Frenzy Page #5

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You never collected a debt.

Well, yes, I did.

But she gave it to me the night

before when we had dinner.

- Twenty pounds.

- Why lie about it, then?

I suppose I was ashamed

to admit it, that's all.

That makes sense, I suppose.

But if Brenda gave you that money,

why'd you sleep in the doss house?

You could've afforded a hotel.

I didn't realise that I had it.

She slipped it into the pocket of my raincoat.

Oh, go on, Dick. Why don't you pull

the other one? It's got bells on it.

But it's true! I suppose

she didn't want to embarrass me.

You've got to admit, it is pretty tall.

Not as tall as me sleeping in a doss

house with 20 quid in my pocket!

If I knew I had it,

I'd never have gone there, would I?

- Maybe.

- Maybe! You smelled that jacket!

Would you sleep there if you didn't have to?

It wasn't that bad, that jacket.

I still think it's a bit suspicious,

your sending it to the cleaners.

Suspicious of what?

In them sex cases,

they always do a lab test on the clothes.

It stank to high heaven!

That's why. You know it did.

Barbara, I swear I'm telling the truth.

Do I look like a sex murderer to you?

Can you imagine me creeping around,

strangling women with ties?

That's ridiculous. For a start, I only own two.

Well, it's true. That jacket was a bit smelly.

And if you had known about the money,

you wouldn't have stayed

with old men like that.

Then you believe me?

Thousands wouldn't.

Thanks.

I must be soft in the head

lettin' a suspected strangler

put his arms around me.

- Shows you trust me.

- I suppose so.

Hey, what we gonna do?

The police will be looking for you!

I don't know. I haven't thought yet.

There's only one thing you can do.

Tell them what happened, like you told me.

- No, I can't do that.

- You've got to!

- They'd never believe me.

- Why not? I did.

You're not the law.

I'm probably their only suspect.

You have to go along and persuade

them to search for someone else.

I mean, one look at you and they'd

know you wasn't a sadistic killer.

- (Man) Blaney!

- Come on!

Dicko!

Haven't done any of this

cloak-and-dagger stuff since the Suez business.

That's when I first met Dicko,

in the squadron, you know.

He was a bit of

a split-assed type then too.

# (Whistling)

Hetty, you remember Dicko, don't you?

Of course. Come in.

- This is Miss Milligan.

- Hello, Miss Milligan.

- Pleased to meet you.

- I bumped into them in the park.

How fortunate!

We haven't seen you in ages, Dick.

How's Brenda? Do you still hear from her?

Well, uh, she's dead... I'm afraid.

- Yes... and you killed her!

- Steady on, Hetty. He didn't do it.

- He's just been telling me all about it.

- Has he, now?

See, he was seen near the place

where Brenda was murdered.

So the police think he's the strangler chap.

But he's not, of course.

All he wants is a place to hide out.

And you suggested he should stay here.

Well, yes. It seemed a good idea.

Nobody ever knows who's staying here.

You're a bloody fool, Johnny,

getting yourself involved like this.

- But he didn't do it.

- (Hetty) Of course he did it!

- What, old Dicko?

- Yes, Dicko, the chivalrous knight!

He always treated her like a chit!

I think you're absolutely wrong.

Don't you remember that

disgusting divorce petition?

The things you did to her!

- Divorce petition?

- Oh, didn't he tell you?

He was divorced from his wife

on the grounds of extreme cruelty.

Thank you very much.

Well, is it true?

Yes!

Both extreme mental and physical cruelty.

Depravity was mentioned, I think.

It had to read that way,

but there wasn't a word of truth in it!

The lawyers made it all up.

We didn't want to wait three years

for a divorce based on desertion,

so I allowed her to divorce me

on the grounds of cruelty.

Extreme cruelty.

I wonder if the police have read a copy of it.

My God!

Yes, l'm sure they'll be fascinated.

- He's innocent, I know he is.

- You know it? How do you know it?

As you say, they'd been divorced.

He had no call to do her in.

There's no spiteful act

I'd put past old Dicko here,

especially if he were drunk.

Were you drunk when you did it?

Was that it?

I didn't do it, Hetty.

I didn't do it! I swear!

Then why don't you go to the police

instead of involving Johnny?

I didn't want to involve him. He insisted.

That's right, I did.

Can't abandon a chap in trouble.

I still say, why don't you go

to the police and inform them?

They'd never believe him, that's why.

He's the only suspect they've got,

and with the evidence against him,

they'd lock him up without

so much as a by-your-leave.

Please hide him, Mrs Porter, just for tonight,

until we can think what's best to do.

'Course we'll hide him.

Can't throw an old comrade to the cops.

Well, if you want to be arrested

for harboring a wanted man,

or subverting the course of justice

or whatever,

on your own head be it, Johnny.

But I wash my hands of the matter.

Thank God we're off to Paris tomorrow.

That's all I can say.

That is, if we're not all in jail!

I'm going shopping.

- Perhaps I'd better go.

- Nonsense, old chap.

Don't worry about Hetty.

I'll calm her down. Use the sofa tonight.

I must be off. I'm ever so late already.

- What do you do, Miss Milligan?

- I work in a pub.

- Same place he used to be.

- Really?

Why don't both of you slip out of the

country 'til this thing's blown over?

- Give me a hand at the Bulldog.

- Bulldog?

It's an English pub I've opened in Paris.

They're the new thing there.

That's a great idea. Why don't we?

Not likely. I never was any good at French.

You don't have to be. It's an English pub.

As long as you can say ""non,""

you'll be alright.

- Well...

- Come on, Babs.

You don't like the Globe

any more than I did.

Meet me at the flower stall at

Victoria Station tomorrow at 1 1am.

We can get a day trip to France.

You don't need a passport.

- OK.

- Splendid!

Froggies will roll over and die at

the sight of a real English barmaid.

I must go now, really. You know Forsythe.

Mum's the word, eh?

Don't tell a soul I'm here.

Cross me heart and hope to die.

Thanks for lookin' after him.

Not at all, my dear.

I'll come see you to the lift.

Enjoying that, are you, sir?

Sergeant, my wife is

currently taking a course

at the Continental School

of Gourmet Cooking.

To eat well in this country,

one must have breakfast

three times a day.

And an English breakfast at that.

I don't mean your caf complet.

- Beg pardon, sir?

- A cup of coffee half an inch deep,

in floating bits of boiled milk,

and a sweet bun full of air.

- That's what I had this morning.

- I see what you mean, sir.

I'm a... Quaker Oats man, myself.

Excuse me, sir.

This has just come in.

It's the lab report on the ten-pound note

- that Blaney paid the hotel bill with.

- Yes.

As you'll see, the note

bore traces of face powder

identical to that which we found

in Mrs Blaney's handbag.

- Thank you.

- Thank you, sir.

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