Original subtitles

Mr. District Attorney, this is Nicholas Allen.

I'm waiting outside my office.

It is 11 .35, October the 23rd.

I'm waiting here to meet a man who, by threatening to kill my family, has

already extorted over $200 ,000 from me in museum funds.

He has another painting to sell.

He's from the Mafia.

Evidently there is only one way to end this.

Hello, Mr. Allen.

How are you tonight?

Nauseous, but a little more stubborn.

A little more sales -resistant, if you want to call it that.

Well, I think you'll be putty in my hands when you see what I have for you

tonight.

It's a Joubert.

Again?

Can't you hire any new forgers, just for variety?

Uh, shall we go inside, or would you...

I'd rather look at it out here in the dark.

I really don't want to look at it at all.

But it ought to be warmer inside.

What's the matter?

There's no one else here, yet that's what you're worried about.

And we just pushed this farce along. It's getting late.

I don't know why you call it a farce when we haven't seen the product.

Well, then extortion, then. Is that more accurate?

What is my forgery going to cost me, by the way? I thought you said you were

going to try to be more accurate.

Oh, is cost the wrong word?

No.

Forgery.

Where did you get this?

It was a lucky buy.

Oh, please, I know the collection it came from. The owner would never sell.

Is it worth a hundred thousand to the gallery?

It's not worth a penny to any gallery. It couldn't be displayed.

It could be created under a different title.

For future display.

Though I'm to take it whether I like it or not, is that it?

Well, spit it out.

You weren't so shy the first time.

What's the new threat?

What's the mafia going to do to me if I say no?

Blind me?

Bomb my home?

What have you got in your pocket?

Nothing

Find me.

The FBI.

A Quinn Martin production starring Ephraim Zimbliss Jr.

Also starring Philip Abbott, William Reynolds, with guest stars

William Smithers, Nan Martin,

Roger Perry, and special guest star Hal

Holbrook.

Tonight's episode, The Fraud.

For nearly a month, FBI agents in Los Angeles, under the direction of

Lewis Erskine, had been investigating rumors that West Coast La Cosa Nostra

chieftain Frank Stocker had moved into a lucrative new field, the nationwide

distribution of fraudulent and stolen art.

Now, with the murder of Nicholas Allen, the theme of the investigation was

suddenly to shift 1 ,500 miles eastward.

Inspector Erskine, I'm Warren Sloan. Warren.

Hi, Warren. Tom, how are you?

The S .A .C. was called out of town. He asked me to take over.

He said he contacted you in Los Angeles.

I don't know how much he was able to tell you over the phone.

Well, that the stolen Jabir turned up, that the curator had been shot.

Yes, well, his name was Nicholas Allen.

He managed to hit the alarm button before he died. But by the time the

got here, the killer was gone.

Jabir's been authenticated, by the way. The owner flew in from New York earlier

this morning.

Did you happen to have the time of death, Warren?

Mm -hmm.

Approximately 11 .30 last night.

You know, it's a crazy guess, but I wonder if... I wonder if Stocker could

involved. I doubt it. Not at this level.

Frank Stocker?

He's been in Mexico.

Turned up again in Los Angeles this morning.

Question. Where was our wandering boy last night at 11 .30? Mexico or Texas?

Did Alan usually work this late at night?

No, sir. According to his secretary, he always left at 6.

But you did say you got a phone call about half past five yesterday

And that it seemed to worry him.

He had her fill the coffee pot in the recreation room. Said he might be back

after dinner.

Was this a personal call?

Business. A sales agent from something called Hubble Incorporated.

Louisiana firm. Purchasing agents.

The gallery bought three paintings from them in August of this year.

On Alan's recommendation.

Let's see what we can find out about this company.

And I'd like an appraisal of the three paintings as soon as possible.

All right.

Any luck with Layton's? Just smudges so far.

Painting of this value must have been wrapped in something.

Yes, it was. As a matter of fact, we found some paper in the waistband.

It might have been wrapped in these.

What's this, Warren?

That was a vase.

The direction and impact of the bullet indicate that the killer was standing

approximately at the door when the gun was fired.

It looks as though Allen threw the vase and then jumped for the burglar alarm.

Seems to have hit his mark.

We found spots of blood on two of the pieces.

Well, I'll take these to Washington along with the blood samples.

