation

But you gave no injections

No, no, I'm thankful to say, no

Isn't it usual for
the anaesthetist

to give injections?

I have a personal,
rather painful reason

I never give injections

Why not?

I gave an overdose...

of morphia

A patient who died as a
result of my carelessness

For some time I was
unable to work at all

Then I had to

An urgent heart case

It was successful

Restored my confidence

But I have never been
able to use the needle

I'm sorry, this must be
very distressing for you

But you did examine Sir Derek
before Sir John gave the injection?

Yes, of course. I would have been
failing in my duty if I had not done so

- His pulse was very slow
- Really?

Mr Thoms has stated that you were
worried about that during the operation

His pulse was worsening
progressively

Naturally I had to draw Sir
John's attention to it

Could that have been consistent
with hyoscine poisoning?

With hindsight,

yes, yes, I suppose it would

And this was before the camphor and the
anti-gas gangrene injections were given?

Yes, of course

But that would mean that Sir Derek
O'Callaghan received an overdose

before he arrived at
the operating table

Well, it would seem so, yes

But you know, I... I really
don’t see how it could be done

A quarter of a grain

is a massive dose,
Chief Inspector

So I understand

The results of the postmortem
have not yet been made public

How did you know that the suspected
dose was a quarter of a grain?

Nurse Banks told me

She's here now

She came to tell you the news?

Not especially, no

We have a shared interest
in mental disorders

She's using my upstairs library

Helen?

We were about to have coffee

Perhaps you’d care to join us

You don’t seriously think
it was murder, do you?

Well, frankly, I don’t
know what to think

It could have been
an accident, but...

I suppose you’d like
it to be murder

My dear Miss Banks,
I can assure you,

I'm only interested in justice

Thank you

If a wrong has been done,
it has to be put right

Well, I can't argue against that

I'm all for justice

I just wish there were a bit
more of it, in society generally

Oh, don’t let us
get into politics

You see, I really don’t
see how it could be done

Everybody sees what everybody else does
in an operation. Isn't that true, Helen?

We do. Except...

Except what?

It must have been an accident

I filled the anti-gas and
camphor syringes myself,

so how could it have happened?

That is what the Inspector
is trying to find out

I didn’t like O'Callaghan, or his
policies, but I hate killing,

of any kind

If I could help you, I would

But I don't see how I can

Well, perhaps you could just tell
me why you told Inspector Fox

that there was a dirty
glass by Sir Derek's bed

That was just…

There was a dirty glass there

I don’t suppose it was important

but his sister wanted to give him
some patent medicine and I said...

Hyoscine...

It's a sedative and it is
often used in patent medicine

If he took that before the operation,
there would have been a build-up

and the dose Sir John gave him might
well have taken him over the limit

- I told her not to give it to him
- But you think she did?

It's possible. I did leave the
room for a minute or two,

- and the glass was empty
- I bet that's it

She’d given him something
with hyoscine in it

It wouldn’t surprise me. Ruth
O'Callaghan is an eccentric, I believe

There is a streak of
insanity in her family

Her father committed suicide and
one of her sisters is in a home

Sacrilege! Sacrilege! The family
will never forgive you for it

For goodness sake,
Ruth, shut up!

How can he rest in peace
after being mutilated?

His spirit will be in torment

You think he was a
saint, but he wasn't

He was a Casanova, always
after younger women

How dare you!

How dare you

It was only my tolerance kept our
marriage and his career intact

Derek was a gentleman

He was a womaniser

God knows why I loved him

He was half crazy, like
the rest of your family

Good afternoon, Chief Inspector

Thank you. Would you
be good enough to ask

Lady O'Callaghan if she
can spare a moment?

Yes, sir. Perhaps you’d
care to wait in the study

You tricked him into marrying you.
He never loved you

- Miss Ruth?
- Yes, sir

Thank you

- You're hysterical!
- You're so petty and cruel!

Chief Inspector
Alleyn has called

and would like a word
with you and Miss Ruth

I've shown him into the study

Get Bessie to clear up

We've had a slight accident

Very good, my lady

Lady O'Callaghan...

.. Did Sir John
Phillips suggest to you

that Somerset Black carry out
the operation on your husband?

- Yes, he did - Why
didn’t you tell me?

Is there any reason
I should have?

Forgive me, but if Sir
John had wanted to...

carry out his threat,

he’d hardly have suggested another
surgeon for the operation

It was a ploy. He
knew I would insist,

ignorant as I was of any
hatred he had toward Derek

And another thing,

before Derek was wheeled
into the operating theatre,

he revived for a
moment and cried out,

"Don't let... Don't let...
" or something like that

He was clearly warning me against
letting Phillips operate

I'm sorry, but how
can you be so sure?

Because Phillips was
standing in the doorway

and Derek was looking
straight at him

The nurse who was in attendance heard
him too but said Derek was delirious

And, um... you didn’t think
this worth mentioning before?

