Two hands wearing white medical gloves are typing a letter on a computer. The letter is then printed. It is signed using the still gloved left hand. The signature is indecipherable. It is attached by paper clip to two other printed sheets and then folded into an envelope which already has an address printed. We can briefly see Cllr Loveless’s name. The envelope is then self-sealed and the wearer of the glove moistens a stamp with water. Later, it is posted by a black gloved hand into a London post box. A red bus drives by.
ACT ONE
The Village Green – the postman cycles round the village Green and starts delivering the mail.
The Loveless house - the postman delivers the mail. Loveless’s wife brings it through to the kitchen along with the Daily Mail and Loveless starts to open the envelopes as he eats his breakfast.
The Vicarage – the postman delivers the mail. Sally is trying to get the children ready for school. She’s lost her car keys – has Kenneth seen them? There’s a governors meeting at the school at two o’clock and Loveless will be there throwing his weight about again. Kenneth reveals that the weekend is coming up and there’s a family service on Sunday which he still has to prepare… He’s not good at children’s talks. ‘You’ll manage… you always do,’ Sally says.
The Loveless house - Loveless makes gratuitously rude remarks about people as he reads his letters and his wife chides him. ‘Try and see the good in people,’ she says. There’s a letter from Cllr Shenning, the Leader of the Council, informing Loveless that he is to stand down from the Council’s Finance & General Purposes Committee. He is offered a place on the Library committee instead. He is almost apoplectic. She then reminds him that he has a dinner appointment that evening – the Council for Business. He is to be there at eight o’clock. Loveless reveals he is vain and self-important.
Outside the Vicarage - Sally York takes her children to the primary school and she drives on to the local town where she works. She passes the postman who is cycling away from the Green and toots him. He waves back.
The church - the Revd Kenneth York walks to the church. He meets Mrs Parsons who asks how he is settling in to the parish. He says everything is fine. And what about Cllr Loveless? He didn’t get on with the last Vicar. Kenneth says something mollifying and goes to the parish office where he meets Audrey, his secretary. She tells him what’s come in for his attention – two weddings, a funeral and Mrs Milton is home from hospital and could he bring her communion? And on his rounds could he take some money to the bank?
The pharmacy - Sally arrives at the pharmacy where she works and exchanges pleasantries with Brenda, her assistant.
Mann’s shop - Loveless goes into Mann’s shop and buys some light bulbs. Mann is cool towards him. Loveless passes Kenneth on the way out and takes the opportunity to complain about the Family Service on Sunday. ‘The Church of England is dumbing down,’ he complains. ‘Be assured you won’t see me there,’ he says.
Mann’s shop - Kenneth buys some videotapes – to record some things for the children. Mann warns him to be careful of Loveless or he’ll do to him what he did to the Revd Cuddington. He says it was Loveless who drove him to suicide. Kenneth says he must go to the bank. ‘Thanks for the tapes,’ he says.
Council Offices - Loveless goes to the Council offices and has an argument with Norah Shenning. Why has he been dropped from the Finanace & General Purposes Committee when he’s got this invitation from the Council for Business? She says she’s never heard of such a Council. ‘Who are they, anyway?’ She tells him that he’s been dropped because the councillors feel he is alienating people. He storms off. Council officials smile encouragingly at Cllr Shenning. They’ve seen it all before.
The primary school – the Vicar welcomes everyone to the Governors Meeting. Loveless is present and immediately raises a point of order. The Vicar groans.
The Vicarage - At tea-time the family are gathered round the table. Kenneth tells Sally what Mann said. Sally nods towards the children and the conversation is left half-finished.
The Loveless house - At home with his wife Loveless gets ready for the dinner appointment. He says this may be the start of great things. He’s getting fed up with the small-minded people of the village. ‘It’s time to move up in the world,’ he says.
The hotel foyer – Loveless is met by Mr Samuels who is dressed in pinstripe trousers and black jacket. Samuels takes him to the lift and they both get in.
A hotel corridor – Samuels takes Loveless to Room 229.
The hotel room - Loveless is greeted by Miss Rawcliffe who pours him a sherry. Relaxing music is playing. The dinner table is set for three people. He asks who the third guest is. She says she doesn’t know. He is coming with Mr Smart. She apologises that Mr Smart is late. She tells him that his wife phoned and said that he has been delayed by traffic.
The hotel room – Josh arrives with a trolley. He prepares the table. The meal is ready. When Josh withdraws so does Miss Rawcliffe. Loveless begins to get anxious and agitated. Then he starts to feel dizzy, the room spins and he crashes to the floor. Dead.
