Community chest.
"You've won second prize in a beauty contest."
"Collect £10."
Thank you very much, Hastings.
It would appear that skill plays but a little part in this game, huh?
It's all about skill.
What to buy and when.
Where to put your property.
My name is Wu Ling.
Han Wu Ling.
I have a reservation.
Ah, yes. Mr Wu Ling. Room 306.
- You have a box of matches, please? - Certainly, sir.
If you wouldn't mind, sir.
I will build a hotel on Fenchurch street.
You can't build a hotel on a railway station.
Do not be absurd, Hastings.
There are plenty of hotels at railway stations.
But, but it's not in the rules.
Well then, Hastings, the rules are wrong!
"Houses and hotels cannot be mortgaged."
"All buildings at the site must be sold back to the bank"
"before the property can be mortgaged."
"The bank will pay one half of what was paid for them."
This is insane, quite insane!
Oh the signs have been there in the market for months.
A fool could have seen it coming.
I'm not surprised they went under.
Another tragedy on the Serpentine?
Another suicide, Mr Poirot.
The Imperial Trust collapse.
It's hardly been out of the news!
Big investment company.
Promised its shareholders a 100% dividend
and took a straight nose dive.
A lot of folk have been completely wiped out.
Well...
If you put your head in the mouth of a lion,
you cannot complain if one day he bite it off, huh?
I say. RTZ is at 7 and 6.
Do you think I should switch now or hold tight a little longer?
Well, my view is that...
I am off now to the bank.
I shall return at lunchtime.
Never made a speculative investment in his life.
And I still have my head, Hastings.
- Good morning. - Good morning.
- Glad you could make it. - Not at all.
Hello.
- How is it going? - Oh good.
Have Mr Wu Ling sent straight up here when he arrives.
Thank you.
Oh there's a gentleman called around to see you, sir.
He's in the lounge.
Thank you.
- Perhaps we should telephone his hotel. - Right.
St. James Hotel. Yes?
Mr Wu Ling?
Yes, he was around here a moment ago.
If you'd like to hold on, I'll go and have a look.
- My bill, please. - One moment, sir.
Bonjour.
My name is Poirot.
I would like to ascertain, if you please,
the exact balance in my account.
Here is my number.
- Certainly sir. One moment, please. - Thank you.
Thank you.
Mais non! C'est impossible!
How can I be £50 overdrawn?
It is a point of principle that I always keep my balance
at £444, 4s and 4p.
A point of principle!
I shall check it once more, sir.
It's all right, sir, he's here.
Wilkins is bringing him up now.
How else, huh? Goodness for that.
You know, this isn't Mr Wu Ling.
I'm most dreadfully sorry,
there's been a misunderstanding.
I do apologize, it's our fault.
I've rechecked the figures, sir, and it's a mistake.
You're not overdrawn by £50.
I'm afraid you're overdrawn by £60.
There's no doubt this time, I'm afraid sir.
Mon dieu, this is an outrage!
I shall take this to the highest level, do you hear me?
Nobody makes Poirot look a fool when money is concerned!
100, 200, 300,
400, 500...
600.
Not your night tonight, old man.
Perhaps it is because I do not huff and puff
all over the dice like a wheezing grampus!
- Mr Poirot? - Yes!
You have a visitor.
A visitor? At this hour?
It's Lord Pearson, from your bank.
Lord Pearson, from my bank?
Ah! My bank!
Mr Poirot, I can't apologize enough.
I am very pleased to hear you say so personally.
- Yes er. I realize it is a little late... - Not at all, not at all, Lord Pearson.
It is better later nevertheless, as you English say.
Please do take a seat, huh?
And may I offer you a drink?
A dry sherry, thank you. You see...
Hastings, a little something for you, my friend?
Oh. Right, thank you.
This is a matter of such vital concern to us all
that I don't think that I or any of the bank's directors
will sleep easily in our beds until it's been sorted out.
