Original subtitles

Barnaby Jones.

Starring Buddy Edson.

Also starring Lee Merriweather.

With guest stars Peter Haskell, Bert Reed,

Gary Owen.

Tonight's episode, 20 Million Alibis.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, your best Sunday night date, Gary Michaels.

Pookie, pookie.

Thank you, Bill. Thank you. Well, tonight we have a great panel of good

bad guys. No kidding, folks. Cops and robbers, real cops and real robbers. And

they're going to be here to talk about their own experiences in crime and

fighting crime. Now, the first guest I'd like to have you meet is one of the

most colorful criminals ever to pull himself up out of the underworld.

The former international jewel thief, safecracker, rogue of the Riviera, and

a best -selling author, Mr.

Anthony Neal.

Monday morning, folks. Go out and buy Tony Neal's new book, I Confess, The

of a Professional Thief. Or if you don't want to buy one, steal one.

And my next guest, representing the side of law and order, the very

distinguished jurist, Judge Eldon Curran of the State Court of Appeals. So here

come the judges.

Here come the judges.

My third guest this evening, a product of the streets of Los Angeles, the

academy for bullet wounds, and winner of the Medal of Valor, Detective Captain

Ben Wyatt. Ben?

Of course, Ben's going over to our commissary in just a few moments, and

see what makes Wyatt Earth. Thank you, and I'll be right back. Bill, take it

away. Gary will be right back with his first guest, Detective Ben Wyatt, and

special panel of cops and robbers, following this word from your local

Will you want me to wait in my dressing room? Yeah, sorry.

Uh, he'll bring you out in six minutes on the button. Okay, I'll be waiting.

Five minutes, Mr. Neal.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Well, we can have dinner tomorrow night if she doesn't want me to pick her up at

the airport.

Good night, Charles.

Thank you.

Neil.

Mr. Neil, you're on.

Right now, please.

Yeah, yeah, sure. I'm right there.

You guys certainly do run on a timetable, don't you?

Captain, I know you're as eager to hear Tony Neal's opinions of your views as I

am. So right now, ladies and gentlemen, a view of crime from the other side of

the bars by a man who's been there twice and who perhaps should have been there

even more, the retired thief and now best -selling writer, Mr. Anthony Neal.

Anthony!

Welcome aboard. Thank you.

Well, Anthony, in your book, on the first page, there are several

things. And how did you just get started in crime?

Could you tell us?

Yes, yes. In the first paragraph, I suggested that the most difficult thing

facing any jewel thief is breaking into the business.

All right, do you please?

Yeah, sure.

Can't be too careful, can you?

Barnaby Jones.

Oh, you excuse me a minute.

Hello, Barnaby.

Glad to see you're on it. You too.

Yeah, you don't catch me up this time of the morning with a tie on unless I'm

working.

General Western Insurance wanted me to, uh... Mm -hmm. Look, come on out.

Barnaby. Jackpot.

Plus the murder.

Mm -hmm.

Richard Jason. Butler.

Probably surprised the thief.

Oh, thief.

Or he was the inside man who shouldn't have been so trusting. Is that the

insured Mrs. Morrison?

Carol Morrison divorced.

A couple of times.

Any estimate on the loss?

We got a complete inventory.

Last word, Ben?

Oh, not really.

One diamond necklace.

Forty marquee -shaped stones, total weight 45 carats, one diamond drop, pear

-shaped, ten and a half carats. Put them all together, they spell one million

pre -devalued dollars.

Any M .O. on the entry?

Computer's been working overtime this morning. We'll let you know when we

You let us know?

Sure.

Could you introduce me to Mrs. Morrison?

Why, sure.

But, Pierre, you've just got to work me in tomorrow.

Shampoo set the work.

Thank you, Pierre.

This is Marson. This is Barnaby Jones.

He's a private investigator working for your insurance company.

How do you do? How do you do?

Mr. Jones, what can an investigator do that the police can't?

Well, ma 'am, let's put it this way. I probably have among my circle of

acquaintances...

Some people who would more readily pass along gossip or information to a

civilian than to a police officer.

