Original subtitles

This is the city, Los Angeles, California.

With less than 3% of the nation's farms,

California produces 25% of the nation's table food.

There are only a few crops

that cannot be grown in California.

One of them is marijuana.

Another is the opium poppy, the source of heroin.

They're imported from Mexico.

And when they are, I go to work.

I carry a badge.

It was Tuesday, September 26th.

It was foggy in Los Angeles.

We were working the night watch out of Narcotics Division.

The boss is Captain Al Trembly.

My partner's Bill Gannon.

My name's Friday.

For six hours, Bill and I had been on stakeout.

We had arranged for an undercover officer

to buy 3 ounces of heroin

from a known dealer named Sal Romero.

To make the buy, we had provided him

with $750 in marked bills.

We had planned to witness the transaction,

then arrest Romero with the evidence of the sale.

Either the informant had been wrong,

or Romero had been scared off.

Either way, we had nothing to show for six hours' work.

The money would go back into the Secret Service Fund.

The story you're about to see is true.

The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

I didn't figure it'd go down easy.

Yeah, Romero must've got hinkey.

The big ones always are. That's how they get big.

Maybe next time, Joe.

With him, one thing's sure.

There's always gonna be a next time.

Trembly.

Hey, wait a minute, Joe. What's that address again?

Okay, got it. Thanks.

Van Nuys Division.

A light plane crashed 15,000 blocks Satagoyne

- out in the Valley. - Yes, sir?

Hop out there and take a look at it.

The pilot rabbited, but the cargo's still onboard.

Yes, sir?

About 150 pounds of marijuana.

12:35 a.m. Two radio units were on the scene,

along with a half a dozen

newspaper reporters and photographers.

Forsen, Foothills.

Friday and Gannon, Narcotics.

Who informed the press?

We figure somebody in the neighborhood.

They know about the narcotics?

Whoever it was told them that, too.

Anybody see the crash?

We've got a witness. He's in my car.

You want to talk to him?

He the one who called the press?

No, claims he didn't.

All right. We'll check the plane first.

When'd it come down?

Call came in at three minutes past 12:00.

Witness claims he called as soon as he saw it.

AIN was here at 12:10.

- Did you check the cargo? - That's right.

Figured it to be about 150 pounds of weed.

- Something else. - What's that?

That brown envelope, found it under the seat.

Heroin. Looks like about $100,000 worth.

There's some writing on the envelope in Spanish.

Deliver merchandise to same place as last time,

5:00 a.m. Wednesday.

Somebody's gonna be awful disappointed

- at 5:00 a.m., aren't they? - Maybe, maybe not.

If we get lucky, we might be able to make this delivery.

Only one problem. Where's the drop?

We've got five hours. Maybe we can find out.

12:47 a.m.

While Bill made arrangements with Sergeant Forsen

for us to take possession of the narcotics,

I talked to the reporters.

With the discovery of the narcotics

and the time element involved, we had a problem.

You onto something big, Friday?

I need a favor.

I want you to sit on the story for a while.

- Why, Joe? - The pilot was probably a mule,

a narcotics smuggler.

Now, there's about 150 pounds of marijuana

and over $100,000 worth of heroin on that plane.

We found evidence indicating

delivery was to be made in the morning.

Now, if the receiver doesn't know the plane went down,

he'll be waiting for it. We want to be there.

You made the pilot?

Sorry, I've told you all I can.

Will you hold the story? We need time.

How much time?

Give us six hours.

All right, I think my paper will hold back for one edition.

Thanks. I don't have to tell all of you,

the department'll appreciate it.

Called and checked with the Captain,

told him what we had.

Fessler's sending a team out from Latent Prints to check the plane.

He's gonna wake up somebody in the FAA.

He'll call us if he comes up with anything on the plane.

Did you talk to the witness?

Just did. Not much help.

The only thing he could tell us

was that the man who left the plane limped,

appeared to favor his right leg.

No sign of blood around the plane.

Maybe he got off lucky. No other description?

Said it was too dark,

couldn't be sure about anything but the limp.

- Anything else? - Yeah.

Valley detectives are checking local hospitals.

1K80, this is 321.

This is 1K80, go ahead.

FAA reports Cessna 140, Nora 17964, is a rental,

registered to the Fairview Aircraft Company,

Van Nuys Airport.

Manager's Fred Robinson.

I got him out of bed. He's on his way there now.

Address is 11862 Airways Boulevard.

321KMA367.

Thanks, Fess. 1K80 out.

