Original subtitles

Barnaby Jones, a Quinn Martin production, starring Buddy Epson, also

Lee Merriweather, with guest stars Gary Lockwood,

Lynn Marta, John Pfeiffer,

Ward Costello.

Tonight's episode, Dangerous Gambit.

Well, Joyce, the attorney for the Montrose estate is coming in at 11 about

loan. I'll need the file.

Oh, better hold off on that. Let's take care of the delivery first.

We don't have a letter today, Joyce.

The main order isn't until tomorrow.

Where's my head? I thought this was Friday.

That's all right. I usually start anticipating the weekend three hours

Monday.

This is reservations at Global Airlines.

I'm calling regarding a reservation we're holding for Lennon Markwell. May I

please speak with his father?

Oh, well, I'm sorry. Mr. Markwell's busy right now. This is quite urgent.

Well, all right. Hold on. I'll see.

47 ,000.

That's correct.

The 50s are also correct.

12 ,600.

Mr. Markwell, there's a phone call for you.

Can't they leave a message?

Well, it's the airlines about some ticket reservations for your son.

I'll be right back.

Yes?

reservation for Leonard Marquardt, your son?

Indian Wells, Boyce Camp, charter flight 83.

There must be some mistake. My son sprained his ankle last night and won't

able to leave for camp for at least a week. You must have the cancellation

because I called in this morning. I'm going to excuse me.

If you just give me a moment, sir, I'm sure we can check it for you. I'm sorry.

If there are any further problems, please call my secretary. Goodbye.

Reservation, of course.

They loves up everything.

7 ,000 in 20s. And 3 ,000, that makes 10 ,000.

All right.

Don't forget your letter.

You can bring me the Montrose file now.

Yes, sir. I just want to check something with Angie first.

As soon as you can.

I'm scared, Angie. Don't worry. Everything will go just as we planned.

for your friend until Mr. Benjamin calls.

I was a gun in my pocket. So don't do anything stupid.

Just give me the key.

What are you talking about? Come on, come on. The key to the safe deposit

It's in my purse.

You saw what happened, didn't you? She ran right in front of my car.

Oh, my Lord.

Somebody call an ambulance!

What happened?

She just ran in front of my car. It was an accident.

He saw it all.

Who? Him.

I think she's dead.

My god Even drinking

her purse gone

Since

today

is our daughter Cindy's sixth birthday. Mr. Jones.

We didn't want to disappoint her

Only been a few hours since the accident.

California Meridian sure works fast.

Well, I just happened to be in the area working on another case when I got the

call, but I'll be glad to come back later if you like.

$200 ,000 liability riding on this. I guess the insurance company's got a

to be in a hurry.

What do you want to know?

I want to hear your side. I already talked to the police.

Seems that you may be a bigger loser than my client.

They're not seriously thinking of charging me with manslaughter, are they?

They found traces of alcohol in your blood.

One bloody Mary with a customer, and I didn't even finish that.

Look, I'm a salesman, Mr. Jones.

A drink now and then is part of doing business.

That's not a very good excuse in the light of your past record.

That other accident happened years ago. I was just a dumb 16 at the time.

You know, kids, we were joyriding for kicks.

Well... In that other accident, your friend who was riding with you almost

Today, someone was killed.

It wasn't my fault, Mr. Jones. You're just going to have to believe that.

I hope to do better than that. I hope to prove it.

Save my client a lot of money and save you a lot of trouble with the police.

Police tell you about the man I saw talking to the woman just before she

in front of my car?

Dark hair, about 35, wearing a dark windbreaker.

That's all you can remember about him?

Well, I didn't expect him to just disappear like that.

You find that man, he'll tell you it wasn't my fault.

Any other witnesses?

Not that I saw.

Everybody got there after it happened.

There's not much to go on.

Mr. Jones, do you think they'll put my husband in jail for this?

Not if I can come up with that witness to back up your husband's story.

Hey, this is a beauty.

Sure is. Best German camera the Japanese make.

You must be Stan Nesbitt.

That's right.

My name is Barnaby Jones. I'm a private investigator.

Some of the shopkeepers along the street said you took a lot of pictures of the

accident this morning.

Oh, sure did.

In fact, I just sold one to the newspapers for 50 bucks.

Hey, this one here.

It's going to be in the evening edition.

I haven't got the budget to play with it. The newspaper people do, but I'll

you $100 for the set.

$150 for shooting a few pictures.