The insurance file on your apartment here said you had a very excellent alarm

system. Has it been giving you trouble lately?

It was shorted out.

I understand also that you keep most of your important jewelry in safe deposit

boxes at the bank.

Yes, but I want to wear that necklace to the charity ball tomorrow night.

Heck, I...

Thought it'd be safe enough here for a couple of nights.

Uh, Ms. Morrison, uh, an attractive woman like you, divorcee... Mr. Jones,

you're asking me if I'm having an affair and if a man has a key to the

apartment.

Ms. Morrison, you get to the point like a wildcat going through a cane break.

The point, the answer is no.

No one else has a key.

My butler did.

I won't be staying here, Lieutenant.

I'll leave word where you can reach me.

You too, Mr. Johnson. Thank you very much, Mrs. Morrison. You've been most

cooperative. Excuse me.

Can I look around, man?

Oh, absolutely.

Anything you break, you buy.

You're on it for the insurance company?

Yep. And who officially?

Ben Wyatt, you heard he made captain.

Yes, indeed.

That news has reached me.

Sam, if somebody had wanted to buy the Morrison, John, what would it have cost

them?

Oh, $5 ,000 in cash would provide blueprints of the apartment, names of

security guards downstairs and their shifts, a photocopy of the wiring for

alarm system, telephone confirmation as soon as the apartment was empty.

No signs like the butler to me, Bonnevie.

Deep -heeled him to shut him up?

Could be.

Sam, the insurance company wants that necklace back. They'll pay a lot of

to get it back. Now, if you should just happen to hear what's whereabouts...

Don't think I will, Bonnevie. It's out of my league.

Sam, how many poodles do you have to sell to lonely ladies to afford stuff

that? It's still out of my league, and since it's murder, it's way out.

Why don't you talk to Tony Neal? He used to be one of the million -dollar boys.

Killing was never his style, and now that he's a rich author, he doesn't need

take chances like that anymore. But he still hears a lot.

He won't think on anybody, but he might pass the word along that the insurance

company is ready to deal.

Publicity stunt. That's all. A simple publicity stunt.

And 20 million people were going to see me on national television holding that

necklace up, stolen under the nose of the best cop in the city and a state

while we were on the air.

Ah, that stupid butler.

What did he have to come home so early for?

Now he's dead and I have a necklace that's going to end up being a rope

my neck.

Well, you can always give it to me, darling.

You know, it could end up being a rope around your neck too, Angela.

I've got to get rid of it somehow.

Fence it overseas.

I'll give you the money, Angie.

It'll be a lot safer.

Barnaby Jones. I wonder if I could make an appointment with Tony Neal for about

10 or 15 minutes of his time at his convenience.

Barnaby Jones?

Uh, does Mr.

Neal know you?

No, he doesn't, but this business, I'm a private detective.

Just a moment, please.

Tony, a Barnaby Jones.

He wants to see you for 10 or 15 minutes.

He's a private detective.

Well, what should I tell him?

Tell him that I'm too busy, that...

No.

No.

Tell him that I'll see him.

Tell him that I'll see him. Go ahead.

Mr.

Jones, Mr.

Neal does have this afternoon free.

Two o 'clock would be fine.

Yes, thank you very much.

Yes, sir.

Barnaby Jones to see Tony Neal.

One moment, please.

Come in.

We're in here, Mr. Jones.

Okay.

KYN Chapter 9. Is it after he gets into the Countess' bedroom?

Uh, no. He's already in the Countess' bedroom.

Everything's going good. And then he hears the offer of mail. That'll be the

curtain.

Hello, Mr. Jones. I'm Angela, Mr. Neal's secretary. How do you do?

Tony Neal. How do you do, Mr. Neal? I want to thank you for granting me the

time.

That's quite a setup you got on your front door.

Like a bank.

Yes. Tony believes that you can't tell criminals by their appearance. Excuse

Hey, that wasn't necessary.

You know, I bought your book a long time before it became a bestseller, and I

thought now might be a good time to get it autographed.

My pleasure.

Well, here, it looks like a toy store.

Or do -it -yourself breaking and entering.

My second book is a novel, Mr. Jones. I'm laying it all out realistically.

