Original subtitles

Police headquarters.

Do you mind sharing?

It's the only one, and I'm in a terrible hurry.

Not at all.

That's her in the cab.

Who's the guy?

A narc? Fingers? What?

I don't know.

- Where to, ma'am? - A hotel. Uh, any hotel.

The first one.

Still police headquarters, mister?

That's right.

Are you a policeman?

Uh, private detective. Name is Mannix.

Uh, you in some sort of trouble?

Yes, I am.

Does it have anything to do with that sedan following us?

I'm in between flights, on my way to Tokyo.

They want to stop me.

My plane leaves at 8:00 tonight.

You get me on it, I'll pay your fee, anything you ask.

Who are they?

Does it matter?

If I'm gonna work for you, it matters.

My name is Janet Hall.

I was a singer at the Kit Kat Club in New York.

My boss was giving me a lot of trouble.

He came on strong.

Well, he found out I bought a ticket to Tokyo

and called a couple of his mob friends out here

to pick me up and change my mind.

How can I help?

Look, I'm scared. You must have someplace

I can hide for a couple of hours.

Driver, there's 20 bucks in it

if you can lose that green sedan behind us.

It's lost.

Stay with him. I want to get his number.

♪♪

Now, I want you to go inside and don't come out until 6:00.

I'll pick you up in the lobby and get you to your 8:00 flight.

I lost him. I'm sorry.

It's okay. I got his number.

That's all. I swear.

He's a private eye, name of Mannix.

I let her off at the Capri Theater,

him at the police department.

He's coming back for her at 6:00.

How come she got in his cab?

There wasn't any other around.

Look, I told you, they didn't know each other.

Let him go.

Get out of here.

How do we know for sure?

The private eye thing could be an act.

If he's a Fed or a narc...

So we check.

It's beautiful.

Well, with the prices the way they are these days,

it ought to be.

May I help you?

I'd like to see Mr. Mannix.

I'm sorry, he's not in.

You know, when I was a legman

for a security outfit in Chicago,

if my boss had had a pretty girl like you in his office,

he wouldn't have gone broke.

He's still not in.

I was wondering if he could use an assistant.

I'm pretty fast on my feet.

Mr. Mannix runs a one-man operation.

He's been on a case in San Francisco,

and due back any minute.

You can ask him yourself.

No. I'll come back tomorrow... If he's been out of town,

he's probably got a lot of catching up to do.

Might be a lot of fun working here.

He's legit.

Just got back from San Francisco.

You want me to go in the theater and get her out?

No, no, wait until she comes out at 6:00.

Take some muscle with you

in case Mannix gives you some trouble.

I'll be at Mr. Wexler's.

- Hi, Peg. - Hi. You're back, and late.

Yeah. I had to stop downtown

and file a report on the Kleinman case.

It's all wrapped up.

- Say, did Gogarty call from New York? - No.

Yeah. Now, look, do me a favor, will you?

I got to stay here and wait for his call.

Stop by the Capri Theater.

I'm supposed to meet a lady in the lobby there at 6:00.

Name's Janet Hall... tell her I'll be a few minutes late.

What does she look like?

Like you, sort of.

She must be gorgeous, sort of.

- Notice anything different? - Hm?

Um... new lipstick?

Lady Dee Number Five.

But that's only half of it. Now, try again.

You got me.

I had to get a new coat to match my lipstick.

- Very pretty. - It ought to be.

Clarence. Beverly Hills.

I must be overpaying you.

Oh, come on, don't tell me

you're just now getting around to paying the phone bill?

I'm sorry, Joe.

I'll drop it in the mailbox, and I'll see you in the morning.

Right.

Mannix.

Oh, Gogarty. What about our Miss Hall?

Did you check the Kit Kat Club?

Burned down over a year ago? Are you sure?

It looks like I've been had.

Yeah, thanks, Sam. I owe you.

Oh, thank goodness, I was beginning to worry.

- Oh, didn't Peggy tell you? - Peggy who?

My secretary. I told her to stop by

and tell you I'd be a few minutes late.

I didn't see anyone.

Say, excuse me.

Did you see a young lady waiting out here

wearing a red coat?

Uh, yes, sir. Just a few minutes ago.

- Do you know what happened to her? - Um, I don't know.

I went in to check the air-conditioning,

and then when I came out she was gone.

No, you don't.

Now, you're coming with me, Miss whoever you are.

Hello?

Just a minute.

It's Chili Dog, Mr. Wexler.

Yeah?

What?

You dumb ox! Stay put!

They grabbed the wrong woman.

- Mannix's secretary. - Where are they?

Over at your place. Get going.

I'll meet you there later. I got to call New York.

What happened?

Um, I'm sorry, Lonnie, we made a mistake.

We just blew it.

The three of you don't make one brain.

Where is she?

In there.

Relax. There's been a foul-up.

We'll straighten everything out.

Hello.

Yeah, this is Mannix.

A little mistake was made this evening.

I believe we have something you want,

and you have something we want.

How about an exchange?

I think we can work out an arrangement.

How much time do I have?

I'll call you back in three minutes.

Now, wait a minute, that's not enough time. I...

Oh, no.

No swap, Mannix.

Now, I want the truth: who you are and what you're mixed up in.

Otherwise, I turn you over to them, and I mean it!

I think you would at that.

Start out with your real name.

It's... Diana Lee,

and I work for some people in New York.

I'm a bookkeeper.

The Syndicate?

Harry worked for them, too, but they set him up.

Who's Harry?

Harry Porter, my boyfriend.

They gave him five kilos of heroin to deliver...

Only it wasn't heroin, it was sugar...

While the real stuff came out here by someone else.

Harry spotted the narcs tailing him.

He panicked and shot at them.

They shot back.

I buried him this morning.

Made a date with a plastic surgeon in Tokyo.

They were waiting for me at the airport.

And just why do they want you?

They're afraid I'll peddle their arithmetic,

names and phone numbers.

A lot of very big people are involved.

The organization out here, who are they?

So you can turn me over to them or to the cops?

No way!

So instead, you'll just let my secretary take your place.

Look, they want to kill me!

Suppose I can negotiate, make a deal?

Over my dead body.

What about my secretary's dead body?

Um... look...

could I have a drink?

All right, put the glass on the table.

Now your gun.

Easy.

Okay.

No matter where you go,

I'm gonna find you.

With my new face, you won't even know me.

This is Mannix. Now, listen, I'm gonna need

a little more time... She got away, but I'll find her.

Give me a day, a couple of hours.

You just ran out of time, Mannix... the deal's off.

Now, wait a minute! Don't hang...

Hey, what's happened? Nobody come down to the boat.

- Shut up, Cap. - Yeah, but you guys said...

Cap! Later.

The word is that that Mannix is nobody to fool around with,

- so we got to move fast. - How?

Well, we'll use the same plan we had for Diana:

kill her, dump her off Cap's boat.

Lonnie, I'd, uh...

I'd like you to take care of that for me.

Me?

I need somebody I can depend on.

Besides...

you have a...

way with women.

Fog's coming in now, though.

You're gonna have to wait for it to lift.

Of all the boats in the marina,

you have to have one with a busted radar!

Still ain't no better boat on the coast!

- You can ask anyone! - All right. All right!

Wait.

Just let me know when it's over.

Lonnie...

this time no mistakes.

Lonnie, about the foul-up, I really feel bad.

Get lost.

You really gonna kill her, Lonnie?

Get on back to the boat, Cap.

See if you're strong enough to lift that fog off the water.

Lon, you ain't said nothing lately.

About what?

You know.

About them...

packages from New York.

Our secret plans.

Just me and you and the river.

The gold and emeralds, Lon!

One came in yesterday.

Is it the one? Is it big enough?

I don't know yet. Wait.

And keep your mouth shut.

Sure, Lon.

I ain't never told a soul.

Honest.

I want you to know that this wasn't my doing.

Who are you?

And who are those other people?

Are you some kind of a gang?

Something like that.

Well, now that you know that I'm not the girl that you want,

why don't you let me go?

Sorry, there's been a change of plans.

Well, what are you gonna do with me?

Kill you.

What?!

You know too much.

Know too much?

I'm not the woman you're after! How can I know too much?

When are you going to do it?

When I want to.

Want a drink?

Yeah.

You know, uh...

I don't even know your name.

Lonnie.

Hi, Lonnie.

Hi.

You don't really want to kill me, do you?

No.

Well, then, why do it?

I have to.

Do you?

Either I kill you or I let you go.

If I let you go, they'll kill both of us.

Unless...

Unless what?

Come on.

Where?

You'll see.

Well, I guess I don't have a choice, do I?

Come to think of it, I guess you don't.

