Original subtitles

♪♪

Thank you.

Folks, you get ten minutes.

Ten minutes?

Oh... oh, honey?

Listen, I'm going to call Peggy

and tell her this bus is going to be late.

Okay, I'm going to stretch my legs.

Okay. Oh.

Clint?

Hey, Clint!

Come here!

Come here, old boy!

- Come here, old boy! - Bill! Bill!

What's going on, man? What's going on?

Not a hell of a lot.

Wow.

How long has it been? Two years?

No, got to be more like three.

- Well, I'll be. - Look at those threads.

Hey, I thought you got enough of uniforms in Vietnam, man.

Well, at least the bread's a little better in this one.

Yeah, I bet.

And the mortar shells don't come lobbing in

all hours of the day and night.

Yeah, that's for sure.

Hey, you still down in San Diego?

No, I'm heading on back up to L.A.

I'm, uh, going to pull on a uniform of my own.

Yeah?

Enrolling in the Police Academy.

Hey, great.

Hey, give them my name as a character reference.

- You'll make lieutenant in a week. - Mm-hmm.

I won't mention all those bars you and me busted up in Saigon.

Hey, Jesse!

Hey, that was Jesse Thompson.

Why didn't he stop?

Because it wasn't Jesse.

That's why.

Sure looked like him.

Nah.

You got old Company B on the mind today.

You know where Jesse is right this minute?

Hiding out somewhere in Singapore

with a bunch of deserters.

His sister got a letter from him about a week ago.

The bus is now leaving for Los Angeles.

Hey, looks like your bus is leaving.

All passengers aboard, please.

Say, look here, until we get located,

you can contact me through my wife's cousin.

Now, her name's Peggy Fair.

She works for a private investigator

named Mannix... Joe Mannix.

Got it. I'll come up one of these nights,

and we'll tie one on and swap lies

about how we won the peace with honor personally.

Yeah, believe it.

Later, huh?

♪♪

He recognized you... You know that.

So?

So I said you were hiding out in Singapore.

You lied to Brother Bill?

Why?

He's going to be a cop in L.A.,

- and I thought that... - What?

You thought he would turn me in?

Huh? A buddy from the Nam?

Come on.

Me and Willie, we're soul, man.

So, why did you go out of your way to avoid him?

For his sake... that's why.

I mean, you know Bill, man.

He'd want to try to help me, for sure.

And I can't risk having a buddy being busted

on an aiding a deserter rap.

That goes for you, too, Clint.

The minute... I mean the second...

That things look like they're going to get rough,

if you step back, I won't say a word.

I'll understand.

- Now... - Don't argue.

I mean, look, you got that little kid to think about.

What happens to her if you get in a jam, huh?

Thank you.

Hey, honey, you keep an eye out for Peggy.

I'm going to go wash some of the smog out of my eyes.

- Okay? - Okay.

Attention, please.

The bus for San Diego is now loading.

All passengers aboard, please.

I understand you're joining the pigs.

Hey, what the hell is going on?

Sure would make yourself a whole lot

of Brownie points, man, if, uh, you were

to put the mouth on me, huh, and turn me in.

Hey, look, I don't think I could bring myself to do that.

Yeah, well, old buddy,

I'm going to relieve your mind of that problem.

Because, you see, I, uh...

I just can't afford to take that chance.

Oh! Excuse me.

Jobina!

Oh, Peggy!

Why did they kill him?

It was found on the floor of the men's room.

No prints on it except the dead man's.

You can give it back to his wife.

Some punk out for a couple of bucks, huh?

A couple of credit cards, maybe.

He'll probably load up on them.

If he does, maybe we'll get a line on him.

Yeah.

There's a tragic note in today's news,

one tinged with irony.

Two weeks ago, a young Vietnam veteran named William Rogell

passed the Los Angeles Police Academy's entrance examination.

Today, Rogell is dead,

stabbed to death in a bus terminal washroom...

for the few dollars he had in his wallet.

Mannix.

Listen to me, Mannix, and listen good.

Mrs. Rogell is in danger.

Who is this?

Never mind.

Just take my word for it.

Keep an eye on Mrs. Rogell, or she could go next.

- Hello. - Hello, Toby.

Oh, hi, Mr. Mannix.

Toby, let me talk to your mother.

You just missed her.

