Original subtitles

Barnaby Jones.

Starring Buddy Ebsen.

Also starring Lee Meriwether. With guest stars Mariette Hartley,

James Luisi, Claudette Nevins.

Tonight's episode, Mystery Cycle.

Bob Depp? Yeah, uh, Mr. Yeager. You gonna take those ridges again today?

Why not?

Boss allowed to play.

Let's bust him.

Good morning. Is Mrs. Yeager in? I'm Barnaby Jones.

Just one minute, please.

I'll be making some changes on the board, but I wouldn't so much as hint,

least not yet, that I'm thinking of phasing out the motor division.

Mrs. Yeager, are Mr. Barnaby Jones to see you? Yes, I'm expecting him.

Well, I don't think we need worry about the Yeager stocks not showing some

strength soon, although it might be best to leak the next quarterly and put the

rumors to rest.

Mrs. Yeager, please accept our condolences once again.

All of us have the highest regard for your husband. Thank you. Goodbye.

Goodbye.

Mrs. Yeager? Mr. Jones.

If this is inconvenient, I could come at another time tomorrow.

No, it's all right. I prefer getting as many details out of the way as possible.

May I offer you something?

No, nothing for me, thanks. This is a lovely place you have here. Oh, thank

Why don't we talk outside, get some fresh air? Fine.

Now, I know that California Meridian Insurance has already spoken to you, so

I'll try not to cover any old ground.

Perhaps you can tell me exactly what the problem is. Is it the size of the

policy? Well, the double indemnity accidental death clause brings the

to a million dollars.

Well, if my husband's death wasn't accidental...

What are you suggesting, Mr. Jones? A suicide?

I'm not suggesting anything, Mrs. Yeager. It's just that the company feels

obligated to look rather closely into the accidental death theory. That's the

reason they brought me in.

Well, I think you can eliminate suicide as a possibility.

My husband was in perfect health, both mentally and physically.

No man had a greater zest for living.

You know, it's common knowledge that the Yeager company was in financial trouble

lately.

Well, the motor division's been a drain, that's true, so we're considering the

possibility of some surgery there. In fact, the reason for that division's

existence passed on with Jonathan.

It was always more of a hobby with him than a business.

You don't suppose it's possible that Mr. Yeager could have been preoccupied with

the problems of the company that morning?

Oh, certainly not while testing a motorcycle.

It speeds up to 100 miles an hour.

I realize, riders, you take spills, but I understand that the trail along the

ridge was straight and smooth.

Mr. Yeager had been over it many times in the past.

Well, perhaps what it all boils down to, Mr. Jones, is that it takes just one

mistake.

And Jonathan made it.

Please.

Carolyn.

Something. I'm sorry I've been in such a state of shock. I just happened to see

a tiny mention of it in the San Francisco papers.

Well, I'm glad you're here.

Mr. Jones, this is my sister, Carolyn Lacey.

How do you do, Mr. Jones?

I think I'll be leaving now, Mrs. Yeager. If you don't mind, I'll stop by

motor division and maybe talk to some of the men who are with your husband.

That'll be fine. Steve Rollins is in charge there now. He'll give you

help you need. Thank you very much.

Nice meeting you, Miss Lacey.

I wish you'd called.

I can't tell you how awful it was reading about Jonathan's death days

fact. I'm sorry, Carolyn. I've had a hundred things on my mind.

Sometimes I can't understand you, Frances. How could you forget to notify

own sister?

Half -sister, dear.

Look, I came here because I thought I might be some help, some comfort.

Obviously, you don't require that comfort.

Meaning what?

That I didn't love Jonathan?

That's always been understood between us.

But he was a good man in many ways, Frances. I mean, surely you respected

Would it be easier for you if I just drove back to San Francisco?

Well, that would hardly look proper now, would it?

I'm sure we can manage to stay out of each other's hair for a few days, don't

you think?

I just always wish we'd been closer.

