Original subtitles

May I change for a pound? No way. Today, only foreign currency. Hello, Steve.

Freddie, how's business? Well, what I lose on the end, I gain on the piazzas.

I'm just on my way to the bar.

How about you joining me for a drink? Sorry, too busy.

Oh, come on. It's nearly lunchtime.

It's broad daylight outside. Also, payday.

Being paymaster to a team of informers. We prefer to call them special

operatives. Oh, much alike. They're still informers, and they get nervous.

Hence the drapes.

Look, Steve, the first one's due any moment. He hears anyone else around...

Yeah, he'll scurry away. Understood.

Maybe see you later in the bar.

Maybe.

Very nervous.

Money has a cutting edge, doesn't it?

Have you seen Wallace?

Wallace?

Graham, Henry Wallace, our respected boss.

His office?

Not there.

It's funny how he always seems to disappear on paydays.

And I wish you would disappear too, McBain. You know how nervous I get. All

right, all right.

If you see Wallace, give me a call.

There you are.

First things first.

What is?

Freddie Mason. I was talking to him just a few minutes ago.

Any idea who?

Well, Freddie was the informant's paymaster, a sleazy lot.

It could have been any one of them. Ah, Wallace will tell us about it.

Terrible business.

Poor Freddie.

Tell you what.

The names of the people he was paying off today.

I've no idea.

What? Well, Freddie ran the informants. But surely it was your conception.

Yes, but he was in charge.

He set it up.

We provided the money and he paid it out.

Anyway, there may be no connection.

He may have been simply mugged.

Well, if he was, they didn't get away with much. There's more than 10 ,000

here. We'll probably never know for sure.

We'll know.

Viagra's a good friend.

We'll keep checking and rechecking until we do know.

Is it okay?

The Ritz it is not.

But I prefer it this way.

No hotels, no passports, no checking up.

It will do.

Well, you summoned me halfway across the world and I'm here.

I'm here because we worked together before.

And you pay well, don't you?

Mm -hmm.

Down payment?

Who do you want me to kill?

John Steed.

That is not good.

There will be repercussions.

I know, I know. But it has to be.

Got yourself into a fix, eh?

Tell me about it.

Well, I gathered together a band of informers.

And the department paid them.

They've had a more small fortune for passing on snippets of information which

you or I could have got from the foreign newspapers.

Well, that's what I did.

But there were no informers.

They were all me.

And now you are blown?

Yeah.

Mason, the paymaster.

But he died before he could talk.

And they think that he was in charge of the operation.

Well, then your troubles are over.

Oh, no, mate.

My troubles are just beginning.

Mason and Steed were very good friends.

And he's not going to let it lie there.

He's going to dig and dig and keep on digging, and I'm not going to be safe

until he's dead.

So be it.

But we must not rush this one, Wallace.

You must both of us think.

The death of Steve may only bring more hounds snapping at your heels.

But do not worry, my friend.

I am a superb killing machine.

And between us, we will find a way.

Watson didn't exactly keep strict records.

Deliberate policy.

Informers are vulnerable.

Did he have any unexpected visitors that day?

No. Our security is too strict.

Nobody unexpected.

Except Steed, of course.

Frame him.

Throw suspicion onto Steed.

Load the scales against him. And then? I pop him off.

No, not with that.

i've got an idea in that direction too we are going to kill him with extreme

finesse

Marion wishes to marry again.

Does she have your permission?

One rap

for yes.

Two rap for no.

We are waiting waiting for your answer

I'm

sorry the contact is broken Well

don't look at me

Leave now. I'm very tired.

I must rest.

Thank you. Thank you so very much. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

Good night.

Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Stanton. Thank you for your effort.

I'm sorry there was no news for you, Mr. Turner.

We'll try again on Thursday.

Thank you.

Goodbye. Thank you so much. Goodbye.

Goodbye. Goodbye.

Hardly a bump.

It's going to work. So long as no one finds out.

