Original subtitles

I think it's the best I've done.

A beautiful specimen.

The range is exactly what you requested.

Silencer.

Ammunition.

Mercury-tipped.

Neat, clean.

It explodes like a small grenade.

It wasn't easy, you know.

The time pressures I was working under.

Normally it would take me four weeks

to custom-craft so delicate a weapon.

Well, you're being very well paid.

True. But when I put this much of myself

into an instrument...

it's like giving birth.

Well, your labor pains are most appreciated, Emile.

Most... appreciated.

Hey, about time you got around to pulling dawn patrol, Mike.

I know, I know. I guess I'm spoiled

working that normal 14-hour routine.

Could hardly wait to start chasing

the coroner's wagon at 6:00 a.m.

- Captain, what do we got? - Oh, the usual.

Some guy decided he wanted to take a dip in the Pacific

- with his clothes on. - Off the bridge?

No, uh, not the way the tide was running last night.

I'd say he went in north of the bridge.

- How's the body? - Oh, pretty good shape.

Couldn't have been in the water too long.

- Was there any I.D.? - No, nothing we could find.

When's the last time you seen a jumper

- get rid of his I.D. first? - Well, could be

he didn't want to go swimming of his own accord.

Oh, no signs of violence, if that's what you mean.

- Do me a favor, will you, Frank? - How's that?

Stick to smuggling and rescue at sea.

Let us decide whether or not

there's been a crime of violence committed.

And straighten the cap, will you?

See you, Mike.

♪♪

♪ O say, can you see ♪

♪ By the dawn's early light ♪

♪ What so proudly we hail'd ♪

♪ At the twilight's last gleaming? ♪

♪ Whose broad stripes and bright stars ♪

♪ Thro' the perilous fight ♪

♪ O'er the ramparts we watch'd ♪

♪ Were so gallantly streaming? ♪

♪ And the rocket's red glare ♪

♪ The bombs bursting in air ♪

♪ Gave proof thro' the night ♪

♪ That our flag was still there ♪

♪ O say, does that star spangled banner ♪

♪ Yet wave ♪

♪ O'er the land of... ♪

- Okay. - Anything, Frank?

Negative.

♪ And the home of ♪

♪ The brave. ♪

Think they'll miss McCovey and Marichal this season?

I don't know. I don't follow baseball.

Is it Schilling?

I can't be sure from this angle.

Tell Becker to get some shots.

Frank, pick up whatever you can

on the guy who just sat next down to West.

You found the boat satisfactory, I take it?

It'll do.

Your contract fee?

Half in advance, half upon completion.

Agreed.

$125,000 was cabled this morning

in care of your Mexico City account.

You'll find a map in there with Tuesday's route on it.

Time?

ETA of the plane at International: 1030 hours.

There'll be heavy security at the airport and en route

to the Trade Fair Center, so if you're planning any...

What I'm planning doesn't concern you.

It concerns me that you're probably

going to get only one shot,

and we're paying a hefty price to make certain that it's true.

I'm the best, therefore the most expensive.

If you didn't want the best, you wouldn't have gone

to the trouble you did to find me.

I have no argument with that.

Then I suggest you concentrate on gathering the rest of my fee

and leave the technique of the execution to me.

He's gone.

Frank?

No sign of him.

Well, according to the prints,

our midnight swimmer was one Emile Kestler.

- Did he have a record? - Two separate convictions

of selling shipments of stolen guns.

- He served time for both. - The autopsy report says

that he was dead before he hits the bay?

That's right... No water in the lungs,

- no sign of drowning. - Cause of death?

Uh, it was a break in the cervical column.

Yeah, the bruises indicate the neck was snapped

by somebody who knew their business.

What?

Sounds like the chiropractor I used to see.

- Maybe he's on the loose again. - Yeah.

Kestler had a tool and die shop in North Beach, also.

It's listed as his home address.

Maybe he was back into gun dealing again.

So somebody broke his neck because of a gun deal?

Everybody wants guns these days.

Hoods, kids, straights; it's something else.

Yeah, tell me about it... I got a neighbor next-door

who bought himself a Saturday night special.

Says he can curl up much better at night now

with that gun next to him.

- You know what? - What?

If I ever stop a bullet,

it's not gonna be on the job.

It's gonna be because of some neighbor...

some dear neighbor

who thought he heard a prowler.

Homicide, Lieutenant Stone.

Yes, sir.

Yes, sir, right away, sir.

"Yes, sir, right away, sir."

Sure was. He wants me up there on the double.

I told you, you shouldn't use his parking space anymore.

No, it couldn't be that.

He'd just have it towed away like he did the last time.

