A Confidential Agent 1986-06-xx A Confidential Agent

Summary

Podcast Title: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode: A Confidential Agent
Release Date: May 9, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of Harold's Old Time Radio, titled "A Confidential Agent," listeners are transported back to the Golden Age of Radio, where drama and intrigue unfold in the bustling streets and shadowy offices of post-war Britain. The story centers around Elizabeth Parker, a dedicated secretary, and her enigmatic boss, Mr. Antrobus, who operates within the clandestine Ace Agency.

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Main Characters

• Elizabeth Parker ([00:00] - [28:33]): A perceptive and loyal secretary working for Mr. Antrobus. Her interactions reveal her deep concern for her friend Margery and suspicions about her employer’s true intentions.

• Mr. Antrobus ([02:22] - [24:04]): Elizabeth's employer, a "confidential agent" whose behavior suggests he might be involved in dubious activities.

• Margery ([04:10] - [23:55]): Elizabeth's best friend, whose personal life becomes entangled with suspicious characters like Harry Agnew and Roland.

• Harry Agnew ([12:24] - [21:14]): An old acquaintance of Elizabeth’s, whose arrival brings old memories and potential complications.

• Roland ([10:48] - [14:36]): Margery’s husband, whose interactions hint at his own hidden motives and connections.

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Plot Overview

Setting the Scene

The episode opens with Elizabeth Parker reflecting on her seemingly mundane life as a secretary for Mr. Antrobus, hinting at the underlying dangers of her job:

Elizabeth Parker ([00:00]): "Walking down Quinton High Street's hardly an appointment with fear, is it?"

She narrates a vivid scene involving a confidential agent, Rosemary Martin, carrying out a murder—setting a tone of suspense and hinting at the perilous nature of her workplace.

Daily Routine and Underlying Tensions

At the start of the workday, Elizabeth interacts with Mr. Antrobus, who forgets about her staying late the previous night:

Mr. Antrobus ([02:22]): "Good morning, Ms. Parker. We're late, aren't we?"

Elizabeth's dedication is evident as she manages her boss's schedule and excuses his tardiness, despite suspecting his involvement in shady dealings.

Personal Relationships and Suspicion

Elizabeth’s conversations with her friend Margery reveal her personal struggles and deepen the mystery surrounding Mr. Antrobus. They discuss social engagements at the local tennis club, where Margery's husband, Roland, is introduced alongside Harry Agnew, an old friend of Elizabeth's who reappears after many years.

Elizabeth Parker ([04:41]): "Margery is my best friend. Has been since we were at elementary school together."

Harry’s arrival brings back old memories and establishes a complex web of relationships that hint at possible espionage and personal vendettas.

Rekindled Connections and Hidden Agendas

At the tennis club, Harry Agnew reenters Elizabeth’s life, stirring memories of a past summer filled with personal loss and unresolved emotions. Their interactions are laden with tension and unspoken motives:

Harry Agnew ([12:33]): "Sorry, Liz. Haven't changed one bit."

Elizabeth becomes increasingly suspicious of Harry’s intentions, linking him to the Ace Agency's covert operations.

Elizabeth Parker ([19:54]): "He never had two pennies of nothing to call his own. Always pretended he had."

Her concern for Margery’s involvement with Harry suggests that personal relationships are being exploited for agency cover-ups.

Confronting the Truth

As the narrative progresses, Elizabeth grapples with the possibility that Mr. Antrobus is using her and her friends for his own clandestine purposes. Her father’s skepticism adds another layer of conflict, highlighting Elizabeth's internal struggle between loyalty and distrust:

Liz's Father ([26:17]): "You got too much imagination."

Elizabeth’s imagination, fueled by her experiences and observations, leads her to uncover the truth about the agency's operations and the real motives of those around her.

Climactic Revelations

In the final segments, Elizabeth confronts the complex dynamics between her employer, Mr. Antrobus, and Harry Agnew. The interplay between personal vendettas and professional deceit reaches a peak, setting the stage for future conflicts and revelations:

Elizabeth Parker ([23:39]): "He knows, of course. I just wanted to know what he'd do. And all he says is business."

