Original subtitles

- Can he talk?

Why not?

Do you feel you'd like to tell me the story now?

- You got a cigarette?

- Can he smoke?

- Why not?

- Do not let his why not attitude alarm you.

Dr. Allende is the finest surgeon we have in Puerto Rosario.

I would wait,

but I must have your story, Señor Cormack.

- Where should I start?

Anyway you wish.

Let's see.

I remember the first time I met Janey, Janet.

She was a kid down the block.

Sweet.

Helpless, you know?

I was just out of the service

and back in law school.

It seems like I was always going to bat for her,

but that's going too far back.

Where I really ought to begin

is in Vegas last Friday night.

Hard to believe it was only last Friday.

Strip was jumping,

like it always does at the start of a hot weekend.

I was in my usual spot

circulating around the casino at the Blue Diamond.

- Table number 12.

- And don't tell me I've been drinking.

I know a crooked wheel when I see one.

No wheel that ain't rigged

comes up double O twice in a row.

- Not so loud, sir.

- What do you mean "Not so loud?"

When I get gypped, I don't whisper about it.

- I'm sure this can be handled without trouble, sir.

- What's it to you?

- I'm a special security officer here.

- Well, as far as I'm concerned,

there ain't nothing special about you.

This wheel is crooked.

- These wheels and games are inspected by the state, sir.

- Oh, yeah?

Well, I say it's crooked,

and I'm gonna get back the 50 I lost.

- Or what?

- Or I'll raise the biggest stink you ever heard.

Hey, everybody!

There he goes.

That's fine.

All right, that's fine.

Thank you.

- Mr. Cormack, your tie.

- Thanks, Jimmy.

- Mr. Cormack.

- Yes?

- Mr. Barzland would like to see you.

- Mr. Barzland? Who's that?

- This way, please.

Red, come on, red.

Come on, now. Red.

- You brought him, good.

Mr. Cormack, I wish to indulge

in a little conversation with you.

- What about?

- Would $5,000 be considered

a valid topic for conversation?

- It wouldn't offend my ears.

- Very good, very good indeed.

I think we shall get along.

Lawrence.

Now, Mr. Cormack, I have captured your interest

by talking of $5,000.

$5,000, which mind you, you may earn.

- You've captured my interest.

- Then we may proceed. Peanuts?

- No, thank you.

- My proposal to you must be prefaced

by a little story which I trust you will find

not uninteresting.

You have heard of a place on the Caribbean

called Puerto Rosario?

- Vaguely.

- An associate of mine down there

owed me a considerable amount of money.

In lieu of payment,

it was arranged that he should send me

a certain very valuable carved ruby

that he had in his possession.

My associates arranged to have the ruby

shipped by a private plane,

which belonged to certain persons in Puerto Rosario

who had carried out a similar business for us before.

Delivery of the ruby was made to them,

then on the eve of departure,

there was an accident to the plane.

It was destroyed.

And would you believe it?

The ruby disappeared, not a trace.

- And you think the owners of the plane stole the ruby?

- Without a doubt.

Therefore, my proposition to you.

You go to Puerto Rosario,

win the confidence of the persons I suspect,

and locate the ruby.

For this, I give you $5,000.

1000 now, four thousand

when it is a fait accompli.

- Sounds very simple but, uh,

how do you expect me to accompli it?

- That should not be too difficult.

The owner of the plane is Eduardo Martin.

I'm told that you were once well acquainted

with his wife Janet.

I am thorough if nothing else, Mr. Cormack.

Did you imagine I chose you

for the cut of your jacket?

This dossier was compiled with the expenditure

of much time and money.

The story of your life, as it were.

- I'm beginning to get the point.

- Until two years ago, the subject Mike Cormack

was assistant district attorney of Los Angeles,

engaged for three years to Janet Erskine.

He was waiting until he obtained a promotion to marry her.

- He had it all there.

She met this knock 'em dead

international flyer Eduardo Martin,

how he swept her off her feet, how they eloped

and I never saw her again.

I don't think she knew then

that he made his money by doing a little smuggling

for guys like Barzland.

She, uh, she didn't even send me a note.

Maybe it was true love that made her so forgetful.

Anyway, right.

I went on the granddaddy of all binges,

seven months of alcoholic oblivion.

A friend cleaned me up,

and took me to Vegas and got me a job.

Kind of a high class bouncer.

But, uh, it was a living.

I was just beginning to feel human again

when Barzland showed up.

- For the past four months,

subject has been employed at Blue Diamond Club

as special security officer.

The salary, 87-

- 87.50 a week. You've got it all there.

No corrections.

- So you see now why I thought you might be persuaded.

- Sure, because of my special appeal to Janet Martin,

you think I might be able to finagle the ruby out of her.

And because she made a jerk outta me once,

you think I might welcome the opportunity to get even.

- And to earn $5,000.

- I think I'd be allergic to prison food.

- But you will be doing nothing illegal, Mr. Cormack.

All you are asked to do is to find the ruby

and to let me know.

We require nothing further of you.

- I see.

- Then it's settled?

