( Full Transcript) Brian Clemens' Thriller 6.6 A Midsummer Nightmare

[michaellevenson]

In an English wood, a summer day, after the rain, a tree with lovers initials carved on it.
Annabella loves......the other name is missing. Someone holding a knife with a wooden handle has removed the other name. Suddenly a young blonde girl comes into view, a teenager carrying something close to her chest, cuddling it, a smile on her face, the object is a book.

The knife man stops his attack on the tree carving, and hides behind another tree as the girl moves closer.
The tree that had the carving also had a strange pattern carved into it, a brick wall pattern. Vertical and horizontal lines in a brick arrangement. Nearby stands a notice, a warning about the dangers of forest fires. The girl crouches down in front of the tree, doing something? She looks disappointingly at the lovers carving, the boy's name removed, then spins round and screams! The knife plunges into her, dead instantly.
But that was five years ago, the wood is peaceful now, the warning sign, the tree with its wall/brick carvings are still there, faintly visible as is the carving ' Annabella loves.......'


In the London office of J.Baxter detective agency, Johnny Baxter is rushing around, in a hurry, a plane to catch, his American wife Jody is there, pretty in her twenties.
John " nice to see you Jody, what brings you here?"
Jody " oh just passing, wanna go for some lunch?"
Jn " sorry, no can do, off to Rome,on a case. Sure you were just passing? Been having lots of fun?"
Jy " oh yes "
Jn " parties every night"
Jy " too right"
Jn " you're a terrible liar Jody, been at home every evening this week, lights out at eleven "
Jy " have you been spying on me Johnny"
Jn "oh no, just happened to be passing "
Jy " oh well, enjoy Rome, plenty of girls for you"
John " please Jody you know I don't like you joking like that. Come to Rome with me, it'll be fun"
Jody " fun! You'll be working on a case, and I'll have nothing to do"

Jn " only for a few days, after that we can see the sights. Anyway you can be useful, there's notes to take.."
Jy " notes to take! Johnny I want to be my own person"
Jn " you're my wife"
Jy " well I guess that ain't enough"
Jn " I still love you Jody, and you love me. This trial separation nonsense..."
Jy " three months we agreed"
Jn " look I can't discuss it now, I must catch that plane. Come on."
Jy" I can look after the store for you, solve some cases"
Jn " Jody please this is man's work "
Jy " of all the chauvinistic....."
Jn " if this is going to turn into another tirade about women's lib, I just don't have the time"
They leave the office, Johnny runs down the stairs, Jody slowly follows. Passing her is a man, in his fifties with a walking cane, he stops outside the agency door.
Jy " can I help you?'
Tully. " my name is Arnold Tully, I'm looking for J Baxter, private detective. Came highly recommended"
Jody has a delicious thought.
Jy " yep, that's me, J Baxter, can I help"
Tu " you! A woman, oh why not, the world is changing, I need your services. It's about a murder"

Jy " murder! Oh erm..the police can handle that"
Tu " this murder happened five years ago. The police have failed, that's why I've turned to private help. I know who commited the crime, I want you to prove it.. er."
Jy " Jody...er Miss Baxter"
Jody better not let on about being only the wife of the detective and suggests going to Tully's home to discuss the case, as Johnny has locked the office up.

 

[michaellevenson]

In Tully's home, he hands Jody a framed photo of his niece Annabella ,the girl in the woods.
Tu " my niece Annabella, murdered five years ago , almost to the very day. I never married, I was regarded as the misogynist of the family, truth is women scared me, then my brother and his wife died and I was left to bring up a woman of my own. A child woman, not someone to be frightened of, but to mould, to see blossom "
Jody looks at the photo.
Jy " she sure was pretty "
Tu " she was beautiful. I want him behind bars, I want him to pay for what he did "
Jy " who Mr Tully?"
Tu " Peter Ingram"
Later Jody and Tully are sitting in her car in the town centre, opposite a man comes out of a newsagents, tall, fifties, white hair.
Tu " that's him"
A woman passer-by sees Ingram and spits on the pavement.
Tu " you see, everyone knows what he did. There's barely anyone who'll talk to him. The young men occasionally beat him up"
Jy " why doesn't he leave?"
Tu " bravado. A killer walking the streets"
Jody visits the police station, there she talks to Sgt George Briggs and Sgt Charlie Spencer.
Br " Tully is right , Ingram definitely did it, we had enough evidence to take it to court. But not enough for a conviction. One day though we'll nab him, he'll do something to incriminate himself and then we'll get him"
Jy " like doing it again?"
Br " possibly"
Jy " what evidence did you have?"
Br " circumstantial mostly. Opportunity, motive, they worked together on some amateur theatrical production, and he fancied her. Yeah, he did it, there was no other suspect. Look Miss Baxter, we don't mind getting help. Perhaps you'll show us where we went wrong. Tell you what, you can sit down here and look through the files. Anything you need to know, ask me, I was on the case"

