Fragment of Fear Page #3

---

see the woman yourself? No. I did get a report of her manner

from the desk sergeant, sir. Don't take it too seriously. They get hallucinations

at certain times of life. Dentists suffer from similar accusations

sometimes when they give anaesthetics. I take it you don't want

to give a statement, sir? Just a plain oral denial? No, no. I don't. Oh, now wait a minute,

i do want to make a statement. You don't need to, sir, in view of the present police intentions

that I've already informed you. Oh no, er... believe me,

it's not as simple as that. This, er... bun-faced woman that says I offered

to rape her on the train or whatever. Well, there's something

very odd about it all. There's something

very difficult to understand. Well, as I say, sir, we get

these cases from time to time. If she becomes persistent

or makes a nuisance of herself, you want to get a

court injunction against her. No, no, wait a minute. Before we parted at Victoria station,

she gave me a note in an envelope. That's a very... it's... it's... I just would like you to have a look at it.

It's very complicated. Would you...? You don't want to go

giving your name and address to strange women

you meet on trains, sir. Unless, of course,

your intentions are... No, I didn't give her my address.

That's just one of the extraordinary things. That's one of the others.

I'd like you to read it. Hello? Oh, hello, mr bristow. Stanley, all right. Yes, yes, I've spoken to her.

She's going to see me this evening. Oh, all right. Yes, well, look, if I promise to get her home

by midnight, then she can, er... Change your dressing

or tuck you up, or whatever. Purulent, yes,

it sounds very distressing. I know, I know.

I know I've seen it, yes. What? No, I don't think

that will be a problem. There's an all night chemist in town.

We'll get it for you. I'll tell her when she gets in. Er... disprin, yes.

No, I can spell it. Okay, mr bristow, bye-bye. It's my fiancee's uncle.

He's got an ulcerated leg. As you said, sir.

Very distressing. Now, this note you've shown me, sir. The one you said

the bun-faced woman gave you. I've been looking at the type, sir. I also happened to glance at the type

on this unfinished copy you left on the desk. And the typing paper- yes, they're exactly the same.

That's why I made the copy. So is the typing paper, and, er... ...so are the envelopes.

That's what I wanted to tell you. Look at that. Well, what did you want

to tell me, sir? Well, the fact that

the woman gave, er, me a letter which was typed

on my own typewriter, on my own typing paper, and put into one

of my own envelopes. Now, this note that you typed? Well, er...

I didn't type this. I don't quite understand.

I didn't type it myself. You didn't tell me that when you

gave it to me to read, sir. No, I was about to tell you, but

the telephone rang. I mean, it's... To be honest, sir, I don't understand

what you're getting at. - Well, look. I was given a note...

- Are you suggesting that this woman, who complained about you, somehow got hold of

your name and address, broke into this flat, typed this stuff out

on your typewriter, took it down to

the seaside with her, came back on the train with you, gave it to you

when you got to Victoria, and then came and complained

about you at the police station. Is that what you're suggesting, sir? Well, not all of it, no. Well, then which of it, mr Brett? Well, first of all, I don't think she was

the person that broke into my flat. Well, who was it, then? Well, perhaps you should

ask the person who put the laugh

on my tape recorder. Laugh on your tape recorder, sir? Yes, it's a kind of... Listen. ...the esplanade hotel. See what I mean? Was that you laughing, sir? Of course not.

I don't laugh like that. But you just did, sir. Look, if you think

i invented this entire thing, perhaps you'd like

to tell me what for? - There's no call to get annoyed, sir.

-L'm not getting annoyed. You raised this matter, I didn't. I raised it because I have evidence

that someone has broken into my apartment. Now, if that isn't a matter for the police,

perhaps you'd be good enough to tell me what is. Do you want it reported, sir? You're damn right I want it reported.

I... I am Lucy Dawson's nephew. Ah. Well, in that case,

you won't mind if I take what you call the evidence

down to the station, sir. No, sure. Are there any other

key holders to the flat, sir? Yes, there's, er... mrs baird, she's the woman who cleans for me,

but she doesn't come on Sundays. And there's Juliet, but she

spent the entire sabbath looking after her

uncle's purulent leg. I'll give you a receipt

for these, sir. Doubtless if the cid want any further

information, they'll phone you, sir. This is all the evidence, is it, sir? Yes. There was a cigarette in the loo,

a black one with a gold tip. Whose'? I don't know.

I don't smoke, that's the point. You kept the stub, of course. No, as a matter of fact,

i flushed it down the... the thing. Why? Because I was sick all over it. Do you mean you vomited, sir? I was scared. Silly, isn't it? Hello? Hello! What are you doing in the dark? Don't do that!

Don't do that. I think, we're...

I think we're being watched. Then draw the curtains. I don't want them to know

that I mind being watched. - Who?

- I don't know. I don't know. I had a visit

from the police this morning. Bun-face woman went to them

last night after she left me at Victoria and told them that

i tried to rape her on the train. Did you? She'd be more likely to rape you. What have you done about her letter? What do you mean? Did you tell the police about it? Of course I told them about it. What did they say? I don't know.

What could they say? They probably think

I'm an absolute raving nut. He's as thick as two short planks,

the sergeant who spoke to me. I had two telephone calls

this morning, both of them told me to

sort of lay off. Told you to? Go on. Oh, nothing.

It was just some crank or other. I am being watched, though. Did you hear me?

Being watched. Put your shirt on, Tim. Make love to me. Lam. You know what I mean. I mean, after all, if they want

something to look at, we might as well give them

something, mightn't we? Not for the wrong reasons. Dear oh dear, miss priss. I love you. What you thinking? I was thinking of

uncle Stanley's purulent leg. He called me today. You know he loves

showing it off, right? Well he, er...

He asked me if I'd seen it, and I said yes, 'cause otherwise I thought

he'd come round and show it to me. I promised to get him

some disprin anyway. Guard".

Mind the doors! Got any grass, Timmy? Now come on, fellas, get lost. Yes, madam? I'd like some disprin, please. Hey, Timmy! Hello, Joe. Aren't you in the wrong

late night line-up? You sure you're going to be all right? Oh, yes. They say the true test

in the cure of an alcoholic is going back to your old pub

and buying a coke. We've bought disprins. I'm all right. Fourteen ennismore gardens. I had to make peace with myself. If there was anything in the envelope

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes