The Embezzler

Henry Paulson, a quiet bank cashier, resolves to steal from his employer so he can enjoy the rest of his days in South America. He books a train ticket and checks ship itineraries, preparing an exit strategy. He carries his suitcase to the bank on a quiet Friday afternoon in hopes of not being discovered until Monday.

Paulson is caught in the act by his boss who returns unexpectedly. He locks the boss in the office and makes a break for it, fleeing the bank to avoid immediate capture. The plan is set in motion as he heads toward escape.

Paulson escapes to a seaside hotel in Eastbourne and checks in under the alias Mr Laughton. He arrives hoping to avoid recognition while the money remains hidden. The seaside retreat marks the start of his post-crime chapter.

At the hotel, Paulson encounters residents including Mrs Forrest, who is being blackmailed by a former lover, Mr Johnson. Johnson, recently released from prison, has checked into the same hotel and begins to close in on the others. He also targets Miss Ackroyd with a cunning scheme involving her pearls.

Johnson has tracked down Miss Ackroyd and uses manipulation to trick her into parting with her pearl necklace. He also works to tighten his grip on Mrs Forrest by threatening her past, underscoring the hotel's precarious atmosphere. The residents sense danger as Johnson's presence grows.

Paulson overhears Johnson threatening Mrs Forrest and decides to intervene. He gives Mrs Forrest money to pass to Johnson in exchange for her love letters, hoping to protect her from further pressure. The arrangement softens the immediate threat but raises the stakes as the con spirals.

Johnson demands an extra £100 for the photostat copies he has made, tightening his hold over Paulson and the others. Paulson weighs the risk of exposure as the scheme expands. The tension escalates as the blackmail expands into the town.

Johnson returns Miss Ackroyd's pearls but then tricks her out of a valuable ring and coerces her into withdrawing her savings. He even claims they are engaged, binding her more tightly to his scheme. The hotel becomes a web of deceit as trust collapses.

Serial numbers of the missing notes start appearing in town, linking the crimes to Paulson and signaling that his plan may be unraveling. The townspeople begin noticing the odd flow of money and paper trails. The investigation edges closer to the truth as the numbers propagate.

Johnson works out who Paulson is and begins to blackmail him, demanding half of the stolen money. The pressure mounts as the extortion targets the elderly embezzler and threatens his precarious future. The hotel walls feel the weight of unspoken accusations.

Their confrontation continues with Johnson helping himself to whisky in Paulson's room. Paulson poisons the whisky so Johnson will be affected on his next visit, revealing Paulson's desperation to escape the trap. The exchange tightens the noose around both men.

Johnson flees and meets Dr Foster on the hotel stairs, and they clash just as the police arrive. The struggle triggers Paulson's heart condition, and he dies during the chaotic moments that follow.

Dr Foster tells his wife Mrs Forrest that he already knew about Johnson before they married, revealing a longer history of deception between them. The revelation reframes the events and underscores the danger they've faced. The community is left to process the consequences of the blackmail and murder.