Original subtitles

Morning, Mr. Everett.

We have a minute and 30 seconds to spare.

The lady's efficient, too.

Always and forever.

See you in six days.

Shall I wait here for you, sir?

No, you better go home and wait.

2773 Tango to Tower.

Would you open my flight plan to Hermosillo, Mexico, please? Over.

Roger. 2773 Tango.

Lack of anchor flight plan at this time.

Mayday. Mayday.

Hermosillo Tower. This is 2773 Tango.

Going down.

Complete loss of power. 21 degrees north, 107 degrees west.

Overlying Maria Cleopas.

I'm gonna dip.

Three days after Bradley Everett, president of Everett Aviation, vanished

the Sea of Cortez while on a business flight to Mexico, authorities have

off any further search efforts, and Everett is presumed dead.

Wall Street opened strongly this morning, led by the electronics and...

sorry.

Who are you?

Mr. Mannix, my name is Bradley Everett.

I... I'd like you to find out who killed me

Why the bandages?

Oh, just something to hide behind.

Peggy, how about some coffee?

Coming up. I'm strong.

What you're saying is that the accident was no accident.

That's right.

My business is aircraft instrumentation.

And that plane was sabotaged. Oh, it was expertly done.

Whole...

electrical system just quit.

And so I ditched and sat there.

Waited to drown. I figured it would be maybe four hours until she sank.

It's a long time to hold your breath. Short time to live.

But you lived.

I lived.

I guess you'd call that kind of a small miracle. This old fisherman spotted me.

Mexican shrimp fisherman.

and I paid him to take me up to San Blas and stay quiet about this whole thing.

I was able to hire a car there, drive up the coast, come here.

Why here?

Well, you got a wife and a business, and I imagine a lot of worried friends.

Are you asking me why I didn't go to the police?

The thought did cross my mind.

All right, go with what?

A story about a sabotaged airplane and no evidence.

I want my murder investigated, Mr. Mannix.

Quietly.

Privately.

Okay, Mr. Everett.

And if you're right, I think you'd better stay here for the time being.

That's a very kind offer, but you realize what you'd be letting yourself

What? If they think you're involved with me, they'll try to kill you, too.

I'm a very cautious man, Mr. Everett.

But don't you think you...

You should at least let your wife know you're alive.

Why ruin her day?

Tell me, Mr. Mannix, are you a vulture?

I've been hired to investigate your husband's death.

Would you mind telling me by whom?

By somebody who pays me for discretion and silence.

How sinister.

Mrs. Everett, there are a number of people who stand to benefit from your

husband's death.

Including myself, of course.

And I'm sure it'll help ease you through this period of mourning.

Mr. Mannix, if you won't be coy, I won't.

Brad and I had a very workable relationship.

We lived together, went to social events together, frequently dined together.

But we didn't like one another very much.

Very civilized.

I liked our life.

Brad made a lot of money and we spent it with style.

I'll be richer for his death, but... Not necessarily happier.

After all, Brad was my nearest and dearest.

Who would want him dead?

He had two perfectly revolting men as partners.

Anybody else?

Brad.

This is a file on Christina Pratt, compiled by my private investigator.

And who is Christina Preston?

She was my husband's, uh, hobby.

You were planning a divorce?

Oh, good heavens, no.

Marriage is a cold war, Mr. Mannix.

Each side needs a deterrent weapon.

That was mine.

And, uh, what did Brad have?

On me?

Nothing.

Anymore.

You're suspicious.

I like that.

Any reason for that?

I'm a somewhat corrupt widow lady.

The second you find out what happened to Brad, you let me know.

I'll do that.

I'm manic.

It doesn't matter what time it is.

Put the coffee on the table, Wally.

Oh, Wally didn't make it yet.

My name is Mannix, Miss Preston.

What do you want?

I'm a private investigator. I'm looking into the death of Brad Everett.

All right.

I was his mistress.

Is that what you're after?

All I want is my privacy.

I'm making no claims against his estate.

I don't expect to collect a penny of insurance.

So you can go back to Brad's wife and tell her it's all hers.

Now will you please get out?

According to my information, Miss Preston, Brad Everett was murdered.

