Original subtitles

♪ (theme music playing) ♪

Mannix s6e04 Broken Mirror

♪ ♪

Oh, Gina, that's perfect.

Hold it.

Don't move.

(shutter clicks)

You are an incredibly lovely woman, Gina.

Wally, I'm your wife.

That's the way I intend to keep it.

We promised not to talk about that.

This is going to be our new beginning.

I'm sorry, darling.

Say, how about one of my famous San Ramos fizzes?

Ah, fantastic!

(boat motor chugging)

Darling?

Would you like to go for a swim later?

Gina, how about a swim later?

Gina?

Gina!

Gina!

♪ ♪

(doorbell chimes)

I'm Joe Mannix.

MAN: Come in, Mr. Mannix.

I'm Ed Lucas, Chief of Security for Hunter Industries.

Mr. Hunter is expecting you.

LUCAS: Mr. Mannix.

I'm Richard Averill, Mr. Hunter's attorney.

He's pretty badly shaken up by this.

He was very much in love with his wife.

Wallace?

Mr. Mannix is here.

Thank you for coming so promptly.

What can I do for you, Mr. Hunter?

Did you read about my wife? Yes.

I want you to find out what happened to her.

What do the police think?

(sighs): Yes, well...

...they have two theories.

Either... either she fell off the boat accidentally,

or I pushed her off.

The second theory was unspoken,

but it was quite obviously in their minds.

It happens, apparently.

What do you think happened to her?

I'm totally confused.

We were off the coast of Mexico.. Baja.

One minute we were laughing and enjoying ourselves.

The next...

Was the water rough?

Smooth as glass.

Any sudden change in course?

We were on automatic pilot.

Well, is it possible that she could have leaned over the rail

for some reason and fell overboard?

No, she was an expert swimmer.

Besides, she would've called me.

Mr. Hunter, uh...

I have to ask you this.

Could she have gone into the water deliberately?

Does this look like the picture of a woman

in a suicidal depression?

One of the newspaper stories said that, uh,

you and Mrs. Hunter were rumored to be on the verge of divorce.

I can assure you that's absolute nonsense.

It's all right, Richard.

We did have one short separation.

MANNIX: When was that?

It was a few weeks ago.

This cruise was supposed to be a sort of a... second honeymoon.

(phone rings)

MAN: Hello?

If it wasn't suicide, and, uh, you're convinced

she didn't fall overboard accidentally...

what other explanation could there be?

MAN: Mr. Hunter.

It's about your wife.

Yes?

They found her.

(helicopter powering down)

(speaking Spanish)

Gina.

I'm all right, Wallace.

The Lord was good to her.

And to you, senor.

Mrs. Hunter, uh, how did it happen?

This is Mr. Mannix, darling.

He's gonna try to find out what this is all about.

Well, I... was just sitting there,

and suddenly, there were two men.

You saw them?

No.

I heard something.

Before I could turn around,

one of them put a hand over my mouth.

They... put a m-mask on me,

an... an aqualung tank.

And they took you away underwater?

Yes.

Where to? A small fishing boat in a cove.

MANNIX: Would you recognize them?

I think so.

They, uh...

they tied me up and locked me in a cabin.

How did you get away, Mrs. Hunter?

I managed to loosen the ropes,

and... climbed out of the porthole

and swam ashore.

Senora, you must rest.

We can tell them what happened after that.

In the morning, Juan saw her running.

She fell down,

as if she had been running all night and all morning.

How far away from the ocean? Eight kilometers.

I carried her here.

Then I... I went to Villa Nova to tell Father Francisco.

Who called the police?

I did. Lieutenant Lopez came at once from San Ignacio.

He found no trace of the men or their boat.

He went back to town.

She's sleeping.

Gracias. De nada.

The doctor says we can take her home as soon as she wakes up.

I think I'll stay down here awhile, Mr. Hunter,

and have a look around.

You think it'll do any good? Huh. Those two guys

are long gone by now.

Somebody may have seen them; I could pick up a lead.

It's worth a try.

(man speaking Spanish)

(speaking Spanish)

(man continues in Spanish)

He says the people here in Villa Nova are good people.

If they knew anything, they would have come to me.

Did you tell them about the reward?

Yes.

No one here has seen any strangers

or the fishing boat.

Father, is there a place I can rent a car?

Where do you wish to go, senor?

To look for that cove. Oh. I will drive you myself.

Padre.

I must speak to you.

It's about Maria. Again?!

Oh, this may take some time.

