Original subtitles

Harlon! You deserve that. Why didn't you meet me at the gate?

Well, it's more fun out here.

So, a week here, a year there.

Something wrong, kid?

No. I'm just a little edgy.

It's been a while.

Well, you're going to be around for a while, aren't you?

A few days.

I have to collect something for a thing.

Hello, this is Merrill Wayne on the Las Vegas Strip,

here at the Desert Inn.

And we have with us today the First Lady of

Entertainment of Las Vegas, Miss Lola Falana.

Lola, tell me,

what does it feel like to be the busiest lady in Las Vegas?

It feels terrific. See, I like to entertain.

I do 20 weeks a year here, at the Aladdin Hotel.

It kind of makes me feel like a new woman, you know?

And a new contract.

Well, Lola, you'll never have any trouble

having a new contract with the shows you put on.

The material is sensational.

Thanks. We tried. It's not easy competing with all

that money on the casino, just waiting to be won.

It's a pretty tough competition for any of the performers we have in town.

It's not all that easy for us, either.

A couple of my friends got to shaking a dice on the craft tables the other day.

I almost forgot the stage call.

Can you imagine what would happen if a television station...

You're on your own at the station, don't you?

I have interest.

Look at you, sweet.

I see you on the camera at one in the morning.

What are you going to have?

I'll have a tequila sunrise.

Tequila sunrise, is that it?

Want to perform for me? Let me know.

My spies tell me that you just signed a new recording contract.

Yeah, for five years.

I would have made it ten, but I didn't think they could keep the page.

Your father's so proud of you.

You know, you said you'd chafe up since you broke out on your own.

I guess I made him pretty miserable until you set me straight.

You set yourself straight, kid.

Twoleaf, if you hadn't paid for my education,

I'd never be teaching now if it hadn't been for the money you sent me.

Well, that's what families are for.

Dawn, when I picked you up at the airport,

you said you had something to take care of.

Did you get taken care of?

Partly.

I have to pick up something in the morning,

and if I don't get it, I'm going to go to the police.

Something you want to talk to me about?

No.

I have to take care of this myself. It'll be okay.

What about you?

You still painting?

Well, I'm still trying.

I saw one of your tries in a gallery in San Francisco.

It was so beautiful.

Hey, baby.

How's about you and me stroking lady luck a little, huh?

I got the wrong number.

Oh, no. You got that.

What are you doing sitting here with Big Chief?

You got more than meets the eye?

Why don't you go sit at the end of the bar?

Get your dirty hands off of my chips, Geronimo.

Come on, honey. You and me all the way, right? Let's do it, baby.

Sit down, Mac.

I can't find it for a second.

Chuck, Chuck. Get it. Get it.

You're getting a little tired, Mac.

Take care of Lola.

Gene, you got a towel?

What are you doing breaking up the joint?

Who's going to pay for this thing?

Rob's going to blame me. That's who's going to pay for it.

I want to talk with him. Can you stall him?

Okay, Merrill.

Maybe we should take you to the hospital.

No, just give me a minute. I'll be all right.

Don't worry. In my experience, the chief is hard-headed.

Shouldn't be too hurt.

By the way, Mr. Roth is not going to be pleased with a

little publicity I'm going to give him on the evening news.

Just wanted to warn you.

Did you just film that? Do you call this news?

An Indian chief and a macho tourist fighting over a girl?

What a dull night. That's news.

Dan, help me get him back to the car.

Why don't we take him to my suite?

Who are you?

He's an old friend, Dan.

I'm sorry. He's real tight.

Here, drink this.

What's this? - Water.

Water?

What'd he hit you with anyway?

Champagne bottle.

Champagne? Very classy.

I'll stay with him. I have to make some phone calls.

Okay. If he needs anything, you call me, all right?

Dan Tanna.

Two weeks told me about you.

I'm Dawn Peters.

Oh, yeah, yeah. He said he's known you since you were, how do you put it?

Since I was knee-high to a billy goat.

That's it.

Hi. I'm Binzer.

This is Binzer.

