Original subtitles

I'm being followed, Sam.

He's convinced I know where the diamonds are.

Do you?

Sam Penny is in danger. He needs your help.

What have you heard?

Nothing. You guys hear that coppers are private dicks. The end of the trail for

Sam 30 years ago is the beginning of our trail today.

Do they have the diamonds yet?

How's your God's sake?

It doesn't have to be like their venue.

Yes, it does.

We could be good together again.

I don't have them.

Maybe not here.

Maybe not now, but you will.

You're wrong, Alex.

I don't know where they are.

All right.

Outside.

When you get them, I'll be here.

Operator, may I help you?

Operator, I want to make a long -distance call to San Francisco.

What are you doing?

Nothing. The guy in the corner, is he one of ours? Oh, yeah, yeah, that's

Carlos. He doesn't appear to be breathing.

Oh, he's just real tired, you know, driving all night back from the desert.

Brought up in a barn.

What's this?

Snakes.

Snakes? Yeah, rattlers.

Rattlers? Yeah, you know, every spring, Carlos and I would go out to the desert,

catch a whole bunch of them.

Sell them to that little reptile house out on I -5?

Snakes R Us?

Uh -huh. Anyway, we had a little bit of a problem.

Got in kind of late last night, and Mr. Gorman next door was listening to the

Untouchables on TV, and you know how he cranks that thing up. Rick, just get to

the problem. Anyway, we brought the snakes in through the house so Gorman

wouldn't wake them up, and I counted them last night, there were 18 of them.

counted them again this morning, only came up with 17.

17. Yeah, well, I could have miscounted, but, you know.

You mean the...

A rattlesnake in my house? Yeah, we think it's the female.

Better find her pretty quick, or the guys in the box are gonna get nervous

form a posse.

Hello? Mr. Simon?

Yes? Listen carefully. I only have time to say this once.

What? Sam Penny is in danger.

train in San Diego at 4 .30.

Meet him.

Who is this?

Who's on the phone?

Sam Penny needs our help.

Oh, the old drunk that busted up the security conference in Monterey.

The sharpest private investigator ever to walk the streets of San Francisco.

I'll bet you anything that was his gal Friday, Tony Myers.

Yeah, she helped us pour him into the back of a cab that night. I remember.

does she want? You're not listening. I can't listen and look at the same time.

Come on, Marla, get out of there. Go on. Sam Penny needs our help.

I wonder what this could be. I mean, we're talking the best here. I mean, we

talking the very best. Oh, come on, A .J. You didn't believe all that garbage

you kept mumbling as we were trying to lug him into the car, did you?

Sam Penny wrote the book, Rick.

No, I mean, literally. Look, he wrote the book.

The finest book on criminal investigation ever written.

I tried to get you to read it, but you were bored. A .J., his style of

investigating went out with a foxtrot.

Oh, he happened to invent the black bag job.

He and his partner, Del Mooney, they were the first to develop two -car

surveillance. He did it all, and he did it first.

As far as I am concerned, Sam Penny is the president of the fraternity.

Watch your step, please.

Watch your step, please.

Watch your step, please.

Try to save the goats.

Are you interested in stopping the slaughter of the goats on San Rafael

No, thank you.

Save the goats.

Save the goats. Your attention, please.

Your attention, please.

The San Diego, in service to Del Mar, Odingside, San Juan Capistrano.

Bulletin and Los Angeles departs in 15 minutes from track 11.

Hi, Mr. Penny.

A .J. Simon.

Here we are.

Simon, Simon, investigation?

Skip.

Remember, we met up at the security conference in Monterey.

Well, Tony Myers called, said you might be needing some assistance. And, sir, I

just want you to know it's a privilege.

Be the gentleman.

You forgot to use the fraternity's secret handshake.

You should have called me sooner.

I wondered if you even wanted to see me again.

I'm being followed, Sam.

Alex Kisman.

He's convinced I know where the diamonds are.

Do you?

Yes.

They're being followed.

Well, that's his problem now, right, Junior?

Come on, I got a six -pack at home with nine names. No, no, no. All they need is

a slight diversion, really.

Hey, excuse me. Hi, I've changed my mind. I want to save the goats. Oh,

great. Most people aren't aware of the goats. I am. I am very much aware of it.