Uh, please, senor, take my car.

Return it to me at the church when you have finished.

Thank you, Father.

Senor, this reward, how much?

Depends on how much you have to tell me.

The two men you are looking for, I know where they are.

You just hit the jackpot.

5,000 American dollars?

Why didn't you speak up inside?

When men talk of thousands of dollars,

it is better they talk alone.

Where are these two men?

We have a deal, senor?

If I catch up to them.

They are still in the cove.

They must have moved their boat when the police were here.

Now they are back.

Do you know who these two men are?

I've never seen them before around here.

That's why I noticed.

Where's the cove?

Two kilometers south of the lighthouse.

(boat engine chugging)

♪ ♪

(bubbling)

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

How do you like your coffee, Mr. Mannix?

Black.

Thank you.

Those two men knew I was the only one

who could possibly identify them.

Why would they take a chance of being caught for murdering you?

Well, I don't think ransom

was the real reason for the kidnapping.

And they didn't want me digging around.

If it isn't ransom, what is it they want?

If they had insisted that your husband deliver

the payoff himself, would he have done it?

Yes, I'm sure he would have.

What's that got to do with it?

Let's suppose that it was a trick,

to lure him to an isolated spot to kill him and then you.

But why?

Well, your husband is very rich, isn't he?

A will, you mean?

Mm.

No, no answer there, I'm afraid.

I'm Wallace's sole beneficiary.

Except for a few small bequests to friends

and some of his relatives.

What about your relatives?

My family goes back to a basket on the doorstep of an orphanage.

I was adopted by a Mr. and Mrs. Aldrich.

My adoptive parents were killed six years ago in a car accident.

Mrs. Hunter, uh... your husband told me

that you were separated for a while,

that this cruise was sort of a second honeymoon.

There's no other man in my life, Mr. Mannix,

if that's what you're trying to find out.

What I'm trying to find out, Mrs. Hunter,

is some motive for what's been going on.

And now you're wondering if the poor little orphan girl

who married the millionaire has a lover...

who wants the girl and the money.

Well, that's what I'm getting paid for,

to, uh, wonder about things.

I'm sorry.

You're quite right.

Here, I want to show you something.

To explain why we separated,

I'd have to go back to the beginning--

Cinderella's invitation to the ball.

My first and only paycheck from Hunter Industries.

One of those temporary help agencies

sent me to Wallace's office on a two-day job.

This was the first money I'd earned in months.

A week later, I was Mrs. Wallace Hunter,

and I was a total bust as a high-life hostess.

All the men were kind enough, in a leering sort of way,

but the wives...

Gina Aldrich, Little Miss Nobody

who'd trapped one of their set with a wink and a wiggle.

They didn't even try to disguise

how they felt in front of Wallace.

But he was too wrapped up in his business to even notice.

I was so unsure of myself,

and so scared of letting Wallace down

that I started to drown myself in drink,

and that's why we separated.

That's not true.

Mannix, I'm paying you to find some kidnappers,

not run a confessional. It's all right, Wallace.

Mr. Mannix has to know what kind of people he's dealing with.

Then give him the real facts.

It was my fault.

I was very much in love with Gina when we married,

but I simply did not realize the strain

of pitching her into my kind of world

without giving her adequate support and backing.

I blamed her for drinking

without understanding why she did.

It was only after she left

that I understood how much I needed her.

How unfair I'd been,

and how little we had seen of each other.

Does that answer your question?

Yes, it does.

Darling, you know what the doctor said.

You're still not yourself.

Don't you think you ought to get some rest?

Oh, thank you, Mr. Mannix.

I haven't done anything yet.

You risked your life, for one thing.

Lucas, see about the extra guards for tonight.

Yes, sir.

Forgive me for barking at you, Mannix.

This uncertainty has gotten me down.

On the phone, you said something was wrong.

Yes.

I have always kept a gun in the house.

Had it here, under this letter tray.

Early this morning, I discovered it was missing.

You mind if I take this with me, to check on fingerprints?

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

(engine revving)

(gunshot)

Something wrong, Joe?

What happened?

I ran into a road block. Men at work.

The only thing they were working on was me.

Are you all right, Joe? Yeah, I'm fine.

Did you run a check on that legal eagle, Richard Averill?

Yeah, he's been Hunter's attorney for six years.

Pillar of society, distinguished career.

Only, the word is, he has problems.

What kind?

Money, what else?

He took everything he owned, and everything he could borrow

to invest in a big real estate

development project that fizzled.