How could they?

Just you and me will know the truth about Steed's death.

How could anyone possibly find out?

Death.

Murder.

Someone called John Dean is going to be murdered.

It came to me.

It came to me. Miss Denton.

I can do it.

Sorry to disturb you, Miss Denton, but my hat.

I can do it.

To what?

Murder.

Murder.

Is that you?

Mr John Steed?

Yes, of course it is.

Handsome, sophisticated, tall, immaculate.

I've looked over the house.

I'm afraid it does nothing for me.

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.

It is home.

I'm speaking atmospherically, of course.

Oh, of course.

Perhaps if you gave me something to hold...

Something personal.

Your watch.

Who is she?

I don't know.

What does she want?

It tells me nothing.

Not even the time.

Mr. Steed, I'll come straight to the point.

Oh, good.

Do you believe?

Straight to the point?

In the occult, Mr. Steed. Do you believe in the occult?

Ah, I see.

You are in danger, Mr. Steed.

Grave danger.

You're unconvinced?

Rightly so, I suppose.

Unfortunately, the message I received was far from clear.

Yes, that must happen quite often.

Well, thank you very much for coming. And if they do get in touch again,

Stanton. Victoria Stanton.

You are a sceptic.

Well, I don't entirely disbelieve in the extra powers of the human mind, but...

But you are a realist.

You are in danger, Mr. Steed.

I know you both think I'm a crank.

Oh, please. No, don't humour me.

It is, after all, the normal reaction. I expected it when I came here.

Of my own free will.

And I have no intention of asking a fee.

Whatever you might think.

What kind of danger?

I don't know.

Not yet, anyway.

If I am a crank, I'm not a very good one.

You will receive news.

From afar.

Steve.

Moscow.

That's afar.

Hello. Hello.

Before you get converted...

I've had long -distance phone calls before.

Yes, yes, I know you have. Who was it? They rang off.

We were cut off.

You are going to see the Russian ballet.

Wrong. But you are. I'm not, Miss Stanton. Absolutely wrong. I've got

plans. I'd be very surprised if you did. Steve doesn't like the ballet.

Only ballerinas.

Well, you may prove me wrong, but I don't think so.

Thank you for listening to me anyway.

I see a car.

Your car.

Immobilized. She certainly can.

And immobilized is right.

I'll leave my card with you, Mr. Steed.

She could have done it.

Look, I've only just driven up. She was inside the house.

Well, her accomplice, then.

Uh, mind telling me what's going on?

Certainly, we don't know.

Claire Boyan.

Oh, I see.

Yeah, well, I see myself driving back in a motor car back to HQ.

I see Gambit buying me a drink at the bar.

Well, you are going to drive me back, aren't you?

You here to see Wallace?

I am.

Well, I'd like a word with him first.

Alone. Be my guest.

Yes? What is it up there?

It's Steed.

He's outside.

But I wanted you to look at this before you saw him.

Hmm.

Well, what about it?

Moscow. Called his house direct.

Control picked it up.

So?

Well, it's very irregular.

I wouldn't have thought so.

Anyway, there's no transcript.

No, sir. Nothing was said.

They rang off.

Then why bother me?

It could have been a signal.

The conversation is suspicious.

Silence, apparently, is tantamount to treason.

I consider it my duty to bring it to your attention.

Steed did, after all, visit Mason that day.

Without, it appears, very good reason.

All right, leave it with me.

Ask Steed to step in, will you?

Ah, Steed.

How is the investigation progressing?

Nothing so far.

Gambit's checking Mason out, but has expected nothing. What's your problem?

I'm not sure, but something's come up here.

Eh? It may not even be connected, but a man called Petrovich has been in touch.

Ivan Petrovich?

Yes. He's one of their undersecretaries, I believe.

Oh, he's a competent man.

Not entirely trustworthy.

He'll play both sides against the other, given the chance.

But as we know that, it's an advantage.

