The October Man Page #5

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- Good night.

- Good night, sir.

(Telephone)

Hello? Oh, hello, Jim, yes.

Oh.

Yes, all right, I'll tell her.

See you later.

That was Jim. He'll be a little late.

The police want him to make

another statement about this girl.

He's at the police station now.

But why Jim? What's he got to do with

it? Do they think he murdered her?

Don't be silly, darling.

They have to do all they

can to find out who did it.

But why Jim? What can he know

about it? It's ridiculous.

(Joyce) Of course.

Jim talked about it today.

The girl lived at his hotel.

She borrowed some money from

him. He gave her a cheque.

It was found near the body.

After he left you last night,

he didn't go straight home.

Says he went for a walk on the common

but can't remember much about it.

(Joyce) Harry!

Those are the facts.

The police deal in facts.

Oh, excuse me, is there anybody...

Yes. Miss Selby?

Can I help?

Oh, I don't know if you

remember me, my name is Wilcox,

- I was a friend of Miss Newman's.

- Yes, I remember.

I only heard about the tragedy today.

It was a great shock.

I was in Birmingham. I

came up as soon as I heard.

- It was a great shock to all of us.

- Yes.

Poor little Molly.

I'd like to get my hands

on the swine who did it.

We were hoping to be married, you know.

Oh, dear. I am sorry.

I expect you would like to see her parents.

Well, no, I wouldn't

want to intrude just now.

They were here this afternoon, I

think they're staying at the Crown.

Oh, I'm staying there myself,

so I'll probably be seeing them.

What I really came for, Miss Selby,

what I really wanted to ask you was,

if I might sit quietly

in her room for a while.

- Well...

- I know it's sentimental of me, but...

well, we were very close to each other.

You can understand that, I know.

I'll get the key. I don't

suppose there's any harm in it.

Her parents have taken away most

of her things except the gramophone.

Things don't matter now, Miss Selby.

Oh, no, of course not.

It's room number seven on

that side. I'll show you.

No, no, don't you worry, I can find it.

What are you doing here?

Well, old man, is it any of your business?

No, I'm not the police. I'll call them.

Now look here, there's no

need for that sort of talk.

Besides, I have Miss Selby's

permission to be here.

Have you got permission to

take anything out of the room?

Well, these letters are my property.

I wrote them and legally

that makes them my property.

They might be evidence.

Oh, no, there's nothing to

them, they're just friendly.

Miss Newman was a friend of mine.

But, er... well, if they got

into the wrong hands... You know.

What hands?

Well, you're a man of the world,

the wife, you know how it is.

I asked Miss Newman to burn them,

but you know what women are about letters

- sentimental.

She told me she kept them

pinned up behind the curtains.

For safety, you see.

Yes.

Women can be a bit of a

nuisance sometimes, can't they?

As a matter of fact, I think

you've got something there, eh?

By the way, what about her letters to you?

Always put them on the fire.

No use asking for trouble.

What about the letter she posted last night?

What letter?

When she went out last night,

she was going to the post box.

She may have posted that

letter before she was... killed.

Supposing it was to you?

She always wrote on Sundays.

But that wouldn't be evidence,

that letter, would it?

Police might think so.

Have you seen them?

Tomorrow morning. This

is going to be awkward.

They're bound to bring it out at

the inquest, even if it's harmless.

It's all so unfair.

You know what I should do if I

were in your position, Mr Wilcox?

What?

When you get back, put it on the fire with the rest

- unopened.

That's the best way.

Yes.

It's not as though she's say anything

they could use to find this lunatic.

No, you'll only involve yourself.

Hm.

Anyway, the police already know who did it.

They know him? Who is it?

They haven't actually arrested him yet,

but it's only a matter of hours, I gather.

Let's go downstairs a minute.

Jenny, darling, won't you

have something to eat now?

No, thanks, I'll wait

and have dinner with Jim.

Would you like Harry to

phone the hotel again?

(Telephone ringing)

Hello?

Oh, hello, Jim, dear. Where are you?

Aren't you coming here?

Yes, darling, of course I want to see you.

Darling, I don't understand,

I want to see you.

All right.

At the corner.

- But, Jim...

- (Click)

Jenny, what is it?

Jim, he won't come here.

I'm going to meet him.

- But, darling...

- Jenny, you're not to go out.

Please, Jenny. Jim can look after himself,

you mustn't get mixed up in all this.

Besides, it may be dangerous.

You do think he did it, don't you?

Well, it's possible, yes.

Be reasonable, Jenny.

Wait until the whole thing's

cleared up before you see him.

It'll only be a day or two.

Don't wait up for me.

(Jenny) It's all right. It's all right now.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, darling. I didn't mean

to sound like that on the phone.

I know. The police were

at our house this evening,

they wanted to know what

time you left me last night.

Is it bad?

They think I killed her.

Jim?

The didn't say that, of course,

but they keep asking the same

questions in different ways.

How many times have I seen Miss Newman?

How often have we spoken?

How, when, why, what for?

- But it's all right now?

- I don't know, I get confused.

I've been wondering...

perhaps I did kill her and don't remember.

That's not possible.

It might be... with me.

What does Harry think?

- Well, he doesn't like the police asking...

- Does he think I did it?

- It doesn't matter what Harry thinks.

- It does a bit, you know.

Harry's a very reasonable

person. If he's not quite sure...

You didn't do it and they're

bound to find the person who did.

- Not if they're trying to prove it was me.

- They can't do that.

Can't they? Do you know Mrs Ackland

- her husband's a successful murderer?

Perhaps they can't hang me, but

they can make me wish they could.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I...

I try to be reasonable, then I... I get

tired and I... I can't hold on any more.

You've got to, darling.

Now, let's think.

She went to post a letter, so it...

What was she like?

Pretty. A little pathetic.

Boyfriend in Birmingham.

- Couldn't it have been him?

- No, he was in Birmingham.

A man named Wilcox. The police checked.

Jenny?

- What is it, what do you want?

- It's getting late.

- Hello, Jim.

- Hello.

I'm going to walk back to the hotel with Jim.

No, darling, Harry's quite right.

You'd have to walk back across

the common and it isn't safe.

Shall I see you tomorrow?

It isn't what Harry

wants, it's what you want.

I'll call for you at the

hotel at eight o'clock.

You do understand, don't you, Jim?

- Until this business is cleared up.

- Yes, I understand.

I won't see her.

I'll give you a letter for

her in the morning. Good night.

Jim, I don't want you to think that I...

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