What about Lucas, the bodyguard?

Three years as a criminal investigation officer

in the army.. rated superior.

How long has he been working for Hunter?

PEGGY: Ten months.

Before that, he was two years in industrial security.

His former employers recommended him very highly.

Yeah. Well, thanks, Peggy.

Oh, uh, I dropped something off at the police lab

for a fingerprint check.

The report should be ready early tomorrow.

Would you stay on Malcolm?

Right. (phone ringing)

Mr. Mannix's office.

Who's calling, please?

Just a minute.

Richard Averill.

Yes, Mr. Averill?

I must see you.

I'll be right over.

No, not here.

I'm sure I'm being watched.

It'll have to be someplace safe.

Tonight.

We... we have a lumberyard on Ashley Street.

I'll leave the gate unlocked.

I'll be there.

It could be a trap, Joe.

Yeah, I know.

Right now, it's the only trap in town.

♪ ♪

AVERILL: I'm up here, Mannix.

Stay where you are.

Why?

Are you sure you weren't followed?

No one followed me.

If they find out I've talked to you, they-they'll kill me.

Who are they?

If I tell you, will you keep my name out of it

until they've been arrested?

I'll do what I can.

You've got to stop them, Mannix.

You get tied in with people like that, you-you-you're trapped.

There's-There's no way out.

Except by telling the truth.

What is the truth?

It's about Gina.

(gunshot)

(tires squealing)

(tires squealing)

All right, you can take him.

He was afraid someone was following me.

They must have been following him.

What's your guess, Joe?

Averill engineered the kidnapping

to get a chunk of the Hunter fortune?

It's one possibility.

The goons he hired wanted to try again?

Averill folded, and they didn't want anybody around

who could identify them.

Maybe we'll get the answer

from the fingerprints on the letter tray.

Two beautiful sets.

Fingers on both hands.

Did you run it down?

Who is it?

Two people. One of them Hunter.

And the other?

Margo Moore.

You got a file on her?

Yeah, she was booked six years ago on an extortion charge.

Released when the victim decided not to prefer charges.

Where do we find her?

You were talking to her yesterday.

She's Mrs. Wallace Hunter.

Mr. Mannix.

Oh, come in, Mr. Mannix.

Oh, I tend to do this under strain, I'm afraid.

Wallace wouldn't like it.

And what particular strain are you under

right now, Mrs. Hunter?

That's an odd question

coming from the man who saw Richard Averill shot.

How well did you know him?

Well enough to be sorry he's dead.

Can you think of a reason why anyone would want to kill him?

Well, I thought because he found out something

about the men who kidnapped me.

He told me he was working with them.

I don't believe that.

He also started to tell me who else was involved.

He did mention one name...

before he was shot.

What name was that?

Yours.

And you immediately assumed he was about to implicate me.

Not immediately.

I want my husband to be in on this.

Might as well.

He's got to find about Margo Moore sooner or later.

How did you find out?

Your fingerprints on the letter tray.

You took your husband's gun, didn't you?

And you came running to tell him.

I wanted to talk to you first.

How much?

Blackmail's your racket, Margo.

I want information.

If I've got it to give, does that buy your silence?

That depends. On what?

On whether you're involved in this shakedown

or whatever it is.

I, uh... I don't guess it would do any good

for me to tell you that I love Wallace

and would never do anything to hurt him.

Let's say my confidence has been just a little bit shaken.

Is there anything I can do?

You can tell me the truth

about Margo Moore and your kidnapping.

I can see by your look, I'm dead before I start.

Try me anyhow.

(sighs)

I was 16 when my, uh...

my adoptive parents were killed.

Mr. and Mrs. Aldrich?

Yeah.

They'd never been rich, but...

suddenly there wasn't any money at all.

So, I, uh...

I dropped out of school and got a job.

(sighs)

A job.

Waitress in a hash house.

Me and my big dreams.

And that's when everything started to go wrong.

Why did you change your name?

Well, the, uh...

the Aldriches had been good to me, and I...

I didn't want to drag their name through the dirt.

Margo Moore kept them out of it.

Huh.

Let's talk about the blackmail charge.

If you saw the record,

you know that case was never prosecuted.

That doesn't mean you were innocent.

He gave your name, address and a very accurate description.

Yeah, he had a good memory...

for the wrong girl.

Look, you've been around.

He was one of those weepy drunks

who spills his life story to every girl he meets.

I was the last, so when he gets a threatening phone call,

he assumes it's me.

