Original subtitles

We've headquarters one nine possible four five nine in progress jewelry store

1600 block on Stanley Street request additional unit over

Police

officer

Oh

Thank you.

You mean nobody knows who he was? That's right. And he just vanished? Like the

invisible man.

I don't get it.

Perhaps he doesn't like the limelight. There are people like that. But maybe

he's afraid of the guy who shot at him. You know, he might come after him.

I sure would like to thank him. So would the commissioner.

He wants to award him the Citizen's Medal.

You didn't get a good look at him.

Things were just a little bit hectic right then, and I wasn't paying much

attention to what he looked like.

But there were plenty of other witnesses.

And we got as many descriptions, no two alike.

Maybe he's a Martian. You know, there was one stone cat who said he had

coming out of his hand.

Hiya, chump.

How do you feel? Not too bad.

Give or take a few pints of bloody left in the street.

I am rather glad that that guy knew how to apply a tourniquet. We all are. Aw.

I got a lead.

Station KAPH's remote crew made a scene last night.

They'll be glad to show it to you any time you'd like to see it.

Good, let's go now.

Special preview.

See Sergeant Brown bleed in living color.

Okay. Take it easy.

You mean I can't go dancing tonight?

Only if you take me.

Fran, I've seen him dance. Forget it.

All right, hold it there.

Should I mark that frame?

Please.

Let's get you after it.

Where'd it go?

Run it back a few frames.

You get the impression that our man seems a bit nervous?

When the policeman came near him, yes.

Let him interpret it that way. Now, stop there.

All right, could we have that frame? Sure.

Did you go over the morning's APB?

They weren't in yet.

All right.

I'd like you to take that frame to the lab and get a blow -up made.

I always thought doctors made the worst patients.

Now I know better. Come on, Doc. You said yourself it's just a flesh wound.

All right.

Well, you use a cane.

And you try and stay off of it as much as you can. Thanks, Doc.

And don't overdo it.

Don't worry.

Hello.

Sergeant Brown, please.

Speaking. I got your name from the newspaper story.

Who is this?

William Bell.

Who? William Bell.

Listen, I hope that tourniquet I put on your leg didn't give you gangrene or

something. I'm not much of a medic.

That tourniquet probably saved my life along with dragging me out of the line

fire. Yeah, well, I'm glad to hear that. Do you realize half the police force

has been trying to find you?

Why's that?

The commissioner wants to give you a medal.

Well, I don't want any medal.

Well, I hope you'll at least give me the opportunity to thank you in person.

Okay, if you don't want any publicity, I'll come to see you. Where do you live?

Uh, I'm not at home right now. Uh, listen, couldn't I meet you later at

place? Fine.

I'm not sure just when I'll get there, so why don't you give me a ring first at

headquarters. Extension 324.

Okay, will do.

So long.

Ah, that was he on the phone. His name's William Bell.

William Bell.

And you were right. He's very shy and retiring.

Perhaps you'd be shy and retiring if you were AWOL and wanted by the provost

marshal on charges of drunkenness and dereliction of duty.

He does seem to fit the description we've circularized.

But I'll know for sure in a few minutes.

Yes?

Mr. Wilkie on four, Colonel.

Excuse me.

Yes, Harry.

No, we should at least complete our preliminary investigation before we make

announcement to the press.

Right.

Sorry. Yes?

Send them in.

Please.

Chief Ironside, Sergeant Brown.

I understand that you both know Corporal William Eller.

Yes, sir. Bill was in my platoon in Vietnam.

He was a patient in my wing for two weeks at the 93rd Evac in Longbin.

Flesh wound in left arm. Yes, sir. I think he said that he was wounded in an

ambush, if I remember rightly.

No mental problems.

No, just the reverse.

His tour was over and he was looking forward to coming home.

Is this Ella?

I would say so, sir.

Hayes?

Yes, sir. That's Bill, all right.

Is he in some kind of trouble or something, sir?

