Original subtitles

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Well, you're a hero, Pete.

Museum's mighty happy with the job you did.

If you hadn't backed me up,

they wouldn't have touched me with my record.

Forget it, it's a brand-new ball game.

Where are you parked?

Across the street.

Uh, Joe... thanks.

See you tomorrow.

Why are you holding me like that?

You know what this is?

Of course, I know what it is.

Why were you trying to use it on me?

You... you... you mean...

I mean, you were trying to kill me.

Why? Why?

Oh, God.

I don't remember using a gun.

I swear to you.

I don't remember.

I don't even know you.

I'm a... a businessman.

Sanderson Corporation.

I am not a criminal.

You... you've got to believe me.

Well, look... I've got a...

a plate in my head from Korea.

They said it would be fine,

just be careful not to get yourself hit on the head.

Fine, they said.

I... I remember leaving my office.

But I... I don't know how I got that gun.

And I... I... I ended up over there...

crouching by those steps.

You see...

I was... I was back in the war on patrol.

Uh... then they spotted me, and I'm running,

fighting my way out.

Look... I can prove to you who I am.

I can show you.

You... you...

you've got to be believe me, Mister...

Mister... Mannix.

Give me a chance, Mr. Mannix.

Please... give me a chance.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Nils?

I've been worried.

Barbara.

This is Mr. Mannix.

My wife, Barbara.

Hello, Mr. Mannix.

Nils will forget to tell me

when he's going to be late from business.

Well, this wasn't exactly business,

Mrs. Sanderson.

No.

No, I nearly killed Mr. Mannix tonight.

Honey, I'm sorry.

I went to Kaufman yesterday.

Dr. Marcus Kaufman.

I've been seeing him

because I've been getting these headaches.

You know.

I didn't want to worry you.

The nightmares, I know.

My husband has nightmares about when he was in Korea.

He was a hero.

He's sick.

When he shot at you, it was an accident.

You do believe that.

Yes, I believe that.

I guess I was a little rough on you,

but that's because of my trade.

I'm a private investigator.

I don't understand.

Oh, you, uh, pick up enemies along the way.

It goes with the job.

Well, I guess there's not much more to say,

except maybe, uh, good night.

Mr. Mannix, you won't go to the police, will you?

No... no.

Good night.

Suppose he does go to the police.

Suppose he tells them.

Darling, you heard him.

Sure, I heard what he said.

Maybe he's lying.

Nils, there isn't anything else, is there?

What do you mean by that?

Why did you say that?

You do keep things from me, and I've never pried...

but is there any kind of trouble?

Trouble? No.

Well, I'm having some sort of a nightmare.

I... I took a shot at a man, a perfect stranger.

Yes, I'd say I'm having trouble.

Honey, I'm... I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

I know, my darling.

I know.

That's Nils Sanderson, Mr. Mannix.

Complete with silver plate

and intermittent, violent headaches.

Anything else?

Nightmares.

An occasional overwhelming hallucination

that he's back in Korea in a combat situation.

I'm an internist.

I'm convinced that it's not organic.

I've recommended psychiatric help,

but Nils... he's a stubborn man.

However, after what you say happened last night,

I'll make sure that he sees someone.

Dr. Kaufman, uh,

Nils Sanderson was in Korea in combat.

If he has nightmares, I'll buy that.

Does he keep his old uniform, weapons?

I'm sorry, Mr. Mannix, but it's quite the reverse.

He hasn't kept any souvenirs,

much less weapons.

As a matter of fact, he doesn't hunt.

He doesn't... well, he actually hates any kind of gun.

I see.

Well, uh, thanks, Doctor.

Get me Mrs. Nils Sanderson.

Hello?

Barbara?

Yes?

Marcus... why didn't you call

after what happened last night?

Oh, you know about it?

Yes, Mr. Mannix was just here.

And that's the truth about Mr. Nils Sanderson.

What is?

Nils Sanderson, president and owner

of Sanderson Construction, Inc.

Resides in Bel Air.

Business in existence for 14 years.

Very successful.

Grows each year

and commercial reputation excellent.

Married Barbara Havermeyer, eight years.

No children.

Travels a lot and gives generously to charity.

Nice, solid citizen.

With one tiny problem...

He shoots at people.

What about the gun?

He's working on that.

Bought the gun two weeks ago for self-protection.