Listen, Steve, take Kestler's tool and die shop, will you?

- See what you can sniff out. - Gotcha.

- I'll catch up with you when I can. - Right.

- Chief. - Ah, yes, come in, Michael.

Uh, Mike Stone,

- Joe Merrick, Federal agent, - How do you do?

Vernon Presley, State Department.

Mr. Presley.

Uh, have a seat, gentlemen.

I'm gonna let these gentlemen fill you in here, Mike.

Uh, Mr. Presley.

I take it you're aware of the government's recent

trade-exchange agreement with the People's Republic of China?

Yeah, I heard something about that on the news.

Isn't the Chinese delegation

supposed to attend the trade fair opening?

They'll attend the International Trade Fair

in San Francisco and then continue on to Washington.

It's the first visit of its kind since the Second World War.

The delegation arrives Tuesday morning.

We're establishing heavy security.

The chairman of that delegation is Su Ma Sung.

We're expecting a possible attempt on his life.

Assassination?

Assassination. But not so much of the man

as much as a strike against what he stands for...

The beginnings of a trade liaison

between the United States and the People's Republic of China.

Well, now, how do you know there's going to be an attempt?

Ah. We can't be certain,

but we've picked up bits and pieces

over a period of four months from our intelligence service.

The group of suspected conspirators

make repeated reference to a code name...

- Target: Red. - Target: Red.

Right. Now, we have an indication

that that target is Su Ma Sung.

Now, the attempt could take place

anywhere during the Trade Fair visit here

or in Washington or anywhere en route.

All right. Who are the suspects?

The button pushers are led by a retired major general

who's convinced that any bilateral peace agreement

between enemy states

could weaken our defense establishment.

He has wealth, power, influence,

and he's determined to keep the Cold War going.

And he has followers in and out of the military who support him.

"Maintain the national security of the country,"

is the way they put it.

Uh, we think we know the trigger man, Mike.

Oh, yes, that's the one on the left.

- This one? - Mm-hmm.

His name is Jerry Schilling,

former officer in Army Intelligence

and a trained executioner.

He was phased out of active intelligence duty

several years ago, for mental instability.

There's nothing unstable about him now.

He's totally rational, deadly,

and an excellent marksman.

Who's the one on the right?

Major General Robert "Red" West.

U.S. Army, retired.

He has a home in Hillsborough.

Now, we have him under surveillance,

which is all we can do until we get some solid proof.

This, uh, Schilling...

You got a tail on him?

Current whereabouts unknown,

but we took those photos yesterday at Candlestick Park.

Schilling used to live in San Francisco.

His ex-wife still lives here.

Somebody at her place, too?

Oh, yes.

Yeah, she's a schoolteacher.

Uh, she's out of town right now, but he may try to contact her.

Okay.

Now... why me?

Who else?

I guess you know how and where a man would lose himself

in the streets of this city better than anybody else, Mike.

Now, you won't be alone.

We'll have Alert Plan B in operation all around the clock,

but that clock may be your biggest problem.

We have less than 40 hours

before the Chinese delegation sets down at International.

♪♪

Ah, Sonny.

Red.

- Lamar. - Red.

You men join me in a brandy?

Sonny, you take care of it.

Sit your tired old self down, Lamar.

Well, you made the initial deposit?

Everything's go.

I'll transfer the rest of the money to the conduit account

and make the necessary arrangements

to cable to his bank.

Is it washed?

Chile to Mexico City to Miami.

I don't like this business with Kestler, Red.

Why did he have to be eliminated?

He's the only one that links Schilling with us.

How does Schilling plan to penetrate to the target?

He wouldn't say.

How can we be sure of him?

Gentlemen, once Schilling's mind is committed,

he becomes a skillful, precision machine,

dedicated to only one thing...

the absolute destruction of the target.

♪♪

Well, I got nothing.

I have tried every snitch in this town

who might know a new face.

Nobody.

Yeah, it's like trying to track a ghost.

His whole life in San Francisco, the United States,

seems to have dead-ended 4½ years ago.

First he goes to Europe, then Canada,

but there's no record of him ever coming back to the States.

Just happens to catch a game at Candlestick.

Yeah.

He's got phony papers, all right, using an alias.

Excuse me.

Confirmation from Canada on the passport.

A guy who used to forge papers for draft evaders was caught

in a Toronto drug bust yesterday.

He admits detailing a passport, papers, and driver's license

in the name of Charles Pine for Jerry Schilling.

Are they positive on that make?

Yeah, he was using another alias,

but our contacts in Toronto had the photos we wired them.

Schilling or Pine flew into Chicago six days ago.