Plane was a rental.

I've got a feeling it's gonna be a long night.

1:05 a.m. The Fairview Aircraft Company

was a combination flying school and rental agency.

By the time we got there,

the manager had already arrived.

Guy on the phone said one of our planes crashed.

Yes, sir. That's right.

It was a Cessna 140.

The registration number is N17964.

Where'd it go down?

- Near here, over on Satagoyne. - Ship totaled?

Gears washed out, left wing's damaged, props' bent.

We'd like you to check your records

and tell us who the pilot was, if you would.

Sure.

Anybody hurt?

No, not that we know of.

Here it is.

Jerome, Frank T., 2216 South Lankershim,

apartment 3D,

FAA pilot's license number DN26189.

When did he rent the plane?

Sunday afternoon, filed a flight plan for Blythe.

Apparently, he was on his way back.

Scheduled return day was Tuesday.

Do you remember what he looked like?

No, I didn't pay any attention.

I'm not particular. If they've got a license and the money,

they can get a plane.

No scars, tattoos, anything like that?

There was one thing, but his license was okay,

- so I didn't question it. - What's that?

He had a game leg. He limped.

1:32 a.m. We checked with the office

and asked them to run the name Frank T. Jerome through R & I.

They would also contact the Federal Aviation Agency

to check the license.

We drove out to the address

the suspect had given to the rental agency.

- I'll make you a bet. - Yeah?

It'll be one of two things.

The address is either an empty lot

or whoever lives there never heard of Frank T. Jerome.

No bet.

Whoever we're looking for

isn't about to give his right address

or his right name. You know that.

Well, all we can do is run it down.

If we don't find it before the sun comes up,

all we've got is a lot of grass and H.

Even if we find the mule, there's no guarantee

he hasn't already contacted the dealer.

Maybe not.

Mules usually work a one-way street.

You know that. The dealers know them.

They don't know the dealers.

No, my guess is the pilot of that plane

is probably sitting by his phone right now

waiting for it to ring.

And if it rings before we find him,

and he tells the boss man about his little accident,

he could be in big trouble.

He may want us as bad as we do him.

Yeah, you've got a point there.

Address should be on this block.

Yeah, that's it right over there, isn't it?

Well, it can't be, Joe.

What do you mean?

It's supposed to be an apartment house.

The address was 2216, apartment 3D.

Well, we're here. Let's knock on the door anyway.

In guess you're asked, it's 1:45 a.m.

Who did you say it was?

Police officers!

You got identification?

Yes, sir. This is Bill Gannon.

My name's Friday.

Do you know what time it is?

Yes, sir. 1:45.

We're looking for a man by the name of Frank Jerome.

- Do you know him? - Nobody here by that name.

What's your name, sir?

Donaldson, George Donaldson.

What is it, George?

Police!

They're looking for somebody named Jerome!

In the middle of the night?

The man we're looking for limps.

He may live around here.

They say he limps!

What?

The fella they're looking for, they say he limps!

Well, you will, too,

if you don't close that door and come to bed!

Well, the way I see it, we've got two options.

1, wake up everybody

who lives at 2216 anything street,

or 2, wake up everybody

who lives in an apartment 3D anywhere.

Let's see if the office has turned up anything.

321, this is unit 1K80.

1K80, this is 321.

Go ahead.

Anything from R & I?

Negative, no record under the name Frank T. Jerome.

FAA report just came in. The license was a forgery.

Van Nuys detectives called in.

They checked the hospitals. Also negative.

Yeah, it would be.

The manager of Fairview Aircraft said he had a limp

when he rented the plane.

That's it, Joe.

Will you check one more thing for us, Fess?

Sure.

Call the cab companies.

See if anybody picked up a passenger near the crash

or dropped off a passenger

in the 21, 22, or 2300 block of Lankershim.

Pickup would've been around 12:15.

I'll get back to you.

321KMA367.

1K80KMA.

He may be a while.

You want to get a cup of coffee?

Yeah, we might as well.

I had one thing right, didn't I?

- What's that? - Long night.

1K80, this is 321.

1K80, go ahead.

You got lucky, Joe.

Cab company reports one of their drivers

remembers dropping off a male passenger

on the corner of Lankershim and Laurel.

That's the 2100 block. The passenger limped.

Driver remember which way he walked

after he dropped him off?

Negative.

Thanks, Fess. 1K80KMA.

321KMA367.

Option 2, all the apartments 3D.

3:15 a.m.

