Original subtitles

Barnaby Jones.

Starring Buddy Ebsen.

Also starring Lee Meriwether. With guest stars Ross Martin,

Scott Marlowe, special guest star Susan Oliver.

Tonight's episode, Friends Till Death.

I was wondering when we'd ever get together again. I'm so glad you called.

really am.

That was the one thing we swore we'd never do. Drift apart, remember?

It reminds me.

I came across this the other day.

I was doing some serious housecleaning.

Where do you see this?

Isn't that something?

Three ex -patriots.

The nemesis of Pacific Western Jew.

Independent to the end.

Have you heard from Karen?

Neither have I.

She's probably jet -setting around the world someplace.

End up engaged to a baron or an earl, I figure.

Sue, I kind of get the idea that you didn't call me to talk over old times.

You want to tell me what the problem is?

You always did read me like a book.

Betty, you still work for your father -in -law?

Yeah.

Barnaby's right -hand girl.

Listen, you think he'd have time to talk to me? I can't go to the police, and

that's why I thought of Barnaby.

Could you call him, please, now?

Sure.

Thank you, Betty.

Oh, Barnaby, I'm glad I caught you in.

Where's the package?

Stay away from me!

Let me see it!

Thank

you,

Lieutenant.

Well, I'm not sure.

What if we do go out? I'll leave a number.

Thank you.

The authorities have decided that Susan's death was suicide.

How can they be so certain?

Did they find a note?

No, not yet. They haven't even found her purse. They think that some ghoul in

the crowd must have picked it up right after she fell.

Susan did not commit suicide.

Self -destruction was not in her.

Betty.

It's in all of us a little bit, to a certain degree.

You said she was upset in the restaurant.

Yes, at first, but when she thought you were going to help her, it was as though

I'd pulled her from an undertow.

And why did she revert to suicide when you left her, is that your question?

Yeah. Well, I can't answer that without knowing what kind of trouble she was in.

She would never have let go that quickly.

She was a fighter from the first day I met her.

Three expatriates. The what?

That was one of the last things we talked about.

It's what we called ourselves in college.

I met Susan when we were freshmen.

She couldn't make a sorority, and we went into a dorm together, and a third

joined us, Karen Macklin.

So you became the three expatriates?

Yeah.

I'm suddenly becoming very tired.

But I wanted to ask you something about a new client.

Yeah. Later. I'll take you home.

Part of the... A new client.

Can't wait. It's me.

I want you to look into Susan's death.

We'll talk after you've had some sleep.

Don't help, please.

Betty, I can understand how personal Susan's death is to you.

It's personal to both of us, Barnaby.

Barnaby, please. Her last act was to ask for your help. Now I'm asking.

Please. Will you look into her death?

You really need an answer.

I just flew in from Hong Kong last night and I read about Susan.

I was with her when she died.

Three of us fighting the world.

I know it's hard, Betty, but...

Why don't we try to think about the happy days?

I don't know if happy is the right word for it.

Remember that time we got the silent treatment?

Oh, ho, ho.

And the time they threatened to boycott any fellas that dated us?

That really nearly ended our dazzling careers as femme fatales.

Or femmes fatales.

But we endured.

That we did.

Graduation.

And you got married.

And Susan went to work at the clinic. And I, well... I wish you'd

contacted me.

I didn't expect an invitation to be a Ritz or anything like that. But a

wouldn't hurt.

I'm just sorry that it was Susan's death that reunited us.

You know, I want to help with the arrangements for Susan's funeral. I know

haven't had time to do anything about it, but... Thank you.

I haven't been able to think much past yesterday in the restaurant.

Did Susan say anything about the kind of trouble she was in?

Oh, nothing. Just that she couldn't go to the police.

I've got to leave. I've got a long way to my hotel.

We should reconsider and stay here.

I'd love to, except that we just stay and talk all day, and you need some

After all, you've been sleeping.

Hello?

Oh, yes, pardon me.

When? I'm not sure, but somebody gave this place a going over.

Well, any idea who?

