Brian Clemens' Thriller 5.6 The Next Voice You See

[michaellevenson]

Famous American jazz musician Stan Kay is in London with his wife Susie for a jazz club tour. Stan and Susie are in a bank waiting in a queue when armed men burst in wearing balaclavas. Their leader holding sawn off shotgun orders the staff to fill cash bags.
One member of staff behind counter reaches for an alarm bell, the lead gunman swings round ready to shoot, Susie screams, the gunman panics and fires, Susie hit and is dead.

Stan overcome with rage launches himself at gunman, the gun goes off again, Stan hit in face, blood pouring out of both eyes behind his smashed sunglasses.


TEN YEARS LATER
Stan Kay now blinded is back in England for the first time since the horrific events 10 years previously.
He has been hired by Sir Peter Hastings to play piano at his daughter Claudia's engagement party. The setting is Sir Peter's country mansion.

With Stan is Julie who works for the record company organising Stan's latest tour.
The party has started, guests number over 100, women in evening dress, men in tuxedos.

Sir Peter is introduced to Stan and jokes that as he is a wine shipper would he be prepared to be paid in wine. Stan laughs, Sir Peter resigned to the fact people think a wine shipper has an easy life, and aren't sympathetic to him, but his business depends on economic well being of others, he has a cellar full of expensive wine that no one can afford.

 

[michaellevenson]

Julie leads Stan to the piano set up in drawing room, Stan practices on it, and says it's fine, the room too has excellent acoustics. The guests chat among themselves, a few names are revealed , Alan Richards, Ludovic Bates, John Pelham.

All wind each other up about how they all got rich in different circumstances, one inherited, one got rich through the horses or so he claims , the other two wonder if that's true, perhaps he robbed a bank. Julie by the piano taps her wineglass for attention and the guests all hush.
Stan starts playing, off to one side Pelham is still whispering to Bates, Richards says "shush", Stan suddenly plays a duff note, he stops, the image of ten years ago plays in his mind, Susie shot dead, the gunman ordering the staff to fill the cash bags, then Stan regains composure and finishes playing. The guests applaud maybe not as vigorously as they would if he hadn't blundered halfway through the piece.

 

[michaellevenson]

Julie goes over to Stan as the guests move away and return to party mode, drinking eating and chatting. Stan looks concerned.
Julie, " are you okay Stan."

Stan, " just annoyed with myself, I botched up a whole chord. Who was that talking over to my left...I caught a snatch of it."
Julie, " sorry, I'll tell people to be quiet next time."
Stan, " no that's okay, if a musician loses his audience that's his fault...erm can we go someplace private to talk."
Julie leads Stan across room and into hallway and opens another door, blaring disco music is heard.
Julie, " sorry, I forgot they've set up a disco for the youngsters. Let's try in here."
They go into the study, no one here, Stan is agitated as he says, " this is gonna sound crazy but being a musician I had pretty good hearing anyway, but since I lost my sight my hearing is pitch perfect. One thing I remember about that horrible incident ten years ago was the killer's voice. It had a particular resonance, a tone, it's difficult to explain, but I could pick him out of a baseball crowd, and tonight I heard it again as I was playing. The man who murdered Susie and blinded me is here."


Julie," you can't be serious."
Stan, " why not, you're going to say Sir Peter wouldn't know anyone like that, but he might not be crooked now, he could have gone straight be respectable, but I swear I heard that voice again."
Julie, " what shall we do?"
Stan, " I can't do much but I can listen, guide me around the party will you"


