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Guilty Party 59-05-20 (13) The Fallen Angel
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Guilty Party 59-05-20 (13) The Fallen Angel
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- [00:01]
Joe McCready
The BBC presents Guilty Party, a problem in crime detection in which you are invited to match your wits with a panel of experts, John Arlott, FR Buckley and Robert Fabian. First of all, you'll hear the crime play, the Fallen Angel. The panel will then decide on a line of investigation and cross examine the suspects who give unscripted answers to their questions. But first of all, here is Joe McCready, private investigator. Joe? Yes, Inspector. I know what you are going to say. You do? Yes. We're lost again. How do you manage it, Joe? 1:00 in the morning and all we have to do is find a large private house tucked away in the backwaters of Maidenhead. And where are we? Lost. Took a long planning somewhere. Only thing to do is stop outside one of these big places and ask Popular we shall be. Shall we close the nursery? The city have to go under an archway. Let's try it. Stood in a bolter's lock. I expect many not enclosed people to visit them around here. This roadway has had no attention for years. Slow down then you're back to spring. One thing, it's a glorious moonlit night. All the more reason why we shouldn't be lost. I say, that's a noble looking pile if you like. Mansion converted into flats, we find. Oh, well, not bad. Silly all right, they can only snap our heads off. But honestly, once you get off the main road around these parts, you might be in the ruddy jungle. I say, that house must be four stories high. Quite some place. Not as nice close to as it was from a distance. Too modern. Felt like a matchbox. Hey, Inspector, look down the side of the building on the concrete yard. Do you see what I see? Somebody in pajamas. Yes. Taking a nap or something. Come on, let's see what's happening. Oh, no. And all I wanted was a nice comfortable bed. Come on, stop moaning. The man in pajamas turned out to be a Mr. Leonard Angel. He wasn't taking a nap, he was dead. He lived with his wife in the top flat and when we eventually made contact with her, which took some time, she was rather fuddled with sleep and drink. There'd been a party, apparently, and Mrs. Laura angel had been enjoying herself. Coffee helped to sober her up.
- [02:35]
Laura Angel
I really am sorry about this, but we had quite a party. When I went to bed, I more or less died.
- [02:43]
Joe McCready
Your husband did die.
- [02:45]
Laura Angel
Poor Len. I can't somehow accept it. Only a couple of hours ago we were all laughing and drinking together. Oh, no, that's not completely true.
- [02:55]
Joe McCready
We weren't really laughing.
- [02:56]
Laura Angel
All that much? At the end of the party, we had a row.
- [02:59]
Joe McCready
You and your husband?
- [03:00]
Laura Angel
The four of us and poor Len.
- [03:03]
Joe McCready
Who were these four people? No friends.
- [03:07]
Laura Angel
Partners in the plan. Corwood Plastics Limited. There was Len, Johnny Tidmarsh, David Jenkins and 30 to remain.
- [03:18]
Joe McCready
What was the row about?
- [03:19]
Laura Angel
Oh, what does it matter? A row is a row. Our parties usually end up in a row. The point is, what's happened to Paul, Len? You're sure he's dead?
- [03:30]
Joe McCready
The police doctor's report will be in soon. From what I could see, he died from affected skull.
- [03:34]
Laura Angel
What do you mean? He fell and landed on his head.
- [03:37]
Joe McCready
No, I mean he looks as though he died from a fractured skull.
- [03:41]
Laura Angel
But you told me he was lying on the concrete yard.
- [03:44]
Joe McCready
Yes.
- [03:45]
Laura Angel
Well, that's strange, because the windows of our flat look out on the lawn.
- [03:48]
Joe McCready
All the windows?
- [03:50]
Laura Angel
Yeah. Our bedroom there. Then there's this living room and that door over there is a spare bedroom. No windows overlook the concrete yard.
- [03:59]
Joe McCready
It certainly looked as though he'd fallen to me anyway.
- [04:03]
Laura Angel
The roof.
- [04:04]
Joe McCready
The roof?
- [04:06]
Laura Angel
Yeah. Sometimes when he's had a few drinks, he goes up on the roof and he does exercises. It stops the hangover the next day. Maybe he did that and fell. It's a low parapet on the roof.