Did you ever think that you might be in the wrong end of the business?

Hi, Angie.

My God, Jerry.

You know, for three months now, all the time I was tracking you down, I kept

wondering what your face would look like when you saw me again.

Frank said you were dead.

He wasn't wrong by much.

You know, it took those doctors in Chicago five hours to stitch me up.

After Frank stuck that knife in me and left me in that alley.

Frank!

No.

He said you got into a fight with some bookies you owed money to.

Is that why you didn't wait around for my funeral?

He said we had to leave town fast, that they were after him, too.

Well, it wasn't that you two figured you didn't need me anymore, was it?

No. No, Jerry.

That once I'd figured out how to knock off the bank from the inside, planned it

every step of the way, it wasn't then that you two figured you didn't need me

anymore, was it?

So you could split my share between you?

I swear you've got to believe me, Jerry.

Oh, baby.

You, uh... You do need me, don't you?

You put me first.

I bet Frank's going crazy looking for it.

What happened to Joyce was your fault.

No, she panicked.

It was an accident.

Hello? Angie, I think I know what happened to the other key.

I just took a look. The back door's been forced. Somebody's been in here.

Frank, you're not... Honey, I'll take the phone.

Hi, old buddy. Trick or treat, it's me, Jerry. Jerry Kennedy, remember?

Jerry.

Come on, Frank. You're not interested in the miracles of modern medicine, are

you? All you need to know is I'm alive and kicking.

Yeah, sure.

Sure.

Well, let's get together.

It'd be great to see you again.

Yeah, great. That'd be fine.

But I'll pick the spot.

I want to make sure this time the knife doesn't go in my back.

Come on, Jerry.

Any way you say.

Okay, Frank.

I'll tell Angie when I'm ready.

Oh, and Frank.

I just wanted to let you know I'm back in the deal.

That's him, all right.

So I'll make it easy to find him.

Not necessarily.

Betty's been up and down the street all afternoon showing these pictures.

And I'm afraid I couldn't find anyone who's ever seen him before.

You got to find him, Mr. Jones.

If I don't have a witness to back me up, I'm in for manslaughter.

Now, here is something that might help us to pinpoint the type of a man we're

looking for.

What's that?

A little object right there.

Looks like a woman's purse.

According to the police,

George Elkins' purse was not found at the scene of the accident yet.

There it is.

Do you think he took it?

Take another look at these pictures.

The man we're looking for is in the first five, and then he's gone.

So is the purse.

It's there in the first five, and then after that, they're both gone.

People have been known to do a little looting at the scene of an accident.

I remember she was lying there. I was calling for help.

And he didn't seem in the least concerned about it. He just kept looking

something. The purse.

That's probably why he didn't stick around to be a witness for you.

Yeah.

Sure explains it, doesn't it?

No.

All we have to do is find him.

It's 20 after. Where is he?

Ask me that every five minutes since 8 o 'clock. I told you he'd be here.

I'm holding under the table.

Make one dumb move and I'll blow you in the next week.

How you doing, old buddy?

Jerry, how you been?

Just fine.

Want to see my operation?

Look, if you two are going to need a referee, I... No, no, no, no, no.

Bygones are bygones, right?

Wrong.

I still hate your guts.

But as long as we're stuck with each other, I'll go for it.

Don't do me any favors, old buddy.

If I wasn't really sorry for what happened between us, I wouldn't be

here talking to you.

You know, if you didn't show, you know I'd call the bank.

Tell him what you got in the box. That's why you're talking to me, and that's

why I'm back in for my part of the take.

Okay. A full share.

Figuring there's $160 ,000, $70 ,000 in the box, that puts you a third of... Uh

-uh.

I measured what'll go into the hollow ledger very carefully when I planned

job, and $240 ,000 is how I figure it.

Jerry, nobody's gonna cheat you. Whatever's there, you get a third.

$80 ,000.

Okay.

Eighty thousand.

Well, now that that's settled, the key.

Tomorrow.

Oh, no thanks.

We gotta trust each other a little bit.

Hey, you know the phone booth that's across the street from the bank?

Yeah. Good.

You be in it at ten of ten in the morning and I'll call you and let you

can find the little key.

Sure, I don't blame you.

You gotta protect yourself. I'd do the same thing.

You know, I don't get it, Frank.

You're taking it too easy.

You got all the cards, Jerry.

Uh -uh.

Not just the cards, old buddy.

The bullets.