Prowler reports.

Well, that hangs together, and the doctor checks him out.

Looks like the guy's legit.

Yeah, but the situation isn't.

You want me to check out that prowler report?

Yeah, take a stab at it.

All right.

He's really trying to make a comeback.

I think he's gonna make it.

Mr. Mannix's office.

Well, yes, he's here.

It's Mrs. Sanderson, and she sounds awful.

Yes, Mrs. Sanderson?

Why did you do it, Mr. Mannix, why?

Do what?

You promised us that you

wouldn't call the police.

Well, I didn't.

Well, then, why are they here?

Why have they got Nils barricaded in the house?

Why, why?

For the last time, throw down your gun.

Mr. Mannix!

George, what brought all this on?

Uh, we got a telephone complaint.

Sent a car to check it out,

and our friend there took a potshot

at Officer Ortega.

Where were you, Mrs. Sanderson?

I was coming back from the market

to pick him up to go to the doctor.

The police wouldn't let me into the house,

so I had to go to a neighbor's phone to call you.

Look, my husband is a sick man.

He panicked when he saw the police.

Look, uh...

Probably figures that you called them.

He won't let anyone near the house.

I'm working on a case for Mr. Sanderson.

Maybe he'll talk to me.

Sanderson, this is Mannix.

I see you, Mannix.

I see you.

I want to talk to you.

No!

Remember, you've got a lot to lose.

I've got nothing to lose, nothing!

Sanderson, I'm coming in.

Mannix, I said no!

Joe, I can't let you go up there.

Just hold your fire, George.

♪ ♪

Hold your fire!

Gas grenade.

Mannix, stay out of here, I told you!

Get away from here!

Sanderson, listen to me!

I've been working on our problems.

I think there's an answer.

Answer? You broke your promise!

Then why do you think I'm here?

You broke your promise!

The place is crawling with cops!

Sanderson... listen to me.

Mannix... Mannix, I'm warning you.

Go ahead.

Go ahead, make up for missing me last night.

I explained all that.

Yeah, you told me a lot of things.

I've got to admit, so far, all the details check out.

Oh, you believe me now, is that it, huh?

No, you tried to kill me.

No matter how respectable you are.

I told you, I thought I was back in combat.

I was in Korea, too.

You didn't come at me like an infantryman.

You stalked me like a sniper shooting from ambush.

You stalked me, aimed at me, you shot at me! At me!

There's going to be an investigation, Sanderson, now!

Whatever it is, it's going to come out.

There'll be nothing!

I know you tried to kill me.

But I think you were pressured.

I think somebody put you in a vise.

Who? Why?

No one!

Then how did you miss me at 30 feet?

Conscience?

That's far enough!

Sanderson, listen to me!

I know you were pressured.

If I didn't call the police... And I didn't... who did?

Who else knew?

I don't know!

Who wants me dead?

No one!

No one wanted you dead, no one!

Now, why don't you tell me the truth?

The nightmares... they're true.

But you're right.

There is something else.

I tried to kill you last night

to keep it quiet.

Keep what quiet?

A piece of history.

I'll... I'll show you.

All right, let's have it again.

The shot... came through this window

from down there in front.

You're telling me an officer shot him?

Can you tell me no?

My men had orders not to fire except in self-defense.

And they're not trigger-happy, Joe.

An autopsy should settle it.

Yeah, while the publicity tars our image a little.

That's why you're overpaid.

Well, there's got to be some penalties

for that plush policeman's life.

How were you involved with Sanderson?

There was something in his past he wanted cleared up,

but I never did find out exactly what.

Whatever it was, it's not going to bug him anymore.

Where's Pete?

On the job in your office.

Pete.

Hi, Joe.

Um, I checked out the prowler report.

There were some complaints from the other residents,

but, uh, nothing definite.

And I asked around about Sanderson.

Nothing.

The guy rings no bells.

Yeah, he caused a riot,

stood off a squad of police, and got a bullet in the back.

Some kind of a nut!

No. The man was cracking up.

Somebody squeezed him until he was...

ready to get out by killing me.

How can a man get to hate that much?

Well, I can tell you.

Now, wait a minute, Pete.

I thought we had that settled.

This is a whole new ball game.

Sure, sure, but a year ago,

I was mad enough to kill.

After the hearing, when they lifted my license.

