Original subtitles

It's 10:00, and KBEX now presents another special program

featuring the famous crime historian Paul Sorenson.

Paul Sorenson here. Once again,

tonight's broadcast is directed to an audience of one.

Naturally, I mean the man who calls himself Overkill.

This unfortunate man,

this murderer by compulsion,

has, in less than a year, violently taken seven lives...

frustrated all attempts of the police to apprehend him,

and has invited me, his "favorite crime writer",

to write his story.

Today I received this special delivery letter from Overkill.

"A man dies tonight.

"A lonely man who walks through the dark

"with only time as a companion.

"His death is my life.

"I cannot change that.

"Overkill."

But you can change it, Overkill.

All you have to do is call me at this number:

555-6600.

That's a private line direct to the phone right here beside me.

Overkill, listen to me.

Please listen to me.

I know that you are tortured.

I know that you're in the grip of a terrible compulsion.

But I can help you.

Do you hear me?

You only have to call me at this number,

and I will see to it that you receive the finest psychiatric

and legal assistance available.

The burden will be...

Who is it?

Who is it?

Who's there?

You will not have to...

What do you want?

You will not have to.

I beg you.

Trust me.

You don't want to kill again.

This man you've singled out tonight.

This lonely man.

Give him his life.

Do him and yourself that supreme favor.

Stop right now.

Stop long enough to let my words reach you.

Hear me, hear me, Overkill.

Hear me and trust me.

Pick up that phone.

Pick it up right now.

This phone.

Call me.

I beg you, trust me.

Let me help you.

♪♪

I want you to cover this area thoroughly.

And get away from that TV set over there.

Go over there and get a few shots, and then come on over here.

And you're going to need some men from this angle here, too.

So let's shoot some here. All right?

Hello, Joe.

Knowing how you felt about Red Bailey, I thought you'd want to be here.

What happened?

All we have now is that he didn't make his 12:00 round to the watch station.

His relief found him this morning.

Any leads?

It was Overkill.

His style all the way.

Why Red Bailey?

Why any of Overkill's victims?

I was just thinking I got Red this job.

Some favor.

Joe, you're not responsible for Overkill.

He's a sick man.

When he kills, it's without sense or logic.

That makes our job tougher, but we'll get it done.

We'll stop him.

How?

Where do you start?

We started months ago... With Overkill's first victim.

Anything so far?

No, a lot of blind alleys.

I'd better get over to Red Bailey's and have a look around.

I'll go along.

Right on top.

Red never forgot, did he?

You know, this could be the answer.

The badge?

Yeah, why Overkill chose Red... A grudge against a cop who busted him.

Not very likely.

Overkill never needed a motivation to do his thing.

Well, I'd check every arrest Red ever made.

Well, I'll feed it into a computer.

- It's locked. - Here.

I found these in Red's pocket.

"Seventh Overkill victim found."

Why the sixth?

The Marshall killing.

Well, that was number seven.

Yeah, well, Red could count, too.

Maybe he figured Overkill was getting too much credit.

No, no. Those seven killings were strictly textbook Overkill.

There couldn't be an imitator?

No, we'd know about it.

There were certain details of Overkill's M.O.

that we never talked about, for exactly that reason.

All right.

All right, but there could be something here.

Red was following the Overkill case,

and he was murdered by him, according to you.

Are you going to buy a coincidence like that?

It's a little wild, sure. But that's all it is.

Well, there had to be a reason that Red was bothering with all this stuff.

It's a game people play, particularly ex-cops. It passes the time.

Well, I knew Red.

He only played games for keeps.

I think he was breathing down somebody's neck.

Joe, a bunch of newspaper clippings

does not make even Red Bailey about to crack the Overkill case.

He was the best detective in the division

before that sniper's bullet shattered his knee.

He was a good man, sure, but so far we've got nothing.

Anything else in that drawer?

This.

Safe deposit box.

Well, thanks very much.

You're welcome, Lieutenant.

Miss Stevens, your records would show when Mr. Bailey was here last?

Of course.

Could you check them for me, please?

I can tell you exactly when it was. Yesterday.

About 15 minutes after closing time.

Mr. Bailey called, said it was very urgent.

We try to accommodate our customers under circumstances like that.

Yesterday.

