Original subtitles

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

How old was she, Scott?

20, 21.

"20, 21"?

"Pray for me."

Okay, Gina.

We're praying.

Hello.

I am Mario Carvello.

How do you do? How do you do?

I am executive secretary

of the San Bonaventura Neighborhood Association.

Yes, sir?

Please, we are in very great trouble, so we need help.

Gina Lardelli, you understand?

"Gina Lardelli"?

It is not true, what they say.

How could it be?

So we have decided, Mr. Mannix.

The expense is not considered.

Naturally not.

No.

No, I see you do not know.

You have not read about Gina Lardelli.

Here.

"Missing gambler... Frankie Martel."

No, no.

Oh, Gina Lardelli.

The police refuse to find the one who has killed her.

But it says here that she committed suicide.

No. No, she did not.

She was murdered.

Can you prove that she was murdered?

Oh, yes. Yes.

Absolutely.

I'll call Mr. Mannix.

He's just across the Paseo.

You know, Joe, I agree with Albie absolutely.

He's not only intelligent, industrious,

talented and circumspect,

but from the day the man was born,

he was destined to become your partner.

Thanks for your help, Bobby,

if that's what it is.

Inevitable.

Fight it no longer, Joe.

It's bigger than either of you.

Bobby, thanks a lot.

♪ ♪

Hi, all.

Hi, Peggy.

Um, that man sitting over there,

gray-haired, looking a little lost...

And you believe?

I believe.

Peggy, Lieutenant Kramer

doesn't make mistakes like that.

But he has proof.

Okay. Okay.

Well, there you are, Albie.

That ought to wind up that insurance case.

Shouldn't take you over 20 minutes.

What am I, an errand boy?

Now, if we were partners, I'd offer.

Take care of that, and we'll talk about it.

Mister, um... Professor Carvello.

How do you do? Please, sit down.

It's a very great honor, sir.

Thank you, Professor.

As I told Peggy on the phone,

I'm delighted to talk to you, but, uh...

I don't think I can be of any help.

I know Lieutenant Kramer too well

to think he'd overlook... Mr. Mannix,

Gina Lardelli was murdered.

You know?

We know for positive.

And we are willing to pay to prove it to the police.

"We"?

21 friends of Gina.

The Association.

Professor, you're Catholic?

Yes.

And the other members of the association,

and her family, Gina herself,

are all Catholics? Yes.

And the sin of suicide would deny Gina

the right to be buried in consecrated ground.

Is that right?

Yes, Mr. Mannix.

An eternal punishment for something she did not do.

Please, Mr. Mannix, we want Gina

to be laid to rest in hallowed ground

where she belongs.

You said you had proof that she was murdered.

She was a very religious girl.

No matter how far she strayed from her beginnings,

she would never, never take her own life.

Go on, Professor.

That's all.

That's your proof?

Yes.

No.

No, there is more.

The 21 friends of Gina Lardelli.

A list of names

and the offerings they have made.

Pittances mostly,

because they are mostly poor.

But they are my proof,

those 21 pittances of faith.

Professor, you're asking me to take a case

the police have closed, based strictly on your faith?

Yes, Mr. Mannix.

And it shall move mountains.

Peggy, uh... call Lieutenant Kramer.

Ask him if I can take a look at that Lardelli file, huh?

Yes, sir.

Mr. Mannix, I...

Thank you.

Thank you very much, my friend.

KLOJ-TV, Mr. Mannix.

Are you here investigating

the Frankie Martel disappearance?

No, I'm just an old fishing buddy

of Lieutenant Kramer's.

Mrs. Martel didn't hire you to help find Frankie?

I'm not sure I'd accept the case.

I've never been one of Martel's big fans.

Excuse me, huh?

Thank you, Mr. Mannix.

Hello, George. Hi.

Think you'll find Martel down there?

Well, he's got to be somewhere.

Night watchman saw a car stop about 2:00 a.m.

No headlights, saw two guys drop

what might have been a body.

Could be Martel.

It's worth a try.

And what's this about the Lardelli girl?

Something I missed?

Oh, I doubt it.

But you know clients,

they sometimes have a whim of iron.

What's the client after?

Murder.

Won't wash.

Yeah, probably not.

What about that boyfriend, Larry Scott?

Didn't you see the file? Yeah, but a lot of hints.

He still remains a shadow.

That's his bag. He's a friendship man.

Contacts, go-between.

Anywhere the action is from Royal Milliken on down.

He made enough to keep Gina in furs and jewelry, though.

Well, they had a fight last night,

so the file says.

I've got Albie running a check on Scott.

That won't wash either.

Yeah? Why?

The alibi's too solid.

Two prominent citizens swear

he was at a party at Milliken's.

Maybe they shouldn't have been at such a party themselves,

but they wouldn't lie, in a murder deal.