I'm sorry.

You loved him.

We loved each other.

It's not an uncommon human condition, you know.

How was he murdered?

Well, there's every reason to believe his playing was sabotaged.

And you think perhaps I stood to benefit from his death?

Mr. Mannix, I'm a commercial artist.

A good one. In other words... Brad did not keep me.

He only loved me.

Miss Preston, I'm not passing moral judgments or am I prying?

I'm trying to find out who would want Brad ever dead.

Well, he had a pair of partners that could frighten a tank of piranha.

Beyond that, I only met him two years ago.

And you fell in love?

Stupid.

Bright, successful girl.

Knows her way around, turns a corner and falls for a married man.

But he's dead.

And in a way, it settles things.

There wasn't much future in it for me anyway.

And Mrs.

Everett wouldn't give him a divorce?

Mrs. Everett wouldn't give milk to a starving baby.

So you settled for half a loaf?

I wanted him any way I could have him.

We were together over the weekend.

I drove him to the airport.

Wave goodbye.

I was feeling good.

Being hopeful against all logic.

And that night, I heard

that he had crashed.

I have worked at him.

You saw him take off.

Who else would know where he was going?

Oh, anyone could have known.

He had to file a flight plan.

Brad always planned things down to the smallest detail.

I remember that I was a bit worried because he'd forgotten his maps.

Maps?

Detailed charts of his route.

He left them in my car.

I wonder if I could see them.

Sure.

They didn't seem to matter after I heard about Brad.

They're still in the car.

Yeah, and the convertible.

That's my car.

Very good.

She could have been killed.

And what was I doing?

The best thing to do is clear this thing up.

Now, let's get back to those maps.

They covered the air route from here to Mexico City. Nothing special.

I bought a complete set from Argo Map and Survey.

Well, anybody can do that. You just go in and buy them.

Then why would somebody use a gun to get them?

I don't know. I don't even know which ones they were.

I had four sets, right? Four sets of charts.

Three of them went down with the plane.

One of them was left with Chris. I don't know which one, and I'll tell you

something else. I don't really care.

What I do care about is somebody took a shot at her, and I can't risk that

happening again.

Maybe I should call in the police.

It's up to you.

Mannix, I'm worried.

I mean, if I'm a target, then maybe she is too.

No.

No, we better keep it quiet a little while longer.

Maybe you can come up with something solid enough to make the police really

in. I'll try.

I don't much like being shot at either.

You know, Christina Preston's a nice girl.

I think she might like to know you're alive.

Now, I don't care to go into the gory details of my so -called marriage.

I love Chris.

And I don't want her pulled into my target zone.

It's your decision.

It's my decision.

Wait a minute.

What are you going to do?

Something I've been anticipating.

Meeting your partners.

My name is Mannix. I phoned.

Oh, oh, sure, Mr. Mannix.

Will you step right over here, please?

Stand right here.

I hope you don't mind. Uncle says we have to be very careful.

This badge is good for the administration building and testing

else. I'll show you the way.

Dick, take over.

Mr. King?

Mr. Mannix? That's right. I'm Lawrence King.

Pleasure. How do you do?

Henry Marshak.

Not a pleasure.

Boys, a coffee break, huh?

Thanks, Mitch.

Now, what's all this static about investigating Brad's accident?

Henry.

We've checked you out, Mr. Mannix.

You appear to be quite reputable.

It's quite a coincidence.

What is?

Well, I've checked you out, too.

Both of you.

Lawrence King, attorney at law, made a great deal of money with handling the

takeover of unsuspecting companies.

You've been described as a remora.

That's a fish that lives off the shark's leavings.

Now you've grown up into a real shark all by yourself.

I'm a respectable citizen, Mr. Maddox.

And a rich one.

Possibly rich enough to do something about your license.

They said you'd be dangerous backed into a corner.

On the other hand, Mr. Marshak, you're dangerous all the time, aren't you?

Four arrests for labor racketeering with violence.

That was ten years ago and no convictions.

But there's been one conviction on mail fraud. That's before you learned how to

handle the rackets inside the law.

You got a big mouth, you know that?

Yeah, but it's all in the record.