And there you go. That should save 50 of them.

Proposition 28. You know about Proposition 28? Let me tell you. Do you

is happening to the goats on San Rafael Island? They're being bombed. That's

right, by the United States Navy. The 50 -millimeter howitzer.

Beam!

Incoming!

We've been watching this guy for some time now, and I was just wondering if

possibly you would cooperate.

The car is over here.

Damn, Benny.

Pass me your seatbelt.

They're catching up.

I don't know if I can get a handle on this trolley.

Find out who they are.

Well, A .J., I think your slight diversion worked.

I'd like to go home now.

Or not.

It just does not look right.

To top... professional private investigators in San Diego to be bailed

jail by their mother.

I don't think I am ever going to be able to look those drunks and hookers in the

eye that AJ don't move.

This could be our missing snake.

Hurry up and get him, please.

All right, just don't move.

I won't.

Easy.

It's an extension cord. Go.

I'm never going to feel comfortable in this house again.

You probably don't remember me. I'm Toni Myers from Sam Penny's office.

I phoned this morning.

Please, come in.

As soon as Angel Barkley called, I knew something like this would happen.

Angel Barkley?

From the gang that stole the Grandview Diamonds?

Wow, why didn't you tell me?

It's one of Sam's old tricks.

If you want their attention, give them a hook, a yank, then blow.

I should have realized. I read that in Sam's book.

But I thought Angel was still in prison.

Oh, she served 30 years.

She just got out.

Sam is the one who caught her.

Ah.

He made the front pages with that case.

And ever since, he's been drinking his way to the obituaries.

See, his partner, Del Mooney, was killed looking for those diamonds.

They were following different leads.

And early one morning, Del Mooney's car exploded.

After that, Sam couldn't sleep until he caught that Grandview gang.

The trail led all the way down here to San Diego. This is where he found them,

and this is where he broke that case wide open.

But the diamonds were never recovered.

Sam sent most of the gang to prison, but one got away.

The one that killed Del Mooney.

It's our last lead to the diamonds.

Until Angel calls after all these years.

Somebody's after her.

Wonder why.

That's what I want to know. That's why I had to come.

I'm worried about Sam.

We used to be good.

But it's been several years since a real detective walked in his shoes.

Well, I've kept up the front because... Well, it's... It's all he had

left.

She's got him back into this Grandview case again. And this time he's going to

get killed.

You've just got to help me find him.

Don't worry.

We will find him.

We will find him.

Sam, the case has been closed for years. The insurance company paid off the

claims, raised the premiums, and everybody's happy.

Oh, everybody's happy except Angel.

Come with me, Sam.

Help me find the diamonds.

Forget the diamonds.

30 years is a long time to forget.

Angel, start your life over again.

If only... I could find someone to show me how.

All right.

Look, if you want, I'll call the insurance company.

I'll tell them I've got a line on the diamonds and negotiate a finder's fee.

That's all perfectly legal. What kind of a fee?

Well, the stones are worth a million dollars by now. We're talking maybe ten

percent. A hundred thousand. Uh -huh.

We could split it.

Right down the middle.

Okay.

So, when do I get to see these famous hot rocks? Oh, we can't get them

We'll do that tomorrow. I have other plans for us tonight.

Sam.

You said you'd wait for me.

I'm back.

And you're still an angel.

Yeah, that's where angel calls down, all right. Hey.

Bruno's phone company comes through again.

You feeling any better?

Oh, yeah. They just, you know, pumped his stomach out and sent him back to

I tell you, the Mexican government ought to put a warning label on every bottle

of that malodorous tequila.

What are you talking about?

A bottle of Don Diablo is just like your first pair of long pants. You got to

grow into it, you know?

Separates the men from the boys.

Uh -huh.

And the sheep from the goats. I'm surprised he's still talking to us.

What was his price tag this time?

Two bottles of Don Diablo.

You know, AJ, I'm beginning to think there was more between Sam and Angel

handcuffs. Mm -hmm.

Oh, boy.

A whole lot more.

Look at this.

He married her.

No, he didn't. It's not fine. He wanted to marry her.

Fell in love with his prime suspect.

It's not the first time that's happened to a detective.

It's a pretty big chunk of information for Tony Meyer to leave out of her

don't you think?