Took out all his money.

Why?

We won't know until we find Overkill.

Sorenson here.

Yes.

Yes, I received your special delivery letter this morning.

Yes, yes.

The special agents are on it now.

I'll give you the address as soon as we get it.

Yeah, yeah, okay.

They show the call coming from a public phone booth

in the Lincoln Heights district.

All right, keep on it.

The call's coming from Lincoln Heights.

Code 137 Able...

Suspect in phone booth, Lincoln Heights district.

All units in area copy. Over.

There it is. That's the code for Overkill.

No, no, no. Now, listen to me.

I'm your friend.

I'm prepared to fight for you all the way.

No, no, no. No one's going to hurt you.

No one

Give us a chance. Is that too much to ask?

I can't do anything about it, Mr. Sorenson.

The pain...

I can't breathe!

I've got to kill this person.

No. No.

Now, you just stay where you are. Let us help you.

It's no use.

No use.

I want to do what you say.

But this is how it always is just before.

After I've done it...

I'm all right.

You trapped me.

You trapped me!

- Where is he, Colson? - Third floor center.

He must have an arsenal up there.

Yeah, he was ready for us, all right.

He's going to go out in a blaze of glory.

That's how I read it.

Oh, he made the call from the phone booth over there.

What have you got in mind? We can't wait for him to run out of ammo.

I've got some men working their way around from the back.

As soon as they're in position, we'll just start pouring it in.

Hopefully, we'll keep Overkill flattened until they can take him.

He's not going to let anybody near him. He'll kill himself first.

There's nothing we can do about that.

Hold your men back.

Joe, if he decides to turn a gun on himself, we can't stop him.

You've got to, Art. You've got to take him alive.

It's the only way we'll find out what happened to Red Bailey.

Sorry, Joe.

Joe! Cover him!

Hold it!

Why... came to get me, officers.

That's really more consideration than I deserve.

Now turn around slowly and raise your hands.

Of course, Officer.

Anything I can do to cooperate.

Hold it.

You see...

this is a hand grenade.

I've already pulled the pin.

So, this is how it's going to end.

For all of us.

Six seconds...

after I release the handle.

Heh.

You're entitled to have an attorney present.

You do understand that?

I'm... my own attorney.

I don't think he understands.

I have an attorney standing by... Good man. I'll call him.

I don't want your good man!

You've already double-crossed me once!

I'm trying to help you.

That's why you had those calls traced.

I knew what you were doing.

The minute I left those phone booths...

the police had arrived.

The first words I ever heard you say were, "stop me."

I thought you meant them.

All right.

Let's call in a secretary.

I want to dictate a full confession.

We aren't quite ready for that yet.

There are some details we have to straighten out first.

Such as your name.

You know who I am.

He means your real name.

We can't keep calling you Overkill.

Why not?

It's important that we establish your real identity.

Now, do you want to tell us your name?

It's one of those things I got stuck with.

John A. Lambert.

What's your address, John?

1214 Greenlee, Apartment B.

Are you employed?

What's that got to do with it?!

I killed seven people!

Seven people!

When are you going to get to that, huh?

You mean eight, don't you?

Including the night watchman last night?

Night watchman?

I get confused sometimes.

Why?

Why did you kill him?

I don't know.

I don't know why I...

killed any of those people.

Hello?

Mannix just went into his office.

Good.

Mr. Mannix' office.

One moment, please.

- Insurance salesman. - Ehh.

I'm sorry. Mr. Mannix isn't in right now.

No, no, I don't know.

Anything happen around here today?

Oh, a few calls.

And for real excitement, a phone repairman looked in.

Yeah, why?

Something was wrong out on the pole, and he had to check in here.

Here are your calls, Joe.

Are you all right?

I'm just hung up on this gut reaction that Red Bailey wasn't killed by a psycho

who just happened to pick him out of the whole city of Los Angeles.

Well, Overkill isn't denying he did it, is he?

No. But he's not the most competent witness I know of,

either for or against himself.

Well, I can tell you this.

He did call Paul Sorenson last night on the TV show,

after he killed Red.

You're sure about that?

I was watching it. And I tell you

my hands actually began to shake when that phone...

That red phone on his desk began to ring.

What time was that?

Oh, I don't know the exact minute.