- [04:18]
Joe McCready
But he's your husband. Surely you know whether he went up there tonight?
- [04:22]
Laura Angel
We had another row after our guests left, so we went and slept in the spare room and I slept in our room.
- [04:28]
Joe McCready
So really you don't know what happened?
- [04:29]
Laura Angel
Oh, I went to bed and died. Like I said, I have too much. It must have been mad to go up and do exercises on the roof after drinking as much as he did tonight. Just felt in that sort of mood, I suppose. Most time he'd just open the window and take deep breaths and all that and I'd play no hell about it.
- [04:54]
Joe McCready
Len. Dad.
- [04:57]
Laura Angel
Oh, my God. What's going to happen to me? It's just beginning to penetrate. And we were quarreling. We said some hateful things to each other and those were the last words I ever spoke to him. Oh, Len.
- [05:16]
Joe McCready
Mrs. Angel, do any of the neighbors know you well enough to come and help a little?
- [05:21]
Laura Angel
No. Only parts of the building are occupied. The other rooms in the house are in the cause of being adapted into flats.
- [05:28]
Joe McCready
Well, is there anyone friends, relatives we can call to be with you? You shouldn't be alone just now.
- [05:33]
Laura Angel
Only my friends. They'll stand by me. Bertie and Johnny and David.
- [05:39]
Joe McCready
Well, give me their phone numbers and we'll contact them. I dare say we shall want to ask them a question or two. Anyway, this will be the police doctor. Chime in, Jeff. Okay. And find it. One thing. How does one get to the roof, Mrs. Angel?
- [05:49]
Laura Angel
There's a ladder that swings down from the ceiling at the end of the hall. The trap door in the ceiling has a lock on it to prevent children playing around up there. But Len had a key. I told him it wasn't safe. I told him.
- [06:04]
Joe McCready
Now. Come in, Doctor. Well, what's the verdict? And the doctor's verdict was that Leonard angel had died as the result of a fractured skull. He had multiple injuries also, as one would expect from such a fall. On the soles of the plimsolls he was wearing, there were signs of green muddy slime. We went up on the roof, the flap door to which was open and the ladder in position for ascending. Where the parapet made its join with the roof itself, we found a narrow line of this same muddy slime, which had collected over the years as rainwater had washed the mildew and dirt into the sides and corners of the roof. At one point there were slide marks as though someone had skidded. These marks were right above the spot in which we found Mr. Angel on the concrete. A clear case of accidental death, one would say. But in view of what Mrs. Angel had said about a row, we thought it advisable to ask a few more questions. The doctor stated that death had occurred at about 12:30am the first person to arrive at the flat as a result of our phone calls was Mr. David Jenkins. Terrible. A terrible, terrible thing to happen. Poor L. You were a business colleague of his? Co director, Forward Plastics Limited. As a company, we make all sorts of plastic materials. Indeed. If ever, at any time, you might be wanting some sheets of plastic, transparent or color printed, we got some very unusual designs. Yes, I'm sure you must have. Mrs. Angel said you'd had a quarrel with her husband. Yes. Pity. We all pitched into him, you see. Why? What was the trouble? We'd had a splendid offer for a takeover from one of the biggest plastics companies in the country. We all wanted to accept, but Len angel wouldn't agree. And our legal agreement inside the company was that all four of us must agree to winding up the company or selling out. Otherwise it didn't happen. So now Mr. Angel is dead, he'll be able to go ahead and sell out. Ah, yes. If there's any bright spot in this tragic affair, that's it. I need the money. Hmm. Was the argument very heated? Well, Ferdy and Johnny Tidmarsh and I Did express ourselves pretty forcibly, lucy. What about Mrs. Angel? Whose side was she on? Oh, on our side. Anything Ferdie Tremaine said she'd support automatically. Oh, like that, eh? Laura's always had a soft spot for Ferdy. Did Mr. Angel know about that? Difficult not to know. She'd follow him around the room, looking all sheep's eyes at him. Got a bit embarrassing. And I tell you. Would you say that Mr. Angel was jealous? Well, naturally. He didn't like his wife playing up to some other chap, even if he was a co director. Matter of fact, I reckon that the reason Len angel was against the takeover was because Ferdina organized it. Now, tell me, Mr. Jenkins, have you ever been up on the roof? The roof? Here, do you mean? Yes. Apparently Mr. Angel was in the habit of doing exercises up there, especially if he'd had a few drinks. You don't say? Everybody to his own taste, say I. Not my idea of fun. But then he didn't drink all that much tonight. Not as much as usual. What time did the party break up? Well, seeing that we were getting nowhere with Len only saying rude things to him, it all broke up early, do you see? About midnight. Where did you go then? My home, of course. You married? No. Housekeeper?
