'Who Killed Cock Robin?' by Tony Williamson

A lawyer named Laverick offers Jeff an unusual job: to guard an aviary of birds! They are part of a £2 million estate left by the late, eccentric Mrs Wentworth Howe; as long as the birds are alive, which will be for twenty years or more, the estate will remain in trust, and only after that will it be divided amongst her surviving relatives. When one of the birds in the aviary is shot and killed whilst in the care of Beeches the gamekeeper, the occupants of Wentworth mansion come under suspicion. Jeff and Marty arrive, but are unable to prevent the murder of James Howe, who is found poisoned in the aviary, together with evidence of another attempt on the birds' lives. When James' wife Gabrielle tries to set fire to the aviary, she is foiled by Marty, but then she becomes the second victim. Beeches comes under heavy suspicion, despite the fact that he will gain nothing from the deaths of the relatives or the birds. Meanwhile, Jeff catches the bird assassin attempting to kill another bird, but before the villain can name his employer, he is killed by a poison dart. The poison is only found in India - which places Colonel Chalmers as prime suspect once it is discovered that he spent much of his army career there. But then that line of enquiry meets an untimely end when the Colonel is killed. Only the rebellious young Sandra Joyce remains, and when Laverick arrives at the mansion Marty believes she is responsible. Jeff and Laverick lock Beeches in the cellar for the police to interview when they arrive, but then the gamekeeper is found dead too. Marty is convinced the murderer is Sandra, but before Jeff can take any action, he is knocked unconscious by Laverick and locked in the cellar, leaving Sandra alone with the killer. Marty desperately goes to Jean, who is at a party; she takes part in a séance, and so Mary sends her a message to Sandra that Jeff is locked in the cellar. Sandra frees Jeff, but Laverick appears at the top of the stairs, a dart-gun in his hand. He aims and fires, but Marty blows the dart off target. Jeff chases Laverick to the aviary where the killer corners him. But Marty scares the birds, and as they fly around Laverick's head he accidentally shoots himself with the dart-gun.

Jeff Randall (Mike Pratt), Marty Hopkirk (Kenneth Cope), Jean Hopkirk (Annette Andre), Cyril Luckham (Laverick), Jane Merrow (Sandra Joyce), Gabrielle Brune (Gabrielle Howe), Tenniel Evans (James Howe), David Lodge (Beeches), Maurice Headley (Colonel Chalmers)

Directed by Roy Ward Baker

TX:
UK: 21st December, 1969 @ 7.25pm

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