She went out to get some stuff for dinner.

Put Mrs. Rogell on.

She's out, too.

Mom thought a walk might

do her some good, so she took her along.

Where were they headed, do you know?

I said to get our dinner.

Yeah, I know, but where?

Well, I wanted a pizza,

so I guess she went to the Italian deli.

Toby, can you tell me where?

You don't know where Marioni's is?

Gosh, Mr. Mannix, everybody knows Marioni's.

Toby, just give me the address. It's important.

Corner of Claremont and Ninth, across from the theater.

Thanks.

♪♪

Hi, Peggy.

I don't.

And I don't understand any of this, Lieutenant.

Neither do we, Mrs. Rogell.

Not yet.

But this attempt on your life tonight indicates

that your husband's murder may have been premeditated.

Someone may be trying to kill you both.

Oh, no, no.

I-I don't believe that. I mean...

W-Why would anyone...?

For what possible reason?

We're hoping you'll be able to help us find that out.

No, I can't.

I don't have any idea, none at all.

Mrs. Rogell, surely...

Oh, please.

I don't want to talk about it anymore!

I mean, I just can't talk about it anymore!

Joe, we need some kind of a lead.

When she settles down a little bit,

try and talk to her, will you?

Joe.

Thanks, Peggy.

Feeling better?

Mm-hmm.

You, uh, think you're up to answering a few more questions?

Mm-hmm.

Would you like some coffee?

No.

Do you know of anyone that Bill might have

had a fight with lately...

You know, a run-in or a quarrel or something like that?

No.

Did anything unusual happen on the way up from San Diego?

On the bus, maybe?

No, no, nothing.

Except that...

Oh, but, well, that couldn't have had

anything to do with Bill... With what happened.

Why don't you tell me anyway.

Well...

Bill met a friend.

It was someone who was with him in Vietnam.

Where did he meet this friend?

It was a rest stop in San Pedro.

In fact, Bill seemed upset when he got back to the bus and...

Well, I thought it was just because

seeing this friend reminded him of the war.

What was the friend's name?

Clint.

Um, Clint something.

I-I don't remember what his last name is.

What was Bill's outfit in Vietnam?

It was Company B, the Fifth...

No, First Battalion, 15th Infantry.

Now, why don't you try and get some rest?

Peggy, first thing in the morning,

call the Defense Department.

Get a rundown on a Clint Somebody

whose hometown is San Pedro, huh?

Right.

Clint Williams?

Yeah. What can I do for you?

My name is Mannix. I'm a private investigator.

I wonder if you'd mind answering a few questions.

About what?

Bill Rogell's murder.

Oh, yeah.

Was a terrible thing.

Bill and I were in 'Nam together.

So I understand.

He tell you?

His wife did.

Oh, yeah.

Well, what's to investigate?

Way the news had it, it was just some punk out for Bill's money.

The police have pretty much given up on that theory.

Why?

Last night, an attempt was made on Mrs. Rogell's life.

She okay?

Oh, fine.

That's good.

Uh, did the police grab the guy?

What makes you think it was just one guy, Mr. Williams?

You have somebody in mind?

What do you mean?

Well, the assailant or assailants weren't identified,

yet you jumped to the conclusion that it was just one man.

Look, I haven't seen Bill Rogell in two, three years.

You saw him yesterday, didn't you?

Well, yeah, but just for a minute or two. So what?

Why didn't you say so?

Because it wasn't important.

Look, Mr. Williams, anything that happens to a man

just before he's murdered is important.

Look... he got off a bus in San Pedro.

We rapped a little and that was it.

What'd you rap about?

You know.

"How you been? What are you up to?" Like that.

I'd like you to reconstruct the conversation, word for word.

Why?

So far, Mr. Williams,

your meeting with Bill is the only lead we have.

Now, look, you do want to help catch

the man who killed Bill, don't you?

Of course I do.

But I'm up to my neck right now.

Why don't you come by my place this evening.

I get off work at 5:00.

How about during your lunch break?

I'm brown-bagging it today.

Got to catch up on all this work.

Okay, what's the address?

1324 Hay Street.

That's out Echo Park way.

Thanks, Mr. Williams.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

What are you, freaked out or something, huh?

How do you figure I'd do a thing like that?

Because I told you he was going to be a cop

and you thought he'd blow the whistle.