In just a little over an hour,

Bill and I had checked 12 apartment houses.

So far, we'd turned up nothing but 12 irate citizens.

Joe.

Jerome Frank,

spell it backwards, Frank Jerome.

Might be a coincidence.

Worth a try.

What was that address we got from the plane rental place?

2216.

2261.

Yeah, maybe he inverted

the last two numbers of his address, too.

Who is it?

Is that you, Jerry?

Police officers!

- Who? - Police officers. Open up!

Yes?

- You Mrs. Frank? - Yes.

Is your husband at home?

No, why do you ask?

He an airplane pilot?

- Is he hurt? - We don't know.

All right, come in.

Did Jerry have an accident?

Has he been here tonight?

No. He had a charter.

He's a private pilot.

He's not home very much lately.

Yes, ma'am. You mind if we look around?

You can, if you want. He's not here.

I wish you'd tell me what this is about.

Do you have any idea where we might locate him?

Did he do something wrong?

He was flying in some contraband from Mexico.

His plane crashed, and he ran away from it.

Did you say he ran away?

That's right.

- Then it's not my husband. - How's that, ma'am?

Jerry can't run, not since he was in Vietnam.

He flew reconnaissance missions

until he was wounded. He lost a leg.

They gave him a medal for it.

Yes, ma'am.

Do you know anything about the cargo

your husband's flying into this country?

That law's silly anyway.

How's that?

Well, people want to buy those silly birds.

- Why don't you let them? - What do you mean by that?

Some kind of parrots, that's what Jerry smuggles in.

Is that what he told you, did he?

Yes, that's what he's flying in.

Well, now, we don't know anything about parrots, lady,

but we found $120,000 worth of narcotics

aboard that plane he was flying.

I guess I should've known.

I always thought he was too well paid

for flying in birds.

Yes, ma'am.

He talked about it once on the telephone.

I guess I didn't want to believe it.

So much easier to believe the other.

Yes, ma'am. Either way, he was breaking the law, wasn't he?

That's why he did it.

How's that?

Wouldn't be exciting if it were legal, would it?

You see, my husband has never really grown up.

He talks about Vietnam like it was some kind of a, a game,

some deadly, exciting game.

He could've stayed on in the service,

but they wouldn't let him fly in combat anymore.

He turned to this narcotics business.

I told you he wasn't here.

He left me, three weeks ago.

Do you know where he is?

He has a girlfriend. He's probably with her.

Where's that?

Hacienda Apartments on Laurel, apartment 23.

I guess this is the closest thing to a war Jerry could find.

It's really funny, isn't it?

He thinks it's a big game.

Yeah, well, he's played twice.

Yes.

Kind of looks like he lost both times, doesn't it?

3:31 a.m. the Hacienda Apartments

were on Laurel Canyon Boulevard near Lankershim.

It took less than five minutes to get there.

I entered from the front of the building,

while Bill went around to the back

to cover the rear entrance.

Okay, Pat. See you tomorrow.

Don't worry.

I won't if you don't.

Better get out of here.

- What's going on? - Police officer.

- Your name Jerry Frank? - Yeah, that's right.

Just keep those hands in plain sight.

You're under arrest.

I'm not gonna cause you any trouble.

Found this one going out the back door.

Her name's Pat Wingate.

Just put the purse on the floor.

I'm not carrying a gun.

Put it down!

All right, you're under arrest, lady.

It's our duty to advise you of your constitutional rights.

You have the right to remain silent.

Any statement you make can and will be used against you

in a court of law.

You have the right to the presence of an attorney.

If you desire, but cannot afford one,

one will be appointed before any questioning.

Do you understand that?

I understand it.

Like the Geneva Convention, name, rank, and serial number.

I understand.

Do you?

Yeah, I suppose.

Do you understand?

Yes, yes!

I'll call Van Nuys for a black and white.

If you'll hand me my leg, I'll go peaceably.

The sooner you book me, the sooner I can make bail.

That's the way you've got it figured, have you?

- That's right. - Who are you working for?

Sorry, name, rank, and serial number.

How about you, lady? Where do you fit in?

I don't.

Don't let the big innocent eyes fool you.

- She's in it with me. - Shut up.

You heard your rights.

Unit's on its way.

All right, fella. You're in big trouble, and you know it.

You're supposed to make a delivery at 5:00 a.m.

That's just a little over an hour from now.

What do you think's gonna happen when you don't show up?

Nothing.

They'll read about the crash in the newspapers.