Key Themes and Insights

• Dual Lives and Deception: The episode explores the theme of individuals leading double lives, particularly within the realm of espionage, where trust is scarce, and deception is commonplace.

• Friendship and Loyalty: Elizabeth's unwavering loyalty to Margery contrasts with her growing distrust of her employer, showcasing the complexities of personal relationships amidst professional obligations.

• Isolation and Jealousy: Elizabeth’s feelings of isolation as an unmarried woman and her jealousy towards romantic advances highlight the societal pressures and personal vulnerabilities that influence her actions.

Notable Quotes

• Elizabeth Parker ([00:00]): "Walking down Quinton High Street's hardly an appointment with fear, is it?"

• Mr. Antrobus ([02:35]): "The posting on your desk. Maybe. Maybe we shall have a nice inheritance case."

• Harry Agnew ([13:04]): "Drinks."

• Elizabeth Parker ([21:11]): "Sorry. I'm not going to be forgotten again. Not like that summer."

• Mr. Antrobus ([23:11]): "Well, my advice. Tell your friend to stay out of it."

Conclusion

"A Confidential Agent" masterfully intertwines personal drama with elements of suspense and espionage, creating a rich tapestry that keeps listeners engaged from start to finish. Through Elizabeth Parker's eyes, the audience navigates a world where trust is scarce, and every relationship is tinged with uncertainty. The episode concludes with lingering questions about Mr. Antrobus's true intentions and the safety of Elizabeth's friends, setting the stage for future episodes filled with tension and intrigue.

Listeners who appreciate classic radio dramas filled with complex characters and suspenseful plots will find "A Confidential Agent" a captivating addition to their collection. The deft use of dialogue, coupled with strategic pauses and atmospheric descriptions, brings the story to life, making it a memorable episode of Harold's Old Time Radio.

Transcript

[Elizabeth Parker]

Walking down Quinton High Street's hardly an appointment with fear, is it? A rumble on new streets. Hardly going to be blood in the gutter, eh? Killer in the park's as likely as not. A lonely flasher waiting to do his thing in the rain. And Mr. Antrobus, he's hardly my idea of Philip Marlowe or Mike Hammer. Still, it's a living, I suppose. Not that there's a lot of work. I mean, hardly likely, is it? Me a secretary for him. What's the work entail? Not a lot. A Confidential agent by Nick McCarty with Rosemary Martin as a confidential agent. It's all dead exciting. Dead stimulating. She took the derringer from her purse, Watched the man on the other side of the table as he began to yell and blew away the top of his head with a well placed shot. Put the gun on the table, got up and walked quietly away into the night. The mean street socked her down the pale lights, lost her and he bled to death across the green baize table looking down the barrel of the little silver plated lady's gun. Number 9 bus to Broad street and into the office we go for another day's excitement. Can't wait.

[Mr. Antrobus]

Good morning, Ms. Parker. We're late, aren't we?

[Elizabeth Parker]

We are nearly on time, Mr. Antrobus. And as I stayed late last night, I thought maybe.

[Mr. Antrobus]

Yes, yes, of course. I quite forgot.

[Elizabeth Parker]

The report you wanted is in the desk. Three copies, as asked.

[Mr. Antrobus]

Did my wife. Did she call?

[Elizabeth Parker]

Twice. And you said I was the perfect secretary, Mr. Antrobus. I said you were with a client and. And that it was rather a dangerous job and that you'd be late. Yeah, I lied for you like any good secretary. And that's why I'm three minutes late. All right?

[Mr. Antrobus]

Oh, yes, yes, of course. Yes. So what will today bring us, eh?

[Elizabeth Parker]

The usual, I suppose.

[Mr. Antrobus]

The posting on your desk. Maybe. Maybe we shall have a nice inheritance case. A will to prove a missing heiress.

[Elizabeth Parker]

You sound like one of those books I read, Mr. Antrobus.

