Original subtitles

Chief Hindsight's office.

Hello.

Is Mark Sanger there, please?

Speaking. Mark, Janet Holmes.

Hey, Janet, where are you calling from?

Here in the city.

Listen, I've got to... Janet, that's great.

When did you get back?

Back? From Switzerland. That's the last I heard.

Mark, I've never been in Switzerland.

That's why... Look, I can't talk over the phone.

I've got to see you.

Just tell me where and... No, you can't come here.

Meet me at the corner of Kling and Jackson in 30 minutes. You hear? 30

A guy named Mark set a meet for 11 .30 at Kling and Jackson.

Thank you, sir.

How did she happen to call you?

Well, I have her, I guess. She always called when she had a problem and needed

some help.

Janet had no real family of her own, and I knew my way around.

Big brother, he told you.

You know my old neighborhood.

Then you know a girl needed a big brother if she was going to survive.

I haven't seen very much of her in the past couple of years, not since she

started working for Gloria James.

Movie star who disappeared about six months ago.

Yeah, I remember there was a 24 -hour hemorrhage about her quitting until she

turned up in Switzerland.

Janet was more than just a maid. I think she was the only one Gloria really

trusted. They were together all the time.

Yeah, except in Switzerland.

Why didn't Gloria take her to Switzerland?

I don't know.

What difference does it make anyway?

We're talking about here and now.

Janet drove a car?

Yeah, I told her myself.

Good.

They'll have a picture of her at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

We'll get it to all the papers. We'll have prints distributed to every man in

the department.

I've got a better idea.

Where are you going?

To look for Janet myself.

Mark, we have a very efficient police department. Its members are well trained

and they perform their jobs with dedication.

So do I. Look, Chief, I think I can do some good, okay?

Okay, but you better take Ed with you.

Bad idea where I'm going.

Sorry to break into your night off, but something's come up.

Right.

Get Eve.

On your way, pick up a file on Gloria James.

You know something, Frank?

You must be catching.

You're beginning to look at her movies as much as Gloria used to.

That isn't what I want to hear, Paolo.

I took care of the Holmes girl.

Gently, I hope.

You want some good advice?

Nope.

If it were up to me. It isn't.

Frank, we can't keep her stashed away forever.

One of these we can't kill her either. She was a friend of Gloria's a good

friend

Never

should have happened Paula

Not the Gloria

not to anyone that beautiful

Why did it have to happen to her?

Here it is. Hammer reports. Is this what you want?

I'll pick up the details later. Okay.

September 22nd. Missing persons report filed by Tadeusz. T -A -D -E -U -S -Z.

Polish name. Tadeusz.

Tadeusz. Janowski.

who reported that his daughter, Gloria James, had promised to visit him during

her stay in San Francisco and that he had been unable to reach her.

Preliminary check indicated Miss James was last seen four nights earlier at a

party following a sneak preview of her latest picture here in San Francisco.

Picture bombed, you know.

All of her pictures bombed except for the first.

I keep up on these things.

Oh.

Contact Frank Rich, subject's estranged husband, who said he hadn't seen or

heard from Miss James in over a month.

Next reached Phil Lewis, her agent in Beverly Hills.

Mr. Lewis reported she was suffering from exhaustion and had gone to

for a much -needed rest, probably in the company of her maid, Miss Janet Holmes.

Requested verification, Interpol, Zurich, September 23rd.

Mr. Janowski called to report receipt of a letter from his daughter confirming

her presence in Switzerland.

Later the same day, Mr. Lewis phoned to say he received a similar letter.

Request of Interpol canceled and case closed as of that date.

I would say as of this date, the case is reopened.

May I ask a question?

I'll save you the trouble. Call it pride, ego, or just plain justice.

This is a good department.

Nobody makes a fool of it for very long.

It's all yours, Bob.

And thank you very much.

He's your sergeant?

Got Janet Holmes' picture from motor vehicles. It's being copied now.

Good. Did you reach Phil Lewis?

Yeah, he says he hasn't heard from Gloria.

As far as he knows, she's still in Switzerland.

With Janet Holmes.

All right, we'll send another inquiry to Interpol.

Right now.

You two pay a visit to Mr.

Tadeusz Janowski.

Right.

Mark's pretty late.

Some of Mark's friends are night people.

that snatched her.

Assuming she was snatched, that is.

How do you know they were black?

I don't. It's possible that they're not.

Well, then, why are you coming to me?

Because I don't know many white stool pigeons. That's why. Look, I can't use

connections I don't have.