Call me as soon as you have the appraisal report.

Yes, sir.

I'm not going to argue with you, Jock. It worked once, didn't it?

I mean, you boys in New York thought we were all big heroes out here last

August.

August was two months ago.

I want to know what happened last night.

Jack, the guy had a tape recorder.

All right.

Listen to me.

I'm on a limb out to here with you, you understand?

The phone hasn't stopped ringing since the story hit the papers.

Gilbert called from Miami.

Paulie Hoff drove up from Philadelphia, all singing the same tune.

What's with that dumb protege of yours, Jack?

Paulie never did like this art gimmick.

Paulie hasn't liked anything since Prohibition was repealed.

He doesn't understand what you're doing, Frank. Neither do I.

It's a new field. We made a mistake. Now, you're going to throw out the whole

thing because of one mistake?

This could gross us conservatively 50 million bucks a year once we get

Believe me.

No.

Wrap it up.

I'll make a deal with you.

I'll place the new forgeries for a guaranteed minimum of 100 ,000 bucks.

One penny less, I'll close the books.

The originals will hold back. We can always dole out the originals.

I don't think Polly will go for it. Do you go for it?

Frank, if you ball this up, if you

jeopardize the position of the family, I might not be able to save you.

Jock, I'm not jeopardizing anything.

I've got somebody working on the Walden Gallery out here for six weeks. The

curator is a woman. She trusts this man.

He's already restoring some canvases for her. She's all primed to take our

stuff, jock.

What man?

The clown you sent to Houston. Forget it.

No, no, no, no, no. It's another man. You met him. Symes.

Symes.

The painter. The guy I grew up with. The guy who did the good forgeries for us.

The loudmouth.

Bum's the field of ball, team.

It's your greatest fault.

You don't know how to pick your friends.

One of them will hang you someday.

Is it a deal?

We'll talk about it.

Paulie's asked for a sit -down anyway. We'll have it out there.

Your place, tomorrow night.

Maybe you can sell them.

I ought to pitch you right out that window.

Frank, I can't go back and undo it.

Now they want to have a sit -down.

When? Tomorrow night, here.

Well, is my name likely to be brought up?

Davey, why don't you take Ruthie and the kids and go down to Ensenada for a

couple of weeks?

If Symes can't handle it, I'll call you back, but I think he should be able to

handle this alone.

Ensenada's a long way.

Well, Jock's got a temper, but you know him. With him, it's out of sight, out of

mind.

Go to Ensenada, will you, Davey?

Christopher Symes? Yes, I know him. Why?

He's where?

Okay.

Now, what do you think of it?

Huh?

Look,

you don't have to worry about hurting my feelings. Just let's have it, huh?

Now, let's stop shilly -shallying around.

Come on.

You slack -jawed Philistines, don't you know who you're dealing with?

My name is Christopher Syme.

and I'm the greatest painter in the world.

Why, I should, I should paint murals on the walls of every jailhouse in the

country.

Hey, officer, listen.

I'm the greatest painter in the world.

I think it was wrapped around a canvas.

So any clear latency ought to be on the outside.

Probably long cold.

Well, let's try silver nitrate.

Hello, Lewis.

All right.

When did you get in?

I just walked in.

Any leads on the killer?

Nothing yet.

New York called about an hour ago.

The informant reports that Jack Mitchell just ordered a high commission sit

-down.

When? Tomorrow, in L .A.

As far as he knows, there's only one item on the agenda.

Houston? Houston.

The word he gets is that Frank Stocker's in very big trouble.

Which could mean they think we could link him to the murder.

Yeah, the murder, or the Joubert theft, or something.

I just wonder if Stalker is crazy enough to try to handle this thing on his own.

Blading fingerprint section, Elton.

Yes.

Thank you.

Inspector, that was serology.

The blood sample you brought in is type O.

What was Stalker's blood type?

A.

I'll be right back where we started.

Well, maybe not quite that far back, Mr. Ward.

Did you find something?

Looks like we've got about eight readable prints.

Eight prints and a blood type.

Well, that'll certainly give us enough to go on.

Lewis, I want everyone available on that fingerprint check. Make it a special.

You sensed that, did you?

Thank you, Counselor.

No, uh, no problem, Mr. Stocker.

