Original subtitles

Miss James?

Uh, yes.

Mr. Mannix has been waiting for you since you called.

Won't you come in?

Miss James to see you.

Miss James.

Please come in. Sit down.

Um, I've made a mistake, Mr. Mannix

and wasted your time.

You said it was urgent.

Now, if it's still urgent, maybe I can help.

I promise there's no charge for listening.

Sit down.

Well, my Uncle Simon, Simon Garvey,

came to Los Angeles three days ago.

We had dinner, and afterwards he asked

if I'd do him a little favor:

Keep his attaché case for him overnight.

Seems a little enough favor.

Except that that was three days ago.

He didn't call the next morning,

so I called him.

The hotel said that he'd checked out.

He hasn't called since. He's just vanished.

Do you know what's in the attaché case?

Did you look?

Yes.

Yes, I did.

$312,000.

That's a fortune.

The question is... whose fortune?

Tell me, was there anything else in the case?

Some papers. Names and places.

Nothing that would explain the money.

So you came to me.

Why didn't you go to the police?

Oh, I didn't want any trouble.

You're short an uncle and long $300,000.

I'd say you've got trouble.

No moves.

No sounds.

♪ ♪

Jackson here. Give me Red.

I'll check upstairs.

Hey, Red, we're out.

And we found a place.

"17 Paseo Verde."

Pick us up as soon as it's dark.

No, man, we'll be fine as silk.

All set.

Well, that's cool.

All we have to do now is kill some time.

Excuse me.

Look what I found: vitamins!

Beautiful.

Peace and quiet.

Three cons on the run.

Come on now. We're tourists.

Here today, gone tonight.

Just looking at the sights...

What's your name, honey?

Hmm?

Relax, investigator.

Whole trouble today is,

there's not enough love in this world.

Don't touch me!

Clay.

Clay!

Knock it off.

All of you relax.

You won't get hurt.

We just want a place to stay.

And, uh, maybe some bread, eh, Jackson?

Yeah, we could use some traveling dough.

Oh, uh, you don't mind, do you, sweets?

Where's the loot?

Well, maybe a house- to-house search will...

Outside on the desk.

But it won't get you to Long Beach.

22 bucks.

40 some.

Where's the office safe?

We don't have one.

Okay, blackbird, where is it?

He just told you, we don't have one.

Drop dead!

Mikuta!

Excuse me.

Easy, man!

Come on. Easy. Come on.

Look, there doesn't have to be any trouble.

We'll be out of here by the time it's dark.

But we need traveling bread.

I can get a check cashed.

Sure, at your bank, maybe?

One of you can come with me.

You're full of angles, Mannix.

Figure out something that's foolproof.

Hey, Jackson, maybe, uh, maybe these...

One of these beauties got some money stashed away at home

in a cookie jar, huh?

No!

You said that awful fast.

You sure, honey, huh?

Now you just think about it.

Here I am all tight on the run, needing help.

I've been three years, five months feeling sorry for myself.

You could be like my angel of mercy, huh?

Put him on his leash.

Or you'll do something stupid?

That's right!

You're the secretary.

Pick it up.

Clay, listen in on the phone outside.

Mr. Mannix's office.

Oh, hi, Joanna.

Yes, I know I'm late. I...

Just a second, hon.

Late for what?

No games, Peggy.

Tell him.

My son at school.

Joanna's waiting with her son.

He's your son. You figure out

something safe for him to do.

Or we can call a cab for him.

Joanna, sorry, hon.

Listen, my-my boss asked me to stay late as a favor.

I-I know it's a lot of trouble,

but would you do me a big favor?

Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna get double time.

Oh, Joanna, would you?

Oh, hon, you're a lamb.

Yeah, sure.

And Joanna, thanks.

Thanks a lot.

Smart.

Now let's get back to business.

Good idea.

Hey, that's pretty, sweetheart.

It's not worth much, but it's pretty.

You, uh, you got any other jewelry

stashed around, honey?

Three cons on the run.

If we could get our hands on money,

we'd be crazy not to use it to buy our freedom

instead of just handing it over to you.

You make it sound as if you had a pot full of dough

stashed away somewhere. Is that right, Mannix?

I know a man with some ready cash,

and he'll deliver, no questions asked.