Look, I have a son.

Uh, he needs me.

He's only... he's only ten years old.

I grew up by myself.

He'll get by.

What does he want to be when he grows up?

A boy with a mother.

Don't we all?

I like it down here.

It's quiet.

What's this for?

Used to be my brother's.

He had bad headaches.

Made him scream... Sometimes real loud.

Mama didn't want to bother the neighbors,

so she kept him down here.

Where is he now?

He died.

So did Mama.

I sleep down here sometimes.

That way, I don't hear the planes as much.

We're right under the flight pattern.

Then we're in Playa del Rey.

Planes are grounded right now because of the fog.

You like it?

Oh, what difference does it make?

I've thought of something.

What?

You can stay down here.

In this room?

Why not?

My brother stayed down here most of his life.

Look, this is ridiculous.

I told you... I have a job, I have a son.

I have a whole other life.

If you don't live down here,

you won't have any life at all, now, will you?

What about your friends?

Nobody knows about this room.

Just Cap and me.

They're flying again.

Fog's lifted.

Give me your coat.

Give it to me.

Shame to have to put a hole in it.

A hole in it? Why?

They'll think you were shot.

How are they going to know it's my coat?

That's just a phone bill.

It'll do just fine.

That's Cap.

Think it over.

Lifted that fog right off the water,

just like you said to do.

Good, Cap.

I can take it out whenever you say.

Wait right here. I'll be right back.

What have you decided?

I'm glad.

Thanks.

A positive identification?

All right, thanks.

Yeah, well, Sam struck out.

Uh, none of his sources ever heard of a Diana Lee.

The Tokyo Police have.

They pick her up?

Truck outside the Tokyo Airport.

A hit-and-run.

Mannix.

Yeah, just a minute.

Malcolm.

Yeah, Les. What do you got?

A lifeguard found it washed up on the beach.

Is it Peggy's, Joe?

Yeah.

This was in one of the pockets.

She bought it yesterday in Beverly Hills.

Match her lipstick.

Ballistics says the hole was made by a bullet.

It was probably a .38.

Why don't you go home and have a drink or something?

Yeah.

Have a couple.

Uh-huh.

I'll see you.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

Excuse me. Have you seen this lady?

I have reason to believe she's in the neighborhood.

I'm a private investigator.

No, I haven't seen her.

Well, if, uh, you do happen to see her,

would you give me a call?

Certainly.

Thanks.

Uh, Jerry, what else are we out of besides hair spray?

Uh, bathing caps and lipstick... Lady Dee Number Five.

Just sold all we had at one clip.

Excuse me.

Did I hear you say Lady Dee lipstick?

Yes. One of our customers just bought all we had.

Would you mind telling me the customer's name?

Lonnie something.

I don't know his last name.

Do you know where he lives?

Uh, not exactly.

But it's over on the hill

where the airport's moving out those houses.

Thanks.

How did you know this was my brand of lipstick?

Looked in your purse.

Well, I don't want it.

I don't want any of it.

A woman ought to look pretty.

I brought you something.

Surprise.

Toby!

Oh, Toby.

But how?

Looked in the phone book, got your address

and there he was, in the little park

right across the street from your place.

That must be his babysitter with him, huh?

It's his aunt.

Oh, Toby.

Oh, Toby!

Hey, don't cry.

I wouldn't have done it if I thought you were gonna cry.

Thought you'd like to see that he was okay and everything.

Don't touch me!

Just leave me alone.

Get out. Get out!

I'll make us some tea.

You never had a brother.

You made that up.

You were the one with the headaches.

What if I was?

Mama was ashamed, with the neighbors.

So she kept me down here.

I'm better now.

They don't come as often.

I'll get the tea.

Can I help you?

Yes, siree.

Name is Peters.

Rudy Peters.

I was just driving by here, saw your sign and I said to myself,

now why don't you stop and just ask those nice people

how much they want for their place.

Twenty-five.

Firm.

Well, now that sounds like it's someplace in the ballpark.

You know, I-I bought myself a few of these houses here,

hauled them all the way out to the West Valley.

Not a bad business.

People get a bargain, I make myself a buck or two.

How big is your place?

It's just like the sign says.

Bedroom, den, bath and a half.

So it does.

Mind if I take a look?

Come on.

I sure hope your wife won't mind my busting in this way.

No wife. Just me.

I didn't catch the name.

Taggart. Lonnie Taggart.

