The Case of the Missing Ring,
Brought to you by BBC Learning English.
Episode 4
War of the Roses.
In this episode, you will find out how to use intonation to express facts or ask questions.
Let the show begin.
[Sound of a beard trimmer, nail file, combing,etc]
>>Inspector [Thinking] Look at them, the bride, the groom, the mother of the bride and the best man.
So patient, so hopeful…
I think I am enjoying this…
Shaving,
doing my nails,
combing my hair twice in one day.
So unusual,
so
relaxing,
so
peaceful…
who needs crime?
Life is so…
>>All Inspector?
>>Inspector [Thinking] What?!
>>Inspector Oh yes, the case.
Yes? Do you have a question for me?
>>Bride [Sobbing] Have you found my wedding ring, Inspector?
>>Mother of the bride Yes Inspector, have you found my daughter’s ring?
>>Best man Inspector, as the best man, I must insist
that you tell us what you have discovered.
>>Inspector [Thinking] Oh bother, I really do hate these people –
always asking questions.
OK,
it’s time to give them the answer to the most important question:
Who is the thief?
Who stole the ring?
Best man – you have lent the groom £5,000, haven’t you?
>>Best man Errrr…
>>Inspector That was not a question, that is a fact.
[Thinking] My voice goes down when I am stating a fact.
And you are in love with the bride, aren’t you?
[Thinking] I hope he realises that is also not a question.
>>Best man I didn’t take the ring Inspector. You do believe me, don’t you?
Don’t you?
>>Inspector [Thinking] Aha!! His voice went up then, when he said “Don’t you? Don’t you?” – that means
he is asking a question, he really wants to know if I believe him.
>>Best man Don’t you? Don’t you?
>>Inspector [Thinking] He is a simple man, a fool,
perhaps even a stupid man. But…
He is not a thief.
Best man, do not worry. You are a fool, but you are not a thief.
Speaking of fools.
My dear.
you are the prettiest fool in the land, aren’t you?
>>Bride Am I?
I don’t know Inspector,
I hope
>Inspector [Thinking] Again, that was not a question, that was a fact. My voice goes down when I
am stating a fact.
I will repeat it…
Again.
My dear,
you are a very pretty fool,
aren’t you?
You say that you love your future husband, but it is easy to see that you do not love him at all
>>All gasps
She doesn’t love him?
>>Inspector [Thinking] Yes. The bride doesn’t love the groom.
And that gave her a very good reason
to steal the ring!
It is very easy to see, my dear.
And so,
you had a very good reason to steal your own wedding ring…
To stop your wedding to a man you hate… Didn’t you?!
>>Bride [Sobbing]
You’re right Inspector…
It’s true.
I don’t love him.
>>Inspector [Thinking] I know it’s true.
That’s why my voice went down at the end…
I was stating
a fact. either.
She doesn’t love him.
Who does she love?
I don’t know and she doesn’t know either but…
she was not the thief.
Time to move on.
And as for your future husband…
>>Groom Inspector, surely you don’t think I took the ring,
do you?
>>Inspector [Thinking] Well, groom boy –
you have a reason to steal the ring, but
no,
you don’t have the skill
or the ability.
You had a very good reason to steal the ring.
You owe a lot of money to the best man.
But no,
you are a gambler and a liar
but you are not a thief, are you?
>>Groom Inspector,
that is a fact.
I am definitely not a thief.
But that only leaves one person,
doesn’t it?
>>Inspector Very true.
>>Best man Surely it can’t be…
>>Mother of the bride I hope you don’t mean to…
>>Bride Mummy?
Mummy!
Mummy?!
You didn’t take my ring, did you?
Did you?
Mummy?!
>>Inspector [Thinking] She is a nice girl but she really
is very stupid.
Her voice is going up, which means she is asking a real question.
Who had the best chance to steal the ring?
It’s obvious,
you silly girl.
Madam,
why did you want to do the flowers at this wedding?
>>Mother of the bride Every mother wants her daughter’s wedding to be beautiful, Inspector.
>>Inspector Every normal mother…
But you had another reason, didn’t you?
You didn’t want your daughter to marry the groom.
You wanted her to marry
a man with money,
the best man,
didn’t you?
You knew she hated him, like she hates all men.
>>Bride I hate them, all of them!!
>>Inspector You stole the ring from the best man’s pocket while you were fixing the wedding flowers
to his jacket.
>>Best man Gosh,
is that what you were doing?
I thought it was a funny place to pin the flowers…
>>Inspector Exactly.
Now, I think it is time for you to
tell the truth, isn’t it?
[Thinking] Yes, but which truth will she tell us?
The truth about the ring, or the truth about her glasses or perhaps the truth about the horse?
Let us look at the facts.
The bride’s mother believes that money is more important than happiness,
so she wanted her daughter to marry the man with all the money – the best man – and
not the groom, who owes a lot of money.
And so, she stole the ring whilst fixing the flowers
on the best man’s jacket!
>>Mother of the bride Curse you Inspector, you and your downward intonation! You are right again.
>>Bride Mummy?!
>>Mother of the bride It’s true: I know my daughter doesn’t want
to get married. She wants to be happy. But I got married and I was never happy! Who wants
to be happy?! She should marry a man with money, with power, with position, instead
of someone like… Like…
>>Father of the bride ‘ello treacle!
>>Bride Daddy!
>> Father of the bride Anyone seen my racehorse?
[Sound of a horse neighing]
>>Narrator Another case solved by Inspector Stone. He
never leaves a stone…
>>Inspector …unturned. Yes I know,
thank you.
”
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