- [09:08]
Laura Angel
No.
- [09:09]
Joe McCready
Woman keeps the place clean. Comes in every day for a few hours. I eat out, mostly. So you went back to an empty house? Empty flat, yes. You didn't go back to the Angel's flat at all once you'd left at midnight? Not I. Why do you ask? You're not suggesting that somebody pushed poor old Len and sort of helped him into eternity, are you? Stranger things have happened. Well, if it's a question of motive, I don't think you should be asking me questions. No? No. Ferdy Tremaine is your man. He's got it always. Now he's got to take over as he wanted it. He's got Laura Angel. He's all right, Jack. Thank you, Mr. Jenkins. I think we'll have a word or two with Mr. Tremaine. This is a very sad business, Mr. Tremaine. No. Terrible shock. Awful things. Poor Laura. But where? How? What happened? We found him lying on the concrete yard. That's all we know. The concrete yard? Well, had he fallen or something? That's how it looks. But where did he fall from? Was he in another flat? Why do you ask that? It's obvious, old chap. If he'd fallen from the window of the spare room, he'd have been lying on the lawn, not on the concrete we think he fell from the roof. The roof? What the heck was he doing up on the roof after midnight? Oh, don't tell me you've got a girlfriend up there. A damned uncomfortable spot to choose for a romantic rendezvous. Was Mr. Angel in the habit of having a romantic rendezvous? Oh, he had his fun, all they. Poor old Laura. A devil of a life, one way or another. You're fond of Laura angel, aren't you? Oh, that Welshman's been opening his mouth, has he? Just because the chap behaves decently towards a woman who's having a raw deal, old Jenkins tries to make it into something it isn't. You know, he's a funny chap. Never quite sure about him. Never has anything to do with women himself, but always believes the worst of everybody else. Frustrated, I suppose. You're married, Mr. Tremaine? Divorced, old chap. One of these marriages that don't work out. Mind you, no hard feelings. We're the best of pals still. Oh, but I say, this really is a pretty bad show, isn't it? I mean, did he fall or was he pushed, so to speak? What do you think? Well, it's difficult to know what to think, really. The takeover's bound to go through now, which will save David Jenkins from the bankruptcy court. Makes you think every gather Mr. Angel was in the habit of doing exercises on the roof with a midnight. With a wife like Laura, he must have been a nutcase. Exercises on the roof? I ask you. You didn't know he went up on the roof to do exercises? No, that was one of his peculiar little ways. He never told me. How would you go about getting onto the flat roof of this place? Never given it a thought. I suppose there is a way up there. Bound to be. There always is. But I'm not all that fond of being on the roof. Oh, you're not seriously suggesting that he went up onto the roof at midnight to do knees bend, upward stretch? Oh, surely not. We can only go by what Mrs. Angel tells us. And you think that he must have slipped or lost his footing somehow and fell over the parapet? It's a possibility. But what's the alternative? That someone followed him up onto the roof and then pushed him over? Oh, that's a bit far fetched. But it could have happened if anyone had sufficient motive. They might have attacked him in his own flat, then taken him up to the roof and pushed him over to make it look as though it was an accident. Well, have to be a very strong man to get a chap like angel up the steps and through a trapdoor or whatever the arrangement is up there. Yes. Wouldn't be easy. I agree. Tell us, Mr. Tremaine, what did you do after the party broke up? I gave Johnny Titmarsh. He's our. The director of Lift Home. I went in, had a nightcap. How did you leave his place? Oh, quarter past or 30 past 12, I suppose. He only lived about a mile away. He and Mr. Angel on good terms? None of us were on good terms with him tonight. He was crabbing this wonderful takeover offer we'd had. We were mad at him, I can tell you. Did you come back here at all for any reason after leaving Mr. Tidmarsh? Come back here? What