Mm.

Ah, say, this is nice.

The kitchen.

You know, it's the first thing a woman looks at is the kitchen.

And then closets.

In real estate, that's the whole enchilada:

kitchens and closets.

- Bedroom? - Mm.

Ah, handy, handy.

Yes, siree.

Ah, now that is nice.

Kitchen, bedroom.

Nice size living room.

Ah, that it is, that it is.

Den over there.

Ah.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

Yes, siree.

Tell you what, I'll lay this on my partner,

and I'll get back to you.

What's your phone number?

Well, I'm in and out quite a bit,

so, uh, call the Bay City people.

Well, I'll just jot it down anyway.

555-3377.

Hey, it's an easy number to remember.

Tell you what, I'll get back to you now.

♪♪

When you're finished,

I'll read your tea leaves for you.

You read fortunes?

Yeah.

Mama was a fortune teller.

That's how we ate.

Tea leaves, palms, wishing rings,

16 pyramids, four kings... I know them all.

Mama taught me.

Pigs busted her finally.

Some Bunco squad clowns.

So she went to work in the racetracks,

picking up trash in the grandstands.

She died there one morning.

And you blame the police for that?

I used to.

That's why I got in the syndicate.

But they're no different.

They set up a guy in New York the other day.

Diana's boyfriend.

That's how you happen to be here.

Setting someone up's the same as busting an old lady.

No difference, know what I mean?

What do you want?

I don't know.

Independence.

Not to be hemmed up by four walls, ever again.

I went to Honduras once

on a vacation, and I found a river for sale.

All along the banks, there was gold and emeralds.

I'm going back there one day.

What's he look like?

Who?

The guy you work for... Mannix.

He's about six-two.

180 pounds.

Color of his eyes?

Brown.

Brown hair.

What kind of a car does he drive?

A blue...

A gray hardtop.

You mean blue, don't you?

Well, he was here.

Oh, he knows I'm alive!

How?

There was nothing in the coat but a phone bill.

Was there?

Was there?

No, no, no, n-nothing, nothing.

Well, I got news for you.

He didn't see a thing.

Not one thing.

Hey, what's wrong with you, Lonnie?

You act like you were expecting the FBI.

You usually call before you come by.

It might have been the heat.

Plenty of it around the neighborhood all of a sudden.

I'm getting you out of here, Lonnie.

It's a big one. Seattle.

Seattle?

It'll take a week to get there on Cap's boat.

Well, you better get started.

Sooner the better.

Package is in a locker, Santa Monica bus depot.

Five kilos.

$800,000.

Make sure you get cash.

And, Lonnie...

make sure you come back.

Who was it?

Never mind.

I got to move you.

Where?

Going on a boat ride.

You, me and Cap.

No.

I'll be back.

Why can't we find her, Art?

I mean, what's the department for?

We're working on it, Joe.

It's just a question of time.

Yeah, well, she's been missing over 24 hours.

Well, look, I'm gonna go out

and check that Playa del Rey house again.

There's something there.

There's something I missed.

Something about that Lonnie Taggart.

We're checking him out.

The computer is ticking away.

Give it a chance.

Now, he was all alone in that house,

and yet he was making two cups of tea,

and he tried to hide one... why?

Supposing he goes with a married lady.

- Aw...! - It happens, you know, Joe!

What about all the lipstick he bought, Art?

Hey, we don't go barging in, busting a guy

because he drinks tea and he happens to buy his girlfriend

the same shade of lipstick that Peggy wears.

Now be reasonable!

Now, look, I know that Peggy's alive

and somewhere in Playa del Rey!

That label in her coat told me so!

And Taggart is our only lead!

I told you we're checking him out!

Now relax!

How the hell do you expect me to relax?

I don't like it.

I've never seen Lonnie uptight like he was today.

Everybody's got their problems.

You know, it's odd.

Give a man a key to almost a million dollars...

Then it hits you...

You begin to wonder if he's capable of doing the job.

If he's up to it.

Maybe some gal's giving him some static.

Yeah, you know Lonnie and dames.

Yeah.

Well, come to think of it,

he hasn't been the same

since he killed Mannix's secretary.

Yeah, maybe that could be it.

Killing never shook him up before.

But he never had to waste an innocent bystander before.

It's different if somebody's trying

to rip off the organization.

Like Diana.

Well, if he got a little jumpy, so what?

Lonnie's a good boy.