They're checking with the airlines

to see if there's any trail.

Stakeout on Schilling's wife came through.

She's back in town.

Well, let's go.

Top floor, apartment five.

Who is it?

Police.

We need a few moments of your time.

Lieutenant Stone, Mrs. Schilling.

We'd like to ask you a couple of questions...

Well...

This is Inspector Keller and Mr. Merrick.

Mr. Merrick and I have met.

How are you, Myrna?

I get by.

I didn't think you'd remember me.

Hey, and how are you?

How are you today, huh?

- How old is the baby? - Ten months.

You're really chubby.

I'm just babysitting for my neighbor.

Oh, yes.

You said you said you wanted to ask some questions.

Uh, yes, about your husband.

My ex-husband.

What, watch your want, huh?

Yes, when was the last time you saw him?

Four, nearly five years ago.

Was it here in San Francisco?

No, to the best of my knowledge,

he's been living abroad since then.

Have you been in touch with him the last four or five years?

Postcard, letters?

What is this about?

You, you said you were the police.

San Francisco Police Department, that's right.

We have reason to believe that Jerry Schilling

is in town somewhere, and we'd like to talk to him.

Well, what does the federal agency have to do with this?

It's just standard procedure.

We're cooperating with the police.

Standard procedure.

You forget.

I had nine years of that procedure.

The secrecy, the double-talk, the lies.

From the moment Jerry joined the agency

until the day they had one of their psychiatrists

phase him out

for what they termed

"mental instability..."

our lives were nine years of living hell

in which he changed

from a eager, bright-eyed idealist

who loved his flag, loved his country...

to a disillusioned...

cynical... paranoid mental case

who could take the life of another human being...

without blinking an eye.

All that's not necessary.

I mean, we just want...

Don't you tell me what's necessary!

Where were you and the almighty agency during the trauma

and the loneliness?

Where were you when Jerry used to wake up screaming,

night after night, until his mind snapped?

Mrs. Schilling.

Hush, angel, hush.

Ma'am, let me leave you our number in case he contacts you.

Thank you for your time.

We'll find our way out.

Hold on to that.

Come on, hold on.

Attaboy.

Come on.

You're a chubby one.

Good-bye.

I'm sorry.

So am I.

Very sorry.

Why didn't you tell us you knew Schilling?

Does it make a difference?

Course it makes a difference,

especially if we're being used for stalking

some bureaucratic intelligence operation, yeah.

Well, the last time I saw him

was during the Bay of Pigs action.

From what we just heard, you go back further than that with him.

Well, we had a lot in common.

We started the same time.

You know, Myrna was right.

Schilling was different then.

But then we all were, right, the whole world?

You know, I remember Schilling and I were together

at a party in Georgetown for JFK's inaugural address.

"Ask not what your country can do for you..."

I swear, we both had tears in our eyes.

Ready to do anything, pay any price.

And then...

the Bay of Pigs, Laos, Cambodia...

Dallas.

I'll tell you, I've been divorced twice,

I've got a bleeding stomach ulcer,

a son back from 'Nam a paraplegic,

and a 15-year-old daughter

busted twice already on drug charges.

I don't know where it all went...

All the dreams of all the bright young men.

You know, she says he's deranged.

Eh, he's not,

but he's, he's deeply disillusioned, deeply.

And with a man like Schilling, that's every bit as dangerous.

And I'll tell you something else...

If he's out there with a gun...

we're going to have to kill him to stop him.

♪♪

Excuse me, I'd like to rent a safe deposit box.

Yes, sir.

Just let one of the girls know when you're through, Mr. Pine.

Thank you.

♪♪

- Oh, Mrs. Schilling? - Yes.

Oh, I'm so glad you came.

I didn't know whether you'd be visiting today or not.

Something wrong with Kevin?

Oh, it's not Kevin.

It's, uh, your husband.

My husband?

He said he'd been out of the country,

and he hadn't seen Kevin since he left.

Well, we didn't see any harm in letting him visit...

as long as he understood Kevin couldn't communicate with him.

Where is he?

He's with Kevin in the recreation room.

I think Kevin might be afraid of him.

You know how he is with strangers?

Mm.

I went in with them in the beginning, and, uh...

Kevin turned his face away

as soon as your husband sat down next to him.

That was over an hour ago.

I... don't think either one has spoken a word since.

They've just been sitting like that.

Both of them... like statues.

Jerry?

He doesn't speak yet,

and he has trouble responding to strangers.

I'm not a stranger.

I'm his father.

Could we talk about this outside?

There's nothing to talk about.

Jerry!

There's brain damage.

The tests have been inconclusive,

but the the doctors believe that there's still hope.