Jy " thank you Sgt,you've been most helpful"
Jody sits and goes through the files, looking at photos of Annabella lying dead.
A little while after she leaves Briggs turns to Charlie , " well what do you think?"
Ch " she might turn something up"
Br " Nah, didn't mean that ,nothing left to turn up is there, I meant her, what do you think of her. I saw your eyes popping out on stalks Charlie"
Ch " goodnight George, give my regards to the wife and kid"
Br " Oh low blow Charlie"
Ch " you told her wrong George. Ingram the only suspect? What about that uncle of hers , Tully, now there was an unhealthy relationship!"

 

[michaellevenson]

Jody goes to the woods, the scene of the crime. She's at the tree with the 'Annabella loves...' incomplete carving.
A voice behind her,
" can I help you?"
It is Ingram, tall , menacing, Jody thinks quick.
Jy " erm , that branch the thin one with the leaves, I was hoping to get it"
Ing " allow me"


Ingram takes out his knife and cuts the branch down, it's quite small and low hanging.
Jy " thanks. Mr ..."
Ing " Ingram Peter Ingram"
Jy " I'm a teacher back home, the flora of a foreign country you know"
Ing " I'd have thought they had birch trees in the States"
Jy " oh yes we have,...did you know we import London fog in cans and Scottish water, besides the kids will love this, real English birch"
Ing " I wish I had a teacher that looked like you ,how about something else really English, afternoon tea, my cottage is nearby, if you'd care to"
Ingram lives at the edge of the wood in a secluded cottage. Inside Jody sees the decor and pictures on the wall giving away Ingram's passion.
Jy " are you an actor?"
Ing " was, gave it up years ago. I realised Laurence Olivier I was not, so now I write. Theatre criticism for newspapers, magazines etc, I'm an authority on bad actors having been one myself, well I used to do that until... until they found someone else "

Suddenly a large piece of rock comes crashing through the window smashing glass everywhere.
Jody leaps up concerned and gingerly looks out the window.
Ing " leave it, they'll be gone by now. They usually are. You'd think they'd be tired of it by now."
Jy " this has happened before?"
Ing " yes, I had some trouble with this town some time ago"
Jy " what did you do?"
Ing " it's what they think I did. Lets forget it. If you're going to be around for bit perhaps I can take you to dinner sometime?"
Jody politely leaves taking her branch with her, that she dumps as soon as out of Ingram's sight, and heads for her car. There's a noise, footsteps crunching dead twigs, someone is following her.

 

[michaellevenson]