Well, maybe she didn't know. I find that hard to believe.

Well, maybe she didn't want to know.

I find that a little easier to believe.

Can you find a quiet or hiding place in the library?

The first hiding place was in a bus station locker.

That was the one we all knew about.

Yes, but the only key... It was in my pocket. And when you and your partner

started getting close, I decided I better move it for safekeeping.

I needed a place where I could stay for a long time if necessary.

I bought it in a used bookstore.

Put it here myself.

What if somebody checked it out, Angela?

Put it out in the library card catalog.

And even if someone did stumble across it, I sewed them inside the cover.

That's the right book, you sure?

Yes, it's the right book.

They're gone.

Heist with the arrest of three suspects. This morning, police arraigned two,

Marcus, Dutch Silver, and Angel Barkley.

The third, Alex Kidd, is in Mercy Hospital tonight with multiple leg

following a high -speed chase that ended when Kidd's car spun out of control and

crashed. Still at large is the last gang member, James Bennett, the prime

suspect in the murder of this man, Private Detective Del Mooney. This is

Markell, Channel 7 News, reporting.

I was a one -man band in those days.

I was a reporter, a cameraman, an editor.

These kids today, they've got $30 hairdos. They can't make heads or tails

going on at city council.

Look it, boys. This case has been dead and buried almost as long as I've been

buried in local news. Now, if there's a story here, I want it. I honestly don't

know. But Angel's back in town. Somebody's following her.

One of the other members of the gang?

We got a glimpse of him. It wasn't silver.

My guess is Kidd or Bennett. What's your pick?

Oh, I'd be surprised if Bennett's chasing anyone. He's the one they never

caught. My money says he's the one with the diamonds.

It's just a little mock rattler. You know, they crawl in and out of the

all the time.

Come on, Poopsie.

Here we go.

So, the man who followed them was probably a kid.

Why don't you talk to the Dutchman about that? He was released a while back.

Got sick.

Old age stuff.

They sent him to a nursing home. Real nice one down at La Jolla.

All of the old syndicate boys wind up there.

Last warning, Al.

Your boys stay north. A physical rehabilitation or one of my boys is

visit your social room.

The South Wing belongs to me.

Okay, Dutch, you got some visitors. We're busy here.

Yeah, I know. Cutting up the... Valentine's Day ain't that far away, Al.

All right, Dutch,

I'll be back and get you in a little while, okay?

You guys are either coppers or private dicks.

No, we're private... Yeah.

We were hoping that you could give us some information about the Grandview

diamond heist.

Hazel's out of the can a couple of months, and everybody's looking for the

diamonds again.

I understand she's hooked up with that gumshoe penny.

Well, what we need is some straight dope leading to the return of those

diamonds. It's probably worth some real dough to you.

You know the saying, you can't take it with you?

You can't even take it this far.

Mr. Silver, we believe that Angel may be in danger.

So do I.

You know, for a long time, I thought she was the one with the diamonds.

Angel?

What about Bennett?

Angel, kid, and I were the brains.

Bennett, he was muscle.

Nothing up here.

But you know something?

The cops always thought he was the one with the diamonds.

But I couldn't believe that he was capable of that smart a double call and

getting away with it.

But boy, it sure looks like it now.

Changed your mind?

Yeah.

Because Angel called me today.

She's looking for Bennett.

She wanted to know if I'd heard from him. I haven't.

She didn't happen to say where she was, did she?

No. You heard from Kidd?

Yeah.

You know, he still thinks Angel's gonna lead him to those diamonds?

We would like to talk to him.

Well, I can help you find him.

Watch out for Kidd. He's out for blood.

Yeah, he blames Penny for prison, the gimpy leg, and above all, stealing Angel

from him.

If Penny's a friend of yours, you better find him before Kid does.

No, no, no, no. I followed that grapevine for years. I witnessed this

Bennett, in Venezuela, Mexico City.

Mistaken identities, rumors.

I trailed right up a long time ago.

Bennett's all over.

Maybe not quite.

Hi. Welcome to Fat City. What can I get for you? The lady will have a gimlet and

I'll have a cola. You just keep them coming, all right, sweetheart?

A cola?

Yeah, a cola.

I figured that after a while, every five years, maybe ten if he was smart, but

he never was.

Bennett would sell one of the diamonds, right?