- I should have run like a rabbit,

but the minute he mentioned Janet,

I knew I'd accept his lousy proposition.

I had to see her again,

to get the bitterness out of my system,

to even the score.

That's what I told myself.

Before I knew it, I was on a plane for Puerto Rosario,

and with full and complete instructions.

He even had my hotel picked out.

You'd think he was sending me on a pleasure trip.

Advised me to insist on a front room,

where from the balcony the travel folders said

I would be able to enjoy

the scenic vista across the cliffs

to the ocean and the sea islands.

A mirror at hand, the colorful activity in the town plaza.

Hey, boy. Come here.

- Ah, see, what is it?

- A convention, the Association of Electronic

Musical Instrumentation.

- That's nice. What's that?

- Jukebox salesman. - Jukebox.

- Jukebox very popular in Puerto Rosario.

- Do they all have to play at once?

- They demonstrate new models.

One begins, the other has to show off his model too also.

Solid- - Hey, come back.

Come back.

- Sí, señor?

- Are there many Americans in, in Puerto Rosario?

- 15, 20.

- Did you ever hear of the Martins?

- I hear.

- Know where they live?

- Sí. You see that road?

She winds up on top of the hill,

right on the edge, over the ocean.

That big white house.

- That's the Martin's home?

- Sí.

- Thank you.

- Your key.

Don't forget the name is Lalo.

Sí, he ask about Señor Martin

so soon he checks in.

Name is Cormack. Mike Cormack.

C-O-R-M-A-C-K.

- Cormack.

Yes, I have it.

No, that won't be necessary.

Just keep your eyes open.

Good, Lalo.

- I didn't want to go directly to Janet.

I figured the meeting should seem casual, accidental.

Puerto Rosario wasn't a very big town.

If I acted like a tourist,

I was bound to run into her before long,

so, uh, I acted like tourist.

- What does that mean?

- That means it plays 100 records, señor,

and it is a very, very good machine.

- Señor, I would like to show you our latest model.

This machine has more lights

than any other one in the place.

Sensational, no?

- Sensational, yeah.

- Señor. The Imperial.

The best machine in all South America.

- Señor, if you have a small place

or a large place, well, this machine will fit any place.

- Señor, the best of all, Nationales.

- Señor, let me tell you about the price

of this wonderful machine. - Buster, Buster, Buster!

I'm just looking.

- Señor, señor, take a look at this.

It's the best machine.

- Let me, uh-

- You wish?

- No, thanks.

He's pretty cute.

- Wallet, señor?

- Nice.

- Sí.

- Make these yourself?

- Sí, señor.

In the morning I make,

in the afternoon I sell.

- Very nice work. How much?

- 35 cents each.

- Very reasonable too.

- Oh, sí, sí.

- Make good souvenirs.

Yes, sí, sí.

- How much for all of 'em?

- For all?

If you want all of them, 50 cents each.

- 50 cents.

I don't get it, you, you want more for all of 'em?

Señor.

If I sell one by one, it will take me all day, yes?

- Yes.

- If I sell all at one time,

I can go home to my wife early right now, yes?

- I guess so.

- So I sell one by one.

- I get your point.

I tell you...

I'm at the Hotel Rosario.

- Sí.

- You bring me one of these over every day.

- Sí.

- That'll solve your problem and mine, okay?

- Okay.

- Janet.

Janet Martin.

Janet!

Janet, wait.

- The señora does not know you.

You please do not follow her.

- Janet threw me a curve

with that act in the market.

I hadn't decided what my next move would be

when the play was taken right out of my hands.

Señor Cormack.

- That's my name.

- The señora wishes to see you.

- I thought she didn't know me.

- I will drive you, señor.

Miguel?

- Sí, I will tell señora.

- Please there, señor.

In here, please.

- I won't be needing you anymore tonight, Miguel.

- Well, Janey.

- Mike.

Mike, I am glad to see you.

This afternoon in the market,

I don't know, seeing you all of a sudden,

everything rushed back.

I, well, I felt dizzy.

- I know how you feel.

- Yeah.

Maybe a sense of guilt too.

I treated you rather badly and-

- Oh, forget it.

I was a little bitter.

I was a little bitter,

I wanted to break your neck.

But then when I got to thinking what Eduardo had to offer,

wealth, glamour and that sort of thing,

against what I had,

I, I figured most any girl would do what you did.

By the way, where is Eduardo?

- I'm a real scatter brain.

You've been here five minutes

and I haven't even offered you a drink.

- No, thanks.

- No drink?

- Slice of lemon and some soda water, if you got it.

- I'm going to have one, even if you don't.

I need one, dropping out of the blue like this.

Funny, isn't it?

- What's funny?

- Well, I never used to drink, remember?

And you, Mike Cormack,

who could drink with the best of them

taking soda water.

It's just funny.

- Well, times change.

People too.

- You asked about Eduardo.

- Yes, I did.

- He's not here.

He's in prison.

- What did he do?

- Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Mike,

About 15 miles out there is an island.

Sometimes you can see a light.

I don't see anything.

