Chief Inspector Jack Parsons of Scotland Yard

Narrator I have an apology to make. I'm sorry but I haven't been completely frank with you. You may even have been misled by some of the things I've said. I suppose it goes with my job... You see, I'm not just the narrator. I'm part of the story. Excuse me... Come in. Ah, Mr Benson. How kind of you to come.

Peter I had no choice. Who are you? What do you want?

Arnold Let me introduce you.

Peter Arnold! What on earth are you doing here?

Arnold Peter Benson. Chief Inspector Parsons.

Jack Call me Jack. I'm very pleased to meet you at last.

Peter Call me Mr Benson. So, you've dragged the police into it, Arnold, have you?

Jack We've been involved since last year. Well before Cynthia was kidnapped.

Peter Will somebody tell me what's going on?

Narrator I've got a lot of explaining to do. Not only to Peter, but to you, too. But first, you have a little work to do. Then we'll get back to the story. Cynthia's in great danger.

Episode 24

All's Well That Ends Well.

Part 1 – Tuesday 8 p.m. Explanations

Peter Let me see if I've understood everything. I want to get it straight in my mind.

Jack Go ahead.

Peter Somebody drugged Arnold in order to get hold of his shares in Bensons...

Arnold Yes, we think so.

Peter But they weren't yours to sign away.

Arnold Right. They were tied up as collateral for a loan.

Jack That accounts for Arnold's so-called amnesia.

Arnold Yes. I still only have a very vague impression of what happened.

Peter Like Andy's bad dream? Arnold Exactly.

Jack But they did manage to get Andy's shares. You saw his signature on the share transfer forms.

Peter Poor Andy... But why did they try to shoot him? Jack They tried to kill both Arnold and Andy in the car.

Arnold You see, Peter. I was getting too close. They thought I was on to them.

Jack They must have thought that Arnold suspected who they are and what they are up to.

Peter And do you know who they are?

Jack We're 99% certain. But we don't have any proof.

Arnold That's the problem. We've no real evidence.

Peter Well, who are they? And where's Cynthia?

Part 2 – Wednesday 1 a.m. The cassette

Narrator Peter went home about an hour ago. We answered only one of his questions. We told him who we suspected. He was deeply shocked... But we couldn't tell him where Cynthia is being held. We have a good idea of the general area, but we don't know the precise spot. So Peter went home both shocked and anxious... Do you remember the cassette that Arnold took from Sheila? The one with Cynthia's screams on it? We've just got it back from the police laboratories. They've extracted some very faint background noises, and amplified them...

Jack Here we go, Arnold.

Arnold Can you play the bit with the bells again, a little louder?

Arnold Got it! It all makes sense now. Andy's dream!

Jack Don't keep me in suspense, Arnold. Where is it?

Arnold A little old white church. A graveyard. Near the river...

Jack I know all that. Where is it?

Arnold Hammersmith. I recognise the church bells. Not Henley, Jack. Hammersmith.

Jack Well. Let's get going, then.

Part 3 – Summing up

Jack So, we've almost reached the end of our story. I've just got a few loose ends to tidy up. The man who tried to kill Andy in hospital was Dan Harvey. He was shot dead on the spot. But he wasn't the ringleader. The person behind it all was Angela Marriot. She had a grudge against the Benson family. You can read about that in her diary. Cynthia was being held on a powerful motor launch on the river Thames near Hammersmith. Arnold and I found her there, tied up, cold and hungry. Angela was in the boat, too. But we didn't know about it at the time. She must have heard us coming and hidden.

As soon as we stepped ashore with Cynthia, we heard the engine start. The launch raced away downriver, chased by a police patrol boat. Then, suddenly, there was a huge explosion and the launch disappeared. That just about sums up what happened.

Part 4 – Sunday 1 p.m. A family reunion

Peter Let me propose a toast. To Arnold.

Sheila Hear, hear!

Andy Uncle Arnold.

Di To Arnold.

Cynthia Yes, to Arnold.

All Speech! Speech!

Arnold There isn't much to say, really. I'm happy that Cynthia is back, safe and sound...

Cynthia Thanks to you, Uncle Arnold.

Arnold... and none the worse for the experience, it seems.

Cynthia Again, thanks to you.

All Yes, well done. Great...

Arnold I'm pleased that Andy is on the mend. And that it looks as though he's got himself a job at last.

Peter Oh, what's that, Andy?

Sheila What job?

Andy Chief Superintendent Parsons says I should join the police force.

Arnold And, last but not least, I'm delighted that you're back in charge of Bensons, Peter.

Peter We're permanently in your debt, Arnold.

Arnold Well, you can start paying it off by pouring me another drink. Cheers.

All For he's a jolly good fellow,

For he's a jolly good fellow,

For he's a jolly good fellow,

And so say all of us...

Epilogue

Jack The Benson family are having a great time, and I'm glad for them. They've been through a great deal and they do have something to celebrate. As the saying goes, 'all's well that ends well'... There's just one thing that puzzles me – and worries me a bit. We found a blond wig floating in the Thames and we found fragments of Angela's diary in the wreckage of the boat. But we didn't find any trace of her body …

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