Jaywalk. Didn't report for duty last night at the Protocol Motor Pool.

Well, maybe that's good. I mean, that he didn't report, sir. He wasn't exactly

in any condition to drive.

Oh? Yeah, you see, he gets his discharge next week, and he's been, uh, well,

celebrating. Getting drunk? A little, maybe. Were you with him last night?

Yes, sir, I was for a while at the Enlisted Men's Club.

Who else saw him drunk?

Now, Colonel, I didn't say that now.

Let's have it, Hayes.

Well, uh, his other buddies from Long Bin were at the table, sir.

Corporal Howe, Corporal Kovac, and Sergeant Peterson.

Wack Sergeant Mildred Peterson?

Yes, sir.

Yes, Colonel.

Alice, where's Mr. Wilkie?

Still over at the Wack barracks, sir.

Well, get in touch with him. Tell him I've saved him a lot of legwork. And to

get over here fast.

No, scrub that.

Tell him I'll meet him at the barracks. Yes, sir.

What'd I say, sir? I feel like I dropped a bomb or something.

Don't you know?

What, sir?

Sergeant Peterson was murdered last night.

Colonel. Gentlemen, Warrant Officer Harry Wilkie of our Criminal

Department.

Chief Ironside, Sergeant Brown. Can the department be of any help, Mr. Wilkie?

Depends upon the jurisdiction.

If a civilian killed her, it's all yours and the FBI's. If it was the soldier,

it's right in our lap.

And I'll take all the help I can get.

What do you have so far?

The body was found just after sunrise, right over there.

The watch was broken, stopped at 1142.

That's the murder weapon.

We've tested it for prints.

Excuse me.

Colonel, what kind of record does Eller have?

Up till now, fine.

Including the Bronze Star.

Colonel, this is PFC Jersic.

Tell the Colonel what you told Mr. Burns.

Well, sir, I worked at the comp center last night on the mid -shift.

And on the way there, about 11 .45, I passed by about 100 feet from here. Over

by the supply room there.

I saw this guy run by and...

I mean, half running and half staggering. He, uh, had blood on his

looked sick, like, uh, like drunk sick, you know?

Go on.

That's all, sir. You don't know who he was?

No, sir.

You didn't report it to the MPs? No, sir. Well, I thought it was just, uh,

you know, just some drunk got himself a bloody nose.

May I, chief?

Of course.

Sir. This the man you saw?

Yes, sir. That's him.

Yes? Hello, Captain. I wonder if I could talk to you for a minute.

Certainly, Sergeant. Come in.

Sit down.

Thank you.

Did you know Mildred Peterson?

Yes. She did office duty at the 93rd Evac in Long Bend. What was she like?

As far as I can remember, she seemed to be a very nice girl.

Did she know Corporal Eller there?

Yeah. She used to visit him occasionally in the ward.

Would you know of any motive he could have had for killing her?

I can't believe that he did.

Did he have any other visitors, any special buddies?

The CID man, what was his name? Wilkie? Yes, he just called to ask the same

question. There were two, as I remember, other than Corporal Hayes, a Corporal

Howe and a Corporal Kovac. They were around all the time, very...

And you were all reassigned here at the same time?

No.

Mildred was sent back about a month before the rest of us. Did the other

know Mildred in Longbin?

I imagine so.

Yes, they must have.

Did she have any other close friends there?

There was some officers you mentioned.

I don't remember whether she told me his rank. I do recall that his last name

was Christie.

Captain Christie.

You knew this captain in Vietnam, too, Corporal?

No, sir. I never even heard of him in Vietnam.

Jerry, over here.

Sergeant Brown, Jerry Kobach. Hello, Jerry. Sergeant.

Sergeant's with the police, and he's trying to clear Bill.

Do you mean that the chance of Bill didn't kill Mildred? Maybe.

Corporal Howe tells me that both of you were with Eller and Sergeant Peterson

last night at the service club.

