Thriller s01e09 - The Eyes Have It

[michaellevenson]

Three men, Anderson, Moore and Jeffries arrive by car at a large house perched on top of a hill, a few miles outside a nearby town. Anderson the leader of this trio gets out of the car and walks into the building, the door open welcoming visitors.

Inside George Mullard is in an examination room, like a hospital room, on the table in front of him is a mannequin, acting as a patient. Students in white coats gather round as George is explaining techniques in physiotherapy, using the mannequin to demonstrate how to massage, particularly patients who may be in a coma. This is a medical school, the students eagerly listen and then George checking his watch announces class is over for today. The students leave the room, they live in the house as well as study here, full time students at this small campus. Students Frank and Mike return to the lounge and pick up a pack of playing cards and start their poker game. Other students sit and read, one student Sally who wasn't at the lesson has just finished writing a letter, after sticking a stamp on it and an airmail sticker gets up and leaves the room.
George Mullard is alone in the examination room when Anderson walks in, asks where the staff are, George replies, " I'm the only one here at present, the others have gone to the big parade in town.....er can I help you..Mr..er.."
Sally enters, Anderson says, " it's a confidential matter."

Sally apologises not realising George had company, she waits outside. After she's gone , George is puzzled, " confidential?"
Anderson produces a gun, " very confidential."
Anderson shoots him in cold blood, George staggers, dying, he looks out of the examination room inner window out to the corridor, Sally is staring in, oblivious to what's happening. Anderson sees Sally staring in, he smiles, no problem, this establishment is The Clinical School For The Blind.

 

[michaellevenson]

Anderson picks up George's body putting it on the table, the mannequin he shoves in a cupboard. Sally walks in again wanting to see Mr Mullard, Anderson says he's gone to see a mate of his and can he help. Sally wants her letter posted, Anderson volunteers to post it himself. Sally passes him letter, feeling Anderson's hand with its big ring on it. Sally goes and Anderson puts the letter down on a surface and walks to front door.
He signals and Moore and Jeffries get out the car and enter the hallway of the school. The phone rings, the three of them freeze as Sally comes into hall to answer it, someone wants to speak to George, Jeffries is halfway up the stairs when he had to freeze still, the stair under him creaks. Sally hears," is that you Mr Mullard?"
Anderson signals to Jeffries to answer,
" No Miss we're the plumbers, you've got a bit of bother upstairs in the header tank."
Jeffries and Moore go upstairs carrying gear in heavy looking bags. Sally puts the receiver of the phone on the table and goes off looking for George. Anderson waits till she's gone then pulls telephone cable out of wall and joins others upstairs.

Moore, below Jeffries

 

[michaellevenson]

Upstairs in the staff quarters Jeffries and Moore unload their gear. Weapons, and mobile rocket launcher, the assassins looking out of the window down into town have a clear path to assassinate the soon to be here heads of States.

Sally returns to the recreation room, telling the others someone wanted George on the telephone but they've hung up and the plumbers are here. Frank is surprised, Sally says, " yes apparently we've trouble upstairs, funny they didn't smell like plumbers, work and sweat, more soapy and after shave, like gentlemen."
Mike chips in with, " ah....gentlemen plumbers."

Frank turns the radio on and they all here the commentator at the big parade.
" What a day this promises to be , heads of States coming to our sleepy town, and everyone is waiting to get a glimpse of the man who made it possible, a great man of peace, some say men of violence will try to stop it, the police are out in force, hopefully nothing will go wrong."
Meantime Sally irritated that she couldn't find George goes looking for him first in the examination room and touches her hand on the surface where her letter is feeling it and feeling the airmail sticker. She then goes upstairs. She knocks on the staffroom door and enters. Anderson, Moore and Jeffries freeze. Jeffries says, " can I help you Miss."
" I'm looking for Mr Mullard."
" Oh he's on the roof with my mate at the tank."
Sally stumbles slightly Anderson steadies her, she feels his ringed hand, then leaves but momentarily pauses, she can smell something. A can of oil is open next to the launcher.

After she's gone, Moore not happy, " she is trouble!"
Anderson says, " in the kingdom of the blind, the one eyed man is king, don't worry they're helpless down there, as if we've chained them up."
Jeffries making sure his rocket launcher is ready says, " you'll get what you've paid for Mr Moore, one barbecued statesman."