A man sits in a lousy room

with a table and a chair and a bed,

and stares at the wall.

I needed somebody to hate, Joe, and you were it.

Because I had something to do with your losing your license?

If I'd had a gun,

the day you walked in on me...

You wouldn't have used it.

Well, maybe an old shoe.

Oh. Sanderson didn't hate me.

He didn't even know me.

Now, somebody pressured him

into committing premeditated murder.

Look, Pete,

check out Sanderson over the past few months.

I want to know everybody he knew, everybody he talked to.

Right.

Good-bye, Pretty Peggy.

Good-bye, Pete.

You don't think I ought to be using Pete?

I didn't say that.

He took a bribe, and he paid for it.

I'm sorry.

I guess, it's just my hang-up.

But I had a husband on the force for 12 years

without even taking a... an apple.

And all he ever got was a bullet.

Peggy, Pete's trying to work it out.

I know. I know.

Like I said, I guess it's my hang-up.

Hi, Peggy.

Well, how's your son?

Growing up.

Yesterday, he called the school crossing guard "the fuzz,"

because he had to wait for traffic.

Well, he's ready for college.

I-I'm afraid so.

Anything new?

Well, I'm going out to the Sanderson place.

Thought you might want to come along.

Yeah.

Ciao.

We've calculated the trajectory.

The bullet that killed Sanderson was fired from over there.

Now, the gun must have had a silencer on it.

No one heard the shot.

Behind the hedge, huh?

Fit's the angle exactly...

Right into the study and right into Sanderson.

Using a standard police .38.

Well, whoever it was didn't leave a trace.

We've got nothing.

Now, that's confidential.

Have you got anything on Sanderson?

A normal, reputable citizen for 41 years.

Then he went ape for an hour and a half.

We haven't a notion why.

What about, uh, Mrs. Sanderson?

Well, she came back to the house.

A nice woman, but she doesn't like us.

Her husband's dead, and we can't tell her how or why.

I don't blame her.

I thought you cops got calloused.

I'm working on it.

Well, that's it.

I'll, uh, find my own way back, George, thanks.

Okay.

Mrs. Sanderson, may I come in?

Why?

I'm sorry, Mrs. Sanderson.

Everyone's sorry.

Your, uh, husband told me something

just before he was, uh... Shot?

Just before he was shot, Mr. Mannix.

It's all right, you can say it.

He told me two things.

First, he admitted trying to kill me.

I don't believe you.

Mrs. Sanderson, I'm not accusing him or slandering him.

I'm just telling you.

Why? Why would he want to kill you?

Well, that's the second thing.

Somebody blackmailed him

into becoming a weapon against me.

That somebody murdered him.

That was the police!

No.

No, I talked to the lieutenant in charge, Mrs. Sanderson.

There was an investigation.

No policeman fired that shot.

If it wasn't the police... then who?

I don't know.

He was shot before he told me.

But maybe we can find out, Mrs. Sanderson.

He stood at this window for a minute,

looking down at the police.

Then he took a step toward that wall

as if he were going to show me something.

Do you know what?

I can't imagine.

Unless... Well, there is a safe in that wall.

Nils had it put in when we moved into the house

for his private papers.

I don't even know the combination.

Would anyone have it?

I don't think so, no.

Nils kept his business deals pretty much apart

from our life together.

Maybe it was my fault.

He made a lot of money.

I never asked any questions.

Would you give me permission to have that opened?

Yes, of course.

Surelock, Model 233-M, ward-guarded.

Guaranteed against heat, corrosion,

and unauthorized tampering.

Can you open it?

It will be interesting, touch of old times.

You were a safecracker?

Madame, I never cracked a box in my life.

I opened them.

Educated skill, not brute force.

Mr. Hotchkiss was the best safe man in the country.

In the world, if I may be so immodest.

Now he's working as a consultant to a safe manufacturer.

Frankly, it doesn't pay as well, but the hours are better.

And for a three-time loser, it's more relaxing.

You really think he can work out the combination?

Generally speaking, yes.

Hotch, you're a menace.

Thank you.

There'll be no charge, Joseph.

It's all right.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Who are they?

That's Nils.

They must be people he met in Korea.

"Kim Huh Suk, 1951."

Oh, yes, Kim Huh Suk

was a fairly well-known official

in our government years ago.