Julie guides Stan around, mingling with the guests, several come up and ask for an autograph, Stan obliges. Suddenly he freezes, " Julie I can hear him, over to my left."
Julie looks, " Stan there's dozens of people over there, what did he say?"
Stan, "I couldn't make out the words just the shape, the vibration, it's really difficult to explain it , but I heard a woman saying she's going to put her coat upstairs. The coats Julie show me to them ."
Julie, " but Stan! Why?!"
Stan, " please Julie."
They go upstairs, looking for the room where the coats are kept. They enter the main bedroom, Julie exasperated, " Oh look Stan, oh sorry, the bed is piled high with coats."
Stan moves forward arms outstretched and starts touching the coats.
Julie, " Stan what are you doing?"
Stan," the top coat, the woman just brought up , if we could find out who it belongs to we could ask her who she was talking to."
Stan starts feeling inside the top coat for any purse, Julie looks on , then turns as the door opens.
Julie, " Stan we're not alone."
A grey haired man enters ," well well, the entertainer, this is a funny sort of entertainment."
Stan, " whoever you are, you're jumping to conclusions, you don't know the full story."
" The name's Ben Tamplin, security ex Met police London, hired to look after security."
Julie," this isn't what it seems Mr Tamplin."
Tamplin, " well, tell me all about it."
However someone is outside on the landing, ear to door , listening as Stan tells Tamplin everything. This someone is a man, with gold coloured buckles on his shoes.


Tamplin has listened patiently, " hmm, don't say I believe you but I'll tell you what, I'll contact some old colleagues in the Met, if your story tallies then I'll be looking for this killer too , I'll see you later."
" Buckle- Shoe" outside the door quickly leaves as the door opens.
Inside room, Stan says, " how did he look Julie, Tamplin, believing or not."
Julie, " I think he'll do what he says he'll do, now let's get back to the party."

 

[michaellevenson]

Julie leads Stan to a chair near stairs and he sits while she goes to buffet and gets two plates of food. Stan alone when " Buckle-Shoe" sits next to him, and slowly pulls out knife from tuxedo, he moves a bit closer to Stan ready to stab him, when an old lady comes over to speak to Stan.
'Buckle-Shoe' gets up and leaves.
Stan's ears prick up, he can hear the voice , he stands, chatter is coming in front of him, then we see Buckle-Shoe ascending stairs behind Stan, Buckle-Shoe speaks, " Mr Kay."
Stan responds, he staggers up the stairs towards voice, agitated , " who's there?"

The guests all murmur in shock as they see Stan tumbling down the stairs, then lying motionless at the foot. Julie runs over, another guest comes over saying he's a doctor. Stan is lifted up and carried into study, Sir Peter with them , " Stan my dear chap what happened?"
Stan, " I fell I'm okay"
Doctor, " I need to examine him, if you all would care to leave please."
Julie is a bit hesitant, perhaps this doctor is the killer!
Alone with Stan, Doctor Mace introduces himself, Stan smiles, he isn't the killer.


A few minutes later the door opens Dr Mace beckons for Julie to come over.
Mace," nothing broken, he'll be alright."
Julie enters as Mace leaves.
Julie, " are you alright Stan?"
Stan, " are we alone?"
Julie, " yes."
Stan, " I was right Julie, he's here, he hit me. I heard his voice, he called me, he was on the stairs , I went up , and oh boy, right into the trap, he bopped me good. But Julie it means I'm right."
Julie, " how did he know you thought he was here."
Stan," the coats, with Tamplin, he must have been listening at the door. But there's more, just prior to that I heard him , quite clearly talking he said, something like, ' Ludo, I think it was Ludo, you've lost your bet with the Saint Emilion ' if we can find out who is Ludo ...."
Julie, " okay, I'll get Tamplin."



Julie finds Tamplin and takes him to Stan, Tamplin confirms his mates in the Met Police have told him about the robbery 10 years ago. Stan tells Tamplin the latest developments, Tamplin leaves looking for Ludo.
Stan to Julie, " we know the killer knows we're on to him, so why doesn't he just leave?"
Julie," because he'd be missed."
Stan, " exactly he must be important, he's trapped here, but who?"
Julie, " we know it isn't Sir Peter, and it's not a staff member because this Ludo wouldn't be making a bet about wine with a waiter."