The exact locks the hero was going to have to pick.

distances that he'll be covering within the chateau, how far away the young hero

could actually hear a window being opened.

There you are.

Oh, thank you.

That's very nice.

Well, to one professional from another, that's very flattering, thank you.

Well, it's just one reason that I wanted to meet you.

I have never forgotten how you got the Sherman Troxell jewels back.

Sherman Troxell?

Well, that's 17 years ago.

Malibu.

How'd you learn about that?

Well, where I was staying, I had a great deal of time to read.

Oh.

I'm curious. How did you happen to phone today? Did you catch the show last

night? No, I didn't see that. I'm sorry to say, it was a little past my bedtime.

Ah, it's too bad. We had a ball.

Ben White was on the show with me.

Usual deadpan approach.

You know Ben. Oh, sure. I just left him about an hour ago.

Hmm? What are you two mixed up in?

Well, what I want to talk to you about, Ben's on the Morrison theft, and I'm on

it, too, for General Western Insurance.

Oh, really?

From the papers, it sounds brilliant.

Don't get me wrong.

I wish I'd done it myself.

What can you tell me about it?

Well, no, that's about all there is to tell, but I wanted to ask you some

questions about it. For once, a perfect alibi.

20 million people were watching me on the show when the burglar was doing his

work. 20 million people, if we can believe Gary Michaels about his ratings.

If you were still in the business, how would you have gone about pulling that

off?

Well, I, uh... That building is a condominium, isn't it?

Pretty good security downstairs, of course.

You'd buy your way through the lobby.

I suppose she has a decent alarm system.

Omega B, two years old.

Jump it at the junction box.

Again, buy the job from a hot man, 500 bucks.

What about locks on the front door?

Patterson 301. Really?

Well,

that's good lock. I have one right over here.

This double tumbler system is pretty good, but you can use

a pick.

That's the first step.

And then a magnet, see?

To hold the first set of tumblers in position.

And then a tungsten pick to trip

the second set of tumblers.

You're still pretty good.

You sure you don't do a little moonlighting?

Well, I yeah, I think about it mr. Jones But my publisher and literary agent

tell me I just can't afford it anymore no, it's just Professional curiosity

a General Western offering for the necklace under maybe up a little any

Might be able to smoke it off of that Good luck.

Thank you. Thank you for your time.

Oh about

Fences. Anybody come up in the world recently I wouldn't know about?

Mr. Jones, they come up so fast now, nobody can keep track.

New sources of cash, new organizations taking over from the older established

outfits. Yeah, I guess so.

Well, anyway, thanks a million, and I hope I didn't keep you away from your

too long. Not at all. It was my pleasure.

By the way, I want you to tell me anything you and Ben Wyatt turn up.

not confidential.

I'm really interested.

Absolutely. Thank you.

This is what it's come to, living in a city these days.

It's frightening.

You better never lose a combination of that.

You're liable to starve to death up here.

Well, that wouldn't be a bad way to go now, would it?

Son of a gun.

We were going to go to dinner and a movie.

Are you still on that Tony Neal book?

You already read it once.

Twice.

I can't figure this guy.

Why? You think he stretches the truth a bit?

No, the book is strictly legit.

Every one of these cases is a matter of record.

I mean, I can't figure him today.

I wonder what kind of razzle dust he thought he was throwing in my eyes.

Like what?

Oh, well, that amateur night theory of how the job was pulled.

No thief that is smart enough to case Mrs. Morrison is going to buy the

guard in the lobby.

That just means there'll be more people to talk.

And he's not going to hire a hot man to short the alarm, because that means he's

got himself a new partner he'll have to cut in or get rid of.

And fences.

He says he doesn't know any fences, old or new.

Baloney.

Well, maybe he's the kind of guy who likes to put people on, especially the

opposition, like you.

And if he does, maybe I'd like to ask a few questions.

Well, don't look at me, Barnaby. I just type and answer the phones.

The movie?

Prices go up to $2 at 7 o 'clock.

Ran it through the police lab. Ben Wyatt says you can keep the send.

Did he mention any leads?