Well, I must admit that I had not seen it in quite that light, but ah...
... yes Lord Pearson, I have to agree with you.
It is certainly most vital.
Oh, you er...
You know about the disappearance of Mr Wu Ling, then?
Monsieur Wu Ling?
Ah!
Hastings, be so kind as to pour me a little brandy.
You have any idea what this is, Mr Poirot?
Some kind of mineral ore?
Not much to look at,
but smelt this down and burn off the lead impurities
and you're left holding a nugget of top-grade 24-carat silver.
Indeed.
And this came from where?
About 200 miles inland of Rangoon,
deep in the Burmese mountains.
There's an old mine.
The Chinese worked it for 300 years until 1878.
Then it collapsed and became lost to view.
For half a century,
men have died, gone mad trying to find it again,
to seize its riches.
So far, it's eluded them all.
And this Monsieur Ling...
...he has some bearing on this lost mine?
It appears there's a map.
Of the mine's location?
It was handed down to Wu Ling from his family.
This week he came here to sell it to us.
Arrangements were made for him to meet the board this morning
to discuss the price.
And he did not appear as planned.
Exactly.
And yet we know he arrived off the boat at Southampton.
He got to the hotel all right and we know he left there this morning around 10.
Since then, I've checked.
He hasn't been seen or heard of.
Something's gone wrong, Mr Poirot.
I know something's gone wrong.
Good time, Johnny?
Hey! Sailor!
Sailor Johnny!
I can do good time!
Sailor, wait for me.
I'm nice girl.
I give you good time.
Come to my house.
Come to my house, come on, Johnny.
You like me. I'm nice girl.
It's him all right.
Han Wu Ling, businessman from Rangoon.
That was the name in his wallet.
How can you be sure it is him, Chief-Inspector?
Burmese authorities wired his photo over.
There was no sign of your map on him, I'm afraid.
I see. And he was stabbed in the back, you say?
At least three times.
The wounds are rather peculiar,
consistent with some sort of curved oriental knife being used.
Ah Lord Pearson, I'm sorry to call you away from your engagement, sir,
but Mr Poirot here says you might be able to help us with Mr Ling's death.
You may rely on the Chief-Inspector Japp, Lord Pearson.
He is the soul of discretion.
How well did you know this gentleman, sir?
Well, we've...
never had actually met.
But of course we corresponded on regularly.
My God.
I just can't believe he's dead.
Do you suspect some kind of Chinese ritual killing?
Let's just say we're in treacherous waters here, Poirot.
Very treacherous waters indeed.
He seemed a quiet, well behaved sort of gentleman.
Oriental, of course.
I see.
And this room's not been cleaned up since the morning he left the hotel.
Well, there's been a lot to do.
We've been short on staff, and...
It is all the better for the investigations of the Chief-Inspector.
It doesn't look hopeful.
He must have taken the map with him.
There's nothing more that I can...
Hello!?
In Chinese, most of it.
Very sinister.
Ah, there's a name here in English.
Charles Lester.
Business associate, maybe.
Well, there's nothing else for us in this room.
Come on, Poirot.
Ah, forgive me, but er ...
did you not say that upon the day of his arrival,
Monsieur Wu Ling asked you for a box of matches?
Yes. To light his cigarette.
It is most curious.
Cause he already has a full box in his suitcase.
Off you go.
Things are on the move, Poirot.
You got a moment to come and see some modern police work in action?
I think you'll find this interesting, Poirot.
It's a good deal more sophisticated than anything they've got on the continent.
This is where it's all coordinated.
With military precision.
The days of the bobby on the bicycle are long gone, I'm afraid.
My dear Japp, this is truly most impressive.
Message understood. Report as necessary.
What are they doing?
Surveillance, Poirot.
- We're on the trail of a... - Seven to control.
Seven to control, over.
Excuse me.
Control to unit 7.