His speciality... That sort of subtlety is beyond me, I'm afraid.

But I would like his information collected.

By me?

Yes. Today, if possible.

Are you free?

I can arrange to be.

Where do we meet?

He sent you a ticket.

The matinee.

Ruff and ballet.

Hello, McBain.

Steve's car.

Park where?

Ah.

Steve.

John. Steve.

Meeting. A trap.

Here you are, sir. Thank you.

Hello. Steve?

Yes?

Is that Petrovich? There's a message for you in the directory, the first

section.

Meet at the complex.

The B complex.

At dawn tomorrow.

Must see you.

George.

George Cowley.

Murder!

Steve?

Right there.

McBain, what are you doing here?

I got a message.

Me too.

Message?

A note.

I wish I'd kept it now.

It's George Cowley, isn't it?

Yes, a clerk from accounts.

You were with him?

Up there, when he... fell?

Yes, I was.

Almost. I think one of us better get an ambulance.

Purdy?

Allow me.

Are you sure that you're... Please.

I must have absolute silence or it spoils the vibration.

Your umbrella is talking to me.

I see a dark place.

The letter B.

B complex.

How do you know?

You mean I'm right?

I said, how did you know?

Mr. Stee...

What a relief.

I saw death.

So did I.

At the complex?

An accountant, George Cowley.

Death at the complex.

The lady was emphatically and categorically right.

Curiouser and curiouser. Don't understand.

And what else did you see?

Several things.

It was all very confused.

Like a dream.

Well, if you can tell me, perhaps I can make sense of it.

I saw a green box.

A broken green box.

It was a farmer's standard.

I presume this is it.

Yes, it could be.

Contained all your records, Steed.

And they've gone.

I was at HQ when they discovered the break -in. That's incredible.

It's all so incredible.

Maybe. Maybe not.

But we've got to check you out.

Because you know too much for our own good.

I wouldn't have thought it possible that it could work so perfectly.

Yes, complacency can be dangerous. I appreciate that.

But you are a skilled exponent of your trade. A true professional.

Steed is doomed without question.

McBain would arrest him already if he had his way.

His suspicions are making our task that much easier.

Steed doomed to a suicide for a guilt that is mine.

And nobody can save him because nobody knows.

Right, that's it, Miss Stanton. Thank you very much.

Now what can you tell me?

I hate having to make these snap judgments.

Don't we all?

Preliminary examinations prove nothing.

ESP, telekinesis, pre -cognition, telepathy, what do we know about them?

Or psychic phenomena.

You, the expert, are asking me.

I'm pointing out that it's the blind leading the blind.

but all bad result proves nothing either way.

Basically because we know nothing.

Now, what's her rating, supernaturally speaking?

Well, according to this, 105.

105?

Is that good?

No, terrible. Not even average.

Farley had that note on him at the time of his death.

It's still circumstantial.

How do you make that up?

Well, it doesn't have to be genuine, does it?

I mean, the Steed is in capital letters.

It's not even a real signature.

Steed was at the B Complex at the time.

And you're prepared to testify that he murdered Mason and Cowley?

No, but... As I said, still circumstantial.

His car was parked outside their embassy at the time.

It's in the report.

Look, McBain, I appreciate your concern.

I know that you're paid and trained to suspect everybody, but we're talking

about John Steed.

And what's his motive?

I'll find out.

Eventually.

Yes?

Who?

Wigmore. Derek Wigmore.

Yes. Yes, of course. Yes, have him wait, will you?

Derek Wigmore's in town.

You know anything about that?

Only that he flew in from Singapore last night.

Apparently the pals that be upstairs think there's been a breakdown.

On the financial side.

It's probably routine.

I suppose he wants to check his records with yours.

I'll keep an eye on that.

Oh, indeed, yes. Do that.

Be ready for another assignment.

Yes.

I'll be by later.

Your place, 8 o 'clock.