I had been upset and confused

It is not every day one's
husband is murdered

I appreciate that. It's just
that premature accusations...

I also remember that the night
prior to my husband’s death

Sir John visited him here
and behaved most oddly

I realise now it was
about that Harben woman

Is...

Is there anything
else you remember?

I would not wittingly hold
anything back, Chief Inspector

I wish to know the truth
about my husband’s death

Yes, of course

Oh, prior to the operation,

was Sir Derek taking
any patent medicines?

Tell the Chief Inspector, Ruth

Tell him about Mr
Sage's magical cures

That's the one
Blautwicz went in?

That's right, sir. 1:05 he
went into Sage's, 1:04...

Yes, never mind the
others, he went in there

Are you sure?

Of course I'm sure, sir.
It's in my report

Right, wait here

Good morning, Brer

I was just going in there

- How odd, I was just coming out
- So I see, sir

I've got his prints on
a box of fulvitavolts

and a receipt in his handwriting

What did you come for?
Gyppy tummy?

Fascinating

Absolutely fascinating. I
can't make top or tail of it

What about you?

Well, at least somebody’s awake.
What have you got for us, Perkins?

Could be love letters but
they look like reports

Yes, thank you, Perkins

Prints match. What
about the writing?

Dead match

That's it

Mr Harold Sage was the one we
missed at Blautwicz's house

That means we've got a herbal
chemist involved in gun running

- Wheel in some tea, Perkins
- Would that be herbal, sir?

- Perkins!
- Right away, sir

You shall have it,
good and strong

Without water

Gets worse

Brer, is it possible that
this man Harold Sage,

acting on Blautwicz's
instigations,

supplies Ruth O'Callaghan,
Derek O'Callaghan's sister,

with this fulvitavolt stuff
laced with hyoscine?

But they couldn’t have known
about his operation, could they?

You can stand your
spoon up in that

Thank you, Perkins. Ask
Robinson to come in, would you?

And go out without making a joke

Now that would be one, sir

Yes, I'd like you to get
me a number, please

I want to speak to Sir John Phillips
at St Quinten's Nursing Home

- The number is Hampstead 3903
- You wanted me, sir

Yes, first thing
tomorrow morning

get round to the General
Medical Council

and find out all you
can about this man

Dr Theodore Roberts

He had an accident a couple of years ago
with a patient of his. Find out all you can

- Yes, sir - Hang on
a minute, Robinson

Yes, I'd like to speak to
Sir John Phillips, please

Oh, I see. Um...

Well, could I speak to
Sister Graham, then?

Thank you

Also, a man called
Thoms, T-H-O-M-S,

surgeon, also works
at St Quinten's

That's all

Right, sir

Sister Graham, it's
about Sir John

Sir John left after
your visit, sir

- I see - We haven't
heard from him since

- No word at all?
- No

What about Nurse Harben?

It was an accident. It
must have been an accident

You don’t think I killed him?

I'm not sure I'd
blame you if you had

I loved him, but I
could have killed him

Love is like that, isn't it?
Close to hate

But all I know is, his going
has left a hole in my life

One has to be careful of holes

You can fall in them

You mustn't start thinking like that.
He isn't worth it

If only you’d let
me take care of you

I'd do anything for you,
anything to make you happy

I love you. Can't you
understand that?

How do you know you aren't
just infatuated with me?

It can work both ways, you know

What's all this?

Deep in thought or a touch
of the old catatonics?

Is Dr Roberts coming?

Well, he's here already

Don't tell me you're
pining for him when

there are handsome young
surgeons available?

Oh, dear

Right, then, what's
on the menu today?

Not an appendectomy, I hope

I don’t think Sir Derek O'Callaghan's
death is anything to joke about

Maybe not, but there's no point
being hypocritical, is there?

Wouldn’t you agree, old boy?

I mean, Sir Derek O'Callaghan was not
exactly loved throughout the land

I'd go further. He
won't be sorely missed

She goes on about
warmongering politicians

but when the worst one in
the land gets knocked off,

she goes all conscience-stricken

Knocked off means
murdered, doesn’t it?

Don't you try and be
clever with me, young lady

If he was knocked off...

we all know no-one had more
motive for doing it than you

That's not fair

You yourself have
said, in my presence,

that a lot of people
would be better off

if Sir Derek was dead

Well, yes!

I was just thinking about those poor
Jews he kept stuck in a boat...

.. unable to land

Exactly

Nurse Banks was merely thinking
of the other unfortunates

I know you both mean well but
really you're arguing over nothing

Nobody here would
murder a patient

Well, how could they,
with everyone watching

what everyone else is doing?
It's impossible

Nothing's impossible

It could be done

How?