Reading you loud and clear.
State your position, over.
Control to unit 7.
Subject located at Chowcat Sauna,
Rupert Street, 09:00 hours. Over.
Unit 7, stay with him and keep us informed.
Over and out.
Might be a false lead, or it might not.
We've been making enquiries around that boat Wu Ling was on.
We found out he was seen in the company of this man.
Reginald Dyer.
Twice convicted of currency fraud.
And a known associate of several criminal syndicates in Hong Kong.
Could be just the link we are looking for.
If he is, we'll have him.
There he is.
Unit 7 to control.
Subject sighted emerging from Chowcat Sauna,
hailing cab...
Entering vehicle...
I'm awaiting instructions. Over.
Stay on its tail, unit 7, and report your itinerary.
Unit 8. Come in, unit 8. This is Control.
Unit 8 to Control. 8 to Control, over.
Unit 8, subject heading towards city.
Proceed to rendezvous point. Over.
Message understood. Out.
Unit 8 to Control. 8 to Control.
I can see them now. We're their tail, over.
Unit 10, unit 10,
Join cars 7 and 8.
We'll be one step ahead of him this time, alright.
You know where he's going then?
No, but I fancy I can guess, Captain Hastings.
Chinatown.
The subject has alighted and paid off taxi.
Subject seems to be waiting for someone.
Subject being joined by two Orientals, one with a briefcase.
Subject now being handed briefcase.
It's a probable pick-up.
Cars 8 and 10.
Are you in position, over?
Car 8 to Control. In position now, sir. Over.
Car 10 to Control. 10 to Control.
Moving into position. Over.
Subject moving off.
Steady, lads. Wait for it.
Control to units 7, 8 and 10.
Get him!
Reginald Dyer, I must ask you to accompany me to the police station.
And I must warn you that anything you say
will be taken down and may be used in evidence against you.
We've got him!
Jolly good.
Good work!
Jolly good.
Splendid, sir!
So you reckon this Reggie Dyer killed our Mr Ling?
I'll know more when I've questioned him.
You coming along, Poirot?
The name you discovered in the notebook of Mr Ling...
Charles Lester? We've tried him twice this morning, he was out.
- Well, it may be of no worth... - Be my guest.
For the moment I've got more important fish to fry.
Well, Hastings.
While the Chief-Inspector is frying his important fish,
let us see what we can catch.
Wu Ling, Wu Ling...
The name is one I recall...
Yes! Rangoon! Right.
We'd done one or two deals together.
I guess he was just planning to look me up.
Be a natural thing to do
and that's why he had my name written down on his book.
And yet he had not contacted you since his arrival here in London?
You guys coming in here, this the first I've heard of him.
I thank you for your time, monsieur,
and we will disturb you no longer.
I really wish I could be more help.
I mean, I know you're like one of England's top gumshoes, right?
I admire your work greatly.
Thank you.
You wrote this, Mr Lester?
Take it, my compliments.
You a speculator, too?
Well, I dabble, you know. Guilds, consoles.
Hastings.
Thank you. I'll study it with interest.
Right. And if you want me to suggest a few schemes,
my number's right on the back.
No obligation.
Good day, Mr Lester.
So long, Hercule!
My dear fellow, I don't know anything about a map.
All I did was have a couple of drinks
with a chap on the boat back from Hong Kong.
Does that make me a murderer?
I suppose you won this on the Irish Sweepstake.
You've got nothing on me, Japp.
Not a single shred of evidence to keep me here a minute longer.
Listen, Dyer.
I'm gonna nail your grubby little hide if it takes from now until...
Mr Dyer's solicitor, sir.
Good morning, Mr Dyer. This won't take long.
Do you recognize anybody in these photographs?
They're not very good quality, are they?
Never mind about the quality.
It is the man who came for Mr Ling or isn't it?
No. No, it's definitely not him, definitely not him.
Oh. It stands to reason, I suppose.