They picked him up in a bar on Main Street, drunk and disorderly.

Apparently, the big trouble didn't start till they brought him over here.

What happened?

Well, as far as they can make out, he had some charcoal with him, and he drew

mural on the wall and then just started shouting his head off.

Someday, Stocker, I'm gonna buy up all the critics in the world and drown them

like cats in a creek.

I'll call you tomorrow.

Adios, amigo. I appreciate it.

I'll forge you a nice picture sometime.

Doctor!

If you're finding it hard to stay away from that horn, you'd have my undying

gratitude.

My houseboy phoned the gallery and the woman said that you had quit.

Is that a fact?

The fact that woman is... Don't polish it up and don't give me a big funny

answer. Is that a fact?

Yeah.

All right.

I hope that you're sober enough to understand this because I'm only going

through it once.

The minute that you took the first dollar from me for this job, you entered

a moral contract.

And you're going to fulfill it, Simes.

Or friend or no friend, you're going to wish that you'd never been born.

Is that clear?

Getting clearer.

All right, give me six months.

I'll give you nothing.

Frank,

I'm into some kind of a psychological upheaval here.

I don't understand... Psychological upheavals are for Beverly Hills matrons.

just force yourself.

What is this woman's name?

Craig. Susan.

Do you think that she'll buy the forgeries now if you force it?

I don't know.

You're supposed to be restoring some canvases for her.

What happened? You just walk out on them?

Just walked out.

Why?

I never work on my birthday.

It's not a gag.

I'm 40 today.

Many happy returns.

Very symmetrical number, 40.

Like 20. You know where I was on my 20th birthday?

Going through another psychological upheaval.

I was in Belgium.

Just won first prize at the Brussels Art Fair.

Beautiful big gold medal.

Well, whatever happened to it?

I pawned it the day I was 30.

Well, there she is.

Well, there she was.

I told her I was off to the frozen north to live with the Laplanders.

She'll mock me.

Got a stubborn streak in her yard wide.

You think she'll take you back?

Who knows?

Well, you better stop prying, Christopher, because there isn't time to

new deal.

I promise you.

I'm back, as you see.

How were the Laplanders?

Oh, I didn't... I didn't actually get that far north.

I missed you.

I'd like my job back if it's still available.

Happy birthday, Christopher.

Welcome back.

How did you know this was the day?

I looked it up.

Well, what is it?

It's a certain earth color, as you once told me you wanted.

It's not for the restoring work, though.

For your own painting.

Thank you.

Tom, what have you got?

Yeah, Lou, we finally located those three canvases that Nicholas Allen

for the museum in August.

Well, what was the problem?

Well, apparently, Allen suspected that they were forgeries.

We found them in a basement buried in a file for damaged canvases, not to be put

on display.

The person said that they were very good and that it would take an expert on

Allen's level to tell that they were frauds.

He said he found a distortion.

Yeah, as if a stalker signed his name to them.

He's used his email a dozen times.

But I guess he's still the little man who wasn't there.

Can we time to the company that sold the paintings?

There is no company.

Hubble Incorporated is a vacant office in New Orleans.

It was rented in May by a male Caucasian, age 30, 35, who gave his name

Donald Morrissey.

He paid a year's rent in advance and hasn't been seen since.

So, uh, any, uh, mafia money in the building?

According to the agent in charge, New Orleans, no.

All right, Tom, thanks for your...

Hold on a minute.

What was the renter's name?

Donald Morrissey.

The examination of the wrapping paper paid off. No positive identification on

the latent fingerprint.

David Joseph Miles, also known as Donald Morrissey.

Is that New Orleans?

No, Los Angeles.

452 Trout Boulevard.

Call the FAC.

Have them ask the U .S. Attorney for a warrant and see if they can pick him up.

I'll meet you out there.

Yes, sir.

That's what we call abstract expressionism, Paulie.

I'd hate to tell you what I call it.

Is that why you went to college, Frank?

Learn to call junk by a fancier name?

All right.

Everybody's here. We've got a lot of business on the agenda.

Now, just cool it a minute. I asked your boy a question.

Well?

No, I went to college to try to learn how to make a buck in the 20th century,

Paul.

You make a buck in the 20th century the same way you did in the 19th, the 18th,

and the 1st.

You find a product that people want and can't have, and you sell it to them.

