Original subtitles

George, help her.

When?

And the second printing of the book will be ready by October in time for

exploitation.

Yes? Mr. Mannix is here to see you. Yes, good. Send him in.

Mr.

Mannix?

Mr. Diamond? Good, good. Come in. Sit down.

Uh, this is the young lady I telephoned you about.

Her name is Winifred Hills. She's my private secretary.

Very pretty.

How long has she been missing?

Since Friday.

I was at my beach house. I was going over some galley proofs.

And Lynn was supposed to come down to the house and bring me some contracts to

sign. The office staff said she left here about 12 o 'clock.

Mr. Mannix, you've got to find her for me.

I assume you've checked out her family, friends?

I have contacted everybody, every place. I even called the hospitals.

Were you at your beach house all day?

No, I had to take my wife to emergency hospital. There was an accident.

Your wife?

We've been separated for some time. As soon as I can get her to give me a

divorce, I'm going to marry Winifred.

But your wife was at your beach house.

She has a habit of dropping in on me uninvited.

She knows I don't like it, but she does it anyway.

George?

Hi. Come on, let's go for a swim.

What are you doing here?

Oh, just visiting the Pattersons up the beach.

Come on, I'll race you to that boat.

Not a chance. We've had riptides all week.

Besides, I've got work to do.

Well, the least you can do is invite me up for a drink.

I knew it was the only way I'd get rid of her.

So I went in and built us a couple of drinks.

But when I came out again...

I told her there were reptiles, but she's stubborn to listen.

Anyway, the young man pulled her out of the water.

Yes, come in.

Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were busy, George.

Oh, it's all right. Come on in, Clay.

Winifred still has those contracts, so I drew up a new set this morning. Oh,

thanks. Could I see those?

Yes, of course. Mr. Mannix, this is Clay Regals of our legal department.

How do you do?

Mr. Mannix is a private investigator.

I've retained him to find Winifred for me.

Fine winter... Oh, come on, George. She's only a few hours late for work.

Nobody's seen her since Friday, Clay.

Well, there's nothing to get into a panic about. You'll be hearing from her.

When did you last see her, Mr. Regals?

Friday morning, just before she left for the beach house.

Around 11, I guess.

Did she mention any weekend plans?

No, not to me, anyway.

Why, thanks, Clay.

Mr. Diamond, why didn't you go to the police?

Mr. Maddox, I'm still a married man.

Any publicity would mean a scandal for me and for Winifred.

I don't mind for myself, but... Well, I can't let that happen to her.

I can't let anything happen to her.

Well, I'm glad someone's looking for the poor child.

Why poor child?

Well, you should have seen her when she left here.

Face swollen, eyes red.

As if she'd been crying her heart out.

When was that?

Friday night.

Friday? Are you sure?

About 8 .30.

I didn't ask any questions because I don't pry into my tenant's business.

Is she in trouble?

Tell me, does your switchboard operator keep a record of outgoing calls?

Total calls, yes.

That's my number, all right, Mr. Mannix. Why do you ask?

Winifred Hill called here three or four times on Friday. I understand she

finally got through about 8 p .m. My husband's secretary?

How very sweet of her.

But I don't remember any calls.

Jerry, come here a moment, will you?

Why so interested in Miss Hill?

She seems to have disappeared.

Oh, now that is serious.

I'll bet my husband's absolutely lost without her.

Hi, you want to see me?

Mr. Mannix, this is Jerry Smith, the young man who saved me from a watery

I heard about that.

How did you happen to be there?

Well, I was just walking down the beach. I heard her yelling for help.

And the foolish boy refuses to accept a reward.

Job was all I needed.

Now I've got one.

Mr. Mannix would like to know if anyone called for me here on Friday night.

Yes, Chick buzzed.

Said she'd heard about your little donkey.

Little donkey?

Did she leave her name?

No. When I said Mrs. Diamond was okay, she hung up.

Thanks.

Run along now, lifesaver.

Imagine Miss Hill being so concerned about my little dunking.

Coffee? No, thank you.

Sweet, dewy -eyed Winifred Hill.

He has my husband acting like an oversexed schoolboy.

I keep hoping he'll come to his senses.

In fact, that's why I stopped at the beach house on Friday.

Was he expecting you?

No,

I was visiting friends up the beach.

I just thought I'd stop in and...

Talk things out with George.

He was busy as usual.

Probably up to his earlobes in galley proofs.

When I mentioned that magic word divorce, he sent it to take a walk with

I told him how much our marriage meant to me.

I promised I'd forget this little fling he's having.

What do you mean by fling? I want to marry her.

George, you're acting like a schoolboy. All she cares about is your money.

Stella, are you going to give me a divorce or not?