Sounds pretty reasonable.

Of course, if I did know anything. Now, mind you, Mark, I'm not saying that I

do. But if I did... It would cost me my last dollar, right?

Not that much, Mark. Maybe a couple of fingers.

You know something, Luther? I think I could meet your price now.

In the back room back there. Crap game.

You didn't ask for stuff for your fence. Now, it's not very much, but it's a

felony, right?

Then there's the other... Mark, I did what you said.

You know, you're a pretty good businessman.

All right.

A fellow by the name of Leroy Johnson.

Ex -con, been in and out of jail a couple of dozen times.

Maybe you know him.

Well, anyway, he got this hurry of call last night.

Supposed to be for this job in Salina. But it wasn't.

No, because the way I hear it, he worked right here.

And also, the way I hear it, he just might know something about this Holmes

you're talking about. Luther, where is he?

Now, Mark, I can't tell you where he is, but I can tell you where he lives.

On Rhodes Avenue, two doors south of Crockett.

Thanks, son. You're welcome. What about Mark, Mark?

Remember, you never talked to me, you never seen me. Understand?

Luther, I've never even heard of you.

She's here in the city?

You sure?

She hasn't been in touch with you then?

No. But if she's back, then Gloria must be back too.

Janet isn't back from Switzerland, Mr. Janowski. She's never been there. The

question now is whether your daughter has ever been there.

But I got a letter from her.

That's when I told the police to stop looking for her. When I got the letter.

May we see it, please?

Sure. Sure, I kept it.

I keep all her letters.

She used to write me every week.

Beautiful letters.

Because she really cared about me.

She's a wonderful girl, my Gloria.

Here.

Here it is.

We'd like to borrow it, if we may, and take some of the others along.

Please.

You think it might be a phony?

But it's her handwriting and a postmark.

We'll get them back to you as soon as we can.

If you should hear from your daughter or from Janet Holmes... Yeah, sure.

I'll call.

Thank you, Mr. Janowski.

I was doing 30 days in the county, Mrs.

Johnson, when we met.

We hit it off pretty good, and when they told me they could use another man for

the job, split it four ways instead of three, I thought about him right away.

Leroy's got a job.

Well, maybe he can do them both if I can get to him in time.

Do you know where I can find him? I mean, exactly.

Why?

Well, I have to find him, don't I, to find out if he's interested.

Next time I hear from him, I'll tell him you dropped by.

When do you expect to hear from him?

When he calls.

Look, that's too late. I need him now. Mrs. Johnson, he can pick up two big

easily. Maybe more.

I don't know where he is. He never tells me these things. Well, do you know who

he's working for?

Uh -uh.

Your husband's going to be sorry.

He's been sorry before.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yes, Sergeant, I understand.

Yes, naturally, but have you finished it?

All right, that's all we wanted to know. Listen, thank you very much for your

trouble. We really appreciate it.

What did Pringle say?

The next time I drag him out of bed for a handwriting analysis, he'll kick my...

I get the idea.

What about that letter from Switzerland?

Forgery, no question.

Must have been a good one to fool Janowski.

All right.

Someone else wrote it. Who and why?

How many expert forgers are there?

You can bet Frank Rich would know at least one.

And where?

Was the letter really written in Switzerland, or was it sent there and

back with the right postmark?

Ironside.

Mark, where in the blue blazes have you been?

Yeah, two -bit hood, I know it.

All right, we'll take over. You come on in and get yourself some sleep.

If you don't mind, I'd like to get something to eat first. I missed dinner

tonight. All right, see you later.

Mark's got a lead.

Check out a penny -ante thug named Leroy Johnson.

We've got enough mug shots of him to paper every wall in headquarters. You

him picked up?

No, I just want to know where he is.

Because that's probably where Janet Holmes is.

He'll be all right, Chief. I'm sure of it.

Look, you can't blame yourself. You didn't ask him to go on. I didn't ask

but I let him.

I didn't put his head into a meat grinder.

I should have known better.

You couldn't have stopped him if you wanted to.

Is this a gathering of pallbearers?

Mark.

Not exactly ready for a hearse yet. Not exactly in the pink either.

Doc, no broken bones or internal injuries as far as I can tell right now.

The car just grazed me. I must have spun off the fender and knocked myself out

in the pavement.

Of course, you'll have to stay for further observation and a few more

tests.

Next time you cross the street, you look at both sides.

Next time I'll have Ed lead me by the hand.

Take on the radiology now, nurse.

We have just a moment, doctor?

Of course. As soon as they're finished.

