Original subtitles

Frank, I told you I'm sorry.

Mom arranged the date and I said okay.

I've never even met the guy.

Look, the surf's up. I'm not going to waste any of it.

If you want, I'll break the date.

Mom will scream, but I'll break it.

Suit yourself.

Are you coming or not?

Surfing's all you ever think about.

No.

You know, I'm not trying to pressure you, but I want to point out they keep

contacting me every day.

Oh, I defend you, of course.

Of course, of course.

Just try to explain to them that people, that women are not machines.

To ask you to subvert a woman that you met only, what, four weeks ago is really

impossible. And what do they say?

Well, they demand the impossible.

Must be nice to sit behind a desk and second -guess other people's work.

Maybe when this is all over, you can take a nice sweat vacation.

But when will it be over, Paul?

It's getting restless. A couple of weeks, maybe.

Maybe. You know, we can't go back to the trawler and just stay outside the 12

-mile limit pretending we haven't caught our quota of fish.

Not without drawing undue suspicion.

Professor Winters, what are you, uh, what's going on?

They were out fishing.

Both broke down.

Take her to the boat.

Now I have to move the trawler.

How will I get the information to you?

I will find you.

The FBI.

A Quinn Martin production starring Ephraim Zimbliss Jr.

Also starring Philip Abbott, William Reynolds, with guest

stars Joanne Linville, Richard Anderson, and special

guest star Fritz Weaver.

Tonight's episode, The Challenge.

19 -year -old Linda Rice led state police to a lonely beach north of Santa

Barbara, California.

The circumstances surrounding the murder of Frank Diller led state police to

contact the FBI at once.

Almost immediately, other salient facts emerged.

Well, there's no question about it. Mr. Hoover considers this one of our top

priority cases.

I got that feeling.

Radar did sight the enemy.

It had her positioned just 12 miles offshore from where the victim's body

found.

Pieces are beginning to dovetail. You think they put someone ashore to avoid

radio communication?

The victim just happened on them and they killed him.

The young girl who witnessed it was too far away to really tell us anything.

There was a radio transmission, Lou.

At 11 o 'clock, the day of the murder.

From the trawler, N -O -V, two fleet commander.

Expected catch delayed.

Estimate another 14 days required to meet quota.

Sounds innocent enough.

The reply reads, you will have seven days maximum to fulfill quota.

The same way Technical Systems is readying their report on the orbital

defense program.

That's the only top secret project in the area right now.

I'd like to show you two something.

Could you get me Winston Keller at Technical Systems in California, please?

Mr. Warren.

This is a routine aerial surveillance of the ANAV taken by the Coast Guard three

weeks ago.

Notice how high she's lying in the water.

Obviously, her hold is empty.

This was taken the day before the victim was murdered.

Notice how low she's lying in the water now.

Quite a difference, isn't it?

That quota she's supposed to fill must be something besides fish.

President of Technical Systems is a man named Winston Keller.

I'd like you to get out there, Lewis.

Undercover.

He's already indicated his willingness to cooperate with us in any way.

You can take the place of their security chief.

He's asked for a leave of absence.

What kind of information do we have on their personnel?

Top clearance on all of them.

Yes, ma 'am. Mr. Ward, I have Mr. Keller for you now.

Good. Put him on.

Faculty meeting went on for hours. People were dropping like flies. You

waiting long?

Not really.

Such a beautiful day for sailing.

Wouldn't it be nice if you could skip the lecture and we could go out on your

boat?

What would Mrs. Davis and her organization for world peace say about

I sometimes wonder if this awful war we've gotten into is the only thing you

ever think about.

Guess I'm a bit of a bore at that.

How do you put up with me anyway?

There are compensations.

I still can't get over you getting pinched in that piece, Marge.

Oh. Did you kick out much of a fuss?

Oh, you would have been proud of me.

It was my finest hour.

Is Clifford upset?

Embarrassed more than anything.