ACT TWO
The next morning - the hotel corridor – a maid pushes her trolley to Room 229.
The hotel room – she goes into the room. The curtains are closed and the lights are still on. She discovers the body and screams.
The hotel room later - Mahmoud and O’Neill arrive – scene of crime officers are already present. The pathologist says that the preliminary cause of death could be a heart attack. Time of death was last evening. The pathologist says that what’s puzzling is that the meal is untouched. Samples have been taken for forensics. ‘There’s more to this than a simple heart attack,’ says Mahmoud.
Hotel office - Mr Forsythe, the hotel manager, is interviewed. He recounts the arrangements for the dinner and finds the letter sent by Mr Smart. He says that cash was paid. The letter is taken away for forensic examination.
The hotel kitchen - the head chef is interviewed. He recounts the preparation of the meal and its collection by ‘Josh’. It was unusual not to be taken up by one of their own staff but he did as he was told.
The Loveless house - the police interview Mrs Loveless. Did he have any enemies? She speaks about the invitation to dinner and how Loveless was looking forward to it. Does she have the invitation? It is contained in a letter with a printed letterhead giving details of the Council for Business. There is a PO Box number in London. There are additional sheets giving further details of the Council for Business. The letter and attachments are taken away for forensic examination. Did Loveless phone the Council? No – they phoned him. Does she know who phoned him? A secretary, she thinks.
The Incident Room – O’Neill tries to find ‘Fool Your Friends’ but discovers there is no such group listed in the phone book. Meanwhile, Mahmoud reveals there is no such group called the Council for Business although someone is still working on it. DI Adamson tells them to check out the local paper. George Jones, the Editor, ‘has his finger on the pulse of the town,’ he says. See if ‘Fool Your Friends’ ever advertised in it.
Newspaper office - O’Neill interviews George Jones and discovers that ‘Fool Your Friends’ have advertised their services from time to time. Jones thinks they are a group of students who do it to make money in their spare time. There is a phone number which he gives them. Jones also reveals that Loveless made enemies wherever he went. He fell out with the last Vicar – Mr Cuddington who was very popular – but he had a breakdown and committed suicide. They should interview Cllr Shenning and perhaps the new Vicar, Mr York.
The Incident Room - The phone number leads them to Tristram who tells them that Samuels, Rawcliffe and Josh are false names. They arrange to meet the student later.
Mortuary – Mahmoud and O’Neill call for the post-mortem result – poisoning. It was a toxin that reacted with a drug he was taking for his high blood pressure. It was in the sherry.
Incident Room – a review of the evidence. The officers need to find a motive. ‘He had so many enemies everyone had a motive,’ says Adamson. No fingerprints on either of the two letters and no other distinguishing marks. The address and phone number for the Council for Business are both false. The letters were produced on a standard computer. The letterhead could have been printed anywhere and was probably paid for by cash. Who is the anonymous Mr Smart?
The Council offices – Mahmoud and O’Neill interview Cllr Shenning, the Leader of the Council. She reveals he was ambitious but unpopular. He needed to feel important. When he was elected the first thing he asked was how long would it be before he would become Mayor. No one liked him.
Mann’s shop – Mann is questioned about his argument with Loveless. ‘Yes, he had an argument.’ ‘What happened?’ ‘Loveless threatened him with lawyers. It cost him hundreds of pounds.’ ‘Why?’ ‘He said I was spreading rumours about him, that I was trying to give him a bad name.’ ‘By the sounds of it he was able to do that all by himself.’ ‘You said it.’
The Vicarage – the Revd Kenneth York is questioned. He says that he has only been in the parish three months. A lot of the congregation were very upset about Mr Cuddington’s suicide. There were whispers about Cllr Loveless but nothing more substantial. He says he last saw him at the Governors Meeting. Did he have any enemies? ‘Everywhere,’ says York.
University – Tristram is interviewed. He says he runs ‘Fool Your Friends’ and they play jokes on people at parties. It brings in some extra money. ‘How was he booked?’ ‘Initially a phone call – a woman, I think. She was Mr Smart’s secretary. Instructions came in the post and they paid in cash.’ ‘Do you have the letter?’ ‘Yes, here it is.’ The letter is sealed for forensic examination. His computer is taken away.
The Incident Room – review of the evidence. Still have to interview the two other students. The only person with a real motive was Mann. ‘Bring him in,’ says Adamson, ‘and his computer.’