[Mr. Antrobus]

I've always believed I have a vivid imagination. I'd love to let things run right in me brain. My mother used to tell me, Michael, she used to say, your imagination will be the death of you. You sit there, Ms. Parker. What do you see?

[Elizabeth Parker]

Tell me.

[Mr. Antrobus]

You see an old doughnut and a pile of filing and three letters. I see something else. I see lives an adventure.

[Elizabeth Parker]

And a bill. Telephone.

[Mr. Antrobus]

Oh, God. Just a little debt collection of do, Ms. Parker.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Something unimaginative, maybe two new trumps.

[Margery]

No.

[Elizabeth Parker]

I hope you can do something. Partner something or nothing. I don't know why I bother. It's a pain and a purgatory. That's the truth. Margery rings me up. Can you make up a four for bridge? Can you come over for dinner? Some people dropped out. Make up the numbers. I swear I never will. I always do. Do what I can. Mrs. Your lead then, Ms. Parker. So it is. Is this the last hand, Margery?

[Margery]

I suppose so, yes. Run you home, Elizabeth? If you like.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Can we get on then? Sorry. Look at em. Husbands banished to the pub or the club or the back room. And them playing for halfpenny a hundred or whatever. It is so dreary. And Margery is my best friend. Has been since we were at elementary school together. I don't like to think how long ago that was. Nor does she. Married of course. One of the tennis crowd from the old days. Roland. Nice enough, I suppose. Never have thought he had it in interpin down. Well, it takes all sorts. Are you sure about that last card you played, Ms. Parker? I know it's a long time since you. You told us. Warned us.

[Margery]

And Marjorie, you did say your friend.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Was out of practice. But I'd swear that last card she played.

[Margery]

I can't stand inquest, Sarah. Just let it go.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Well anyway, Jane's back next week, so the usual four. Be nice.

[Margery]

Yes. You ready, Elizabeth? You coming in for a drink? Roland will find us something. With luck. Unless he's finished the lot. He's been known to. Oh God, Liz. He is so bloody dull.

[Elizabeth Parker]

She knew that when she married him. He's been good to her, I suppose. Brought home the bacon at least. Nice house, two cars, two kids. Doll maybe. What does she think I am?

[Margery]

Spinster born and bred. Lucky you. But I'll tell you something.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Not now.

[Margery]

No time now. Tomorrow. See you for lunch, eh? My treat. How about that?

[Elizabeth Parker]

Ok. Usual place? Usual time.

[Margery]

Noiser. I'll need a drink to get the courage up to tell you.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Sounds interesting. Half the time it's just sitting around. Matrimony. Mr. Antrobus says. You know, watching wives for husbands and husbands for wives.

[Margery]

Wives for husbands. Do you do that often? I mean, do husbands suspect? I mean, I don't think my Roland would suspect if anything like that was going off under his nose. Too bloody sure of himself for that.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Well, some husbands do and some don't. Mr. Antrobus says it's the ones you don't expect. The ones who are well settled. You know, Middle class, middle aged and well settled.

[Margery]

He says he might be right.

[Elizabeth Parker]

I don't know. I'm just a secretary.

[Margery]

A bit of romance wouldn't come of me. Swordy.

[Elizabeth Parker]

I don't think so, Margery. Not now.

[Margery]

There was a fellow when you were playing tennis still down the club.

[Elizabeth Parker]

No.

[Margery]

There was. There was. I remember him well, not his name, but there was a bloke that summer, just about around the time of the Festival of Britain.

[Elizabeth Parker]

What?

[Margery]

Oh, no.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Sue.

[Margery]

Is that. Was it you remember? Surely he took you round all the time.

[Elizabeth Parker]

We all thought.

[Margery]

Liz has gone and done it this time.

[Elizabeth Parker]

No, never.

[Margery]

You're blushing, Liz.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Be silly. She's enjoying. Still hurts as well. Still. Harry Agnew, his name, he was. We did go around, I thought. Then Marjorie thought. I told her. My best friend. I remember I told her and she laughed. I thought, I'll show her.

[Margery]

He went off that summer, remember? Never came back again. I remember he used to borrow a car.