Grandview Diamonds have a pedigree any expert would recognize.

Exactly, which brings us right here to Fat City.

This is Willie Caper's place. You remember Willie?

Willie the Weasel?

That small -time fence?

Oh, no, no, baby.

No, that was 30 years ago. Now it's Mr. Caper, big -time fence.

This is his saloon. If any of those diamonds turned up, you'll know about

You know, I can't figure you out.

Why? Thought you'd be glad to be finished with all of this.

I will be.

For my sake.

Yeah, mine too.

I've been a detective for a long time, sweetheart.

I've got a lot of cases.

There's only one that ever kept me up nights.

If I could tell you Del Mone was a wonderful guy, he wasn't.

He was just a regular Joe who played a lousy game of poker.

He was my partner.

And I wasn't there when he needed me.

That sticks in my gut like an eye over you.

Like the man says, when your partner gets killed...

You're supposed to do something about it.

I'll just tell them to meet us at the office.

No, no, no. You never want a confrontation on your home turf.

Not unless you want a quick remodeling job.

The wit and wisdom of Sam Penning, Chapter 12.

Let the master be our guide. Well, I'm telling you, A .J., I don't want to hear

any more about that book.

Kid.

A zoo.

Komodo Dragon exhibit.

One hour. The diamond.

Give him a hook, a yank, and blow.

You know, I look at Sam Penny, and I wonder if we'll still be doing

this when we've been around as long as he has.

But he's been around as long as he has.

Yeah, but business has a way of leaving scars.

He got a little weak on the yank. Yeah.

Good, Yank.

Why didn't he show?

Three possibilities. He found the diamonds, or he found Angel and Sam, or

he's already seen the Komodo dragon exhibit.

There's one more possibility to consider, Mr. Simon.

Come in, gentlemen. Come in.

Close the door.

Sorry we missed you at the zoo.

Did see you arrive from a distance.

I thought perhaps it'd be a little more appropriate if we had a private

discussion. Ah.

Well, we wanted you to be comfortable, too. That's why we suggested the reptile

house. But I see you've made yourselves at home right here.

Popcorn? You guys didn't by any chance find a little pencil -thin flashlight,

did you? I've been looking all over the place. Who are you working for?

A .J., look at this. We're still getting mail for this George Haynes fellow.

You've got to do something about this.

Gentlemen, it has not been a good day.

I'm sorry to hear that.

Maybe you need to have a further discussion with my aides here while I go

short walk.

Yeah, well, see, now, for the right price, we can put you and the diamonds

together. Of course, now, three bears over there want to get rough.

The right price just gets a little bit more right for us. Oh, you're going to

make me an offer?

That's right.

Tell him, A .J.

Um, what... Excuse me.

We can get you the diamonds in 24 hours. You get a third.

24 hours?

Those gems have been missing for 30 years, and you can find them in a day.

We're working for Bennett.

I don't believe that.

Can't afford to be wrong now, can you?

Why would he suddenly turn up after all this time?

First, he wanted us to scare you and Angel off.

what we tried to do at the train station.

But all he really wants is peace.

And he's willing to pay for it. I don't believe he has them.

I want to see them.

You have our offer.

Take it or leave it.

One of my men goes with you.

No way, Jose.

You could have told me all this before.

Well, Bennett wanted us to keep his name out of it if we could.

Well, I spent a long time in prison.

I deserve more than a third.

Sure, last chance.

Let's not waste any more time, okay?

You're the one he's worried about.

We've been empowered to up the offer to 45%.

Bennett keeps the fame, A .J., and I take ten.

Angel? She's out.

Done. Let's go.

Only four hours.

Bought ourselves a little time.

So what?

Sam shut us out completely.

Yeah, yeah.

But we're gonna beat him to the diamonds.

How?

We haven't got a clue. He's way out in front. Yeah, but his way is old and

and we are gonna be moving with the speed of state -of -the -art high

technology.

We are?

Diamond Star is the first computerized program to identify and catalog fine

diamonds the world over.

So you mean if one of the rocks is turned up, you'll be able to identify it

by the description we got from the insurance company?

Yes, that's quite possible. Their descriptions are very detailed.

Okay, sweetheart, time to stretch your stuff.

Bypass all square cuts from the C file.