I'm telling you, I'll be watching you from the time you pick up the key till

get out of the bank with the money.

You make one false move and you're dead.

I didn't figure it any other way.

Oh, and Frank, I want you to count out my $80 ,000 inside the bank.

Because when you come out, I want mine then and there.

Right.

See you, old buddy.

You look like the cat that swallowed the canary.

he won't feel a thing.

Oh, sure.

Yeah, that's him.

You've seen him with Joyce Elkins?

Oh, no, not with Joyce, but this afternoon... Yeah, this is the fellow

almost bumped into this afternoon. He was coming out of Angie's apartment.

This afternoon, you're sure?

Mm -hmm.

It was about 2 .30.

I know, because I was coming back from a swim in the pool.

Any idea when Miss Roth might be back?

Uh, hold on.

Angie, there's a man here to see you.

Miss Roth, I'm Barnaby Jones. The company that insured the driver of the

that was involved in the accident in which your roommate was killed.

They asked me to look into it.

All right, come in.

How can I help you, Mr. Jones?

Well, there seemed to be some question about responsibility for the accident.

I thought that was obvious. The driver had been drinking.

Well, no one condones that, but the driver says that there was a witness, a

who could testify that it wasn't his fault.

This man.

Can you identify him?

Sorry, I've never seen him before.

You sure?

Positive.

That's funny, because your neighbor, Miss Johnson, is just as positive that

saw this man coming out of this apartment at 2 .30 this afternoon.

2 .30?

There was a man here.

But not that one.

Yeah, I can see where Imagine mistake him for the man in the picture. They

very alike, but it wasn't him.

Who was it?

Oh, just a salesman. He was only here for a moment or two, selling, uh,

kitchenware.

A moment or two, he certainly succeeded in making himself at home.

He was the pushy kind, you know, invites himself to your liquor, fouls the air

with cigar smoke.

Yes, I once knew a man like that. He'd come over to say good morning, and while

he was doing that, he would empty everything edible out of your

then predict what a lousy day was going to be.

Well, if that's all, Mr. Jones, it's very late and I'm tired.

Yes, certainly.

If there's nothing else...

i'll get in touch with you good night thank you

I called you over an hour ago. You're getting paid for it, Smiley.

That's it?

Yeah. I followed him straight here from the restaurant.

Uh -uh.

The picture first.

Oh.

Attaboy.

Remember, Smiley, if you breathe a word about this, your face ain't gonna be so

smiley anymore.

You don't think I'm so dumb I couldn't spot the tail you had on me, do you?

The Elkins accident.

You representing her next of kin?

Boyette, the driver through California Meridian Insurance.

You know, this is beginning to feel like something more than an accident.

Like what?

Well, no more after you and your very efficient R &I people identify the man

a dark windbreaker.

Boyette's so -called witness, huh?

Yeah, I heard about that.

His lawyer came in to see me yesterday right after it was published in the

papers. But like I told him, it's impossible.

You know, I never expected a man to spend as much time as you do trying to

100, say anything was impossible.

You're not going to needle me into taking men off more important cases,

days trying to match this picture against the mugshot file. Even then,

probably end up with nothing. And I need something more than just a picture. How

about some fingerprints?

A man in a picture?

Maybe.

Where'd you get them?

Off a whiskey glass.

If it turns out to be anything, I'll fill you in.

Hey, I thought you might need a lift to work.

Frank is supposed to pick me up.

There's been a change in plan.

Come on, get in.

I'm worried about...

Like you were in Chicago.

You've got to believe me, Jerry. The first I heard about Frank trying to kill

you was when you told me yesterday.

I thought he might try it again.

He did.

Only this time I was waiting for him.

He's dead, Angie.

I'm glad you're alive.

You know, for a minute, I thought I might ruin your day.

Jerry Frank never meant anything to me.

I needed somebody.

He was the only one around when I thought I lost you.

Okay, it really doesn't matter what I believe.

You know, the only thing that changes is a split, a 50 -50.

That is, unless you think there's a problem with me signing Frank's name to

me into the vault.

No, I'll be there to get you through without a hitch.

But once I do, and you get the money out of the deposit box, what's to prevent

you from doing to me what you think I did to you?

Very good.

Okay,

I'll tell you what I do. When I get the box into the private customer, I'll just

divide the money right there.

If a girl's going to face the big unknown alone, it certainly helps to

bank account in her own name.

It's nine o 'clock. You have an hour before the bank opens.

