Monday morning
Following up on Mrs Greenwood's concerns, Foyle visits the munitions factory where Grace had worked and died. He is met by Godfrey Watson, the managing director, who explains the company's history - an engineering firm that had converted to munitions in 1949, producing 20,000 high-explosive shells a week with women making up forty-percent of the workforce. Edward Baker, who is pottering about the office, interjects to ask what, exactly, Foyle is investigating. Foyle says he isn't actually investigating anything, but that he wants to find out more about Grace Phillips.
"Many accidents?"
"One last year, two the year before. It's dangerous work. Everybody knows that," butts in Baker.
"You see, the slightest vibration can cause an explosion. Friction, spark, anything. Even so, we've had only four fatalities in three years. Well below the national average," adds Mr Watson, proudly.
Baker seems aggrieved at Foyle's interest. "I certainly don't expect to find myself on the receiving end of a police inquiry."
Foyle persists and is shown around the area where Grace once worked. Baker says that the girl was 'highly strung' and had a poor health record. Watson explains that there is a lot of 'nervous debility' amongst the women; respiratory, digestive disorders and skin ailments due to the poisonous materials being handled. The shell filling room, where the explosion occured, has been cordoned off. Baker explains that there were a lot of chemicals around at the time of the accident and the clean-up may lose them a week's production.
Sam is in the cafeteria enjoying a cup of tea when she is joined by Phyllis Law, Grace's workmate. Phyllis explains that she is a fully paid-up member of the "suicide squad" and wasn't surprised that Grace had an accident as she wasn't at all well that morning. "Asleep on her feet. If you ask me, they should never have let her in."
"They've given us two hours off this afternoon. That's down to Grace."
"The funeral..."
"Yeah. The foreman doesn't like to give us time off normally. He's organised a whip round for her mum and a few of us thought we ought to be there. That's tells you a bit about our work, doesn't it? Going to a funeral is the high point of my week."
***
Back in the Wolseley, returning to the station, Sam raises the topic of the turkey.
"I was wondering if you were just going to let it sit in the evidence-room until it rots."
"Where would you like me to put it?"
"What I mean is, do you really need it for the court?"
"Yep, 'fraid so."
"It's Christmas soon, sir. Sardine pancakes are all well and good but they aren't exactly festive, are they?"
"Well..."
"You don't think the judge would mind if it were missing it's drumsticks?
"You mean...eat the evidence?"
"Not all of it! Just a leg or two!"
***
Milner asks Foyle for some time off in the afternoon, for a personal matter.
Foyle suggests that Sam attends Grace's funeral. "Find out what you can, see who is there, have a word with the mother if possible."
"You don't mind going?"
"Not at all. I'll see what I can dig up."
***
At the Spread Eagle Hotel, Jane Milner and her husband are about to drink afternoon tea, Milner solidly over-riding Jane
when the waitress offers pastries. Jane launches into her campaign by acknowledging that she had been 'beastly' to her husband when he returned from Norway. She says that she was wrong and that she still loves him and wants to be with him again. Jane is surprised when Milner interrupts her to say he has met someone else.
"What? Who?"
"Does it matter?"
"Well yes, I'd like to know."
"It's Edith."
"Edith Ashford? She always did give you the glad eye, even when we were at school. Is she living with you? Is she in our house?"
"It's not our house, Jane, it's mine. No, she isn't. Not yet."
Jane informs Milner, who seems ignorant of the fact, that they need to be separated for three years before they can divorce. Jane quotes the Matrimonial Clauses Act of 1937 at Milner, giving the impression she has studied it closely.
"I can come back, if I want to, and I do. My sister doesn't want me in Wales, I've got nowhere else to go, so you can tell Edith..." Milner reacts strongly to Jane's statement, standing to look down at her, and attracting the attention of the patrons and staff of the restaurant.
"You stay away from me, Jane...and you stay away from Edith. I'm warning you..."
"What?" spits Jane.
"It's over between us. You're not part of my life so just keep away - or else."
Milner leaves Jane sitting at the table as the staff stare after him.