We work together. Well, I work for Dan. We work at the hotel.

We do some detective work here.

It's still alive, even if today's warpath is a casino floor.

Some of the tourists in our fair town found

out that the cavalry didn't arrive soon enough,

when Chief Harlon Twoleaf...

Gunning Twoleaf down with that footage she shot last night.

Well, let's just hope the Twoleaf didn't see it.

Tanna.

Dan, I'm at the D.I. Twoleaf's in front of us.

I'm in trouble. You better get right over here.

I'm on my way.

What's the matter?

Something happened to Twoleaf.

Who was it?

The name was Dawn Peters.

Looks like attempted rape and she was stabbed.

Why, did you know her?

She was a friend of Twoleaf's.

What happened?

I don't know. I can't get anything out of him.

Dan, she's dead.

The kid's dead.

I know.

What happened?

I can't remember anything.

I don't know.

She's so small, so hard lined that...

Yeah.

Dave, maybe we ought to get him to a doctor.

He took a heavy crack on the head last night.

Over the girl, right?

Yeah, he was in a fight over the girl.

So what? He's got scratches on his neck.

I just told you he was in a fight.

Well, she put up a hell of a fight herself.

And she's got skin and blood on her fingernails.

Dave, what are you saying?

Dan, I like Twoleaf.

But what I'm saying is you better get him a good attorney.

Bring him out, Thompson.

Not too tight.

Chief Twoleaf.

Chief, you left the casino last night... - Clear the way, please.

...with a girl who is now dead.

And who was Dawn Peters?

Dan Tanna is Las Vegas' number one private detective.

Mr. Tanna, you are a friend of the chief.

Are you going to try to clear him?

Try, Miss Merrill.

A person is innocent until proven guilty in this country.

That's the way it works. Excuse me.

Ladies and gentlemen, the police have just

brought out what apparently is the murder weapon.

Dan Tanna, investigations.

Hey, I've been ringing the phone off the wall.

Atchoo!

I'm sorry, Dan.

God bless you.

I wish you'd wash your hair in your own time in your own bathroom.

I'm sorry.

I thought you were going down to jail to see Twoleaf,

and so I thought I'd steal ten minutes.

Well, you got twenty.

Listen, have you connected with Binzer yet? I sure did.

He'll be waiting for you at the parking lot behind the star dust.

Great. I'm on my way.

Just a second.

How did you know I was washing my hair?

Masterly detection, my dear Beatrice.

The only time I've ever heard you sneeze is when your hair is wet.

And I think I hear the blow dryer humming in the background.

Talk to you later.

How's Twoleaf?

He's dazed, confused. I've never seen him like this.

Yeah, they don't really think he did it.

Well, they booked him.

Yeah.

Listen, I checked with security at the casino about the guy that started the fight.

His name is Lyle Kemper.

He's not at the address he gave?

He never was.

It's starting to sound like a setup.

So what do we do?

Okay, I want you to start working your way through the day shift to the D.I.

Find out what Dawn Peters did from the time she

checked in until she met Twoleaf last night.

Okay.

Then F.B. start checking out the phone billing at the hotel.

If Dawn made a phone call, he'll be in the computer.

Okay. Where are you gonna be?

I don't know where to see Twoleaf.

Say hi to him for me, huh?

Keep down the key!

Dan, she's like my own kid.

But you don't think I could have... Hey, hey.

Remember last year when Chief Barebear was murdered by that bike gang?

I mean, you had a reason to kill a man, and you didn't.

You let him live.

What makes you think you could murder a girl you love like a daughter?

Now, Twoleaf, this is not gonna be easy, but, uh...

Why don't you tell me about Dawn?

Does she have any enemies?

I don't know.

When I sent her off to San Francisco, she was in a pretty...

pretty rough scene.

What kind of scene?

Call girl.

But that was three years ago.

She got scared and dropped it.

You know why she came to Las Vegas?

She said she came to collect something for a friend.

And that if she didn't get it, she was going to the police.

Not exactly a grab bag of clues, is it?