Dyer's too canny to show himself.
He would have an accomplice.
Excuse me.
This Monsieur Wu Ling,
he spoke with the American accent, yes?
Erm... yes.
I believe he did, now that you've come to mention it.
Thank you.
Shall we go?
American accent?
The Americans always put the month before the date, Hastings.
Ah!
Yes, they're very backward people.
You know, if you'll excuse me,
I'll just pop back and have another word with that chap Lester.
One or two of his schemes looked quite interesting.
I must just... Oh, damn.
Excuse me, I think one of you dropped this.
- Oh, thank you. - You're welcome.
Well I'll be damned.
Something is the matter, monsieur?
It's him! No question about it.
This is the fellow that called to see Mr Ling.
I guess I panicked. Er...
When I read about the murder, you see...
This kind of thing, it's er...
not exactly good for business.
Right now it's not exactly good for you.
Okay.
Okay, this guy, Ling.
Er, I lied about doing some deals with him before.
The fact is I've never met him, I've never heard of him before in my life.
Suddenly, he just calls up out of the blue
and tells me he's just arrived in the country and he er..
has something I might be interested in.
And so you go to meet him at his hotel?
We have one drink and then we go off in a cab somewhere, some Chinese dive.
Well ah, halfway through the meal,
he gets up to go use the phone and er...
he never comes back.
That's the last I ever saw of him.
This Chinese dive, they can verify your story, I hope.
Well I, I can't be exactly sure where it was.
The body of Mr Wu Ling was found in an alley near to the docks.
No. No, it was er...
...nowhere near the docks, I would've remembered.
You have to believe me, I didn't kill the guy.
I mean, why would I want to kill him?
Mr Lester?
I er..., I have to go out now, Miss Boreham.
I can't say when I'll be back.
Chinatown.
That's the key to this puzzle.
When we get to the root of it, we'll find it's the Tongs.
Ah, the Tongs. Right.
You know how many years I've been after those vermin now?
- Seven. - Seven long years.
And this time they're not gonna slip the leash.
You seem very sure of your ground, Chief-Inspector.
Well, it all fits, doesn't it?
Reggie Dyer meets Ling on the boat,
finds out about the lost mine,
sells the information to these Oriental devils
who then carve him up and make off with the map!
Scuttling back to their evil nests down in the East End.
I'm not sure about this chap Lester.
He's a strange piece of work.
What do you say, Poirot?
In my opinion, there is but one solution.
To build a house on Whitechapel.
- Eh? - Whitechapel?
That's ambitious stuff, Poirot. Quite certain?
Quite certain, thank you, Hastings.
Yes indeed, Chief-Inspector, there are curious features about this case.
Par example, the cigarette stubs in the ashtray of Mr Wu Ling.
Cigarette stubs?
The color of the ends. You observed it, of course?
Then there is the mystery of the matches in the suitcase.
Why there's a man with a full box of matches
ask for another to light his cigarette?
Why does he?
Well, when we'll know that,
no doubt we will have our solution.
No doubt.
Well... good night, gentlemen.
Good night, Chief-Inspector.
Inscrutable folk, the Chinese.
Quite so, Hastings.
Quite so.
Has Chief-Inspector Japp gone?
He has left just this second.
There's a phone call for him from a Mrs Lester.
She sounds quite hysterical.
I will take it in here, Miss Lemon.
Hello, Madame Lester?
Madame, please try to be calm, huh?
It is Hercule Poirot.
Yes.
You are certain?
Your husband left his office this afternoon by taxi and he has not returned?
And to where has he taken this taxi?
I see.
Chinatown.
You're absolutely sure?
Oh yes. And they're peaking now,
but I've heard a whisper they may be riding for a fall.
- Right. So, sell the zinc... - Miss Lemon.
- Not one telephone call this morning? - No.
This letter came second post.
- Thank you. - So what about the United Gold?
