Personal Call

Christie's official biography states that the play was written after she and her husband, Max Mallowan, returned from their annual summer season at the archaeological dig at Nimrud in 1952.

The producer of the play, Ayton Whitaker, found the script to be "first rate" saying that it made, "full use of radio techniques and possibilities.

No cast members from the 1954 production took part in this later version which was reviewed by Frederick Laws in The Listener who said it, "worked as neatly as those alarm clocks which also serve you with a cup of tea.

Confident that neither the PMG (Postmaster General), the powers above, nor Miss Christie would permit this, one waited, and the disclosure was suitably remarkable."

Pam tells him that she has invited two friends who she has not seen for a long time to come round and play bridge tomorrow.

After she has been pointed in the right direction, the porter turns to his colleague and tells him that she reminds him of someone – someone connected with the matter of a dead woman.

For confirmation, she opens the door of the kiosk and he hears the guard's cry announcing Newton Abbot railway station.

James tells her that Fay was the name he called his first wife, despite the fact that Pam knew her name to be Florence and that she died a year ago.

They were at Newton Abbot station and Fay, suffering a dizzy spell, fell under the path of an oncoming train – at 7.15pm.

Pam tells him the bank and Mr Enderby concludes the call by wishing her a pleasant and relaxing holiday and he hopes that she will recover from the dizzy spells she has been suffering from that James had told him about.

After the call is finished, James comes home and Pam asks him who Fay Mortimer is – she thought his first wife's name was Garland.

James is annoyed but before the conversation can progress, Fay herself walks along the platform towards them, saying that she has been waiting for him since he pushed her under the train the year before.

She is introduced to "Fay" – it is, in fact, the dead girl's mother who, her voice sounding similar and made-up to look younger, agreed to help the police trap the murderer of her daughter.