Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) Logo 'The Ghost Talks'
by Gerald Kelsey
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) Cast

After falling from a balcony while attempting to apprehend a safebreaker, Jeff is confined to a hospital bed with a broken arm and leg. He is visited by Marty, who, faced with a captive audience, recounts the biggest case they ever had, which he personally handled when Jeff was away in Scotland and he was still alive. It was a case of national importance, the details of which he had never revealed to Jeff, and began with a telephone call from Sir Basil Duggan, deputy head of MI5, who apparently served in the army with Jeff. As requested, Marty met Sir Basil at his gentleman’s club, and was given the mission of recovering essential documents stolen by a counter-spy. Marty accepted the mission, and with the help of seasoned safe-breaker Joe Hudson he recovered the papers from a private house - while Hudson helped himself to a diamond necklace when Marty was not looking. Marty then turned the papers over to Sir Basil, but his detective instincts made him take down Sir Basil's license number as he drove away. However, the next day Marty learned from a newspaper headline that he actually broke into the home of MI5 chief Major General Hickson. When Marty returned to the military club and demanded to be taken to Sir Basil Duggan, he discovered that the ‘Sir Basil’ of the previous day was not Sir Basil at all, but a man named Major Brenan. Marty is pursued by Brenan and his associate Parker, who trap him in the sauna. They turn up the heat to flush him out, which made everyone leave until Marty was left with a man who loved the heat because he had served in Africa. But when Marty told the man what was going on, his towels fell away revealing his suit, with his trouser legs rolled up. As Brenan's men closed in for the kill but the man returned with a psychiatrist, enabling Marty to escape. Marty then received a phone call from a police friend of Jeff's who found Brenan's address using the license plate number. Marty went to the address and found Brenan heading for the docks and a rendezvous with a ship. But while sneaking aboard, Marty was overpowered and locked in a room. Meanwhile, preparations were being made for the ship to set sail as soon as the tide came in. Marty found a spring clip to use as a screwdriver, and removed the lock from the door; he then overpowered the radio operator and sent out an SOS. Just in time, the police arrived and arrested Major Brenan. Marty concludes the story, much to Jeff's relief. However, Jean then arrives, and berates Jefffor falling off a balcony, saying that Marty would have handled the situation better. Which reminds her: Marty never told Jeff about the big case he handled alone while Jeff was in Scotland...

Jeff Randall (Mike Pratt), Marty Hopkirk (Kenneth Cope), Jean Hopkirk (Annette Andre), Alan MacNaughtan (Major Brenan), Jack MacGowran (Joe Hudson), John Collin (Jackson), Thomas Heathcote (Inspector Horner), Geoffrey King (Sir Basil Duggan), James Culliford (Parker)

Directed by Cyril Frankel

TX:
UK: 6th February, 1970 @ 7.25pm

Notes:
*Featuring Jeff Randall, the late Marty Hopkirk, and Jean Hopkirk

*The original title of this episode was ‘The Dead Don't Even Whisper’

*Mike Pratt really did break his legs before the filming of this episode

*This was the last episode filmed