 

[michaellevenson]

Sally back in the day room is puzzled, "Frank why would plumbers use gun oil, I smelt it, like the stuff my father uses on his guns."
" They don't use it."
" And another thing, I stumbled and the man who was here earlier he is still here, I felt his hand, why is he here?"
Mike says, " what's got into you Sally."
" Something is wrong, I can feel it."

Later trouble as the front doorbell rings, it's the police, Anderson has sent Jeffries to answer it, and tells Moore to pack the launcher and himself in the broom cupboard here in the staff room.
Frank opens the door, it is Sgt Martin flashing his ID , until realising Frank is blind. He wants to see the school principal, Jeffries comes down the stairs, " Mr Mullard is up here."
Martin goes upstairs into the staff room and there in a white coat is Anderson, " hello Sergeant, I'm George Mullard."
Frank tells everyone it's the police, this sets Sally even more on edge.
" I'm going to say something, about the gun oil, George not being around, I tell you something is wrong. And look, my letter it's still here, he said he would post it for me."
Mike says " but he's still here , you said so yourself , so he hasn't left to post it yet."
Sally, " I'm still going to say something."
Mike says, " if you do Sally you'll only be making a fool of yourself."
Martin is chatting to Anderson., " just checking Mr Mullard, I feel a bit silly really but one has to be sure, this window for example , would give a perfect view to the parade."

Anderson replies, " ah you mean snipers that sort of thing, as you can see Sergeant, not a telescopic rifle in sight."
Satisfied, Martin leaves , Anderson escorts him to the front door. Martin saying, " thank you Mr Mullard sorry to have troubled you."
Sally comes into the hall just as the door closes, " Mr Mullard is that you?"
Anderson says nothing, but slowly climbs the stairs. In the staff room he orders Moore and Jeffries to get the launcher set up again. Moore isn't happy, Anderson says " don't worry, no more hitches I promise."

 

[michaellevenson]

Sally is fevered she says to the others in the recreation room, " it couldn't have been George, would he just ignore me, well would he."
" You are overwrought today Sally," says Frank, " how do you know it wasn't George."
" It wasn't his walk, you know how we can tell it's George or the others by the sound of their walk."
Mike, " yes because we've been with them a long time, some of us years but you seem to think you can pick out a stranger."
Sally annoyed she isn't being taken seriously and storms out. Frank follows her into the hall, " don't get upset Sal, where are you going?"
" To the examination room to work off some steam on that plastic dummy of ours, going to break every bone in its stupid plastic body."
Anderson is out in the grounds patrolling, Sally enters the examination room, George's dead body on the table, she first of all switches on a tape recorder, George's voice is heard instructing students that before physiotherapy begins students should remember their hand exercises to supple their hands before grasping a patient. Sally flexes her fingers, then grabs the wrist of the, she expects, dummy, SHE SCREAMS.

Frank and the others hear her and run out, Jeffries runs downstairs into examination room and grabs the screaming Sally pushing his gun into her hand saying, " feel this, that's right it's a gun, now tell your friends."
" Frank, he has a gun."
" That's right, now all of you back out, or I use it on her." The students back out, confused stumbling into each other, Jeffries pushing them into the recreation room, Moore comes down the stairs, " what's going on?"
" Nothing I can't handle, get back to the launcher."
The students are back in the recreation room Sally in tears, Frank holding her.

Jeffries sees keys on a hook he uses them to lock all the shutters on the windows then says, " I'm going to lock you in ,now stay quiet and you won't get hurt."
After he goes Sally cries out, " why kill George he was such a sweet innocent man." Mike asks," what did he mean get back to the launcher?"
Frank replies, " rocket launcher, like the army use."
" but why?"
The radio is turned up, the commentator saying, " he'll soon be here this great man, police have provided a bullet proof car for the occasion."
Frank slams his fist into a chair angry, " that's why, in his bullet proof car. And there's nothing we can do except watch it happen, except we can't watch anything. If only.....if only we could get a glimpse of the world....some light amid the dark."

 

[michaellevenson]

Sally suddenly feels a draught, cold air on her cheek, the others can feel it to, it's coming from the noticeboard on the wall.
Mike and Frank heave it off the wall.
They feel out and touch wooden doors in the wall. Frank says " this room I remember George saying this was once a dining room, this must be a dumb waiter, it must lead down to a cellar a wine cellar perhaps and a way out."
After Mike and Frank try and fail to squeeze in Sally volunteers " you men are too big, let me have a go."
Sally climbs in , Frank reaches out to her, " tuck your arms in Sally, when you get to the bottom find a door."
" Yes yes Frank I know what to do run and get help....now hurry."