Somewhere right after the show started.

Peggy, see if you can get me Paul Sorenson on the phone, huh?

So, now Overkill is in custody,

and the monster who terrified a great city

turns out to be a mild little man named John A. Lambert,

an accountant.

Excuse me.

Yes?

Oh, uh... I'll see.

It's a Mr. Mannix.

Hello, Mannix, what can I do for you?

Of course. I'll see you here in half an hour.

Nancy, you can type up those notes on yellow.

I'll be running the tape of the last show with Mr. Mannix.

Yes, sir.

Stop right now.

Stop long enough to let my words reach you.

Hear me, Overkill.

Hear me.

And trust me.

Pick up that phone.

Pick it up this moment.

And call me.

Let me help you.

Sorenson here.

I guess you can turn it off, Mr. Sorenson.

I've got what I need, thank you.

The phone call came in exactly two minutes and ten seconds

after you went on the air.

- Is it important... the time? - It could be.

You're absolutely sure that the man that called you was Overkill?

Yes, of course.

Hmm. Putting out that phone number on the air...

It could be some joker playing games.

No, no, no. It was Overkill.

I've talked to him too many times.

Can you recall what he said?

Well, I can do better than that.

I've taped every conversation I've had with Overkill,

including the one last night.

No, thanks.

Anytime you care to hear them...

For now, I'll settle for the general idea of that last call.

Did he mention having killed Red Bailey?

No.

Doesn't that seem strange?

Mr. Mannix, everything is strange about Overkill.

Including his ability to be in two places at one time.

Okay, so Red's station clock was smashed at 10:05... agreed.

Yeah. And Sorenson started his pitch to Overkill at 10:03,

according to the station log.

A little over two minutes into the pitch, he got the call from Overkill.

You were taping all of the calls coming in from Sorenson?

- Right. - Including this one?

Yeah, It came from a service station at Beverly and Melrose.

- Next question. - I know, I know.

How did he do it?

How did he get from Red Bailey back to the telephone in time?

Sorenson is positive the call came from Overkill.

That he's right.

The officer that checked the phone call said he found Overkill's usual note

jammed in the coin slot of the telephone.

So, Overkill didn't murder Red Bailey.. He couldn't have.

What about the M.O.?

Well, if Red's death could pass with you as an original,

maybe Red had something when he changed the number of victims

on that newspaper clipping.

Maybe... Maybe there was one other victim

that Overkill wasn't responsible for, and Red found out.

And it cost him is life.

Yeah.

I think we'd better talk to Overkill.

Joe, do you think we can trust anything this guy says?

For now, he's our best lead.

Get that door open, quick!

Get the doctor!

Forget it, Art.

Too late.

You okay, Joe?

Never better.

The next-door neighbor saw the open door and a body on the floor

and called the manager.

You were the body.

Well, I thought maybe we had missed something when we were here earlier.

Any reason to think so?

Well, the man at the door must have thought so.

Well, he could have been a burglar.

Yeah.

Well, I admire his work.

He's very tidy.

Except for that.

What would a thief be doing around here?

There's nothing here to steal.

What are you looking for?

The finial from that lamp.

There must have been one there to balance the shade.

Joe, is that really important?

Well, there was one here this morning. The shade was straight.

Here it is.

Our tidy little burglar must have removed it.

I think he was here to steal his own property.

You know what I think it was?

- A bug. - Yeah.

Somebody was awfully interested in what Red was doing on his own time,

why Red was so sure that one of Overkill's victims

wasn't Overkill's doing.

Wanted to hear every phone conversation and every discussion.

That somebody could have been very interested

in what we had to say here, too.

Yeah.

Tell me, Art, how many men in the department

have been close to the Overkill investigation,

that would know his signature and things like that?

Three. Two guys in the bureau who are working on the case with me.

Well, uh, what about ambulance attendants?

Coroner's office?

We had an arrangement with the department.

No one handled two Overkill victims.

Same goes for our lab people.

Well, how about Sorenson?

He's been phone pals with Overkill from the start.

He'd probably know his M.O. better than anybody.

- Oh, come on, Joe. - You know something, Art?

I'm suddenly becoming very interested

in hearing those tapes Sorenson's got of Overkill's phone contacts.