Yeah, same table. Yeah, Larry was there, too.

Did all of you leave when Eller did?

No, Larry left first, about 10 .30, about an hour before closing time.

That's right.

Buddy and I walked out with Bill and Mildred in the closer place.

The two of them left together.

Yeah, Bill was pretty drunk and due at the motor pool at 12.

So Mildred said she let him wait in the day room in the wax barrack while she

made him some coffee.

What about this Captain Christie?

There's me.

All I know is Mildred was pretty uptight about him.

Right. Yeah, she kept asking if any of us knew him in Long Beach.

None of us did. Did she mention his first name?

Carlton. Captain Carlton Christie.

He's a phony, Chief.

This wire just came over from the Pentagon.

There hasn't been a Carlton Christie in the armed forces since 1903.

And get this. They had an inquiry about him from the Bureau of Narcotics.

See if you can get somebody at the Bureau on the phone.

I already did.

They told me Carlton Christie is the cover name for some heroin peddler in

Bend who's been mailing junk to the States. He thought that the prestige of

officer's name would help him get the stuff through. But the Bureau

two parcels. One was addressed to the Marine base at El Toro, the other for

MacArthur. Suggesting the returnees from Vietnam made the deal while they were

there. Check. You have been busy, haven't you? Nothing any...

Equally capable, efficient police officer wouldn't have done. That's what

like. Modesty.

I assume then that you also got a search warrant for Ella's apartment.

One search warrant coming up.

Are you going to drop by?

I can't right now, but I need a favor.

Good. I owe you one.

I feel kind of funny asking you.

I'm in a bind. I need some money. I'll pay you back.

How much? Whatever you can spare.

All right. Come on over.

I thought maybe you could drop it off for me someplace. Let's just pick it up.

That's not such a good idea.

If you don't mind, that's the way I'd like to do it. Why don't you come here?

I can't explain.

I'm sorry.

Okay, just forget it then. All right, now hold it, Eller. Don't hang up.

You know who I am?

Yes.

I didn't kill Mildred Peterson.

Why did you run then?

I can explain why.

Good. Meet me and you'll have the chance.

Eller.

Okay.

I am. Except, uh, after our talk, we go our separate ways.

Uh, look, I can't do that. I'm sorry, but I have... All right, forget it then.

Thanks for nothing.

Now, wait a minute. Just hold on a minute, Howard. If I can convince you

it's for your own good, will you give yourself up?

Okay, if you can convince me.

But if you can't, you're still a cop. Nothing in the regulations says that I

have to pass up an opportunity to get evidence in a murder case.

Nice to meet you, Bill.

After I tell you what happened, you'll know I'm panicked. I'm listening.

Well, I spent the evening with Mildred and some of my buddies, long men from

Servicemen's Club.

Yeah, Mildred kept going on about some captain in Long Bend.

Captain Carlton Christie.

Yeah, yeah, that's his name.

Well, Mildred kept asking us if any of us knew the guy, and we didn't.

and couldn't figure out why she thought it was so important.

Did anything else out of the way happen?

No. Well, there was one thing, but nothing really important.

What?

Well, Jerry got sore at Larry.

Jerry had a little too much to drink, and he was telling a joke, and Larry got

up to leave.

Jerry said that he couldn't leave until he finished the story.

Larry said he had to make a phone call, but that he'd be right back.

When he came back, he bought a round of beer.

And you got drunk. Yeah, yeah. That's the funny part.

I only had a few beers. I can usually handle more than that.

They said you were falling down drunk.

The next thing I kind of remember was Mildred leading me back to the whack

barracks. She said I could stay in the day room and she'd bring me some coffee.

There was no place else to go at that hour for coffee. There was no place that

wanted to show my face the shape I was in.

I guess I got balky and she began to slap my face to sober me up.

It hurt.

I kind of gave her a shove.

Then she said you were a drunken jerk and you hit her.