For the first time, it really dawned on him that I was... that I was serious.

That I was willing to pay the price for what I believed in.

The sad thing is that Clifford is competing for values that he doesn't

believe in.

Who does he believe in? His work at, um...

orbital bomb defense system, you mentioned?

I don't know anymore.

I have lost contact with Clifford.

He comes home.

He eats.

He takes his work into the study.

And that's the last I see of him.

Then I guess he has some sort of deadline to meet.

When the baby died, well, we just crawled into our shelves.

Clifford never came out.

There's no love anymore.

I'm not being so damn ready.

He's tried.

He's really tried.

You might think I'm some kind of an idiot pouring out my heart like that.

silly. You feel better?

so I can get arrested at peace marches.

Somebody always has to pay the piper, don't they?

Yes.

We all dance to a different piper.

Let's just see if Clifford's available now.

Mr. Keller. Mr. Palmer.

I told Mr. Banning you stopped by earlier.

Oh, is he free now? Let me just ring.

We're very strict about what gets copied around here, Larry.

Shirley records all entries in a logbook.

She has the only key to this room.

It's locked after working hours.

Where are your classified files kept?

Well, at the close of each working day, all classified material is collected and

returned to my office.

I log it in.

I file it in the safe.

Please go in.

Thank you.

Hello. Larry, I'd like you to meet our head of engineering, Clifford Banning.

Larry Palmer, Clifford. Glad to know you. Welcome to the center. I hope you

it here. I'm sure I will.

I'm sorry I was tied up earlier. I understand you met some of the others.

Good crew.

Let's find a bunch of engineers as you'll meet in the country.

I gather you're going to need all of them to meet your deadline.

Yes, and with a little bit of luck.

We will.

Luck has nothing to do with it, Larry.

Clifford is the heart and soul of our orbital defense system.

Now, you better look closely.

You may never get a chance to see an engineer blush again.

Well, I'll take my bows when we meet the deadline.

I suppose you want to get settled in.

Right. Nice to have met you, Cliff.

Pleasure.

Do you have a second, Mr. Banning?

Sure, Shirley. Come on in.

You better sit down, Mr. Banning. I've got a shock for you.

I'm getting married next month. Are you ready for that?

Finally call it in, eh?

Yes.

Well, I want to wish you both all the best in the world.

Well, anyway, David wangled a two -day pass, and I thought if it was all right

with you, Mr. Banning, I'd take off a little early.

Sure. What time does your bus leave?

Same as always, 5 .15.

Well, you better get going.

Listen, Mr. Banning, I just want to thank you for being so understanding.

It must be a real drag to have a secretary who's always cutting out.

Oh, that's all right.

You better get going before he changes his mind.

Give the key to the coffee room.

Oh, you're a doll, Mr. Banning. You really are.

You must be out on your feet.

We've covered everything now except the drafting room.

Just about that time, eh, Mr. Banning?

I am glad that it's Friday.

Ain't that the truth.

Let me see. You're checked out with the Master One file.

Correct.

I think you'll have to agree that we run a pretty tight ship here.

Oh, I know that expression, Mr. Palmer.

It's the same one my wife gives me when I tell her of my poker losses.

But believe me, Larry, no one can remove any documents from this area.

Good evening, Inspector.

Have you had your dinner, Lou? Yeah, out of bite of the hotel, thanks.

Well, Roy, how are we doing on the security clearance review?

All the top men on the project have been covered. Nothing new to report.

Oh, there is one thing.

Clifford Banning's wife was arrested at a peace demonstration about a week ago.

Is she a member of any subversive organization?

No. She's very active in a number of political, civic, and charity groups,

she has no subversive connections.

We've been going over the surveillance reports on the personnel at technical

systems. Everything seems to be in order, but there's one report that Roy

He's probably innocent enough, but one of the secretaries has been leaving

every week.

Which one?

