Original subtitles

Ethel? Yeah, fill it up.

Free wax?

Oh, good afternoon, Vern.

800 shares of National Wheel and Brake. It opened this morning at 90.

That's true.

Well, you still owe us a great deal of money.

No use.

Too hard on us.

Take me off the hook.

It's time. Why don't you go home and think it over?

There's nothing to think over. You're not going to bleed me to death. There

still laws.

All right. Take it easy.

Not to worry, Vernon.

Everything's going to be just fine.

You can't get blood from a stone. Now, we know that.

Besides, it's bad for our image.

My car is ready.

A Quinn Martin production.

Starring Ephraim Zimbalist Jr.

Also starring Philip Abbott.

William Reynolds.

With guest stars Don Gordon, Michelle Carey, and

special guest star Barry Nelson.

Tonight's episode, Tug of War.

agents had been investigating allegations that La Cosa Nostra

Taylor was carving a new empire for himself, the nationwide theft of

and stocks. The attempted murder of Vernon Lucas brought to light the theft

stock certificates from the Chicago brokerage firm where he was employed.

Now, with Lucas unconscious and unable to identify his assailant, the FBI,

the direction of Inspector Lewis Erskine, launched one of its most

investigations of organized crime.

Latents? Nothing yet.

Apparently nobody saw anything unusual.

Who discovered the body?

An attendant. I've interviewed him, but he was at the other end of the rack when

it must have happened.

All right, Kirby.

Have your criminal intelligence squad give Tom a summary of what Cosa Nostra

Trigaman identifies operating in the area.

And you'll need to go to her. Okay.

I want to put it on the

line.

This stock -stealing business is new to us.

Some of our members aren't the most farsighted guys in the world. They don't

understand it.

They had worse to understand.

Look.

We get our fingers into a few people who are working in brokerage houses, right?

And then we get them to steal stock for us.

I mean, it's not any more complicated than, well, than loan sharking. Oh, no,

it's not the same bag.

The victims are smarter.

The merchandiser's harder to fence.

And the risks are greater.

Still worth the reward.

My fence can get up to 80 % of the stock's value just by pledging it for a

regular bank loan.

By the time the bank finds out the stocks are stolen, if they find out, the

fence is long gone.

Well, let me tell you something.

Sooner or later, they're going to wise up.

This could mean millions a year to us, Raven.

Why are we dragging our feet?

Why do we always have to take our lead from the other families, huh?

Well, you can't find success.

who's already playing ball with us.

Another one in Denver who's lost his shirt and is into us for plenty.

Now, Meredith's in San Francisco working on a really big deal.

She's got some broker there all primed to go.

Ned, there's a lot of money in this.

Now, I mean big, big money.

Now, what do you say?

You know, if you had me class, Aaron, you would have let me win this little

game.

Okay, go on.

Well, how about this one? Do you recognize him?

No, I'm afraid not.

Oh, just a few more.

This one.

He looks kind of familiar.

Just familiar or... Yeah, he was standing right over there, waiting for

I thought.

But every time I drove one up, he just looked away.

And then, when I relieved Stacy on the pump, he just walked away as if he was

a hurry.

He never did pick up a car.

At least I didn't see him pick up a car.

Well, thank you.

You've been a big help.

I'm terrific.

You know what I did today?

What? I played hooky.

So then the market closed. I just went off to the ballpark.

I tell you, you know, I'd forgotten how much fun it is just to sit in the

bleachers and soak up the sun.

Oh, it's wonderful.

I've been doing a lot of that kind of thing since I met you.

All of a sudden, life's taken on all kinds of exciting possibilities.

I feel like I'm 21 again. You know, like I'm ready to take on the world.

I don't even know myself.

The other day, I was at a stockbroker's meeting. I got in an argument with my

boss. I don't know, about some corporate shell I was working on.

And I started hollering at him. Well, I tell you, you could have heard a pin

drop. And then he turns, he looks at me, and he says, Palmer, I don't wait ten

years for you to do that. What took you so long?

just a kid, really. Oh, some kid.

I'm like a father to you.

Val, cut it out. I'm a big girl. My feelings towards you... Well, I'm not

exactly your daughter.

Hey, did I sell you on some steamed clams tonight?

Val, would you be terribly disappointed if I didn't have dinner with you

tonight? Why?

What's wrong?

Well, nothing, really.

Is your ex -husband making trouble again? No. No, that's it, isn't it?

What does he want?

You want money?

Look, let me help.

It's not your problem, Val.

Let's go talk about it.

Watch your bouquet.

It almost went out of my mind.

How long are you going to stay?

I don't know.