Not to me. I gathered he was hoping you'd come up with something.

Hmm.

Well, I guess I'll move in, Barnaby, if you insist. I mean, it is a sacrifice,

you realize.

Betty. Hmm?

Tell me if I'm wrong.

Now, here's a clock that the thief knocked over, presumably in a struggle

butler.

Here on this table is where Mrs. Morrison said the clock belonged.

Catches on the bottom.

Oh.

Wow.

I'm sorry. What were you saying?

The time of the broken clock gives us the exact time of the robbery, murder,

and... An alibi for the thief.

Better than that.

He made sure that the time on the clock was the exact time he desired because he

didn't knock the clock off there accidentally. It was dropped

straight down.

Well, how do you know that?

Well, look.

See all these fragments here when it shattered? They sprayed out in an almost

perfect circle.

That clock was dropped deliberately, kerplunk, straight down.

He wanted us to assume that somebody over here during the fight or

knocked the clock. But in order to do that, it would have had to sail all the

way over to here and then crash.

But then the pieces would have skidded on that way.

I'll buy that.

Wish I had more to tell you.

Let's see if I can tell you something else. What?

Isn't that studio where they tape all the television shows just around the

corner here?

We're at Hollywood and Ivar.

No, the studio's in Vine, above Hollywood, diagonally back that way.

Gary Michaels' show with Tony Neal last Sunday night.

Yeah.

Morrison Necklace last Sunday night.

What? No, I know. I don't know where I'm going, but I don't like coincidences.

How?

Why? Don't ask so many tough questions. Answer a few. Now, how long do you think

it would take to get from the stage door around the block into the lobby and up

to this apartment?

Well, I have no idea where the stage door is, but I imagine if you walk, 10

minutes and 20 minutes if you took a car.

I'm not going to imagine. I'm going to time it.

Seriously? Unless it turns out to be stupid, then I was only kidding.

You get on over to the theater and set up a running of the tape of the Gary

Michaels show. Anytime today or tomorrow.

I'll see you over there at the theater as soon as I clocked it.

All right, I'll be there.

Mr. Jones, I'm Marty Monaco, the technical director.

The on -off switch is to talk to me, and the dial is to control the volume of

the sound.

Got that?

Ready to roll?

Let's go.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, your best Sunday night date, Gary Michaels!

Thank you. Well, tonight we have a great panel of good guys and bad guys. No

kidding, folks. Cops and robbers. Real cops and real robbers. And they're going

to be here to talk about their own individual experiences. I admit I have

idea how long he was in the apartment.

But with elevator time and walking around the block from the stage door to

lobby, if Mr. Neal is off camera for more than 10 or 11 minutes, I'm going to

start asking some questions.

But Tony Neal's a successful lecturer and author now. Why would he want to

the chance?

That's a good question.

No answer.

Could you hold it right there a minute, Mr. Monaco?

Is this an edited tape?

What I mean is, one minute on the tape here, did it take longer than a minute

the studio?

No, sir. The program is exactly one hour long. The tape lasts 60 .00 minutes.

That includes commercials and station break.

Thank you. We can go now.

Now let's see exactly how long Mr. Neal was off camera.

Six minutes.

Okay, hold it, please.

Hold it, Jim.

What an ego.

A job such as a Morrison job that made a man his reputation.

He is a big, fat ego.

But he couldn't have done it, Barnaby.

The six minutes he was off the screen, he probably spent in front of a mirror.

Oh, look.

Hair. It looks like he's ready for a screen test.

His handkerchief's all tucked in neatly.

You run it again from Mr. Neal's first entrance?

Back up, I'll tell you when to stop.

There.

You see?

His hair's casual.

The handkerchief's all floppy.

Could you run it forward, please, to where Mr. Neal was sitting with Captain

Wyatt?

Get started up, Jim.

You see?

Nice and neat.

But what does it prove?

Well, let me ask you one.

The stick pin.

What about it?

Look, where is it?

He was wearing one when he was first introduced.

He sure was.

It's gone now.

Would you mind running back to the intro again, please?

All right, Tony Neal's a great safecracker, but he's not Superman. He

have flown from here to there.

