Original subtitles

Barnaby Jones, a QM production, starring Buddy Epson, also starring

Lee Merriweather, Mark Schera, with guest stars Maggie

Cooper, Carmine Caridi, Roger

Perry, Alex Henteloff, Stephen

Brooks,

It is quite.

Tonight's episode, Deadline for Murder.

You wouldn't happen to have a smoke on you, would you?

Oh, forget it. Forget it. I am supposed to have quit. I don't have one anyway.

Are you going to be working here much longer, Mr. Turner?

Steve, excuse me just a minute.

Could I talk with you a minute? It's important.

Oh, yes, sir. I'm sorry, ladies. I'll see you in the morning.

Excuse us.

You're never going to get finished.

What's the matter? You got a problem with that profile you've been writing,

old man luncher?

No.

Come along, fine.

Fred Dolquist used to use the sauce, didn't he?

Yeah.

What is it?

Fred's ghost been around haunting you?

See, I came across some of Dolquist's notes, shorthand notes on a story he was

going to write, a scandal.

And it could involve Jackie Luxor.

Are you saying that our publisher's niece is mixed up in something shady?

Well, if...

What Doc was dug up is true, yeah.

That's pretty heavy.

You better let me see what you have. No, not yet. The information is unverified,

and I don't want to damage anyone until I am absolutely certain of the facts.

Well, you're the reporter.

Check it out.

That's the trouble. I'm not that kind of reporter.

I'm profile's human interest, yeah, but to ask the kind of questions that have

to be asked.

I'd botch it up for sure.

Well, uh... All right, how about Wells Thompson?

Who's that?

I keep forgetting. You haven't been here that long.

Wells is Ralph Lux's business advisor. Why don't you just let him sort it out?

You know, advise you.

That's too close to the top. It could end up being a whitewash.

Yeah. Well, take it outside the company.

Wait a minute.

A couple of months ago, we used a private investigator in a libel suit.

B. Jones. You know him?

No, I read an article about him once. It's pretty good. Yeah, he's the best.

If you're going to be messing around with someone like Jackie Luxor, you're

going to need the best.

Okay, call him first thing in the morning. I'll hold it.

If this is as big as you think it is, why wait?

Let me see if I can get Barnaby to meet with you right away.

Maybe even tonight.

Yeah, Barnaby Jones, please.

Oh, would you have him call Steve Weber at Luxor Publications?

He has the number.

It's very important. Tell him to call right away.

Thank you.

Come on.

We'll wait in my office.

Jones, huh?

The man never sleeps.

Sixth floor.

Come on in.

Are you the gentleman that Steve Weber called me about?

Yes, Al Geiger.

Pleasure to know you, Mr. Geiger. I'm Barnaby Jones. This is my associate, J

Jones. Mr. Geiger. Pleasure.

Time for that appointment of yours. Is it at J .R.? I'm on my way, Barnaby.

Thank you.

It's late, and I suppose we've both had a long day, so can we get to it?

How can I help you? Did Steve fill you in, Mr. Jones? Well, as much as he

Something about incriminating evidence against Ralph Lux's niece?

I'm not positive it incriminates Jackie Lux.

That's what I'd like you to determine.

Of course, I have money for a retainer if you'll take the assignment.

The notes that Steve mentioned, is that it?

Yes.

The two steno pads are the original notes I found in an office once used by

man who dug up the information, Fred Dahlquist.

Yeah, Dahlquist.

I met him when I was working on the libel case for Luxor.

Tragic accident.

I understand that the car crash in which he died happened in Topanga Canyon.

Yes, but the road gets thick up there when it rains.

If you'll notice on the second page of these transcriptions I made out of his

shorthand notes, it indicates that Dahlquist's first lead into criminal

came out of a land deal he was investigating in that same Topanga

I see.

So what you're saying is we may very well be talking about murder.

Did you type these transcripts yourself?

Yeah.

I guess Dahlquist took the same basic training in journalism as I did.