Derek, how are you? This really is a surprise.

For all of us.

Yes, for all of us.

Well?

E. Die.

The last word was die.

That's it.

That was the message.

Deed will die.

What does it mean?

Does anyone know anybody called Deed? Not me.

No. That will be all for tonight.

We've only just got here.

Miss Townsend, please.

I'm sorry.

But I have a headache.

I shall have to cancel this evening.

Perhaps you'll be rested.

I must insist.

Please accept my apologies.

Temperamental, isn't she?

She hasn't done it before.

We must do as Miss Stanton says and leave her alone.

Yes, quite right.

Good night, Miss Stanton.

Good night.

I hope you feel better soon.

Good night, Miss Stanton.

What was all that about?

It happened again.

This time you saw it. Oh, yes.

But I'm not fully convinced by those little gaps.

Not everyone considers it a game, Mr Gambit.

True. But there's a common scientific belief that messages like that are

subconsciously controlled.

Telepathic communication.

Call it what you like. Why don't you just say that I pushed the glass?

You? I was trying to say it could have been me.

Well, not deliberately so, but how could I know?

Miss Stanton.

Miss Stanton.

Killed.

He must be killed.

And quickly.

Here's his address.

His address.

Steed will have done it.

Miss Stanton.

Can you hear me?

You'll have no difficulty recognising him. You'll look dark through his

His head's dark.

Is well built in his early forties.

Steed. I must talk to Steed.

Now.

We've got to stop him, Purdy. Stop him before it's too late. But this is

ridiculous. Is it?

Is it?

You know something's wrong. You can't deny it. I can see it in your attitude.

That's why I came here.

I had to tell somebody.

Apart from Wallace about my suspicions. We're talking about John Steed.

A legend in his own time. I'm not arguing that.

But even legends can turn out to be false.

He's my friend.

And just what exactly is that supposed to mean?

All right.

We're going to see him now. We're going to face him with ridiculous accusations.

All right.

If that's what you want, we will.

Before he does something else.

You will kill a man, Mr. Steed.

Tonight.

Anybody we know?

He has dark hair, is well built, and is in his early forties. That covers quite

a wide range. Does he have a name?

I'm sorry, I can't help you there.

You said something about a scar.

Yes, through an eyebrow.

Like a boxer?

I imagine so.

Does that mean something?

I don't know.

But it rings a bell.

You're going to regret this, McBain.

Steed will deal with your ridiculous suggestions one by one.

Calmly, coldly and clinically.

I wonder.

Oh, Steed.

Wigmore, Derek Wigmore. Is he still in the Far East?

Did he?

When?

Yes, all right. Where's he staying?

McBain.

Calmly, coldly and clinically.

Where's he going?

There's one way to find out.

Follow him. Right.

You'll be wasting your time.

A man will die.

Doesn't...

Right there.

He's dead.

Get his gun.

It was beautiful.

I don't like it.

Don't like it?

Steve walked in. Walked into the room seconds after I killed the man.

What was he doing there?

Who knows?

Who cares?

It was perfect.

Perfect.

Maybe he's on to something.

So what? It's too late now.

Maybe Steve knew Wigmore.

He did.

Well, there's your answer.

Yes, but what was he doing there?

I don't know.

Why don't you ask him?

Why did you go and see Wigmore?

It's a long story, let's just say that I got a message to say that he was in

danger. A message? From whom? I really devised a source of my information.

Then I advise you to start. I really take advice, either.

It's all right, McBain. Leave this to me.

You say he was dead when you got that.

Steed had the gun in his hand. It was the classical frame -up, McBain, even

though you refused to accept it.

As a matter of fact, I abhor guns.

I don't even have a gun except for an old Colt .45, and that's just for

sentimental reasons.

He obviously said nothing.

It would have been very difficult.

You'll be under suspension, Steed, while an investigation is made.

I'm aware of the usual procedure.

I'm sorry.

It's no good.