Jody reaches her car, and a hand grabs her shoulder. It is Sgt. Briggs.
Jy " someone was following me"
Br " yes, me, I knew this would be the first place you'd come. Well you didn't expect I'd let you go into a killer's home without police protection"
Jy " someone threw a rock through his window. Was it you?"
Br " no it damn well wasn't. But if I had seen anything I'd have done nothing. Anything that rubs Ingram's nose in the dirt is fine by me"
Jy " that's fine if you're sure of one thing "
Br " what's that?"
Jy " he's your man"
Back at Tully's,
Jy " I went to the woods today, to the murder scene "
Tu " yes, I was told, well?"
Jy " I'm not sure Mr Tully, what was Annabella doing in that wood?"
Tu " going for a walk"
Jy " it had just been raining, but why take a walk there, what reason ?"
Tu " just for exercise perhaps "
Jy " no I don't think so, she was a woman, as I am, so she would have a reason. To meet someone maybe a lover "
Jy ( angry) " a lover!! She was a child"
Jy " she was seventeen Mr Tully "
Tu " she'd have told me"
Jy " how would you have reacted, with anger, protectiveness, jealousy? That's okay Mr Tully , it would have been a normal father's reaction. For some reason though she did take a walk, down a muddy path leading nowhere"
Tu " except to Ingram's cottage, a mile or so further on"
Jy " yes I know, I met him today "
Tu " and ?"
Jy " I don't know Mr Tully. I would like to look in Annabella's room if I may "
Tu " the police went through it with a fine tooth comb"
Jy " but not with a woman's eye, may I?"
Tu " okay, but please leave everything as you find it"
Jody goes into Annabella's room. It has been left exactly as it was, for five years now. Inside is the cleaning lady Mrs Fitch.
Fch " you're that detective aren't you. Come to get Ingram I hope you get him"
Jy " you were the last person to see Annabella alive?"

Fch " yes, last but one that is. So happy that day she was, running in to see me, auntie Fitch it's such a lovely day, she said, I'm not really her auntie, but she called me that"
Jy " lovely day, but hadn't it been raining?"
Fch " well it was lovely to her. She didn't know she'd have a knife stuck in her ribs. Poor little thing. Hanging is too good for Ingram, they don't even do that now"
Jy " so she was particularly happy that day?"
Fch " yes, something to do with that book she had, cuddling it she was(pointing to bookshelf) One of those books there, yeah one exactly like those. Came running in all smiles asked me for a bag"
Jy " a bag?"
Ft " yes, a plastic one, a freezer bag. I'll let you get on Miss."
Fitch leaves, Jody looks at books on shelf. The complete works of William Shakespeare.
Annabella had every play, each in an individual book, beautifully bound in blue hardback cover, gold coloured embossed titling.


One of the books Jody picks up has an inscription on the flyleaf, ' to the best Rosalind I've ever seen from the worst Oberon ever ', she takes the book to Williams bookshop in town.
Williams " yes I sell a lot of these, always a welcome gift for a student"
Jy " do you keep records of sales?"
W " of course, so I know what needs ordering "
Jy " can you look something up for me Mr Williams please "
W " may I ask why"
Jy " I'm looking into the Annabella Tully murder"


Williams checks his stock records and someone bought the book with Oberon in it, A Midsummer Nights Dream, the day before Annabella died.
Going back to see Tully who is a theatre buff, as was Annabella.
Tully " yes she loved the theatre, got that from me, I've always preferred the wonder of the theatre to the mundane world that reality has to offer"
Jy " did Annabella act?"
Tu " in local productions only, but she was very good. We did talk about sending her to drama school"
Jy " what did you think of her Rosalind , in As You Like It?"
Tu " superb"
Jy " the best you'd ever seen?"
Jody shows Tully the flyleaf inscription.
Jy " did you give her that book?"
Tu " no"
Jy " someone did, and the day before she died I think Annabella bought a copy of ' The Dream' to give to someone, Oberon..I think Oberon murdered your niece"
Tu " my God, Ingram was an actor"
Jody starts dialling phone number, then..
Jy " Mr Ingram Jody Baxter, is that dinner invite still open?"

 

[michaellevenson]