No, nobody saw anybody go in or out.

Did Susan give you anything at the restaurant?

Or did she mention anything somebody might be looking for?

No.

Not that I can recall.

I'd like to go over your meeting with her again. Can you meet me at the

Sure, I'm on my way.

That was my father -in -law. There's been a new lead in Susan's death.

Her apartment's been ransacked.

You mean robbed?

No. Barnaby thinks someone was searching for something.

I don't understand.

You may have a clue.

I don't know. We're going to talk about it anyway.

Hey, listen.

Why don't you stay until I get back?

Of course, I don't know how long I'm going to be.

I'll call you later.

All right.

You

find

it?

Do I look like I did?

All right, what did you learn?

Well, Betty doesn't know anything about the package, but her father -in -law...

A student's apartment, just after you got through with it. He knows somebody

after something.

But does he know who or what?

No, I don't think so. Not yet.

You know, we wouldn't be in this fix if you waited for me at the Hong Kong

airport. If you waited for me just a little longer.

How could I wait when I saw the police pick you up?

I thought the whole setup had been blown. My only thought was to get on

plane. But the police didn't even know about you.

How did I know what you'd tell them?

Well, I wasn't about to confess that you were smuggling a million dollars worth

of heroin out of the country for me.

All right, I panicked.

Anyway, I got the stuff through American Customs.

Yeah, and gave it to your girlfriend.

Well, what else could I do?

You could have broken under interrogation and Hong Kong could have

Los Angeles police and they would have picked me up.

Okay, okay.

Look, we are over the time limit on this delivery.

And we've got to find the lead on that package, and we've got to find it very

fast. Now,

it wasn't in her purse.

There's no report it was on her body.

I couldn't find it in her apartment.

She must have hid it somewhere else.

You're hedging one option, sweetheart.

Your friend Betty.

I don't know, maybe something happened between her and Susan before I got there

at the restaurant.

What do you mean?

What I mean is...

We need information.

I want you to move in with her.

Oh, Vince, I don't want Betty involved in this, too.

Please.

Sweetheart, we'll do what's necessary.

I mean, if it's her life or ours.

Come on, baby, there's no contest.

No, no, like I told him.

I found it in a trash can on 6th Street.

Hey, I, uh... I wasn't anywhere near where that woman fell.

You sure this purse was empty when you tried to peddle it?

Dry as a bone.

I'll stake my reputation on it.

I believe him.

According to Betty, Susan Taylor had some currency in his bag.

If he'd have found the money, we'd have probably found him stretched out in some

drunk tank or alley by now.

That's pure logic.

You cut this landing?

No, sir. That's the condition I found it in.

All right. You can let him go.

Mitsuko's, Hong Kong.

Mind if I borrow this?

Go ahead.

Check on the progress and call me by this afternoon.

With some results this time, please.

I can't push too hard. That is not stupid.

Find a way.

Hey.

I love you.

Oh, honey.

Why don't we just go away and find a quiet spot and forget all this?

Our friends won't let us forget.

Take care.

Vincent. Hey, I can explain, Jerry.

No explanation is necessary. Not to me, anyway.

It's just that Mr. Emory's worried.

Yeah, I can understand.

Two days, no word.

Thinks you're avoiding him.

What can I tell him?

Well, I was delayed. I lost sight of the school I was using.

You mean the one that just drove out?

All right. We had a mixer.

You mean you took your eyes off the ball?

Look, Jerry, just let me explain. No explanation is necessary.

Just that in any ball game, you get only three strikes. You already got two.

You didn't show up at the meeting?

Strike one.

We had to find you?

Strike two.

Do you have the goods?

Not, can you get them?

Do you have them?

Hey, where are you going?

I've got to meet some friends.

Give me a day's spread, huh?

Ask Mr. Henry.

You sure you can get the stuff by tomorrow?

Absolutely. I give you my word.

All right, I'll do my best.

I'm going out on a limb doing this, Vincent.

Don't let me down.

Barnaby, I'd like to meet Karen Macklin.