No. Let me tell it the way I remember.

I guess I fell down.

Because I remember looking up and being double.

There were two Mildreds looking down at me.

I kept kind of passing out and coming to.

And once I remember looking and there were four Mildreds.

Later I remember her bending over me and I grabbed at her to pull myself up. And

I remember her jacket ripped.

Go on.

And then I got sick.

And after that, I felt a little better.

And I looked, and she was lying there, dead.

And there was a rock near my hand.

There was blood on it.

And there was blood on my jacket.

I remember seeing some guy go by.

Why did you run?

Are you kidding? I just told you. She was dead. Wouldn't you?

No.

Not unless I'd killed her.

Hey, look.

Maybe for a second or two I thought I did.

That's because I couldn't even remember what happened.

But now I don't.

I know I couldn't have killed her.

Somebody else did while I was passed out. How do you know?

I don't know.

It's just that I know myself.

Couldn't do a thing like that.

Somebody else must have.

Police officer, don't move.

Thanks a lot.

How is he?

He hurt his left shoulder, but the x -ray didn't show anything.

They're transferring him to the stockade this afternoon.

He won't see you, Sergeant. Look, I didn't set him up. There was an APB out

him, but that squad car just happened to check out that alley. Now, I swear

that's the truth. I believe.

Well, did you explain it to him?

He's made up his mind that you sold him out. Nothing's going to change.

Look, you said you believed in him, didn't you?

That's right. Well, then be my advocate. Make him understand that I only want to

help.

All right, I will.

Good. Where can I reach you later? Nurse's quarters?

No, I have an apartment outside. May I have the number?

Thank you very much.

You couldn't hide a flea in this place, let alone heroin.

Chief, look at this.

Postmark indicates it was mail last week.

You mean Sergeant Peterson received a package containing heroin?

Yes, but she probably didn't realize it.

Why not?

Well, you think anyone trafficking in drugs would...

Have the drugs mailed directly to himself?

When she was leaving Long Bend, a buddy probably told her that a Captain

Christie was mailing him some souvenirs.

Since he didn't know exactly when he was leaving or where he'd be assigned, he

asked her if she'd accept the shipment and hold it for him. She could hardly

no. When the buddy arrived, she undoubtedly handed over the parcel

Tell her.

Perhaps. Then she became suspicious for some reason.

began to ask everyone about the mysterious Captain Christie.

That's when someone decided she had to be silenced.

Meaning it was a premeditated murder.

Exactly.

But the murderer would hardly have gotten drunk facing a job like that, now

would he? So where does that put Eller?

Maybe he needed a couple of drinks to bolster his courage.

Chief, Eller kept an apartment off base.

The last time we searched it, we weren't looking for heroin.

This time we will.

That's something here, Chief.

Very high grade.

Vietnam heroin always is.

There's a laundry mark on this.

Well?

I'll have a tray.

What are you doing here, Hal?

I thought you were all through with your face the other day, Mr. Wilkie, and we

could use the place again.

What do you mean, use it? Yeah, well, you know, Ella gave us all a key.

Who is us?

Me, Jerry Kovac, and Larry.

So if we're out on a date and we want a place for a party, well, you know.

Any one of them supplanted that heroin there?

I traced the handkerchief.

It's Ella's. Which it would be if it were planted. No, I think he was framed.

I told you before, he said he thought somebody might have slipped him a mickey

that night.

Unfortunately, it's too late to have his stomach pumped.

I know how you feel, Ed, but you just can't close your eyes to the evidence,

including his fingerprints on the rock that killed her and the witness who saw

him running from the scene of the crime.

Would a murderer come out in the open like that to help a man in trouble?

Ella is a special case.

He was a highly competent combat soldier.

When he heard gunfire, it's possible he acted through sheer training and

instinct. Nevertheless, he saved my life, and I'm going to do all I can to

his. Even if he's guilty?

He is not guilty.

All right.

Let's go along with that for the moment.