At the police station, Sgt. Charlie Spencer relieved of duty by George Briggs.
Br " Charlie, mind coming in a bit early this evening? My birthday, the wife's expecting to be taken out"
Spencer " I'll do what I can George"
Meantime Jody that evening enters Ingram's cottage. The place is in near darkness.
Ingram is hiding behind the door as she enters. Once in,
Ing " A DETECTIVE! A ROTTEN STINKING DETECTIVE A PROFESSIONAL SNOOP"
He punches her in the face, Jody falls back, grabs a heavy cigarette lighter from the table, and smashes it down on Ingram's head, he bleeds.
Ingram runs over to the wall mirror, the hammy actor coming out,
Ing " oh my god , I am bleeding to death !"
Jody runs over with a bottle of whisky and takes the handkerchief Ingram is using to dab his wound and pours the drink over it, hands it back to Ingram who dabs the side of his head.
Ing " ow!! Don't waste anymore of that get me a drink"
After drinking down the whisky Ingram is calmer.
Ing " I'm sorry truly, what more can I say or do? I've told the police all I know. Why can't you all just leave me alone"
Jy " who told you I was a detective?"
Ing " Williams at the bookshop, I still have some friends"
Jody changes tack, totally flummoxing Ingram.
Jy " did you ever do Midsummer Nights Dream?"
Ing " eh?"
Jyn" The Dream, did you do it?"
Ing " yes"
Jy " did you ever play Oberon?"
Ing " once or twice, why?"
Jy " how were you? Good, bad, indifferent?"
Ing " I was okay I suppose"
Jy " but you weren't the worst Oberon ever?"
Ing " what is all this?"
Jy " nothing , goodbye Mr Ingram"
Jody leaves, Ingram deeply puzzled by this line of questioning.


At Tully's place , he is dabbing her bruised eye with cotton wool and disinfectant.
Jy " I shouldn't have gone there alone"
Tu " I'm sorry I had to call the police"
Mrs Fitch enters , " Sgt Briggs sir"
Briggs enters, looks at Jody's face,
Br " Ingram had a go at you did he?, well , we'll bring him in, see what develops"
Jy " I'm not complaining, really I'm not, I'm not pressing charges"
Br (angry) " Not complaining! This is what we've waited for, whose side are you on? What do you want?"
Jy " to find Annabella's killer, that's what I want"
Briggs storms out in a huff.
Jy " Mr Tully, you paid me a retainer, I want to pay it back. For a number of reasons, but mainly because I'm a fraud. You hired the wrong J Baxter, my husband is the detective not me"
Tu " I know"
Jy " you know?"
Tu " I told you J Baxter came highly recommended, when I found out it was you, naturally I checked back"
Jy " ( yawning) I'm sorry"
Tu " don't be, I want you on the case. You've done well, nothing concrete yet, but Ingram is rattled. You said something about a woman's eye perhaps that's what was always needed.....one mistake, he must have made one mistake"
But Jody isn't listening, she is fast asleep on the settee.
Tu " you can't drive back to your hotel tonight, you can .....have....have..Annabella's room tonight"
In the middle of the night, Jody is asleep in Annabella's room, the door opens, Tully looks in, puzzled at something wrong. He creeps in, picks up a toy teddy bear that has fallen on the floor. He places it next to Jody's head and leaves.
Tully is odd to say the least, possessive perhaps, of Annabella too.....maybe!


The next morning Jody is in the woods, at the tree, she has spotted the horizontal and vertical lines carved into it, hitherto hidden by foliage, the brick like pattern. Suddenly Charlie Spencer comes into view.
Ch " Miss Baxter ?"
Jy " look what I found"
Ch " I suppose it makes a change from the usual heart and arrow"
Jy " and this the cranny is right and sinister "
Ch " what"
Jy " haven't you read any Shakespeare?"
Ch " played it once when I was a kid at school "
Jy " what are you doing here?"
Ch " just walking "
Jy "I don't think so"
Ch " you're right, I was thinking....recreating...the murder....looking for clues....what happened to your face ?"
Jy " ciao "
Jody gets back in her car and drives off, Spencer with a hardened look on his face as she goes.


Jody returns to Tully's and enters the kitchen to find Sgt Briggs there.
Br " well Miss Baxter good morning, that's a beaut of a black eye you've got. I like my women with a bit of imperfection perhaps I should send them all over to Ingram's. Still not pressing charges?"
Jy " no"