Tell Diamond Star to add only the pear shapes from the temporary file we

created. Then we'll try to find a string that matches your general description.

Block it. Move to the G file.

There you go.

Yeah, Weasel.

Now, you really shouldn't sit with your back to the door, Weasel.

That's how wild Bill Hickok bought it.

You look like hell, Penny.

Oh, and I was just going to say how well you wear success.

Weasel.

Nobody calls me that anymore.

Oh, yeah, I heard about that. I'm sorry.

So what blows you this way, Penny?

It was when we went through the automatic replacement of the color

Yeah? We only marked it blue -white and we missed the silver key.

Oh. It's simply a matter of entering the... Uh -oh. Uh -oh what?

I think I just accidentally abandoned the whole color file.

Well, we'll just have to re -enter that information.

I spent two years in the big house sweeping floors thanks to you.

You get butchers for me, Penny.

Are you crazy?

This isn't Frisco in the 50s. This is my place. You've got no right.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Glasses, glasses.

Glasses, glasses, glasses.

I'm sorry.

What have you heard, Weasel?

Nothing. Weasel, what have you heard? Oh, no, no.

All right, do me this one favor, Weasel.

What have you heard?

She aches.

One of the Grandview Stones turned up a couple of years ago.

That's all I know, I swear.

Of course, Diamond Star is receiving new data every day, and I've got to get

going because we're giving a demonstration of our new project,

quite extraordinary.

You guys want to watch?

No, thanks.

Right.

Well... So much for the speed of the state -of -the -art

high technology.

Sam's way is more reliable. Uh -huh.

You know what we got to do?

We got to get back to basics.

Uh -huh. Go by the book.

The end of the trail for Sam 30 years ago is the beginning of our trail today.

We got to get back to 1953 and find Sam Penny San Diego.

Glad to finally come to your senses. I want to know where he does everything,

right? I want to know where he got his shoes, Sean. Where he got his haircut.

Where he ate. Where he slept.

Angel!

We're checking out.

Where to?

Phoenix. One of the stones turned up there a couple of years ago.

Wonder if Bennett has any family in that area.

Our book is on a late train.

How late?

Late enough.

It's harder to take you away from the bingo game than I, Dutch.

Vic, I ought to know. I picked it.

What do you want, Alex?

Two detectives came to see me.

They said Venice sent them to make a deal.

And you bought it?

They're friends of your old pal, Sam Penny.

I'm sorry to hear that, Dutch.

Penny's with Angel again.

I guess you already know that.

Where are they, Dutch?

Do they have the diamonds yet?

I don't know.

Alice, you've got to say it.

Make your next answer count, Dutch.

I'm going to count to three, Dutch.

One.

Two. Phoenix!

Arizona.

Why?

Angel Cole.

Wanted to know if Bennett had family there. I told her I didn't know, but I'd

check it out.

They must be on to something.

Their hotel.

Oh, the downtown.

Please, please.

I told you what you wanted to know.

Please, take me back to the bingo game.

You still want to play, huh?

You better check for Mr.

K for the man in the tan suit at the center of the bar.

All right, Max.

Phoenix.

He went to Phoenix.

Arizona.

This is where Pablo says you come for jewels in Phoenix.

Who's Pablo?

He's a friend from the old neighborhood.

The new neighborhood is San Quentin.

May I help you?

Uh, yeah. Pablo sent us.

I got the message.

I know what you're looking for.

But I gotta tell you, you're not the only ones looking.

A man and a woman?

Yes. Not here, but around.

One of the diamonds that you're looking for changed hands at a high -stakes

poker game a couple of years ago.

I was called over to appraise it.

What can you tell us about the man who put it on the table?

He was losing a lot.

I don't know what his name was, but he was wearing one of these.

What's that?

Citizens for a Better Phoenix.

Ah. Well, now, this outfit, they must have membership records, ID cards,

something like that.

How about a yearbook?

That'll do.

Wait.

That's him. How'd you know?

You're alive.

I was shadowing Bennett.

I saw him meet you at the Black Rose Club.

He was plenty worried. We were putting the heat on him pretty good.

Well, he wanted his share so he could leave town. I told him he was going to

have to wait.

On a hunch, I let him walk.

And I stuck with you.

I saw you buy the book, pick up the package at the bus station, and go to

library stacks.