[Elizabeth Parker]

His.

[Margery]

He said it never was.

[Elizabeth Parker]

It was his uncle's, you see.

[Margery]

You do remember. What was his name then, Liz?

[Elizabeth Parker]

Harry all over. A long time ago. Bromance. He was a lion shooter, Margery. Not someone to be serious about.

[Margery]

He's turned up again.

[Elizabeth Parker]

No.

[Margery]

Roland met him. One of his bloody pub crawls. Very affluent, he said. He was. Very rich. He looked nice. New car outside. Rolex watch. Good suit of clothes. Looked. Looked very.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Well, good.

[Margery]

He's coming to the tennis club dance next Saturday. I asked Roland to get a ticket for you.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Nothing had changed at the tennis club. The bar was in the same place. The same old tables, the same sweating windows. The balcony looking over the main court, paper over the lampshades and candles on the tables didn't disguise the fact that the club was in desperate need of a facelift. Even the faces were the same. Mary and Jack and Pat and the same old faces. Roland was at the bar, of course. Nothing had changed. Marjorie was looking daggers. Nothing had changed yet.

[Margery]

He's getting started early, you see. Same old Roland. A dance is a place to get well oiled and dump the wife. Grab her for the last waltz and home to bed for a bit of grope and tickle. Reliving his youth, if he had one.

[Elizabeth Parker]

And where's his old friend?

[Margery]

Your old friend, more like. Roland did. Much like him. Not a man's man, he says, was he? Roland.

[Roland]

Elizabeth. Nice to see you.

[Mr. Antrobus]

Drink?

[Elizabeth Parker]

Why not?

[Margery]

You don't drink Vodka.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Sounds exotic. Vodka, Roland.

[Roland]

Dutch courage, Russian courage. Very good face from the past, he said. Did Marjorie tell you she said something?

[Elizabeth Parker]

Yes.

[Roland]

Bit flash but very loaded. Harry Agnew, as ever. Was in this barn. I walk in and he recognizes me. We have a drink for old times sake.

[Margery]

A drink?

[Elizabeth Parker]

One drink.

[Roland]

You know what I mean, Liz. Anyway, I asked him to the dance and Marjorie remembered he and you and you remembered.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Did I? Maybe.

[Roland]

Anyway, he said he'd like to come.

[Elizabeth Parker]

And he never had two pennies of nothing to call his own. Always pretended he had.

[Roland]

He has now. Staying at the Towers.

[Margery]

The Towers?

[Roland]

I told you.

[Margery]

I never heard you then. Well, not that fun to tell truth. Where is he then?

[Elizabeth Parker]

Something's wrong here. She's up to something. Looking around. Nervy. She was fussed. She was interested. Oh God. I wonder. Am I making up numbers again or what? And all I did was bring in some travel brochures from Germany. Father took one look and said we didn't beat Jerry just so's you could take holidays there, did we? I went to bed in a huff. I wouldn't have minded, but all Father did was a bit of fire watching. Is he coming?

[Margery]

Roland?

[Elizabeth Parker]

You did say Roland.

[Harry Agnew]

Hello. Hello, ladies. Sorry I'm late.

[Liz's Father]

God help business.

[Harry Agnew]

Sorry, Liz. Haven't changed one bit.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Hello, Harry. You have? He had, of course. He looked well fed, well breeched and flash, I suppose is the word. He had the same confident ways with him, Marjorie.

[Harry Agnew]

Oh, Roland was a lucky man. He told me about you and the lads and. Oh, lucky chapter. Never had the good fortune to settle down and. Ah, well.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Drinks.

[Margery]

Roland's getting them in, aren't you, Roland? Why don't you sit down and tell us all the news from the big wide world? Please move up. Let him sit down, Roland. What are you waiting for?

[Elizabeth Parker]

Roland would have to be daft not to see. One look and you can tell. Come to bed eyes. Or been to bed eyes more like. I'm not here to make up numbers. I'm here for cover. Well, we'll see.

[Margery]

Roland's given us a blow by blow account of your successes. It's nice to see.