I want you to make that editor understand

that if he can't keep his writers from saying things like that about me,

he'll have to face the consequences.

I can kill him, too!

I've been watching him.

I might actually enjoy doing it.

Mr. Sorenson, believe me...

I do mean it!

And that editor had better believe me, too.

Unless he...

wants to join the others.

That was the next-to-last phone conversation I had with Overkill,

the night Bailey was murdered.

He didn't mention Red Bailey.

As I told you.

Those are all the tapes?

Yes. All of them.

What about Collier Lynd, Overkill's fourth victim?

I didn't hear his name mentioned, either.

Hey, come to think of it, you're right.

Yeah, let's check.

Lynd. Collier Lynd.

Here we are.

Mm-hmm.

According to my notes, I did not receive a phone call from Overkill

the night of the Lynd killing.

Did you get a letter from him,

saying he was going to kill someone the night Lynd was murdered?

Yes, the usual, with words cut from newspapers.

And another one the next day, which acknowledged killing Lynd.

I know that everything Overkill did was strange, Mr. Sorenson.

But how do you explain that this particular discrepancy

never occurred to you before?

I don't, Mr. Mannix.

The fact didn't seem very important, that's all.

What do you have on Lynd?

Yes, sir?

Nancy, would you please bring in the file on Collier Lynd?

Oh, right away, Mr. Sorenson.

Who was he?

Collier Lynd was an ex-convict

who was wanted for parole violation at the time he was murdered.

What kind of violation?

Changed his address without reporting it to his parole officer.

Hadn't been heard from for nearly three months at the time he was killed.

Mr. Mannix would like to see the file.

Thank you.

Anything else, Mr. Sorenson?

- That'll be all, Nancy. - Yes, sir.

I notice that you got a note here

saying that Lynd just quit his job in Bakersfield and dropped out of sight.

That's right.

Was he running from something?

I interviewed everyone who knew him in Bakersfield.

They just didn't know.

Hmm.

Well, thank you, Mr. Sorenson.

Not at all.

Mr. Sorenson's office.

Hello, doll.

I can't talk now.

Mannix was just in there with the genius.

What did he want?

I don't know.

Don't con me, Sweetheart.

You wouldn't want the genius to get his brains scrambled.

What did Mannix and your boss talk about?

They were looking through the Collier Lynd file.

And?

Well, Mr...

Mr. Mannix was asking about Lynd's prison record.

Joe Mannix.

As you can see, Lynd's prison record was outstanding.

Yeah. Behavior, attitude...

He reads out like a rehabilitated man.

We thought so. Like I told your friend Red Bailey,

Lynd was committed for grand theft auto.

He was a kid, barely 21. He was never any problem.

Red Bailey was here? When?

A week, ten days ago. It seems kind of strange

that he'd be killed by the same psycho who got Lynd over three months ago.

Yeah, very strange.

I see Lynd was a witness in a murder trial while he was here.

Yeah, he was the only witness we had.

A con out of L.A. named Jack Dennis knifed a guard.

- He's in death row. - Tell me about him.

Dennis? A small-time hood.

Trouble all the way.

Lynd shortened his stay here by at least a year

when he testified against him.

Yeah.

I wonder how much he shortened his life.

Well, thank you, Mr. Caldwell.

You're welcome.

Frank?

Take that back for me will you, please?

Joe Mannix saw the warden, went through the Lynd file.

Frank!

I want Mannix hit.

Malcolm.

Art, check the package on a man named Jack Dennis,

and tell me if Red ever busted him.

I happen to know that Dennis had a perfect alibi

for the night Red was murdered. He was on death row.

I know.

But check anyway and call me back. I'd appreciate it.

Okay, Joe, you're a citizen.

You pay my salary.

Yeah.

- I don't know how they missed you. - I live right.

All right, Joe.

Who was shooting at you?

They didn't say.

I checked out Jack Dennis.

He's an interesting fellow.

How interesting?

Jack Dennis was busted by Red Bailey... Armed robbery.

I had a feeling there was a connection. Anything else?

Yeah. Just after Dennis was sent up,

a sniper bullet shot away Red's kneecap.

A coincidence. Or Dennis has friends.

No. Much better than friends...

A godfather.

Ty Webber.

At least, that's the report from Intelligence.