But nothing's gonna happen

until I get a few solid guarantees...

about the two girls.

Let me work him over.

No.

Clay...

talk to the lady.

Come on.

Come on. Come on. Let's dance, huh?

You smell good.

♪ Dee da da da dee. ♪

You don't have much conversation do you, honey?

Come on. Now relax.

Relax, sweetheart, just relax. Shh-shh.

♪ Dee da da da. ♪

Where'd you get the booze?

There's an apartment upstairs.

Hey, honey, did you hear that?

Guess what.

We've got our own private dancehall upstairs.

Come on.

No!

No! No! Ow!

Hey, uh... we'll talk later.

Good sound.

Your boss is an eye with an ear.

Thanks.

Oh, come on, will you relax?

Come on.

Why don't you grow up?

That's better, huh?

Hey, the conquering hero.

That's far enough.

Mannix, you nearly got yourself killed... twice.

Now you ain't stupid.

You're a pro.

What set you on fire?

Your pet werewolf over there got a little too cute.

He's needling you, Clay.

Why?

Answer: He's hiding something.

But what?

Downstairs, a few minutes ago,

you started to say something.

No.

You're all covering.

I've had it.

You've got five seconds, man.

Mikuta, start your countdown.

No, don't do this!

He's bluffing.

Five, four,

three,

two...

Wait a minute! I'll tell you where the money is!

What do you know, bread.

Ain't that a coincidence?

I've got it.

He was just trying to protect me.

It's not worth dying over.

He's still close.

Where is it?

At my apartment.

I'll take you there

if you promise to let us all go.

How much?

Over $300,000.

In cash?

Yes.

300 grand!

Hey, Mikuta, Mikuta, you hear that, sweetheart?

300,000 biggies!

Whee!

Hey, uh, baby, 300!

- Hey! - It's a big score!

Yeah, yeah, yeah!

Careful, lady.

Walk as though you're my friend.

Feeding time.

Just relax over there, against the wall.

Feet apart.

Hands flat.

Ah.

Whoo, she cooks like a real professional.

What else do you do?

I handle a gun.

My husband was a cop.

You know, I like you.

I'll bet you're a good mother.

Nothing rates higher with me than mother love.

I'm sentimental that way.

Dish it out.

Yeah, yeah, it's first class.

Which is the way we're gonna go from now on.

You, trot over and pour us a drink, huh?

That's fine.

Now go back to your wall.

Hey, I bet ol' Jackson's counting it now, huh?

Dollar by dollar.

$300,000.

You realize that's a hundred grand apiece?

I think I'm going to get myself a palace,

live like a king for a solid month.

Bourbon, with eggs?

He's a health drunk.

Helps the flavor.

Well, if it's flavor you want,

how about a little salt and pepper?

Did I ever tell you, you're a great woman?

Call Lieutenant Kramer.

Tell him I'm going after the other one, huh? Right.

Beautiful.

Your Uncle Samson, hmm?

Simon.

That's the kind of relatives to have.

Now, are you going to let us all go?

When we get back to Mannix's apartment,

the boys and I will clear out.

You've paid your way.

First class.

Let her go.

Well, I see you got my message.

Well, it was a little hard to ignore.

This Miss James?

Oh, yes, Lieutenant Kramer.

Hi.

Where's the third man?

He totaled himself.

The fire department is putting out the fire,

and the highway patrol's on top of it.

You were on his tail, hmm?

And pushing hard.

I wanted information, I got a dead man,

and, uh, $300,000 in ashes.

Well, some days you just can't make a nickel.

Anyway, the girl's all right,

and, uh, we picked up these two.

Did you get a make on them?

What pen they out of?

Pen?

Like in penitentiary,

out of which convicts escape.

Hang on.

We ran a check.

This is Harry McCloy out of Cleveland.

John Marish, Cincinnati.

Then we checked a little further.

They haven't busted out of anywhere.

They weren't even wanted for anything until now.

They're not escaped convicts, Joe.

Just professional muscle for hire.

Oh, no. Sorry, no chance.

Oh, come on, George, sure it's a gamble, but...

It's no gamble, Joe.

You'll get yourself killed.

Look, now, this guy Jackson... Whoever he is, he's dead.