for? Well, maybe to try and get Mr. Angel to change his mind. No fear. If I'd come back here, I'd have sucked him one. I'd lost patience with the man. That's what we rather imagined. Thank you, Mr. Tremaine. Thank you. Now, Joe, let's have a word or two with Mr. Tidmarsh, shall we? Mr. Tidmarsh, you left the party with Mr. Tremaine, we understand. Good gracious me, yes, I did, fairly. Tremaine drives like a madman. Did he stay long with you? No. The little woman was still waiting up for me. So we had a quick night cap, the three of us, and off he went. And did you go straight to bed, then? No, I kissed the little woman good night and went for a turn around the garden. I was in rather a state of turmoil mentally. You didn't go back again to see Mr. Angel? Funny you should say that. I made up my mind to walk back and have another chat with him. I got about halfway there and then decided it was a waste of time. Did you get within flight of the house? Yes. What time would that be? Oh, about half past 12, I'd say. Did you see anybody on the roof of the building? No. Why? Was Leonard angel up to his rooftop antics again? Oh, I beg your pardon. I keep forgetting he's passed on. I can't somehow believe it. So you knew he was in the habit of climbing up to the roof to do his exercises, then? Oh, yes. He tried to get me up there one night, but with my stomach, I found it far too difficult to squeeze through the trapdoor. In any case, I'm not the energetic type. I'm good for comfort rather than for speed of action. There's a low parapet running around the roof. Is there? I wouldn't know. It rather looks as though he slipped and fell over the parapet onto the concrete yard. In that case, it could only have been an accident. Couldn't possibly have been foul play. Why do you say that with such assurance? How do you know? Because it would be a physical impossibility for anyone to carry Angel's body up a rickety makeshift ladder, through a ridiculously small trapdoor and onto the roof for the purpose of pushing him over the parapet. Why do you say carry Angel's body? Are you suggesting that he was killed in his own flat and then pushed overboard, so to speak? Well, it's a possibility, isn't it? But not from the roof. That wouldn't be a practical proposition. Not for me, anyway. Could Tremaine or Jenkins have done it? Well, not unless they were up on the roof and they attacked him there and then pushed him over. What was the time of death? About 12:30. Funny, I didn't see him up there at 12:30, and it was a bright moonlight night. Mr. Tidmarsh, forgive me for asking, but does the death of Mr. Angel solve any problems for you? Oh, indeed it does. It means that I can now retire comfortably and take my wife to live abroad. The doctors have said that another winter in this benighted climate could kill the little woman. I was more anxious than anyone that the takeover should go through. Now. It will. I know it may sound callous, but in all honesty, I'm not as upset as I ought to be be. Thank you, Mr. Ted Marshall. Well, Joe, this is a rum how you do if you like. And a rum hard you do was a very good way of describing this particular case. We examined Mr. Angel's body again. In the breast pockets of his pajamas, we found the key to the trap door leading onto the roof. It really did look like accidental death. But was it? What do you think? Our three experts have heard the facts in the crime play the Fallen Angel. Now they have the right to ask questions of the people concerned. The completely unrehearsed questions will be answered without any script or help by the persons interrogated. And they must tell the truth, except in the case of the guilty party, who can and will try to get out of difficulty if he or she is able to. Over now to John Arlott. We'd like first of all, Ted Mason, before we get to the suspects, to ask you one or two questions. Was the flat door open or shut? It was a rim tie lock and it was on the latch. In other words, anyone could push it open? Yes. How wide is this line of slime on the roof? Quite narrow. About six inches or Less. Were the lights on in the Angel's flat When Macready and the inspector went to