That's hardly of any importance now, Carolyn, is it?

Now, as far as you can figure, your position was right there.

I'd say a quarter mile to the right of the ridge, just along the lip of the

Royal.

Now, from each of these four positions, none of you fellas saw Mr.

Yeager go up on the ridge.

Well, you know, out there testing bikes, it's kind of hard to keep track of

anybody. You're too busy trying to handle your own machine.

Joe, you weren't on the left side of me, but ahead and to the right. Oh.

I hit sand right here and almost flipped into the arroyo.

That was to the left of you.

No, and I saw you to his right, too.

You were wearing a black helmet, right?

Come on, man. I had a mouthful of sand. You're going to tell me that I wasn't to

the west of the arroyo?

You two are both wrong. I can vouch for Joe Redding on the left. No, not on my

left. Well, exactly where did you see me then?

Here, may I?

Sure.

Right here.

Now... How could I be over there when I saw at least two of you guys just to the

east of me just minutes before the accident?

Look, old buddy, if you weren't there, you weren't there. But, uh, if it wasn't

you, who was it?

I don't know.

Mr. Jones?

Did you, uh, get what you came for?

Well, there seems to be a difference of opinion, Mr. Rollins.

That happens.

How about getting back to work, fellas?

Thanks, fellas.

Say, uh, you mind if I take this?

Not at all.

Is there anything else I can do for you?

Well, no, no, I don't think... Well, maybe, maybe you might be able to clear

a point.

Those tests that you made out there on the desert course, were they a weekly

routine thing?

Well, we take the bikes out, we abuse them, we bring them back and rip them

apart. Was Mr. Yeager's participation in the test routine?

Ah, you couldn't keep him away.

He really loved biking across those ridges.

Well, what about yourself, Mr. Rollins? I understand that you were in charge of

all the testing, but you weren't out there that day with the others.

I stopped riding that desert course about three months ago.

Back to it.

Well, then it's just the four fellows, Mr.

Yeager, and you.

Do you know of anyone else who might have been familiar with the course or

ridden it or knew the routine?

Those four men you talked to, they're our only testers.

They've been with us ever since we bought that desert acreage.

Well, thank you very much, and I hope your back gets better.

Thank you.

I must have gone through six pounds of financial reports this afternoon.

You know, you're going to have to learn to leave business details to others.

You're a very rich lady now.

Especially tonight.

I know what you preoccupied with business details.

You promise?

I promise.

Wouldn't you think they'd pick a safer spot to test motorcycles?

Eddie, I'm puzzled.

I can't understand why the four test drivers can't agree on their position

before the accident.

Now, two of them out there claim that they saw Joe Scully.

It's right here. He's wearing a black helmet and they swear they saw him.

Right here.

Scully says he was out there.

He's backed up by number four down there.

That's a discrepancy of over a mile.

And my first instinct was that somebody wasn't telling the truth.

That would be such a clumsy lie.

Here is the point of debate.

Sometimes the simplest explanations are the most accurate.

Now, if those four riders were all telling the truth, there must have been

another cyclist out here.

Mr. X.

Mr. X?

Oh, Barnaby.

Now, if, as you say, these two riders saw him here in this area,

well, where was he before that?

Some place where there wasn't any chance of one of the bikes coming tearing

through? Some place where he could have kept an eye on the others?

Let's start over there.

at least.

Barnaby, couldn't someone have just been resting here?

Threw three cigarettes? That would take a half hour or more.

What's that?

Oil dripping.

No tire tracks.

Wind took care of that.

All we got is a trespasser.

We sat here long enough to smoke three cigarettes and let his machine drip a

little oil in the sand.

Are you going to be able to fix the time?

If that's our Mr.

X, he's got a lot more curiosity than just a trespasser.

Good morning, John.

I got to get my two miles in every day or go to bed with a guilty conscience.

Would your conscience permit accepting a lift at this point?

