Crooked House Page #7

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in the tree house last night.

I thought you were a prowler.

That's why I let the dogs out.

Man named gaitskill

is here, sir.

Oh, let him in.

What's gaitskill doing here?

What a mess.

This is a crime scene,

Lady Edith.

It is also my home.

It's so unfair.

What's going on?

Why is gaitskill here?

Ask Sophia.

Let's Usher in the reign

of queen Sophia.

Allow me to congratulate you,

Sophia.

You are a very wealthy woman.

If I may,

I suggest you make a new will

at your earliest opportunity.

A good day to you all.

Madame Sophia.

Your penniless

and broken-down old mother

begs you for alms.

Spare us a copper, dear.

Your ma wants to be

in the pictures.

You're very funny, my love,

but perhaps this isn't

the time for clowning.

I suppose you're going

to bail Roger out.

We don't want any of the money.

I will sell associated catering.

Good girl.

No point throwing good money

after bad.

I was his eldest son.

But to stab me in the back

with his dying breath.

Look at you both.

Desperate and humiliated

because now you're going

to have to go to Sophia's door

with your begging bowls.

Get out of this room.

Now!

Beware of the vultures,

sister, dear.

It's one hell of a burden

on your shoulders.

I think

we're forgetting ourselves.

Philip, tell me.

How is dear Josephine?

Oh, I'm so sorry.

She's going to be fine,

thank god. No broken bones.

They want to keep her in

for observation.

Very wise.

She should not be in this house.

Much too dangerous.

Well,

as entertaining as this is,

I've had enough

of all the drama.

Roger needs to be gone

from this house.

We shall pack our bags,

and we shall go.

Congratulations, my darling.

I have a sneaking suspicion

that he made the right choice.

Sophia.

You are

an extremely clever woman.

And you are a de Haviland.

I have seen what it takes

to operate at a certain level,

and it is not always pretty.

So I want you to remember

that lineage will help you find

what's most important in life.

A sense of balance.

Well, my angel,

perhaps we should talk

about exposure.

I'm sorry, papa.

But your father wrote it.

At least read the bloody thing.

It would only prolong the agony.

Papa...

Grandfather always said

fortunes don't last

if they get split between

the weak members of a family.

They should be concentrated

in the hands of the strong.

Did you know about this will,

Sophia?

Yes.

Looks bad, doesn't it?

He first mentioned the idea

when things started to get ugly

in Cairo.

He said

I should come back to England

so he could teach me

to handle his empire.

That's why you left me.

That and the fact

you were spying on me.

"Spying" is a big word.

You broke my heart, Charles.

And I resigned.

Why didn't you tell me

about this will?

I don't know.

When it didn't turn up,

I thought it was another

of grandfather's tricks.

He liked to toy with people.

Must run in the blood.

That's what he thought.

He said I looked

like a de Haviland,

but the blood in my veins

was Leonides.

So nothing could ever resist me.

I think he may have had a point.

You really believe I could have

murdered him, don't you?

No, Sophia...

Maybe Mr. brown

has taken up gardening.

Or perhaps

they were planted on him.

It's all a bit too convenient.

It helps your

girlfriend's case, though.

Worth killing for,

that sort of pot of gold.

She's not my girlfriend.

I've taken over

this investigation, Charles.

Your position is compromised.

You should be with the other...

Suspects.

If you say so.

Those are Lady Edith's

secateurs.

And they don't prove anything.

Any old knife could've been used

to cut those ropes.

What we need is direct evidence

of a liaison

between Mr. brown

and Mrs. Leonides.

This is a joke, Charles.

I'm afraid not.

Well...

You go first then.

Right.

Charles.

Yes, sir?

Is this what

a distinguished Chief Inspector

should be doing

in his golden years?

Heh-heh-heh.

Hallelujah.

"Oh, Laurence, my darling,

my own dear love.

"I cannot talk about last night.

"For if I do,

my heart will burst.

It won't be long now

before we can be together."

"My darling...

"Is impatience in a lover

a crime or a virtue?

"I don't want him to suffer,

not after his kindness to me,

but I do wish him gone."

Mrs. Leonides.

I have to ask you

to accompany me

to Scotland yard.

I'm sorry?

Anything you say

may be taken down

and used in evidence

against you.

Do you understand?

But I didn't write this.

Mrs. Leonides, please.

I would never do anything

like this.

You show them some dignity.

I didn't write that.

I would never write that.

No, it was them.

It was them.

You must be so happy.

You'll rot in hell.

You old hypocrite!

Daddy's little boy.

You couldn't keep your hands

off me when I got here!

Charlie, help me.

These vampires.

They set us up because

we're not part of their world.

Don't let them fool you.

Charles, please!

They set us up!

Here.

We never stood a chance

against them.

Well, I was completely taken in

by her performance.

Mother, if Brenda is guilty,

then she'll hang.

- That's enough.

- She should be tortured.

You'd enjoy watching that.

He wasn't your father.

I loved my father.

Do you understand? I loved him.

More than you'll ever love me.

Better now?

I want Brenda

to have the best lawyer

money can buy. We'll pay.

She's always been

out of her depth.

Poor thing.

Where are you going?

An appointment in town, dear.

Well, Charles.

You redeemed yourself

at the last moment.

Have to admit, I couldn't

have done it without you.

The evidence is almost

entirely circumstantial.

Usually is in a murder case.

A lot depends on the impression

they make on the jury.

And if you ever need

a proper job,

you know where to find me.

What are you thinking, Charles?

That it still could be me?

And I got away with it

Scot-free,

with all the money,

thanks to you.

And that's why I chose you

in the first place.

Someone could have forged

those letters, couldn't they?

They talk about you

in the papers.

How you helped solve the case.

Good morning, Miss Ackroyd.

Oh, Mr. Hayward.

This is the making of you.

We can get in the decorators

and everything.

Here we are, pumpkin.

Run along to nanny.

Here you are.

Oh. I'm so glad to see you.

I've missed such a lot.

I didn't need to be kept

in hospital all that time.

Don't look so angry,

my little changeling.

Stop calling her that, Magda.

How I address my own daughter,

auntie,

is none of your business.

Josephine, darling, you're back.

Tell me, what was Brenda

and Laurence's reaction?

Did they beg for mercy?

I wish you wouldn't talk

about people that way.

They found love letters

on the tower's balcony.

I knew it. I have to write it

all down in my notebook.

Well, I'm off.

Josephine!

I cleaned these

while you were away.

And I'm making you

some hot chocolate.

It will make you--

Oh, good gracious.

Have you seen my notebook?

Why? Have you lost it?

I thought it was in my room.

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