BBC George Smiley A Murder of Quality

On impulse I decided to listen to another of the BBC radio plays on the Le Carré books on George Smiley A Murder of Quality written I suspect when Le Carré was unsure which direction his character would take as it does not concern the world of spies and the London Circus but a who dun it in which the plot is fairly stock and at times difficult to take in a first hearing. Gorge had required and living alone when he is contacted by a war time circus colleague who edits a religious newspaper and who has received a letter from a woman fearing her husband was trying to kill her who is the wife of a master at a public school called Calne (the spelling is mine) and where the brother of another former colleague also teaches. His contact sounds rather like Connie of later books

In addition to Simon Russell Beale in the role of George Smiley it features Geoffrey Palmer as the master at a public school called Fielding whose brother George regarded as a friend.

He agrees and telephones Fielding only to find that the woman has been battered to death and that a local lunatic is suspected and has gone on the run. He then contact the police who pouts him touch with a local Inspector who he meets the following day to hand over the letter that had been received. The inspector as in the first book where he meet Inspector Mendal is more than willing to seek the advice of George and then his direct help as the public school is a closed community with little contact with the outside world.

The first problem is to determine motive but as the play progresses it emerges that the dead woman although religious was more than harmless gossip but someone who enjoyed hurting and controlling people, with a temper and as it emerges capable of blackmail where she realises that one of the masters at the school, George’s contact no less had been involved in a homosexual offence appearing before magistrates one of whom was her father although how she was able to make the connection is not disclosed. While the attention of the police does switch to the husband who is arrested when comes to see George whom is amazingly free with giving his address in addition to phone number to strangers.

The local woman described a lunatic is indeed funny peculiar and frightening to those who do not understand and mental illness and to some who do. She appears implicated where she has possession of costume jewellery belonging to the deceased and a coat which the woman had collected for a charity proving clothing to Hungarian refugees, a cause which the white was closely associated and sent regular parcels of those she had collected. She is not involved.

The man responsible for the death her is in fact Fielding. He was brought back to the school at the end of the end of World War II by the head on the basis of being temporary without a contract and this had remained the position which meant he would not receive a pension. The woman and tormented him and he had planned to get rid of her and implicate the mad woman unaware that she written the letter about her husband.

He was also responsible for the death of senior school boy academically struggling but a cellist with promise. He had looked into a music case and seen clothing which the murderer and used had used and then sent to the Refugee Committee in the hope.

There was some philosophy about the relatively of truth and the way UK society was changing from an era when gentlemen had worn evening dress and ladies special dresses and social behaviour was clearly defined and the subject for comment if individuals failed to conform or appreciate standards. The more I have reflected on the play the more I find it is of no consequence as I suspect the book. The only interest is the involvement of George as an interlude when it appears he too little to do other than reflect on his past life and the failed marriage.

　

　

　

To contact and find that the woman was battered to death after having a meal with her husband with Fielding. Through a contact he is put in contact with an Inspector Rigby appointed to investigate the case. A senior officer at the station attended the school and is interested and there are various oddness, including that although she said she had not contact someone at her local church she mentioned her fears but not more two weeks before she had written to the journal edited by Georges former friend.

He takes the letter to the Inspector and agrees to give advice because the school is a closed community to the local community. Who hated this woman to kill her? He muses to his former colleague