Are these all of Dahlquist's notes?

Everything I found.

Okay, I'll need a day to study these.

Waterby Jones.

Exactly three minutes.

Time's up.

Perfectly. Hold on.

Can you give me a lift up into the hills? Jay, I borrowed my car. You know

long it takes when you call a cab. We can finish our talk on the way.

No problem.

I'm leaving now.

Lobby.

If there's a trash bin fire out back, give me a hand, will you?

I'm on my way.

One more thing.

Have you discussed any of this with anyone else besides Steve Weber? Your

perhaps? No, I kept it all under wraps.

Steve and you, that's all. Good. You can't be too careful in matters like

Yes? I'm J .R. Jones, Mrs. Daniels.

No, no, I'm Clara Geiger.

Dorothy's my sister -in -law.

She's just gone to the market. Won't you come in? Sure, thank you. She'll be

back in a few minutes.

This is about the call that Dorothy made, isn't it?

About the money that my late husband gave you.

Yeah, if you'd rather wait for Mrs. Daniels, it'll be fine.

Dorothy's trying to be very protective.

It's all right, I can talk about it. Please.

Well, as I understand it, your sister -in -law told our secretary that it has

something to do with a $500 retainer that your late husband was supposed to

given us. Yes, to Barnaby Jones.

That's the name he mentioned.

Is there some problem getting the money back? Mrs. Gallagher, the thing is,

Barnaby has been in Phoenix, Arizona all this week testifying at a trial.

So, you see, it really isn't possible for him to have met your husband on

Tuesday night, as your sister -in -law says.

But he received that...

call that night about 20 after 7 telling him that the meeting with Mr. Jones was

set for 9 o 'clock.

Did he say what the call was about?

No, no, just that it was a friend.

And then he took some $500 out of the little safe we have and put it in an

envelope along with some notes and we left the house together.

You see, he had to drop me off at the hospital where I do volunteer work.

And that's the last time that you saw your husband alive?

Can I get you some tea or something stronger?

No, thank you.

Mrs. Geiger, I'm really sorry about your husband.

I don't know how to explain why he thought that Barnaby would be there that

night. But I assure you that he did not receive $500 from him.

Yes.

Well, Dorothy will be disappointed.

You know, she wanted me to have the money for expenses and all.

But I can see now that the police were right.

They figure that your husband probably picked up a hitchhiker who robbed him

before he was killed.

We've troubled you enough.

Thank you for coming.

No trouble at all, really.

One more thing.

Mrs. Daniels didn't mention it, but we were wondering what it was that your

husband was coming to see Barnaby about.

Tell you the truth, I really don't know.

He was very nervous about it.

He just said it had something to do with a story for Luxor Publications.

He worked there as a writer.

Again, I'm very sorry.

Thank you.

Hi, Sam.

Hi, Barnaby.

Working late again, huh?

Happens that way sometimes, Sam.

Linda, I'm telling you, it's the truth.

Barnaby called the last minute from Phoenix to say that he was flying in to

care of some business.

But it won't be long.

Okay?

Keep the ravioli hot.

Ciao.

Is there anything else, Chair? I mean, have I forgotten anything Barnaby should

look at? Well, if these are the weekly payroll checks, you've thought of

everything as far as I'm concerned.

Jedediah, Philistines who think only of money never get to be Supreme Court

justices.

Well, that's all right. J .R. is thinking of giving up his law career to

ravioli farming.

How was your flight?

Yes, fine. I'm sorry to have kept you all so late. Thank you. You're welcome.

It's a pity that you have to fly back so soon tomorrow morning to Phoenix.

Why, do you think that trial will ever end?

Yes, when the prosecutor gets locked, Joe.

Senator Dyer, did you settle that matter with the Daniels woman?

I didn't get to see her.

I talked to the victim's wife, Clara Geiger. It was a very weird situation

If it wasn't all so impossible, you would almost swear he actually had a

with you here that night.