Just how do you intend to go about helping him?

Well, you got me there. I don't know.

Did you figure it out? I suggest you take the weight off your leg.

Don't everybody cheer at once.

The midterm results were just posted, and you are looking at a man who passed.

And I do me handily.

Hallelujah. Congratulations.

Did I spill gravy on my shirt or something?

I was just wondering.

Wondering what? How you look in uniform.

Hey, uh, don't tell me I've been drafted.

Greetings.

Well, I sure would like to help Bill out, but I don't see how I can,

told you everything I know.

Well, it's possible someone's flipped him a Mickey.

No one's at the table except his buddies.

By the way, when you went to the phone that night, who'd you call? A girl I've

been dating.

What about it? Ed?

Ed Brown?

Hey, Carl, for heaven's sake, long time no see.

Hey, you still with the cops?

Yeah, I'm still with the cops.

Dick, we need a drink here. Oh, no, no, thank you. Listen, what are you doing

here? Last I heard, you were in Long Bend. I just got back.

Oh, hey,

maybe you two know each other. Larry Hayes, shake hands with an old friend of

mine, Captain Carlton Christie.

Pleased to meet you, Captain.

My pleasure.

Haven't we met before?

You probably have. Larry was in Long Bend, too.

Uh, no, I don't believe we ever met. Your face is very familiar.

No, you're probably confusing me with someone else.

If you say so.

Hey, listen, Carl, I'm supposed to meet Fran. Why don't you come along and say

hello? She'll be glad to see you. Well, how is your boy?

He's very well. He'll be glad to see you, too. Larry, thank you. I'll see you

later.

Nice to meet you.

Pay no attention to this. I guess I walked somewhere where I wasn't supposed

Not too loud, please.

Listen, guess who I just met down at the bar?

Captain Christie.

That's right, Captain Christie.

Uh -huh.

Okay.

All right, I'll meet you there in, say, two hours.

He's our boy, Chief, I'm sure of it.

Fran said he could hardly wait till we got out the door before he used the

phone.

You really shook him when you insisted that you'd met him in Long Bend. He was

wanting to say, how could you? There ain't no such person.

Well, we'll know in a few minutes.

You can probably take that uniform back with our thanks in the morning.

Unless you plan on re -enlisting. No, I think I'll just take my honorable

discharge.

Here are the pictures.

Don't waste your time sorting them. I already did.

The number he called isn't going to give us much of a lead.

What was it? The Presidio. That doesn't narrow it down very much, does it? No,

but it does suggest that Corporal Hayes has an accomplice on the base.

Corporal Howe or Jerry Kovac? Or both.

What are their assignments?

Kovac works in the comm center with Hayes, Howe's a supply clerk.

That doesn't tell us much.

Obviously, Hayes is the key.

We've got to force him to make another move.

In other words, make haze while the sun shines.

Sorry.

Do you have any ideas about how we can get anything more out of Ella?

At the moment, not the slightest.

But that's why I have such a bright staff, isn't it?

Drop dead.

No, that's what's going to happen to you unless you listen to me. I listened to

you once before. That's enough. I was trying to help. What, by setting me up

with those prowl cars? I didn't set you up. I told you... Look, we think the man

who planted that heroin in your apartment also killed Mildred Peterson.

You mean you don't think I put it there? Why do you think I'm here talking to

you? You got proof it was planted?

No. No, we don't have any proof, but we have a plan to get some, and it needs

your cooperation. Now, Bill, you are just going to have to believe that I'm

your side.

I don't have much choice, do I?

That's right.

This other guy, who is he?

Larry Hayes. Larry Hayes.

Come on, he's one of my best friends. What are you trying to do, frame him

you did me? Hayes framed you, I didn't. Look, buddy, it's a choice between

trusting you or a guy I was in combat with.

Get out of here.

Somebody is... Get off my back! No way, man! I'm not going to get off your back.