He's cool.

On the other hand...

he could be uptight because...

because he didn't kill her.

You ever known Lonnie not to do what he's told?

Things change. People change.

Remember, all that washed up on the beach was a coat.

That leaves us in the area of corpus delecti.

Huh.

Interesting.

Where is the body?

I think we're going to have to have a little talk with Cap.

Hello.

Hi, Lon.

You did?

Is it the one?

Five kilos.

I'm looking right at it, Cap.

It's tagged for the Seattle connection.

They'll be expecting us in about five or six days.

By that time, we'll be halfway to Honduras.

Okay. Great.

I'm all gassed up, ready to go.

See you in about a half hour.

By the way, Cap, we've got a passenger.

Aw, you're not really going to take her?

She's going with us, Cap.

All the lady'll do is get in the way.

That's the way it's got to be.

Okay, Lon.

Anything you say.

Hello, Cap.

Okay, here's the scam on Lonnie Taggart.

Two stretches in mental facilities.

One in Atascadero for 18 months.

A bust three years ago.

Armed robbery.

Dismissed for lack of evidence.

There's nothing to pick Taggart up for right now,

but we'll watch him.

Oh, that's it, huh?

You'll watch him?

That's it, except some of your friends

are using us for a post office box.

Addressed to you, care of us.

Special Delivery... Honolulu.

Honolulu...

It's from Diana Lee.

"Dear Mr. Mannix,

"Maybe this list will help make up for what I did.

"I don't know what to say about your secretary.

"I'm sure she was a nice girl,

but you have to understand, I want to live, too."

She wants to live, too.

What's that about a list?

There's some names of cities and a few phone numbers.

Maybe that's her way of paying off the Syndicate.

A couple from Los Angeles...

626-4699...

555-3377.

That's Lonnie Taggart's phone number.

Come here.

Look.

What is it?

A lot of things to a lot of people.

But for me, a river in a jungle.

The one I told you about.

Gold... emeralds...

and you to go along with them.

Honduras...?

Yes.

Lonnie, I'm not going anywhere with you.

Yes, you are.

With me and Cap Olson, right now.

Who is it?

Wexler!

Just a minute!

In the basement.

Come on, they'll kill you.

Lonnie.

You haven't gone yet, huh?

Just getting ready to leave.

Where is she?

Who?

Mannix's secretary.

In the ocean.

Ask the sharks.

Mm-mm.

We had a talk with Cap.

Strange twist of fate, wouldn't you say?

His dying breath brought her back to life.

Once more: Where is she?

Far away from here.

How far?

You want to negotiate, is that it?

That's right.

You kill me, she goes loose.

She runs to Mannix

with names and addresses on everybody.

What's your proposal?

Half the stuff.

Half...?

That's a pretty high price.

That's right, Mr. Wexler.

All right.

It's a deal.

Now...

where's the young lady?

Before I tell you, I'd like to feel

as if I had an hour or two to get lost.

Sounds reasonable.

How would you suggest we work it out?

Did you say... "far away"?

♪♪

Lonnie, you need a doctor.

Doctor...?

Doctors...

Doctors don't do me no good.

You know that, Mama.

They just poke me...

hurt me.

I'm gonna die, anyway.

Soon.

Don't worry, Mama.

I'm going to take you with me.

We're going together.

The world's a terrible place.

This way, everything'll be fine.

You won't have to explain to the neighbors

or be ashamed of me on buses, in stores,

not ever again.

Not where we're going.

And you don't have to work anymore either...

picking up trash at the racetrack...

paper cups, losers' tickets...

Oh, Lonnie, please... I'm Peggy.

You brought me some lovely gifts.

We were going to go on a boat.

It's gonna be good, Mama.

So good.

We'll just float up, you and me together.

Straight up...

like curtains, when the wind blows.

Nice, long sugar days ahead...

Nobody will be able to get at us or hurt us anymore.

And now, I'll take you by the hand,

and we'll walk around and we'll say,

"Down there was a bunch of nothing."

We'll just laugh and laugh and laugh...

It'll only take a second to go, Mama.

It won't hurt a bit.

I'll make sure of that.

Lonnie, Lonnie, I'm Peggy.

Peggy.

I'm Peggy.

Don't be afraid.

It only takes a second to go.

Just turn around...

all the way around.

They're here, Mama.

They've come for us, just like I said.

They've come to take us to the sugar days.

Let's go, huh?