[Harry Agnew]

Oh, nostalgic trip really. And a little business on the side.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Nice of you to bother then.

[Harry Agnew]

Slumming still a sharply. You don't mind being lucky with me but for now, do you? Roland said you'd be happy.

[Elizabeth Parker]

I don't see any other offers, Harry, do you?

[Harry Agnew]

Oh, you don't change.

[Elizabeth Parker]

I'll get older. We all do. Right, Margery?

[Margery]

Speak as you find, I always say.

[Harry Agnew]

Oh, shove the dance, Liz, please.

[Margery]

Doesn't dance much. Harry. Maybe we could have this one while Roland gets the drinks in.

[Elizabeth Parker]

I'll dance. It's the mambo we used to be rather good at this, Harry. Remember?

[Harry Agnew]

Right then. See you, Marjorie. Excuse us.

[Margery]

Can you credit it, Roland? Every dance. Every bloody dance with him.

[Roland]

Well, he did come to partner her, didn't he? So drink up, girl, drink up.

[Margery]

If I drink anymore, I'll bloody drown. You haven't danced a step all night. Except to the bar and back.

[Elizabeth Parker]

And then mother died and I was left to look after father. You remember him?

[Harry Agnew]

That was a long time back, Liz. My parents died a long time back and all. Oh, it's hard. I was away on a business trip. Nothing I could do. Why did you stay, Liz? Here, I mean. You could have kicked over the traces, you know, Legged it. Shake her in the dust.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Maybe I got away for a bit.

[Harry Agnew]

Yeah.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Wolverhampton.

[Margery]

Are you going to dance with me?

[Roland]

Not me. Not yet. Last walls. When I can hang on, I might.

[Margery]

Y.

[Harry Agnew]

Home.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Why not? Oh, my feet are killing me and that's the truth. Anyway, I've got something to show you, Harry. At new. A reason, if you like, for staying. Right.

[Harry Agnew]

I'll get you cold.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Tell Marjorie, will you, Harry? I'll just powder my nose.

[Harry Agnew]

Like old times, Liz?

[Elizabeth Parker]

Not exactly like. Not brand new shining cars, then. You seem to have done well.

[Harry Agnew]

Well enough. Things do change for the best if you go away and grab chances. I've had some luck, of course, but stopping put. Why? What keeps anyone here? You, Marjorie? Anyone?

[Elizabeth Parker]

Oh, things. Memories, I suppose.

[Harry Agnew]

Not enough for yours truly. She's wearing well, Marjorie.

[Elizabeth Parker]

You think so?

[Harry Agnew]

I always used to think Roland was a twit. I still do, to tell the truth.

[Elizabeth Parker]

We drove like we used to drive down the old streets. Purple slate paving and ice cold patches of light between the broken old houses. A sort of dental network, like bones sticking into the sky. And I asked him to take me to a place we'd remembered from the old times. Down through the town and into the country and across the lines of motorways and crossings and old railways and canal basins. The stinking damp of 500 years of smoke and grime and harsh living. The dark Midlands. And we stopped on the top, looked down over it all and the spangle of lights and the hum of traffic and. Well, the past memories. I love it at night. The lights over there by the cut and the motorways and see, I remember. I remember when those old furnaces there, down there poured and the sky lit with gold and red and silver showers and the molten steel slithered out of the crucible into the moulds. Remember?

[Harry Agnew]

No. No, I don't remember. I don't remember. How small it all Is dead poetic you've got, Liz. I don't remember that either.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Do you remember down over there? The woods and the snow in the winter? Sledging down the leas and down the round hill. And being scared of Tom Revell. What happened to him?

[Harry Agnew]

Prisoner Hope. I hated him.

[Elizabeth Parker]

You were afraid of him. We all were. I remember walking in Dudley Market with my father. The flowers and the bustle and Surely you remember all that.

[Harry Agnew]

I'm sorry, Liz. I had no time to. Well, think about those things that summer. Sorry?

[Elizabeth Parker]

That summer you went away. You remember that summer, Liz?

