Deadlier Than the Male

- Put me through to Hardacre. - Yes, Mr Keller.

- Mr Keller wants this passed to London. - Okay.

Here you are, sir.

Careful - the... coffee is very hot.

Thank you.

Excuse me.

This is Eckman, Captain.

Mr Keller would like to fly as low as possible over the island.

"She whispers such pretty lies."

"Don't believe her."

"For when you look into her eyes."

"Love just isn't there."

"Brother beware."

"Take care, my brother - take care."

"For the female of the species is deadlier than the male."

"The smile that made a dream begin."

"Clouds your vision."

"It's just the shadow of a dream."

"That you're living in."

"She never cared."

"Beware, my brother - beware."

"For the female of the species is deadlier than the male."

"By walking streets you've never known, ."

"When the night comes."

"Sitting in places that you go, ."

"Hoping she'll be there."

"Brother, beware."

"Take care, my brother - take care."

"For the female of the species is deadlier than the male."

far-reaching effects, both to your own interests and internationally.

This tape contains all the information I have on the subject.

I know you'll recognise the urgency...

and act on it immediately.

I'd like to have seen you myself...

but it's imperative that I stay here.

Good luck, Hugh.

Good morning.

Good morning. Lovely day, isn't it?

- Are you Mr Wyngarde? - Yes.

Right.

Silly, Mr Wyngarde. Very silly.

Okay.

Poor Mr Wyngarde.

Mr Drummond?

- Yes. - You're wanted on the phone.

Excuse me.

Hugh Drummond here. You have a call for me?

Hello, John. Don't you ever take a day off?

About... half an hour then?

Okay, all right. Bye-bye.

I say, Drummond?

Doesn't your group at Lloyds insure most of the Keller Organisation?

It's a nasty business.

And it's going to cost us a great deal of money.

Well...

it may sound ghoulish, but as it happens, it's going to make us a great deal of money.

How?

Phoenician Oil is almost certain to pick up Keller's concessions now.

We've been after them for months...

but Keller's always stood in our way.

What is it, Peggy?

- Time for your medicine. - Lord!

- Can I get you a drink, Mr Drummond? - Yes, have a drink.

Filthy muck!

- I think I'll have one too. - No, Sir John.

- No? - No!

Mr Drummond?

Later, perhaps.

Very well.

You're wasting your time.

Peggy's a very well brought-up girl. Father's a bishop.

But in spite of her, I'm going to have a drink.

They tell me you knew a fellow named David Wyngarde?

Yes, I still do.

Not anymore. He's dead!

Good heavens. How?

Killed in a shooting accident.

That doesn't sound like Wyngarde.

He was a particularly careful man. Especially about guns.

This was a harpoon gun...

he was, er, skin-diving.

Now I know there's something fishy!

He couldn't swim.

What you've just told me confirms my own suspicions.

Wyngarde worked for me, you know?

Exploratory work on oil fields.

Two days ago, I got this cable from him.

"Imperative contact Henry Keller immediately. Matter life and death. Cable whereabouts. Wyngarde."

And did you contact him?

Ever tried to contact a man like Keller?

Ran his whole damn shooting match from that plane. I tried, but couldn't.

Next thing I hear is this.

And you think that, er, Wyngarde knew?

Well, he must have known something.

Well, what do you want me to do about it?

Well, you're involved in two ways.

First, the insurance on Keller's plane.

Second, your friendship with Wyngarde.

I'd appreciate it if you could find out what happened.

Well, I'll try. Can I keep this?

It's time for the Phoenician board meeting, Sir John.

Right.

It's a sick world, Hugh.

Keller's dead. And, because of it...

do you know what I'll find around the Phoenician board table this morning?

Nothing but a lot of happy, smiling faces.

Please... gentlemen.

Sir John?

I say it's an obligation.

No matter what has happened...

Phoenician is committed to pay and...

- we shall have to do so. - A million pounds?

You'd seriously pay out a million pounds of the shareholders' money, when you don't have to?

They'd boot you out of the next meeting if you did.

And quite right, too!

A million pounds was the figure agreed, Bridgenorth.

And, anyway - why all the fuss?

You know what the Samarkand oil concession means to us.

Exactly...

if we don't clear six million net profit in the first eighteen months, I'll resign.

And about time, too!

Now, let's look at this situation realistically, shall we?

Three months ago...

we, Phoenician Oil...

were approached by the representative of an unknown private party...

who suggested...

that Keller's objection...

to merging his oilfields with ours...

could be overcome inside six months...

in exchange for a fee of one million pounds.

Now Keller's dead...

the merger will go through, and it needn't cost us a cent.

And yet...

two of our directors still want to pay out this million. Why?

Because we have a contract.

And when I make a contract, I stick to it.

Rubbish!

Yes?

- The young lady's here to see you now, sir. - Thank you.

Gentlemen, the other party's representative is here.

Good. Let's get on with it.

Good morning, Miss Eckman.

Good morning.

We have just been discussing what could be done about your proposition.

But there's nothing to discuss, I'm sure.

Mr Keller no longer opposes the merger...

now you... merely have to pay our fee.

Thank you.

We don't have to pay a cent.

You didn't do anything.

Keller's death was an Act of God.

Our contract did not call on us to do anything, gentlemen.

Except prove that Mr Keller's opposition would be withdrawn, before a specified date.

Well...

it HAS been withdrawn.

She's absolutely right, you know.

Gentlemen.

I think we should take a vote.

Those who feel we are obligated to pay this fee should signify in the usual way.

Those in favour of payment?

Thank you. Four.

And those against?

Five.

I, also, am in favour of paying.

You see, Miss Eckman - we're deadlocked.

Very well, then.

I shall convey your decision to my principal.

And perhaps we can meet again tomorrow.

Yes, there's a good lass.

Or why not have him come up here himself?

We'd all like to meet him.

I'm afraid that would be... impossible.

Good day.

- Thank you, Miss Eckman. - Thank you.

That's a right little cracker, that one.

Why can't we employ agents like her?

Item five, gentlemen.

Hi, Uncle Hugh.

You're supposed to be in America.

- Yeah, well, something came up. - What was she like?

Angry. So was her father.

You're... not thinking of staying, are you?

Well, I live here. Remember?

Only when you're in London.

So? I'm in London.

And it's good to be home.

- You are pleased to see me? - I'm overwhelmed.

I'm mean, you... you haven't rented my room or anything, have you?

Now that's a damn good idea - I wish I'd thought of it.

It's good to see you again, Uncle Hugh.

- What have you been up to? - This and that.

- That? - Miss Ashenden. My nephew, Robert.

- How do you do? - Hello, Miss Ashenden.

- Or may I call you... - "Miss Ashenden" will be fine.

Hey... look, if this is business or something...?

We've finished.

We have?

Well then...

- maybe I should take the lady home. - That won't be necessary.

Well, we can't have you walking the streets alone.