And the money's gone. Also totaled.

But who knows that?

Look, I'm a private investigator,

which automatically gives me a shady character, right?

On the take, a guy that's trying to cut corners.

Is this a confession?

It does make it believable

that I'd have the papers, and the money and I'm ready to deal.

If anybody wants to buy.

Well, look at it...

Three professional hoods hired to play escaped convicts.

Which makes no sense, Joe.

But it does, George.

Now, they had to make it look as if

they were after money, and only money.

But this whole elaborate game is for only one reason...

They were really after the papers

in Simon Garvey's attaché case.

So they were using the money as a cover?

Right.

Which means that the papers are worth more than $300,000

Still pretty iffy.

I just put out the word:

Joe Mannix, dishonest private eye has lied to the cops.

He's got the papers for sale,

and we wait for somebody to knock at the door.

With a cannon.

Not as long as I've got something to sell.

All right, be my sitting duck.

Mm.

They must have seen a lot of movies.

They won't talk without their lawyer.

You're double-talking me, Mannix!

Where's that attaché case with the money in it?

Now, Lieutenant, would I lie to you?

It's gone!

It went up in flames, the whole $300,000.

Yes, you'd lie to me for that kind of money.

Well, I got nothing except blisters.

All right, Mannix,

but we'll be watching you

and the D.A.'s office and the tax boys.

Now, Lieutenant...

Don't play any violins, Mannix.

If you're out of line, you get taken downtown.

Come on, let's put this garbage in the can.

Well, uh, how do you think our little act went?

A little rough around the edges.

But I think that audience bought it.

What now?

Well, we see if Miss James got a good enough look at those papers

to remember anything about them.

Is this where you offer to sleep on the sofa, so I can use the bed?

No.

No, this is where we drink black coffee and work all night.

Oh, Joe, I've told you before.

I didn't pay any attention to those papers.

All that money and my uncle missing,

I couldn't think of anything else.

Well, now, honey, you saw the papers.

Your eye photographed the image.

Now, you've got an undeveloped image up here,

and all we have to do is bring it out.

Three sheets of ordinary white typing paper

with lists of names on each page.

Now, uh, what sort of names?

Names... people and places.

Were they in pairs?

A person's name and then a place?

Yes.

Now, Celia,

I'm going to try and sell something I haven't got,

I don't know anything about, I can't describe.

In order for this bluff to work,

I've got to have a few of those names.

So, let's take it again from the top, huh?

Kehoe, Baltimore.

Haggerty, Denver.

No, um, Dallas.

I think it was Dallas.

Take it easy.

Just try and visualize the letters.

Just one letter at a time.

Kind of, let it surface.

Haggerty, Dallas.

That's right.

Oh, I can't, Joe, I'm sorry, I'm tired.

Now, you can sleep later. Just keep trying!

I am trying.

Now, look, I've got to have a few of those names,

or I could wind up dead.

I didn't ask you to go play hero.

Oh, you just go home and wait for some nice man

to come around asking about those papers, huh?

Joe, I don't know anything.

Now, you may be able to convince me,

but you might not be able to convince them!

Oh, stop trying to threaten...

Now, stop pretending this is a game.

Your uncle is probably dead.

Jackson is certainly dead.

Clay and Mikuta are going to talk to lawyers.

That leaves you and me on a tightrope.

Now, we've got to walk carefully,

but we gotta keep walking.

Now, give me the next name!

I don't know.

Well, keep trying!

I have tried.

I can't remember!

I wish you'd...

Uh, an Italian name.

Uh, with an "S", Spoletti.

That's the name, Spoletti.

And there wasn't any place beside it.

And underneath, there was one word

all by itself, underlined.

Paradise.

Paradise, Kehoe, Baltimore.

Haggerty, Dallas.

Spoletti, nowhere.

Paradise.

Ah, you're beautiful.

You bullied it out of me.

I'm sorry, but I had to have at least a few names.

I could've taken a swing at you.

Well, you've earned it.

That's a pretty deadly right, lady.

You ought to see my left.

How long they been there?

Since half past 9:00. Hmm.

Who are they?

Fishermen.

And guess who's the fish.

Well, they'll treat me like an antique vase.