Looks like he's going to go for it, huh?

Yeah.

What's he like?

Oh, I don't know.

Great. Pretty square.

He loves his wife a few years ago. I guess they had a pretty good life

You don't know what it's like when you're not here, Aaron.

Always waking up to an empty apartment.

Well, it hasn't exactly been easy for me either.

Do you think anybody will ever care about me the way that man did about his

wife? Hey, I love you.

Do you?

Yeah, I do.

I wonder.

No one said you needed somebody.

Well, I need somebody, too.

Aaron, I want you to get a divorce.

I want you to marry me.

Well, it's not that simple.

Why not?

Because Estelle's no fool.

She knows it's coming, but there are things that have to be worked out.

And on top of everything else, her uncle's a member of the council.

I gotta make her look bad in their eyes before I can even talk to her.

How long does that take?

Let's get this thing settled first.

Everything else will fall into place, all right?

I can't wait forever.

Soon. Now you'll see it'll be soon.

Well, I do believe that's your first gray hair.

That's what I've been trying to tell you.

Yes.

Oh, good. Put him on.

Hello, Lewis.

Art, I just had a call from the brokerage house where Lucas worked. They

finished their audit at four this morning.

Eight hundred shares of National Wheel and Brake have turned up missing.

All registered to accounts he handled.

Well, I'm in NCIC right now.

If you can give me the numbers of the stock certificates, I'll have them

entered.

Oh, there are one hundred share certificates.

Serial numbers 1224.

One, two, three, one.

One, two, two, four.

One, two, three, one.

Well, that's one thing we've got working for us now. They don't know we have the

stock certificate numbers.

Could give us a crack at them when they go to fence it.

Anything else?

We've got a good lead on a suspect.

Milo Pike, a known trigger man for Aaron Taylor.

There's already a warrant outstanding for him on interstate gambling charges.

The agents are canvassing the hotels now.

Well, I'll let you know if I get any action from NCIC.

And you keep me informed.

Can I fix you a drink or something? No, thanks.

Meredith?

You all right?

What is it? What's going on?

Oh, Val, don't get involved in this. Get out.

I destroy everything I care about. I always have.

That's not true.

I've been happier with you than I've ever been.

Tell me.

Whatever it is, we can work it out.

I wanted to call you. I wanted to tell you not to love me.

I'm glad you didn't.

I'm serious about us.

The worst thing that could happen to us is to get serious. Stop it.

Tell me.

It has something to do with your ex -husband, that's it, isn't it?

I want to know.

Did you ever go to Vegas and watch the faces of the showgirls when they're not

working?

Those 19 and 20 -year -old girls just hanging around the casino?

Trying to kill time.

Trying to fill the hours.

They might be the loneliest people in the whole world.

Well, that's just exactly how I was.

20 -year -old dropout from Midland State Teacher's School, hoping to catch on at

one of the clubs.

And then I fell in love.

found being alone so unbearable that I was willing to marry.

I'm cold.

Could you close the window or something?

We were happy for a while.

Well, there were a few things, but nothing I could really pen down. He used

be away a lot.

I thought at first he had another girlfriend.

Finally, when I confronted him with it, he... He told me he was with the mafia.

But... He's trying

to involve you. We'll go to the police.

Oh, Val, don't talk about things you don't understand.

He killed both of us.

What's he want from you?

I've tried to break up with him three times, and each time he's followed me.

That's how he knows about us. He knows all about you, what you do and where you

work.

What's he want?

He's in a lot of trouble right now.

Something about welching on receipts, something.

You're desperate for money.

I'll talk to her.

Do you want to wake up at the bottom of the ocean?

Oh, look.

He said if we gave him the money, he'd leave us alone.

Well, even if we helped him, how do we know he'd leave us alone?

Not a blackmailer. That's not his thing.

He's just scared right now. That's why he's so dangerous.

$10 ,000, $20 ,000.

$50 ,000.

Would he

accept

payment in stocks?

I don't know.

I guess so.

So wait a minute.

I know you do all right, but you haven't got that kind of money. I think I know

where I can lay my hands on it. Val, I know what you're thinking. Don't do it.

It would kill you to do anything dishonest. Oh, not steal, exactly. More

borrowing it temporarily. No. I would deal in stocks every day.

Always replace it later.

It's not worth the risk.

Risk?

All my life I've played it safe. I just never took any chances.

much of a life.

Maybe it's time I got started.

Well, Pike drove up a couple of minutes ago, headed into the garage.

His room number is 1103.

Let's pick him up.

Notify all units that we're going in.

Hold it, please

There's no way!

Hold it!

