ACTAM01 AGATHA CHRISTIE: THE ABC MURDERS | A IS FOR ANDOVER | NO COMMENTARY PLAYTHROUGH ON LENOVO LE

[Music] [Music] some post Mr ero you fancy yourself don't you at solving Mysteries that are too difficult for our poor thickhead British police let us see Mr clever PUO just how clever you can be perhaps you'll find this nut too hard to crack look out for endover on the 21st of the month yours extra a BC oh some sort of joke maybe but please remind me to inform Chief Inspector chap [Music] [Music] it's here Pirro the murder took place in this street Grim Place indeed to Hastings the streets of H are in a terrible State look there's Chief Inspector he's talking with a policeman let us try not to get our shoes wet [Music] over here it's Hastings and porro you missed the: train we took the halfast 10 luckily the service is good to hand over so Chief Inspector what do we have the victim is called Alice Asher she owned this tobacco shop she was killed yesterday with a blow to the back of the head at what time let me just check [Music] is being too relaxed let us find the clues that prove it jab is in a good mood I bet he thinks he's already called a cprit the last customer to see Mrs Asher alive left her shop at halfast 5 the body was found at around 11: in the evening by an officer doing his rounds the shop door was open that's what alerted him had anything been taken a little tobacco maybe but you hardly murder for a few smokes there's nothing of any real value in the shop what type of woman was Miss aser in her 50s married but separated no children a husband aha France Asher the husband alcoholic and violent it said that he regularly insulted his wife and threatened to kill her do you think he's guilty we'll look for R Asher if he doesn't have an alibi the case is closed a very unoriginal murder betet may I examine the K scene of course old chap I'll be with you in a minute faru [Music] [Music] she has a packet of play cigarette next to her hand did she drop it when she fell this poor woman's head is resting in a very even shaped pool of blood this poor woman's head is the body is hidden by the counter and is not visible from the Tobacco Shop store many customers must have thought that Mrs Asher had popped out I can't see any other mark on the floor she just has one wound on the back of the head there are no other wounds or signs of a struggle [Music] red liquid is oozing out is it blood no it's just some strawberries that are losing their juice they probably come from the fruit and vegetable shop opposite it's not just any Railway guide it's an [Music] ABC it's open at the letter A there are no prints on the book the counter is covered with fingerprints all on top of one another unfortunately it will not be possible to use [Music] them there are cigarettes packets in a mess on the Shelf the tail does not appear to have been touched I have to check that nothing is missing from it something is preventing the D Farm opening h a mechanism has just made a fan click the teil is full of money but there is something strange something is hidden underneath [Music] [Music] this must be the key to the back of the shop [Music] [Music] the place is unusually tidy for a crime [Music] scene nothing suggests any sign of a fight [Music] so parro any news so an ABC guide with no fingerprints but prints all the cont normally the tobacco shop does not sell ABC guides exactly Monami could you have a word with the neighbors some may have seen something of course my friend I'll do it straight away [Music] the motive is definitely not financial gain there is no sign of a struggle and the teal has not been forced or emptied Mrs Asher was killed here the absence of marks in the shop and the regular shape of the blood stains indicated Beyond a doubt the murderer deliberately left behind this ABC as a signature the absence of fingerprint and the fact that it is open at letter A for end over leaves little doubt the door is locked what a strange box it looks like you have to slide the slats of wood to open [Music] [Music] it this button appears to activate the mechanism that should do [Music] it a necklace of bright blue St [Music] horns who is this young woman to my dear Aunt Alice Mar have you found anything the victim has a niece we must find her [Music] this this interior is very [Music] simple Mrs Asher lived very simply [Music] H it is [Music] blocked such a pretty decoration should be at the center of the motive to respect the Symmetry I heard the fent sound as if something was UN locked [Music] [Music] medicine lenum based cough medicine Mrs hasha and D moly laboratory London it's strange to find such an elaborate medicine from an leading London laboratory in the home of such a modest [Music] woman from Mr Adam Flint Royal Bank is field hod and over to Mrs Alice aser five Bishops hod and over Dear Mrs aser first to your request of 12 February 1935 I have informed my superiors of your wish to apply for a loone to acquire the lease of the shop you rent from Mr Fairfax despite the seriousness of your case I regret to inform you that your request has been denied the amount of your personal contribution £1 is not high enough and represents too small part of the final transaction I remain at your disposal for any questions Adam Flint Mrs Asher's Meer savings were not enough for her to own the tobacco shop but will largely cover our funeral [Music] costs an inscription in German souvenir of our unimon in the Black Forest to my Alice forever France aser the ashes were a lovely couple when they were young did Alice Asher suffer from nose [Music] beds blood I think I've looked everywhere here let us see if I can find any more information in the shop surroundings [Music] four P letters strawberry this place is run down [Music] this is a really cut neighborhood anyone could have committed the crime stes get your four p a Lett a lovely large Letts four P only this woman appears to be a [Music] smoker she's a big smoker she must have been a customer at the tobacco shop did you know Alice Asher well