Will he talk?

We don't know.

He makes sounds now.

There's a chance.

And he could spend the rest of his life

staring at a wall.

The mating of the losers.

It's no wonder we produced an it.

Not a him, an it.

A nothing,

a zero, a blank.

And all the hope in the world isn't going to change that.

Mrs. Schilling, your husband left this.

Thank you.

Mike, I got something on that Kestler case. You...

I thought I told you to get off that case and give it to Burton.

Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

Burton went through the ledger.

Turns out Kestler was into gun dealing, all right.

Custom-made jobbies for the discriminate buyer.

Look at these two names.

Charles Pine.

A custom purchase to be delivered on the sixth.

The day Kestler was killed?

That's right. It's the last name on the ledger.

Could be Schilling bought a new piece

before old Kestler went to the great gun shop in the sky.

And R. West. He bought a piece, too?

No, no. That came off a cross-check of the ledger names

with Kestler's old tool receipts.

It's a Robert "Red" West.

He's a Major General, retired; and he's living in Hillsborough.

In the den?

All right, I'll take care of it.

Lamar, I'll be right back.

The real beauties are locked downstairs in the playroom.

Everything from a Wild Bill Hickok Colt Peacemaker

to a Russian automatic rifle

I got off a North Korean General.

That's where you picked up the nickname Red, isn't it?

Hey, you've been reading my press clippings.

Yeah.

That seems like a lifetime ago.

Did an Audie Murphy.

Held this little hill in North Korea against the Commies.

Real blood and guts.

Held the hill against their advance.

We, uh, wiped out some of them, they wiped out some of us,

picked up a chest-full of ribbons and that moniker Red.

Was it worth it?

Was what worth it?

Taking the hill. I understand

you suffered the worst casualties of the war, General.

Anything is worth stopping the enemy, son.

A hill, a village, border...

'Cause if you don't stop them there,

you're gonna have to stop 'em someplace else.

But you, uh... you got police business.

You didn't come here to hear me spout,

well, military philosophy.

Oh, on the contrary, General.

Your philosophy is very enlightening.

I'm Lieutenant Stone, and this is Inspector Keller.

My man says that your I.D. is authentic.

He probably also told you that I have guests waiting outside.

Well, then we'll make it short and sweet.

Shoot.

Does the name Jerry Schilling mean anything to you?

Jerry Schilling.

No. Should it?

What about Charles Pine? Does that sound familiar?

- Pines? - Pine.

Pine? No.

I-I knew a Darlene Pine once. A stripper.

She used to work the service clubs,

but, uh, Charlie Pine, no, I... I can't recall.

Charles Pine is the alias

Schilling is using in San Francisco now.

Oh, is that right?

And who is this Schilling?

A professional assassin.

Oh.

I'm sorry I'm not able to be more helpful, but I, uh...

Did you ever purchase any guns from an Emile Kestler, General?

Oh, Inspector, I own a lot of guns.

I've been collecting guns for 40 years.

But the name Kestler... I...

Berlin right after the Second World War.

You were in the OSS with Kestler,

before it got disbanded.

I've served with a lot of men

in a lot of places, in a lot of wars,

and you're coming very close

to spoiling my guests' afternoon, and...

General,

please... we'll stop with the skirmishing.

We'll get right down to the heavy artillery.

A... Emile Kestler's lying dead in the morgue right now.

That's killing number one.

And we have reason to believe

that Jerry Schilling is going to kill somebody else.

Now, we know your record, and your reputation

and your politics.

And we just don't want to see you making a mistake

of playing your war games in this city.

Is that it, Lieutenant?

Not quite.

If you can get in touch with Schilling, you'd better do it.

Because if you don't, we're gonna nail him and you,

and everybody else connected

with that political team of yours.

Now that's it.

You know where the door is.

So, what do you think?

Well, those pictures of him at Candlestick Park don't lie,

so what he's been feeding us has to be.

Inspectors eight-one to headquarters. Anything?

Headquarters to Inspectors eight-one.

You have a message from a Mrs. Schilling. Urgent.

He didn't say anything

about where he was going or staying.

He just left that bag.

He must have brought that for Kevin,

but he never even took it out of the bag.

You said something about a prescription.

Yes. There was also a prescription receipt in the bag.

Jerry has an allergy.

I-I thought if he had taken the prescription to the pharmacy,

he might not have picked it up yet.

I'll have the Marin County Sheriffs meet us there.

We appreciate your time.

Thank you very much.

Lieutenant...

would it be all right if I kept the toy?

Thank you.

Your man's already been here, Lieutenant.

Picked up his prescription and split.