Then again, he could have lied to cover up seeing a woman he had on the side and

just been mugged instead.

What are you looking for?

The antidepressant deposition.

Did you find it?

No, you said not to until you had a chance to go over it again. It should be

here.

Well, now, what is it doing?

J .R., have you been moving things on the desk again?

Oh, come on. Last time I did that, I almost got my arm chewed off.

Well, somebody did. I remember distinctly leaving it here when I filed

other papers.

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

Somebody has been eating my porridge, too.

The other morning I came in and my desk was all messed up. Not at all like the

night I left it.

You don't think the janitor's suddenly becoming nosy?

Betty. When Mrs. Daniels called about Geiger's appointment with me,

what night did she say he was here?

Tuesday night. What did he ask?

Something Sam said downstairs.

Security.

Sam, this is Barnaby.

Yeah, Barnaby. What's up? When I came in, you made a remark about...

Working late again.

It kind of skipped my mind. What was the other night?

Night before last, I think.

Tuesday? Are you sure?

Well, here it is in the book.

Mr. Al Geiger checked in to see you at 8 .45 that night.

He said he was early for a 9 o 'clock appointment.

Sam, when Geiger left, was he alone or was he with somebody?

Actually... I didn't see him again. Oh, I remember. I got a call a little later

about a trash fire out back.

He could have left when I went back to see about it. Well, thanks, Sam. Oh,

uh, was there really a fire?

No. And there was nobody breaking into cars in the garage when the same

prankster it must have been made the same kind of sucker out of me earlier.

Well, thank you, Sam.

Does it die?

Looks like somebody was actually eating our porridge.

Why in the world would someone go to the trouble of breaking in here just to

fool that poor man into thinking someone else was you?

Well, obviously, because I wanted something from him I couldn't get by

his pockets.

You know, there might be something in this, Barnaby.

Mrs. Geiger said that her husband was working on some story for Luxor

Publications and for some reason he was nervous about it.

Jillidaia, I should be finished testifying by tomorrow afternoon. In the

meantime... I want you to do some preliminary checking over at Luxor, see

story leads anywhere.

Incredible.

This picture's not all that good anyway, Ed. Back of the book if you want to use

it at all. And I'll need a color border down here, something like a pastel

overlay. Right in here?

But what about the prison investigation story?

Yank it. Save it for next month.

Jackie, it's our lead story. We don't have anything to put in its place.

Now we do.

I'm wearing one of them.

You're kidding.

The Frenchman.

You got the exclusive on his designs?

David did.

I was getting absolutely nowhere when my brilliant attorney here charmed the

great Monsieur Jacques Bill Belge with the most ridiculous French accent I've

ever heard.

And which I didn't even know you could speak, darling.

Lots about me you don't know, darling.

And voila.

News Today magazine has a newbie.

Applause for David.

And a little more personal thanks from your very favorite client.

So that's why you brought me down here, to embarrass me in front of everybody.

Fine, isn't it? Yeah.

Wait for me, darling. I'll be done in just a minute.

Now, what was the problem with the food section that we had? Ms. Luxor, may I

have a minute?

I know you.

J .R. Jones.

The libel case.

Oh, yes. You and your cousin Barnaby did a lovely job for it.

Just look at this mess. I'd like to ask you some questions about one of your

reporters, Al Geiger.

Geiger? Oh, nice man, but he wasn't one of my reporters.

How can anybody make that look appetizing to the women of America?

get into this, you mean to tell me that Al Geiger was not an investigative

reporter for News Today magazine?

That's right.

He was brought out from Chicago to do a special report on my Uncle Ralph.

Now, do you mind if I get back to this problem?

One more thing.

Did Geiger finish the profile and may I see a copy of it?

Our business affairs manager's office, Mr. Weber, is right down the hall.

You're too kind. Thank you.

Now, what other recipes are we running this month, Eddie?

Good luck to profile, Mr. Webber. Thank you, Billy.