- That's where he is in a penal colony,

convicted of a crime he didn't commit.

- It's too bad.

How long is he in for?

- Life.

- You want to talk about it?

- First few months with Eddie were wonderful.

He was kind, sweet, got me anything I wanted.

Seemed to have all kinds of money.

- What business was he in?

- He and a partner operated two charter planes.

It was about six months ago

when Eddie had a run of bad luck.

I told him we'd sell the house, my furs, anything.

But no, with Eddie,

everything had to be first cabin or not at all.

- I know the type.

- Well, Eddie sold one plane and mortgaged the other.

A man named Emilio Fernandez held the mortgage.

When Eddie couldn't pay,

Fernandez threatened to take his plane away from him.

Eddie needed it desperately right then

for an important charter.

So we met Fernandez in a bar one night

and swore in front of a dozen witnesses

that if he took his plane away from him,

why, he'd kill him.

- That was real smart.

- Thank you.

He'd been drinking.

So Fernandez went to the airport the next day

to take the plane to fly to another city.

He got 100 feet off the ground and crashed.

Fernandez was killed.

And in the court, it was proved

that someone had tampered with a gas tank switches.

- Makes a rather open and shut case

against your husband, doesn't it?

- It's purely circumstantial, Mike.

Eddie's innocent, I know it.

He'll die out there on that island.

It's damp and crawly.

He's sick now.

- How are you fixed for money, Janey?

Not that I could help a lot,

but I'd like to help if I could.

- Mike, Mike, you make me feel ashamed.

After the way I treated you like-

- I said forget it.

I did.

- I'm all right for a while.

But here I've been talking about myself and my troubles,

and I haven't even asked what you're doing here

in Puerto Rosario.

- I came down for a couple of weeks fishing, that's all.

- I didn't know you were a fisherman.

- Oh, there are a few things

you didn't know about me, Janey.

- Oh?

Suppose you had other girls all the time

you were making love to me.

- Of course.

I thought you knew that.

- Miguel! - Looks like I caught

my first fish.

What are you doing back there, cooking an omelette?

- Let him go, Mike.

Mr. Cormack is a friend, Miguel.

Now go to bed.

Miguel is my housekeeper's son.

He's very devoted to me.

- I can see that.

- I'm glad he stays in this house.

Ever since Fernandez was killed,

his family have been very vindictive.

Somehow they, they blame me.

I'm frightened, Mike.

- I hope you're exaggerating, Janey.

You always did have a pretty good imagination.

I better run along before the neighbours start talking.

- Mike.

You have to go?

- I'll see you soon.

- Better.

- You will.

- Mike.

- Yeah?

- Nevermind.

See you soon.

- Sure.

I should have been elated

about her hard luck with Eduardo.

I wasn't.

I felt sorry for her.

I knew she hadn't given me the whole story,

but I didn't think it was smart

to talk to her about the ruby, not yet.

I rented a Puerto Rosario U-Drive special

that the owner kept referring to as The Beauty.

I hoped The Beauty would get me as far as the airport,

where I figured I could learn some more

about the Eduardo plane crash.

I found Eduardo had employed a mechanic named

Carlos Penasco from time to time.

I drove The Beauty to Carlos's Shack

not far from the airport.

I want to talk to Carlos Penasco.

I'm sorry, my Spanish isn't very good.

Do you speak English?

- Ricardo!

Ricardo!

- What do you want?

- Carlos Penasco, the mechanic,

I want to talk to him.

- For why you want to talk?

- I wanna talk to him about the accident

where Fernandez was killed.

- Carlos don't know nothing.

- Ask her if he ever mentioned anything about, about a ruby.

- About a what?

- About a ruby, a, a gem.

A precious stone.

- Oh, rubi.

- No, no, no, no.

- I'd like to talk to him personally.

He, uh, might make some money.

- About one hour ago

he takes his fighting cock and goes away.

Later you find him at the cock fight.

- Thanks.

By the way, who makes those?

- Carlos make them when there's no work at airport.

We sell them in market.

- Kind of cute.

- If it hadn't been for The Beauty's decision

to act up right then, I wouldn't have noticed

how angry the old lady got with Ricardo,

evidently for what he had told me.

Kid took off toward town.

I couldn't follow him because he went across country.

And besides, the sleeping beauty refused to wake up.

It was easy enough to find the cock fight.

And it was just as easy to find Carlos Penasco.

It seems that his bird

was the undefeated champion of Puerto Rosario,

and Carlos was by way of being a celebrity.

They tell me that you're Carlos Penasco.

- Sí señor, I am Carlos.

- I'd like to have a little talk with you.

- There's nothing to talk about, señor.

My little Napoleon, he's going to win the battle.

So you can bet all you wish without worrying yourself.

One stab of his little sword,

it's finished.

- But I want to talk some business.

- Business? What kind of business?

- You might make a lot of money.

- Lot of money, I listen.

See you after the fight, eh?

Oh, time for fight.

You make a bet on Napoleon and you will win.

You meet me here.

- Fair enough.

- Senator Cormack, big night tonight, sí?