Was that unreasonable of him?

I see I flunked your lie detector test.

Your husband hired me to dig up the truth.

Now, your past may be part of it.

I don't expect you to believe it,

but since I met Wallace,

everything about Margo Moore is...

like a nightmare you vaguely remember having.

I'm not even thinking about myself,

but it would destroy Wallace to think that I'd lied to him.

It'd also destroy him if he got a bullet

in the back of the head.

I'll go this far with you, Mrs. Hunter--

I won't tell your husband

until I'm sure you're involved.

What about the police?

There's no reason for them

to say anything about it at this point.

As you said, there were no charges.

You won't be sorry, I can promise you that.

I sure hope so, Mrs. Hunter, for your sake.

Because if I find out you've been lying to me,

I'm going to nail you to the wall.

Uh-huh. Got it.

Thanks a lot.

Here you are, Peggy. Oh, thanks.

Oh, that was Art Malcolm's office on the phone.

Something else about Mrs. Hunter?

Mm-hmm.

Six months after she was arrested here,

under the name of Margo Moore,

she was picked up using the same name in Vegas.

Uh-huh. On what charge?

Extortion.

Don't tell me-- she was acquitted.

That's right.

Ron Hollis, the man accused of being her accomplice,

was sent to prison.

He was paroled six weeks ago.

Did Art check him out?

His parole officer said

that Hollis was in Vegas the night Averill was shot.

Uh-huh.

But maybe he knows somebody who was here.

(knocking on door)

(knocking)

Yeah?

I'm Joe Mannix.

What else are you?

Private investigator.

I gave at the office.

A man was murdered in Los Angeles last night.

Richard Averill.

One more or less.

It fills up the papers.

Thought you might know something about it.

I haven't been in I.A. for years.

Some of your friends have.

Name a name.

Margo Moore.

Is she in on this?

I'm asking you.

Well, I hope she is.

And gets sent up for life.

She's the one put me in this rolling coffin.

How'd she do that?

When the cops came to pick us up, you know...

On the extortion rap?

Yeah. She saw them through the window

and ducked out without telling me.

When they knocked, I ran out back to get my car.

She was driving it out the garage.

Plowed right into me...

and kept on going.

Uh, did you tell the police that?

They didn't believe me.

Her story was,

she wasn't anywhere near there when it happened.

Oh. When was the last time you saw her?

At the trial.

She gets off,

I get one to five in the pen,

and life in this chair.

Do you know anybody she might be teamed up with now?

Billie Caprice, maybe.

Who's Billie Caprice?

She's a dame, works the angles here in Vegas.

Margo roomed with her for a while.

(doorbell rings)

(glass breaking)

(muffled grunting)

(gasping)

You all right?

(gasping)

(Billie gasping)

Thanks.

You sure you're all right?

He came in just a minute before you did.

All of a sudden, he was just there.

Any idea who he was?

No, I never saw him before.

Did he say anything?

He-He just grabbed me and started choking me.

Oh... I need a drink.

How about you?

No, thanks.

(Billie sighs)

Why?

I ain't got more than a couple of bucks in this place.

Well, my guess is that he tried to total you

to keep you from telling me what you know about Margo Moore.

What are you, fuzz?

Private investigator. The name is Mannix.

What about Margo?

Well, she may be involved in a murder.

Oh, oh, good old Margo.

Onward and upward.

When did she live with you?

About three years ago.

Sponged on me for a couple of weeks

and then split with a box of my jewelry.

Tell me everything you remember about her.

All I know is what everyone else in Vegas knows.

She's a crumb who'd knife her best friend.

Who was her best friend when you knew her?

She never had a friend.

What sewer is Margo swimming in now?

Oh, she landed on her feet.

She married a fortune.

Figures.

Did Margo ever mention the name of the orphanage she came from?

No, she just called it San Quentin South.

Hmm.

I think that's why our friend was here--

to stop you from talking, in case you did know.

Any idea how far south?

All I know is it's in California.

You're sure? Yeah.

Well, thanks anyway, Billie.

Oh, I don't think he'll be back,

but, uh, if I were you, I'd keep this place locked up,

and be sure and keep this door bolted.

Oh, you can bet on it.

Oh! Hey!

Oh, hey, hey!

Margo once said something about

there being a statue of St. Francis

on the lawn in front.

Keeping an eye on all the kids, she said.

Does that help?

Sure narrows it down.

Thanks again, Billie.

Sure.