You know, Al Geiger and I got to be very good friends the short time he was

here, but for the life of me, I can't think of anything in this profile of

Lugzer that would help explain why he was murdered.

Yeah, well, you gotta start somewhere, you know.

Thank you.

First Fred Dahlquist, and then Al Geiger.

Do you think there is a connection?

Well, as the man said, Billy.

It's always that possibility.

Wells Thompson, please.

Speaking. Ah, Wells, this is Steve.

I just had a visitor I thought you might like to know about.

Who's that?

The real J .R. Jones.

I think he knows that someone pulled a switch in our office last Tuesday night.

Guy who was killed by a robber, Steve.

Jones can resurrect the stental pads we burned.

Yeah, maybe not.

But if he asked enough questions, he just may get a little too close to that,

uh, that deal that you've been working on.

If he gets that close...

that our friends will have to arrange another unfortunate incident.

All I want to know is, is this the office Geiger was using?

Geiger, Dahlquist, I mean, it's a regular turnstile around here. Wait a

you mean Dahlquist, Fred Dahlquist?

You know, the reporter who was killed in the car crash about six weeks ago.

Hey.

Why are you asking me all that?

I only work here.

Which is more than you do, Mr. Jones.

Did Mr. Webber give you what you were looking for in the annual report? Yes,

I'd like to know what else Geiger was working on.

I already told you that.

Nothing.

What did you think he was working on?

Well, something that concerned him enough to want to hire a private

investigator.

Someone worried enough about that to kill him.

Very interesting.

If you can put that notion into fact, I'd like to print it.

What is it, Billy?

Sandy's looking for you in the bluster.

Oh, the proofs are here from Paris.

They were just delivered to the photo lab.

She also said Mr.

Shaw is looking for you.

Oh, David.

By the way, Mr. Jones, we'd like to get this office finished as soon as

possible, if you don't mind.

I know this office pretty well.

Can I help you?

Yeah, did these belong to Geiger?

No.

Me. I was Fred Dahlquist's girl Friday until I was transferred to Mr. Weber

after Fred... after he passed away.

So these were stored in his office while Geiger was using it?

He asked me to move it out, but Fred meant an awful lot to me.

And, um... Well, it's still pretty tough just getting put into this room, let

alone going through all those memories. I understand.

You feel up to...

Answering a couple of questions about Fred?

Sure. I'm much better now.

From the articles that he wrote, I kind of got the idea that he sort of was into

one expose after another.

Yes.

Everything Fred worked on seemed to shake the earth a little. Yeah. Well, is

possible that Geiger could have found something in one of these steno pads

was so hot it could have got him killed?

No. Not in any of my pads.

The really sensitive stuff he kept in his own.

What do you mean? He had his own steno pads?

Surprisingly. Fred was very good at shorthand. Are they in this office?

Yes.

Just bottom box.

All right. Let's have a look here.

You sure this is the one?

Yes.

I marked it. F .D. Private.

I don't know.

Did Fred write his shorthand in code, or could anybody who knew shorthand read

it, like Al Geiger, for example?

Fred was very hard to read, but Al probably could have. He was an expert at

I'd better get back to my office.

All right.

When Fred had the accident, was he working on anything special?

Seemed to be to him.

An article on the Park Commission.

He was so stubborn.

Even after Jackie Luxor ordered him to drop the story, Fred kept right on

digging. Okay.

Is there any reason why she took her top reporter off the story?

Fred didn't know of any.

That's why he kept at it on his own time.

The park commission story, was there anything unusual or peculiar about it?

In a way, for me, it involved a dispute over attractive land in Topanga Canyon.

Topanga? Where's Carlin off the cliff?

That's why I sometimes wonder about it. Billy, thank you.

Cal?

The way things are shaping up, I may still be here tomorrow testifying.

But you seem to be doing all right, Jedediah.

Sounds like you're on the right track with those missing steno pads.

