Review Thriller s03e04 - In The Steps Of A Dead Man

[michaellevenson]

George Cornfield is a retired architect, and he and his wife Betty are in the basement workshop of their country home. George using electronic bits and pieces has cobbled together a device attached to a small television set. The TV is showing skiing and George flicks a switch on his device and the picture freezes. Betty is overjoyed, " it's wonderful George, Tommy will love it."
George, " that’s why I made it, for Tommy, especially for the sports programmes."
George flicks the switch again and the picture starts up. The girl who lives next door runs into the basement excited holding a letter, this is Sheila Howes, Tommy's girlfriend.

Sheila, "got a letter from Tommy, he's coming home, leaving the army for good."
Betty and George both look relieved, Betty says "thank God for that."
Sheila continues, " and he's asked me to arrange the wedding, soon as possible."
Betty detects a slight disappointment in George, "oh darling it was inevitable, they've been sweethearts since childhood."
Sheila, " you're not losing a son Mr Cornfield, but gaining a daughter, and as my family lives next door you'll see plenty of us."
George, " I'm very happy for you both, it'll be the wedding of the year. We must open a bottle of champagne to celebrate."
Betty runs off the get the champagne, Sheila looks at George's gadget.
" What is it?"
George proudly demonstrates, " it's a stop action device, Tommy will love it."
Sheila, " so clever of you, how an earth did you make it."
George, " easy really, works on all channels, look."
George switches channels, to a news channel, picture showing soldiers in Ireland, two soldiers carry another on a stretcher, the injured one looks in a bad way.
George operates his device, the picture freezes, a close up of the injured soldier.
Betty returns with a tray of champagne and glasses. She screams, runs up to the TV shouting, "TOMMY!!"

 

[michaellevenson]

A few weeks have passed since Tommy's death, in the living room of the Cornfield's House George is sitting in an armchair, silent, tearful, looking thinner, Tommy's death has devastated him. In the room is Betty, Sheila and Grace Worth, an American friend of Sheila in England on a study course. Grace is majoring in Sociology and is combining a vacation to see Sheila and studying the English way of life for her degree, the three girls chat.


George stands, wishes Grace a happy time in England and walks out. Betty turns to Grace," sorry about George, but Tommy our son recently died...."
Grace, " I understand, Sheila told me, I'm sorry for both of you."
Grace is staying next door with Sheila, the parents are away in France, their second home, and the house is in throws of redecoration, a mess. Grace and Sheila sharing Sheila's bedroom. Grace says, "Tommy's death hit them pretty hard eh?"
Sheila " he was their only son. Tommy was like life itself, I miss him."
Grace," they'll be other chances, other opportunities Sheila."
Sheila picks up bedside photo of Tommy and sighs," I suppose so."

It's close to midnight and Betty and George are getting ready for bed, Betty trying to get George to cheer up.
Betty, " why don't you go back to work dear, part time of course, you're still young and good architects are needed, you've plenty to offer, it'll help you forget."
George, " forget Tommy you mean? Anyway Doctor Smethwick retired me."
The doorbell rings, George and Betty ponder on who could be ringing this late, they go and answer it, and in the doorway is a soldier , a young man smiling.
" Sorry to call so late, I'm Marty Fuller, a friend of Tommy "

 

[michaellevenson]

Marty is shown in, and points to Grandfather clock in hall, " you made that didn't you sir, Tommy was very talkative about his old man...sorry I mean father."
They all go into the living room, Marty certainly knows a lot about the room.
" Drinks cabinet on the left, painting on wall by Mrs Cornfield's sister, oh and you've got rid of that yellow wallpaper,(laughs) I told you, Tommy was very explicit."
A bit later Marty is relating the sad end of Tommy. A tearful George and Betty listen agog.
"He didn't feel any pain, the drugs I pumped into him made sure of that. He spoke of you two, said you shouldn't mourn him, just remember the good times. I held his hand and stayed with him till the end. Then his hand relaxed and he was gone."
George, " you stayed with him?"
Marty, " that's my job, I'm a medic."
George, "but what about the other patients."
Marty, " Tommy was the best friend I ever had, well...I promised I'd tell you and it seemed so much better to visit then write, but now I must let you good people go to bed."
Marty gets up and goes to leave, he has an aunt up North , says he'll hitch a ride now the last train has gone. George and Betty ask if he could stay the night, see Sheila in the morning, she'll want to ask questions about Tommy. Marty agrees and is given Tommy's room.
Meanwhile at an army barracks, Sgt. O'Hara and a military policeman stare down at an empty bed, O'Hara not happy.
" Come and go as they please, have their hair long, that's not my army. Fuller.....we'll catch up with him."
Military policeman, " he's taken the stuff with him then?"
O'Hara, " we'll get him."
M.P ," bound to."

 

[michaellevenson]

Next morning Marty is telling pretty much the same story to Sheila, adding that Tommy mentioned her as he died. Grace and Sheila are in the Cornfield's living room.
Sheila, " thank you for telling me Mr Fuller."
Marty, " oh Marty please."
Grace, " where do you go from here Mr Fuller?"
George chips in, " he has an aunt up North."
Marty, " well, she's not really an aunt, not a blood relative, she brought me up, I'm an orphan I don't have folks of my own. She's just listed on my payslip under next of kin."
Grace, " how much leave do you have?"
Marty, " unlimited, I'm on demob leave, I'm now a civillian."
George has that old sparkle in his eye, " why don't you stay with us, for a few days until you decide what you want to do, we'd just love it, wouldn't we Betty?"
Betty, " absolutely."
Marty," okay, on condition that Sheila allows me to take her to dinner."
Sheila looks over to Grace, Marty says " you too Grace."
Grace looks uncomfortable, " no, threes a crowd, you two have fun, I'll get on with my studies."
Marty slaps his head ," oh damn, I forgot, my clothes, I've sent them up North, I can't see myself taking you out in this uniform."
George, " you can borrow Tommy's things."
Marty, " then it's a deal, I'd love to stay a day or two longer. Right, I'll call a taxi."
George takes out his car keys, " no need you can borrow mine."
Later Marty is all dressed up in a smart suit, waiting for Sheila to arrive from next door. Betty says he looks great, George comes in carrying a watch case.
George, " I see you haven't a watch Marty, here take this son." Betty looks surprised as George hands Marty gold watch.
Betty, " but George, that was for Tommy."
George, " I know, but Tommy isn't here, never will be, we have to accept that. Tommy isn't here but Marty is."
Marty," it's real gold, I've never had anything gold......I can't accept it Mr Cornfield, but I tell you what I'll borrow it."

At the end of the evening Sheila is back home, undresses as Grace sits on the bed that they're sharing.
Sheila, " Marty is a super person, and handsome, the sort of person you could fall in love with."
Grace, " I suppose you talked about Tommy?"
Sheila, " no that would have been morbid, as Marty says I have to move on."
Grace, " so he stopped you talking about Tommy."
Sheila, "I know what's eating you Grace, Marty took to me rather than you. He's handsome, admit it."
Grace," yes, but he works at it too hard. Must be strange finally meeting him?"
Sheila, " finally?"
Grace, " Tommy wrote to you, must have mentioned him?"
Sheila, " no , never, but then again, would you unleash Marty onto your girlfriend?"
Grace, " but his best friend?! Something's not right."

 

[michaellevenson]

Next morning Marty is woken up by George and Betty with breakfast in bed. Marty says they're spoiling him, George has something to say.
" Betty and I have discussed it, and this aunt of yours, you don't really owe her anything, so why not stay here with us, permanently, we'd love it son, what d'you say?"

Marty is a bit stuck for words," well erm..thing is I don't have much money behind me"
George, " that’s no problem at all ,how about it?"
Marty looks around room, notices huge poster on wall of Tommy smiling.
" Thing is Mr Cornfield that Tommy and I were so close it sort of hurts having reminders of him all around me."
George, " well that's understandable, sensitive boy like you, we can change things around a bit."
Marty," then that’s fine,( checks watch) oh my God, Sheila will be here soon , I promised to take her out and I'm going to be so late. Mr Cornfield sir, could you please top up the car."
George " be ready and waiting son."
George and Betty leave, Marty opens up his army issue kit bag, and pulls out a wooden box, a first aid box, inside is bottles of pills...

At the army barracks Sgt O'Hara enters the office of the chief medical officer who is taking an inventory of his drugs cabinet.
O'Hara, " anything missing sir?"
Medical Officer, " yes a few things he took, one possible dynamite if used incorrectly."
O'Hara moves over to a desk," this Fuller's desk sir?"
M.O. ,"yes, but it's empty."
O'Hara opens desk pulls out a sheet of paper, " not entirely empty sir. ( reading) To Mum and Dad etcetera etcetera...and an address sir."
M.O. ," Fuller's an orphan, obviously belongs to someone else."
O'Hara, " I'll keep it sir, check on the address."

 

[michaellevenson]

While Marty and Sheila are out, George and Betty are in Tommy's room, rearranging things, removing Tommy's possessions, Grace enters and says, " I suppose you're altering this room to Marty's specifications."
Betty, "just making it nice for him, he's a good boy."
Grace, " how do you know he's a good boy, because he told you."
Betty, " he was Tommy's best friend."
Grace, " oh I'm sorry, so Tommy wrote and told you all about him?"
Betty is hesitant, " er no."
Grace, "How often did Tommy mention Marty Fuller, often, occasionally or never?"
George comes in picks up a cardboard box, " come on Betty he'll be back soon."
George hurries out, Betty says," we're putting all Tommy's stuff in the loft."
Betty reaches up to take down poster of Tommy, Grace interjects "don't take that down Mrs Cornfield, you don't want to pretend Tommy never existed."
Betty hurries out carrying clothes, Grace notices something Betty dropped on bed, Grace picks it up, it's Tommy's diary.


At the end of the day Sheila is in her bedroom after spending the day with Marty, "oh I'm tired, but happy tired, Marty is wonderful. I'm sorry Grace I've left you all day, I hope you haven't been bored."
Grace," no I've not been bored at all."
Sheila notices Grace with little black book.
" What's that?"
" Tommy's diary, just borrowed it Sheila, there's something you should read."
Sheila is angered , " that's despicable Grace, give it here."
Grace, " you're going to hear this Sheila."
Sheila puts fingers in her ears, " I'm not listening to whatever you say, (shouts) I'M NOT I'M NOT!"

Grace slaps Sheila's face, " you're going to listen, (reads) look forward to seeing S , had letter from S. S is obviously you. Now this entry...had fight with M, M went mad busted up canteen. Watch missing sure M took it, I think M is schizo, sure M is very dangerous. M, Sheila , Marty."
Sheila " you don't know you're just guessing."
Grace , " that's from Tommy's diary, he wrote about someone who obviously was an enemy , M, two days later Tommy died, M is very dangerous, think about it Sheila that's all I ask."


Later that afternoon George and Betty drive down road towards town, passing them is a military jeep. Outside the Cornfield's House the jeep parks, out steps O'Hara and up drive to front door. Looking out of bedroom window is Marty , terrified look on him. The doorbell rings, no answer, so O'Hara goes next door to speak to Sheila.
O'Hara, " sorry to disturb you Miss I'm looking for Mr or Mrs Cornfield, there doesn't seem to be anyone in next door."
Sheila, " no they've just gone out to the shops, can I take a message."
O'Hara, " no its okay Miss, I'll call back."
Sheila is puzzled, " there was no answer sergeant?"
O"Hara , " hardly, if they're out."
O'Hara marches off, Sheila has a troubled look on her face, why didn't Marty answer door?

 

[michaellevenson]

George, Betty and Grace have gone into town for an evening at the theatre, part of Grace's studying of English culture, and George installed the lighting, so he's keen to go , leaving Marty and Sheila alone at the Cornfield's. Sheila turns the conversation to the army and Marty's experiences, " all those men cooped up together, I bet there was disagreements, fights?"
Marty," oh yes, bound to be."
Sheila, " did the officers clamp down on you?"
Marty, "if they ever found out."
Sheila, "what about the time you busted up the kitchen."
Marty, " I got two weeks confined to barracks."
Marty realises something is wrong ," how did you know about that?"
Sheila, " Tommy's diary....you ARE M aren't you. ( reads from diary) watch missing sure M took it. You weren't Tommy's friend at all, you hated him, you had fights with him."
Marty, " fights? He didn't know how to fight. Fists I could have understood, could have had a chance, but he fought me with letters, with your letters. He went on about you, Mum, Dad, he hit me with a sweet life I'd always wanted. I was an orphan and he attacked me with a family, he went on and on stuffing it down my throat until I couldn't take it any more."
Sheila, " Tommy wasn't like that."
M" He was worse."
S " Perhaps he was, perhaps I never really knew him, but why come here, why lie."
M " I wanted what he had, I wanted you, I wanted to live under his roof."
S " it was wrong."
M " I know, but please don't tell them."
S " I don't know."
Marty desperately urges, " but you can't! I've come so far done so much."

Sheila is alarmed, " done so much ?! What d'you mean?"
M " I don't mean anything."
S "That sounds like you planned it , but you couldn't know Tommy would die. But he did die didn't he and you were with him....oh GOD, how badly injured was he?"
Marry grabs Sheila, putting his hand over her mouth, " he'd have lived and I can't let you tell them, it'll kill them!"

 

[michaellevenson]

George, Betty and Grace return and ask where Sheila is ,Marty replies, " she went home, she got very depressed soon after you left, kept crying about Tommy, I tried to shake her out of it, but I just couldn't, I was very concerned."
Grace, " I had better go back , check she's okay."
Grace arrives next door, Sheila asleep in bed, Grace lies on bed next to her with a book to read. Accidentally Grace nudges Sheila, "oh sorry Sheila," Sheila doesn't stir, Grace leans over and screams , Sheila eyes open...dead.
The funeral takes place, the wake at the Cornfield's house , Sheila's parents are back from France, Mrs Howe in a dreadful state.
Mrs Howe is crying, " why did she do it ? To committ suicide...why?"
George surmises that grief over Tommy's death, then Marty being here, brought it all back, and a sudden deep depression was all too much. Grace isn't convinced, " not so sudden, those tablets she took, they weren't prescribed, she must have got them from somewhere , or someone gave them to her."
Mrs Howe, " what a waste."
George whispers to Grace, " drop it."
Mrs Howe offers Grace the opportunity if she wants to stay with them to continue her studies.
In the hallway Grace meets Marty alone, Marty says ," Hope you stay Grace, I could be really good for you."
Grace looks daggers, " we've only just buried her!"
Marty, " really good for you Grace."
Grace ," you're trying to shut me up, stop me thinking, but I know all about you Marty."

Before the conversation continues Mrs Howe and her husband turn up, Grace says, " Mrs Howe, I've decided not to stay, I'll go and pack, it's time I went back home."
Marty, " Mrs Howe let me walk you back home." Marty takes Mrs Howe by the arm and they leave for next door.

 

[michaellevenson]

George in house alone while everyone troops off to next door. The doorbell rings, George answers it, it is Sgt O'Hara.
O'Hara, " Mr Cornfield sir, I wonder if you know of a Marty Fuller."
George, " yes of course, my son's best friend, he..."
O'Hara, " is a deserter sir. Have you seen him?"
George thinks quick, " erm no I haven't, but since my son's death I wouldn't expect him to come here."
O'Hara, " that's what I thought sir...best friend sir, funny I was asking round the barracks..sorry to bother you sir, I'll leave you my name and phone number, if you hear from him..."
George, " I'll contact you of course."


Betty and Marty return and George asks Marty to go upstairs and change into clothes suitable for a bit of gardening with him. When alone George reveals the truth to Betty.
Betty shocked, " a deserter!"
George, " why not, remember how Tommy said he hated the army and wanted to go over the wall, well Marty's done it, that takes guts."
Betty, " but if they find him.."
George, " they'll take him from us, but it doesn't have to happen, there's an answer to everything and I think I have it."

At the army barracks O'Hara is again with the Medical Officer.
O'Hara, " sir , you said one of the drugs Fuller took was dynamite, your word sir, how so?"
M.O. " well if administered with food could present all the signs of botulism, lethal food poisoning, and is undetectable. But Fuller is a deserter surely, not a murderer."

 

[michaellevenson]

A few days later Grace phones Betty Cornfield from London saying she's flying home on Saturday evening but will like to see them and say goodbye before she leaves. The house is very noisy as George is doing something in the basement workshop, lots of drilling going on. Betty says it's a marvellous coincidence because Saturday is Marty's birthday, Grace says she'll be there about 6pm.
Saturday evening: George, Betty and Marty tucking into dinner, Betty has made Marty's favourite, crunchy tuna salad, but Marty tasted a bit and said the tuna tasted off. So he is avoiding the tuna as George and Betty tuck in.
George hands Marty his birthday present, an envelope, Marty opens it, and reads shocked.
George, " it what we planned for Tommy, all legal and witnessed, Marty you are now our legal heir."
Marty, " I don't know what to say, Mr Cornfield. "
Betty, " isn't it time you called us Betty and George."
Marty, " don't like to, I prefer Mum and Dad."
George, " as it should be."
Marty goes over the drinks cabinet, and removes from his pocket an empty bottle of pills ,and unseen chucks it on the fire. They've done their job!
George gets up and says," Marty come with me, I want to show you something."
Betty, " sit down George finish your dinner."
George, "I can't help it, I must show Marty, come on son."

In the basement George stands proudly in the centre of the room, " this is it Tommy."
Marty smiles, " you can call me Tommy if you like Dad."
George, " no no, you're Marty, I made this for you. See those T squares hanging on the wall, fetch me one will you."
Marty goes over to the far wall to get the tool , suddenly George reaches up to a level and pulls it, a false wall descends quickly and seals Marty in behind the wall trapped in an area about four feet by four feet. Marty panicky, " DAD! WHAT'S HAPPENING?!"
George presses a button on a wall intercom, his voice heard by Marty trapped behind wall.
George, " that’s the surprise son, we know about you , being a deserter, but we don't care we love you son, in a way the army took Tommy away from us and we don't want them to take you. That's why I built this , a sort of priest hole, somewhere to hide if they come looking for you."
Marty, " that's great Dad but how do I get out?"
George, " you can't son, suppose I put a release lever in there and you opened it when they were here, I've thought of everything. The only lever is out here, and it's well hidden, no one will know it's here."
Suddenly there's a crashing noise from upstairs, Betty has collapsed onto the floor, clutching her stomach.

Marty, " DAD GET ME OUT OF HERE!"
George reaches for lever , disguised as part of an ornamental column, but he suddenly clutches his stomach in pain, bends over double, " can't reach it, I'll get your mother."
Marty, " DAD, DAD, LET ME OUT DAD!"

 

[michaellevenson]

George reaches the dining room and collapses next to Betty, barely conscious, poisoned.
Grace arrives at the house, no answer from the front door ,she enters from the garden , and sees George and Betty, " oh my God!!"
Grace immediately picks up phone and dials 999, " ambulance please, hurry."

She gets a couple of cushions to place under heads of George and Betty, George is conscious, breathing heavy.

Grace suddenly hears something, a faint voice, "down here, help, down here."
Grace follows the sound and enters the workshop in the basement.
Grace," Marty is that you?"
Marty is heard via the intercom on the wall.
Marty, " Grace is that you?"
G " Marty where are you?"
M " behind the alcove, what you see is a false wall, it's one of George's gadgets."
G " what happened Marty, George and Betty are lying on the floor almost dead."
M " food poisoning I think , I was going to get help and I got trapped in here."
G " food poisoning?"
M " how can I tell stuck in here, let me out Grace."
G " I don't know how to Marty."
M " George said there's a lever, cleverly disguised."
Grace looks up and sees ornamental lever on side of wall, " yes I see it, very cleverly disguised."
M " why don't you press it Grace..(shouts) COME ON GRACE LET ME OUT."
G " tell me about Sheila, you killed her didn't you Marty."
M " are you crazy, she committed suicide."
G " NO MARTY, YOU DID IT".
M " what are you judge and jury, I had nothing to do with Sheila's death."
The front doorbell rings the ambulance is here, Grace turns off intercom and runs out.
Marty, "GRACE, GRACE,...LET ME OUT"

 

[michaellevenson]

George and Betty are carried out on stretchers, George gasping as he is taken out, " Tommy....Tommy. "
Ambulance man puzzled, " Tommy?"
Grace, " his son, now dead."

It's about thirty minutes later, Grace is still here, pacing the room, unsure of what to do about Marty , his accusing words play in her mind, " what are you judge and jury."
Sgt O'Hara walks into hall, sees Grace, "you the young lady who phoned the ambulance?"
Grace, " that's right, how are they?"
O'Hara, " they'll pull through thanks to you."
Grace, " you've been to the hospital?"
O'Hara " I wasn't sure why I was called, but then I remembered, I gave Mr Cornfield my number, it was in his pocket, still it'll be sometime before I can speak to them, likely to be in a coma for weeks. Food poisoning they say, hah! food poisoning my foot. That'll be Fuller."
Grace, " Fuller?"
O'Hara, " Marty Fuller, a medic and deserter, at least that's all he was until now. He ran off with some drugs, one is a killer, with all the symptoms of food poisoning. You've never seen him?"
Grace thinks hard, then says, " no I've never seen him."

O'Hara, " no , you're just a casual acquaintance, and the Cornfields never mentioned him I suppose, we'll get him though. Can I drop you anywhere Miss?"
Grace, " in a coma for weeks?"
O'Hara, " that's what the doctors say."
Grace, " they don't hang murderers here anymore do they?"
O'Hara, " no, more's the pity."
Grace picks up her handbag, " then you can drop me at the station Sergeant, shall we go."
O'Hara, " where you off to Miss?"
G "home."

Grace gets in the jeep and O'Hara drives off, Marty still behind wall talking into intercom, but no one is listening.


Marty, " I've always wanted you Grace, and you've wanted me, ( screams )
SO LET ME OUT LET ME OUT"

Cast;
Marty....John Nolan
Grace...Skye Aubrey
George....Richard Vernon
Betty....Faith Brook
Sheila....Denise Buckley
O'Hara.....Derek Anders.
M.O........Christopher Benjamin.
M.P. ......Robert Marsh

On to next episode

Review - Thriller -S03e05- Come Out Come Out Wherever You Are ( scene by scene)

Kathy More and Jane Howard are American cousins touring England, both in their twenties, Kathy blonde, Jane brunette. Kathy at the wheel of their hired car, as it turns into a driveway leading to Deringham castle, a gothic building recommended by their guidebook. J " we'll get some great shots...

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