Clifford Banning's secretary, a girl by the name of Shirley Thompson.

At 4 .45 p .m. Friday, she left work at technical systems and proceeded to the

bus depot.

She bought a round -trip ticket to Monterey, California.

At approximately 10 p .m., she arrived in Monterey and went directly to Fort

Ord, where she met a man we've identified as her fiancé, Corporal David

What do we have on him?

Well, a report just came in today from the San Francisco office.

Good. I want to read it when we get to the office.

According to the clerk at the ticket counter at the bus depot, Miss Thompson

been taking the same 515 bus from Santa Barbara every Friday for the last three

weekends.

I was thinking that perhaps after the project is completed, we could take a

trip.

It would hurt us one bit to get away someplace and relax.

Get back in touch with each other.

Are we out of touch, Ruthie?

Come on, Clifford.

You haven't said a word all night.

Your mind's a million miles away.

You were miserable, playing the role of the dutiful husband.

I know you're consumed with your job now.

But I have this terrible feeling that if you didn't have this job to go back to,

you'd invent one.

Ruth, if you think that of me, you don't know me very well.

How can I?

You've always shut me out.

The job.

The job.

I just can't keep up at the office anymore. Things just don't come as

they used to. It's a struggle.

I didn't know.

You know, I take work home with me.

I've managed to keep Teller from finding out, but he will.

Oh, darling, don't you see?

This could be a blessing in disguise.

Listen to me, Clifford.

This may be the last time for us.

Let's go away someplace and make a new start.

All right, Ruthie, where would you like to go?

What difference does it make?

What we've been doing isn't even living.

What do you call living?

And if we can't have a child of our own, I want to adopt one.

I can't even keep up with my job. How am I going to keep up with children now?

Clifford, life is just a race.

How would you know, sweetheart?

You've been a spectator all your life.

That's not fair.

You know, you talk about playing roles.

I'll take some lessons from you. I'll never forget the time when I had to come

down to jail to bury you up because you were arrested for demonstrating how you

were with your dress and your San Francisco hairstyle.

Not a hair out of place, not a bead of perspiration showing.

It really bothers you, doesn't it?

That I have a life of my own?

Something that I care about?

Really?

will still be that straight -laced girl from Main Street, Nebraska.

Straight -laced girls from Nebraska grow up.

I feel sorry for you, Clifford.

You're miserable, really.

You don't know what living is all about.

Do you feel sorry for me, Ruth? I'm all right.

I may not be the boy genius I once was, but I'll get by. I've got enough. I've

got more than enough.

The heart and soul of the project.

The heart and soul of the project. Clifford, please.

I don't want to talk about this anymore. Do you mind?

We've got to talk about it.

Let's go home.

No, now.

Waiter.

I'm warning you, Clifford.

I am not made of stone.

My needs are as great as yours.

On days like this, it's really bad. I can actually see them rising.

I don't suppose you're a fisherman by any chance?

No, I'm not.

I'm Clifford Banning. You remember I called you last night?

Oh, yes, Mr. Banning.

How can I help you?

Well, it's about my wife.

I'd like to know where she's been, with whom, and when.

Name?

Truly, every Friday, so I wouldn't waste a minute of Dave, my fiancé's weekend

pass. I mean, I had my bosses okay.

There's nothing wrong with that.

Yes, Larry, is there a problem?

No, I was just going over the general security routine.

Oh, no broom time, huh?

Shirley, what if someone wanted to use the copying machine while you were away?

Well, I left the key with Mr.

Banning. They'd have to go to him.

That's right, they'd have to get the key from me to open the door to get in the

room. And, Mr. Palmer, I'd know if somebody used the machine by the number.

I'm a copy indicator.

I checked it every Friday before I left, and I always found it at the same

number on Monday morning.

You tried to change those numbers, didn't you?

Well,

you should have been an engineer.

I can't help feeling, though, that nobody uses machines.

You're probably right.