- It's all in.

What happened to the light?

- What's he saying?

That's what he's saying.

- Señor Cormack, Captain Pena.

- I regret the inconvenience to a visitor.

- Not at all.

- It was very tiring to interrogate

each person attending the cock fight.

- Thank you.

- Very odd.

A very unusual murder weapon,

don't you think so?

- What is it?

- In my profession,

I have encountered many devices,

guns, knives, ingenious traps,

but never this.

Oh, this is a steel spur.

It is sometimes attached to the natural spur

of a fighting bird to give it greater killing power.

Your light. Excuse me.

- Thank you.

Captain, there's something I should tell you.

I was at Penasco's home this afternoon.

- This I am aware,

but I'm glad you told me.

Shall we get to the point, Señor Cormack?

- Of course.

- You arrive in Puerto Rosario.

You call on Carlos Penasco this afternoon.

You speak to Carlos Penasco this evening,

and a few minutes later,

Carlos Penasco is killed.

Do you wish to tell me

why you called on the murdered man?

- In the interest of a client.

- Client?

- Yes, I'm a lawyer.

You can check the California roster if you wish.

- Proceed. Your client?

- Mrs. Eduardo Martin.

- Ah.

- I wanted to find out what I could

from Penasco about the Fernandez plane crash.

- For what purpose?

- Er, to reopen the case, if possible.

Mrs. Martin thinks her husband got a raw deal.

- A raw deal?

- She thinks he's innocent.

Innocent.

Mrs. Martin, I have always found interesting.

Now I am fascinated.

She possibly also feels her husband

received an unfair trial.

- Possibly.

In all my career as a criminologist,

I have never encountered anyone

who was more uninnocent.

20 witnesses hear Eduardo Martin

make threats to kill Fernandez

if he takes the aeroplane.

Fernandez takes it and he is killed.

- Fernandez was a very rich man.

He might have had enemies that took advantage

of Martin's unfortunate threat.

- He might have had, but he didn't.

This I know for sure because I myself

made the arrest of Eduardo Martin.

We laid a trap for him and he walked into it.

He came back to the wreckage

with the smell of charred flesh still hanging over him,

and tried to restore the tampered fuel switches

so that the cause of the accident would not be discovered.

Is this the act of an innocent man?

- I didn't know that.

- It's all here in this file.

You may read it, if you wish.

- I'm sorry my information was incomplete.

- If you reopen Martin's case,

that will be your own responsibility.

However, I must inform you that we have new

and other evidence against Martin,

which could be additionally damaging.

The aeroplane was used several times

for transporting illegal merchandise.

- Smuggling, you mean?

- Yes.

We were never able to catch him in the act, however.

Undoubtedly, Mrs. Martin is being advised

in this foolish business by Paul Armand.

- Yes, undoubtedly Armand is advising her.

- You can tell him for me he's a fool.

Completely ridiculous.

- Will that be all? About Penasco, I mean.

- For the present, yes.

Of course you will not try to leave Puerto Rosario.

- Of course.

- There was as much chance

of my trying to leave Puerto Rosario

as of hitting a hard way 10 for three reasons.

Number two, I wanted to know

what I had to do with Carlos's murder.

Number three, I wanted to earn

that five grand from Barzland,

and I wanted to see Janet again.

By now, that was number one.

But first I thought I'd look up this Paul Armand

that Pena had thrown at me.

I'd like to get a little closer look at Pete there.

- Pete?

- Yeah, the little guy in the window.

I don't know what it is about him,

but he, he sure tickles me.

- He is rather amusing, isn't he?

Yeah.

He and his brothers are scattered all over town.

- No, not this little guy.

He's original pre-Colombian,

right outta the ancient ruins.

- Oh.

Well, he certainly looks like his brothers.

- Where may I ask would you have seen his brothers?

- Well, marketplace and home of Mrs. Eduardo Martin.

- Well then you must be Michael Cormack.

- I didn't know I was famous.

- I'm Paul Armand.

Eduardo and I were partners in the aviation business.

Mrs. Martin, uh, Janet is my very dear friend.

- Oh.

- As a matter of fact,

only this afternoon she was telling me all about you.

- Good, I hope.

- Mrs. Martin is a woman of rare taste.

If she tells me that you're a friend of hers,

then you must be worthy of that friendship.

- You were very close to her husband, weren't you?

- Like brothers.

- You think he was guilty of wrecking that plane?

- Why do you ask whether Eduardo

was guilty of wrecking that plane?

- Janet thinks he's innocent.

- Without actually being an eyewitness,

I'd be inclined to agree with her.

On what grounds?

- By the very chemistry of the man.

He was a spoiled child of much boasting, of many words,

even of threats, but never of deeds.

Eduardo could never have killed anyone.

- No thanks.

You seem very positive.

- I lived with the man before his marriage.

We were like brothers.

He's very much like me.

- In what way?

- Verbally, I'm a lion.

Philosophically, I do not waver.

But when it comes to physical action,

Eduardo could know more of planned the death

of Fernandez than I could.

