Town on Trial Page #7

- Sergeant.

- Yes, sir.

You're going crazy, Mike. You're just

trying to pin this thing on anybody.

- This lady's leaving now.

- Yes, sir. Come along, miss.

Just a minute! How long are we going

to be kept hanging around like this?

I've an urgent appointment

in the morning.

Maybe Fiona Dixon

had an appointment too.

What is it, Rogers?

I found this in

the girl's handbag, sir.

- Take him outside.

- Come on, Doctor.

- The Bible quotation again?

- Yeah.

But this time it isn't torn out

of a Bible, it's typed out.

I've been waiting

for something like this.

Get Fenner back in here,

and Crowley and Roper.

Right.

Sit down, please, gentlemen.

Sergeant, give them paper and pencils.

What are we going to play,

Twenty Questions?

All right. Now put your name

at the top of the page.

What is this?

Now, write what I tell you.

"And Aholah played the harlot

when she was mine,

- "and she doted on her lovers."

- This is ridiculous.

What are we at, Sunday School?

"And they discovered her wickedness,

and slew her with the sword."

Am I going too fast, boys?

"and she became

famous among women,

"for judgment had been

executed upon her."

What part of the Bible

does that come from, Mr Roper?

Are you kidding?

Crowley?

Matthew, isn't it?

- From the Book of Ezekiel.

- Chapter 24.

Now pick up the papers, Beale.

- Rogers, take them outside.

- All right. Come on, this way.

Come on, come on.

- What's the gag, chief?

- How do you spell "judgment", Beale?

Judgment?

J- U-D-G-M-E-N-T.

Look, this is the typewritten copy

found in Fiona's handbag.

This one, Crowley just wrote.

In both cases, "judgment"

is spelled with two 'e's.

Now, it's not incorrect,

but most people spell it your way.

Well, what are we waiting for?

Let's pull him in.

What on? Because he's the only man in Oakley

Park that spells "judgment" with two 'e's?

But he's got no alibi,

he had a row with Molly Stevens,

and he's a bit of a mental case.

Roper has no alibi,

and he's got more reason to murder

Molly Stevens than anybody else in this town.

And he's certainly a mental case.

The Public Prosecutor would sling

evidence like that right out of the window.

But you're not going to let him go?

Send everybody else home.

Take Crowley to the station

All right, chief.

- But you were on the common? You admit that?

- Yes, but...

- What were you doing there?

- I was going for a walk.

At ten o'clock at night?

All right, son, now listen.

I know you killed Molly,

and I know you killed Fiona.

Why, is something only you know.

Now, why not save yourself a lot of trouble

and tell us all about it, eh?

I didn't kill Molly!

I loved her!

How could I kill someone I loved?

- Maybe you loved her too much, Crowley.

- I didn't do it. I didn't do it!

All right.

I'll give it to you again.

You were watching Fiona

at the dance tonight.

You thought she was making

an exhibition of herself.

- No.

- You disapprove of that sort of thing, don't you?

"And Aholah played the harlot

when she was mine."

- No! No!

- "And they slew her with the sword."

- I don't know what you mean!

- When she and another boy left the dance hall,

four people saw you follow them out.

- I didn't follow her.

- Then where were you going?

- I don't know.

- For another walk?

I went out... I wanted some air.

- You went out to kill her, Crowley!

- No!

You killed her because

you couldn't have her.

You followed her down to the boathouse,

and when she was alone, you strangled her

with her own stocking

which you stole from her room.

Then you dragged the body through the bushes

and put it in Dr Fenner's car, didn't you?

Answer me, Crowley!

Isn't that what you did?

Answer me!

Fenner's arrived.

Anything else you want, son?

Something to eat?

- You sent for me?

- Doc, I need your help.

You need my help?

- Now you need my help?

- All right, all right.

I know how you feel.

I'm sorry.

Well, don't say you're sorry.

What can I do for you?

Look, I can't hold Crowley any longer.

I haven't got a case against him.

Can we have him committed to a hospital,

or some place we can keep an eye on him?

- Is he willing to go?

- I shouldn't think so.

- Then I can't do anything about it.

- The boy's sick. He's not right.

I seem to remember telling you that.

Now, if you can prove that he's

a danger to himself or his...

He's murdered two girls.

How dangerous can you get?

Can you prove that?

We stripped his house from top to bottom.

No shoes, no Bible, nothing.

- Talked to his mother?

- Not a thing.

Well, it's your problem, Halloran.

All right, Crowley, you can go.

Peter!

Can I drive you home?

- What have they done to him?

- Let's go home.

Outside.

Six fifteen.

I've forgotten what a bed looks like.

Smith and Harris will be

taking over at eight o'clock.

Yeah.

John! Look!

Phone box! Quick!

Halt!

Don't come up!

Don't come near me!

Yes, Sergeant, he's here.

You, sir.

Yup.

Where?

I'll be right over.

- I'm going to St Anne's Church.

- Right, sir.

- And get Dr Fenner there, right away.

- Yes, sir.

I thought I told you to stay with him.

Well, we did, chief,

but he went into the church.

- Anyone gone up there?

- Yes, Harris and Rogers.

Get a fire ladder, ambulance,

and notify the Rescue Squad

Don't worry, they're on their way.

Keep away from me!

Keep away, or I'll jump!

- All right, keep back.

- Keep back there.

Come on, back. Right back.

Keep back.

Halloran, if that boy dies...

Rogers, Harris, come on down!

Can you hear me? Come on down.

Elevate!

You'll have to hold that.

You can't risk scaring him.

You won't

get him down any other way.

That's my business.

Stop!

I hope for your sake

he's not innocent.

He isn't.

What are you going to do now, Mike?

I'm going up to talk to him.

Like you talked to me?

Like you talked

to Roper and my uncle?

Do you think that'll

persuade him to come down?

Let's face it, Mike.

Your way doesn't work,

except to frighten and upset people.

You're the last person

to go up there and talk to him,

unless you want him to jump.

You may have taught me

a lot of things.

But you'll never teach me my job.

- What's he going to do?

- He's going to talk to him.

Have you brought the jump sheets?

What, at that height?

He wouldn't stand a chance.

Well, never mind about that.

Get them out.

Right, jump sheets ready!

Get to work!

Well, go on!

What are you waiting for?

Go ahead, jump!

Everybody's watching you.

They're all looking at you now.

That's what you want, isn't it?

So go ahead.

Your mother.

Now you've got a real audience, Peter.

Is this the only way you can

draw attention to yourself?

Is this your way of showing the world

they don't understand you?

Because that's what you're

trying to do, isn't it?

"Listen to me. I've got a problem.

"Everybody's gotta listen."

Isn't that it?

Well, whatever your problem is, son,

you can solve it very easily

right now.

But you're afraid, aren't you?

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes