Dial 9-9-9.
When in London, that's what you do to call the police.
I know.
I'm a policeman from Canada attached to Scotland Yard.
My name's Mike McGuire.
Most criminals are creatures of habit.
If a certain method of committing a crime is successful,
they try it again and again.
The truly dangerous criminal is the man
who avoids a set pattern.
When a criminal has brains and no record,
then the public and the police are in trouble.
What are you trying to do, ruin everything?
I'm sorry, Jack.
The watchman, he caught me at it.
I was set to unplug myself.
Clumsy fool.
He's all right.
I only cracked him on the head.
Where's the dough?
In the safe.
Jack, I can't walk.
I can't stand.
We can't go back on that train as planned.
What are we going to do?
Emergency.
Which service do you require?
Ambulance.
Will you send an ambulance to United Plastics at once, please?
There's been an accident.
Hold on.
That ambulance can't drive itself.
What are you going to tell the blokes?
You're bringing it along.
When they get here, you just keep your traps shut.
Pretend to be unconscious.
It shouldn't be too difficult for you.
Victor, quick.
There's a couple of men inside, one of them's badly hurt.
You're out.
I'm out.
I'm out.
I'm out.
I'm out.
I'm out.
I'm out.
I'm out.
I'm out.
I'm out.
I'm out.
I'm out.
I'm out.
I'm out.
I'm out.
I'm out.
I'm out.
I'm out.
I'm out.
What's going on, mate?
I don't know.
I heard a shot as I was passing, and the gate was opened as I went in.
Police know about it yet?
They're on their way.
Get this man out of here.
He's losing blood fast.
Watchman's coming around, I think.
I'll give you a hand to get this man out of your friend's seat to the other one.
a right thanks a lot. And.
Take away this and please.
After him the government wait for the police good idea will be right out.
I'm going to be down but it's what.
Imagine which service you require please. After six months of duty in London
Scotland Yard decided I should learn something about the operation of England's
county constabulary so when the factory safe was looted I was working out of
Leicester the county town population twenty five thousand. I figured I'd get a
chance to see the English countryside but slow and easy not through the window of
a police car speeding to the scene of a crime.
Yes so you should have a minute now they're pretty good friends but I don't
want to charge it this is the spectrum of I had to do so well I know I think I
could could set up in on the edge of the desk so I sent one of the odd. You know
what. You're able to tell us anything but it's like I told
a sergeant I was patrolling the yard and two men called me out of the gate the
little one he grabbed on to my jacket and he sticks a gun in my ribs and tells me
that if I don't know the gate he's going to shoot me so you naturally very
sensibly open the gate and the little one he took me in here and he made me give
him the key of the site any money I found the factory manager is that it was
nine thousand pounds but the number of the notes that we're taking with
a bank now you got descriptions of the two men they're already being circulated
along with particulars of the ambulance we get reports back you know headquarters
we better get back there. And.
I'm going to Jeff. That one big ride nearly finished me what are we
near let's. You want to help me get a doctor a doctor would put us both in jail
the way I feel all right first of all let's get you out of this meat wagon.
Get easy. Around here. I'm
going to let you to get my car once I'm gone don't move and don't make
a noise I'll get them I'm going to. Be. You know running out of me I
have while you're alive you can still talk I'm staying with you. While you're
alive. Yes. All right thank you
a lot no luck Scotland Yard fires don't have the prints found at the factory
office so one of the men were up to doesn't have a criminal record that's bad
break number one. Good news I just wish that we could use that could be so we're
making
a road check just had
a report from our AC man who said he saw the ambulance about twenty minutes ago
where the tree feels that that's
a small village about a mile from here which way was the ambulance headed this way
so it was
an expert I'm going to get out there about now tell that our AC man we're on our
way. To.
I'm.
I'm.
A.
A.
A.
Let's get out of here.
On.
We got the hospital.
There's a doctor set up I'm thinking of the left.
I'm.
Going to go.
Down along this road so I took the first one is right down the thanks a lot.
Pretty boy.