Shirley, keep track of any copy paper used.

Well, I don't ordinarily, but on Friday I broke open a new pack.

Would you mind taking a count, please?

Not at all.

Cliff, would you have her call me when she's finished?

Be glad to.

You're the

one.

Go ahead.

of today's surveillance on Banning?

Yes, sir, I have it right here.

He left his house this morning at 7 a .m., drove to the first mortgage and

company, that's at Grand and Harper, where he remained until approximately 8

.m. He then proceeded to technical assistance.

Well, I have some agents check the first mortgage and trust building. I want to

know who he went to see there.

canvas of local stationary stores what's up i'm not sure maybe nothing let's see

if you can find out if any of them sold paper for an empire copying machine to a

private individual

the first time I met you?

That grizzly council meeting?

You didn't even notice me, of course, but I was watching you all night long.

I can only notice how many of those boring meetings I had to suffer through.

But you suffer so nicely.

Which is the solemn about?

Is it Clifford?

Not really.

Oh, I don't know.

Don't you ever get the blues?

Nope.

I didn't know I was.

I'm sorry, I'm not making much sense of that, am I?

Ruth,

how deeply do you care about what's happening in the world?

The way things are going?

Oh, I know you do a lot. You join all the worthy causes, contribute your money

generously, but...

How deeply are you really committed?

I'm committed.

Enough to help me find out what's in those papers Clifford brings home with

I don't understand.

Can you honestly tell me this country's on the right path? This big,

imperialistic country, making war on this tiny country, which is only trying

determine its own destiny?

You're a communist agent.

Is that such a bad thing?

Then it's all been an act.

Our meeting.

Everything. What difference does it make how we met or why?

The important thing is you know how I feel, that I feel deeply about you.

Oh, my God.

Well, what do you want from me?

I want you to get me those papers.

I don't approve of everything that this government does, but to betray it, I

don't... I know it's not easy to turn your back on the country where you were

born and raised, but if you oppose what your government is doing, you sit back

and you do nothing, and the only person you're betraying is yourself.

You're just like a little girl who wants desperately to learn how to swim.

You're too terrified to take the plunge.

Oh, I don't know.

I can't even... I can't even think straight. Everything is happening so

Trust me.

I'm trying.

I'm cold.

Excuse me.

Yes? Oh, good. Put him on.

Lewis? Yes, Art?

I just had a call from Murray. It's State.

They need an on -the -spot evaluation.

If there's the slightest chance the project's been compromised, it could

our bargaining position at the disarmament conference.

Well, Art, any judgment I make now would be premature.

Well, how close are you to completing your investigation?

I should be finished before the week is out.

That's too late.

I thought the conference wasn't until next Monday.

Friday. It's been moved up at the request of the communist

Roy? Harry?

Who's Inspector Erskine? Harry Dorsett. All right. Special Agent Colby. Harry,

hi. How are you?

One of the kids discovered him. There was a bullet wound in his back.

Evidently, he was thrown off the rise.

Did you get his name?

Noel Phillips.

Let's see what the office has on him.

Any sign of the victim's car?

No. Oh, this is Mrs. Gray, Phillips' secretary.

She identified the body.

Mrs. Gray, I'm Inspector Erskine with the FBI.

Yes? We know that Clifford Banning came to your office yesterday morning.

Was it...

Phillips, he came to see.

Well, actually, it involved Mr. Banning's wife.

Well, did Phillips have her under surveillance?

Oh, yes.

He saw Mrs. Banning with someone yesterday at the marina. Then he called

noon today.

Said she was there again.

Mrs. Gray, did Phillips use a camera in his work?

Yes.

We didn't find any camera, Inspector.

Did he take pictures yesterday at the marina?

I took them down to be developed this morning at the lab.

What lab did he use?

Call Master Photo.

1024, Via Philippi.

Hello?

Call for you.

Excuse me.

Your lead paid off.

Go ahead, Unit 7.