[Harry Agnew]

It was a long time ago. I don't remember anything much. Not about here. Not really my scene now, you see.

[Elizabeth Parker]

No. Well, I suppose it is dirty and run down and tacky. Even the tennis club's hardly Wimbledon, is it?

[Harry Agnew]

Now you're talking. I love tea there. Champagne and strawberries. That's the real world, this. Sorry.

[Elizabeth Parker]

It's just different, Harry. We stay for good reasons, maybe.

[Harry Agnew]

And you go away to bigger and better pastures. I'm sorry for Roland. That's the truth. Big fish in a titchy pond. Him. Me. Well, I am. Very nicely, thank you. No modesty.

[Elizabeth Parker]

I thought Margery was pleased to see you.

[Harry Agnew]

What? Oh, I hardly remember her. To tell you the truth.

[Elizabeth Parker]

He's lying now he knows. Suspects. I'm getting warmer. That I know something. That I'll spoil his game. Well, you did well, then.

[Harry Agnew]

Not bad. A firm of importers in glasgow. Commercial stuff. McAllardyce and Company. And a part interest in a firm of leather merchants in Leicester, Tobin and Son. Very big in the fashion world. Fine leather for fashion garments. Big in the pop music world.

[Elizabeth Parker]

I am impressed. He wants to impress. He always wanted to impress. And he succeeded. Always. For a time. I wish I'd known about your mum dying, Harry. I could have maybe been over. Visited, you know.

[Harry Agnew]

I heard. Too late, girl. That's a fact. Still sad.

[Elizabeth Parker]

That summer. The summer you left.

[Harry Agnew]

Yes.

[Margery]

It wasn't.

[Elizabeth Parker]

I mean, you weren't the beginning and the end of things, Harry. Had my fling in my time. I'd like to go home now.

[Harry Agnew]

Oh, I thought. Well, maybe you and me.

[Elizabeth Parker]

You thought what, Harry?

[Harry Agnew]

Oh, you know.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Why, Harry? Why should we? It was a pleasant evening. Nostalgic. But don't spoil it.

[Harry Agnew]

I wouldn't spoil anything, Lindsay.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Sorry. I'm not going to be forgotten again. Not like that summer. Haddie. I don't think so. Haddie. You can take me home. I think. Just to the door. Dad'll be waiting up. I don't think so, Hattie. Not.

[Margery]

Oh, Liz. Early bird.

[Elizabeth Parker]

You and him, isn't it?

[Margery]

Sorry?

[Elizabeth Parker]

You and Harry, Right?

[Margery]

I don't know what you're talking about.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Your fancy piece is what I'm on about. Me being used to bloody cover up your bit of stuff on the side. Flash. Harry.

[Margery]

You had a good time. I didn't see you grumbling at the dance.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Not after he made a pass at me.

[Margery]

I don't believe you.

[Elizabeth Parker]

No, I'm not yet a bag of bones, Margery. I may be a spinster born and bred, but men like Harry will still make a pass. It is no compliment.

[Margery]

Yes, all right, my lover. Yes, since he came to town three weeks back. Bumped into Roland. Not by accident. Yes. Looking for me.

[Elizabeth Parker]

You're a fool, you know. Get people like him passing through our hands every day. Fodder for the ace Agency meant like him.

[Margery]

Stop it. Just stop it, Liz. You should have snapped him up when you had the chance. That's it, isn't it? You're jealous.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Oh, I think you need locking up, using me like that. Come to the dance to make up the numbers. Good old Liz. She'll make up a four at tennis. Call Elizabeth. She's good for a spare hand at bridge. Or what about getting Elizabeth along? There's that boring boy who needs a partner. Get Liz. Call Liz. She's willing. She'll make up the numbers.

[Margery]

Maybe. Maybe you enjoyed it. You always jump to other people's tunes. Always. Now you're jealous. You are jealous.

[Mr. Antrobus]

Romance. I like romances. What is the next man, Miss Parker? Not least because it brings us a crust. Late affairs. Like your friend's friend.