Come on, then, smarty-pants

If you know how it
could be done, tell us

Come on

Don't be silly

I wouldn’t tell you,

I'd tell the police

I understand what you're saying,
Chief Inspector, but...

How can I...?

I knew what kind of
a man Derek was...

.. but I loved him. There it is

And Sir John?

He couldn’t kill
anybody if he tried

He's too soft. You've
got to believe that

Do you happen to know where
Sir John Phillips is?

He went back to London. He
left just before you arrived

Are you sure he's
going to London?

He's not the sort
of man to run away

Can I answer that?

Or are you afraid I'll run away?

Don't be too harsh on us, Miss Harben.
We're only doing our duty

I'm sorry. It's all so upsetting

41226. Hello?

Hello?

She loved him!

I sometimes wonder
what women are made of

They often wonder
that themselves

So I'm told

Still, in love with Sir Derek?
Oh, well

Mind, she doesn’t exactly
seem averse to Sir John

Well, defending him like that

It's Scotland Yard. They want to
speak to you, Chief Inspector

Thank you

Chief Inspector Alleyn

- Would you like one?
- No, thank you, miss

The syringe that was used for the
pre-operation injection of hyoscine,

Did you see Sir John fill it?

No, I did not

Did you handle the two that
were filled by Nurse Banks?

Yes, of course I did

It's part of my job to han...

Do you think I emptied them and refilled
them with hyoscine? Is that it?

It's absolutely
impossible for anyone

to do anything they
shouldn’t during an op

We've got to get back to the Yard.
Things are hotting up

Do you really think
you need that?

Well, I hope I don't but we don't
know what we're up against

Well, put it away somewhere

Good luck, sir

Thank you

No Parthian shot?

Silence is golden, Perkins

- Helen, I was just coming up -
Oh, that's all right, Mrs Oliver

- I've run out of sugar again
- Yes. I'll, um...

Oh, it's all right, dear.
I'll come back later

Yes

Could I speak to Chief
Inspector Alleyn, please?

Chief Inspector Alleyn's office

Could I speak to the
Chief Inspector, please?

- Who's speaking?
- My name is Banks

I'm a nurse at St
Quinten's Nursing Home

Well, he's not here, Nurse.
He's just gone out

Please ask him to ring me

I know... how something...
could be done

Tell him that

"Know how something
could be done"

- Right, Nurse - Thank you

Oh, Mrs Oliver...

Mrs Oliver?

- Sage!
- All right

It's done... Here

Should have left ten minutes ago

The ship won't leave on time.
It never does

Remember, number three shed. Say
"Happy days" and you'll be cleared

Right, let him go

Chief inspector

Really

This is getting beyond a joke

Then we shall see who
has the last laugh

Open it up, Brer

Correct me if I'm wrong, Chief
Inspector, but wasn't Brer a rabbit?

Not this one. Have you
never heard of Brer Fox?

Guns may be embargoed

Medical supplies are not

Cotton wool

That's all

Harmless. You're delaying
a mission of mercy

This way, come on! We've
got him, we've got him!

Mr Blautwicz

Chief Inspector

Seen you before, haven't I?

Those powders of
yours, just the ticket

We're still none the wiser as to
who killed Sir Derek O'Callaghan

All in good time, Brer.
All in good time

"Nurse Banks...

knows how..."

Helen?

Helen?

Helen!

Oh, I didn’t know you were asleep.
I won't disturb you

I'll just turn the light out

Yes, poisoned

Overdose of something.
I can't say what

I'll need a postmortem but
it looks like suicide

Nothing's been touched,
has it, Merritt?

Oh, no, sir. I've seen
to that, like you said

I've let no-one touch anything

Could be hyoscine

Blood?

Probably scratched a pimple

Perhaps

That's it. The patient
can be removed now

He's not his usual
self today, is he?

I don’t wish to speak out of turn, Sir
John, but Mr Thoms seems to think...

That's another lucky fellow tucked away.
Well done, Sir John

You’d be well advised to take
it more seriously, Mr Thoms

Surgery is not a
matter for humour

I wasn't being funny. I meant it

it was a difficult op and he
was lucky to have you do it

- Sister!
- What?

- I think you’d better come
- Oh, my God, what is it now?

What the...? What's all this?

Jane!

What's happened?

I don’t know. I was told to come
in here with him and stay with you

Stay?

No-one is to leave without the
Chief Inspector's permission, sir

- This is ridiculous!
- Sir!

Oh, God!

What the hell is this?

Oh, for God’s sake

You can't come barging in here
just when you feel like it

- We have important operations to get done
- All right, Thoms. All right

This is very irregular,
Chief Inspector

So is murder, Sir John

Sister Graham, please

The syringes were on this table?

I've already been through that with you.
What's the point...?

Quiet, doctor, please

Is that correct?