***
There is a sprinkle of snow on the ground at St Paul's churchyard. Mr Watson and Mr Baker are there for Grace's funeral as well as Mrs Greenwood and Phyllis, and Harry and Eric. Sam watches from a discreet distance.
The vicar's eulogy for Grace is interrupted by a grieving Harry. The vicar politely asks if the young man wants to say a few words. Harry says it is his fault that Grace is dead. She had been happy working at the hairdressers but he had convinced her to do her 'bit' and go to work at the munitions factory. Harry then accuses Mr Baker of allowing Grace to work when she was ill. Eric drags Harry away to drown his sorrows and the vicar begins to recite The Lord's Prayer.
***
On her way back to Maison Jules, her friend Mrs Summersgill's hairdressing salon, Jane stops to buy a newspaper. The headline reads Local girl killed in munitions blast. Jane dashes into the hairdressers and interrupts Mollie Summersgill as she combs out a customers do. Jane wants to know if Mrs Summersgill knew about Grace's death and then darts off again, saying she has to go and see Paul.
Mrs Summersgill explains to the abandoned customer that Jane used to be one of her best cutters.
***
At the police station, an agitated Jane tells Sergeant Brooks that she needs to speak to her husband and, even though Milner has already gone home, she asks Brooks to leave him the message.
***
Later that evening, Paul Milner and Edie are walking along a darkened alley-way. They are discussing the length of time they have been together. Milner says it has only been three months while Edie knows, literally to a day, that it is three months, three weeks and three days. He contends that she talks as though they are going to be together forever. Edith has it all planned. "We'll muddle along until Hitler throws in the towel and then we'll get married...and live a proper life!...I told you, I'm not going to let you go." Run, Milner, run!
***
A fireguard wanders down the alley-way. He can hear a woman approaching, followed by another figure. "Why are you following me? What do you want?" The fireguard does nothing to assist Jane and the two figures disappear down the alley-way. A loud "get off me" can be heard and Jane is knocked to the ground.
Continue...
Following up on Mrs Greenwood's concerns, Foyle visits the munitions factory where Grace had worked and died. He is met by Godfrey Watson, the managing director, who explains the company's history - an engineering firm that had converted to munitions in 1949, producing 20,000 high-explosive shells a week with women making up forty-percent of the workforce. Edward Baker, who is pottering about the office, interjects to ask what, exactly, Foyle is investigating. Foyle says he isn't actually investigating anything, but that he wants to find out more about Grace Phillips.
"Many accidents?"
"One last year, two the year before. It's dangerous work. Everybody knows that," butts in Baker.
"You see, the slightest vibration can cause an explosion. Friction, spark, anything. Even so, we've had only four fatalities in three years. Well below the national average," adds Mr Watson, proudly.
Baker seems aggrieved at Foyle's interest. "I certainly don't expect to find myself on the receiving end of a police inquiry."
Foyle persists and is shown around the area where Grace once worked. Baker says that the girl was 'highly strung' and had a poor health record. Watson explains that there is a lot of 'nervous debility' amongst the women; respiratory, digestive disorders and skin ailments due to the poisonous materials being handled. The shell filling room, where the explosion occured, has been cordoned off. Baker explains that there were a lot of chemicals around at the time of the accident and the clean-up may lose them a week's production.Sam is in the cafeteria enjoying a cup of tea when she is joined by Phyllis Law, Grace's workmate. Phyllis explains that she is a fully paid-up member of the "suicide squad" and wasn't surprised that Grace had an accident as she wasn't at all well that morning. "Asleep on her feet. If you ask me, they should never have let her in."
"They've given us two hours off this afternoon. That's down to Grace."
"The funeral..."
"Yeah. The foreman doesn't like to give us time off normally. He's organised a whip round for her mum and a few of us thought we ought to be there. That's tells you a bit about our work, doesn't it? Going to a funeral is the high point of my week."
***
Back in the Wolseley, returning to the station, Sam raises the topic of the turkey.