- Then why would he return to the wreckage

and attempt to conceal evidence

of tampering with the fuel switches?

- This he did not reveal to me.

I don't know.

- Well, the whole thing sounds cockeyed to me.

I had thought if you could shed some new light

on this subject, I might be able to reopen the case.

- I wish I could.

Are you interested in semi-precious stones?

- Semi-precious stones, no.

If you had something in the way of rubies.

- Rubies?

No, afraid not.

A little too rich for my poor shop.

Like Janet, you too are a person of rare taste.

- Thank you.

- Señor.

We will get her on the phone for you.

- Hello, Janet. Mike.

- I'm glad you got my message.

I must see you in an hour.

How about Rosalba's?

Well, it's a little eating place near the plaza.

- I'll be there.

- Mike, darling, I've made a terrible mistake.

I've missed you very much.

- Janey- - No, no.

Don't stop me.

I want to tell you.

You know I should have left Eddie and gone back home

and asked you to forgive me, if you could.

But I just don't have that kind of courage.

- Pardon, señor, we play for you.

You like love songs for the senorita, huh?

- Sure. Go ahead.

- Gracias.

- What's all this about?

- For this woman, no play for.

- What do you mean, this woman?

- For a woman like there, we don't play.

- What was all that about?

- Please, Mike, let's go.

- Take you home?

- Your place.

- Here.

- Thanks.

- What's with that character at the cafe?

- It's nothing new.

The whole town blamed me for Fernandez's death.

- Why?

- I don't know.

He was a very popular man from a,

thank you, very prominent family.

It's been rough, Mike.

- Why don't you leave?

- I can't, not with Eddie in prison.

I, I couldn't do that.

- But you said you didn't love him.

- Mike, help me.

You're the only one who can.

- How?

- Get him off the island.

Help him to escape.

- Take it easy, baby.

- As long as he's in prison, I'll never be free.

Mike, help him to escape, please.

I know you can do it.

Once he's free, I'll do anything you want.

- You're lying, Janey.

- No, Mike.

- He's guilty and you know it.

- No.

- Cut it out.

If you'd level with me, maybe I could help.

Why didn't you tell me Pena caught him red handed?

Why didn't he confess?

Because he's innocent?

- Mikey is innocent.

He didn't tamper with that fuel switch, I did.

- Let's have that again.

- I did, I didn't mean to kill-

- How would you know about fuel switches?

- Eddie taught me all there was to know about planes.

There must have been just enough gas in that tank

to get him off the ground.

What difference does it make how Fernandez was killed?

I did it.

- But why, Janey, why?

- I don't know.

When Eddie got into trouble, I got panicky.

I couldn't stand the thought of living in poverty

with a man I didn't love.

Fernandez was going to take his plane away from him, so,

so I tried to stop him.

Oh, I just wanted time

till Eddie could raise the money.

- So you committed murder.

- I didn't mean to.

I thought I was just disabling the plane

so he couldn't take it.

- Eddie found out, went out to cover for you

and fell into Pena's trap.

- Well, I wanted to tell them,

but, but Eddie said he'd never be convicted.

Don't you see, that's why I can't stand the thought of

him being in prison for something that I did.

- Where you going?

- To Captain Pena, I would like to-

- No, you're not.

He wouldn't believe you.

And I wouldn't want to think of you

on that island either,

not when I can hold you like this.

- Oh, Mike.

Then you'll help me.

I've got a plan.

I know it'll work.

- I'll make you a proposition, Janey.

- What?

- I'll go along with you.

I'll help Eddie escape.

But you've gotta go along with me too.

You've gotta tell me what you know about the ruby.

- The ruby?

- Yeah. Where is it?

Who's got it?

Level with me. - You too.

So that's why you came to Puerto Rosario.

- Partly, mostly because you were here.

Now tell me what you know.

- I don't wanna hear anymore about that ruby ever.

I've been hounded by the police, Paul, and now you.

I don't know anything about any ruby.

I don't dunno anything about anything, you hear?

- Tell me- - I never saw it

and I never want to.

All I wanna do is get Eddie free

so I can get one good nights sleep.

- Easy.

Easy.

Easy.

- Can you tell me the truth now?

- I wish I could.

Oh!

- I left her there and drove up the hill.

This was as good an opportunity as I'd have

to search her place for the ruby.

I parked a short way from the house.

It was a cinch to climb the tree

next to the terrace and get inside.

Somebody had been there before me.

And from the look of the place,

if they hadn't found the ruby,

I certainly wouldn't.

- I got out of there fast, but not quite fast enough.

I didn't come to for a long time.

I felt I was being driven somewhere.

When I opened my eyes,

my head felt as if it had been squeezed

in a giant nutcracker.

Man in the chair with wheels.

- Did I hear you speak, Mr. Cormack?

We are happy to welcome you back.

Our host has some interesting pets,

don't you think?

Johann, this is your associate, Mr. Mike Cormack.

Mr. Torbig is an old and accommodating friend.

Get up.

And now shall we discuss the ruby?

- No, we won't.