A lot of people aren't too happy about you two running Everett Aviation,

especially now, since Brad is dead.

And we took over his company, is that it?

To milk it dry.

The possibility has been mentioned.

Did anybody mention that Everett Aviation is on the edge of bankruptcy?

That Brad Everett got us involved for the money to finish his new guidance

system? It still isn't finished. And we're still involved.

Trying to salvage something from his swindle.

That's a lie.

How'd you get a badge?

I knew the president of the company.

Remember?

Mr. Mannix thought I should be here.

Listening at keyholes, Christina?

Listening to you lie.

Brad was no swindler.

You two were trying to steal his company.

Perhaps your accountants can verify that passionate defense.

Ours cannot.

We were suckered. Some respectable business.

Crooked books and hot air.

That must have made you very angry with Brad Everett. I wanted to bust his neck.

Did you?

What's that mean?

My client's not too sure.

He died accidentally.

Henry and I were stuck with Everett Aviation.

We'd much rather have Brad Everett alive to sue.

He's dead.

So you can say anything at all.

I know you were in love with Brad Everett.

Did he ever offer to marry you?

Well, you're a gentleman to the end.

What makes you think he was any more honest with us?

Thank you, Mr. Mannix.

Mitch, would you take mine, too?

I won't be back.

Thank you.

My first try at being a lady operative.

Any future?

Any time.

There's always demand for a beautiful girl.

How about a vulnerable one?

It's been a pretty rough time, hasn't it?

Lawrence King shoved the needle in deep.

I think it was over what Brad and I had.

But we just didn't want to admit it.

I finally faced it after I heard he was dead.

And then I felt as though he'd been dead for a long time.

I'm being morbid.

Do you really think a salami on rye will help?

Well, there's an old Armenian proverb.

What does it mean?

With bread, all grief is less.

Oh, good old Mother Mannix.

And I'd like to take care of my lady operatives anytime.

I halfway meant that.

I've got the feeling that I've got to change directions.

Go somewhere new.

Find somebody new.

Be somebody new.

Are you interested in somebody brand new?

You're so gentle with this walking wound.

Well, speaking of walking, it's time I get going.

Do you have to?

Do you believe King and Marshak?

Not on a stack of legal briefs.

They wanted all of Everett Aviation.

They tried to buy him out.

Then they tried to force him out.

They killed him.

Well, that's what I'm going back to find out.

By invitation.

Well, sort of.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any neighbors see him?

No. Well, stake it out. Start the machinery.

King evidently never went home. He left the office at 6 .08 and he's been gone

since.

Why would he want to kill Marshak?

Thieves falling out, maybe.

Those two have long, sour records.

Everything but murder.

Maybe this time King went over the edge.

And he impressed me as a very cool cat.

Joe.

I'm not interested in your expert opinion. I want information.

Well, I guess I have to swallow that whole story of yours, including a return

from the dead.

Come on.

Where to?

I'm holding awake. I want to meet the corpse.

What happened?

Yes.

Come inside a moment, please.

Chris, I'm sorry.

For what?

I just don't understand.

Look, if you'll tell me.

Why? Why?

I couldn't let you know.

I didn't want you mixed up in this.

So instead you let me spend three days in hell.

You... No.

No, Mannix didn't have anything to do with this. I told him not to say

Darling, please, if you'll... Brad, I... I have to get used to it.

Understand it.

We all have some explaining to do, Mr. Abbott.

In a matter of murder.

What murder?

He's alive.

But Henry Marshak is dead.

Seems somebody didn't like him at all.

Where's Larry King?

I don't know. He's disappeared.

Oh, no. Now, wait a minute, Lieutenant.

Now, Larry's a lot of things. He's a schemer. He's an angled player. He's a

man with a legal twist.

But you... All right, Frank.

Brad, darling.

How were things in heaven?

Is it all it's cracked up to be?

You certainly take surprises well, Mrs. Everett.

I have all the smaller talents.

Lieutenant Malcolm, homicide.

Of course.

Are you going to arrest my husband?

For what?

For being so sneaky, darling.

About your Lazarus -like recovery.

I had no evidence before, Lieutenant. Now I have.