Well, you wouldn't mind if I kind of, uh,

backtracked on some of your ground?

Go ahead.

The girl's apartment, the janitor there...

The girl's old man, her sister...

Another dish, but, uh, a quiet kid.

Older or younger?

Older. By four-and-a-half hours.

Hey, we've got something here.

Take it up.

It's Frankie all right.

Looks like this was one bet he couldn't fix.

Gina Lardelli.

21, beautiful.

Dead.

Why?

And if not by her own hand, by whose?

That's right, Joe.

Go through the motions.

But you know what you're going to find.

Nothing.

Lieutenant's a very thorough man.

The case is closed.

There are no clues.

And the 21 friends of Gina Lardelli

have put you in a deep hole.

And yet, there is something.

Somewhere along the line, your mind went click.

It's still there, clicking away.

You can still smell her perfume in the air.

Right there, where you're standing,

she must have stood there, looking out,

seeing the dark sky.

Then she walked to the railing.

Beautiful girl like that... it's terrible.

Nice girl, too.

Always treated you human.

You know, "Good morning, Harry."

"Good evening, Harry."

Not like some of those other characters.

Not like that Larry Scott character,

like you weren't human.

I-I used to bring her things whenever she wanted them.

Didn't matter what time it is.

You know, sandwiches and things.

She never made me feel like an errand boy.

Always treated me... human, you know?

Sure, Harry. Now, uh, if you don't mind, I'd kind of like...

Okay, Mr. Mannix.

You won't forget... about the light?

Yeah, sure.

Okay, Gina, I believe.

Like Professor Carvello and the friendly 21,

I believe.

Against the whole documented police case.

Why?

Ah, boy, Mannix, you're going nuts!

Hold it right there!

You're a pretty touchy character, Scott.

Who are you?

The name is Mannix.

Oh.

The snooper, huh? Yeah.

What are you doing here?

Snooping.

For what?

Evidence.

Evidence of what?

Murder.

You're off your rocker.

That's just what I was telling myself when you came in.

You might talk to the police.

They say it was suicide.

Did you tell them about your little piggy bank?

Why should I?

It's my money.

I left it here with Gina for reasons of my own.

Getaway money?

Come off it.

Let's have the gun.

Let's have the permit.

Maybe Gina didn't want to give your money back.

Maybe that's why the two of you had that little fight.

The money had nothing to do with it.

She's... She was an extremely jealous kid.

Was she?

She blew up at the party and ran out.

That's Royal Milliken's party, huh?

Right.

You're a real bright investigator.

The next thing I knew, I was dragged down here

in a squad car, and... she stopped running.

She didn't jump, Scott.

She was pushed or thrown.

The gun?

Souvenir.

Look, Mannix, be tough. Fine.

But I've heard you're not a bad guy, so listen.

The police closed their book on this.

Take my advice.

Close yours, or someone might close it for you.

Ending the search for the missing Frankie Martel,

who finally hit the biggest jackpot of his life.

But little did he realize,

the payoff would be made at the bottom of the surf,

thus ending another underworld argument the usual way...

Not by debate or discussion, but by violent death.

Just caught your act on TV.

Oh, yeah?

Hey, why the getup?

An example of the kind of ingenuity

I come up with all the time. For instance,

why wouldn't Larry Scott's TV be due for an overhaul?

Good thinking.

Sure. Good enough to do the brain work,

but not for a partnership.

Look, I'll settle for a separate sign.

Albie... All right. Okay, okay.

From Scott's apartment... comes what do you think?

Alphabet soup.

You know, Albie, sometimes I've got to admit...

Sheer brilliance, huh? Sheer.

Now why does a guy cut out letters from a newspaper?

Blackmail. Nothing else.

That's why Larry Scott is such a nervous character.

Now, if he didn't kill her himself, maybe he knows who did.

Look, Albie, why don't you get a copy of that edition,

cut out those missing letters, huh?

See what you can make of them, Albie.

Mr. Lardelli?

Yes.

My name is Mannix.

I'm a friend of Professor Carvello's.

May I come in?

I'm a, uh, private investigator, Mr. Lardelli.

It's about your daughter, Gina.

Professor thought I might be of some help.

What help?

Gina is dead.

I know nothing can bring her back

to life again, Mr. Lardelli,

but the professor would like to see

that she has the resting place you'd like for her,

in consecrated ground.

Carvello is a fool.

How... How does he do this?

If we could prove she didn't commit suicide,

that she was murdered...

How does he do this?

Well, the San Bonaventura Neighborhood Association

has hired me.

Ah, they are all fools!

Mr. Lardelli, they have faith.

Why do you come here?

Everybody comes here!

Police, newspapers, neighbors.

Carvello! You!

Why do you interfere?

I'm, uh, sorry.

Gina is dead!

Leave her alone!

Do you think she took her own life?