You wanted to talk to me,

you'd have to break my head and kidnap me.

- I doubt whether you would've talked to us otherwise.

- You doubt?

I was under the impression I was working for you.

- So were we.

But now you have been bought by the woman

for money or, er, other inducements.

- I thought that's why you hired me,

because I could get close to her.

- Young man, we will not be deluded.

You have obviously gone over to the other side.

Why else should the woman

and her dear friend Armand have chartered a cruiser

and stocked it for a long trip?

How are you three going to dispose of the ruby?

- I don't know anything about a cruiser,

and I'm beginning to think you're nuts.

There was no sense to killing the kid.

He didn't know where ruby was either, did he?

- You're a very reckless young man.

- We made a deal, Barzland, a business deal,

a simple matter of investigation.

But you didn't say anything about murder.

- Now look here, I- - The kid, I know you killed.

Where you fit in the Penasco killing,

I haven't figured out yet, but I will.

In the meantime, stick this in your big, fat head.

If you think I'm going any further

with this ruby business-

- I don't like your attitude, not one little bit.

Johann.

I take it that you have been listening

to our, uh, conference.

- Yeah, I've been listening.

- The young man requires persuading to talk.

Now, Mr. Cormack, where is that ruby?

- Barzland, I wanna talk to you.

By the time I beat my way back to town,

I was a pretty sick pigeon.

But I had to play this game out fast,

or I might find myself sitting on that island

with Eduardo for the rest of my natural life.

Rosalba 347.

Janet. Mike.

I'm gonna see you right away.

She gave me a song and dance

about a lamp she was going to pick up at Armand's.

Took me a minute to get the picture.

The cops were there and she couldn't talk.

The only thing I could figure

was she wanted me to meet her later at Armand's.

- We're close for siesta.

Oh, wait.

Mr. Cormack, all the shops are closed

for siesta at this hour.

- Paul doesn't want me to talk to you.

He has an idea you're a dangerous man.

- For you or for him, what do you think?

- I think he's jealous.

- But Janet, all I was- - Shut up.

Do I talk in front of him or not?

- About what?

- About you, Eduardo,

and a kid named Miguel who was killed last night.

- What do you know about Miguel?

Where did you go last night, Mike?

- I went fishing.

Now what about Miguel, talk!

- It was terrible.

Someone broke in to rob me, I guess.

I don't know what they expected to find.

- You're lying.

They were looking for the ruby.

- I've told you before, I don't know anything

about a ruby. - You're lying.

You've gotta stop lying.

- Look, you can't talk to her-

- Mike, don't, please!

- I have been beaten, badgered,

hit over the head and mixed up in three killings,

and believe me, I'm gonna find out why.

- Mike, you don't think that we had anything-

- I'm through thinking,

and I've had a belly full of double talk.

- Mike, I didn't wanna tell you anything

because I didn't want you involved.

There's no reason why you should be involved.

- Go on, talk.

- Suppose I refuse to tell you,

what would you do?

- I'll turn you over to Pena.

- Even if it involved me?

- Yeah.

- Mike, last night, you offered me a deal.

- Which one?

- That if I told you about the ruby,

why, you'd help Eduardo escape.

- All right.

- We have a deal.

Oh, Mike, Mike, you better sit down, please.

- I could use a cup of coffee.

- Paul, Paul, get him a cup of coffee.

What is this set up?

- No set up, darling.

Just a good friend of mine and Eddie's.

- Start talking again.

- I'll tell you what- - Pena can be here anytime.

- Tell you what I know.

- All right.

- It's a remarkably large ruby.

There's a Madonna carved on it.

It's a relic of some ancient civilization.

- Where'd it come from?

- It was brought to Paul by a man named Torbig.

- That figures.

- What do you mean?

- Go ahead, talk.

- Well, Torbig offered Paul and Eddie

$10,000 if they'd take the ruby

and fly to the States and deliver to a man named Barzland.

- 10,000, it's probably worth 20 times that.

- Well, that's why I was so desperate

for Eddie to keep his plane.

Why, if he could have just earned that $10,000,

boy, we would've been in good shape again.

- Where's the ruby now?

- I don't know Mike, honestly.

We think that Eddie must have hid it

in the plane the night before

he intended to take off for the States.

But we couldn't get near the plane after the crash.

Paul thinks that Eddie must have hid it

before Pena's men could pick him up.

- Why didn't this come out in court?

- Eddie wouldn't even tell me or Paul about it.

We think that Eddie expects to get the ruby back

if he ever gets off the island.

- And that's why you want him off the island.

- Mike, I'll never lie to you again.

You mean too much to me.

Meaning what?

- If Eddie knows where the ruby is,

we do expect a share in it, that's true.

But it isn't my main motive, Mike.

I want him off my conscience.

Oh, Mike, I wish we could forget this whole nightmare

and go back home.

- You wanted coffee?

- Nobody makes coffee like Paul.

- Yeah, I saw him.

He makes good coffee.

You said you had a plan about Eduardo.

- We have.

We've got it all figured out.

- All right, let's have it.

- But Janet, is it safe?