Yeah, well, if those are the pads that Clara Geiger said her husband took with

him on Tuesday night, the question is, who else knew about it?

Well, obviously, for one, whoever it was that called Geiger and set up that

phony meeting with me at 9 o 'clock that night.

You done anything about that, Betty?

Well, my friend at the phone company.

Keep your fingers crossed. If it was a traceable unit or a toll call, we're in

business. I'm going to hop over to Topanga Canyon and check on the park

story Dahlquist was working on.

Look up an old friend of mine while you're there, Lillian Benoit.

She's in real estate on Ventura.

She knows everything that's going on in that area.

Benoit, got it.

Better go now.

You want me back on the stand?

Weber? Ask him.

Listen, J .R. Jones is standing in the middle of a Topanga land deal with some

real estate woman.

Any suggestions?

Got it.

Well, J .R., as far as I can remember, this is the only acreage in this entire

vicinity that has even raised an eyebrow.

Isn't all this supposed to be parkland?

In perpetuity.

Until a smart lawyer named Shaw came up with a variance.

Well, all the homeowner associations in this area were going to fight it.

But the Parks Commission hearing wasn't scheduled until the last minute.

So we were all caught looking in the other direction. You mentioned that the

lawyer's name was Shaw. Was it David Shaw?

That's the boy.

Very clever.

It was my feeling he knew in which closet was what skeleton in order to be

to put over such a maneuver.

You're not asking me this to maybe help us get the commission to reverse itself,

are you?

Well, I really don't know how deep all of this goes, but I think a certain

magazine publisher I know can provide me with a little more information.

Well, J .R.

Anything you can do to help would be appreciated.

Give Barnaby my love. I sure will. Thanks for the tour. You're welcome. Bye

-bye. Bye -bye.

That's a nasty -looking bump you've got there, young fella.

Unfortunately, I can't say I should see what happened to the other guy.

You're Ralph Luxor, aren't you?

That's right.

What's a pleasure to meet you, sir. J .R. Jones.

Well, that's nice. Not too insicrious, not too brash.

Tell me, what is it you do for me?

Oh, at the moment, we're checking into what happened to one of your reporters.

Actually, two.

Something happened to some of our reporters.

Nobody tells me anything anymore, just because they've been off my feet a

lately. Off your feet a little.

You know you've been quite ill, Uncle Ralph.

Well, spoiling that obituary you've been wanting to run on me is almost worth

having the stroke.

Jackie, I want to know what this young man is talking about.

Something happen to some of our reporters?

It's nothing for you to worry about, dear.

Sandy?

Sandy's going to take you over to Monsieur Jacques.

He's been dying to meet you. All right.

It's a pleasure, young man.

Well, that is a nasty -looking bump.

All right.

Can you listen to me?

Upsetting the routine at the magazine is one thing, but crashing in on a private

party and upsetting a sick old man is quite another matter.

The Park Commission report that Fred Dahlquist was investigating.

I'd like to know why you tried to suppress it.

Like to know what?

Look, this is not a social event. This is business.

If you insist, we'll talk tomorrow.

Not unless the person who tried to kill me gets a little luckier by then.

Kill you? Yeah.

Near the same spot in Topanga where Fred Dahlquist was murdered.

What are you saying? Fred was run off the road. It was an accident.

I think not.

I think Fred was purposely run off the road.

Because he refused to stop digging into the reasons behind the zoning variance

that your boyfriend David Shaw wrangled from the park commission.

Are you implying that David and I had something to do with Fred's death?

exactly what he's implying.

And if you don't walk out of here right now, I'm going to break every bone in

your body. Somebody already tried to do that, Mr. Shaw.

Or didn't you know?

David, no!

For your information, there was nothing shady about the variants that David

prepared. Why don't you tell him about it, David, so he'll feel free to leave.

Okay.

I got that piece of land from my clients because they happened to have hired one

hell of a lawyer.

They thought there might be one hell of a loophole buried under 50 pounds of

dust down at the Hall of Records.