That's pretty solid blue chip.
In fact, you could do a lot worse...
That is viciously intolerable!
My cheque to the telephone company,
it had been returned by the bank!
They're threatening to cut us off!
Miss Lemon, get me the chairman of the telephone company on the phone this instant!
My financial affairs have always been beyond reproach.
Four hundred and forty four pounds, four shillings and four pence.
It is a point of principle and of this?
Good morning. Is Mr Poirot in?
- Yes. It's Mrs...? - Lester.
Mrs Charles Lester.
Car 1 to Control. Car 1 to Control.
Proceeding to Chinatown district to interview a Mr Ho,
known associate of Reginald Dyer.
Good afternoon, gents. Sorry to break up the fun,
but there's one or two questions we'll like to ask you.
We know Reggie Dyer is a friend of yours,
we know you've done business with him,
so let me put it this way, Mr Ho.
You will be wanting your license for this place renewed?
Okay. Okay.
I'll tell you what I know about Mr Dyer.
I just want him back, Mr Poirot.
He's not an evil man.
I just wish I knew what was going on.
All I ask, madame, is that you tell me the truth.
No matter how bad it may seem for your husband.
Well...
He's been a changed man
for some months now.
Such different moods.
One moment so calm and relaxed,
and then suddenly.
Oh God, if you could see him.
And then, yesterday morning,
I was going through the wardrobe and...
I found...
Yes, madame, what is it that you found?
His dark blue suit.
The trousers were damp at the bottom, caked with dirt.
And then...
...this fell out of his jacket.
The passport of Mr Wu Ling.
You said the truth, Mr Poirot.
Yes, madame.
Come on, lads.
'Round the back.
Police. Come on!
You wish to play, Chief-Inspector?
No, thank you.
Over here, sir.
Excuse me.
White foreign devil!
Intruder.
What's this?
What did our friend across the road tell us, Jameson?
"The red eye", I think he said.
It's just a cellar, sir.
Storage facilities.
Really?
Cor blimey. What is it, sir?
Opium, sergeant.
Passport to paradise.
Chow Feng. How's business?
Hello, Reggie.
Well now, Reggie?
This is what I call being caught in the act.
Look.
There's been some mistake.
You brought back one or two holiday souvenirs from the Far East, I see.
You're gonna need more than a clever dick lawyer
to save your skin this time, my boy.
Sir.
Don't we know him?
Yes. His name's Lester.
It would appear from this telegram
that Dyer has now been arrested for the smuggling of opium
and Lester also has been found in the den.
That wraps it up then.
Lester's already lied to us once.
What his wife told us confirms it.
He murdered Ling and stole the map. Case closed.
Yes.
£450, if you please, Hastings.
Of course, he's still in a deep coma.
They will not be able to question him for several hours.
Thank you.
Just one good throw, that's all I need.
A double!
"Chance".
"Go to jail". Wonderful.
You are right, Hastings.
It is indeed wonderful.
Suddenly, the whole thing has become perfectly clear!
Viens.
Where are we going now?
Mr Poirot!
Ah Lord Pearson!
You have received my message.
Of course.
I came as soon as I could. What's happened?
There have been one or two developments, sir,
which I think you may be able to help us with.
Certainly. Anything I can.
Do we have him at last?
Do we have the killer?
Oh yes. We have the killer, mon ami.
This man is Mr Charles Lester.
Former business contact of Wu Ling
and part-time opium addict.
Couple of hours ago,
we searched his office and we came up with this map,
which I'm sure you'll be able to identify for us
as the map to the lost silver mine.
Well, my Chinese isn't very good, Chief-Inspector, but ah...
whatever this is, it isn't the map to the mine.
It looks more like some page from an atlas or something.
An atlas?
Well, looks like you don't have a shred of evidence to keep me here, Inspector.
Am I correct?
In which case, I take it I'm free to go.
I think not, monsieur.