On me, huh?

The best friend he ever had in the world?

Man, you sure have a low opinion of the late Billy Rogell.

Well, last night, somebody tried to kill his wife.

Yeah?

Where'd you hear that?

From this Joe Mannix I told you came to see me.

Hmm.

I suppose the description of the killer fit me, huh?

Well, no.

He said the man wasn't identified.

Yeah, well, you can call Tom over at Garrity's Bar.

He'll tell you I was there half the night.

Now, is that straight?

Hey, don't take my word for it, all right? Call him.

No.

I believe you.

Let's just forget it.

How can I forget a thing like that, huh?

How can I forget that accusation, man?

Like I'm some kind of monster.

I said I was sorry.

Okay, old buddy.

Okay.

I guess you just, uh, blew your top, huh, without thinking.

The jeep's a rental, according to the DMV.

Leased by Fleetway Car Rental to a man named Jesse Elkins.

Address: 29983 Mulholland Highway.

Now, that's a bar, Joe, but I found out

that this Elkins rents a room in the back.

Okay. Check with the Defense Department again.

See if there was somebody with that name in Bill's outfit, huh?

Right.

Well, hi, there.

What's your name?

Ah, you want to play hard to get, huh?

I don't blame you.

Is your daddy home?

Your daddy is Mr. Williams?

Well... sooner or later,

I'll just bet you that we're going to be friends.

Mrs. Gamble!

Hi, darling.

You have a nice day?

Mrs. Gamble's going to take you inside now,

then I'll come in, we'll have dinner, okay?

I won't be more than a minute, sweetheart.

Promise.

Sure a pretty little girl.

Well, don't think she's shy or dumb or anything.

She's smart as a whip and can talk a blue streak.

Thing is, she's... Well, she's sick.

Autistic, the doctors call it.

Kids don't communicate.

They just live in a world inside their own heads.

There's no way to reach them.

Except, Jeanine's going to get over it.

I just know she is.

Is there some kind of treatment?

Well, the Neuro-Psychiatric Institute

down at UCLA has made some progress.

Trouble is, they only take in-patients.

What's wrong with that?

140 bucks a day.

Mm.

There must be some kind of state aid.

Forget it.

Nobody's going to treat my kid as a charity patient.

Look, you're here about my talk with Bill Rogell, right?

Yeah.

I don't see how I can possibly help you.

It was just, you know, talk.

Your phone call to me last night wasn't just talk.

Don't bother denying it.

That handkerchief over the phone bit doesn't really work.

Now, then.

You sit right here, darling.

I'll get you a glass of milk, and your daddy will be in

in a minute, and then we can have dinner.

Okay?

What about that call?

Well, it's just that-that Bill seemed troubled

when I talked to him.

About what, I don't know.

So when I heard he'd been killed,

I just had this crazy hunch his wife might be in danger.

I think it was more than a hunch.

Well, I don't care what you think!

Maybe you'd better start caring,

'cause if you're withholding facts about the case,

you're an accessory.

You think I'd protect the killer of a guy who saved my life?

I owe Bill Rogell, mister!

He dragged me out of a rice paddy, my leg all shot to hell.

And got me to an aid station,

through a half mile of V.C. snipers.

Okay. You owed Bill Rogell.

Maybe you can tell me, Williams, how it is you found time today

when you were up to your neck in work

to rush off and meet Jesse Elkins.

What, you tailed me?

That's right.

Now, just who is Jesse Elkins?

Another buddy from Company B.

When he heard about Bill's death,

he called and said he wanted to talk about going to the funeral,

or maybe what we could do for Bill's wife.

Come off it, Williams. I was there.

I saw you grab his shirt and half shake the life out of him.

Now, what are you really trying to hide?

Mr. Williams, if you don't come in,

Jeanine won't eat her dinner.

I'm coming.

Look, Mannix, I have nothing to hide.

So just get off my back!

Operator, I'd like mobile unit JR38-474.

Hello.

Joe, I checked.

There was no Jesse Elkins on the role of Company B,

but there was a Jesse Thompson, hometown: Gardena.

Nice going, Peggy.

And, Joe...

he's listed as missing in action.

♪♪

Hey, Thompson?

Not bad, just a flicker.

You must be getting used to the name Elkins.

- Who are you? - Joe Mannix.

I'm a private investigator.