Dan, Dawn Peters only made one phone call from her room.

Binzer's still checking on the phone number.

Did she leave the hotel?

Only once, according to Sam, at the cab stand.

He said one of his guys took a woman answering

her description to the Lakeside Medical Center.

Okay, I'll check it out. Thanks, B.

Mr. Tanna to see you, Dr. Barrow.

Send him in.

Sit down.

Thank you, doctor.

Dr. Barrow, yesterday a young girl came to see you.

Her name was Dawn Peters.

Do you remember her?

Well, she's not a regular patient, or I would.

Yesterday, you say? Ah, yes.

Here she is.

Run down. She asked for a B-12 shot.

I gave it to her.

So you hadn't seen her before then?

No, but I've seen lots like her.

Vegas tourists mixing up night and day.

Forget to eat, forget to sleep.

As a matter of fact, she made me buy for her a pick-me-up.

I think there's little chance of that, doctor.

What do you mean?

Didn't you see this morning's headlines?

Oh.

You mean she was the one murdered by the Indian?

Dr. Barrow, I don't know who murdered that

girl, but she was not murdered by that Indian.

I didn't mean it that way.

It's okay.

Thanks very much, doctor.

B, Barrow was a dead end. You got anything for me?

Maybe.

You want to know the one call that Dawn Peters made before she was killed?

Yeah.

Hart's Delight Escort Service on Fremont.

You know, that hooker service.

I'm on Fremont now. I'll check it out.

Good luck.

Hi.

Well, well.

If it isn't Dan, Dan the question, man.

Bill Hart around?

Oh, dear.

I'm afraid you're a little late.

He's in the cemetery.

He died last week. God rest him.

I've taken over the place.

I didn't know.

Urgency operation. He had heart failure.

Passed away on the table,

flat on his back, like old times.

Well, I'm sorry to hear about that.

No need.

He was a rotten partner.

He couldn't keep his hands off the merchandise.

He was addicted to the cards.

Like an alcoholic bartender, you know.

What are you looking for? - Just looking.

Well, it sounds like he kept real busy.

Right to the end.

He left his daughter a sixty-nine cad and ten grand.

In debt.

Jack.

Does the name Dawn Peters ring a bell?

She used to work for us.

Before my time, though.

In fact, she phoned here yesterday.

She wanted to know how he died.

Morbid lady.

Listen, did she have any girlfriends when she worked here?

Anybody might still be around.

After three years, I wouldn't think so.

Wait a minute.

Wait a minute.

Yeah, there was one.

Ah, voila.

There she is.

Cheryl Morrison.

She married some pansy of a politician.

She's a rich lady now, Dan Dan.

She doesn't play high and mighty with me.

I've got her records.

You wouldn't mind if I took a look at them.

I'm afraid that's more than you can afford, Mr. Tanna.

I'm saving these for a rainy day.

It's clouding up real fast, Jack.

You're kidding me.

Well?

Don't make a mistake, son.

I'm still in condition.

I work out every day.

Now, it's ta-ta, Tanna, okay?

Well, Jack, I think we've got a problem, you see, because I want to see those files.

And you're telling me... - Fanny, Fanny, Fanny.

So what is it? You're wrong. Because I think we've got a problem.

You don't have a problem.

I definitely have a problem here.

Okay, I'm leaving.

I'm leaving.

Whoops.

I don't think Cheryl Morrison will mind if I return her property, do you?

Thanks for the use of your file.

The main suspect, Chief Harlon Twoleaf,

is being held in custody without bail.

The tragic story unfolded last night before KTNS

cameras went abroad and broke out over Miss Peters.

But let's review the life and colorful career of Chief Harlon Twoleaf.

During his early life, he was well-known as a hell-raiser,

impatient with any form of discipline,

critical of what he called

the White Man's Law.

The story first started after a fight

in the Dessert Inn bar between the Chief and the...

Hey, what are you doing?

Are you crazy?

G-17!

Hi, Binz! - Hi, Dan!

Hey, that looks good.

You know, you could have more of that if you wanted.