Finance Ministry.

Where could I contact him?

He's been dead since the war,

he and his wife.

A tragedy.

Since the war?

And yet you recognize the name immediately.

Oh, yes, it's fresh in my mind.

The daughter, Miss Joy Suk,

came to the United States only a few months ago.

And of course, our office

saw to it that she felt at home.

Then she's here? Yes.

UCLA graduate student.

But she was a child when this picture was taken

and her parents died.

It's highly possible that she would not remember it.

Hmm. Well, thank you.

Miss Suk?

I'm Joy Suk, yes.

My name is Joe Mannix.

I wonder if you could spare a minute.

It's important.

Hmm, yes.

Do you recognize this photograph?

That was my father,

and mother and myself a long time ago.

I'm sorry if I upset you.

Do you recognize the American soldier?

Yes, of course.

Sergeant Sanderson.

Nils Sanderson.

A good friend.

Also dead.

How did you know that?

Everybody knew.

He died 16 years ago, in the war.

I was only six years old then,

but I remember.

Some of it, I remember too well.

Tell me about Sergeant Sanderson.

He was billeted in our home

when he was on duty in Seoul.

He lived with us for nearly a year.

Uncle Nils.

You'll never know how hard it...

That name was for a Korean to pronounce.

We were happy.

He was protection and we became friends.

He took me with him sometimes.

He gave me this

the morning he left to go back to his company.

He said good-bye to my mother.

Then he went to my father's office

and said good-bye to him.

That was the last time any of us saw him.

Then he, uh, rejoined his company

and went into combat?

And he was killed.

I didn't receive word of it,

until... after my parents were killed.

The letter finally got to me at the home where I was sent.

I kept the letter for a long time.

I didn't have much of my own left then, you see?

Your parents were killed in the war?

No.

My parents were murdered.

Would you mind telling me about it?

My father was an important official

in the Finance Ministry.

His office received

a shipment of gold from the North.

It was very late, so he brought it home

to keep for the night.

I heard the sounds.

A hammering sound first,

then muffled voices.

Screams... Then shots.

My door was locked.

When it was finally opened, it...

it was the police to tell me that...

my father and mother had been murdered.

I'm all right.

It was 16 years ago.

It's just still very real.

The gold was, the gold had been stolen.

So the police searched, but to find thieves

in Seoul in the wartime...

That was when I was sent to the home.

That, um... letter notifying you

of Sergeant Sanderson's death, do you still have it?

I'm sorry, I do not.

But I remember it said

he died in action "a brave man."

He died in California this morning.

That is impossible.

I'll admit, it's strange anyway.

You must be wrong, Mr. Mannix.

Would you help me find out?

I may have a surprise for you, Joe.

I'm not sure. Yeah? What's the surprise?

The name Sanderson. I got a look at the list

Peggy made up of his business connections,

and a bell rang.

Remember Morgan Petrie?

Yeah, vice president of Monet Enterprises,

the man who bribed you.

That's right, and cost me my license.

Well, after your testimony on the case,

there was a lot of bad publicity for Mr. Petrie and the company.

The company's recovered nicely, though.

They just acquired a theatrical supply company.

They're even expanding.

New building to be done

by Sanderson Construction Company.

Nils Sanderson and Morgan Petrie.

Petrie often works late in his office.

He'd be there now.

You keeping a file on him, Pete?

Well, he paid me money to do

some dirty digging for him and I got busted for it.

He's still riding high, fat and happy.

So if you can nail him...

Well, I never said I was a hundred percent nice guy.

Well, on that scale, Morgan Petrie

would measure out about zero.

Sure, I remember you, Mannix...

with no pleasure at all.

Why did you agree to talk to me?

Curiosity.

You once did me a great deal of damage.

You don't appear to be mortally wounded.

I'm still an executive here.

But it's a dead end.

I'll go no farther.

In Morgan Petrie, we do not trust.

That's a sort of death sentence.

I hold two men responsible:

you and Pete Collier.

Why are you here now?

I wanted to ask you if you know a Nils Sanderson.

Sanderson Construction.

Yes, they've worked for us for years.

It's a good, solid outfit.

It's too bad about what happened.

How do you know anything happened?

Modern invention, I have a radio.

What was your relationship with Sanderson?

Is that really important to you, Mannix?

It's important.