Henry Marshak is dead.

A revolting little man.

I will not leave at his funeral.

Lieutenant, this is becoming a very boring evening. What do you want of me?

Information. About Marshak? I barely knew him.

Can you think of anyone who might have wanted him dead?

He was mixed up with the rackets in the Midwest. Maybe it was an old grudge.

Of course, if both Henry and I were dead, then King would own all

of Everett Aviation.

That would certainly give King a motive.

I think I'd like all of you to come downtown and make a complete statement.

If you don't mind.

Look, let's go downtown with the lieutenant.

Get this over with, then we can talk.

Man's wife and his girlfriend both see him back from the dead.

And they're both cool, calm, and collected.

The wife especially.

That is one beautiful icicle.

Or else maybe it wasn't that much of a surprise.

Let's say Larry King has the missing pieces.

Except Larry King is one of the missing pieces.

Joe?

Hello, Chris.

I'd like to talk to you.

I thought the police had taken over.

I'm stubborn.

I'm looking for Brad Everett.

I'm stubborn, too.

I sent him away to give me time to think.

Instead of sleeping?

My problems are my own.

The last time they were shooting at me, too.

Well, maybe if you go away, they'll stop shooting.

Now, Chris, you can't make it disappear by keeping your eyes closed.

It's a mess.

But I'd like you to help me untangle it.

I can't help. I don't know anything.

Maybe you do.

Did you get a good look at that map Brad left behind?

I saw it, yes.

But it was just a lot of ocean.

Now, there's an old Armenian proverb.

What does that mean?

What the eye truly sees, the heart never forgets.

Now, you just might be able to recognize that particular stretch of ocean.

Mr. Everett ordered four ONC charts.

L .A. to roughly Calexico, then halfway down the Gulf of California, from there

to roughly Guadalajara, and finally the area around Mexico City.

What we want are the charts on the Sea of Cortez.

Oh. Well, that's five, I'd imagine.

There were some small islands. I remember that.

That one. You sure?

Yes, I remember those islands.

Uh -huh. The Marias.

Trace Marias, Maria Magdalena, Maria Madre, Maria Cleophas.

I don't know the names, but that's the one.

Does it help?

No. They're just everyday ONC charts.

They're the best commercially available.

Yeah, I know, but if somebody wanted one, they could go out and buy it. They

wouldn't have to go hunting for it with a gun.

Which ones are these?

Oh, that's just specks of rock.

That's not one of the Maria's.

Very obscure. We had a terrible time trying to find an H .O. chart for Mr.

Everett that showed this one.

An H .O. chart?

Well, that was quite a while ago, and it had nothing to do with his trip to

Mexico.

How do you know that?

Well, it was a chart for the ocean, for somebody that sails a boat.

A boat?

Hart, I think we found something. So did we. We found King.

He's holed up in a building in there with a gun.

He's got Brad Everett as hostage, and at the last count, he put two bullets in

one of my men.

Got him spotted?

He took some pot shots from that window.

With Everett in there, we can't risk a shootout.

If I rush him, he'll probably kill some of my men, and he'll certainly kill

Everett.

Uh -huh.

No chance.

Keeps moving, takes a pot shot every now and then.

It's stupid.

He's just spending out time.

Sooner or later, he's gonna run out of ammo and we'll take him.

He's just padding more charges.

For a smart lawyer, it's stupid.

Or there's some other reason we haven't thought of.

Great. You think you're deep thoughts.

I've got my own little problems.

See if you can find somebody that knows this layout.

What is it?

Don't risk it. He's going to shoot me anyway.

Maddox, I want to talk.

Uh -huh.

You may want to make a deal.

You may want to get a clean shot.

It's not likely.

Besides, what more have we got to lose?

I can use all the free publicity.

I'm here, King.

Joe?

Joe, what choice did you have?

I'm okay.

If you could just... Hey, Maddox, thanks. You were great.

Was I?

I mean, he did kill one man, and he was trying to kill you.

Yeah.

Yeah, I guess that made it necessary to shoot him.

But it didn't make it fun.

I'm sorry, but it does take a big weight off of me.

It's over.

It's cold in here.