"I was wondering if you were just going to let it sit in the evidence-room until it rots."
"Where would you like me to put it?"
"What I mean is, do you really need it for the court?"
"Yep, 'fraid so."
"It's Christmas soon, sir. Sardine pancakes are all well and good but they aren't exactly festive, are they?"
"Well..."
"You don't think the judge would mind if it were missing it's drumsticks?
"You mean...eat the evidence?"
"Not all of it! Just a leg or two!"
***
Milner asks Foyle for some time off in the afternoon, for a personal matter.
Foyle suggests that Sam attends Grace's funeral. "Find out what you can, see who is there, have a word with the mother if possible."
"You don't mind going?"
"Not at all. I'll see what I can dig up."
***
At the Spread Eagle Hotel, Jane Milner and her husband are about to drink afternoon tea, Milner solidly over-riding Jane
when the waitress offers pastries. Jane launches into her campaign by acknowledging that she had been 'beastly' to her husband when he returned from Norway. She says that she was wrong and that she still loves him and wants to be with him again. Jane is surprised when Milner interrupts her to say he has met someone else.
"What? Who?"
"Does it matter?"
"Well yes, I'd like to know."
"It's Edith."
"Edith Ashford? She always did give you the glad eye, even when we were at school. Is she living with you? Is she in our house?"
"It's not our house, Jane, it's mine. No, she isn't. Not yet."
Jane informs Milner, who seems ignorant of the fact, that they need to be separated for three years before they can divorce. Jane quotes the Matrimonial Clauses Act of 1937 at Milner, giving the impression she has studied it closely.
"I can come back, if I want to, and I do. My sister doesn't want me in Wales, I've got nowhere else to go, so you can tell Edith..." Milner reacts strongly to Jane's statement, standing to look down at her, and attracting the attention of the patrons and staff of the restaurant.
"You stay away from me, Jane...and you stay away from Edith. I'm warning you..."
"What?" spits Jane.
"It's over between us. You're not part of my life so just keep away - or else."
Milner leaves Jane sitting at the table as the staff stare after him.
***
There is a sprinkle of snow on the ground at St Paul's churchyard. Mr Watson and Mr Baker are there for Grace's funeral as well as Mrs Greenwood and Phyllis, and Harry and Eric. Sam watches from a discreet distance.
The vicar's eulogy for Grace is interrupted by a grieving Harry. The vicar politely asks if the young man wants to say a few words. Harry says it is his fault that Grace is dead. She had been happy working at the hairdressers but he had convinced her to do her 'bit' and go to work at the munitions factory. Harry then accuses Mr Baker of allowing Grace to work when she was ill.
Eric drags Harry away to drown his sorrows and the vicar begins to recite The Lord's Prayer.
***
On her way back to Maison Jules, her friend Mrs Summersgill's hairdressing salon, Jane stops to buy a newspaper. The headline reads Local girl killed in munitions blast. Jane dashes into the hairdressers and interrupts Mollie Summersgill as she combs out a customers do. Jane wants to know if Mrs Summersgill knew about Grace's death and then darts off again, saying she has to go and see Paul.
Mrs Summersgill explains to the abandoned customer that Jane used to be one of her best cutters.
***
At the police station, an agitated Jane tells Sergeant Brooks that she needs to speak to her husband and, even though Milner has already gone home, she asks Brooks to leave him the message.
***
Later that evening, Paul Milner and Edie are walking along a darkened alley-way. They are discussing the length of time they have been together. Milner says it has only been three months while Edie knows, literally to a day, that it is three months, three weeks and three days. He contends that she talks as though they are going to be together forever. Edith has it all planned. "We'll muddle along until Hitler throws in the towel and then we'll get married...and live a proper life!...I told you, I'm not going to let you go." Run, Milner, run!
***
A fireguard wanders down the alley-way. He can hear a woman approaching, followed by another figure. "Why are you following me? What do you want?" The fireguard does nothing to assist Jane and the two figures disappear down the alley-way. A loud "get off me" can be heard and Jane is knocked to the ground.
Continue...