If it didn't, it'd be in for an argument.

You get down this way often?

L .A.? I haven't been down for a year or so.

It's kind of hard to tear me away from that city by the bay.

Pacific Western, isn't it? Yeah.

Track, I'll bet.

No records, just lots of fun.

That's about the way I went at it. But I did break the four -minute mile once my

junior year at slavery and college. You did?

Yeah. They had to meet in a county park, a brand -new quarter -mile oval.

I was quite a hero for about a half an hour until somebody suggested measuring

the track.

County Commissioner had awarded the contract to his nearsighted nephew.

The track was 50 yards short.

Oh, that's delicious.

The housekeeper said she hadn't heard from Francis either.

I can't imagine where she spent the entire night.

Oh, well, she'll probably call or show up soon.

Here you are.

Yeah, it looks very good.

I'm the gal who's most efficient in all things which do not matter.

Miss Lacey.

Oh, Carolyn, please.

I'm not a women's liver, but the miss at my age is something less than

complimentary. I wouldn't say that.

I was just wondering whether you might have some information that Mr. Yeager

trouble with one of his employees lately.

No, I never heard anything like that.

What about his relationship with your sister?

I'm sure Jonathan loved her.

It's for Frances.

I don't think she'll ever change.

She wants what she wants. She gets it.

She grows tired of it and goes on to something new.

It sounds to me like you expect something more than an accident.

Well, I can't dismiss that possibility.

Then, in fairness to Jonathan, I must tell you that he...

had become concerned about something in the last six months. He spent a lot of

time in San Francisco. We'd sometimes have dinner together.

I guess you know that he and I were something more than just friends.

I didn't know that. It was a long time ago.

Almost seven years.

Oh, I've kind of gotten used to playing second fiddle where Francis is

concerned.

Even as kids. She always ended up with the nicest toy or...

Be on my father's knee just when I want it to be.

Anyway, Jonathan said that he and Frances were having friction.

I think he knew she was having an affair.

Did he mention the man's name?

No.

He did say that he thought it might be somebody close to him in the company.

Mr. Jones!

May I speak with you for a moment?

Yes, surely.

Excuse me.

My attorney tells me that your report to the insurance company is the only thing

that's holding up the check.

Yes, I won't be much longer, Mrs. Yeager.

I don't mean to be rude, but your prodding is beginning to make others as

as me nervous.

I have to apologize for that, but I was just telling your sister that your

husband's death may not have been accidental.

Mr. Jones, if you're trying to revive that suicide theory... I never had that

theory.

Now, Mrs. Yeager, what I suspect but have been unable to prove is that there

another bike rider on the test area that day.

He caused your husband's bike to go off the ridge.

Oh, that's ridiculous.

That rider was waiting for some time out there, hiding and smoking the

cigarette.

anyone who smokes brown cigarettes like that?

No. No, I don't.

Well, thank you very much.

Bye.

Francis.

Where were you last night?

None of your business.

True, wasn't it?

You've been having an affair for some time now.

With Steve Rawlings?

Exactly what is it that troubles you? Is it being one of the have -nots, or is

it something else?

Nothing ever seems to trouble you, does it?

Johnson's been dead for exactly a week.

Perhaps you were right.

Perhaps it would be wiser for you to go back to San Francisco. As a matter of

fact, why don't you plan on leaving first thing in the morning?

Please. Hi, beautiful.

Mr. Jones thinks Jonathan may have been murdered.

What?

Can he prove it?

He said somebody was hiding out at the testing grounds, waiting to send

crashing off that ridge.

Somebody who smokes the same kind of cigarettes you do.

Where did you go that day, Steve, after you left me?

Biking along the coast.

Testing a new needle valve.

Hey, wait a minute.

These cigarettes are found all over town.

Besides, how long do you have to know me?

Hmm? Don't you know me well enough?

Hmm? I'm sorry, darling.