But Neal knows a little bit about geometry.

He knows that a straight line is the shortest path between two points.

And I know that walking around the block is a lot longer than taking a diagonal

across the roof.

The roof?

The roof?

Well, Mr. Jones, you take the door at the end of the stage to the elevator up

the eighth floor, down to the stairway, and it leads directly to the roof.

Thanks, and thanks for writing the tape for me. No trouble.

Eddie, if you go back to the office, I'll see you in a couple hours.

All right. Anything I can do while I'm there?

Yes. Call Sam Cassell at the pet shop and see if he's heard anything new.

Well, how do you plan to do that?

Well, we're going to have a lot of pre -publicity on the show, see, and we'll

have glossies and we'll have the whole thing. Now, the reviewers loved it.

Everybody loved the show. The ratings were great, but next time it's going to

even higher.

How are you,

Mr. Jones? Nice to see you again.

I'm Barnaby Jones. This is Gary Michaels. Well, yes, sir. Pleasure.

Yes, I recognize Mr. Michael.

Say, I finally got around to seeing that great show the two of you did. I just

came from the projection room. Oh, Sunday night show. Well, that's great.

were just talking about that, but why did you see that one, Mr. Jones?

Well, Mr. Jones is a private investigator, Garth. Oh, I see. And a

Mr. Neal. You know, Ben Wyatt is an old friend of mine, and I missed the show,

and I wanted to see it, so Ben set it up for me. Oh, that's great. You know, I

was thinking, a private investigator.

I want to do a repeat of that cops and robbers idea and love to have a private

eye. Maybe we can talk to you about it. Sure, I'd love it.

Thanks and congratulations.

You know, there are a lot of swell moments all through that tape.

Thank you.

How are you and Ben coming along in the Morrison case? Oh, I don't have anything

and I don't hear him bragging either, so I guess he came up empty too.

You know, Mr. Neal, whoever planned that thing, he could write a book.

Any day now, Mr. Jones, I'm going to get in touch with you. And in the meantime,

why don't you and Tony talk things over? Yeah, sounds great.

Okay, nice to meet you. Let's do it. Bye -bye.

You know, what a great idea that would be with a private eye, a gentlemanly

sort, not the old, you know, raincoat, these, them, and those.

Listen, Gary, I thought that those tapes were all erased.

No, no, the network keeps them for reference. As far as I know, they keep

all.

I'll have another cup of espresso, Gregory. Dessert, anyone?

Betty? No, thank you. Not for me.

Another glass of milk, please.

Angela, I'm sure the gentlemen will excuse us.

They usually do.

Even when Angela is walking away from you, there still is a certain amount of

enjoyment. She's a very lovely young lady.

I assume that Gary Michaels was serious when he asked me to be on the show.

Absolutely.

That's why he wanted me to sit down with you, find out what you want to say,

access to Brian.

No, I'm not a commentator, just a detective, and I thought we might have

fun. That's exactly what I told him. I mean, you seem like a relaxed kind of

guy, loose.

Why not?

You know, you've been on a lot of these shows. I want to ask you about clothes.

You know, color, suit, pattern.

What about a tie like this?

What you have on right now is fine.

Some herringbone checks aren't very good.

You have any jewelry that might flare?

You mean like flash in the lens?

Yeah, give a bad light bounce, like a big spender's diamond pinky ring.

Well, take me, for example. Sunday night show, I was wearing a stick pin diamond

horseshoe. Used to fool around with the ponies.

Anyway, after Gary introduced me, one of the assistants came over and told me to

take it off. I was giving a bad reflection.

I had it on earlier today.

But Angela didn't think it looked very good with this shirt and tie.

That kind of criticism I can live with.

Not knocking a good meal. It was always kind of fun.

But Tony Neal never does anything unless he's got an ulterior motive.

That stick pen is really bothering you, isn't it? All the way.

One of the assistants told me to take it off because it was flaring the lens.

I had it on earlier, but Angela said it didn't match my tie and

shirt.

Why did he go back to the projectionist?

Maybe it's like Monaco told me.