The third expatriate.

Jones?

It's a pleasure.

Karen's going to stay with me during your visit.

Betty bribed me. Promised I wouldn't have to help with the housework.

Wouldn't count on it. How long are you going to be here, Karen?

Until I wear out my welcome.

Which will be a long time, because I'm going to insist.

Beth?

Did she ever mention having been to Hong Kong?

No. Oh.

Well, she could have bought that locally, Barnaby. A lot of shops sell

goods. Never heard of a local shop named Mitsuko.

Maybe Karen could help us. I understand you just got in from Hong Kong.

Oh, well, I was just there one day. I'm not familiar with the shops.

Oh.

Well, whoever searched that... Perth certainly did a thorough job.

Whoever made it got careless.

He didn't sew down the side of the label.

Is there something behind it? Here.

Could be an inspector's number.

Why would they hide it behind the label?

And why on plastic?

Of course, it could have been something that Susan slipped back there.

So number 733, do you think that means anything?

Maybe.

The tape is meant to stick to something.

And that something got separated?

When whatever it was was pulled out of here.

Betty, when you called me from the restaurant yesterday, did you leave

on the table?

My purse.

You still have the same purse? Yeah.

You taking a thing out of it, suggested it?

I didn't.

There.

Anything new in here?

What now?

Well, I think I'm going to do a little more checking on Susan, what she was up

to the last few days.

Was there anything I can do to help?

No, you just have a good reunion with Karen.

Yeah? Jones is narrowing down on the goods.

He found something in the purse that I gave Susan.

What was it?

A plastic label with the number 733, but not what it belonged to.

But I think Jones is going to find our package for us.

Oh, good. Let's just hope it's soon.

Look, don't call me here anymore, Karen. I'm moving out.

What's wrong?

There's no time to explain.

I'll be at the Elwood Apartments in Hollywood if you have to contact me.

Goodbye.

Don't worry, Vincent.

Something came up. I was going to call you.

Mr.

Emery.

Thank you, Jerry.

Come, come, come, Calvin, please.

You're ruining Mr. Talbot's clothes.

I'm sorry, Mr. Emery.

Beautiful leather.

You have such exquisite taste, Vincent.

It's so expensive.

I wasn't going to run out on you, Mr. Emery. I promise I wasn't.

Of course not. You wouldn't be that stupid.

Shall we go inside, gentlemen?

Looks as though Vincent has developed a chill.

I know we lost the heroin.

But I'm going to get it back for you, I promise.

Ah, I see, Jerry.

I told you we had nothing to worry about.

There's no need for me to leave that party.

I told you.

Vincent's completely trustworthy.

See, there's this guy.

Barnaby Jones, he's a private detective.

He's got a good lead where the stuff is hidden.

Private detective?

A friend of yours?

No, no.

There's nothing to worry about.

You see, what I did was I had Karen stay with his daughter -in -law.

I figured with her in hand, hey, he'll lead us right to the stuff.

As a matter of fact, it's a very good plan.

But in the face of how good a plan that is, it makes me wonder,

where were you running tonight?

I needed time.

I told Jerry tomorrow and I got scared.

Fear is the enemy, dear boy.

It puts lines in the face.

Even a handsome face like yours.

It also makes one do very foolish things like drawing a gun on Jerry.

Jerry.

Yes, sir.

You think you might be able to put an end to poor Vincent's fear?

Hey, hey, hey.

Come on, man.

Don't hurt me.

Oh, we're not going to hurt you.

Jerry's going to kill you.

Oh, man, come on.

You need me. You need me.

No.

Your plan really is quite good.

It should be very easy to locate Jones's daughter -in -law, in which case I

would have no use for you at all.

Jerry. Jerry.

In the future, you must learn to be more careful.

You almost ruined a very expensive game.

This is a complete inventory?

That's it, Barnaby.

No other effects on Susan Taylor's body or clothing.

You wanted the autopsy report?

It says here her right thumb and forefinger were smudged with a

foreign substance.