Hey.

A little interest for that account of yours.

Who knows, it might grow.

How many?

Well, Lieutenant Biddle just called for the second time.

This message, when it comes to business, I usually shoot a hole in one?

What does that mean?

It means that the fire I lit under the good lieutenant is beginning to pay off.

Did he identify our purse snatcher?

Yes, Jerry Kennedy, an ex -convict. When he called a second time, John gave me

this address.

He'd like you to meet him there as soon as possible.

Mulholland Drive.

I thought you might be interested in this. What do you got, Lieutenant?

Murder victim, looks like. A telephone repairman found him early this morning.

One of my men just got back with his rap read on it.

Whoever shot him apparently rolled him down this embankment during the night.

Frank Dunlap.

Hmm?

You read a little further, you will see he once served time with Jerry Kennedy,

the owner of those fingerprints we identified for you.

Served 18 months and a five -year sentence for bank fraud.

That's very interesting.

Angie. Oh, sorry, Angie. I guess you're just as upset as all of us about what

happened to Joyce.

I'm all right.

I don't know why you came into work today. I told you you didn't have to

until you felt ready.

Oh, Mr. Markwell, keeping busy helps me not to think about it.

Miss Clayton, I have enough work to keep your hands busy. Come with me.

Where? From now on, Lily Clayton is going to be in charge of the deposit box

desk, and you are going to be my new assistant.

Your deposit box number, sir, and please, your signature on the entry

I forgot something.

Oh, uh, miss, could you help me, please?

What do we do now?

We can't fake the entry slip anymore.

If you can match Frank's signature.

I'll have to have something to practice with.

You have his handwriting on anything?

It's the letter he wrote when he was out of town once.

They're in my bedroom dresser top drawer.

I'll need a key to the apartment.

Get an extra one under the doormat.

Okay. You know that girl, Lily? The one who took over for you?

Take her to lunch at the corner snack shop.

I'll show up when I do.

Introduce me as Frank.

Frank. Frank.

Okay?

You go, leave us alone, and I'll take it from there.

Excuse me.

Angie, I've just had a call from the main branch. They've run low on currency

and want us to spend as much as we can spare as soon as possible. That means we

have to start the audit now instead of this evening.

The price of being a boss, Mr. Jones.

Half the time, there isn't time to take a normal lunch like your employees can.

I don't mind. As close as I get to a picnic.

This man you say was found murdered this morning.

Frank Dunlap.

And the man your client saw with Joyce before the accident?

What do these men have to do with...

whether or not Joyce handled large sums of money.

It turns out that Dunlap and Jerry Kennedy once served time together for

fraud.

That doesn't necessarily mean that Joyce was into something with them.

According to the Jones -Birds of a feather theory, there is that

But the only time Joyce ever came in contact with money was when she helped

count the currency deliveries, and there was a bank official always with her.

That was normal procedure.

She was never left in the vault alone?

Never.

Well, except, uh... Yesterday?

Well, for only a moment or two.

Before, when you asked if anything unusual had happened yesterday, I didn't

connect the one with the other.

Connect what?

Well, I left Joyce alone during the count to go and take a call from an

reservation clerk.

What was unusual about that?

I'd already canceled that reservation early in the morning.

I began to worry about it, so I checked back to make sure that there was no foul

-up, and the airline clerk said that that call had never been made.

Who all knew about your reservation?

My wife, my son, and, of course, Angie. Joyce was busy, so I asked Angie

to call and make the reservation for me.

Miss Roth didn't know that you'd canceled.

No, I made that from home before I came to work.

And she didn't know?

And whoever it was that made the phone call didn't know.

Well, I know, but why would that... To decoy you out of the vault's the only

I can read it.

This is all beginning to take on a touch of the fantastic now, don't you think?

Mr. Markwell.

Oh, Mr. Jones, this is Mr. Anderson, our chief teller. How do you do, sir?

Mr. Markwell, the audit.

There's something wrong.

It's all right. Mr. Jones is a private investigator.

Well, I think I found a shortage.

A large shortage.

You don't know how much I appreciate your asking me to lunch, Auntie.

Since my divorce, it's been tough getting back into the world.

Excuse me.

Uh -huh? Miss Roth, I'm just on my way to the bank with the papers you asked

for.

Oh, excuse me, Lily Clayton, this is Frank Dunham.

How do you do? All right.

That'll do just fine.

Would you like to join us?