So happens it was.

The deed on that particular tract of land was never properly filed, so you

it never belonged to the city in the first place.

And I ordered Fred off the investigation because I have a magazine to get out.

And I don't waste time on stories I can't print.

Now, does that answer your questions?

Except for who killed him.

And Al Geiger.

And who ran me off the road.

I think you know the way out, Mr. Jones.

Come on, David.

They are.

Betty Jones left a message for you to call in case anyone saw you. Oh, thank

you. There's a phone in the patio. Thanks.

I'll be at my office meeting with those gentlemen from the East in case you come

up with any more brilliant ideas.

J .R., my friend at the phone company came through. The call to Al Geiger's

house Tuesday night was a unit charge.

From where?

A pay phone.

Guess where it's located.

Make my day, Betty.

How does the sixth floor corridor of the Luxor magazine building suit you?

You're kidding. The one near Geiger's office?

Has to be. There's only one per floor.

The call was clocked in at 7 .22.

Well, that checks out with what Clara Geiger said.

Is there much outside foot traffic in and out of news today?

Not at that time of night. The office is closed at 6.

Which means that the call was probably made by somebody who works there.

The thing is, all big magazines have a lot of employees working late at night.

How are you going to narrow it down?

I don't know, but I think I'm going to give it a try. Betty, let me check back

with you, okay?

Right. Bye -bye.

I know you're busy. All I want to know is who made a phone call from that pay

phone over there on Tuesday night.

Tuesday night?

Yeah, I remember that night.

That was the night I really got ticked off at Geiger, and no disrespect meant

for Deb, and that Weber fella, too.

The business affairs man, what was that about?

Well, I was supposed to start Geiger's office, and he didn't want to leave, and

in walks Weber for some hot and heavy chit -chat.

I got so disgusted that I started...

The office next door instead.

Here you are, Ben.

Summary of the deal.

According to Dave, the contract that I've drawn up meets with Jackie Lux's

approval.

I said there would be no calls.

Okay, put him on.

Wells, listen, I think J .R. Jones is about to find out that I said Geiger up

for that phony meeting.

Are you sure of that?

The painter was working late that night. He heard me use the payphone. Jones is

talking to the painter right now. Now, what do I do?

I can't talk now.

How fast can you get to the Lexus shipping depot?

I'll leave right now. 20 minutes.

Okay, I'll see you there.

Leave now.

Okay.

Kirk, it looks like Steve Weber has outlived his usefulness.

After their talk, did they leave together?

Well... If they did, Weber came back.

Hey, you want to know who was talking on the phone about 20 minutes after 7?

Well, that's your man.

Steve Weber?

Yeah, I heard the phone ring, and by the time I got to the hall, Weber had

already answered.

Tom, I don't want to know who received a call from the phone. I want to know who

made one.

Would you let me talk?

Okay? Sorry.

Okay.

Well, he was talking on the phone.

I went back to the job, and then I heard him hang up, and then I also heard him

dialing for himself.

Did you catch any of the conversation?

No, I was too far away.

But, you know, I couldn't help but wonder why a big shot like him would

pay ten cents to talk on the telephone when you got all those free phones

here. Thanks, Tommy. You've been a big help. Yeah.

Barnaby Jones Investigations. Betty, J .R., listen, I have another call for you

to check. It's the same phone and it's the same time, but the call was made to

that number, not from it, okay?

I'll get right on it.

You sure get around. Listen, I'm looking for your boss.

I saw him in the parking lot downstairs.

You must have just missed him. You're kidding. He was here?

Yes. All right, now listen to me. It's very important. Did he say where he was

going? The Luxor shipping depot on Grand.

But he said he'd be back in a little while. Thank you.

There's no sense in blaming yourself, J .R. You had no idea what was going to

happen down at that warehouse.

What did Barnaby say when you called him?

Same thing you did.

Fitting you didn't get the license plate number.

Yeah, that is the same car, I'm sure, that ran me off the road.