The police are there.

They know.

That is their work.

They come and tell me.

They... they take me to that place

where they keep them... the... Morgue.

The... the morgue.

She's broken, all broken.

Yes, I saw.

The police know.

They tell me.

They know what kind of girl she was.

When she was not even 17,

she have silk underwear.

I find it.

I beat.

What good?

Her mama is dead.

How can I watch her when I'm away at work?

All girls like silk things, Mr. Lardelli.

No.

When they were little, they were so good.

Gina and Maria.

Two little dolls.

Their mama take such good care of them...

keep them so clean, dress them so nice.

People would stop on the street

and smile to see two such alike.

So beautiful.

I feel so good and warm.

I know my place on Earth.

How does this happen?

Please.

Please, we want to be left alone.

I, uh, I understand, Mr. Lardelli,

but I would like to see Maria, if just for a few moments.

Maria does not see anyone.

She is half-dead.

She is broken, too.

Maria.

No.

It's all right, Papa.

Thank you, Maria.

I'm afraid I'm going to have

to ask you some awkward questions.

I don't mind.

You loved your sister very much?

Yes.

Did you approve of the way she was living?

No.

I was sorry for her.

Did you ever go to see your sister?

Yes.

Did she confide in you?

Sometimes.

She ever talk about a, uh, Larry Scott?

Yes.

No more questions.

She was unhappy... terribly unhappy.

There was a streak in her.

I don't know how to say it.

Impulsiveness.

She'd act first, do something dramatic,

something that would even frighten herself.

Then later she'd be sorry.

I remember when we were little...

Go ahead.

No.

It's not important.

Maria, do you think she, Gina,

took her own life?

At first, no, I didn't think so...

It was against everything we'd been taught...

But the police are so sure.

Are you sure?

If we could be so different about life,

maybe we could also be different about death.

Well, thanks, Maria.

Mr. Lardelli.

I've got a feeling Royal Milliken paid for this fracas.

Let's go give him his money's worth, huh?

Where is he now?

You can't come in here.

What is this?!

Now, don't you ever try that again.

Don't you ever send any muscle after me, Milliken.

If you got the guts to move without a gunsel behind you,

you come yourself.

Mannix, wait a minute, look, you've got the...

Mannix, you'll regret this!

No, I'm going to make a big, happy picture

in my memory book.

Look, maybe we can talk this over.

I'll do my talking in 17 hours, Milliken.

I know most of it now.

All I need is a few bridges to prove it out.

I'll know everything that went on at that party of yours,

including the people who were there

that keep popping up in the news,

people like Larry Scott and his girlfriend Gina

and the rest of them.

Now is a good time for you to start running, Milliken,

if you figure it that way.

You can talk to that battery of lawyers

you provided with a fat life.

Now, I'm making a present

of the next 17 hours to you, Milliken.

I want you to think about it.

I want you to sweat.

Most of all, I want you to know who's doing it to you, Milliken.

Lieutenant Kramer?

Yes.

Got Mannix for you, sir.

Hello.

Kramer?

Looks like your client may have been right

about the Lardelli case after all, Joe.

What's up?

Someone put three slugs into Larry Scott.

Left him for dead up on Mulholland.

Can he talk?

He's in surgery.

They don't give him much of a chance.

I got a feeling he was shaking down whoever killed Gina.

We can't let him take the answer with him.

Always a chance if we're lucky.

Meet you there.

St. Johns.

Right.

He doesn't have much time.

Who did it, Larry?

Who shot you?

Kramer... do you mind?

Larry... this is Mannix.

Who killed her?

Who killed Gina, Larry?

Gina?

That's right. Who?

Frankie... Martel.

Frankie Martel.

That's impossible.

Thanks.

Yeah, he was in the water hours before Gina died.

Maybe Scott was trying to tell us

there was some connection between those two deaths.

Could be.

Did Gina know Martel?

We'll check.

My guess is, they moved in different circles, though.

A girl like Gina could move in all kinds of circles.

Uh, Frankie Martel wasn't at that Milliken party, was he?

Not that we know of.

But they would have known each other, wouldn't they?

Uh, Martel and Milliken?

No question. Why?

Well, Gina and Scott were at the Milliken party.

They're dead.

If we could place Frankie Martel there,

the question might be: What happened at that party?

It's got to be here somewhere.

Not necessarily who killed Gina, but why she was killed.

Well, you said because of Frankie Martel.

But we can't prove it.

Mr. Mannix's office.

Oh, yes, Professor.

Just a moment.

Carvello?

Has news, wants to know if you can go down to see him.

Well, can't he come here?

Professor, can you come here?

There's some people he wants you to see

in the basement of the school.

Okay.

He'll be right down.

Mr. Mannix, I'm sorry not to come to you.

That's all right, Professor.

I, uh, don't like to trouble you on a Sunday.