If you did not kill Mr Wu Ling,
perhaps you can explain
how your wife came to find this in your jacket pocket.
I don't have any idea. I...
- I..., I didn't kill this... - Of course he killed him!
There's your evidence, right there!
Wu Ling's passport!
But I did not say it was the passport of Mr Wu Ling, my friend,
so how could you possibly have known?
Well, goddamn it, I can see what it is from here!
Indeed! But this is not a passport. No!
It is a set of rules for the game of Monopoly.
But... you just...
Lord Pearson.
I'm afraid you're under arrest for murder.
You set this whole thing up!
You brought me here to identify the map.
But you already have the map, mon ami.
You stole it from Mr Wu Ling on the very day of his arrival,
when you had him brutally killed by your Chinese thugs.
Oh yes, Lord Pearson knows Chinatown well.
He himself likes to gamble here in the Red Dragon,
where Monsieur Lester is also a frequent visitor
to the casino's opium dens.
Each night, you satisfy your passion for gambling, Lord Pearson,
as each night, Mr Lester satisfies his craving for the drug.
Here, amidst the smoke and sweat of the Red Dragon,
dark dreams are dreamt
and dark thoughts become reality.
The weakness of the other man begins to fascinate you
and one evening, when you have gambled and lost even more heavily than usual,
you see how to make use of it.
You devise a plan to frame Mr Lester for the crime.
First, you arrange for one of your accomplices to pose as Mr Wu Ling
and check in at his hotel.
My name is Wu Ling.
Han Wu Ling.
I have a reservation.
In order to match Monsieur Wu Ling,
he has to blacken the teeth and of course,
the color comes off on the end of the cigarettes.
You have a box of matches, please?
He asks for a box of matches,
because of course, he does not know he already has one.
Remember, it was not his suitcase.
The name and address of Mr Lester
is then carefully planted into the notebook of Mr Wu Ling,
for the police to find later.
The next day, Mr Lester is summoned to the hotel,
believing it to be a business meeting,
and knowing his weakness for opium,
the accomplice lures him to the Red Dragon.
Hopelessly drugged,
the poor Mr Lester is dumped beside the body of Mr Wu Ling.
Where you place into his pocket
the passport of the victim.
He comes to, he sees the body...
What is he to think?
That he has committed murder
under the influence of the drug.
You see, my friend,
you made one little error early on
which alerted my suspicion.
You told the security guard at the bank,
"No, this is not Mr Wu Ling".
No, this isn't Mr Wu Ling!
An interesting statement, n'est ce pas?
From someone who claimed never to have met him in his life!
Well we've...
never actually met.
But it is not only here in the Red Dragon
that you like to gamble, Lord Pearson.
Also, I understand, on the stock exchange, yes?
The collapse of the Imperial Trust must have hit you very hard.
And the sale of the map
would have more than compensated for your losses.
Lord Pearson.
Good morning.
Good morning, Miss Lemon.
You're in the high spirits today.
Yes, my shares are up another 9½ points.
Isn't it wonderful?
I thought I advised you to sell yesterday?
I know, but Mr Poirot advised me to wait.
Well! Some tisane?
Thank you very much, Miss Lemon.
Oh. Mr Poirot. I say.
Yes, Miss Lemon, the tables, they have been turned around, have they not?
No no, this envelope.
This is the cheque from Lord Avery,
for the naval secrets' case.
This should have gone into your account ten days ago.
Miss Lemon, you are in the right.
Argh! This is the reason I am overdrawn!
I think I'd better pop down to the bank with this right away, don't you?
So, the bank's figures were right after all, eh?
Usually are, I'm afraid.
Incroyable.
To think, all this time...
Rent, Hastings. £2,000, if you please.
Thank you.
You know, mon ami.
About this game, you were right all the time.
It is the skill that counts, in the end.
resynched and extensively corrected by vanTransyl. 2011-07-25