I thought you'd never ask.

So, Lily, do you work at the bank, too?

Yes. And we've met before, but I see you don't remember.

Chicago. What I mean, Mr. Dunlap, is that we almost met.

This morning, when I took over the deposit box window, you were almost my

customer.

Well,

I remember that now.

Look at the time. I've still got some shopping to do.

Oh, now you don't. Why don't you go on me?

That is, if I don't have to eat it alone, Lily.

Lily, you still have 20 minutes.

I'll see you back at the bank.

Thank you, Mr. Dunlap.

Bye -bye.

Bye -bye.

Do you have lunch here often, Mr. Dunlap?

Lily, let's get one thought out of the way first.

Are you married?

No.

Not anymore.

Good, because I have one hard and fast rule. I never let a married woman call

by my first name.

Remember it?

Frank.

That's good.

Well, Lily, I'm sorry I wasn't your first customer this morning, but I

make up for it by being your first customer this afternoon.

So far, we haven't been able to account for $246 ,000.

I've already called the bank examiners, but I'm waiting on the police until

Anderson can run another quick count.

In the time that Miss Elkins was in the vault, could she have picked up that

much money and taken it out with her?

Well, considering that the loss was in large bills, it is a possibility, but

it's not very likely.

I mean, she would have had to have a bag of some sort to take it out of there.

Her purse, the one that was stolen at the scene of the accident, did she have

that with her in the vault?

Well, for obvious reasons, our women employees never take their purses into

vault. Besides, her hands were full carrying that ledger.

What ledger?

The bank audit ledger.

You said the audit didn't start till this morning.

Joyce got mixed up on the day. She brought it in by mistake.

May I see it?

Sure.

Strange.

This should only be the one ledger.

Is this the ledger that Miss Elkins had in the vault?

It should be.

Would you mind coming over here?

I understand that you've met Mr. Jones.

I wonder if you would mind coming in and answering a few questions, please.

Rod, I think it will be proved that...

Miss Elkins' death was a direct result of a scheme to rob this bank.

Joyce?

Impossible.

But now that you mention it, she had been acting strange these past few days.

Yeah.

I think it will be further proved that she had help.

Frank Dunlap, Jerry Kennedy, and you.

What?

You want to tell us all about it?

Fox 224, first customer of the afternoon and a man of his word.

Thank you, Mr. Dunlap.

Frank.

You know, it just occurred to me that all people eat every six to eight hours

with unfailing regularity.

Is that so?

An absolute scientific fact.

Does this knowledge come from an abstract science?

Or is it one that offers a direct benefit to humanity?

Well, I think it's getting a little deep for me. I was just trying to wrangle a

date for tonight.

And here I thought I'd met a man to carry on with a great Albert Schweitzer

on.

You know, I bet Albert Schweitzer didn't know where the best top house in L .A.

is.

It's a date.

Good.

Mr. Dunlap, I wonder if you'd mind signing another entry slip for me.

For your personal collection?

Well, I know I'm being overly cautious. It's just the way I've been trained.

I'll call you later about tonight.

No, I've never seen either of them before.

After you and Miss Elkins got the money into this hollowed -out ledger, you

still had the problem of getting it out of the bank.

If I remember, you both stepped into the safety deposit box room.

That may be exactly how they did it.

That money may still be in the bank.

Mr. Dunlap, I'm sorry about delaying you, but I'm going to have to have the

managers okay on this.

May I see a list of your safe deposit box customers?

Right this way.

Lily, I want you to walk out the back door ahead of me very slowly.

Oh, shoot, I mean it.

Call the police.

As for Lieutenant Biddle, tell him I found my man.

And hold her.

Yes, sir.

Give me Lieutenant Biddle to the police, please.

Hold her right there, Kennedy!

You just stay back there!

It's all over. Did I make it tougher on yourself?

Open the door.

Open the door!

Get down, miss!

Yes.

I can promise you one thing, Mr. Jones. From now on, if I can't sell a product

without taking a drink, I'm just going to get out of the business.

Well, don't make any promises you can't keep, and next time take a taxi.

Mr. Jones, a piece of Cindy's birthday cake.

Oh, thank you very much.

And if Cindy were old enough to know how close her father came to being accused

of that girl's death, I'm sure she'd thank you just as much as we do.

Will you tell Cindy that tonight at dinner, a fellow with a great big sweet

tooth is going to enjoy her birthday cake more than anybody?

Bye. Bye.