Tamplin is asking around for someone called Ludo, one guest John Pelham says,
" that'll be Ludovic Bates, he's around somewhere."
Suddenly a woman clearly drunk runs across drawing room into hall shouting, " Ludo....Ludo.."
Tamplin follows, the lady disappears through doorway after a man. Tamplin goes through doorway, and finds himself at the top of a stairway leading down into the darkness. He descends stairs into wine cellar, a huge area full of wine racks , hundreds of bottles of wine.
Ludovic Bates is with the woman ,both a bit drunk, they stagger deeper into cellar. Tamplin's voice is heard, " Mr Bates, I'd like a word with you, it's Ben Tamplin security Mr Bates."
Girl, drunkenly, " Ludo, you're wanted."
Ludo," well he can shove off, give us a kiss."
They kiss and slump onto floor behind a rack.
Tamplin, " Mr Bates, where are you, I need to talk to you."


Girl, "oh come on Ludo let's answer him."
Ludo, " no way...come on .."
They get up and move deeper into wine cellar. At the top of the stairs the door opens, someone enters, it's Buckle-Shoe, he descends into cellar.
Tamplin is losing patience as he searches for Ludo, " Mr Bates please it's very important."
Tamplin sees them at last hiding behind rack, snogging, he approaches, when suddenly hands grip his throat, Buckle-Shoe squeezes, Tamplin falls, Ludo and lady oblivious as Buckle-Shoe drags Tamplin's body away.

 

[michaellevenson]

Sometime later Stan is getting worried, he is wondering where Tamplin has got to, Julie agrees to go look for him.
Sir Peter comes up to Stan for a chat.
Stan, " I've been looking for a Mr Bates, wanted to talk to him about the Saint Emilion Sir Peter."
Sir Peter, " oh don't ask me, these people are mostly Claudia's friends. If he tasted the Saint Emilion he might be in the wine cellar."
Stan, " this famous wine cellar of yours Sir Peter I'd like to visit it."
Sir Peter, " excellent idea my dear Stan, let's go , get away from the hubbub."
Stan and Sir Peter go into wine cellar, Sir Peter holding Stan's arm guiding him down the stairs.
Meanwhile Ludo and his lady friend are back upstairs at the party , slumped asleep in a drunken stupor on a couch oblivious to the party going on around them.

In the cellar Sir Peter is at a desk with a leather bound ledger on top of it. Stan feels ledger, " what's this Sir Peter, visitors book?"
Sir Peter, " no, cellar book, list of all our stock, where we imported it from, name of importer, anyone who comes here to taste the wine can if they want make a record of it in the book, name, name of wine, and any comments they may want to make."
Stan, " has anyone been down here tonight?"
Sir Peter opens ledger, " well let's see, erm..yes, three people, Richards, Bates and Pelham all tasted the Saint Emilion. Well Stan what d'you fancy?"
Stan, " well perhaps this Saint Emilion I've been hearing about. Perhaps after it'll be fun to find these three people and compare notes, I don't think I've met them."
Sir Peter, " right I'll fetch it , the Saint Emilion is located near the stairs, back in a minute."
Sir Peter walks off, Stan mutters to himself the three names, " Richards, Bates and Pelham, must be one of them, Richards, Bates and Pelham."
Sir Peter returns with bottle of Saint Emilion and opens it, smelling the aroma , '"ah, that seems fine, now the decanting."
Sir Peter starts pouring wine into decanting jug when a phone on the wall rings.
Sir Peter ( phone) " hello yes, oh Parkinson it's you.... yes ..okay...I'll take it upstairs, put it through to the study."
Sir Peter puts phone down, " my butler Stan, apparently there's a phone call for me from my New York importers, I'll be as quick as I can, will you be okay down here."
Stan, " no problem."
Sir Peter, " can you carry on with the decanting Stan?"
Stan, " of course, you don't think we treat California's finest with any less respect."
Sir Peter laughs, " touchè Stan I'll leave you to it."
Sir Peter leaves cellar, up the stairs to the door, passing someone standing nearby....Buckle-Shoe!