- You think you can handle it without him?

- No.

- Then tell him the plan.

Their plan was just amateurish enough to work.

Paul had gotten the setup from an ex-con

who had been on the island for years.

It was no Alcatraz we were going up against,

just a loosely guarded penal colony

with barbed wire fence around it.

The big risk was getting back to the mainland

without being stopped by a government boat.

- And that's everything.

- Now let's go over it again,

so I've got everything straight.

According to Eduardo's last letter,

he was in the infirmary.

- Right here.

- I hit the beach here, cut the barbed wire

and get into the infirmary and bring him back.

- Correct.

- We get him on board the boat, proceed south,

where your friend in the power cruiser picks him up

and takes him across the border.

- We would've done it ourselves,

but neither Paul nor I are very good with the boat.

- How about the rest of the equipment,

the raft and so on?

- I've been gathering them a little at a time

so that Pena wouldn't get suspicious.

- All right.

Call your friend and tell 'em it's tonight.

- Tonight? - It's tonight or never.

If Pena picks me up first, we're all dead ducks.

- But on such short notice-

- He says tonight, Paul.

It's tonight.

- Give me a hand.

Hope you've got your signal straight with the-

With the skipper of that other cruiser.

- He'll meet us at point San Dimas.

- Fine. Now don't go in any closer.

If she starts to drift, throw out your anchor.

And if you hear gunfire when we hit the beach,

come in fast and pick us up.

- I understand.

- How about you, Paul?

- Frankly, I'm frightened to death by the whole adventure.

That makes two of us.

I'm sorry if I gave you a bad time.

- It's all right.

I just hope that you and Eduardo will get back safely.

Do you think we'll have any trouble with Eduardo?

- I don't think so.

- He may not want to tell us

where he hid the ruby, and I so despise violence.

- Just leave him to me.

Promised you half the money, didn't I?

- You promised me a good deal more than that, my dear.

I hope Cormack hasn't changed your minds.

- You take the oddest time to start making love.

Start the engine, Paul.

- The engine?

- Start the engine and head back toward the mainland.

- If we're not here when they leave the island,

they'll be shot.

- Will you start the engine or do I have to do it?

- Janet, I don't understand.

- Poor Paul.

You don't understand now, you never will.

- What do you want?

Who are you?

- Name's Cormack. We met before.

- Of course, Janet's friend,

the assistant DA.

- Not anymore.

- Mike Cormack, yes.

She was in love with you even after I married her.

But she thought I had more money.

Amusing, isn't it?

- We'll laugh about it later.

Right now, we're getting out.

Janet's offshore on a boat, so let's get going.

- You mean she's made arrangements for me to escape?

- That's what you wanted, wasn't it?

I didn't think she'd resort to murder,

not more than once anyhow.

- She told me about that.

She didn't mean to kill Fernandez.

- Oh no, of course not.

She meant to kill me.

- What?

What?

You've been here too long, brother.

- Yes, yes, I have had much time to think.

Would you like a cigarette?

- No.

- Mr. Cormack, would you like to know

how Fernandez really was killed?

- I'd like to hear your version of it,

but some other time.

- Thank you.

You know, it's so pleasant to have someone to talk to again.

My loving wife knew that I had to get the plane

so that Fernandez wouldn't get it.

She also knew that I had a rush job to do.

- Sure, deliver the ruby, I know.

- Oh, so she told you that.

But what she didn't tell you

was that she doctored the fuel switches

in order to kill me,

but I had trouble with my car on the way to the airport.

Fernandez got there before me, took the plane.

Poof, Señor Fernandez.

- You're crazy.

If she wanted you dead,

why go to all this trouble to get you off the island?

- What?

A truly wonderful way to have me liquidated.

- I must be stupid.

- Look, you are a lawyer.

You've heard of the.

- The law of the fugitive, yes.

- As long as I stay here, I am safe, right?

- I suppose so.

- And no good to her.

But as soon as I escape

or even try to, I am a fair target.

I can legally be shot by anyone, correct?

- Yeah.

- Now, my dear Mr. Cormack,

I am not going to leave this room.

I'm not ready to be shot legally or otherwise.

- You must be wrong.

She's waiting out there.

- And that's what you think?

- Of course that's what I think.

What do you think I'm doing here?

- I'll give you 10 to one that she's ditched you.

Furthermore, I'll bet that she has already made arrangements

to inform the authorities anonymously,

of course, that Eduardo Martin will plan to escape tonight.

- That's quite a plot you've hatched.

- If you don't believe me, go down to the beach and see.

Not me, señor.

I think we would be met by a dozen guards

with itchy trigger fingers.

Such a clever girl.

You know, even if the guards didn't shoot me,

I'd still be a dead pigeon.

- How's that?

- Because my gullible friend,

the penalty for just trying to escape from here is death.

That is why so few try it,

why it is so poorly guarded.

- But why would she want you dead?

- Ah, I'm glad you asked that.

$100,000, my life insurance.

The last value I am to her on this earth.

Our dear little Janet would stop at nothing

for that kind of money.

You're lying.

