MRS METCALF   Heartbreaking, these days, butchering. Meat ration at one and tenpence, what can you do with that? His stomach’s on a knife-edge.
Mr Metcalf goes.
And he’s the only one who’s straight. There’s two other butchers and they’re both on the twist. He comes in on a night, sits at that table and his face is grey. You’ve got some nice thick hair.
There is a loud banging at the door. She gets up and hobbles to the window. Below, in the shop, Mr Metcalf is scooting back from the door in a crouched position.

MR METCALF   Gestapo!

MRS METCALF   Oh, blood and sand!
She rushes off into the kitchen as the banging on the shop door is renewed. Gilbert is nonplussed. Mrs Metcalf runs back in with a side of pork, watched by the amazed Gilbert. As she rushes to the stairs down to the shop, Mr Metcalf is rushing up them, also carrying a side of pork.

MR METCALF   Not down here, you fool. Get it upstairs.
They rush out, upstairs. The banging continues with Gilbert nonplussed. He gets up and half-goes to the door, but doesn’t know what to do. The letterbox is pushed back.

WORMOLD   (out of vision) You. Open this door.

GILBERT   I can’t. I’m the chiropodist.

INSPECTOR NOBLE   (put of vision) This is the police. Open this door.
Gilbert starts trying to.

GILBERT   It’s a funny lock.
Mrs Metcalf comes in from the stairs.

MRS METCALF   (supremely calm) Is there somebody at the door? One moment.
She opens the door and Inspector Noble and PC Penny rush in, followed by the more sinister, black-gloved figure of Wormold, the Ministry of Food inspector. Wormold should be Scots or from Birmingham. He is not local.

WORMOLD   Upstairs.

MRS METCALF   You will find the shop downstairs.

WORMOLD   Upstairs.
PC Penny, a young policeman, and Wormold are about to go upstairs.

MRS METCALF   Excuse me. This is my house.
She leads the way, leaving Inspector Noble and Gilbert staring at one another. Noble admires himself in the mirror, seemingly unconcerned.

INT. METCALFS’ LANDING. EVENING.

Wormold knocks on a door.

MR METCALF   (out of vision) I’m on the toilet.

WORMOLD   I can wait.
Mr Metcalf comes out immediately. Wormold goes in and comes out empty-handed. Mr Metcalf goes back downstairs while Wormold continues to search the house.

INT. METCALFS’ LIVING ROOM. EVENING.

Inspector Noble and Gilbert are there.

MR METCALF   (muttering to Noble) What happened to the telephone?

INSPECTOR NOBLE   He’s a law unto himself.
We should see at some point Wormold’s attaché case, with ‘Ministry of Food’ stamped on it.

INT. METCALFS’ LANDING. EVENING.

Mrs Metcalf knocks on a bedroom door.