Frank and Mike grip the ropes on top of the dumb waiter and gently lower her down.

At the bottom Sally climbs off and slowly walks, clicking her fingers, "it's very low with pillars and arches."
She follows the air draft and comes to a door she opens it and is on a footpath.
" I'm clear Frank."
The path is lower than grass level, sort of in a ditch, she pulls herself up the banking and hears movement, " is anyone there , please, we need help." A hand reaches towards her she grasps it, feels the ring, and screams, it's Anderson.
Frank hears the scream, " someone's grabbed her, they'll bring her back here, quick we haven't got long."
Anderson is dragging Sally back to the house, " lucky I was patrolling, lucky for me, not you. "

Anderson unlocks the recreation room door and pushes Sally back in, but he can't see Mike hiding behind the door with his white stick in hand. As Anderson closes the door, Mike jams his stick in the jamb. Anderson puzzled, he can't shut the door, the students all push now against the door, Anderson further puzzled , he can't open it now. He pushes and pushes against it, the students all pull away from the door, Anderson tumbles into the room, Frank and Mike grab him and hold him down, Frank feels for the pressure points on the neck and apply pressure Anderson out cold.

 

[michaellevenson]

Jeffries has the launcher all ready in the staff room, turns to Moore, " told you they'd be no problems, nothing we couldn't handle, didn't need you here at all."
Moore calmly replies, " our organisation is paying handsomely for you and Anderson, I'm here to see we get what we paid for, look on me as an official observer. If anything does go wrong I'm here to make sure there's no comebacks, nothing to point back to our organisation."
" Ah I see, no comebacks, you're a hatchet man, if something goes wrong you get rid of the evidence, me and Anderson."
" Yeah, but you've assured me nothing will go wrong so you needn't worry, now I'm going to see if I can get us some coffee."
Jeffries calls out as the door closes, " and don't come back until it's over, you'll hear the bang." Jeffries gets his gun out, " Oh you'll hear the bang alright Mr Moore, the second bang though you won't hear at all."

 

[michaellevenson]

Moore comes down the stairs , the students hear him and in the hall , Frank says "quickly hide." The students scatter, as Moore walks across hall they emerge from doorways and before Moore can react they overwhelm him and put him out with a squeeze on the pressure points.
Frank says " the gun, find it." The students feel on the floor, Sally finds Moore's gun, " here Frank, but what good is a gun to us."

Frank takes it and asks who knows the layout of the staff room. Sally does because she goes there regularly to play chess with George. Sally, Mike and Frank climb the stairs . Jeffries is in the room at the launcher overlooking the window, he loads a missile into position, turns a key on the side of it to arm it , and waits. The television is on, the parade is in full swing, the motorcade is nearing the town.
Frank, Sally and Mike are outside the door whispering.
Frank, " Mike I want you to lie down in front of the door, and rest your hand on the door handle and when I say now push it open."
Mike does this lying flat on his stomach arm upwards touching the door handle.
Frank reaches out to the door feeling the width of it, he positions himself dead center of door.
" Now Sally, take my arm, I'm pointing it at the centre of door, now position it towards the window."
Sally alarmed " I can't Frank, I can't remember."
Frank reassures her, " of course you can, walk through the room in your mind."
Sally concentrates, " okay, two steps into the room is the desk, two to the right is the settee, the window is three steps to the right of the desk."
Frank, " good girl, now move my arm so it points to the window."
Sally moves Frank's arm to position of where the window should be.
Frank, " okay Sally move away, right away from the door. Now we'll assume he is average height sitting at the launcher. Okay Mike....NOW!"
Mike pushes door open, Jeffries turns, Frank unloads gun, hitting Jeffries who slumps over launcher and presses button and fires missile then collapses dead. The missile streaks across sky, and harmlessly explodes.
The TV commentator sounds jubilant.
" Everything has gone to perfection, not a hitch, what a wonderful sight to see, what an absolutely wonderful sight to see."
Sally ,Mike and Frank, relieved but sad in a way , they're seeing nothing.

Cast;
Anderson....Peter Vaughan
Frank.....Dennis Waterman
Jeffries.....William Marlowe
Sally......Sinead Cusack
Moore....Leslie Schofield
Mike....Alun Armstrong
George Mullard.....Michael Lees
Sgt Martin.....David Jackson

On to next episode

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