Could you identify the car?

No, it happened too quick.

No chance. It could have been an accident.

No chance.

I guess we don't have a thing to go on then, do we, chief?

Bits and pieces.

We'll just have to fit them together.

Get your picture taken. We'll keep you posted.

Race you down the hall, Chief.

Oh, and you've had a little more practice.

That's a relief.

He'll be fine.

Yeah, if they can keep him pinned down.

Now, these bits and pieces, was that just some therapy for Mark?

No, examine him by yourself, Ed.

Forgery, kidnapping, attempted murder, big pieces. Takes a big man with a lot

contacts. Frank Rich.

Used to be syndicate.

Which means he still is. There's a whole organization behind him.

But we can't pick him up.

Of course not.

You know, all we can do right now is to watch Mr.

Rich like a hawk.

You gotta do something for me, Mr. Rich. I mean, what am I asking for? Another

couple of lousy grand?

A couple of grand will do it, Mr. Rich.

It's the last you'll ever see of me, I swear.

Don't you read?

I can't take the pressure anymore. The reporters are bugging me. Cut it.

You found your way in here.

Find your way out.

Another thousand. That's all. Just a grand.

I'll pay my debts. Get out of town.

I did what you wanted me to. I kept my end of the bargain. At least you can do.

You know something? You make me sick.

Why, Gloria, ever married you has got to be the eighth wonder of the world.

That was a long time ago, Mr. Rich.

You're going to hold it against me? She was my wife before she was yours. Is

that why you won't? Look at him.

The champ.

The world is full of gutless wonders.

Just a couple of bucks.

Show the champ out, Pella.

Is it worth it, Frank?

Is the whole rotten thing worth it?

Give it up, huh?

Give it up before we get into real... You know what I ought to do to you?

What I could have done in the old days before I became the nice, respectable

head of a nice, respectable business.

All right, Frank.

Blame Gloria on me.

It's all my fault.

Enjoy yourself.

But that doesn't change the mess we're in.

That doesn't change the fact that unless you back down, we're going to be in

real trouble.

For Pete's sake, Frank.

Give it up.

No.

We're going to see this thing through to the end, Lewis.

All of us.

All the way to the end.

Stay right there.

But I want a tail put on Lewis when he leaves.

Thanks.

Let's take you out of Rich's.

Now, why would Gloria James' long -abandoned first husband suddenly visit

Rich?

And why would her agent be there, too, all the way from Beverly Hills?

A gathering of vultures?

Maybe.

All right, find out.

Now, why can't everybody leave me alone?

First the reporters, then you. I got an ulcer, you understand?

An ulcer?

People keep leaning, I'm gonna end up with a gut full of holes.

Rich, Mr. Rogers.

Frank Rich and Phil Lewis.

My business, personal business.

But can't you get it through your head? Just because I was married to Gloria

three years ago, don't make me a guardian angel. I don't know where she

she's doing, nothing about her.

Who's your guardian angel, Mr. Rogers?

Or did you inherit all this?

I saved some before I hung them up.

I made big dough in the ring. I was a contender. You threw away every cent.

Now, you're a sometime bouncer in a two -bit dance hall, and you haven't made $5

,000 a year since you quit fighting.

This is a copy of your bank statement for the last year. It shows a cash

deposit, $15 ,000, just a couple of weeks before Gloria disappeared.

Or was killed.

Killed.

You think I killed her?

You were given an unusually large sum of money, Mr. Rogers, at a very

inopportune time, which you seem to have some difficulty explaining.

It could have come from Rich, the man nobody walks out on, not even Gloria

James.

$15 ,000 would be about what he'd have to pay somebody like you.

Stop it.

The $15 ,000 was Rich's, but it wasn't hit money.

Gave it to me of his own free will, so I'd be quiet.

About what?

Gloria and I were never legally divorced.

So Richard's marriage is a fake, a phony.

Me kill Gloria?

It was the only good thing that ever happened to me.

Hello?

Oh, hello, Chief.

Oh.

We'll get right down there.

The Chief wants us to pick up Phil Lewis.

He's on his way to the airport.

What's happened?

He just heard from Interpol.

Gloria James is not now. Never was in Switzerland.

You still haven't explained what you were doing in San Francisco, Mr. Lewis.

course, you don't have to.

You might find the reason illuminating.

Personal business with Frank Rich.

He's an old friend, so I've heard.

Then you completed your business with Mr. Rich and left for the airport in a

hurry. I had to catch a plane.

Is that a crime?