Stan decanting the wine, suddenly stops, as if he can hear something.
Stan, " is anybody here?"
He moves forward, shakes his head, realising it's just nerves. He stumbles, trips over something half hidden behind a wine rack. He bends down, and recoils...it's a body, of Tamplin.
He bends down again, feels face, and tries to feel a pulse in the body's wrist.
Stan, " must be Tamplin."
Stumbling forward he locates the phone on the wall and picks up receiver.
Stan ," hello, I'm in the cellar...there's a dead body down here. ( Urgently) Is anybody there? Can anyone hear me?"
" I can hear you perfectly Mister Kay."
Stan drops receiver in terror, at the wall phone up top is Buckle-Shoe!


Julie has finally found Ludovic Bates, asleep on a couch, she tries to wake him by shaking him, the girl asleep next to him wakes, still very drunk, " hey...who are you?"
Julie, " Ludo please wake up."
Girl, " he's mine, I saw him first."
Ludo stirs, opens his eyes, sees Julie shaking him, slurring his words he says, " my dear girl, who are you?'
Julie, " who did you make a bet with about the Saint Emilion...please Ludo it's very very important."
Ludo, " very, very very important."
Girl giggling, " no that's one very too much, she said very very important."
Julie is exasperated, " I'll get you some coffee."


Buckle-Shoe enters cellar, reaches bottom of stairs in cellar, bends down and removes his buckled shoes, we can see it is Alan Richards.

Richards, " well well Mr Kay, what beautiful ears you have."
Stan is transfixed in terror, blind helpless, with a killer somewhere close by.
Richards moves slowly through cellar, knife drawn, " those ears, detecting perfect pitch, searching, seeking ,and finding, but those ears won't help you now."
Richards heaves against a large wine rack, the whole rack topples over, wine bottles crash and shatter to the floor.
Stan puts hands up to head blocking out noise, he cries out, the sound of the breaking bottles magnified by the acoustics of the cellar, and Stan's acute hearing.
Stan moves deeper into the cellar as Richards topples over more racks, hundreds of bottles smash noisily to the ground. Many bottles are empty ones, they make even more noise as they shatter.
Richards, " are you hearing this Mr Kay, I'm respected now, a pillar of the community, with influential friends, I'm not letting you and your perfect ears ruin it all."
Richards is getting closer....meanwhile Julie is plying Ludo with cups of coffee, Ludo is now sober he says," no more coffee please."
Julie, " the bet Ludo, about the Saint Emilion, who did you make it with?"
Ludo " Alan Richards , why"
Julie rushes off, as Sir Peter comes out of study looking perplexed he sees Parkinson his butler, " Parkinson where is this call I asked for it be transferred to study."
Parkinson, " call sir? I know of no call."
Sir Peter " you phoned me!"
Parkinson, " I did not Sir."
Julie comes up ," Sir Peter where is Alan Richards."
Sir Peter, " I've no idea."
Julie " and Stan?"
Sir Peter, " in the cellar, I wouldn't have left him but I just got this hoax call..OH MY GOD."

In the cellar Richards sees Stan, the back of him at least ,leaning up against a wine rack, he approaches silently, knife drawn.
As Richards nears Stan, we see it isn't Stan at all, but Tamplin's body propped up by Stan up against the rack. Stan is hiding near, holding a full bottle of wine.
Richards is almost up to the body, he lunges forward grabbing what he thinks is Stan, and realises he's been tricked, he spins round, Stan smashes bottle down forcibly.....

Julie and Sir Peter run through cellar, as quickly as is possible with the floor a bed of broken glass and toppled racks.
Sir Peter, " STAN..STAN.."
Julie, " STAN ARE YOU OKAY?"
They come across Stan, standing over Richards body, Stan agitated, " I hit in the direction of the sound, I kept hitting him."
Sir Peter examines Richards,
Stan, " is he dead?"
Sir Peter, " not quite, almost but not quite."
Stan, " thank God for that, all these years I wanted to kill him, now I'm glad I haven't....Julie...Julie.."
Julie takes Stan by the arm and leads him away, nightmare over.


Cast;
Stan.....Bradford Dillman
Julie....Catherine Schell
Sir Peter.....Geoffrey Chater
Alan Richards.....Terence Sewards
Tamplin....Ray Smith
Ludovic Bates......Nigel Havers
Pelham....Neil Hallett

 

[michaellevenson]

Thriller (1973)