So, what else is new?

You mean besides your new name?

Yeah, well, we can forget about this Elkins business.

Might save time.

Time for what?

Well, maybe you'd like to take a minute

to tell me how it is a G.I. missing in action

is out on the Mulholland Highway having a drink.

I guess I'm lucky.

You mean lucky you deserted and got away with it?

Yeah, okay.

But I paid my dues first, man.

18 months, I paid 'em:

turning green with jungle rot,

slogging through snake-filled mud up to my hips,

rousting villages and burning hooches

and killing little brown men and...

body-sacking the buddies they killed back.

Or, uh, maybe you think I got these, uh,

in Bible class for reciting, "Now I lay me down to sleep."

No, you don't get the Purple Heart

or the Bronze Star in a Bible class.

- Are you military? - Was.

In a good war, huh?

No war's a good war.

But if there's one you object to you say it out loud.

Oh, yeah, yeah, conscientious objector, huh?

Maybe that comes over a man slowly.

I didn't realize what a...

immoral war this was until I saw Saigon.

Packs of... draft-dodging Viet kids

buzzing through the streets on motor scooters,

snooty fat-cat Viet generals

getting fatter on corruption.

And the black markets... You know they had

more American goods than we did?

Yeah, well, after what I'd been through,

that turned me off.

I got drunk...

and I cried for all the buddies I had sent home in sacks

to make the 'Nam safe for the landlords.

Next time we went into combat

I just took me a walk.

What do you say we take a walk right now?

Over to the sheriff's station.

- The bottom line? - The bottom line.

Well, uh...

at least give me a little time so I can, uh...

- straighten out my affairs, huh? - How much time?

I don't know.

Couple of days.

Okay.

But if you don't turn yourself in by then,

I'll be coming after you.

Hey, Tom, bring us another pitcher!

♪♪

Yeah.

Joe, you're not gonna report him?

No, not yet, Peggy.

I want him for murder, not desertion.

I think he killed Bill Rogell.

Motive?

Well, maybe he thought Bill would turn him in.

Maybe some other reason.

If I give him a little rope, we might find out.

Peggy, I'll call you back.

♪♪

♪ Rock-a-bye baby ♪

♪ On the treetop... ♪

You try it, honey.

That's fantastic, sweetheart!

Beautiful!

Well.

- What's happening? - Good evening.

Hey, hey, hey, what's happening?

Who was that playing, man, you or Jeanine, huh?

- That was both of us! - Yeah? All right!

She's coming along really good, huh?

- Hey, man. Yeah. - Yeah.

And I got some more good news.

My bundle arrived from Hong Kong.

Just before closing.

Yeah, all right.

Tomorrow's Sunday.

So you can pick it up Monday afternoon.

Why not Monday morning?

Nah. Has to be processed.

I don't want the chief inspector to get suspicious.

You're right, man. You're right.

Jesse?

I'll bet you thought I was gonna stiff you, huh?

There it is, man...

$15,000 on arrival.

Good as my word.

When do I get the other $15,000?

After I get the package, okay? Meet me in the parking lot, huh?

Hey.

Doesn't it make you feel great, man, huh,

making the establishment pay for wasting two years

of our lives over there in that lousy jungle, huh?

Anyway...

your kid's doing all right, huh?

That's good.

♪♪

- You again. - Now, look, Williams,

you're up to your ears in murder.

Now, you think the whole world's gonna just go away

while you sit around and read your Sunday paper?

I'm involved in nothing.

You call Jesse deserting in the face of the enemy nothing?

What Jesse did is between him and his own conscience.

That was a pretty lousy war, Mannix.

Yeah, well, the right sort for Jesse, then,

'cause he's a pretty lousy guy.

Jesse has his good side.

Like what, murdering Bill Rogell

because he thought Bill might turn him in?

Now, that's not true!

You admit he had a motive, don't you?

Well, maybe it looks that way to you,

but I just don't believe it.

You mean you won't let yourself believe it.

I'd like to know why.

Listen, Mannix...

every Sunday I read the comics to my little girl.

Now, that's ten times more important to me

than anything you have to say.

Jesse? Yeah.

Lit out yesterday, right after you was here.

Paid up what he owed me, packed up, gone.

Any idea where?

Thanks.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

Hey, Mannix!

Throw your gun down!