I wish Brad would get back.

Well, he's just tied up a few loose ends with Lieutenant Malcolm.

Would you like to wait outside?

Watching him measure where the body landed?

No, thanks.

Manic's here.

Yeah?

I see.

Well, thanks, Art.

I just want to be away from here.

Where would you like to go?

I don't know.

I don't know what I'm going to do.

Well, I do.

And it's going to be good.

Now that this is finally over, I'm going to make it right for us.

A fact for all of us.

Money and love.

Hey.

Cold in here?

I'm sorry.

Or sensible?

What do you mean?

Well, Chris has had time to think. She faced the fact that you were dead, and I

think that made everything a lot clearer.

She's too much woman to settle for a part -time man.

You just collected a lot of money. I didn't expect it to buy me a put -down.

A lot of money.

Well, I'm afraid I can't take that. Why?

Well, it might seem odd.

Coming from the man that killed Marshak and King and set up his own phony

murder.

Mannix, you're losing me.

No, Everett.

I've found you.

Joe, what are you talking about?

Yeah.

Well, let's stop looking at all this manufactured evidence.

Take a look at the end result.

King dead, Marshak dead, and you, lucky Brad Everett, end up owning all of

Everett Aviation, free and clear. You'll never have to explain why you milked

the company or how you conned King and Marshak. They're dead.

And you end up being an instant tycoon again.

You're putting me on.

You believe him?

I wanted this mess untangled. Mannix, I came to you, remember?

Yeah, I remember.

And the story held up until I saw the map.

What map?

The map you left in Chris's car.

Had a dozen maps.

Yeah, plus one set of boat charts for a small island off the coast of Mexico.

Now, I'm a very careful pilot, and the surface charts are just in case I have

come down.

Just in case?

Out of the whole Pacific, you have to come down...

Near one unnamed piece of rock.

Come down where you just happen to be picked up by a small boat.

That's why.

It's really why.

And risky, but it worked.

You played the nervous target and sent me out to investigate, which left no one

looking when you killed Marshak. Well, now that's ridiculous. And what about

King? I didn't kill him.

Neither did I.

I was curious the way he kept popping out in front of the windows, almost as

he was shoved.

And then he came out into plain view and shoots at me.

Almost as if he wanted to get shot down.

Yes, which is exactly what a dozen policemen saw you do.

Wrong.

You see, Everett, King was facing me straight on when I fired at him.

Lieutenant Malcolm just called and said the bullet that killed King went in from

the side.

Now, the only man who could have shot King from that angle...

Was you?

Well, you were in there playing hostage.

You had a gun on him, forced him to talk.

Then you pushed him out and shot him.

Brad, is that true?

It's crazy.

He's just spinning his wheels. He has no proof.

You did.

You killed him.

Now don't be childish.

You'll never sell that story, Mannix. No chance.

Because half the police force saw me come out of there with my hands tied

me. Took me roughly 30 seconds and a short piece of wire. So much for your

alibi.

And I tied it loosely.

As you said a little while ago, Everett, it's all over.

I like the way you move, Mannix.

Slowly.

I'm a pro, too.

Por favor, hombre.

This clears up a lot.

Didn't figure that you'd gamble on a Mexican fisherman picking you up.

I'm handy with small boats.

And guns.

Got a problem, huh?

Not anymore, Mitch.

Thank you.

Chris, I left standing orders.

Keep a company plane ready to go.

I took a lot of money out of this company.

It's all tucked away very privately.

It's enough for a good life, Chris.

I don't think I could lie well enough to... convince you I'd go with you.

Okay.

Well, keep it simple then.

Mannix, I'll let Chris go as soon as I'm clear.

I'm a rational man.

I only kill for profit.

Now, be sensible.

Don't make any trouble.

It'll be much easier that way.

Bye, Mannix.

I don't suppose I can buy you off?

Not a chance.

Stranger. Hmm?

Brad.

I should feel sick, sorry, or angry.

But I just feel empty.

But you're not really empty, Chris.

You're free.

There's a difference.

Free? For what?

Unless you've got an old Armenian proverb to explain it all.

Well, uh...

I'll have to go to work on that one.