You're going to sleep in style tonight.
Come out of there.
I didn't mean I'm gonna.
Talk and talk fast what were you doing in there I was just going to ground down I
wasn't going to pinch nothing how long you been there since the others went away
what others with
a driver and the bloke that was hurt when did they leave I don't know what time it
was going on I'm going to watch did they see you know government I was a statement
the bushes over there I heard them talking and saw him get into a car did you hear
what they said yes government one of those it was a city he wanted to go to a
hospital and the other books that I was going to let's put let's put you sure
about that dead sure got better get the chief constable to put a cordon on the
top and have that ambulance check for Prince oh no you don't make you're coming
with us come on.
Jackie needs a doctor oh sure sure the doctor comes here and then he goes straight
from here to the cops what are we gonna do leave me here to die.
Jack all right.
We've got to do something to see the next we've got to shut him up and keep him
quiet and if we can stop the pain he won't make any noise yeah that's the idea
you stay here I won't be long where you going to get what I want to do.
If you open his mouth again you shut it for him. Looks impressive and effective
we've bottled up every single road leading out of Letchford what about the bus and
railway stations all being watched if the men are anywhere in that area Mike we've
got him well we got him pinned down anyway what about the hobo the tramp you mean
he's been released I told the sergeant you wanted a man to tail him.
Yes I see I see OK thanks very much lab report the check the prints found in the
ambulance the attendance numerous patients the tramps and one set matches those found
at the factory looks like the other guy always keeps his hands in his pockets.
There are.
While Gates and I were angling for a lead on the factory robbery, news reached us of
a more serious crime.
Murder.
A nurse at the Letchford Hospital had been found strangled.
Where is he?
Where is he?
You didn't hear him as you came in, did you?
No, why?
He's screaming with pain.
If he keeps this up, somebody's going to hear him.
Don't worry.
I've got something here that'll kill the pain and shut him up.
Roll his sleeve up.
What are you going to do, Jack?
I'm going to give you a jab.
What's the matter?
You're not scared, are you?
You haven't forgotten my distinguished war record, medical orderly, grade one.
Hurry up.
Don't worry.
The army didn't find me out, and the police aren't going to find out about this job we
did this morning either.
Where did you get the stuff?
At the hospital.
Hold his arm, mother.
How did you get in?
I strolled in with a crowd of visitors.
I wasn't even noticed.
Everything's been checked and double checked with the register.
The hypodermic and morphia are the only items missing.
Thank you, matron.
Thank you.
Well, Mike, what do you think?
Morphia, it could be a drug addict.
On the other hand, it could be our friend from the factory.
What about the fingerprints we found on the door on the drug cabinet?
That fellow from the factory always seems to wear gloves.
I know.
Well, we'll just have to wait and see what the print experts can tell us.
Seems quieter now.
What's the matter about him?
What about that nurse at the hospital?
Oh, quit worrying about her.
The cops won't find a thing.
You positive nobody saw you?
Look, the only one who saw me was the nurse, so quit worrying.
Can I do this all right?
How?
We're stuck with him.
And what if he doesn't get better?
So what?
Plenty of room in the garden.
Buy him some flowers out of his share of the money.
Don't bury me too soon, Jack.
Take it easy, Jeff.
We're only kidding.
When you're counting my share of the cash, don't let any of it stick to your fingers.
The hospital prints are different, Mike.
Yeah, a bit much to expect a guy to shoot himself, break into hospital, and steal the
drugs he needs all in the same day.
It's safe to assume that the man who murdered Nurse Stanton is the same person who stole
the ambulance.
I'd say so, sir.
And that he and his wounded pal are somewhere in this town.
If they are, then they can't get out.
I've recalled every available man for duty.
There isn't a road apart out of Letchford that isn't guarded.
That should settle it, Mike.
It would take a Houdini to wriggle out of this.
Maybe you're right.
But a guy can grow a beard just sitting here waiting.
We gotta do something.
Have you any suggestions, Mr. McGuire?
Yes, sir, I have.