Br " okay perhaps I'll press a couple against you. Like withholding evidence, ( holding Shakespeare book with inscription), this book for example"
Jy " come on please!, that book has been in Annabella's room for five years for anyone to find. Besides it isn't evidence of anything"
Br " Ingram is an actor"
Jy " but not necessarily a bad one, the worst Oberon ever"
Br " okay, what about fraud, telling Mr Tully that you're a detective"
Jy " Mr Tully knows, I even offered to give back my retainer"
Tu " that's true sergeant"
Br "now listen young lady you're playing with fire, you might end up burnt......to a crisp, good day Mr Tully"
Briggs leaves, Tully is apologetic.
Tu " I'm sorry, he came here unexpectedly, maybe I said too much"
The phone rings ,Mrs Fitch answers it in the living room and enters the kitchen.
Fch " it's for Miss Baxter, from him...Ingram"
Ingram is in his cottage into phone; " Miss Baxter, just wanted to thank you for not saying anything about last night....well no one's been here...thanks....no don't hang up..you said last night something about the worst Oberon ever..was that important.....it's just that I've heard that expression before and I've remembered where...Williams at the book shop....he runs the amateur theatrical group has done for years , he'd have seen some bad Oberons.....but you can't today it's Sunday it's closed......hello..hello..Miss Baxter.."

 

[michaellevenson]

Jody enters Williams bookshop, the door suspiciously open, there is no sign of Williams. Behind the counter is a door leading to stairs up to the upstairs flat.
Jody opens it, and recoils in horror. Williams is at the bottom of it, eyes staring open, obviously dead. Jody backs away...and into Sgt. Briggs. He examines the body,
Br " dead, broken neck, I didn't like him, but I wouldn't wish that accident on anybody"
Jy " if it was an accident. Anyway what are you doing here?
Br " following you again Miss Baxter, it's called police work"
Charlie Spencer comes in,
Ch " George what's going on?"
Br " what brings you here Charlie?"
Ch " saw the patrol car outside"
Br " Williams is dead, fell down the stairs and broke his neck"
Ch " poor Williams"
Br " poor Williams!? Do me a favour Charlie you hated him as much as anyone. You felt the back of his hand on many occasions. Remember school, he always gave you lowest marks for everything. Williams ran the school here Miss Baxter, retired and took this place "
Ch " who found him?"
Br " little Miss Sherlock Holmes here"
Jy "I wanted to talk to him, he might have known who Oberon was"
Br " what, that stuff in the book?"
Jy " why not? , he ran the theatre group, he'd have seen some bad Oberons"
Br " who told you that?, Ingram ! hey, perhaps it wasn't an accident. I'm sorry for him, but he was mean and vicious, made sense he was the one of the few still talking to Ingram ,two of a kind"
Ch " okay Miss Baxter you can go, we'll be in touch if we need you"


Back at Tully's , Mr Tully is standing in the drawing room, looking like he has something difficult to say. Jody enters.
Tu " I've been thinking, I've incubated hate for so long, wanted revenge , it's like a sore, keep picking at it and it never heals. There comes a time when one must move on, must forget, I don't want you to think I'm ungrateful..."
Jy " do you want me to leave Mr Tully?"
Tu " mmm"

Jy " okay....tomorrow, I'll leave tomorrow"
An hour or so later Jody is in the kitchen with Mrs Fitch.
Fch " I told him they'd be heartache at the end, I told him, not right a batchelor bringing up a young girl, not right at all. I've misjudged you haven't I ? Talking to Ingram, yes you'd have to talk to him , trap him, then move in for the kill. You see if you could prove Ingram did it, it'll put his mind at rest. Let him think of the future, what he needs is to marry ( smiles), a good wholesome woman, more his own age "
Jody isn't really listening, but staring transfixed as Mrs Fitch chops up meat with a cleaver and places the meat in freezer bags. A smile crosses Jody's face.
In the police station the phone rings, Sgt Spencer picks it up,
Ch " yes Sgt Spencer.....yes Miss Baxter....what can I do for you "
Jy " can you check the Annabella Tully file for me"
Ch " don't need to, I know that one by heart. What do you want to know"
Jy " it was established she was attacked from in front and fell on her back. But wasn't dirt found under her nails"
Ch " yes that's true....but I don't see...well yes that was yesterday, why do you ask....hello Miss Baxter......are you still there...hello.."
Charlie puts phone down looking concerned, George Briggs notices it.
Br " what did she say Charlie?"
Ch" er..nothing..didn't make sense.....see ya George I'll be back later"