No. I won't let you make a fool of yourself.

Stella, I'm warm. George!

For the last time, you listen to me.

Stella! Let go of me, George. Let go, George.

I don't know if it was an accident or not.

I'm not sure if I fell or if I was pushed.

Are you saying your husband was trying to kill you?

I don't know, Mr. Mannix, but my death would have simplified his life

considerably.

Oh, yes, just a moment.

It's your secretary.

Thank you.

Yeah, Peggy.

Hi.

Dorothy, you know, in traffic downtown?

Well, she ran a check on Winifred Hill's license, and she found out that the

police put a tow -away sign on that car this afternoon.

Where is it?

On Sycamore Street, outside of a place called Belmont Towers, where Clay Regals

live.

Bye.

Well, Mr. Mannix, what can I do for you?

Hey.

Just what the devil do you think you're doing?

All right, Regals, where is she? Where is who?

Winifred Hill. How would I know? You can just get out of here. Sit down.

What's going on?

Her car is parked outside your apartment. How do you explain that?

I can't. I don't know.

You've seen her since Friday morning, haven't you?

No. Those contracts you gave George Diamond this morning, you said you drew

new set.

Yet the date on the contract is Friday the 18th, so Winifred must have given

them to you.

I don't know what you're talking about.

Okay.

Operator, give me the police.

Wait a minute. Now, that isn't necessary. Now, look, you're mixed up in

somehow, Regals. If anything happens to that girl... All right. All right. Just

hang up, will you? Nothing's happened to her.

Hey, operator, forget it.

Oh, man, it never fails. Try to be the nice guy, and I always end up the heavy.

Okay.

Winifred came by here Friday night, about nine, to drop off those contracts.

She'd been to the beach house that afternoon.

Yeah, I know.

I don't know what happened down there, but she looked like she'd been through

earthquake. I fixed her a drink and... Well, she started to cry.

Said she had to get away for a few days to think things out.

And she didn't want George to know where she was.

And she left her car here?

She asked me if I'd trade cars with her so George couldn't track her down.

He's like that, you know.

Everything has to be on his terms.

I'll need a description of the car she's using.

Oh, come on. Mannix, give her a break. She's a nice kid.

George is just using her to feed his ego.

She doesn't want him to find her.

But not for the reason she gave you.

What do you mean? I know Winifred. She wouldn't lie about a thing like that.

Why not?

Everybody else is.

Your car regals describe it.

Blue convertible, license number XXM582. Got it. I'll call my friend down in

traffic. You're going to have to do more than that, Peggy.

I want you to try every hotel and motel in this area.

Oh, fine.

Now, look, the girl's in trouble. She may have seen something she shouldn't

seen. For instance?

I'm not sure.

I'll have to ask my client.

Diamond? Is that where you're going now?

Yeah, I tried his home. He wasn't there.

He's probably working late.

Look, I'll check with you later.

You all right?

No, I'm not all right.

I feel like somebody put a pleat in my head.

Did you see who it was?

No.

I was standing over at the bookcase.

I heard somebody at the door before I could turn around, though the lights

off.

Hey, that ought to help.

Thanks. I came over here to get my revolver.

I keep it in this drawer.

Right here, that's when I got clobbered. Whoever it was must have stolen my gun.

Yeah, and he used it on me.

You mean he took a shot at you? That's right.

Oh, look, Mannix, this is more than I bargained for. I just hired you to find

Wynn. Now they're hitting me on the head, somebody is. They're taking a shot

you.

Do you realize Wynn could be in danger, too? You've got to find her for me,

Mannix. What kind of a gun did you have?

It was a Pearl Handle .32 caliber. Well, it was kind of a collector's item.

Had it around here for years. I've never had any reason to use it.

Give me the police.

Wait a minute.

No police.

Look, Mr. Diamond, this is not just a missing person case anymore. I told you

didn't want any police when we started all this. You told me a lot of things,

Mr. Diamond.

Including a pack of lies.

I want to know what really happened on Friday.

I told you that this morning.

This time you're going to tell me the truth.

I wonder if it was at your beach house on Friday, wasn't she? You saw her

Yeah, I did.

And she saw something that made her run away.

I want to know what it was and how it happened.

I didn't tell you this before.

Because I was afraid that you'd misinterpret it the way Wynn did.

Try me.

All right.

I was working on the sun deck.

Stella came by.

I didn't want to see her, but she said we'd discuss the divorce, so I took a

walk down by the rocks.

We've invested nine years in each other.

Doesn't that mean anything to you? Not anymore. I'm sorry.

What if I told you I loved you?

That you mean everything to me.

Would you believe me?