I just felt sick when I saw those cigarettes.

You know what I think?

Friend Jones is just trying to convince the insurance company that he's worth

the fee.

Wrong theory, gentlemen, but I was in there pitching.

You know what I mean?

Good days ahead, honey.

Evening, Pete.

Mr. Rollins around?

I don't know if he's gone home or not. You might look back by his death here,

though. Thanks. I'll try there.

Will that be all, Mrs. Yeager? Yes, that's fine for tonight. Thank you. Good

night.

Are you home?

Please.

No.

Carolyn.

Carolyn.

How does it feel to be on the short end for a change, Frances?

Please, please.

I'm going to tell you how it feels to be on the winning side for the first time.

Delicious. What can you gain by killing me?

All that money that should have been mine seven years ago. No. No!

Morning, Mr. Reynolds.

Morning. I was at your apartment several times last night, but you weren't in.

I was out riding.

What did you want?

You know, watching the way those cycles bounce around out there, you'd think

they'd all come in total wrecks.

It's the whole point behind it.

You have special equipment on each bike.

I notice the oil has a kind of a special tint.

We use synthetic oil with a vegetable base.

We're just experimenting with one of our refinery products.

All the bikes use the same kind of oil?

Yes. Mr. Jones, you're not interested in vegetable oils. Let's get to the point.

Like, what kind of cigarettes do I smoke?

Well, I think that we can charge that down to coincidence, as long as you can

explain and account for your time during the day that Mr.

Yeager was killed.

I was testing this bike along the coast.

Next.

All day?

You got it.

You didn't even stop anywhere for gasoline?

All right, all right. I was with a woman part of the day.

And you're not getting her name.

Wouldn't it be the same woman who said she didn't recognize the kind of

cigarette you smoke?

Goodbye, Mr. Jones.

Oops! Sorry.

That's a clump deal.

I'll clean it. Just let it be.

Oh, by the way, Mr. Rollins, do you own more than one bike?

I own two bikes.

I mean, I did own two bikes. One was stolen a few months ago.

Why?

Just curiosity.

Sorry about the oil.

That was a close one. I should have been watching.

Oh, it was my fault.

Maybe I should stick to jogging, huh?

You looking for Frances?

Yes, I was hoping to talk to her.

I don't think she's home yet.

Mr. Jones, there's something very peculiar going on.

Like what?

I don't know. It's hard to explain.

I think I can name the man that Frances has been seeing.

At least I saw them together one night, and the relationship was more than

friendly.

Steve Rollins?

Yes, I've met him.

Well, it didn't take much imagination to know she was expecting him last night.

What makes you say that?

Oh, about 7 o 'clock, she asked me what I was planning to do that evening. I

said nothing. She suggested that I take in a movie at the village.

I took the hint and got home at about midnight.

But she was gone.

I don't know. It's just all very strange.

Miss Lacey!

The police just called.

On the beach.

Mrs. Yeager.

Oh, God.

Please, please wait right over here. There's nothing to do. Please, I can't.

Mr. Jones, I can't believe it.

From the looks of things, I'd say it happened sometime last night. But I'll

for the coroner's report.

That's a pretty dangerous curve, but that lady has lived in this neighborhood

for years.

Francis? How'd it happen?

You a friend of Mrs. Yeager's?

I'm her husband.

We were married two days ago.

We didn't find anything over there. Let's take a look over here.

I'm getting tired of hearing about those cigarettes.

Mr. Rollins, let me tell you again that you don't have to answer my questions at

all. I didn't say I wouldn't cooperate.

But those cigarette stubs that Jones found, they could have belonged to

All right, let's get back to this secret marriage.

Francis wanted it that way.

We were going to have a church ceremony.

After a reasonable amount of time.

You and Mrs. Yeager, before Mr. Yeager's death... She was ready to ask for a

divorce.

Harvey, what time did you say you made those phone calls to Mr. Rollins'

apartment? Between 8 and 10 o 'clock that evening.