[Elizabeth Parker]

I don't know her, of course. It may all be rubbish, I suppose. Wishful thinking.

[Mr. Antrobus]

It may be your friend, of course.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Mr. Antrobus. No. Happily married woman with two kiddies. No chance. Mmm.

[Mr. Antrobus]

Well, my advice. Tell your friend to stay out of it. Know what I mean? No involvement. Vocate it.

[Harry Agnew]

What?

[Mr. Antrobus]

Friends getting mixed up. Getting involved. Looking for the truth, they say. Being nosy, in fact, eh? Puts us out of the business. Anyway, your friend's friend wants to find out the truth, come to us. Tell her discount on our usual rates for the friend of a friend. Miss Parker.

[Elizabeth Parker]

He knows, of course. I just wanted to know what he'd do. And all he says is business. I keep thinking of Roland and the kids. And there's never been a time when Harry did anything that wasn't slightly well off center.

[Mr. Antrobus]

Oh, Miss Parker. The letters need attention. And maybe you could take out the phone on the Waverly fraud. And if I was you. I forget your friends. Friend. Nothing but sadness in the world that way, believe me. Now, Miss Snell. Nice of you to come by, Ms. Parker. We don't want to be disturbed. Some urgent matters have come up that Miss Snell will be attending to.

[Elizabeth Parker]

And in he goes to his inner office with the matchboard walls and pretends to dictate letters to Miss Snell, who is young enough to be jail babe and hard enough to blow the whistle on him if it suited. Imagination, he says. He hasn't the imagination he was born with. Ace Agency. Discretion assured. And him in there with his wife itching to catch him. You can hear them giggling behind the clapboard walls. Takes a good letter, does Ms. Snow. L. I'm sure not a lot of work. And Androbus is too busy to worry. I wonder which agency is watching him.

[Liz's Father]

Oh, listen to that. What's the matter with you these days?

[Elizabeth Parker]

I don't know. I'm a bit mither, that's all. Marjorie's been, well, acting up, you know.

[Liz's Father]

Got a bob on her, she is. Needs a spanking.

[Elizabeth Parker]

She's my friend.

[Liz's Father]

Look, she's old enough and ugly enough to make up her own mind, Liz. It's not your business, is it? I never liked that Roland. Never trusted him. And I never liked Harry either, so let us stay with it.

[Elizabeth Parker]

But she could be walking into all sorts. Blackmail, you know.

[Liz's Father]

You got too much imagination.

[Elizabeth Parker]

The Ace Agency, dad. It happens. Man gets her in his clutches and bingo, he's going to get her to pay up for good. A few pictures taken, reputation blown away.

[Liz's Father]

Did she ever have one worse? Blowing away, eh?

[Elizabeth Parker]

She's my friend, dad. And she's throwing it all away on dreams.

[Liz's Father]

As I remember, Harry was always unreliable. Smooth teeth and trousers like his father. Sold monuments, hey? Chapel. Grave monuments, stones, all that. Local chapel, your mother used to say. Mutton dressed as lamb and Harry Wolf.

[Elizabeth Parker]

In sheep's clothing, is he?

[Liz's Father]

You think so? You tell her.

[Elizabeth Parker]

She wouldn't listen. She thinks I'm jealous. Thinks I'm a dried up old spinster. Wasted, are you? I've had my times, Dad.

[Liz's Father]

I wish you would have married, you know, girl.

[Elizabeth Parker]

Oh, doesn't matter. I know what they all think, those friends. They think Liz is always beating a retreat from any men. One step forward, two back. Always on the retreat. I suppose in a way I am. I do. It hurts though, dad, even yet. Still.

[Liz's Father]

I'm sorry, love.

[Elizabeth Parker]

He didn't even come home for his mother's funeral. He told me. It was sudden, he said, and he was in America or somewhere, he said. Oh, and Margery, he's. Well, he's turned her on. She thinks she's Mata Hari or something. And she used me. Her doing what she is doing. Steaming with lust or whatever. Roland must know, surely he's not the.

[Liz's Father]

First student as he.