Let's just say I think you'd be a little out of character, Ben. Well, it's true.

If I lost you, George, I really don't know what I'd do.

You'd model through.

I'm not sure I'd want to.

What's that supposed to mean?

Oh, George, do I have to say it? I'm not very much at melodrama.

Come on, Stella, you're not exactly the suicide type.

Then you won't reconsider.

You go ahead. I'm going for a swim. Now don't be ridiculous.

Would it make any difference to you if something did happen to me?

Will you stop being difficult?

Stella!

Why didn't you go in after her?

Well, I started to, but... Something stopped me.

Suddenly, I had the strange feeling that she wanted me in that water.

Stella's always been a good swimmer.

Just wasn't like her to panic that way.

And then I saw the young man swimming toward her.

She'd be all right.

So I started back to the house.

Called the lifeguard station and zoomed in.

In case she needed emergency treatment.

And that's when I saw Winifred.

I could tell from the way she acted, she had the wrong idea of what happened out

there.

That's why I hired you to find her, Mannix. She's got to know the truth.

This strange feeling you had while your wife was in the water, how do you

explain that?

I think Stella was faking me. I think baiting me. I think she wanted me in the

water.

Look, as a widow, she'd have the whole estate.

Um, I think she'd have a pretty tough time doing that job alone.

Yeah, but what about that beach boy who just happened to be there? Between the

two of them, I wouldn't have stood a chance.

You think he was involved in all of this, huh? I don't know. I don't know.

be. Stella's always got some kind of young Adonis hanging around.

Believe me, she can be very persuasive when she puts her heart into it.

It's very funny.

She claims you tried to kill her.

Well, that doesn't surprise me.

But why?

What am I supposed to gain by that?

You'd be free.

That's what you want, isn't it?

What about tonight?

You think I...

Took a couple of shots at you and then hit myself on the head?

It's been known to happen.

Set up an alibi.

All right, all right. Let's... Just for the fun of it, let's say that I shot at

you and then I slugged myself on the head.

What about the gun? I wouldn't have had time to hide it.

Where is it?

Look, Mannix, all of my life... I've gotten what I wanted to. I have never

to commit murder to do it.

Mr. Diamond, do you have somewhere that you can stay tonight?

Someplace where you'd be safe?

Yeah.

Yeah, I have a... I have a membership card at the Brantwood Athletic Club.

I'll drop you off.

All right, good.

Mannix, this is important to me. I've told you the truth.

All of it.

I want you to believe me.

Maybe I will.

When I hear the same story from someone else. Who?

Jerry Smith.

Your wife's beach boy.

Operator, get me homicide.

Bullet. 32 caliber, I'd say.

I'll have ballistics check on it.

Her husband's gun.

It was stolen from his office.

When?

Tonight, about 8 o 'clock.

By Jerry Smith?

Possibly. Did you see him use the gun?

No.

But he was in the house when I got here.

So was this.

A cufflink.

Initials GED, George Edward Diamond.

Where'd you find it?

Under the body.

Maybe his gun wasn't stolen after all.

Wait a minute, Joe.

How do you fit into all this?

When I find out, I'll let you know.

Put out an APB on George Diamond.

Do you know where I can find him? It's very important.

Oh, never mind. He just walked in. Thanks anyway.

Where have you been? I've been calling all over town for you.

Trying to locate a client.

George Diamond?

Yeah.

Wasn't at the club. And he's not at his apartment in town.

He was at the club a half hour ago. Just talked to him.

Thanks.

I wonder where he went.

Probably to see Winifred Hill.

Winifred? That's why I was trying to call you. I located that blue

she was driving.

You didn't tell Diamond where she is.

Of course.

That's what he's paying us for, isn't it?

Peggy, the man's wanted for murder.

Murder?

Winifred may have seen him trying to kill his wife at the beach. Now, if he

to her before we do...

Oh, Joe, I'm sorry. I didn't know.

Yeah, I know, I know.

He had me fooled, too. Somehow he must have staged that shootout in his office.

Where is she, Peggy?

Holiday House, room 11.

On the coast highway.

The manager.

Miss Hill, I'm sorry.

Go away. You're not the manager. Get out of here.

Just relax, Miss Hill. I'd like to help you.

Who are you? What do you want?

My name is Mannix. I'm a private investigator. George Diamond hired me to

you.

All right.

You found me.

Now what?

Well, first, I think we'd better get you out of this place. No.

He knows you're here.

He couldn't possibly know.

You didn't know yourself till a moment ago.

You don't have to tell him, do you?

I mean, I can pay you. I have some money. Miss Hill.

I don't want your money.

What do you want?

I want to know exactly what you saw down at the beach house on Friday.

I don't know what you're talking about.