- What? - You're lying.

If you knew all this,

why did you take the rap for her?

Why?

- Love is a peculiar drug, my friend.

Sometimes love is a weapon.

Takes a long time to get it out of your blood.

You look like a man who might know that.

Aha, the alarm, you see?

They think someone is trying to escape.

It's a shame we didn't bet.

- Hurry. - 10 to one.

Oh, nice, you come to tuck me in?

- No, I was told...

I better go get the sergeant.

- Hold it.

Take me to your commanding officer,

I wanna talk to him.

Move.

- Such a clever girl.

- Who is it?

- It's Mike. Let me in, quick.

- Get out of sight.

I may have been followed.

You look surprised to see me.

- Mike, I'm so relieved that you got back safely.

- No, thanks to you.

- Oh, darling.

Darling, if you know what I've been through,

you couldn't talk like that.

- Go ahead, I'm listening.

- Paul was too frightened to go through with it.

As soon as you left us, why, he wanted to turn back.

- Why did you let him?

- Darling, I didn't. I didn't.

It was terrible.

I fought with him and he fell overboard.

Oh, there was nothing I could do.

- Go on.

- Well, by that time,

several boats were in sight.

Oh, I couldn't take a chance on turning back.

- So Paul's gone too.

- Oh, darling, I'm glad you're here with me,

safe and sound.

- It was almost another story.

I got Eduardo as far as the beach

before they started shooting at us.

- They killed him?

- Yeah, just as we hit the raft.

I was lucky.

About two miles out, a fishing boat

picked me up and brought me back here.

- Poor Eddie.

Poor Paul.

- Oh, Mike.

Mike, you're here.

- When do we get the 100,000?

The insurance.

Eddie told me about it.

Baby, I never knew anybody like you.

Mike.

Darling, I love you.

- All this and 100,000 too.

You, uh, are including me in, aren't you?

- But definitely.

Oh, Mike, it's going to be wonderful.

I've been making such plans,

my head's swimming.

- This calls for celebration.

How about a drink?

- Hm, whiskey?

- Make it a double.

Mike.

You're giving me goosebumps.

- Good.

- You think you should?

You haven't been drinking, you know?

- I just started again.

You know, baby, I like to work things out neat.

- Such as?

- Well, such as I've got everything

in its little pigeonhole about Eduardo and Paul,

but Carlos and Miguel, I can't quite figure-

- Do you have to?

I'd like to.

Let's try this on for size.

Your boy Miguel killed Carlos, that I'm sure of.

Question is why?

Maybe because Carlos knew where the carved ruby was.

When I went down to the house and talked to the old lady,

there was a kid there with a bike.

She sent him someplace in an awful hurry,

maybe to tell you that someone

was trying to talk to Carlos about the ruby.

It's your story, not mine.

- Well, let's see.

You were afraid I'd try to bribe Carlos.

You knew he was the sucker for a buck,

so you had Miguel kill him

before I had a chance to talk to him.

- You're pretty smart. - Uh-huh.

- But Mike, I told you before,

I don't know anything about a ruby.

- But I still can't quite believe you.

I wonder what would happen

if I turned you over to the police.

I wonder if they'd put a rope

around that lovely neck of yours.

- Shouldn't joke like that.

I don't consider that funny.

- Neither do I, sweetheart.

But that's exactly what I'm going to do.

- Oh, Mike, you wouldn't.

You wouldn't.

- How do you like that?

Right under my nose all the time.

Now it all figures.

You took the ruby before you fixed the switches.

Eddie'd be killed,

you'd have the ruby and the insurance.

- Mike, you don't have-

- You were afraid it might be found,

so you had Carlos put it

in one of his little diverts. - Yes, yes.

I couldn't sell the ruby

till I got it outta the country,

and I didn't have enough money to go anywhere,

so I had to have Eddie's insurance.

- You had to have both.

- Oh.

Mike, you make it all sound so-

- Violent, vicious, rotten.

- Darling, darling, I know I lied to you,

but I could help it.

- Sure, baby.

You're a born liar.

- Honey, you're not going to do what you said.

You love me.

- Maybe I do.

I've laid awake many a night wanting you.

I probably will again.

- Oh, Mike!

- You can come in now, Captain.

I've got the whole story for you,

and a little bonus beside.

- At last, I shall restore it to the museum.

- I'll take the ruby.

We have had a rather long and tedious wait, Mr. Cormack.

But all things being equal,

it was not without its rewards.

The ruby, please.

- You'll have to take it, Barzland.

- I should hate to see it damaged.

- You'll still have to take it.

- As you wish, Mr. Cormack.

Lawrence?

- That's the whole story, Captain Pena.

Told you everything I know.

You can take it from there.

By the way, what charge are you holding me on?

- Oh, I doubt if we could convict you on any charge.

On the other hand, you have aided the cause of justice.

- Thank you.

- And the ruby will be to the National Museum.

- Thank you, doctor.

Thank you.

- Reminds me of someone I used to know.

- There's a happy man who has the faculty to forgive.

- Okay.

Adios, amigo.