Paid-up clients can talk to me any day of the week.

Please.

My friends.

I want to have them with me

when we discuss this matter.

How do you do?

This is a most unpleasant task, Mr. Mannix.

Oh?

The point is...

we are no longer your clients.

I must say this is the first time I've been fired

by 21 people at the same time.

Must be a pretty good reason.

Of course.

Mind if I hear it?

We think of Gina as she was,

as if she did not grow up at all.

We think of Gina as too strong in her faith

to take her own life.

But... we realize better now.

How do you know better now?

Her papa convince us.

That's not good enough, Professor.

We do not argue.

What happened to your faith?

I have explained.

A man's faith can be shaken by the truth.

All 21 friends?

Yes.

Ever see such amateur liars?

One missing piece...

It's got to be there somewhere... the link.

How was Carvello gotten to?

How was he frightened that badly?

Maybe he found out who killed her.

That occurred to me.

Someone down there, maybe one of the 21.

Maybe even closer to home.

Hey, Bach.

Who?

Johann Sebastian Bach.

Oh... oh.

You know what a private eye

Johann Sebastian would have made, Joe?

Murder.

You say it has its own set of rules.

Precise.

Absolute.

Like a piece of music.

Let's say a fugue.

You see, Bach starts with a given theme.

Dum-dum-dum-dum-dum-dum-dum.

♪ Gina Lardelli is dead. ♪

Then he takes that theme

and he writes variations on it.

♪ ♪

What are your variations?

Infinite.

Watery grave of Frankie Martel.

Larry Scott who was killed

because the other two variations,

Gina and Frankie, were connected,

because they were a part of the original theme.

Pure Bach.

Variations one and two.

What you need now, man,

is the conclusion to bring the thing full circle.

Wait a minute, Bobby.

Take a look.

Why, he's got his hands crossed.

So what?

Well, that's it.

The sisters.

The Lardelli sisters.

They changed places.

The wrong girl was killed!

And Gina is still alive!

I felt it in the Lardelli apartment...

But it got away from me before I could grab it.

Ah, Gina.

What a performance.

Not too overdone.

No hysteria and not too noble.

Just critical enough of her dead sister to make it real.

The modest blouse, hairdo, shy.

Oh, boy, she really played it to the hilt and had me fooled.

Except for one thing: brightwork.

Jewelry?

No jewelry, Peggy!

The girl who fell out that window wore no jewelry at all.

She just got back from a fancy party.

Gina wouldn't be caught dead without her jewelry.

Well, if you're right, if somebody wanted to kill Gina...

They still do and she's still in danger.

And if we could figure it out, so could whoever.

Thanks, Bobby. Let's go, Albie.

Mr. Lardelli, I'd like to talk to your daughter.

But she is gone.

Gone where?

To the airport.

To my sister's in San Francisco.

But you know that.

How would I know?

After she left, your man came here,

and he said that you know

and they know she is Gina... And he came to take her away

because you want to protect her.

Did you tell him where she'd gone?

To the airport.

It must have been Milliken's muscle...

That Charley Sloan, the one who tried me.

Did I do wrong?

It's all right, Mr. Lardelli.

Albie, get Kramer on the phone, tell him all about Gina.

Tell him meet me at the airport.

Flight 254 to San Francisco Airport and Seattle

now boarding at Gate 9.

Attention, all passengers.

Flight 254 to San Francisco Airport and Seattle

now boarding at Gate 9.

Flight 23 from Tulsa now arriving at Gate 1.

Flight 23 from Tulsa

now arriving at Gate 1.

Flight 19...

departing on schedule at Gate 4.

Flight 19... departing on schedule

at Gate 4.

Scream and you've had it!

At the top, go to the down escalator.

Attention: final call.

Flight 254 to San Francisco Airport and Seattle

departing at Gate 9.

Flight 254, final call.

Boarding at Gate 1.

It was Royal Milliken, wasn't it?

Yes.

I saw him kill Frankie Martel.

Would you testify to that?

Yes.

Pick up, Milliken.

Tell him the whole thing, Gina.

It was at Milliken's party.

Larry and I, we, we had a fight.

I went to look for my coat.

I went in the wrong room.

Milliken was there with a gun.

He fired it.

And Frankie Martel fell back.

He must have come in some other way...

He wasn't at the party.

I-I ran.

I... I was too scared to go home.

I went to a motel.

Then I remembered

Maria was coming to spend the night with me.

I went to my apartment.

And I got there...

there-there was a crowd around.

Police cars... an ambulance.

So then you, uh,

went to your father's apartment?

Yes.

And became Maria?

Yes.

Oh, Papa.

Oh... Papa!

Shh-shh.

Enough.

Enough.

Maria understands and forgives.

And it shall move mountains.

What?

Faith, Kramer.

A pittance of faith.