it, the light in the spare room was on. And of course, the other lights were put on later when I got in contact with Mrs. Laura Angel. Right. Thank you. Now, I wonder if we might speak to Ferdy Tremaine. Sit down, Mr. Tremaine. Mr. Tremaine, have you ever had a really late party with Lord Angel? Oh, quite a few, yes. He enjoys his boo. Well, have you ever discussed hangovers with him? Well, we both suffer terribly from them. I know. I don't think it actually comes up in discussion very often. Well, has he ever suggested doing some exercises after the party? No, not by any means. It was a great shock to me when I heard about this. Mr. Tremaine, do you live alone? I do, sir, now, yes. Where? I have a little cottage just the other side of Bray. Well, how far is that from the Angel's house? It's roughly 15 miles, I think. How often do you see Mrs. Angel when her husband isn't about? Oh, occasionally. How do you arrange these meetings? Usually on the phone. I. You know, I noticed that she doesn't have a very happy life. And very often I ring up and pop around and see her or meet in town, have a coffee. Does she ring you up? She has done, yes. Did she ring you on the night that this happened? No. No, she didn't, no. Tell me one other thing. What time were you rung to come to the Angel's flat? Oh, dear, dear. It was around about, I'd say, one o'clock. I got home at about 20 to 1. It must have been about 20 minutes afterwards. Right. That'll do, Mr. Tremaine. Thank you. I wonder if we can now speak to Mr. Tidmarsh. No. Mr. Tidmarsh, what put into your mind the idea of angel being killed in his flat and thrown over the parapet? Well, I suppose the fact that everyone's asking so many questions. Angel and Mother's trying to get you onto the roof, isn't he? Yes, sir, that's correct, yes. Did you actually see him pull the ladder down? Yes. Open the fat door? Yes. What sort of a lock was on the door? You know, it's a rim type lock. Had he got his pajamas on when he tried to get you onto the roof? Yes, he had. He had. Do you recall, what did he do with the key after he unlocked the trapdoor? Mannequin, do you remember? I think he put it in his pajama pocket, but I couldn't be Quite certain. This trapdoor wasn't wide enough for a strong man to carry another through it. No, it wasn't. What would you say was angel's weight? About 11 stone, I should think. Now, if your guess was right and his body was taken onto the roof, could one person have pushed it up and another have pulled it through? Yes, I suppose so. When you set out to walk to the Angel's flat, were you at any time within sight of the windows of their flat? Yes. It was a bright moonlight night. I could see them vaguely. Were the lights on? There was one light on. What room might that be? I should think it was the spare room. You think it was the spare room? All right. Thank you. Perhaps now we could talk to Mrs. Angel. Sit down, Mrs. Angel. Doc. Thank you. Are you feeling better now, Mrs. Angel?
- [19:25]
Laura Angel
Thank you. You're so much better.
- [19:26]
Joe McCready
Thanks for a lot of black coffee. Well, good. Now, tell me, have you ever discussed this habit of your husband's doing exercise on the rooftop with anyone?
- [19:35]
Laura Angel
Oh, good Lord, no.
- [19:37]
Joe McCready
Well, to be specific, have you ever discussed these exercises with Fredo Tremain?
- [19:41]
Laura Angel
Never mentioned it.
- [19:42]
Joe McCready
Freddie. You never have?
- [19:44]
Laura Angel
No.
- [19:44]
Joe McCready
Have you ever heard him discuss these exercises with any of his partners?
- [19:49]
Laura Angel
No, I've never heard him discuss them with anyone at all.
- [19:51]
Joe McCready
Never been mentioned in your presence?
- [19:53]
Laura Angel
Nope.
- [19:54]
Joe McCready
How many keys are there to the trap door?
- [19:57]
Laura Angel
Well, there's one. Each slat has one.
- [20:00]
Joe McCready
You only had one? We only have, yeah. Where. Where is it usually kept?
- [20:04]
Laura Angel
Well, it's usually kept under the clock in the mantelpiece in the living room.
- [20:08]
Joe McCready
Do you usually do these exercises on the roofing pajamas?
- [20:11]
Laura Angel
Yes. Oh, yes.
