2. THE THIRTEENTH REUNION
Ruth, a journalist, is asked by her boss to investigate the Chesterton clinic. There, they run a weight loss program called "Think Thin", presided over by a man called Willis.
At the meeting Ruth witnesses the methods employed by the "Think Thin" program. Willis stands each person up in front of the whole group and shouts abuse at them. He degrades them, making derogatory statements about the state of their bodies, hoping to shame them into dieting.
Willis: Do you like looking so unattractive Joyce. Do you enjoy making men turn away in disgust. Then what makes you so greedy.
That night Ruth has dinner with one of the members of "Think Thin", Ben Faraday. Ben explains how he has been put on a special protein and citrus fruit diet for two weeks and that Willis ordered him to take in some extra fat for the citrus fruit to work on. He also discloses to Ruth that he has been given some special pills to speed up his metabolism.
Ben says goodbye to Ruth, and Ruth gives him her phone number by writing it onto his hand. He drives off. While driving he starts to have hallucinations. This affects his driving, and he swerves all over the road, eventually crashing into a tree. A mysterious man dressed as an undertaker is on the scene in seconds to look at the dead body.
Ruth is one of the first people to be notified of his tragic death because of the telephone number written on his hand. At Ben Faraday's funeral, a young man notices the press sticker on her car and asks to speak with her.
The young man, Andrew, who works at a funeral parlour, tells her that he believes there are some strange things going on at Chesterton clinic. He believes that Ben Faraday wasn't inside the coffin that was buried. Andrew asks her if she would like to investigate.
Ruth agrees, and they both break into the church crypt that night. After gaining entry to the crypt, they open the coffin and are shocked to discover, not a body, but a wire frame in the shape of a body.
They then pay a visit to the funeral parlour to see if the body is there. They find a decapitated body, and when Andrew lifts up the right hand, they see Ruth's phone number!
Ruth investigates further and waits outside the funeral parlour to see where they take the hearse. They take it straight to the Chesterton clinic. Mr. Rothwell, the owner of the clinic, watches from the window and spots Ruth snooping around. What is going on at the clinic and did Ben Faraday meet with an accident or was he the victim of foul play?..
Starring:
Julia Foster
Dinah Sheridan
Richard Pearson
Guest Stars:
Norman Bird
Warren Clarke
George Innes
James Cosmo
Screenplay by:
Jeremy Burnham
Directed by:
Peter Sasdy