Oh, that's all right.

What's the matter?

Well, it's nothing. I just... Well, one side is taller

than the other side, and I could like things that match.

Really? - Yeah.

What's the matter?

How's this?

Great. That I can eat.

What do you got?

Call girl file on Cheryl Morrison.

Can I look?

I'd like to meet her.

Yeah, did you call her?

Yeah, I spoke to the maid, Mrs.

Morrison, of the glossy photo.

Mrs. Morrison is at a political bash for her husband's new campaign.

When did the maid say we could reach her? I don't know.

Not until tomorrow morning, I guess.

I just can't understand how a lady like that is married to a hotsy-totsy politician,

how she could ever be a call girl.

Yeah, what's even harder to understand is how Dawn Peters could have been a call girl.

Tanna

When?

Okay, Dave, thanks.

Who was that?

It's Nelson. Twoleaf broke out of jail after hearing Merrill's latest newscast.

Well, where do you think he is?

Well, he couldn't have gotten far on foot.

He's probably still in the downtown area.

I'm worried he's going to do something crazy.

I've been finding him at Saints all night.

Well, look, you want me to go with you?

No, stay here just in case.

In case what?

Just in case.

Who is it?

Mrs. Morrison, my name is Dan Tanna.

I'm a private investigator.

I'd like to talk to you.

I'm sorry. I can't talk to anyone without my husband.

Come in.

I knew a rat would crawl out of his hole one

day and come and try and put the bite on me.

How much?

Mrs. Morrison, all your records are in this file.

I suggest you burn it.

I'm sorry, Mr. Tanna.

Obviously, I misjudged you.

Is there anything I can do in return?

Well, it's been a long night.

I could use a cup of coffee.

Of course.

How do you take it?

A black would be fine, thanks.

You could also tell me about Dawn Peters.

Mr. Tanna, Dawn's dead.

Can't we just let her lose her past?

The same way that we just burned mine up?

I'm sorry I can't do that.

I could lose a good friend to a murder charge.

Dawn's Indian.

She used to talk about him all the time.

Loved him like a father.

One night, she called him when a custom was trying to bruise her up

and Twoleaf almost killed the guy.

And then after that, he sent her off to Frisco.

There must have been more to it than that.

A reason.

Well, if there was, I don't know it.

I don't think you're being entirely honest with me, Mrs. Morrison.

I think you're holding out on me.

I promise Dawn.

I wouldn't show this to anybody.

I said I'd just keep these for her as insurance.

None of these prescriptions are in Dawn's name.

Do you know how she got them?

No.

Why?

They're uppers.

Either she knew a heavy drug dealer or some very depressed people.

Well, Dawn was pretty broken up yesterday herself.

About your old boss, Hart.

She said that she'd gotten a letter from him after three years.

And then she found out that he died on Barrow's operating table.

Dr. Philip Barrow?

He was the agency doctor.

Barrow told me he never knew Dawn before yesterday.

He would say that.

He never liked being associated with hookers.

I wonder if he wrote these prescriptions.

I don't know.

Isn't the doctor's name always on the bar?

Not this time. Someone developed a very nervous habit of scraping

the doctor's name off these prescriptions.

Thanks very much, Mrs. Morrison.

I think you just squared your account.

I hope so.

Dan Tanna investigations.

Well, I certainly hope so.

Binzer, are there anything new on Twoleaf?

No, no, Nelson said he'd call if he had anything.

Okay, there's something I want you to do.

Yeah.

Well, first of all, you've got to go out to the cemetery.

Escape from a metropolitan jail by Chief Harlon Twoleaf.

Now, I'm not the one to pass a verdict of guilty or innocent on the chief.

And it is not a reporter's job to express opinion.

But I would like to point out that if the chief

was innocent, why would he make an escape?

Is he afraid of something he's done?

The story first started after the fight in the desert inn bar

between the chief and a visitor to our glamorous city.

I was fortunately able to have a few words with that visitor.

Okay, Chuck, let's cut it here.

Chuck.

How did you get here?

You.