I got back around 11 o 'clock.

But you can't account for the time except for saying that you were out

riding a bike.

That's right. I set Thursday evenings aside so I could night test the bike

been modifying for the past four months.

I sent those... I sent those reports to our Dayton engineers every Friday

morning. Now you could check the company records.

In other words, you just take any Thursday night at random and you're

somewhere riding a motorcycle along a highway.

That's right, that's right.

Well, now, didn't you tell Mr. Jones that I...

Back injury prevents you from riding?

Only on the desert course, I believe, is the way Mr. Rollins put it.

I don't have a problem with a normal run.

Let's get back to the day Jonathan Yeager was killed.

I was with Francis.

Can you verify it?

No, we were alone.

Found it in the garden, Lieutenant.

It appears to be bloodstained and has the initial R on it.

Did you say R?

That's right.

We'll get it to the lab and have them check it for latent prints.

Of course there's going to be prints on it. That's mine. Don't you see there's

my mark on it? It's been taken from my house.

I'd be... Don't you see I'm being framed?

I'm not saying anything from here on.

My lawyer will do the talking for me.

That was quite a dessert.

I admire your appetite.

It's something I inherited. I think I could just gorge myself on all kinds of

goodies and not gain an L.

You know, Carolyn, I'm glad to see that you're not too disappointed that Steve

Rollins could be in control of the Yeager Company now.

Except for the fact that he married Frances, that would all be yours.

Unless, of course, he is convicted of murder.

Mr. Jones, I can't give a thought to what I might have gained.

That old conscience of mine keeps telling me what's not freely given does

belong to me.

That's a pretty good philosophy to live by.

But, Thay, Steve may be perfectly innocent.

I mean, why would he leave so many obvious clues behind?

Well, one explanation could be that intelligent people do not commit murder.

Oh, they may be clever, but they mistake their cleverness for intelligence.

Forgetting that they're not allowed one mistake, not one error.

Forgetting that they have to shut out the other side completely.

A lopsided score is just not good enough.

If Steve is guilty, if he made so many mistakes,

he might still have that other bike somewhere.

Wherever it is, it would have to be proven that he was the only person who

access to that particular place.

You ready?

Looks like Steve Rollins is home scot -free. First thing he would do would be

get rid of that... Wait a minute.

Why would he get rid of it?

He didn't know until after he was arrested that we could match the oil

from the drippings in the bank.

I've got a thought.

This affair between Steve and Francis has been going on for some time.

Where would they have been meeting?

Yeah, I see what you mean.

They couldn't use his apartment. His bike riders might come charging in any

moment.

And I can't imagine Francis going in and out of motels.

Yeah. Hideaway?

Yeah, he could have kept the other motorcycle there.

Sure something to think about.

That'd be like finding the proverbial needle in the haystack, right?

Thanks for everything.

Give my love to San Francisco.

I will. Bye -bye.

You'll be needing a lift back.

Thought I'd save you the trouble of calling a cab from the highway.

What'd you learn about the house?

Yesterday, telephone numbers in your sister's address book.

You're right, Mr. Jones.

Got to be a game.

I forgot no error is allowed.

If I sit a minute?

Did you, uh... Did you know it was me all along?

Not until they found that wrench in the garden.

After that, Lieutenant Vittle and I decided not to look at convenient clues

just start looking for the one who would profit most.

How simple is that?

Not quite.

Remember the day you were riding your bike and we almost ran into each other?

I couldn't get that out of my mind all day, the way you handled your bike like

you were born on one.

We checked the dirt motorcycle tracks in San Francisco. They knew Carolyn Lacey,

the one who always rented the highest -powered motorcycle and drove like a

fanatic. One track owner said like she was training for the race of her life.

That bit of play acting you did in your office.

You must feel pretty smug about it all, huh?

No, as a matter of fact, I feel pretty sad about it all.

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