Gary Michaels and Tony were extremely flattered that you wanted to see the

He heard that we ran that tape backwards and forwards for the whole first ten

minutes of it. He just wanted to find out if we learned anything.

Oh, Barnaby, I don't know. I think you're reaching.

Yeah.

I'd like to reach a little further or come up about three minutes shorter.

You turn the light on.

Oh, call Sam Cassell.

Ask him if he can see me within the next hour.

All right.

Captain Wyatt, please.

Oh, Ben?

Oh, hello. This is Barnaby.

Ben, I need a little help. Can you get me a blueprint of the air conditioning

ducts and general utility layout of the Hollywood TV theater?

Yeah, there is something sticking me, and if it all adds up, I'll fill you in

it.

Thanks, Ben.

Sam could sell this anytime.

What was that all about?

About three minutes.

I could get a half a dozen jewelers downtown or in Beverly to duplicate it,

I need it done in a few hours and by somebody who won't talk.

Will I say Sam sent me?

No, like chicken soup, it can't hurt.

What games are you and Tony Neal out, sir?

Lost and found.

I think that he thinks... that I think he lost it.

He thinks that I think he found it.

Hello? Angela, this is Betty Jones.

Hello, Betty. How are you?

I'm fine, thank you. Barnaby and I wanted to thank you and Tony for the

delightful evening. It was certainly nice meeting you.

We all enjoyed it. I'll tell him, thank you. Angela, is Barnaby there?

Barnaby? Uh, no.

Is he supposed to be?

Well, he thought he might try and catch Tony.

Listen, Barnaby's been expecting some very important papers.

Well, they're blueprints, actually, and the messenger just brought them. So if

he shows up or calls you, will you tell him that I'm going to take them over to

the television studio myself and leave them in dressing room D?

Sure, Betty, dressing room D.

All right.

What kind of blueprints?

He'll know.

And listen, thank you again. I hope to see you soon.

Bye -bye.

Hello, Mr. Neal. You're taping another show for Michael today with that Barnaby

Jones, too. Yeah.

I guess I, uh...

I got the wrong dressing room.

Is something wrong with the air conditioning?

No, just exploring.

For what?

What are you looking for?

Well, this is the dressing room you used the last time, isn't it?

Are you crazy? I was on the air.

I know you were.

But you're the only professional in the business with the brain, the physical

ability, who had the opportunity to case the Morrison layout.

Barnaby. I'm retired.

So was I.

You really mean that you think that I crawled up inside there wherever that

leads to and got to the Morrison place and back last Sunday night?

Want to see how I figure?

I would be delighted.

After you, Alphonse.

Be careful where you put your fingers.

I might... Step on it.

Pretty good for an old goat. Downs from leading a clean line.

If it ever leads anywhere, I've got my next foot.

Well, so far, so good.

I can hardly wait to see what happens next.

Eighty seconds to ride here, and right over there is Carol Morrison's

Oh, that's right.

Are you out of your mind?

What was I supposed to do, sprout wings and fly over there?

How about a rope or a wire?

I read your book. You've done it before.

I think you're the thief, all right, Neil.

You don't have any proof, do you, Barnaby?

I didn't, not until a couple of minutes ago when you walked into dressing room D

because you knew that was the only place in the building where a man could get

into the one air shaft to the roof.

And you knew that the blueprints that proved it were going to be there.

You nailed yourself, Tony.

Barnaby, Barnaby, Barnaby.

Aren't you still looking for proof that I've ever been up in this roof before?

I may not be.

This is...

I found it at the edge of the roof where it probably dropped out of your tie.

I kind of figured that you'd lost it after the way you made a big thing of

waving it under my nose at the dinner.

Roof?

Old man, no one is ever going to know that.

Too bad.

Once a thief, always a thief, I guess. But a murderer?

I thought you were smarter than that.

You don't understand, Bonneby.

I wasn't even going to keep it.

Stealing that necklace was a publicity stunt for the book.

Until the murder.

Accidental murder. There's a difference.

Not to the dead man.

One question.

What?

That stick pit. How'd you happen to find it up there? Never did, man.

If he can make a duplicate, I can make a duplicate.

Right?