Right there.

Turn around.

Real slow.

Put your hands up.

Slow.

Hi, Mr. Palmer.

Coming in to count your money again, huh?

I hear you hit the Daily Double yesterday. Yeah, how about that?

Yeah, they hit the old weather bird for 500 big ones. Told you you ought to come

in there with me.

That horses are a lot safer than that rat race upstairs.

You're probably right. Yeah.

Take a look at your sports page. I think Red Baron's running today. This is the

financial section, Charlie.

Looks like you got the whole paper there.

Charlie, by the way, did you find what you were looking for?

Why, no, no, no. It's probably buried under my desk somewhere.

If Red Baron is running today, you want me to put a couple of bucks on it for

you? Yeah, sure, why not? Hey, that's the spirit.

Fly now, pay later.

You have been taken into custody on the basis of an authorized complaint filed

in United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, charging

with violations of Title 18, United States Code Section 1081, interstate

gambling activities, and Section 111, assaulting federal officers.

You have the right to remain silent.

Any statement you may make can be used against you.

You are also entitled to the use of an attorney.

and may have a preliminary hearing on these charges if you wish to.

Do you want such a hearing?

No. Are you prepared to make bail?

Yes, sir.

The U .S. Attorney's Office has recommended bail be set in the amount of

,000. Is your attorney ready to post bail?

like a ten -cent wristwatch.

He won't talk, guaranteed.

Only one guaranteed.

How did everything go with the sit -down?

You ought to be lucky they didn't pick up Milo before the meeting.

Now, wait a minute.

No, you wait a minute.

Look, Aaron.

One more slip. One more mistake.

All right, all right.

I get the message.

He says you'll have the rest by Friday.

Aaron, I want you to let him go.

Your what?

You've got plenty of other things going for you. You don't need him.

Don't tell me what I need.

This is just the beginning for your boyfriend.

I've got him in the ringer, and I'm not letting go until I've squeezed him dry.

What's going to happen to him when this is all over?

That's not your problem.

Please, it's important to me.

You haven't fallen in love with him, have you?

Well, now, come on, have you?

I just feel sorry for him, that's all.

Or maybe it's envy, I don't even know.

But the other day when he looked at me and I saw the love in his eyes, suddenly

I realized what a ridiculous lie my life has been with you. Okay, okay, later,

later. You never had any intention of marrying me, did you? Get off my back!

I'm sick and tired of people telling me what I should think and what I should

feel, trying to get their hooks into me.

Reinvented my whole life with you, hadn't I?

That's right.

You did.

You knew... Look at me.

You knew the jokes going in. I only told you what you wanted to hear. You're not

exactly suffering in this place.

I could support a family of ten on what I drop here.

Now, you've got a good thing going for yourself.

Stop trying to turn yourself into a teenager.

Because it won't work.

If you don't let him go, I'm through.

Do you hear me?

I'm going to Chicago tonight.

And when I get back, I want the rest of that money.

And if you cross me, or you follow up in any way,

you're going to wish you'd never been born.

The plug from the gun Pike used has the same microscopic markings as the one

that wounded the broker.

We'll send the ballistic evidence to the local district attorney.

Meanwhile, we'll present our case before the federal grand jury.

The trouble is, even if the district attorney manages to get a conviction on

Pike, there's no way we can time him with Taylor.

Unless Pike decides to open up himself, what do you think?

Hard to say.

I just hope they don't have a foreign outlet for that stock.

I don't think they've had time to set it up, Art.

Taylor's got to move fast now.

Let's have agents contact the major banks.

Whoa.

You really put me away good that time.

I got a little lucky, that's all.

Hey, Mr. Taylor. Yeah?

I wanted to thank you for springing me and all, you know.

Art, now forget it. What's a family for?

Everything's going to be all right, isn't it, Mr. Taylor? Not to worry,

Everything's going to work out just fine.

Oh, listen.

Paris will be here in a few minutes, and he's going to have a game with you.

Oh, man, I'm beat.

I mean, it's going to put me down for the cows.

Come on, I put a few bills down on you.

No kidding?

Yeah. As a matter of fact, it's worth one big one to me if you take it.

Any good.

Where's Harris?

I'm up?

Yes, it's very impressive.

I wouldn't mind owning some of these stocks myself.

You know, it must seem funny to borrow money from one bank in order to invest

another.

Can't let you bankers make all the money.

Well, according to our reports, this savings and loan that you want to invest

should have a very bright future.

I think so.

Just let me get my vice president's signature on this while you fill out

forms.

Yeah? All right, I'll talk to him.

Yes, this is the agent in charge. May I help you?