- [20:12]
Joe McCready
Did you telephone Ferdie Tremaine this night?
- [20:15]
Laura Angel
No, I didn't phone. Ferdinand Ferdy phoned me earlier in the evening before the party, just to ask if we'd got enough to drink and could he bring some more.
- [20:23]
Joe McCready
Did you phone him after the party?
- [20:25]
Laura Angel
No.
- [20:25]
Joe McCready
Did he phone you?
- [20:26]
Laura Angel
No.
- [20:27]
Joe McCready
Did you see any of the partners again after the party broke up?
- [20:31]
Laura Angel
I did not. I was dead to the world.
- [20:32]
Joe McCready
That's all right then, Mrs. Angel. Thank you very much. I wonder then if we could speak to David Jenkins. Mr. Jenkins, how was Lynn angel when you left him? Well, I think it might be said that he was soberer than I might expect. Well, wasn't there a glance? No, no. How did you know? How then angel died? Well, I didn't know at all until I was the first to arrive. And I was told by two gentlemen who were there at the time. The other officers, you mean? Presumably, yes. How did you get home by car. Now, what would happen to Angel's holdings in the plastic company on his death? Presumably, they would be inherited by Nora. She'd inherit the interest and the voting power. Presumably, yes. How much drink do you think Mrs. Angel had had that night? Well, it's very hard to tell. Quite a lot, I should say. I should say more than a husband. What about any of the others? Would you say any of them were drunk? No. No. Would you say that either Tidmarsh or Tremaine was in a violent temper with angel or not a physically violent temper? No. I think they were just irritated by the fact that he wasn't prepared to sell. Were either of them violent men? I shouldn't have thought so, no. Well, Now, I'm sorry, Mr. Jenkins, because there's the signal for the end of our interrogation. Well, we're still satisfied that the clothes one out contend Mason were satisfied that Ferdy Tremaine is in the main, the guilty party. But we're sure there must have been some collusion with Laura Angel. The clue we're satisfied, is that Tremaine knew that angel was in the spare bedroom. But the only person who could have told him that is Laura angel, because the row between her and her husband that caused him to go into the other room didn't happen until all the partners had gone. We think he came back to the flat intending to argue with angel, knocked the door and was told that angel was in the spare room. We assume that he must have killed him in the spare room, got his body up the steps with Laura Angel's assistance, changed into his plimsolls, carried his body across the room, put the primsors back on his feet and thrown him over the parapet. Well, that's a very good reconstruction of a crime. This crime isn't quite like that, but I'll give you 75% for ingenuity and forgetting the main clue, which was, as you say, that Ferdy Tremaine knew that this man was in the spare room and not normally in the room with his wife. What exactly happened was this. You're quite right when you say there was a certain amount of collusion between 32 Main and Mrs. Angel. 32 Main asked Mrs. Angel to supply him with a key to the flat. And he also asked Mrs. Angel to insist upon her husband occupying the spare room. That's how he knew. And then he said to her, now, forget everything else, have a lot of gin and go into a heavy sleep and don't think about anything. Leave the rest to me. Then he came back. When he came back, our friend Mr. Angel was doing his exercises in front of the open window. Now already Ferdy Tremaine had got one of his large sheets of plastic material and spread it underneath the window of the spare room so that when he walked in, hit our friend angel over the head very hard, factored his culling fact, pushed him out of the window, he landed on the plastic. Then later he removed the body from the plastic and put it round the corner on the concrete and wrapped up the plastic and took it away. He took off his plimsols, went up on the roof, made the skid marks, but made a mistake and made skid marks on each foot, if you know what I mean. Whereas normally one foot only would have been sufficient for him to slip on, wouldn't it? He then came back to the trap door, took off the pencils, went down and put the pencils back on Angel's feet, put the key back into Angel's pajamas pocket and I think 75 to 80% you were right and in fact it could have been done in the way you suggest because you did get the Guilty party and the fact that there was collusion. John Arlott, Fr Buckley and Robert Fabian were the panel in the Fallen Angel A Problem in Crime Detection from the BBC series Guilty Party. The play was written by Edward J. Mason and the program produced by Tony Shrine.