Oh, no, no, not at all. People do it all the time.

But most of them don't run when they're approached by a couple of police

officers. Why did you run, Mr. Lewis? What were you afraid of?

Well, I... Perhaps we can tell you.

Eve.

Go on, read it.

It's a report of the party you attended with Gloria James the night she

disappeared.

I don't have to read it. I know what it says.

Listen. I got drunk at the party.

People get drunk.

And you hit her.

I said I was drunk.

You were more than drunk, Mr. Lewis. You were sick.

Sick because an hour after the audience finished booing the preview, Gloria

fired you in front of 50 people.

Million -dollar contract gone up in smoke.

She fired me every two weeks.

It didn't mean a thing.

Mr. Lewis, stop me if I'm wrong. You hit her. You dragged her from the party.

You were the last person who... No, no.

Sure. It's true she left with me, but I took her straight back to her hotel and

turned her over to her maid.

The missing Janet Holmes.

That's right.

When we got there, Gloria was still hysterical.

I made her take a sedative, left her with Janet, and went home. And that's

last I ever saw of either one of them.

It checks out.

The desk clerk, the elevator operator, they backed my story.

And the other story.

The one about Gloria being in Switzerland, complete with a forged

her. What about that, Mr. Lewis?

I don't know.

I'm not digging my own grave.

We have a pretty good idea who it was. And if it was Frank Rich, I suspect he's

already dug your grave for you.

I'd probably be stiff and sore for the next couple of days.

Take your medication for pain and go easy on the physical activity.

Oh, easy.

What did you have in mind?

2 -1.

Hey, man.

Wait a minute. What's up, big mother?

Keep shooting or get out of here.

Hey, man, have you flipped or something?

You set me up.

I never set you up.

You sent me chasing after Johnson's wife to give you time to tip him off. I

didn't. It was her. She was the one that blew the whistle.

Mark, all right, Mark.

Look, I got another tip for you. I think I know where Janet Holmes is.

You better be sure you know where she is.

Can't be sure.

All right, all right.

Our kid saw Leroy. He delivered him some beer and sandwiches on South 3rd in the

back room of Shannon's joint.

This is great stuff, Mark.

I swear it, man.

I see any cars parked around there.

I'll be back.

Joe, you want no beer on the phones?

It's nice and cold.

Oh, come on now, baby. Why don't you loosen up?

It ain't so bad being cooped up here with old Leroy now, is it?

I mean, he could have been dead.

Leroy, open the door. You hear?

Leroy, open the door. The heat's on.

We've got to move the girl.

The minute those men came for her, that's when I should have called the

Mr. Lewis brought her home from the party that night, all right.

But he didn't just leave her.

What he did was call Mr. Rich and told him that Miss James was hysterical,

cracking up.

He was there, that rotten drunk, when those men showed up.

And she was crying and fighting.

And Miss Lewis had left one finger to help her.

They dragged her off and he just stood there as if it had nothing to do with

him. You're sure they were Rich's men?

Who else could it have been?

And you don't have any idea what they might have done with her?

I told you, I don't know whether she's alive or dead.

Go on, Janet.

It's my fault.

It's all my fault.

Mr. Lewis gave me money and told me to disappear.

I didn't want to, but he told me it would be the best thing for Gloria.

And I knew what Mr. Rich could do.

So I just wandered around.

And then I came back here.

I was going to call the police then, but they found out where I was staying.

Chief?

Headquarters. Somebody just called in about seeing an abandoned car in the

at Candlestick Cove.

It's been checked out.

And?

It's registered to Gloria James.

She was wearing this ring.

Mr. Janowski.

It's... It's hers.

I'd know it any place.

I guess it had to happen.

A career going to hell.

One lucky picture and then nothing but failure.

Rotten movies, a rotten marriage, rotten everything.

All she had left was her life.

I guess she had to lose that too.

You can go now, Mr. Janowski. One of my men will drive you home.

I want to see her.

There's no point.

Now go home.

As soon as we know something more. What's there to know?

She's dead.

She never hurt no one in her life.

But now she's dead.

I can tell you this right now.

The victim didn't die here.

How can you be sure?

It's not that hard to tell when a body's been embalmed.

Embalmed? And somebody put it there.

Eight to five, Ed.

Whoever called in about that car was setting us up. Eight to five, the whole

thing's a con. A con to make us believe Gloria James is dead.

You're saying?

Doc, how soon could you give me a report on when this girl died and how?

With luck, about noon.

Stay with him, Ed.

When he has the details, you check back.

