I Promised to Pay Page #5

- Oh, yes.

And you never happened to mention anything

about it in an unguarded moment, perhaps?

While you were drinking in a pub, say?

Er no. No I don't drink very much,

so I'm not likely to let that affect me.

I see.

So you've never

talked about it to anyone?

No.

Not even to your wife?

Well, you know how it is, I...

I had to say something, I mean...

Well, it wouldn't have been fair if...

...if anything had happened.

But that's ridiculous to suggest that...

- I'm not suggesting anything, Mr Pearson.

I'm here to find out the facts.

Now it's obvious that whoever did this job

had access to inside information.

Either from somebody in this firm

or from associates of Parker and Moore.

And that's what I'm here

to find out about.

In any case, I don't suppose you told your wife

about these new arrangements.

Oh, no.

No, just that the job was being taken over

by another firm, that's all.

I see.

TRAIN WHISTLES:

How long for?

I... want to leave it a few days.

A week, maybe. That all right?

Sure. What name?

- Er, Smith.

How much?

- Ninepence.

Ta.

- Thank you.

SUSAN:

I want my teddy bear.

Stop going on about your teddy bear!

I told you, I'll get you another one!

You go outside and play, darling.

I don't know what's

the matter with me, Madge.

I can't even stand the children any more.

I hate the house, I hate the district...

- Easy, Jackie, easy.

They'll get caught, you'll see.

Yes, they'll get caught, won't they?

They'll send them to jail for a few years,

and then they'll let them go free.

Well, that's not enough.

It's not enough for me.

They're not going to get away with this!

No one's going to get away with this!

Look at it, eh?

Just sitting there.

All this loot and

we can't spend a penny of it.

Only a few days and already

it's burning a hole in your pocket.

I told you that sitting it out

would be the tough part.

Well, I want to see some life!

I don't call this living!

Oh, shut up. You've got more years

in front of you than I have.

In other words,

you haven't got anywhere at all.

Thank you.

We're pretty sure there was

a contact on the inside.

Jobs like these are planned

months in advance.

Harry and Frank had only been

working for Kneales a few weeks.

Meaning?

Someone tipped of the gang about

the new method of picking up the payroll.

I see.

Carberry asked me if Harry knew

a man called Pearson. Who's he?

He works in the wages

department at Kneales.

He had a dizzy turn on the

morning of the robbery.

Not that there's anything unusual about that,

but until then he'd never missed a day's work.

Carberry had a hunch.

Had him under observation since Saturday.

And?

Nothing much, so far.

- Is that all you're gonna do about it?

What else can we do?

Well, perhaps we could bring the tail

out into the open, that might get results.

But either way, we've got to wait.

We've got plenty of time.

Oh, yes. Yes, we've got

plenty of time, haven't we?

Harry's dead.

There's no need to rush any more.

Jackie, these things do take time...

- Who is this man, Pearson? Where does he live?

Here, now, I've told you more

than I should be telling you.

You leave it to us.

How are the kids?

The kids?

Oh, haven't you heard?

They're orphans.

TENSE MUSIC:

MALE VOICE ON TELEPHONE:

Avery, one three seven two.

Is that the Mr Pearson

who works for Kneales Motor Works?

MALE VOICE ON TELEPHONE:

Sorry, you have the wrong number.

PHONE RINGS:

Hello?

JACKIE OVER TELEPHONE: Is that the home of

Mr Pearson who works for Kneales Motor Works?

No, it's the home of Mr Pearson who ain't done

a bloody day's work in twenty years!

PHONE RINGS:

Hello?

Pearson?

- Yes, speaking.

JOHNNY OVER TELEPHONE: I think you're under

observation. There's a van across the road...

...Now, listen.

Don't let them see that you've noticed...

...They're probably just trying to panic you

into contacting somebody.

If you sit tight, you're in the clear.

Have you got that?

JOHNNY:
You're in the clear as long as

you say nothing and do nothing.

Now, er, I've got a little present for you.

I don't want it.

- JOHNNY:
What do you mean you don't want it?

I don't want anything more

to do with this business.

JOHNNY:
You're going to get it

whether you like it or not.

You can't get out of this

as easy as that.

Johnny?

Johnny, are you there?

TENSE MUSIC:

PHONE RINGS:

Hello?

JACKIE OVER TELEPHONE: Is that the home of

Mr Pearson who works for Kneales Motor Works?

Yes. One moment, please.

For you. A woman.

Hello?

KATIE:

What's that you're reading?

DENNIS:
Oh, it's just a note.

- Who from?

A chap I know. He said he'd bring

some plants for the garden.

Plants?

- Yes.

What sort of plants?

- Plants, that's all! Just plants.

Are you going to plant them now?

Katie...

Katie, I'm sorry I've been

so bad-tempered lately.

I... I've had a lot of things worrying me.

Such as?

I... I can't.

I can't.

Katie...

Don't touch me.

- What?

Get out.

You disgust me.

You make me sick. Get out.

Get out!

Anything for me?

Must be going.

I shall be late.

What about your breakfast?

- Oh, there's no time now.

I'll get some coffee at the office.

TENSE MUSIC:

How's Monty, hmm?

Oh, he's still on about Bert.

He's worse than before.

Is he on the bottle?

I dunno do I?

'E wouldn't let me in to 'is room.

Well, as long as he stays there

we're all right, aren't we?

Anything new on us?

- Nah, nothing.

That's the trouble with this case.

No sex angle.

PHONE RINGS:

Go on, answer it.

What?

I said what?

Wrong number.

You sure?

- Nobody answered, did they?

PHONE RINGS:

Mr Mellors?

Who's that?

- KATIE OVER TELEPHONE: Katie Pearson.

What do you want?

- KATIE:
I want to see you.

Why?

I want to have a little talk with you.

JOHNNY OVER TELEPHONE:

What about?

I'll tell you when I see you.

Yeah, well, I'm pretty busy right now.

I think you'd better.

All right. I'll pick you up in about an hour.

At the bridge.

Pearson's wife.

- Aye aye.

You know, there's only one trouble

with this job. No sex angle.

I know you did the job at Kneales.

You don't seem surprised.

Well, if you can still be surprised by the time

you've reached my age, you haven't really lived.

What are you going to do about it?

What do you mean?

Well, you're not going to the police,

that's obvious. Otherwise you wouldn't be here.

So what is it? Blackmail?

Not exactly.

You've got nothing working for you,

Katie, I know that.

Even if I was to admit the whole thing to you

here and now, you'd still be no better off.

I've got more than that.

Like what?

You shouldn't choose a confederate

who talks in his sleep.

Oh. So that's it, is it?

Well, how was I to know?

I've never slept with him.

I've got all the details.

How it was arranged and everything.

They can be checked.

You'd never stand up to it.

Well, I'll say this for you, kid,

you've got plenty of nerve.

You get into this car with me, alone, and then

tell me you know enough to get me hanged.

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