The Abominable Dr. Phibes Page #3

- God knows what the old chap meant.

- He couldn't tell you anything else?

He kept insisting in his strange way

that Phibes has been his patron for years.

And still is.

- He didn't tell you what he looks like?

- Oh, he's blind as a...

Well, he can hardly see at all.

There's something I very much want

to have a look at. May I use your phone?

- What do you expect to find here?

- We've drawn a blank everywhere else.

Fools. Fools:

They'll have the worms soon enough.

What happened

to the Phibes estate?

That's complicated, sir.

It seems he had money invested

all over Europe. We're still investigating.

- Where did he get all those degrees?

- That I can tell you.

He took a degree in music

in Germany at Heidel...

...berg.

- And another one in Paris at the...

- Sorbonne?

Yes. Now that was a PhD in theology.

Theology? That rather neatly explains

his knowledge of the Old Testament.

The G'tach, sir.

Open up, please.

Does anyone ever visit this place?

Well, someone has.

Are you sure that...

Well, here he is. Anton Phibes.

Right next to his wife.

Let's take a look.

-Notice that smell.

- Roses?

- More like formaldehyde.

- Mind your fingers.

Careful.

There. Ashes. Anton Phibes.

Now are you satisfied?

Well, I'm not sure that I am really, sir.

Think. All this proves is that somebody

was incinerated in that car crash.

- The Swiss police told us that.

- Exactly.

But suppose that somebody

was not Phibes at all, but his chauffeur.

- And Phibes is back in London?

- Just like the old man told you.

She was not incinerated.

Let's have a look at her.

My love, my sweet queen...

my noble wife,

severed too quickly, too cruelly

from this life.

I remain and suffer

to bring delivery of your pain,

of fires drawn and of memories met.

Soon we shall hold our two

precious hearts in single time.

This one here, Kitaj,

or however you pronounce it...

Schenley's on his way down there?

Crow:
I've been looking for you.

This is most unsettling. Thank God

the press haven't picked up on it.

- We've managed to withhold most...

- But if the press do get hold of this...

- We'd have a disaster on our hands.

- What the hell d'you think we've got now?

If we're not careful,

there'll be questions in the House.

This whole thing's a political time bomb.

We're all of us as vulnerable as hell.

Especially me.

- My men are working as hard as they can.

- Not hard enough: Come with me.

- And you... What's your name?

- Trout, sir.

Trout. Why are you standing there?

Where's your jacket?

Get out there:
There's a madman out there

and I want him brought in: Now:

- All right, Harry?

- OK.

- OK, Dr Kitaj, brakes on.

- Brakes on.

- Throttle closed.

- Throttle closed.

- Switches off.

- Switches off.

- Throttle set.

- Throttle set.

- Contact.

- Contact.

Yup...

Agh

- You should've driven faster:

- Faster? :

- I got there before the locals.

- Yeah, but after the crash.

I was going over 90mph. I thought

the damn thing was going to explode.

- Whose car is it, by the way?

- God knows.

I got the call about Kitaj

and got the fastest car I could see.

But it is one of ours?

It must be.

There's a police book in the front.

Needs a good service now, though.

A couple of the oil seals have gone.

- Hey, you:
What's-your-name, Pike:

- Trout, sir.

Why has my car been moved?

Yes...

- Is it your car, sir?

- Of course it is:

It's not to be moved at all,

not even pushed. Understand?

- Perfectly, sir.

- The engine's not run in yet.

Have we located this fellow Kitaj yet?

Pronounced "Kit-eye", sir.

Well, I wanted to talk to you about him.

You see...

I'll expect your report in the morning.

I can't wait now.

I say, any more news

on this fellow Pheebes?

Phibes, sir.

Are you in the habit

of contradicting your superiors, Bream?

We are onto him, sir.

Where are you concentrating the search?

Where was he last seen?

- Highgate, sir.

- Highgate. Good. Whereabouts?

- The cemetery, sir.

- The cemetery?

- Yes, sir. That's where he's buried.

- Good. Well done, Perch.

- And this nurse?

- Nurse Allen. I've got men at the hospital.

- Vesalius?

- He's covered too.

- That just leaves that fellow...

- Dr Whitcombe.

We're taking him to the country

for a few days, if he'll come.

If he'll come?

I appreciate your concern, Sergeant,

but I owe it to my patients

to be back in London within the week.

Of course, Doctor. I guarantee we'll

have you back within a few days.

Inspector Trout, sir.

I must say,

I feel rather like a head of state:

Right, now careful, son.

Easy does it. I think it's a left-hand thread.

Yes, it is.

- Shh.

It's coming...

Gentlemen, can't we have

a little quiet in this club?

It's brass

He's cast the thing in bloody brass:

It appears to have been fired

by a catapult, sir.

Oh, brilliant.

Where can we find

two better hemispheres...

without sharp north,

without declining west?

My face in thine eye,

thine in mine appears...

and true, plain hearts...

do in the faces rest.

Within 24 hours my work will be finished.

And then, my precious jewel,

I will join you in your setting.

We shall be reunited for ever

in a secluded corner

of the great Elysian field...

of the beautiful beyond.

70 men are on this case, trying to find

a man who, according to you, is buried.

- One of Trout's theories, sir.

- Theories? Trout's practice concerns me:

- I'm talking about you.

- Sir?

It seems that with immaculate precision

you've been arriving on the scene

just after the victim's death.

This time, due no doubt

to an organisational oversight,

you arrived before the crime.

But, as I've come to expect, that made

little difference. It was still committed.

A brass unicorn has been catapulted

across a London street

and impaled an eminent surgeon.

Words fail me, gentlemen.

- Excuse me.

- Where are you off to now?

- The lavatory.

- Highly appropriate.

- Evening, Constable. Everything normal?

- Nothing to report, sir.

The whole place is completely sealed.

It's as simple as that.

"Simplicity" isn't exactly the word I'd use

in dealing with this man, Inspector.

I've got half the Yard, plus some of the

local boys, and a small mobile unit here.

I've got cars all round the place,

and, of course, some plain-clothes men.

So, unless he drops in on us

from above in a balloon -

which I wouldn't put past him -

she should be safe.

Supposing... he's in the building already?

I hope he is. Cos if he's in,

he can't get out and we've got him.

After all, he has killed seven people

in the last 14 days.

- Dr Vesalius.

- Ah.

What are you doing here? You're not

involved in this charade, I hope?

I am afraid I am, Nurse.

These men have told me

I must not leave the hospital.

- For your own...

- Why me? Just what is going on here?

Please, go to your room.

We'll have your supper sent up.

- I've already eaten. Now...

- Inspector Trout is doing his best.

Please, you must go to your room

and stay there for at least 24 hours.

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