Maybe she clawed at the building as when she fell.

Doesn't seem logical. According to this, her fingernails were unbroken.

You have a sample of the substance?

Let me check.

Any luck with that sample?

Here's a breakdown.

Red, yellow, black, iron oxide.

Trieth... Tri... Triethanolamine stearate.

Of course.

Carnuba wax, beeswax, and shellac.

All adds up.

To what? Furniture polish?

Eyelash polish.

That buck to Miss Gareth still in your purse?

They seem to go together.

Key 733, but a key to what?

Jerry.

How do you... Karen, I don't believe you've met Mr. Emory.

Miss Macklin?

My goodness.

It looks like poor Vincent's exquisite taste extended all the way to his choice

of lady friends, doesn't it?

What's happened?

Where is Vincent?

Unfortunately, our poor friend Vincent is dead.

What?

Dead.

Yes, unfortunately.

Young woman, I shouldn't waste any time crying over him. I'd worry instead about

my own survival if I were you.

Your young friend has placed you in a most precarious position.

Miss Dimery, she's not here.

All right.

Where's Mr. Jones?

He doesn't have anything to do with this.

I shall caution you just one time.

You're only valued to me as a means of access to Betty Jones and her father -in

-law. Other than that, it's a pity.

But you're worthless to me.

Now, would you care to answer my question?

She is at his office.

She should be back any time.

Karen, I've got some news.

Barnaby found a key.

A key?

Found it in my mascara case.

Susan must have put it there that day at lunch.

What kind of key?

The key man told Barnaby it could be to one of those frozen food lockers. He's

checking it out now.

What puzzled me, though, is why Susan was so secretive.

You said?

Uh, she was in trouble.

Yes, but all this cloak and dagger stuff, I mean, what could she have had?

She had my property, Mrs. Jones.

Garrett, who are these men?

Permit me, I'm Maxwell Emery. These are my associates, Jerry, Calvin.

Say hello to the lady.

Heroin? What's that about?

It's about a mistake, Mrs. Jones.

A million -dollar mistake your friend here made.

It's about heroin, Betty.

A friend and I smuggled a package out into the country for him.

A student wouldn't have been involved in something like this.

Unfortunately, she was, as we all are.

Then, if you'd be good enough to sit down...

We

can, all of us, wait until our detective friend, your father -in -law, puts an

end to these complications.

Barnaby?

Yes, you did say he was on his way to pick up my package. Did you not?

Well, if he does find it, you can be sure he'll not turn it over to you.

Then I'm afraid the future holds very little promise for either of you.

I abhor harming anyone, I assure you, but man does what he

has to do.

Yeah, Susan Taylor.

That's the woman. You say she came in here last week and rented this locker.

Is she coming along?

Well, if I remember, yeah.

She didn't store very much.

Say, what's this all about anyway?

Susan Taylor is dead.

This may be the key to why she died.

What's so special about ordinary rib roast?

Nothing. I was hoping for something a little less ordinary.

Excuse me.

Shirley.

Yep.

Answer the phone, my dear.

Hello?

Betty?

Well, I've got it.

It's white and it's powdery, but it sure isn't snow.

Barnaby, I... That's excellent news, Mr. Jones.

You've found my heroine, have you?

Who is this?

That's not important, is it? What's more to the point is that I have your

daughter -in -law.

Now, since you have something that belongs to me, it would seem to behoove

effect some reasonable exchange, wouldn't you say?

Listen.

If you have any idea of harming her, her personal safety is of utmost concern to

me. Damaged goods would benefit neither one of us.

I take it you haven't mentioned the heroin to anyone else?

No.

Then just go to your office and wait there. I'll call you later with further

instructions. When you do, I'll want to talk to Betty.

Yes, with any cautious man.

And so you shall.

But no police.

Ah, Mr. Jones.

Are you familiar with the North Valley Dam?

I know where it is.

Good. Shall we say three o 'clock?

I'll bring the package.

And again, no police. Is that understood?

I'll be there.

I want to speak to Betty.