Or do you want to match it against this rifle?

Huh?

Come on, Buck, give the man his property back.

Hey, Mannix, I'm sorry I can't stay for the fun.

I got to go turn myself in,

like a good deserter should.

You hear about the new amnesty?

Isn't that great.

Hey, maybe I'll serve a spell

in a V.A. hospital, you know?

As a medic, and, uh,

Joe Mannix'll be my first patient...

who didn't make it.

♪♪

Hey.

I'm not going through with it.

Come on, man, count it.

I mean it, Jesse... I can't do it.

I'd say you had a real big problem, then, Clint.

I don't think so.

No?

What about that sweet little kid of yours, huh?

It's my kid I'm thinking about.

Now, what happens if something goes wrong

and I end up in the slammer?

Who takes care of Jeanine then?

Okay.

That's how you feel.

I didn't think I could sell you this easy, Jesse.

Well, you know my philosophy, Clint.

Every man lives by his own light.

I do; how can I say you shouldn't, man?

- You could do me one favor, though. - Shoot.

Get that package mailed back to the sender, okay?

It'll save me a lot of bread.

Yeah. I can handle it.

Hey, how about letting me

buy you a drink, huh? No hard feelings.

Sure.

Bourbon, huh?

All right. Hey, Tom!

Let me have two bourbons, huh?

♪♪

All right!

To good old Bravo Company!

All right.

♪♪

- What happened to you? - A few of Jesse's bike buddies

tried to dust me off.

Mrs. Gamble, would you get that, please?

- Why? - I thought maybe you could tell me.

Mrs. Gam...

Hello?

Hey, look, man, if you're worrying

about, uh, your little girl, you can relax, okay?

She and the old lady, they're, uh,

spending some time with me.

Now, listen to me, Jesse...

Hey, look, I thought maybe you'd like to speak to her.

Hm?

Say hello to Daddy, sweetheart.

Come on.

Oh, wow, man, I forgot... She's not the talkative type.

Mr. Williams, we're all right.

Jeanine is being a good girl.

We're-we're all right.

Mrs. Gamble...

Now, you listen to me, Clint.

It's going to be dark in about a half an hour,

and I want you to meet me at the warehouse

at 8:00 on the dot, okay?

Wear your uniform.

That way we can snow the guard.

And we're gonna go in and we're gonna find that bundle,

- you got it? - Now, you listen,

you bring Jeanine with you.

Uh-uh, man, no way.

You get her after the delivery.

Now, look, Clint, uh...

you know I don't want to hurt your little kid, man,

but, uh... if you force me to, I mean, you know, it's...

I'll be there.

Warehouse, 8:00.

Right on, bro. Later.

I'll call the police.

No.

She's my kid! It's my decision!

You get the law into this, and Jesse'll kill her

just like he did Bill Rogell.

- You knew it all along, huh? - No, I didn't.

He told me he was at a bar all night,

and I believed him.

But I don't now.

What's he after at the warehouse?

Dope. He shipped it to himself from Hong Kong,

hidden inside some Chinese bric-a-brac.

I was supposed to get $30,000

for passing it through inspection.

Thirty thousand?

I wanted it for Jeanine!

But today...

I went to Jesse and called the whole thing off.

At least I thought I did.

There's just a chance I know where he's holding them.

- Well, let's go! - No, no.

I don't know how long this is gonna take.

I want you to get down to the warehouse

- and stall him as long as you can. - Okay.

♪♪

♪♪

Come on, Clint, man, you're stalling.

Let's find that horse.

I can't remember if it was stored

in section six or eight.

You know what, man?

In about two seconds, I am going to call Buck

and I'm gonna tell him what to do with your kid.

No. I'll find it.

Go.

Mrs. Gamble, can you drive?

- Yes. - Now, I want you

to get to the nearest phone, call the police,

tell them the customs warehouse is being robbed.

All right.

You'll be home in no time, Jeanine.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

You better spike that cannon, daddy-o...

or he goes bye-bye.

Clint! Clint, take it easy!

Let the law handle him.

Is she all right?

She's fine, Mr. Williams, just fine.

Funny thing, she's still up.

It's like she's waiting for you.

Hello, sweetheart.

Daddy?

Oh...

That's wonderful, darling, just wonderful.

Can you say it again?

Daddy.

♪♪