Inspector, this is Vernon Cobb.

I'm at Green Stationary and Supplies at Claremont and 7th.

There was a private party who purchased a package of 500 sheets of paper for an

Empire copying machine on June 21st. Who?

Clifford Manning.

Nice work, Cobb.

Thank you, sir.

Unit 7 out.

I tried to call you, but you had already left.

You're not having second thoughts, are you?

I'm sorry, Paul.

Darling, we all have doubts. You wouldn't be human if you... I lack the

I don't think so.

No, there are other qualities besides courage.

For instance?

Loyalty, for instance.

Isn't it a little late in the game for that?

I discovered something about myself.

I'm really a very simple person.

I believe in right and wrong.

And even though my relationship with you is wrong, at least I know it.

And who are you, Ruth? You really know that?

Whoever I am, I am not the person you want me to be.

I thought you told me you didn't really believe in Clifford's world.

I don't think I ever believed in your world either.

Clifford was right about me, you know.

I was only playing a role.

When you strip all the layers away, I'm just that straight -laced girl from Main

Street, Nebraska.

When it came time to step out of character.

that safe, I must have those papers.

You wouldn't.

Ah, but I would.

That's the difference between us, you see. I'm not playing a role.

We keep the combination and the dictionary.

Yes.

Turn the combination to the dictionary.

Check the windows and let me know if anyone's coming.

You said yourself you're the only one who had access to the copy room.

We also know that you bought some of the paper at a stationery store. Look,

Larry, I'm... My name is Erskine, Cliff.

I'm with the FBI.

Just understand that anything you say can be used against you.

You have the right to remain silent, of course.

Yes, I know all about that.

Did you make copies of the Master One file?

Do you have any idea what pressure I've been under to meet this deadline?

Do you have any idea how vital this work is to the security of the country?

Perhaps I did breach security by taking those copies home with me. But if I had

to do it over again, I'd do exactly the same thing.

Cliff, for heaven's sake, if you had to work late, why didn't you do it here?

Even I have to go home sometime.

Way to keep the copies at home. Locked in my safe.

Well, let's go get them.

Now? Now.

Combination there? Yeah, it's here, all right, but it's in the wrong place. We

keep the combination under the essence. It's safe.

Hello?

Hey, yes, he is. Just a minute, thank you.

Inspector, I'm at the master photo lab where Philip said his film developed.

What have you got?

A photograph of Ruth Banning and an unidentified man aboard a catch.

Where was it taken?

The Coast Marina.

Can I see that other shot, please?

I can make out the gangway number. It's 3C.

How soon can I get there by car?

About 15 minutes from where you're here.

Order a helicopter.

Head them off in case they've already put to sea.

And alert all units to converge on the marina.

Yes, sir.

what you were looking for.

Yes.

Good.

Thank you.

You aren't thinking of taking her aboard the trawler, are you?

You're an incurable romantic, Andre, aren't you?

We should be casting off.

Trawler's just outside the 12 -mile limit.

She can be disposed of on the way up. No.

Once we're gone, she can't hurt us.

behind your head.

Then when he realized that I wasn't going to help him, he brought out the

Then I knew that I was in over my head.

That's when I put the combination in the wrong page.

What made you change your mind at the last minute?

Tell me, Inspector.

When was the last time you heard of a protest march inside a communist

Thank you very much. I think that'll do for now.

It's too easy, I know, but I am sorry. No, no. I am truly sorry.

I think somehow we can make it now.

Inspector Erskine.

You remember when I said if I had it to do over again, I'd do the same thing?

Hmm?

Yeah.

Well, I was mistaken.

Andre Velloni died of his wounds before he could stand trial.

Based on the testimony of Ruth Banning and other evidence developed by the

FBI... Paul Winters was found guilty of conspiracy to commit espionage and was

sentenced to a term in the federal penitentiary.

Federal prosecution of Clifford Banning was declined.