Tiger in the Smoke

The musicians believed Morrison was an accomplice to Jack Havoc, their former sergeant who had escaped from prison. They were desperately trying to locate Havoc because they thought he knew the location of hidden treasure from their wartime raid in Brittany. When Morrison refused to explain his presence at the station or cooperate, they beat him to death, believing he was protecting Havoc's secrets.

Earlier hints about Morrison's mysterious appearance and refusal to speak suggested he was involved with dangerous former soldiers.

The street musicians were desperate to find Jack Havoc, who had escaped from prison and knew where the treasure was hidden. When they captured Leavitt during the alley confrontation, they simply assumed he was Havoc because they were actively hunting for him. Their desperation to recover the treasure before Havoc could get to it caused them to leap to this dangerous conclusion.

The musicians' frantic search for Havoc and their suspicion of anyone who might be connected to him set the stage for this mistaken identity.

The treasure was not money or gold but a priceless Madonna statue - a work of art described as incredibly beautiful. Major Elgin had hidden it during a wartime raid on a house in Brittany that had once belonged to his grandmother. The statue's artistic and cultural value made it far more significant than monetary wealth.

The description of the house in Brittany as having once belonged to Elgin's grandmother hinted at personal connection to the location.

Jack Havoc, also known as Johnny Cash, escaped from prison specifically to recover the hidden treasure. As the former sergeant who led the raid with Major Elgin, he knew the treasure's location and was willing to kill to get it. His obsession with the treasure and desire for vengeance drove him to break out and pursue it across to France.

The musicians' urgent search for their missing sergeant revealed how dangerous and determined Havoc was.

The street musicians were former commandos who had served with Major Elgin and Jack Havoc during the Brittany raid. After the war, they had been living as beggars and street performers. They needed to find Havoc because only he knew the exact location of the treasure that Elgin had mentioned before dying. Their entire survival depended on recovering this valuable artwork.

The revelation that these musicians were ex-commandos tied them directly to the wartime raid and the treasure hunt.

Duds Morrison was a former soldier who had served alongside Major Elgin in the Brittany raid. He was released from prison shortly before the station encounter. His appearance in an old coat at that specific location - where Meg Elgin was waiting to identify her missing husband - suggests he may have been trying to make contact or gather information about the treasure, though he refused to explain his presence to anyone.

Morrison's mysterious refusal to speak when caught only deepened the mystery surrounding his connection to Elgin.

Major Elgin was killed during the wartime raid on the house in Brittany. Before he died, he mentioned hidden treasure to his fellow soldiers. The film leaves some ambiguity about whether he truly died in the raid or whether his death was faked, as Meg receives a photograph suggesting he might still be alive. However, the story ultimately confirms he did not survive.

Meg's hope that her husband might still be alive, based on the photograph, creates the central mystery that drives the plot.

The musicians held Leavitt captive because they believed he was Jack Havoc. They needed to keep him prisoner to prevent him from reaching the treasure first. Additionally, they had just killed Duds Morrison and were worried that releasing Leavitt would expose them to murder charges. Keeping him prisoner seemed the only way to protect themselves while continuing their search for the treasure.

The musicians' desperate situation after Morrison's death made them increasingly reckless in their actions.

The CID had received a tip about the squat where the street musicians were hiding. A beat constable was dispatched to investigate and discovered Leavitt bound and captive. The police rescued him while the musicians were away, ending his imprisonment but leaving the larger mystery about the treasure and Major Elgin unresolved.

The police investigation into the musicians' activities had been ongoing, leading to the timely rescue.

Jack Havoc went to France because he knew the treasure was hidden in Brittany at a house that had once belonged to Major Elgin's grandmother. After escaping from prison, he joined forces with some of his former comrades and headed directly to the location to recover the Madonna statue before anyone else could find it.

The message left by Major Elgin pointed directly to the Brittany location, making it the obvious destination for anyone seeking the treasure.

The climactic confrontation occurred on the Brittany cliffs where Havoc confronted Leavitt in a desperate attempt to reach the treasure first. The French police intervened during the standoff, resulting in Havoc's capture. The Madonna statue was secured, but the ending leaves questions about the ultimate fate of the treasure and whether justice was truly served.

The race to Brittany between Leavitt and Havoc built toward this inevitable showdown.