Druggist said he had a cab waiting for him.

Golden Gate Cab.

Get to the cab company.

Run a trace on where that cab was headed.

Hi.

Hello.

You look very alone.

I came here for a quiet drink.

Which means you'd rather be by yourself, right?

I think so.

Yeah, I know how you feel.

There are times when I get wound up,

and I just think I want to be alone.

Then there are times when I just think I want to be alone,

but what I really need is to be with someone.

You know what I mean?

How much?

What?

You're hustling. How much?

You don't waste any time, do you?

Not as much as you do.

Fifty.

Pass.

Wait a second.

Maybe we could work something out.

Uh-oh. Trouble.

I, uh... I didn't get your name.

Yeah, and I don't think you're going to.

Oh, hey, come on, now. I've changed my mind.

Are you sure?

What can I say?

You're irresistible.

I'll call you later.

I, uh, took a cab here, so, uh, which one is yours?

The white Mustang.

My name's Kimberly.

Uh, Charlie. Charlie Pine.

♪♪

- Where's Schilling? - Did you get the license number?

128 BNJ.

- All right, get out an APB. - Are you okay?

Yeah, I'm okay. Should've said something before I approached.

- You sure? - With a girl I didn't know.

- You sure you're okay? - Yeah, I'm sure. I'm okay. Yeah.

Well, now he knows we're on to him,

he does one of two things... He can either drop the contract,

or make it twice as tough for us to catch him.

What do you got, some kind of a death wish?

The guy that came up to your car was vice squad.

- You knew him? - I know the type.

You see, you're a hooker and I'm a married man,

and I can't afford to get involved with a bust,

- you know what I mean? - Sure.

Who can afford a bust?

You can...

now.

State Department security will be responsible for the airport.

The motorcade will pick up the Chinese group

directly from the plane, and take them nonstop

from International... to the Trade Fair Center.

- Closed cars? - Absolutely.

We've given the route a tight security check,

and it'll be double-checked and heavily patrolled

- during the motorcade. - What about helicopters?

Oh, we'll have two up at all times.

- Nothing on the car. - Nothing at all?

Nothing.

Okay, then we stay with this.

♪♪

Su Ma Sung, head of the Peking Trade Commission

and leader of the delegation

from the People's Republic of China

is the first to disembark.

The Chinese delegation will be travelling in a motorcade

from International Airport to the downtown Trade Fair Center,

and accompanied by State Department officials.

Chairman Sung, on behalf of the State Department,

I wish you welcome.

We were making our usual rounds, Lieutenant,

checking the garages... There's been a high theft rate

in this area recently... when we spotted this little number.

128 BNJ. That's it.

Registration on the steering column

lists a Kimberly Young, this address.

We checked the lobby mailboxes... Apartment 806.

Looks like she picked the wrong guy to get friendly with.

♪♪

We're not looking for a beard anymore.

He used the lady's razor.

Receipt for a safe-deposit box in the name of Charles Pine.

Look at this.

At a bank address on the motorcade route.

Here we go, Mr. Pine.

Let us know if we can be of any more help.

Thank you.

♪♪

♪♪

Lieutenant Stone.

Yes sir, what can I do for you?

I'd like some information about one of your customers.

♪♪

He signed in, but he didn't sign out.

Was the deposit box returned?

No. That's when he would've had to sign out.

What did Pine look like?

Oh, he... about your height,

brown hair...

clean-cut.

He walked with a limp.

- He used a cane. - That's not Charles Pine.

The Charles Pine who rented that box had a beard.

- No limp, no cane. - Well, it's the same signature.

Which compartment did he have?

The one back there.

Costume rentals.

Hey, wait a minute.

Did either of you see a nun in here just a few minutes ago?

Not anyone who checked in while I was up front.

Yes, I remember.

It struck me odd, because they're not supposed

- to have property, are they? - No.

I-I mean, not this kind.

No, they're not.

- She was alone. - When we were coming in, sure.

Yeah, that's right.

♪♪

Mike!

Mike, what do you think?

It's possible.

♪♪

Steve.

Schilling, hold it!

He wouldn't stop.

Don't worry about it.

He died a long time ago.

Better have something more

than a few snapshots of me at a ball game

to build a case on, Lieutenant.

Don't you worry about it, General.

We'll throw something together to make it work.

- Conspiracy to commit murder? - Well, that's for openers, yes.

But I wouldn't be afraid about being alone.

Doesn't change anything, you know.

Military action, assassination, it's all the same.

Stop the enemy, one place or another.

Hills, villages, borders.

- Exactly. - Right, right.

You, know, you may be right in this case, General.

We stopped you, didn't we?

Come on.