WOMAN: As you can see, Mr. Mannix,

we like to keep track of our children.

Most of the parents write to us from time to time.

Mrs. Aldrich was particularly thoughtful.

(children chattering playfully in distance)

You do understand, Mr. Mannix, this is quite irregular.

I'm sure it must be very important,

but, normally, our files are closed to everyone.

Yes, I understand, Sister, and I appreciate it,

but, uh... but a man has been murdered and...

I somehow had the feeling that the answer

might have been here, somewhere.

Have you found what you were looking for?

No.

No, the only picture I get

is of a child surrounded by love and security,

devoted to her parents.

And does that surprise you?

The girl I was looking for led two lives.

I just can't believe that Gina Aldrich

could do the things Margo Moore did.

Margo Moore?

Does that name mean something?

It's really very important, Sister.

Identical twins.

Yes, Mr. Mannix.

But quite different.

Margo was a difficult child; very difficult.

We found it impossible to place her.

But the Aldriches took Gina at 18 months.

Yes.

As Margo grew up,

we didn't want her to feel rejected,

so we never told her she had a sister.

I think someone finally did.

This is all so confusing, Mr. Mannix.

What does it mean?

It means there may already have been two murders.

(doorbell chimes)

MANNIX (in distance): Mr. Hunter in?

MAN: He'll be back shortly, sir.

I'll wait. This way, sir.

Oh, Mrs. Hunter, I thought you were upstairs.

That's all right, Kim.

Come in, Mr. Mannix.

So you decided to tell Wallace after all?

There's so much more to report now.

Like what?

Ron Hollis, Billie Caprice.

You do go slumming in your business, don't you?

Just following in your footsteps, Margo.

I'm sorry to deprive you of your little triumph,

but I told Wallace everything about Margo Moore.

How'd he take it?

Ask him.

Then you won't have any trouble explaining about your sister.

There were two of you in that basket.

You're the one with the pretty smile.

You have been busy.

So have you.

What else do you know?

I think someone spotted you in Las Vegas--

someone who knew Mrs. Hunter.

Realized you were her identical twin,

and he came up with a very fancy idea.

Coached you for months until

you could pass for Gina, even with her husband.

Then he arranged for a switch.

How am I doing?

Okay, Mannix, you win.

But it was sure worth a try.

Half of all those millions.

After a messy divorce, naturally.

Only this time, it's not just fraud, Margo.

It's murder.

Oh, no.

I only agreed after they promised

nothing would happen to Gina.

You mean she's still alive?

That's right.

In Baja.

Guess that's the one the sisters taught me that stuck.

Would've been like killing myself.. like suicide.

You don't really think your partners intended

to keep their promise.

Gina alive would always be a threat.

We made a deal.

Sure, to get you to play along

till they could get their hands on the money.

But Averill's dead and they got nothing to lose.

Now they're probably scared because it's all coming apart.

If you want to see your sister alive,

you'd better check.

Let me speak to Lucas.

What?

When did he leave?

MANNIX: Thanks, Father.

Lieutenant Lopez is on his way from San Ignacio.

I told him where you were going.

Good. Senor, it's a long drive.

The road is difficult, and my car is old.

The helicopter would be easier.

We can't advertise our arrival, Father.

They may still have a hostage.

May I have some water, please?

It's in the truck.

Just give me enough time to get down there.

(car door shuts)

♪ ♪

Okay.

(car approaching)

It's you.

If I hadn't just left her tied up inside,

I'd have swore she got away.

Where's Lucas?

Johnny's gone to pick him up at the airport.

How's she doing? Okay. Thirsty's all.

Hold it right there.

Get the car turned around.

Don't be frightened, Mrs. Hunter.

I'm here to help you.

It's all right now.

I'm taking you home.

Hi, sis.

I'm Margo.

Been a long time since the orphanage.

That's what this was all about, Mrs. Hunter.

She took your place.

Look at us.

No difference at all,

except for all that lovely money.

Let's go.

We've got to get out of here, Mrs. Hunter.

(car approaching)

MANNIX: Hold it right there!

Keep those hands in sight! Out!

Turn around!

Vamanos.

Now, take it easy.

We'll get you a hospital; you'll be all right.

Conning's my racket, remember?

If you knew about us, why didn't you come to me?

Sure, and ask for a handout.

All my life, people have been giving me handouts.

But we're part of each other.

We shared a basket for a couple of hours.

Big deal.

Sorry, kid.

You're looking at the rotten half of the family apple.

(sobbing)