Mr. Mannix' office.

Just a moment, please.

Come on, Art. I'll walk you to your car.

Mr. Mannix isn't in right now. Can you call back?

Joe, I'm overwhelmed... This unexpected courtesy.

My office is bugged.

A telephone repairman showed up the other day,

said there was trouble on the line. I checked with the office... no record.

Oh, and smile.

We may also be on Candid Camera.

You know, I could have that bug traced,

in case your insurance agent calls again.

No, I don't want to disturb the setup.

I'm planning on feeding him something I want him to hear.

I'll call you in half an hour. When I do, ham it up.

Joe, you're not going to do anything I...

Art, you're not smiling.

You're not going to do anything I don't know about until we wrap this up, right?

Half an hour, huh?

In Sacramento, a new tax bill was signed into law.

The new bill represents a hike of $2 billion over last year's increase.

And now we go to Wilton Smith with our remote camera unit

at the San Felipe Correctional Institution.

This is Wilton Smith with a remote camera unit

here at San Felipe Correctional Institution.

Today is a very important day in the life of Ty Webber,

underworld boss.

Today, after serving three years

of a ten-year prison term for jury tampering, Webber goes home.

He'll be coming through that gate to freedom any moment now.

In fact, yes, here he comes.

Mr. Webber, can I have a statement for my television audience?

No way.

Just one question, sir. Do you have any plans?

I'm going home, see if I can wash the stink of this place off me.

Hey, Ty, you look good on television.

I look better here.

What are you doing about Mannix?

He's nowhere.

I won't miss again.

Make sure.

I just spent three years mopping floors in San Felipe

because of some "nowhere" people.

Lieutenant Malcolm.

Art? Now, do me a favor, huh?

- Get your men off my back. - What men?

Now look, I'm trying to make some bread as a private cop.

My clients are entitled to some privacy.

Joe, somebody is shooting at you.

Well, that's my problem.

Call your wolf pack off, and maybe they'll stop.

Okay, Joe. It's your neck.

Mannix.

Mannix, I hear you've been asking questions about Colly Lynd.

One or two.

Would you like some answers?

What'll it cost?

Oh, it ought to be worth at least a thousand.

Okay. If the answers are right.

Red Bailey thought they were.

Red bought them?

The afternoon before he was killed.

We met at the bank, so he could get the money.

Where will I meet you?

Do you know the Japanese Village?

Yeah.

It's closed tomorrow.

I'll be there at daybreak.

Come alone, or don't come.

And bring the money.

He'll be there.

Good.

I'm looking forward to it.

You?

Shouldn't you be someplace establishing an alibi?

I'll be there.

Very much there.

Mr. Mannix?

I brought the money.

But I'd like to know what I'm paying for.

The killer you're after.

Who is he?

You're talking to him.

I take it Red Bailey didn't know you murdered Lynd...

or you wouldn't be here.

No. I told him Lynd was blackmailing Paul Sorenson...

until Sorenson finally had enough.

And you got rid of Lynd by using Overkill's M.O. as a cover.

That's about it.

- And Red bought it? - He had to.

I had Sorenson's notes.

I knew Overkill's M.O. right down to the last dot.

Where'd you get it?

Sorenson's secretary.

She's got a thing for her boss,

doesn't want him hurt.

Or herself.

Jake.

When they come to feed the dolphins, they'll find us here.

The police know I suspected Sorenson,

so they'll figure we squared off and killed each other.

And you get away clean.

Publicity bores me.

Jake.

I'll take the money, Mannix.

Kill him!

You stay here and don't make any noise.

I'm going to circle around.

You go around that way. I'll look up here.

Hold it right there! Now, don't move!

Drop the gun!

Now, I want you to sound off loud and clear.

Tell your friend you got me.

Sound off.

It wouldn't take much. Sound off!

Webber, we've got Mannix!

In the teahouse.

In the teahouse!

Oh, really?

Get rid of your gun, Mannix.

Uh-uh.

Lassiter won't do you any good.

This thing will shoot through him as if he were paper.

Prove it.

Ty, don't!

Joe!

We'll take care of him.

You're a little late.

You seemed to have started without us.

Mr. Mannix, you really had a notion that I was a suspect.

Yeah.

Nobody's perfect.