Barnaby, don't walk into this. They've already killed two of us. Betty.

That's excellent advice, Mr. Jones, for yourself as well.

It's obvious you're a very intelligent man.

I'm smart enough to know that their lives aren't worth a plug nickel the way

things are.

How about a trade?

Me for them and I'll lead you to the heroin.

Come now, Mr. Jones.

I respect you. Don't disappoint me. We're both too mature to play games.

I'll see you at the dam at three.

I trust those bonds aren't too tight.

It shouldn't be much longer now.

You'll let us go, won't you?

Of course.

Once I have my property, there'll be no further need for you.

But you will need to leave the country.

Yes.

There are some rather nice watering places that should be lovely at this

year.

Not with three witnesses left behind.

He has no intention of letting us live.

It's a trap.

Very astute.

I'm afraid your comment about my dilemma succeeded only in distressing your

friend here.

There are times when it's far better to keep one's mouth shut.

Karen, how in heaven's name did you get mixed up in all this anyway?

I mean, you were the girl who had everything.

Sure.

And I went along for quite a while, and looks and friends, until

one day we were gone.

Then Vince came along.

Vince?

When I was here visiting Susan last year, I took her to a party.

That's where I met him.

He was so strong and so handsome.

He made me feel 19 again.

It wasn't until later I discovered how he got all this money.

That's when he started using me to help him.

How did Susan get involved?

Well, Vincent and I were trying to get that heroin out of Hong Kong, and

must have... To the police, anyway.

They picked him up at the airport there, and I panicked.

When I reached L .A., I passed the package to Susan for

safekeeping.

I told her not to look in the package.

Well, at least now I know why she called me.

She couldn't turn you over to the police.

Let me collect that thing.

What's he doing?

I don't know.

Too late.

Took a little while to rig the dynamite.

I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage.

That was my intention.

An old horse trader once taught me that...

It's a good idea to get a close look at the goods before anything changes hands.

The heroin's on the front seat.

There's five sticks of dynamite underneath it.

Anybody except me that tries to open that car, the whole thing will go up in

air like a load of kindling in a high wind.

Jerry, check that out.

It's here like he says.

Got wires running to all the doors.

By George, you run a good bluff, Mr. Jones. I admire that.

Open the door, Jerry.

Sir? Open the door and get the stuff. Can't you see he's cunning us?

Yes, sir.

Of course, if you're wrong, the heroin goes, too.

That leaves you with a million dollars worth of dust.

Open the door, Jerry.

I'm sorry, Cy.

I can't do it.

Calvin? You think you might have a little more courage than our friend

here?

No.

I don't think so.

Why don't you do it yourself?

Well, thank you. We've had more than enough dramatics for the afternoon.

I take it you want the ladies freed first, is that it? You take it right.

All right, Calvin, untie them. I don't think we have anything to fear from

Now that we have Mr. Jones here.

By George, that was your intent right from the start, wasn't it?

How would you play a marvelous game of chess?

Only checkers.

Betty, you take Karen.

You get out of here.

You think I'm leaving you here alone?

I know what I'm doing.

Since you're over that rise, I'll give him the heroin.

Don't worry.

Go on.

Well, I must say it's just as well.

It would have been a crime to have had to do away with two such beautiful

With your gentle instincts, it's too bad you're in this line of work.

Thank you.

Realize, of course, I'll have to keep you in there staying.

There's no other insurance you've left me.

I thought of that.

Very noble of you.

It's the most unusual trait in a man as shrewd as you are.

All right, what about my property?

Go on, take it.

What about the dynamite?

I can tell that you haven't done much poker playing.

Then you were bluffing.

Sometimes a man has to gamble with what he hasn't got.

My hat's off to you, sir.

I must say it's a joy to deal with an equal.

See, Jerry?

I told you he was bluffing.

Sorry, sir.

Open the door.

to shoot a man so equal.

You alright?

Yeah.

I'll... Part of me.

You're in a station wagon.

Let's just say I traded it on a prettier model.