Yes, this is Ed Tabak.

I'm a loan officer with Equity Trust and Loan.

Well, this is probably nothing, but the other day one of your agents was here

asking about certain stock issues.

We have a man here now, and I think he has the stock issues that you were

about.

National wheel and brake.

How many shares does he want to pledge?

Eight hundred.

Can you give me the first and last numbers on that certificate?

One, two, two, four to one, two, three, one.

Is the man there with you now?

Yes.

Is this the type of loan you ordinarily would make?

Well, yes.

Well, then go ahead with the transaction as though everything were all right.

But tell him the final loan papers won't be processed for an hour.

We'll have an answer on the wheel and brake issue in a few moments.

If there's a problem, agents will be there to handle it.

All right. Thank you.

Susan, get me the file on the Pike case right away. I'll be in the teletype

room.

Well, there's no problem.

You know, I haven't filled out so many forms since I was drafted in 1950.

Hey, I'm really dating myself.

Look, why don't you stop by after lunch?

By that time, we'll have the papers processed. Your check will be waiting

you. Bye.

Thank you.

Director,

FBI.

Attention, National Crime Information Center.

Require immediate confirmation.

Status, stock issue, national, wheel, and brake.

Certificate numbers 1224 through 1231.

Get me communications, please.

Have the unit located closest to Los Angeles Equity Trust and Loan proceed

at once.

Upon arrival, call me for details.

Secretary said that... Oh, excuse me.

Mr. Goss.

Yes?

We're with the FBI.

We'd like to talk to you about the stock you just pledged here for a loan.

He didn't tell you anything?

No, he declined to make a statement and asked for his lawyer.

Was he trying to pledge any other stocks besides those stolen from Chicago?

One other, Criterion Oil. I just checked with NCIC.

There was nothing on it.

Yes?

Mr. Ward.

Yes, Brian, I have that information you requested on the Criterion Oil shares.

Well, just one moment, sir. Lou is here with me now. I'll put you on the

speaker.

of the theft until our inquiry.

The broker who was holding the stock in the owner's account was a Val Palmer.

Well, thanks very much, Art. We'll start with him in San Francisco.

Brian, have Ben put him under surveillance.

Sorry it took so long. It was a real madhouse in there.

I got the stocks.

It doesn't make any difference anymore.

What?

What's happening?

Oh, Val, it's just over.

It's all... You're way ahead of me.

Oh, I wish I could close my eyes and wake up and be somebody else, because I

sick of being me.

But tell me, what's going on?

You've been hacked.

Do you understand that?

You've been conned.

Maybe I'm sick, but I don't get it.

The stocks you gave me are being fenced by a Cosa Nostra lieutenant named Aaron

Taylor.

Yeah, your husband.

That's not true.

Why?

Because I thought I was in love with him.

I don't know. I don't know what to believe anymore.

I tried to warn you, Val.

It's just over, that's all.

Well, it doesn't have to be.

Why'd you come down here to pick me up?

I thought maybe you still had time to cover your tracks.

Put the stocks back or something.

What are you going to do?

I'm not going back to the brokerage house. I've been in that box all my

I never got out until I met you, see.

You changed me.

Meredith.

I got $25 ,000 worth of... stocks in my pocket. It's not a fortune, but it's

enough to make a new start if we want to.

I tell you, we can make it.

Will you come with me?

Yes.

Yes.

The subject left the brokerage at 12 noon where he met a woman.

One of the agents on the surveillance remembered her as a girlfriend of Aaron

Taylor.

Repeated from there to 2206 Oak.

Is he there now?

Yes. The agents are maintaining surveillance.

Let's go.

We'll be there.

I want those stocks.

We haven't got them. We're getting out.

You're lying.

We don't have them.

And you're not getting another thing out of me.

Let us go, please.

You want to go away with him?

You didn't want me anyway.

We are going to talk.

I want those stocks.

Wait a minute, Meredith.

It's not that simple.

I want you to get in the car.

Just a minute.

Huh?

Yeah.

But I turned the key.

I'm the one who wanted to make a run for it.

Not her.

I'm not being noble, Inspector. Just a simple statement of the facts.

And the fight happened after Taylor tried to get you into the car?

I'm sorry.

Yes.

There's so many things to say.

I'd give anything in this whole world if things could be different.

So would I.

Federal prosecution of Meredith Schaefer and Val Palmer was deferred to state

authorities. They were tried and convicted in state court of grand theft.

Vernon Lucas and Aaron Taylor recovered from their wounds and, with Thomas Goss,

were tried and found guilty in federal court of interstate transportation of

stolen property.