And if I'm in trance, I hear nothing.

Well, don't mind us. You go right ahead and trance. It isn't like that.

You've been right so far about most things. Don't stop now.

Gambit. It's as though you believe her now.

Purdy, it doesn't matter what I believe.

Steed is in trouble.

It only seems to happen when I'm at home. Then I'll take you there.

Now let's see if you can make it work.

Trance, Miss Stanton, trance.

We shall be able to put the finishing touches to our plan any time now.

Well, I'll be on call whenever you want me.

Steed under suspicion, and McBain convinced of his guilt without even

the motive.

I'm sorry.

Nothing.

It just doesn't happen to order.

You're not laying down. That's it.

Now lay still.

Concentrate. Relax.

Now try.

Shirtstick.

You arranged it as I said.

A friend of mine.

Try it.

He'll pay it into Steed's bank tonight.

The night's safe.

The night's safe.

Tonight.

Come again?

I don't know. It never makes any sense.

I'm sorry.

The mood's gone. I can hear nothing now.

Tell me about the night safe again.

Tell you what? Anything, everything.

Steve, the bank.

Someone was going to put some money in.

Tonight? Yes, I suppose so.

I think so.

It wasn't clear.

Tonight.

House arrest?

Do not pass go. Do not collect 200 pounds.

Eventually, I shall have to do something about our methods.

I could get out of here any time.

Why don't you?

What?

Ask for political asylum.

Ask? Ask who?

Well, Scotland.

You always liked it there.

It doesn't balance.

Of course it does. It's only the way they do the maps.

It only looks as though it's going to fall over.

Do you know what you're talking about?

Steve, I haven't the faintest idea.

Except that I believe in you.

And I'm on your side.

Thank you, Burleigh.

Even if you did do it, I still think you're innocent.

I appreciate that.

It's nice to know that sometimes I'm trusted.

Where are you going?

I'm going to break in to the paymaster's office.

Is Prague going to confirm the cash delivery?

I told him not to bother. The less contact, the better.

What if we run over the whole plan again?

If you must.

The unconscious routine I've demonstrated.

The gun, his deeds.

Occult 45.

Hello? It's Steed.

Doesn't sound like him. They're going to kill him.

What, again?

Listen, please, listen.

With his own gun.

Occult 45.

Well, Steed's out, but his gun's here.

No, it's been taken.

Victoria, I'm sorry, you're wrong. I know where it is.

It's missing.

And they'll use it.

Just a minute.

I'm on my way.

I think all we need is to know where Steve is.

It's funny.

Want me to call the office?

Wallace here.

Oh, it's you, McBain.

Yeah?

And when was that?

I see.

Yes, yes, I'm on my way.

Steed.

Well, that should be all the proof you need.

Yes, I'm sorry. You were right about him all along.

You should have arrested him then.

No, no.

It's better if you take the evidence with him out of the office.

Evidence?

Wigmore came from Singapore to investigate missing finances.

Steve's motive?

Somehow. I don't know how.

He was milking the books. He murdered Wigmore to save himself.

Obviously.

The money, the murder, everything.

We're to frame Steed.

Look,

let me get this straight. They're going to knock Steed out long enough to put

the gun in his hand?

Yeah, I suppose so. And then one pull of the trigger and Steed will die.

Suicide.

Purdy?

Purdy!

Purdy, are you all right?

I'm psychic.

Gambit, you're not dead, are you?

No, Bernie, I'm very much alive.

Where? Where are you?

Upstairs in the flat above.

It all makes sense now.

Miss Stanton's voices were piped.

If it makes sense, then you know they're going to kill Steed.

Cheer up.

So what brings you here?

Premonition?

Wallace was arrested last night.

McVane's been apologising to me ever since.

I gather he confessed to everything, the whole story.

Well, what else could he do?

Wallace had his hand in the till for years.

What'll happen to him, Dean?

Uh...

Well, don't look at me.

How would I know?