Mann’s shop - Adam Mann is arrested but he protests his innocence. A search team begins to go through the shop. Sheila Jamieson watches anxiously.
Police interview room - Adam Mann is questioned by Mahmoud and O’Neill. Mann recounts the incident with Revd Philip Cuddington (Flashback: Loveless took his video recorder to Adam Mann’s shop for repairs; Mann asks Sheila Jamieson to see the video because it contained pornography; as Loveless was a governor at the school he thought he should tell the Vicar – the Revd Philip Cuddington; the Vicar checked that it didn’t contain any underage sex and said it was a private matter; when Loveless found out he threatened to sue him for slander;) As a result he nearly had a breakdown and it cost him hundreds of pounds in lawyers fees; his business suffered – Loveless was spreading rumours about his workmanship.
Sheila Jamieson’s house - the police question Sheila Jamieson. She corroborates Mann’s evidence. In fact, she made a copy of the tape ‘just in case’. She has it in her drawer and hands it over. She also made a copy of the shop’s security tape and she hands that over as well. ‘Do you have a computer?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘I’m afraid we’ll need to take it away.’
Newspaper offices – they ask George Jones about the incident with the Vicar; no one really knows because the Vicar never broke a confidence. Loveless, of course, wrote letters of complaint to the bishop and church council. He couldn’t take it and was found dead in the garage. Carbon monoxide poisoning. His wife and children returned to Scotland but his mother still lives locally. She teaches at the university. ‘What does she teach?’ ‘Chemistry, I think - organic chemistry.’
The police station – Mahmoud and O’Neill release Mann. Susan Reynolds (Rawcliffe) and Giles Smith (Josh) come in and are waiting at the main desk. The officers take her to an interview room. She says that Tristram has phoned her. She thinks she killed Loveless.
ACT THREE
Police interview room - Reynolds is questioned; she says she was recruited by her boyfriend Tristram and explains what their instructions had been. ‘Tristram had to meet him in the foyer and bring him to the room. I had to serve him sherry. And then when Giles brought the meal up we both had to leave together.’ ‘Where did you get the sherry?’ ‘The bottle was already there. The letter said to give him sherry. That’s what I did.’
Hotel office – Mahmoud and O’Neill ask Mr Forsythe about the sherry bottle. It was delivered along with two bouquets of flowers. ‘Who delivered it?’ ‘I can’t say. It was my day off but I believe it was handed in at Reception.’ ‘Is Reception covered by security cameras?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Do you have the tape?’ ‘Yes, I think we have.’ He gets the tape. ‘We’ll check it and let you have it back.’
Briony Cuddington’s house - Briony Cuddington lives some miles away; she is questioned about her son’s suicide. She says it was because of videotape found in Loveless’s video recorder which had pornography on it; ‘Philip took advice from the diocese. He regarded it as a private matter. What people did in their own homes wasn’t a matter for him, he said. He wasn’t out to catch witches, you know. Nevertheless, Loveless found out and hounded him and drove him to a nervous breakdown and suicide.’ ‘Does she have a computer?’ ‘Yes.’ They take it away for examination. ‘Do you have to? I have lectures to give. All my work is on it.’
Briony Cuddington’s house - Briony Cuddington phones the Vicarage. She wants to see the Revd Kenneth York – in the church. An appointment is made.
The Incident Room - the police discover that Briony Cuddington is a research chemist and has access to drugs. She has motive and opportunity. But Sally is a pharmacist and she, too, has knowledge of drugs.
The church - Briony goes into the church for the first time since her son’s funeral. She says she swore she would never enter a church again. She is angry at the church authorities because they didn’t protect her son from Loveless.
The Incident Room – the police review their evidence: there are no prints on either of the letters; the letterhead could have been printed anywhere; the letters themselves offer no clues. Perhaps they need to check people’s computers? The hotel security tape has been reviewed. The sherry was delivered by the postman.
The church - when Briony Cuddington makes her confession she confesses to the murder and describes how she did it. (Flashback: how she arranged the murder.) Kenneth cannot absolve her unless she goes to the police. She refuses and leaves the church unforgiven. Kenneth York struggles with his conscience but cannot reveal what she said. The seal of the confessional is absolute.
The Village Green – the police speak to Kenneth York and say that they don’t know who the mysterious Mr Smart is. The case remains a mystery. The Revd Kenneth York says enigmatically that who knows – maybe justice was done. Only God knows.