Ah, here he is. Welcome home, Barnaby.

Barnaby, I bet you're glad that trial is finally over, huh?

I am just glad that the lawyers finally ran out of questions.

Sorry about Weber, Jedediah.

Get a look at the police report?

Yeah, it just came from there. He was shot three times behind the ear at close

range.

Behind the ear.

Could have been somebody he knew to get that close.

Bet he said something about a silencer over the phone?

Execution style, yeah. Like a gangland hit.

I don't get it. I thought we were dealing with the print media, not Murder

Incorporated. Maybe the wires got crossed.

Wouldn't be the first time that a civilian was involved with a mob.

One thing we're pretty sure of, Weber made the call that eventually got Al

Geiger killed.

You think it all ties into this land deal?

Well, Jackie Luxor and her boyfriend David Shaw put a good face on it, but as

you once said, Barnaby, where there's smoke, there's usually a smelly cigar.

Well, I can check out the organized crime angle just by calling in a favor

Nick Arnold.

If there's anything there, you'll know.

Barnaby Jones, Investigations, ma 'am. Oh, hi.

There's a trace on that other call.

Weber made the call to Al Geiger right after he received one on the same

payphone.

Getting instructions.

I think so, yeah.

You're a doll. Bye -bye.

I think we have just hit pay dirt.

The call came from Ralph Luxor's house.

I wish I could say I was surprised.

Well, I'm surprised.

Luxor's an institution.

He's been sick lately, but I can't see him getting involved in anything like

this. Well, I was looking more in the direction of Jackie Luxor.

I think I'd better have another talk with her.

Betty, get me Nick Arnold on the phone.

Really, Mr. Jones, the police have already asked me every question that

now asking me.

Steve Webber's character was impeccable. There was never any hint of criminal

connection. And believe me, he'll be missed.

So, in other words, you're saying you have no idea what he was doing at the

shipping depot? On business, I imagine. Maybe a thief thought he had company

money with him.

Dwells at the house?

His office says he's on the way over.

He'll meet us there with his friend from the East.

You'll have to excuse us. We have a very important business meeting. You know,

there is one question that the police might not have asked you. What would

be? It has to do with the part that Steve Weber played in the murder of Al

Geiger. It's a terrible thing to say.

For a star questioner like Weber, you seem to find an intrigue under every

don't you?

If you think that was a shocker, don't run off. I got one more.

Come on, Jackie. He's just baiting you. Whatever it is, I want you to get it out

of your system.

And if it's libelous, this time you're the one who'll be sued.

On Tuesday night, Weber received a phone call from this building, which I

believe led to the murder of Al Geiger.

That call came from 555 -6341.

My uncle's house?

Your uncle's house. At 7 .19 p .m. Now, you were at your uncle's house on that

night at that time, according to your secretary.

So was I, and so was Jackie's uncle, and none of us made any calls.

Satisfied?

Wells did.

But that was just to check dinner reservations.

Wells? Who is Wells?

That's right, I forgot. Wells Thompson. He's the old man's business advisor.

And he was checking dinner reservations at 719?

About that time, yes.

Now, you listen.

Wells almost single -handedly is responsible for keeping Luxor

of bankruptcy.

I don't think he's had any time for murder conspiracy.

I didn't know you were in that kind of trouble.

Well, I guess the cat's out of the bag.

Look, Jones, the family suffered some bad financial reverses lately.

That printer strike didn't help.

This merger means a new influx of money.

We'd appreciate it if you kept it quiet until the news is made public, all

right?

Well, I'll tell you what, I'll make a deal with you.

You let me come along and have a talk with Wells Thompson.

I'll keep it quiet.

I'm afraid that's impossible.

No.

Let him come.

I want this harassment over with.

The merger involves maybe 25 million.

It takes money that size to get a syndicate chief like Ben Hobart out of

Long Island compound.

Nick, I always felt that old classmates like you and Ben kept up.