But that, nobody wants that tripe.

I wouldn't give you five cents for all the modern art in the world. People are

different. Wrong.

People are people.

Are you hooked on heroin, Pauly?

Hooked on heroin?

Who's talking about drugs?

You sell it, don't you?

You don't understand the freak that used it, but you sell it.

You provided?

Why?

Their money's good.

That's right. And so is my customer's money.

But you haven't got any customers. That's what we're talking about.

You didn't tell him?

He's got a deal on the fire. Two servings of tripe. $100 ,000.

What's the outlay?

$600.

See, this is an art gallery, but we're not limited to art galleries. I have a

list of businesses, foundations.

I'm exploring the tax write -off angle for our own company.

In other words, we donate a good forgery to a museum, we're into charitable

deductions.

Now, wait a minute.

Paulie.

Paulie, the gallery deals in the works. What will it hurt to let it go through?

Well, how do we know whether we're hurt or not?

How do we know how bad Houston's hurt? There is no way in the world that

can be tied into the family.

No way.

It was handled start to finish by one man. He has no connection with the

Brotherhood. He's not a member.

Who is this?

He's a friend of mine named Dave Miles.

He could finger you if he got picked up for murder. He wouldn't, and he's not

going to get picked up.

Not alive, he won't.

Hit him.

You're in business.

Just don't let me down now.

Hey, listen, about this Dave Miles... As soon as possible.

Don't fool around with it. Paul's right.

Hey, jock.

Right.

So he's a friend.

You lose a battle, you win the war, right?

Where is he?

Ensenada. I'll take care of it for you.

You did real fine. I was proud of you.

Yeah, that's Miles' wife, Ruth.

They have two children.

Boy four, girl six.

No sign of Miles at all, huh?

Well, we have his office on Wilshire under surveillance.

No word from informants yet.

George, what are you doing out here?

She doesn't seem too upset by her husband's disappearance, does she?

Which might mean that she knows he's still alive.

I think she knows it.

Well, what do you think? Is it worth restoring?

That's not bad.

All you're interested in is draftsmanship and color, composition,

feelings.

So you approve of this one?

Oh, yeah.

Matter of fact, I approve of most of your purchases.

You have a good deal of faith for a woman.

Thank you.

I think.

I didn't mean to break it on your word. No, no, it's a pleasure. Please, uh, uh,

sit down, can't you?

We never get a chance to talk. All right.

One minute.

I think this is a very nice time of the day. Cool, quiet, and the public hasn't

come in yet.

Yeah.

You know, the Waldens have some exceptional things here. Did you buy

Yes.

A board of governors to check on your purchases?

Well, there's a board, but they never interfere.

I'm very lucky.

Or very trustworthy.

I envy you. I'm neither.

Well, but you're something else.

You're responsible.

Talented.

You're a very kind young lady.

You're not very perceptive, but you're very kind.

Your restorer thanks you.

Christopher, why did you get drunk on your birthday and run off that way?

Irresponsibility.

Not fear?

You know, I've never thought of myself as a prying woman.

But then, of course, I've never been around a very great artist before.

Ma.

You remember showing me that canvas you started when you first came here?

Yes, I remember, certainly.

Well, I watched it take shape back here.

And you finished that painting on your birthday, didn't you?

Yes.

What do you think of it?

I think it's worthless.

Well, I think it's the crudest, most powerful, most volcanic, most

work of art I've ever seen in my life.

Furthermore...

I don't think for one minute you were running away from a failure.

Success, that's what you were scared of.

But success might just mean the end of your responsibility, mightn't it?

Might mean work, pain, integrity, growth.

Where are you off to, Christopher? Another bar?

In a way.

Do you remember those two Jouber's I told you about?

Yes.

Well, I've had them for 20 years.

I want to sell them now.

75 ,000 for the large one, 25 for the smaller.

Well, let me keep them a few days.

I'll have to have an answer at the end of the week. I'm leaving then.

Christopher, the man who painted these was a genius.

And you're even better than he was remember that

Mrs. Miles?

I'm with the FBI.

I'd like to talk to you for a minute, please, if I may.

My name is Colby. This is Inspector Erskine.

I don't have a minute.

I'm sorry.

When did you hear from your husband last, Mrs. Miles?