Well, in that case,

I'll see that you don't get at our files,

and I want you out of my office, now.

If Morgan Petrie had nothing to hide,

then why wouldn't he let you look at the files on Sanderson?

Why?

Old hatred? Dog in the manger?

I don't know.

I just don't know.

Joe, let me try for a look at those files

through the back door.

Okay, Pete, give it a try. Right.

Well, good morning.

Good morning.

Miss Joy Suk, Peggy Fair,

Pete Collier. Hello.

Would you like some coffee?

Yes, thank you.

She can play on my tennis court any day.

Pete... Now remember, cool and cautious.

They won't lay a glove on me.

I read the story in the newspapers today

about Nils Sanderson.

Why would I get a letter 16 years ago

saying he was dead?

That's what we're going to try and find out.

"KAYMAG," Liaison Detachment.

One Sanderson.

Nils A., Staff Sergeant.

Yeah, that's him. Was he wounded in combat?

Not wounded, jeep accident.

Skull fracture. He was discharged

at Letterman Hospital, San Francisco,

12 September, 1952.

"Liaison Detachment."

Does that mean he was working with a Korean Military unit?

A guard battalion.

Seoul Administrative Headquarters.

Where my father had his office.

Sanderson must have known about that gold shipment.

You're not thinking that he...?

That gold could have given Sanderson a head start in...

1953, March.

Nils Sanderson came here to the bank to see me.

He was out of service, oh, maybe six months.

He looked good, and he made sense.

I mean, he'd planned in detail how he

intended to set up his construction business.

And you agreed to help finance him.

Well, we're in the business of making loans.

Of course he had some capital of his own.

Was that in gold?

No private citizen may traffic in gold

in the United States, Mr. Mannix.

Yes, I know.

I also know that

a private citizen can get around that prohibition.

Did Sanderson?

That's not for me to say.

The grand jury then.

Is it that serious?

Yes, it is.

Well, without disclosing any confidences,

I might note that it could be possible

to deposit gold in a foreign

country, and then transfer the funds to an American bank.

In Sanderson's case, how much?

$30,000.

Pete? No, he hasn't called in yet.

I want to reach him as soon as possible, Peggy,

so keep trying, huh?

I'm sorry.

Uncle Nils was one of the good memories.

That's a lie!

Why would I lie, Mrs. Sanderson?

I don't know you. I have nothing to gain.

And I've already lost all... all I had to lose.

What do you think you're doing to me,

making my husband a monster?

We've got to find out who might have known

about what happened in Korea.

Nobody. Because it didn't happen!

Father and Mother were killed.

Not by Nils!

Then explain the nightmares.

Explain a crime so ugly that he'd rather commit murder

than have it revealed.

Mrs. Sanderson, he tried to kill me

because somebody knew he had

killed Joy's mother and father.

Can I get you something?

There's brandy in the... in the dayroom in back.

Please, could you...?

Who was it?

I can't be sure, but I think I know.

Use the phone and call the police.

It's cut.

There's a light in the glove compartment.

Plug it into that cigarette lighter.

Now keep it trained on that truck!

♪ ♪

Get to a phone. Call the police, but warn them he's got the girl.

♪ ♪

Untie her.

Untie her!

The grieving wife.

No one followed us up here.

We're safe.

No alarms.

You don't look surprised.

No, I'm not, Pete.

You gave yourself away pretty badly this morning when Joy Suk

walked into my office.

You said, "She can play on my

tennis court anytime."

Now, how did you know she played

tennis unless you had been watching us at UCLA?

Oh, I always said you were good, Mannix.

Yeah, but I hadn't figured her.

Well now, Sanderson had a lot of beautiful

insurance, you see, and a beautiful wife.

Pete and I made a bargain.

My psychotic husband for you.

And I suppose you found out about Sanderson

when you were working for Morgan Petrie.

Yeah. Petrie was going to use Sanderson

for a construction job,

so he hired me to check him out.

Well, I checked him all the way back to Korea,

and that's where I hit pay dirt.

See, when a man comes out of the Army

and opens a bank account with $30,000,

you wonder how he got it.

Well, I found out, and I owned him.

And you were lucky, Mannix,

the way Sanderson came apart.

You'd think a man who'd killed two people

could kill a third.

You really hated me that much, huh, Pete?

Yeah. Yeah.

I want you dead.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