It wasn't hard to figure out.

I found the diamonds.

I put the book back in case you would check before I could work out my plan.

So the body blown to pieces in the car was Benetton.

You killed him.

I switched identical files.

The coroner identified the dead body as Del Mooney and everybody's after

Bennett. You planted that phony trail for me, right?

I knew the grapevine would lead to you.

I had to make sure you kept chasing the goose.

Well, Del, you were home free.

Until you let that one stone go in your own hometown. That was a stupid mistake.

I never meant to.

Guy drew to an inside straight flush and beat my full house.

You got the diamonds here?

Get them.

Wait for us, okay?

We could split it three ways.

No, we're taking them back.

And I'm turning you in.

I can't let you do that.

Get rid of whoever it is.

And don't say a word or he gets it right on the spot.

Come on!

Angel!

Hold her right there!

Who are they?

They're working for me, Dale.

What are you doing here?

You let a girl answer your phone for 30 years, she thinks she runs your life,

right?

It's your play, Sam.

What are you going to do, Dale?

You can't get past all of us. I got the gun.

I got the diamonds.

That's all I need. And I'll disappear again.

Oh, no, not this time, Dale. Not this time.

Because this time your neck is going to ache from looking behind you because

someday I'll be there, right there. Not if you're dead.

You're not going to shoot me, Del.

Don't be too sure.

You owe me, Del.

Junior and his partner back there may not get it, but you do.

Because in my business, you owe something to the guy who covers your

whenever you get in a tight spot.

The guy that creeps through the slime with him just to help some poor

soul put his last dollar into your hand.

The guy that you come to trust like a brother.

You're not going to shoot Sam Penny.

He was your partner.

Drop it!

Hold it! Hold it right there. Don't move.

Don't move.

Delimony.

Well, I'll be damned.

The kid... The kid was right, Sam.

I wouldn't have shot you.

How did you find her?

I persuaded old Dutch to throw him with us, Angel.

He gave me the name of your hotel.

We've been following you all day.

Oh, so much for honor among thieves.

Get the diamonds.

He's gonna need a doctor.

He's not the only one.

Look at them, Angel.

They're even more beautiful than I remember.

Take some.

Take some.

It's been 30 years.

You've waited a long time.

But I'll make it worth the wait, Angel.

We'll be good together again.

I promise you.

Just like we were.

Let him have him, Angel.

Start your life over again.

She can handle her own life, buddy.

You better worry about yours.

Give me that gun.

No, don't worry.

I'm not gonna kill you.

I'm just gonna... I'm going to blow away your left kneecap.

That's for the past 30 years.

And I'm going to blow away your right kneecap.

That's to get even for the next 30 years.

Keeping up with you is like getting a master's degree.

All right, gentlemen, let's go outside.

I'll tell the cabbie to radio for the police in an ambulance.

You know, Sam, I hate to admit it.

You're the best.

Okay, guys, come on.

Angel, I've thought some pretty terrible things about you.

I'm sorry.

You're probably right.

You know, Sam, when he put these diamonds in my hand and I saw them, I

to go with him.

After everything.

As much as I loathe him.

Well, sooner or later, I would have double -crossed him.

Just as I was going to double -cross you.

Just couldn't let him shoot you.

Well, that's still your share of the reward. It's not as much after we split

with these guys, but it's enough to get you started.

In the right direction?

Hmm?

I might take a ride that way and see how far I get. Oh, the world's round,

Angela.

Sometimes you end up back where you started.

Don't be an ass, Sam.

You're gonna make it, Del. I'll visit you in the hospital.

Then I'll visit you in the joint.

Come on, sweetheart.

It's time to catch a rail back to the good life, huh?

That guy runs out on us, Phoenix.

Doesn't even stick around to say goodbye.

Doesn't bother to say thank you.

The last time Sam Penny said thank you was to a blackjack dealer in Reno 35

years ago.

Uh, what is this?

The best in the house? Well, I know. That's $50 a bottle. I don't know

to drink it or marry it.

Uh, no. See, look, I ordered a bottle of Don Diablo, you know, five bucks and

roll up your socks.

Well...

This one paid for If

you ever

need a hand on a case all you have to do is whistle

Is something wrong, gentlemen?

Uh... No.