Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) Logo 'Never Trust a Ghost'
by Tony Williamson
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) Cast

While wandering the streets of London one night Marty witnesses a government man being shot dead in his own home. He waits impatiently for Jeff to arrive home, but Jeff is more interested in his date than in anything his partner has to say - until Marty tells him of the murder. Jeff calls Inspector Clayton at New Scotland Yard and asks him to accompany him to the house. But when they arrive they find an upset Karen Howarth and her husband James - the man that Marty saw murdered… Howarth threatens to sue Jeff, but Marty is convinced that there is something not quite right, and he talks Jeff into a second visit to the house in order to 'apologise’. As Jeff speaks to Karen Howarth, Marty looks around the house and sees the murderer, Rawlins, in the study; he alerts Jeff, who forces his way into the study, but there is no-one there. Jeff loses his patience with Marty, especially when he discovers that the Howarths have complained again to the police, and Clayton threatens to arrest him. On the verge of quitting the case, Jeff receives a mystery phone call that advises him to do just that, but this only serves to pique his curiosity. Marty appears with the news that there are two bodies in the basement: belonging to the Howarth's, meaning that the two people they have been talking to are impostors. Jeff breaks into the house, but the bodies have vanished; he is caught by Karen, and reported to the police a third time. Jeff persuades Jean to be his alibi, even though it means she is found in a compromising position with him when the police arrive. Certain that Marty is seeing things, Jeff visits a ghost expert called Doctor Plevitt, who explains that ghosts live in a fantasy world populated by figments of their imaginations, and that one should "Never trust a ghost!". After hearing the Howarths and Rawlins plan Jeff's murder, Marty tries to warn his partner, but his advice is ignored - until two bullets fired by Rawlins hit the window just after Jeff leans down to pick something up. When Rawlins comes to the office posing as a client, he overpowers Jeff and brings him to the Howarths' home, intending to frame him for the murders of the real James and Karen Howarth. Jeff discovers the ‘Howarths’ are actually spies trying obtain the names of all of British agents worldwide, using the real Howarth’s governmental files. Jeff tells Marty to get Doctor Plevitt to phone the police. However, Doctor Plevitt is convinced that he is correct in his assessment that ghosts have hallucinations, and to prove that he is right he puts Marty through a series of tests. Marty passes every test with flying colours, and so the doctor agrees to phone Scotland Yard. The police arrive just in time to save Jeff and arrest the impostors.

Jeff Randall (Mike Pratt), Marty Hopkirk (Kenneth Cope), Jean Hopkirk (Annette Andre), Peter Vaughan (James Howarth), Caroline Blakiston (Karen Howarth), Donald Morley (Inspector Clayton), Philip Madoc (Rawlins), Brian Oulton (Dr. Plevitt)

Directed by Leslie Norman

TX:
UK: 12th October, 1969 @ 7.25pm

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