Now, look, Miss Hill, if George Diamond is a killer, we're both in trouble.

Now, you tell me exactly what you saw down there.

George called me at the office.

He said he wanted me to bring out some contracts.

I went around the side of the house, down to the sun porch, and then I heard

woman's voice, a shout like a cry of fear.

I could see George and his wife. They were on the rocks, struggling, fighting.

The next thing I knew,

Stella was in the water, screaming for help.

Would you say she was pushed, or did she fall?

I couldn't see clearly enough.

The sun was glaring in my eyes.

But if she had fallen, George would have tried to save her, wouldn't he?

He didn't.

He just stood there, watching his wife drown.

Did you see anybody else at all?

There was a motorboat out there somewhere.

And the boy who rescued Stella, he seemed to appear out of nowhere.

It's a good thing he did or she would have drowned.

Obviously, George had no intention of saving her.

When he saw the boy, he ran away.

That's when he saw me.

And I've been running ever since.

Miss Hill, could you maybe have misinterpreted the whole incident?

Did George pay you to tell me that?

Then you honestly believe he would try and kill you?

I don't know what I think anymore.

I only know I'm afraid.

I'm afraid of George.

Of myself, of everything.

fallen in love with a murder.

We got our way.

Homicide, Crawford.

Pete, I'm at the Holiday House.

I finally got a lead on George Diamond.

What kind of a lead?

Well, I caught up with Winifred Hill. He took a shot at us and then took off.

Took her with him. He got away.

I found his gun.

A .32 caliber.

All right, stay put. We'll be right there.

Mr. Diamond, you may as well come along with us. We may need your help.

Took a shot at us through that window.

He must have dropped his gun when he ran.

George Diamond.

Check it out.

I will.

Oh, don't forget, that's my handkerchief.

Mr. Diamond, would you come in here, please?

Nice. Where's Winifred? I'll ask the questions, if you don't mind. First of

is this your gun?

Yes, that's my gun. It was stolen from my office last night.

Thank you.

Where is she? We'll find her, Mr. Diamond.

Now, if you'll just wait outside, please.

Mr. Diamond was in custody when you called, Joe. That's why he couldn't

have fired that shot.

And incidentally, he didn't kill his wife either.

How do you know?

Coroner's report.

She'd been dead at least two hours when you found her.

That would place the time of death at 8 o 'clock.

Do you have any idea where Diamond was at 8 last night?

Yeah.

Yeah, he was with me in his office nursing a headache.

Exactly.

You're his alibi.

Cuff link.

Stolen gun.

Killer's trying to frame Diamond.

And murder Winifred and try and hang that on Diamond, too.

Not if we find her first.

Now let's start with a description of the car.

Wait a minute, where are you going?

If you wanted to kill a girl and pin it on diamond, where would you take her?

You tell me what's going on.

Mr. Diamond, that beach house of yours, is there anybody there?

No.

Well, there's going to be.

Stay here and wait for the lab man. Show us how to get there. Come on.

He... He tried to kill me.

In the water.

Take it easy. You're safe now.

Where'd he go?

He heard your car and he ran away.

Maddox, is she all right?

Is she all right?

I'll let her tell you.

It's all right, it's all right, it's all right.

I was so wrong about you, about everything.

No, Shino, come here.

Here, Mannix.

I almost got him, Mannix.

He was too quick for me.

Who? George.

George. George Simon.

He was going to drown Winifred over there.

He'd have made it, too, if I hadn't come over.

Nice try, Clay.

But it won't work.

What do you mean? It's the truth.

No, I've heard the truth from four different people, each one telling it

way. Would you like to hear my version?

Your version?

Yeah.

It happened on Friday, remember?

Right out there on those rocks.

Do you remember, Clay?

Stella?

Relax, Clay.

That's the way you and Stella planned it, wasn't it?

It's all in the point of view, Clay.

See?

Just keep looking.

Remembering.

He's gonna save her.

The boat was there in George's story and Winifred's.

The only one who didn't mention the boat was Stella.

That's your boat out there, isn't it?

Where'd you get that idea?

There's a trailer hitch on the back of your car.

Oh, yeah, Clay.

That's you out there.

You can't see from here.

No.

But Winifred could.

That's why you wanted to kill her.

She didn't see me? That's right, Clay.

But there's still one gap in your story.

You were so close to Stella, you were even ready to help her kill her husband.

And controlled it all.

Why did you kill her?

That's why.

Not there.

slobbering over each other.

Ever since Friday, it's been like that.

Anywhere, anytime.

Even the other night.

Jerry took off because he was getting involved in something he couldn't

You understand, don't you, Mannix?

I had to do what I did.

Yeah.