You're coming with me.

We're going to settle this thing once and for all.

What is this?

Another rape, another murder?

Miss Wayne, I know why you're doing this.

It's because I stopped the documentary you were doing on my tribe last year.

Well, you're right.

I lost a bundle on that one.

So now you're out to destroy me.

Oh, I don't need to.

You're doing a fine job yourself.

Look, I may not like you,

but I didn't put your knife in that girl.

Neither did I.

Where's the man that you interviewed?

Lyle Kemp was with my cameraman the night Dawn Peters was killed.

He didn't do it.

But he knows who did.

Somebody paid him to start the fight in that bar.

I love that girl.

She was like a daughter to me.

She had to run up the reservation while her father taught her children.

The man who hurt her,

I'm going to get him.

I swear it.

You all right?

I'll take you to Kemp.

Hi.

Hi.

Is this hot?

Any new developments on Twoleaf?

Oh, yeah.

He's now added kidnapping to his other rap.

Who?

Merrill Wayne.

Merrill's cameraman called us from the television studio.

My men got there too late.

So now the DA has ordered us to find Twoleaf and bring him in, whatever it takes.

Dave, that's like saying shoot on sight.

I don't make the rules, old buddy.

But I have to play by them.

Nelson.

Lieutenant, hi, this is Binzer.

Listen, B told me Dan was going to be there.

Binzer, I'm here.

I'm at the cemetery.

Listen, Dan, it took me a while, but I found the names on those drug bottles.

Every one of them is dead and buried.

Okay, I want you to do one more thing.

Check with Mickey at the pharmacy.

See how long they keep records on prescriptions.

You got it. Bye.

Dan, what are you working on now?

Dead people who order drugs.

Oh, hold it.

Tell you what, my car's in the shop.

So you can run that by me while you drive me home.

I haven't seen a scam this old in years.

Yeah, it's an old one.

The doctor writes a prescription for a dead

patient that passed the drugs on to a pusher.

I still don't understand why Dawn Peters came back to Vegas.

Twoleaf said she came back to collect something for her friend.

She collected more than she bargained for.

Right.

You see, somebody was giving Shedding Jack's partner

Bill Hart drugs to pass on to his call girls.

Now, Dawn's old girlfriend mentioned a letter from Hart

that brought Dawn running back to Las Vegas.

So?

So, two and two make all extortioned.

Blackmail.

Unless she threatened somebody enough to get herself killed.

Tanna.

Where?

Thanks, B.

Twoleaf was spotted at the city center motel.

He hassled a guy from the bar front.

What about it?

Hey, it was just a job.

Just a job. I didn't know the girl... I didn't know the girl was gonna get killed.

I told the engine that.

Did you tell Twoleaf who hired you?

How do you keep from telling him who is he?

Where is he?

Barrow. Dr. Barrow.

Book him.

Ah!

He told me you knew Dawn.

Why did you kill her?

I didn't kill her.

You killed her?

What's the matter? You hurt her?

Get out of here!

Why? Why?

She was helping Hart and me.

Selling drugs.

Well, that's no reason to kill her.

She knew that I killed Hart on the operating table.

See, Hart was gambling himself into debt and he needed more from me.

Dawn wanted $50,000 for Hart's daughter.

If I had to kill her, she'd have bled me for years.

She wasn't that kind of girl.

Don't mess yourself up now.

Don't bother, Doc.

You just made your last house call.

Hart had asked Dawn to take care of his daughter in case something happened to her.

All Dawn was doing was pressuring Barrow

for money for the girl.

Well, Barrow had no intention of paying her any money.

That's right.

She's good.

Very good.

Hello, Miss Wayne.

Hello.

Well, Marrow, you got your story.

No, but I just straightened out a bad one.

Chief, I made an apology on the air, but I wanted to say I'm sorry in person.

I, uh, I didn't know you were such a fine artist.

Well, that kind of opening demands a speech from the artist.

Well, what do you say, Chief?

Well, my old friend Twoleaf,

for a speech has always been two pauses without a long pause in the clip.