I called the story in myself.

That's my insurance.

Yeah, well, your policy just lapsed.

We killed the story.

In about an hour, your connection's gonna figure

you've decided to go into business for yourself

with $120,000 worth of his merchandise.

Now, you like to live dangerously.

What do you figure the odds are

that you'll still be alive tomorrow night?

Mind if I don't believe you? Because I don't.

You've got about an hour before that phone's gonna ring,

and the man on the other end is gonna want his merchandise.

He never heard of a plane crash,

and you're not in jail.

Now, you explain that to him.

Good luck. Let's go, Gannon.

Well, wait a minute!

- Yeah? - Geneva Convention.

I'm a prisoner of war. You've gotta lock me up.

- Wrong war. - Who are you hauling the junk for?

They'll kill me! I don't know who picks up the stuff,

and that's the truth!

All right, where?

They'll kill me if I tell you.

They'll kill you if you don't.

Tell them, Jerry.

Do you know what that means?

I know what it means if you don't.

Out near the Hollywood Dam, vacant field.

I leave the stuff behind some rocks.

Next day, they leave my money in the same place.

Which rocks?

Big one, two smaller ones in front of it.

One of the smaller ones has some writing on it.

You put the stuff right behind it.

What kind of writing? What's it say?

"Jesus saves."

4:42 a.m. We placed the shipment

in the location described by the suspect, Jerry Frank.

We staked it out with the help

of two other teams from Narcotics Division.

According to the note found on the plane,

the pickup would be made in 18 minutes.

At exactly 4:50 a.m.,

a car headed up the access road to the drop point.

There were two men in the front seat.

Police officers! Get those hands behind your heads!

Come on, move!

It's my duty to advise you of your constitutional rights.

You don't have to bother with them.

What do you mean?

- He's a dummy. - How's that?

He was born deaf and dumb.

7:28 a.m.

The two suspects were identified

as Peter Witmer and Wallace Shanklin.

We took them to an interrogation room.

According to R & I, you've been pretty busy

the last few years, haven't you, Witmer?

Talk to my lawyer.

You've been in the joint twice for pushing,

state hospital three times for using,

spent a year at Chino for assault

while under the influence of narcotics.

You've really been the route, haven't you?

Talk to my lawyer.

You know, you're clean, Shanklin, no record.

How does it happen that you're holding hands

with a character like Witmer here?

I told you before, he's a dummy.

He can't tell you anything.

He was born deaf and dumb.

How do you communicate with him?

Mental telepathy.

All right, suppose you tell him, then,

that you're both going to jail.

Maybe we are, maybe we're not.

In the meantime, the interview's over.

You've got all you're gonna get from us.

You might as well tell us who the big man is.

We'll dig him out sooner or later anyway.

Ask him.

You can make it a lot easier on yourself

by telling us what we want to know.

How? You gonna start toting up

my good behavior time right now?

Who'd you pick the stuff up for?

I don't know, and he can't tell you.

How long do you think you can hold out

on this deaf and dumb bit?

I think you're faking.

I think you can hear good, and you can talk good!

All right, you, take everything out of your pockets

and put it on the table.

You're just gonna have to reach in and get it.

Wally don't understand you.

I don't see why you don't leave him alone.

You don't have to roust the poor guy.

He can't hear, and he can't talk,

and you're treating him like a bum.

I'm gonna ask you once more.

Who'd you pick the stuff up for?

He couldn't tell you if he wanted to.

This says he can!

It's a receipt from a music store

for two phonograph records.

Now, what do you do, Shanklin,

sit there and watch the labels go around?

Come on! Who are you and Witmer working for?

I told you it would never work.

- You stupid jerk! - Let's have it.

They told me, if I was ever picked up,

just to play deaf and dumb,

and since I didn't have nothing on file,

they could get me off.

All right, who's the big man?

I'm gonna tell 'em. You do that, fink,

and I wouldn't give you eight cents for your future.

That's enough of that! Come on, Shanklin!

The guy you want is named Sal Romero.

He's the one we picked up the stuff for.

You really are stupid, aren't you?

Why do you say that?

You just didn't think, did you?

What do you mean?

Why didn't you tell him you bought the records

for a friend?

The suspects were found guilty of conspiracy

to violate Sections 11501 and 11531,

Health and Safety Code, State of California,

which makes it a crime to illegally transport,

import, sell, or furnish any narcotic.

The penalty prescribed by law is imprisonment

in the state prison from five years to life.