I'm going to break it in about half a minute. Now you shut up and listen.

What did he do, blow his top or something?

And with one arm in the sling?

Okay, I'll get him a new one up there right now.

I'll give this pass back to you. No, sir. Give it to the O .D. as you leave.

Thank you.

Sergeant?

Mr. Wilkie?

What's this I hear about L .R.? I bugged him, I guess. He started to smash up

everything in his cell. Said he wouldn't stop until I left. So I did.

All right, Sergeant.

Hello.

Seal it.

You think the sister is going to get you, Eller? Just keep him away from me,

that's all.

Thanks.

Okay. In thought.

We're going out of here.

If anyone has any questions, they're taking you to the judge advocate's

And don't you two start yelling or he gets it.

Understand?

Now remember, Mr. Wilkie, there's a gun in this lane, and it's pointing right at

your head.

Hey, Larry. Guess what I just picked up on a telltale. What's that?

Bill escaped.

Buddy was bringing something from the supply room and he grabbed an MP's gun

took off.

No kidding. You, uh, talked to Buddy yet? Not yet.

I guess they still have him on the carpet.

Whoa.

Bill's marked armed and dangerous now.

First cops, please, and Waddle will blow his head off.

Yeah, yeah.

See ya.

Yeah.

I'm Senator Corporal Hayes. Listen, I'll do all the talking. I want money, lots

of it, and you're going to get it for me. Oh, now, now, look, Bill, I don't

what you're talking about. Shut up.

You made a mistake planting that heroin in my apartment.

I got to thinking.

A few things that never made sense began to, like those freaky Viet Bars you

haunted in Long Bin.

Is that where you contacted this Captain Carlton Christie or whatever his name

was?

Hey, man, you got me all wrong. I said I'd do the talking. I need $5 ,000.

get me to Brazil.

You supply it, pal, or I'll call the CID and I'll start backtracking on your fun

and games in Vietnam.

Well, look, it's going to take some time to get 5Gs together, you know. I'll

come off it.

You and whoever's in this must have gotten five times that when you sold

stuff.

I'll call you back in five minutes, and by then you better have it, or you

better know where you can get it.

And fast.

You understand?

Yeah.

Listen, uh, Bill called, and he knows a lot.

And he's gonna talk a lot unless he gets fed a lot.

Well, who do you think I mean?

Five, and I figure you ought to put up half.

Yeah, sure, I know. You pay once, the bite's forever.

Yeah, I have one. A souvenir.

Trace it, Will.

Not unless Pig King can give them the serial number they can't.

Okay. But if anyone asks, I was with you all night, right?

Con Finner, Corporal Heath.

Well? Okay, everything's under control.

You know that spot in the park where we picked up those girls last month?

I'll meet you there right after it gets dark.

Roger.

I'll get it.

How'd I do? Great. Chief Hines has all of us. He bought the whole bit.

and all.

Mr. Wilkie and the MP said you sounded so tough they almost got the feeling it

was for real.

Chief, the boys on the wiretap have a tape of the call Corporal Hayes made

after Bill hung up. Let's hear it.

Go ahead.

All right, turn it off.

What went wrong? They set up their receivers by the hospital. That's what

wrong. Hey, we're getting nothing but garbage.

What did you set up?

Oh, behind the hospital.

Yeah, everybody's sorry.

Interference from X -ray equipment?

Hospital was either using it or testing it. It doesn't matter which, we blew it.

Would there be a record of the call? Not if you called someone on the base.

Not if you called outside either.

Unless, of course, there was a toll call.

In that case, the telephone company would have kept a record of it.

Why would he call outside?

Both Howell and Kovac live on the base, don't they?

Yeah, that's right. Check the phone company, Mark, just in case.

It'll be dark in less than an hour. Let's hope Corporal Hayes keeps his

appointment.

Larry? You drunk?

I had a few for the road, but I'm okay.

You got the money?

Sure. I got it.