Fingerprint the entire town.
What?
That's every one of 25,000 people, Mike.
I know, but look at it this way.
As you say, we've got the killer bottled up in the town.
All right, but what happens if he tries to escape and finds out he's trapped?
He might murder someone else.
That's always a possibility.
I agree.
But you know, of course, you can't really force innocent people to give us their fingerprints.
I know, sir, but it would be to protect them.
They'd want him caught as much as we do.
Would it be possible, sir?
Well, you don't know till you try, do you?
It's certainly an unusual step.
Well, it was the first time for everything.
I'll get busy on it right away.
The decision to fingerprint every inhabitant of Letchford was without precedent in the
annals of British crime.
No man or woman listed in the street directories or electoral roll was excluded.
It was explained to them that under the law, they could not be compelled to render this
service.
Nevertheless, the chief constable's plea for cooperation met with wholehearted response.
In the case of people who were sick or had failed to report at one of the centers, policemen
called and took their prints in their homes.
Jack, quick!
What's the matter?
Trouble.
See for yourself.
So what?
Selling a cop?
He won't be coming here.
Oh, yes, he will.
We've been cooped up here.
They've been taking fingerprints of everybody in town.
I heard about it at the supermarket.
Everybody?
Yes.
Why?
Because of that nurse.
I thought you said you wore gloves.
So I did.
Wait a minute.
I took one glove off to open the cabinet.
When the nurse fell, I...
I opened the hall door with my bare hand.
They've got my prints.
What if the cop will be here next for our fingerprints?
What are we going to do, Jack?
All right, all right.
Don't panic.
We've got a way out.
Many more to go?
I think we've about checked the lot, sir.
There's still some prints to be taken, aren't there, Bill?
Last batch of invalids and malingerers.
One of our men is certainly an invalid, and the other has every reason for hanging back.
But we know they're somewhere in this town.
We're not licked until the last set of prints come in, Mike.
Mrs. Bingham?
Yes?
I'd like to take your fingerprints, Mrs. Bingham.
Yours and your husband's.
Yes, of course.
Would you come in?
Thank you.
Sorry we couldn't get to the police station, officer.
My husband's been ill.
I was just on the point of phoning the doctor.
I quite understand, Mrs. Bingham.
I shan't keep you long.
Now if you'll press here.
And now your husband's, if you don't mind, Mrs. Bingham.
He looks pretty sick.
Yes, but don't let that stop you.
It's just one of his usual attacks.
It's not as serious as it looks.
Very well, madam.
Nothing I can do, is there?
No, thank you, officer.
Well, thank you, Mrs. Bingham.
Sorry to disturb you.
I hope Mr. Bingham will soon be better.
Thank you.
See, worked perfectly.
Yup, but I wouldn't want to go through it again.
You don't have to.
I'm in the clear now.
Your husband behaved real well.
I don't want him to die here, Jack.
I'll take him away tonight.
We've played nursemaid too long enough.
Madam Sarge, not the murderer, sir.
But the prints on this card match those found in the ambulance and at the factory.
Good work, Sergeant.
Is this his name and address?
Yes, sir.
Bingham, John, 8 Croxley Gardens.
Let's go, Bill.
Madge.
When I brought him here.
Did he have both gloves on or only one?
Um.
Come on, come on.
Can't you remember?
I think he had one off.
What's the matter?
Everything.
If he's left fingerprints all over that factory office and the ambulance, the cops will have
got them.
We've just given him his fingerprints under my name.
They'll come looking for him here.
What did I tell you?
All right.
Let them in.
Try and keep them here for a while.
We're police officers, ma'am.
Where's the other man?
Hey, get in the car, it's pol ثow!
I.
Know.
Well the public faith in us is certainly paid off Bill now we're keeping our part
of the bargain burning twenty four thousand nine hundred ninety nine cents
a print last bunch Mike. All
those people giving up their personal rights to help trap a killer that's
something for the book it's good to know we've got
the kind of confidence in good will about it would have been like. That probably
good will any police force is like. The.
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