Jody runs excitedly in to see Tully.
Jy " Mr Tully I think I'm about to earn that fee, and all because of a plastic bag"
Tu " a bag?"
Jy " Annabella bought a book to give to Oberon, and she put it in a plastic bag, but why not a paper one with a ribbon? Because she wanted to hide it, bury it! In a place known only to herself and Oberon. Believe me a young girl in love would do something like that"
Tully's face shows immense sadness, coming to terms with the fact that Annabella could have had a lover.
Jy " Now I bet that book is still there, with her inscription on the flyleaf and the killer's name. I'm going to find it"
Tu " but that wood is two miles wide, it could be anywhere"
Jyn" No Mr Tully, it can only be in one place, ' this cast , this stone, this rough place doth show', oh Mr Tully for someone who is a theatre buff you don't know much about Shakespeare, I'm talking about the wall. The wall Mr Tully! Through which the lovers do whisper often and in secret "
Jody leaves , Tully sits inconsolable almost shedding a tear , the murderer of his niece may be close to being discovered , but an unknown to him love life of hers seems apparent.

Tu ( almost crying) " Shall I compare thee to a summer's day ? Thou art more lovely and more temperate. Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May. And Summer's lease hath all too short a date "

 

[michaellevenson]

Jody is at the tree with the wall carving faintly still visible, the nearby fire warning sign enabling relatively easy locating of the tree. Trowel in hand she starts digging, after a couple of minutes, success. She pulls out of the earth a blue book in plastic wrapper. Behind her a voice,
" you're clever, very clever"
She turns to see Sgt Briggs.
Br " I often wondered about that dirt under her nails"
Jody opens the book at the flyleaf,
Jy " YOU! the worst Oberon"
Br " ever, don't forget the ever, Williams never did. Ten years old I was and he leaned on me hard. He shouldn't have told her though"
Briggs takes out a knife with its wooden handle.

Br " I was married you see, with a child, and if it all came out it would have ruined my chances of promotion. She knew that too....precocious little bitch!!....sorry about this"
Briggs moves menacingly towards Jody, who backs away and into a tree. Briggs closes , knife drawn.
Sgt Spencer appears from behind a tree behind Briggs.
Ch " George...put the knife down George....you're big George but remember at school....big as you were I always took you apart, you never won"
Briggs is a broken man, he tosses the knife away.
Ch " sit down George ( leading him to a tree stump)...you can't ask me a question like that Miss Baxter and not expect to arouse my curiosity....when was his birthday...I've been following him ever since..why did you ask it?"
Jy ( shrugs) "I don't know....woman's intuition "
Ch " was that book his birthday present?"
Jody shows Spencer the flyleaf, Spencer gives her a ' rolling up eyes look' then a smile. Poor George gave himself away needlessly. Water had seeped into the book over the years, the flyleaf , a mess of runny ink, quite illegible.

Johnny has returned from Rome, staring dumbfounded at the cheque written out to Jody from Tully.
Jn " it's incredible,unbelievable"
Jy " I did a good job"
Jn "it's unethical Jody"
Jy ( taking back cheque) " aw c'mon Johnny, it's money for us"
Jn " what am I going to do ?"
Jy " cash it, and cash in on me, I'm useful"
Jn " very"
Jy " what d'you say to full partnership, me and you"
Jn (laughing) " what! ,you here, with me, in the agency? "
Jy " why not, what d'you say Johnny?"
Jn " well......hmmm...."
Jy " please Johnny"
Jn ( smiling) " okay, partners again "
They hug,
Jy " thanks Johnny"
The phone rings , Jody with a grin on her face beats Johnny to the phone.
Jy " hello, Baxter and Baxter "
Cast;

Jody.....Joanna Pettet
Sgt Briggs.....Brian Blessed
Tully.......Freddie Jones
Ingram........ Norman Rodway
Charlie........Anthony Pedley
Mrs Fitch.......Elsie Randolph
Johnny......Tony Anholt
Annabella......Alison Glennie
Williams.......John Ruddock

 

[michaellevenson]

Thriller (1973)