Are your children with him now?

Am I under arrest?

No, you're not.

Well, then, if you want to find out anything about Dave, talk to his lawyer.

Is he dead?

An informant says the High Commission just ordered him put out of the way.

Inspector?

Why did you ask that about my children?

There's a contract out to kill your husband.

Whoever made it seems to be under the impression his family's with him.

I don't believe one word of that.

The man who was hired for the job is headed for Mexico.

Both my children have colds. They're both in the house, in bed.

Tell us where your husband is, Mrs. Miles.

Why?

So you can arrest him on whatever trumped -up charges you think you have?

So we can notify the Mexican police, at least.

I'm sorry.

I still don't know what you're talking about.

¿Y el nombre?

John Burns.

Sí, lo conocimos, Capitán. Es miembro de la Cosa Nuestra.

Un momento, Capitán.

Not a police.

They've identified one of the dead men as John Burns.

No sign of Miles.

Maybe Miles escaped.

His wife is outside.

Muchas gracias por su ayuda, Capitán.

Adiós.

Come in, please.

Won't you sit down, Mrs. Miles?

Well, will you help us?

You've heard from your husband?

Yes, he called me.

He's back in this country.

He warned me not to tell anyone where he was going. The more I thought about it,

the more frightened I became.

If they found him once, they can find him again, can't they?

Yes, they can.

We know a couple who have a beach house south of San Clemente.

There's no one there now.

That's where he's gone.

Here's the map.

Who sent those men to kill him?

You probably know that better than I do, Mrs. Miles.

Frank Stalker is his best friend.

I guess it's all right if you like masterpieces.

Maybe you don't think this one's a masterpiece.

Yes, I do.

Have you started a new canvas yet, Christopher?

No.

Why not?

By the way, I've fallen in love with those two shoe bears you showed me.

The price may be a little high. Then don't pay it.

I didn't mean I wouldn't pay. All right, then do what you want, but stop

bothering me about it, will you?

Will you?

Yeah. Stocker, Symes, I've got just two things to say to you. First, I'm sober.

Second, I quit.

What do you mean you quit? Where are you?

At the gallery. I'm going to burn the forgeries. I'll send you back the 600.

Listen, Symes, I'll give you an explanation if I could, but I can't.

Except that suddenly, Frank, I'm bone tired of being a 40 -year -old teenager.

I'll mail you a postcard from Lapland.

Who knows? He says he quit.

Where is he? At the gallery. Pick him up.

It's over.

Frank, it's finished.

Are you in position?

We're ready.

you're buying is time for the men who sent Burns to kill you.

If you don't help us find them as fast, it'll be your family next.

Both your children and your wife.

Drop the gun.

Throw it down.

Hands against the wall.

Spread your legs apart.

You have the right to remain silent, Miles.

The right to counsel.

You want Starker, you've got him.

Who did the Houston art forgeries?

Some artist in Amsterdam.

He's dead.

The thug has got a new man now. His name's Christopher Symes.

You can find him at the Walden Gallery.

Calderon.

All right.

No, I don't understand.

They're forgeries. Can you understand that? Fraud. I'm a fraud.

That's out of the question. Why is it out of the question?

Yes, I do.

You do?

Yes.

Well, you're crazier than I am.

Maybe that's a recommendation. I don't know.

Well, that doesn't make any sense, but...

then you won't leave.

It's too much of a tangle to explain in five minutes.

I have to see the FBI, but I'll call you from there, and

I'll be back.

Okay.

and drive their animals

We pulled four jobs over the past year.

All the paintings are in Stocker's possession as far as I know.

Except for the Joubert, which I left in Houston.

Did you have dealings with other museums?

No.

The Walden was due next, but that finds territory.

All right, Mr. Miles, I think that'll do it for now.

Unless you have something else you'd like to add.

Will you be talking to Frank?

Yes.

All right, then you tell him something.

You remind him I always told him Johnny burns wasn't worth a powder to blow him

up If I'd been sent on a hit, I wouldn't have missed Now you tell him that

David Joseph Miles was convicted in state court of the murder of Nicholas

and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Frank William Stocker and six others were convicted of interstate

of stolen property.

State charges against Christopher Symes of conspiracy to commit fraud were

dropped on the plea of the intended victim, Ms. Susan Craig.