Yes

Sir John, you took a syringe,

you filled it with hyoscine,

took it through to the anaesthetic room and
injected it into Sir Derek O'Callaghan

That is correct.
100th of a grain

Would you show me, please?

I picked up the syringe and...

- Do you want me to go in?
- If you would, please

Where was Nurse Harben?

There, by the operating
table, I think

Would you mind, Nurse?

- She was there?
- As far as I remember

And what about you, Sister?

Me?

Oh, I really don’t know. I...

You were there at the table,
looking at the syringes

No, no, no, she wasn't.
She was by the store

You weren't in here at that time

Yes, I was. I asked you if you’d
given O'Callaghan a double dose,

and you said one tube was empty

As I told you, Chief Inspector

Then I went off to the scrub room,
you went to the anaesthetic room,

and Sister was by the store

I really don’t think
I was in here at all

I was in the scrub room with Dr Roberts.
You were there, doctor

Well, I was certainly
there when Thoms came in

Yes, and I was helping you
dress when he came in

No, no, no, you
couldn’t have been

When I went in, Roberts
was scrubbing up

You were there where
you are now, Sister

Nurse Banks came from the anaesthetic
room and you told her to help dressing

Ah, yes. Yes, um...

I think Nurse Harben's right.
I did speak to Nurse Banks

You were there, by
the syringe table

Yes, very well, Nurse!

I was by the table

All right?

Thank you

Dr Roberts...

Mr Thoms, you were
both in the scrub room

Come on. He counts to ten,
then comes to find us

Sir John...

So Sir Derek would have
been where exactly?

Thank you

And you gave the injection...

Left arm, in the artery

- And this is the anaesthetic equipment?
- Yes

You give the injection
before this is used?

Yes

So this is wheeled in
next to the trolley?

- I would not be here, of course
- No, no, I understand

Good, thank you

Inspector, please

Would you come in here, please?

Ladies and gentlemen, I would
like the patient to be wheeled in

and you all to be in the
positions you were at the time

It'll be charades next

Inskip, you’d better play Banks

Just a moment. Shouldn’t you have
the anaesthetic equipment with you?

It's already here

The equipment in there is ours.
Dr Roberts uses his own

So you bring this with you?

We all of us feel more comfortable
with our own equipment

Good. Carry on

So you were all in these positions when
the operation on Sir Derek commenced?

Yes

Nurse Inskip would
be Nurse Banks

- What about the lights?
- I did them

Thank you, Sister

- You went straight back to the table?
- Yes

- You didn't do anything else?
- I adjusted the screen

- What's that?
- Well, that's it

It's to conceal the patient's
head while the surgeon works

In case the patient comes to
consciousness for some reason

Well, we’d better have
it, then, hadn’t we?

You all stayed in these positions
throughout the operation?

Except for when
syringes were needed

Nurse Harben, you collected one?

Yes

You gave it to Sir John?

No, Sister took it from me

She wasn't paying attention.
I gave it to Sir...

No, I gave it to Mr
Thoms, who injected it

No, no, that was the second
one, serum for the dressing

Banks gave the first one,
the one you asked for

Thank you. I'd like you all to
go to the scrub room, please

- Look, what the hell is this?
- Mr Thoms

Well, I'd like to know
what the hell's going on,

ordering us about like
kids in a kindergarten

Sister

Thank you

Blake, cover the door

Brer, it's got to
be here somewhere

- Brer, you're a genius
- Oh, I wouldn’t say that

Grab him, Ginger

Nurse Banks guessed, didn’t she?

She realized that you
were the only one...

.. who couldn’t be seen

Is he...?

Did he kill O'Callaghan?

And Nurse Banks

She was full of all sorts of burning
causes, as you were so keen to tell me

One of them was justice

Why? What had Sir
Derek done to you?

I did it...

for the good of mankind

There were only three
injection marks on the body

If Roberts had used the syringe,
there would have been a fourth

There is, in the head,

under the hairline

You see, I'd spotted a speck of
blood on Nurse Banks' pillow

and so I had her head shaved

The same with Sir Derek

There they were, tiny marks

So simple, should
have been obvious

But his not wanting
to do injections?

Oh, a perfect alibi.
Well, nearly perfect

Excuse me

I shouldn’t have
tried to run away

I'm not ashamed of what I did

O'Callaghan was mad,
like all his family

But then, so are all
politicians and scientists

Mad with conceptions and power

You see,

one murder... makes a villain

and he is hanged,

but connive at the making of an
atomic bomb to kill millions,

allow as many again to suffer

torture and starvation
for political ends,

and then what do you get?
A knighthood

Society rewards its
potential destroyers

I killed them to try and save it

Was Nurse Banks a destroyer?

You know, sir,

I'd say he's gone
in the head himself

I daresay that'll be a
matter for expert opinion

Do you know, Brer,

I sometimes think madness is
an extreme kind of sanity