All Ben doesn't keep up with people he puts out at the pasture.

Barnaby, you know me.

Once I start a story, I like to see how it comes out.

How's the story going to come out?

Well, it's all rumor, of course. Of course.

Seems like old Ben's about to buy himself a publishing empire.

You wouldn't be talking about, say, a luxury publication.

Well, it pays to go legitimate when you need a printing press for your dirty

pictures and your political influence.

Son of a gun.

I think you got me.

Thanks for the game, Nick.

I have to make a call.

Barnaby Jones Investigations. May I help you? Oh, Betty, did I check in you?

Yes, he did. He's connected that call to someone over at the Luxor house. A man

by the name of Wells Thompson who's involved in some sort of merger deal

Luxor Publications.

JR's on his way over there now.

Merger deal.

Thanks, Betty.

The name Wells Thompson ring a bell?

Wells Thompson?

Now, that's a name out of the past.

Last I heard, he was still back east doctoring the books for Ben.

Thanks, Nick.

I was getting a little worried about... Well, this is Mr. Jones, who's

investigating the death of Al Geiger.

Yes, the libel case, wasn't it? Oh, you've met them.

No, we didn't actually meet, but this Mr. Jones and Barnaby Jones were pointed

out to me one day.

Your uncle and, uh, they're waiting.

Yes, Mr.

Jones would like to question you about some nonsense about a phone call you

here on Tuesday.

We'll go on in.

David?

Mr. Jones?

Yeah, the phone call was to Steve Weber.

Oh?

Well, I've called the unfortunate man, rest his soul, many times during any

given day.

What's so significant about that particular one?

Well, it's the one that got Al Geiger killed, God rest his soul.

Indeed.

There's light shone upon him forever.

Look, Jones, how did you come by such a fanciful story?

Did you ever put a tap on the payphone, perhaps?

I didn't mention a payphone.

You didn't?

I must be a very good guesser.

Wells? I'll be right there.

Look, since there's no possible way for you to know what Webber and I discussed

during that call, I suggest that you back up.

Right off the property.

It just so happens that I do know what you and Webber talked about because he

told me just before he died.

He what? Shut up, David.

What exactly did Stephen tell you?

That, uh...

He told you Al Geiger found Dahlquist's notes on the Topanga deal.

And that you set up that phony Barnaby masquerade just to find out exactly how

much Geiger knew.

And then when you found out, you killed him.

You made it look like a robbery.

You know, it seems from all that that Stephen took a long time in dying to be

able to get that much out.

Wrong.

Webber died without saying a word.

Well, it was a good guess, right?

Because that's what happened, isn't it? Except for one thing.

The bodily masquerade was Steve's idea.

I just play the part.

It may interest you to know that the man who played you is going to kill you.

Curious irony, huh?

Come on.

Don't mess up the car.

Up against the wall.

Up against the wall, are you?

Barnaby, there's somebody else in there.

Yeah, I think I know who.

Ben Hobart, come out!

And the underworld attempt to take over the Luxor Publishing Empire... fell

apart when Fred Dahlquist uncovered evidence proving David Shaw bribed a key

member of the Park Commission on behalf of Wells Thompson, who ran a front

company solely owned by the notorious mob boss Ben Hobart.

You know, I wrote that article, and I still can't believe how utterly blind I

was.

Ah, by Fred Dahlquist and Al Geiger.

They would have liked that.

told us that you've also arranged so that Clara Geiger will not have to get

of her house.

Well, paying off her mortgage is a small compensation for the loss of her

husband.

Thanks.

Bye -bye.

You know, what would you think if you and I went over to Mrs. Geiger's and

delivered the news together?

And there's a great Italian place on the way, nice scampi.

If that's an invitation, I accept.

That's an invitation.

I accept.

Terrific. Great. You know, there must be at least a dozen feature articles I

could get out of you. Now, what other cases have you worked on that would

be of interest to News Today and everything?

Who's talking, son of a gun?

He's improving.