Jonathan Creek

Maddy:
So what's the story on this mother of hers, Marella Carney, the 'Black Canary'? She was big business back in her day, wasn't she?

Jonathan:
The problem with Marella Carney was that most of her tricks relied upon the fact that she had a twin sister.

Maddy:
Don't be ridiculous.

Jonathan:
Who, from what I hear, did all the difficult bits. Marella was claustrophobic, so it was her sister who had to climb into all the cabinets and coffins. You can do amazing stuff when you work with a double, but it's not exactly a test of ingenuity.

Maddy:
You're telling me there were two of them? They kept that quiet, didn't they?

Jonathan:
Well they're hardly going to put in the program notes, are they? 'NB: whilst miraculously escaping from a locked trunk, Miss Carney will be assisted by her twin sister Beryl!' Anyway that was all before the accident of course.

Maddy:
What accident?

Jonathan:
It's a bit on the grisly side. Best not discussed.

Maddy:
[Forcefully] What accident?

Jonathan:
Not sure you've got the stomach for it.

Maddy:
I've got the stomach for it? Don't give me that macho protective number!

Jonathan:
Rehearsals one day for one of their big routines. Sister Beryl's strapped down to a bench with an electric buzz saw coming at her. [Maddie looks queasy] Mechanism jammed, the thing just kept coming. She was literally sawn in half.

Maddy:
Oh my god!

Jonathan:
Lengthways.

Maddy:
LENGTHWAYS!?