Police! Stop it, Hayes!

He's dead.

Chief Hines has office.

I'll take it.

Thank you.

Chief, the medical examiner says that Corporal Hayes was killed by a slow

-acting poison taken about an hour or an hour and a half before his appointment

with Bill. Yep.

And Chinese and untraceable.

Yep.

And whoever poisoned Corporal Hayes messed up his timing.

I'm sure the poison wasn't supposed to hit him until after it shot Bill.

We struck out, Chief.

The only record the phone company has by date and time are for toll calls.

None at the time Corporal Hayes made his call.

And here's the stuff that Bill had in his pocket when he was arrested.

It's to be turned over to the CID after you've looked at it.

From his uniform?

No, it's too small.

This button came from a woman's uniform.

Wasn't there something in your report about Bill reaching up and tearing

Peterson's uniform?

Mm -hmm.

So he might have torn that off and put it in his pocket.

But he was wearing a civilian coat when he was arrested, remember?

Yeah, but he had on his uniform slacks.

Fran, call the CID and see if a button was missing from Mildred's uniform.

All right, now let's put a few facts into perspective.

Bill told you that when he was lying on the ground that night, he was seeing

double. That's right.

And he said that once looking up, he saw four Mildreds. right?

You mean he was still seeing double but looking at two women?

That's what I mean. That's exactly what I mean.

You're sure?

Thanks.

The CID says there were no buttons missing from Mildred Peterson's uniform.

All right.

Who fulfills these requirements?

The person who was in Longbin when Mildred was.

The person who is.

in a position to readily obtain drugs.

A person who wears a uniform from which this button might have been ripped.

Bill! You've got to help me.

I didn't know where else to go.

Come in.

I've been wandering around all night trying to figure things out.

I think I got the answer.

What do you mean?

I didn't kill Mildred.

If you'll help me, I can prove it.

How?

Did you know that Larry Hayes is dead?

No. Yeah.

Poisoned.

It was him and somebody else who had the heroin sent to Mildred.

And then that night in the club when Mildred was asking all those questions

about Captain Christie, Larry got scared.

He either called or he went to see the other person.

They must have told him to give me the mickey, either to frame me or so that I

wouldn't get in the way later.

Then when I was lying in the yard half out and seeing everything blurred, I

thought it was Mildred who bent over me.

And I reached up and I grabbed at her to pull myself up.

I ripped this button off of her uniform.

Just keep talking, Bill. I'll fix you a drink.

I must have just put it back in my pocket and forgot about it.

But then I remembered, and I realized that it wasn't Mildred who was bending

over me. It was another woman.

And she was putting a rock in my hand.

Here, sit down.

And you think that the other woman was Larry's accomplice?

One of the other whacks, maybe.

What you could do for me is check the PX and see who bought buttons the next

day.

Drink your drink. You need it.

Yeah, you can say that.

You know, no matter how the new button she thought on looks, it wouldn't age

just like the others. The police lab could spot the difference.

Drink. It'll calm your nerves.

Oh, sure.

I thought I heard something out there.

Let go!

All right, Ed.

Take it to the lab.

We all know what we'll find.

Don't wait.

Here's the witness report on that.

May I ask what you're doing?

Exercising my leg.

Did the doctor recommend that or is it your own bright idea?

His own bright idea. It's like lifting a calf every day till it gets to be a

cow. Then pretty soon it will be able to lift a table, then a desk. Then if

anybody needs some furniture moved.

May I interrupt this discussion long enough to get those statements from you?

Oh, sure.

Thank you.

Can I come in?

By all means. How are you, Bill?

I'm employed.

But I've got an honorable discharge and a bronze star, which, with a small

amount, entitles me to a ride on the cable car.

What are your plans after that?

Well, this may sound crazy, but I was wondering... Well, I think you'd have a

very good chance of being accepted into the police department.

How'd you know I was about to ask that? I think the first clue was when you

said, this may sound crazy.