Obituaries, morticians, find out who the girl is and where she was buried.

Right.

That means Gloria could be alive.

I don't want you to get your hopes up, Mr. Janowski, but it's possible.

Just barely possible.

And if she is, somebody's gone to an awful lot of trouble to keep us from

finding out what really happened to her.

No, no question about it, Chief.

The caretaker's positive the grave has been opened.

And only a short time ago. The dirt's still soft.

Yes, a young girl had been buried there. Same age and build as Gloria James.

No. No, no need to check any further.

According to the caretaker, a couple of men were inquiring about the location of

this grave a few days ago.

He identified one of them from the mug shots I had.

Frank Rich's good right arm.

Going somewhere, gentlemen?

Unless you've got a warrant, Ironside, you better get out of my way because I'm

in a hurry.

We've got two of them.

One for you, one for your friend here.

What charge?

Charges, Mr. Rich.

Plural.

Obstructing justice, kidnapping, and grave robbing.

All right, talk to my lawyer. You talk to him after you're booked, Ed.

You're not taking me in.

Well, now.

Shall we add another charge?

Resisting arrest?

I'll make a deal.

No deal.

I'm not trying to beat the charges.

Just hold off a little while until tonight or tomorrow morning at the

So you can disappear?

Let your battery of lawyers stall?

I've got a thing. I need some time.

How much time did you give Gloria James?

You think you know all the answers, don't you?

Most. You'll give me the rest.

Tonight. I'll turn myself in.

Now.

All right.

All right, I've got her. I always have.

She's alive?

If you want to call it that.

She's sick.

Ever since the night of that party, she blew, went right out of her skull.

So, um... I took her away and hid her so nobody would know about it.

Satisfied now?

Why didn't you take her to a hospital?

Spread it all over the newspapers.

Let them turn her into some kind of a freak. Get her committed.

Turn those doctors loose on her and open her up and twist her inside out. I

wasn't going to put her through that.

I care too much about her to let that happen to her.

She knew too much about you. And once she talked...

Maybe I give orders, Ironside, but I have to take them too, so I covered for

her.

I did it for her.

I'll have to see her to believe that.

You will, huh? Well, then you're going to have to help me find her because

just gotten away.

What do you mean?

I mean I've been keeping her in a place in Carmel and she's busted out.

She's running around loose, out of her mind.

Who knows what she'll do?

How long ago?

I just got the call.

Ed, contact Carmel Police.

Ben, we'll need a plane.

How was I to know she'd do something like this?

She watched her old pictures all the time.

You even got them for her.

We heard her screaming, and by the time we got down to the projection room, the

whole place was going up.

All that film burning and her yelling how she hated him.

It was a miracle we got the fire out.

We couldn't stop to wonder where she was going.

Well, did I make it up?

The rooms are shambled.

Enough burnt film to smell out the basement for a month.

The only thing that didn't go was a single reel from her first picture.

I guess they interrupted her before she could get to it.

Well, what are we standing around here for? Why don't we get some cops down

the city?

Ed, get on the phone. Check every theater in the area. See if any of them

showing Gloria's first film.

That's pretty wild, isn't it? Is it?

Or is it possible that one reel didn't burn because in the last minute Gloria

changed her mind?

Changed it because that movie, her first and only success, is all she's got

left.

All she's got left to tell her who she is.

All right, I am guessing, and it is wild.

But if I'm right, she's also told us where to find her.

You remember seeing a girl, 27, blonde, wearing a blue -gray pantsuit?

Oh, that ding -dong.

Yeah, I had a couple complaints.

She kept acting along with that dame on the screen.

Like she knew all the lines and everything, you know.

I finally had to tell her to... Did you see her leave?

After she shut up, I didn't pay any attention to her anymore. Thanks.

Hey, what's it all about?

She was here, all right.

All right, get going. Take the coast road.

Why the coast road?

Last seen of her picture was shot at Parrot Cove.

He's got her.

I don't have the right words, but thanks.

All of you.

Thank you very much.

You understand what the doctor said, Mr. Janowski?

She won't be cured in a day or a week.

As long as it's someday.

What more can we ask?

Then let's go, Mark.

We've got a date with the DA. A little matter of the people versus Frank Rich.

Can we drop you somewhere, Miss Holmes?

Thanks, but I'll stay here.

When she wakes up, she might want somebody to talk to.

Maybe quite a while before she can hold a lucid conversation.

Well, I'll listen anyway.

Anything I can do?

Not at the moment.

Will she be all right, Chief?

She'll be all right.