and for stars who are you I'm erul PUO the detective you're foreign that's for sure with your accent and your odd way about you and you hear about Alice's murder I suppose well I've nothing to say to you did you speak to the victim yesterday no I never saw her I do not quite understand you work next door to each other but you do not see each other it's true I didn't see her all [Music] day I know that you went to the tobacco shop yesterday well so you killed Mrs Asher with a Blow To The Head no you ask for a packet of plays she turned around to take it from the shelf and you hit her one blow listen I didn't kill Alice I swear but it's true that I did go to the shop yesterday at what time 6:00 she left me a note saying she wanted some strawberries if I got some I received them late about six so I took them over to her but you did not see her she wasn't in the shop so I just put the strawberries on the counter and left did you see anything unusual in the shop no well maybe one thing there was a railway guide on the counter Alice didn't sell them maybe it's the customer who left it there you were not alarmed I thought Alice had just gone to get her medicine from her room and that she'd be straight back you mention medicine something for her cough she used to take it a lot who do you think killed her France her sced on of her husband he was always after her for something well he's a foreigner uh sorry sir what I mean is he's German that's even worse did you see France Asher enter the tobacco shop late yesterday afternoon well no but at that time of the day the streets are packed and I have better things to do than watch her shop hey quo I found the victim's niece she's waiting for you in the back of the shop if you want a question her thank you Monami sh [Music] the murderer probably pretended to be a customer H the shopkeeper from behind as she turned around to serve him had the body removed out of respect for the victim's niece his attention is [Music] commendable is our grief sincere [Music] she appears to be very upset she stress in morning she looks for Gile you are very fond of your aunt am I right she was the only family I had since my mother died your aunt did not have any children is that correct no she was separated from her husband what do you think about fance Asha aunt's husband he never left her alone poor Aunt she used to drop by all the time and make a scene was your aunt afraid of her husband he shouted a lot but she wasn't afraid of him why he used to slink away when she turned on him he was afraid of her if you like [Music] did you haunt enjoy good s she had a bad throat she was well cared for by a doctor in London does France aser work all he's done for years is drink and gamble but he used to be a very good cabinet maker what does he leave son my aunt used to give him five Shillings a week why did she support such a goods for nothing he was a husband she couldn't leave him with nothing I understand you have been of great assistance [Music] mmis please take this young lady home my pleasure well this France Asher does not seem to be quite so dangerous at J sex and since Alice Asher gave him money regularly it was not in his interest to kill her [Music] we have to wait for him to sleep it off he's all yours porro there are a few things I need to check that must be some way of soing him up I wonder what his wife used to do he must have scared the customers away he's not in any condition to be questioned I have to find way to so him [Music] up a box of new stockings it's Ali Sasha's notebook Ah that's interesting it probably contains information about possible debtors and creditors Bly the fruit seller has depths too she will probably be more Cooperative thanks to this piece of information Mary drow was telling the truth Mrs Asha regularly gave money to her alcoholic husband [Music] [Music] according to the victim's account book you order £10 for tobacco and magazines that's a lie she owed me1 I swear now please be so kind as to explain this look at my account book Alice Ed me £1 for fruit and vegetables I may have had a slate at her shop but she had one at mine she owed me1 and that reminds me I have to get it back from her niece that is quite enough your can book has saved you but I might ask Chief Inspector to throw you in the cells for one or two nights while he checks your entries do you want to go to prison prison now that's not fair I haven't done nothing in that case I am counting on your full collaboration yes sir of course [Music] sir I'll just borrow your butle a moment take it it's what Alice used to S up her husband but try not to empty the bottle let us now try and get our BR cells to work strawberries six p a p [Music] M I can say without a doubt that poor Mrs Asher was killed between half past 5 and 6 killed when the street was packed with people that's rather bold I've been talking to the neighbors and no one seen anything or rather it's anything and everything am I wrong no yeah we must Grill this villain AER before before he falls asleep [Music] again this man is in hazad State this man has been fighting and smells of alcohol [Music] we know that you threaten to kill your wife Asha so what you shouldn't take things so seriously sir nothing would empty threats we didn't get on all that badly so if things were going so well with your wife why did you not live with her she was the one that left nothing to do with me [Music] sir you can't have treated her very well for her to run away no sir no I wouldn't say I'd ever laid a finger on her but it was only normal she was my wife are you a f involved in fights I don't know what you you [Music] mean the truth is that someone gave you a good beating a beating no way all right he tore my coat and gave me a black eye you see the state of him very interesting who is the other that you struck probably best if I tell you everything yesterday afternoon I met rodri Tanner we'd bet on a dog fight together an illegal bet not really yes sir our dog won rodri got the money but he refused to give me my share and you thought about it what time was this in the evening about 6 I think we were on the other side of town you see I couldn't have killed my wife Asher's alabon appears to be confirmed all the same I'm going to call and check that he did have a fight with this Tanner on the afternoon of the murder you can never trust this sort of chap one thing is certain Asher was a Ruffian who used to beat his wife but he's not very educated it certainly was not him who wrote the letter signed ABC let's resume his thingss we know the murderer pretended to be a customer he did not kill her for money that appears to be certain I agree with you on that point and the murder left an ABC guide as a signature therefore it's likely he wrote the letter indeed but that doesn't explain why and how he did it you are quite right why he did it is a mystery but as for how he did it we do know enough to try and reconstruct the events [Music] [Music] the killer enters the shop Mrs hasher turns around to great a customer the murderer asks her for some tobacco she turns her back to him he seizes the opportunity to strike her is and places the ABC upside down before leaving everything appears to match the crime scene M Hastings that is exactly what happened Asher has a strong gipi and we don't have any other suspect but what was the point of this crime she had no debts she gave France Asher money regularly she wasn't owed money nobody stood to gain anything no doubt about it the murderer is insane and I feel that we had not heard the L of him I hope you're wrong for once yeah let's go back to London if we hurry we should catch the 2 7 train are you coming no unfortunately I have to talk with Andover police see you soon then are you coming his thingss let's go home there's nothing for us [Music] here well do you have any idea about the Killer's identity the crime was committed by a man of medium height with red hair and suspicious eyes he has a slight limp on the right foot and a w just below his shoulder blade parro Monami what do you want you fix upon me a look of doglike devotion and the Man Of Me pronouncement Al shlock Holmes now for the truth I do not know what the murderer looks like nor where he lives know how to set hands upon him what should we do then nothing nothing do not be so impatient as things the killer will manifest himself soon enough I thought I heard the postman maybe there's some news I would go and [Music] see Dear Mr faru well what do you think I believe that I won this round the end of her Affair went like clockwork don't you feel but the fun has only just started I would like to draw your attention to beon SE on the 25th of this month we're having a crazy time best wishes ABC the next crime will be in bexil we must W up to Scotland Yard did the letter indicate anything that might help the police to be honest I think we can already guess something about the next victim but I need to think about it a little more [Music] no doubt about it hting is going bored [Music] and over Hampshire population 31,200 [Music] inhabitants daily flicker June the 22nd 1935 battle over control of bank system what will the government do for money end over murder of a [Music] tobacconist ah some cool hair [Music] let us examine this more [Music] closely certain characters in the two letters may have similar defects yes this eye is weird the W is not printed properly of course the W characters in the two letters do indeed have the same defects I have to find some other similar defects to comp confirm my theory yes this eye is weird yes the eye characters in the two letters do indeed have the same defects I have to find some other similar defects to confirm my [Music] theory yes the a appears to be quite unusual [Music] that's right the a characters in the two letters do indeed have the same defects my theory was right these two letters were written with the same [Music] typewriter both letters were written on the same tyer and show the same characteristics you surprise me Paro you usually ignore material proof but there is nothing usual about this case thingss nothing must be overlooked let us now try and get our Brin cells to work [Music] so par have you found something we I believe so but I am afraid it is not enough to stop the murderer let us go and see Chief Inspector I will explain there to Scotland Yard please has invested a great deal in his [Music] career chap is an investigator greatly respected by his peers [Music] London I really like this city one thing is certain you never get bored here Alice hasher was murdered in endover the ABC Killer's first murder chaps interview home many cases have been solved in this little office [Music] appears to be snowed under chap appears to already be overloaded with work my news is not not going to improve matters Chief Inspector I am afraid we have some bad news I have just received another letter signed ABC the next crime will be on the 25th in beyon C are you completely sure it's from the same person I have compared the two letters there is no doubt about it I suppose you think he's going to carry out his threats I fear so good God parro Beil is very busy at this time of year and we have no idea who the next victim will be I suspect that the name of the second victim will start with b What on earth makes you think such a thing I thought about it when I saw the name Asher clearly written of the shop door of the unfortunate woman who was murdered in andova last month when I received a letter mentioned in bexil I deduced that victim like the town might have been chosen by alphabetical order so it's an alphabet fiend I'm going to have a list drawn up of all the people whose name starts with B I hope there aren't too many of them yeah we should leave you to work Chief Inspector you have a few days to prepare yourself thank you for coming my friends [Music] Faro Chief Inspector your call does not B well indeed we have just found the body of a young woman on the beach in beill an ABC was placed on the body we'll be there as soon as possible