They're here to make a deal, not a hit.

I hope those three names you gave me

are enough to carry the conversation.

What if they aren't?

Don't even think it.

Hi, hey, can you tell me the way to Beverly Hills?

Yeah, just head east at the next corner.

Get in the car.

On the floor, Mannix.

Mr. Mannix. Yeah.

Hey, you got a cigarette?

I don't smoke.

We have been led to believe

that you're interested in negotiations.

What's the offer?

Please, Mr. Mannix.

This is, uh, the most preliminary of discussions.

There's the question of title,

the question of the areas of remuneration and so forth.

Are you the one buying?

I, sir, am an attorney.

I represent the principals in this venture.

An errand boy.

Well, uh, you can

take this back to your boss.

I'll keep the money.

The papers I'll sell for the right price.

Ah, the question then arises.

Do you actually possess the items in question?

The papers?

Why not, I'll throw one name in free.

Kehoe.

I'll even throw in a place.

Baltimore.

Kehoe, yes.

And Baltimore you say?

I shall convey your general position, Mr. Mannix.

We shall be in touch soon.

When?

In due course, Mr. Mannix.

In due course.

In due course means like right now.

Do it.

All right, downstairs.

Go on down, Mannix.

Ah, you must be the principal.

Mr. Mannix? That's right.

It's a pleasure.

I'm Mr. Peters.

I want to apologize for all the trouble you've been put to.

However, all things considered,

don't you think it would be fair to return my papers?

For how much?

Well, if you already have the papers,

then you have over $300,000.

Not enough, Mr. Peters.

How can I be sure you have the papers?

Kehoe, Baltimore.

You have a name and a city.

But my informants tell me that fire was very hot.

Oh, it was.

Lucky I got the case from Jackson

before he hit the front burner.

If you have it, prove it.

Mr. Peters, I'm a professional.

I can add: Kehoe, Baltimore.

I happen to know Dallas, so, uh,

Haggerty meant something to me.

That stupid girl!

She had to go crying to a private investigator.

She didn't look beyond the money,

but I did.

Simon Garvey was a writing fool.

He, uh, he kept records.

Kehoe, Haggerty; Dallas, Baltimore.

I just put them together.

And it's all on paper.

It's bad for business. Terrible.

When a man buys a hit, he likes to feel secure.

Haggerty told me when he paid Garvey, Garvey was sweating.

Then Haggerty did get delivery.

A very neat job.

You should have done a neater job on Simon Garvey.

He wrote himself an insurance policy.

Well, he was scared, being involved with murder.

He only collected the money.

For the contract murders you did for Kehoe, Haggerty,

Spoletti and all the others.

It's a business, Mr. Mannix.

50,000 people die each year from auto accidents.

We're just a trifle more selective.

And it's a lot more profitable.

That why I figure I can ask top dollar for the records.

$250,000 dollars more.

That's over a half a million dollars.

They're expensive names.

Kehoe, Haggerty, Spoletti.

You wouldn't want the cops to ask them

who arranged their little murders for them, would you?

You're very handy with a rack and a thumbscrew, Mannix.

It's a deal.

Where and when?

There's a public phone booth near the Observatory.

I'll call you there.

Tomorrow morning, 8:00 on the dot.

Don't forget the papers.

Bring the money.

Don't worry.

Meanwhile, relax, Mr. Mannix.

The watchman will let you out in a couple of hours.

My Uncle Simon was part of a murder ring?

I don't believe that.

Well, he may have broken the whole operation.

If we can tie it down to this, Mr. Peters.

Well, that starts in the morning.

We'll stake out everything

for a mile around the phone booth and tap the line.

And we're still checking on those names.

Kehoe, Haggerty, Spoletti.

And Paradise, wherever that is. Uh-huh.

If it's in the state, we'll find it.

Well, you've got your homework for the night,

and I've got an early date in the morning.

Try not to be late, huh?

Mannix here.

Go down to the Pacific Coast Highway, past Malibu.

Sea Rock Motel. Room 31.

Joe, this is Sergeant Beal. You go ahead.

You've got two men up there who'll be right behind you.

On my way.

I'll take your gun, Mannix.

Yeah, we got the girl,

so you do exactly what you're told.

Make a right turn after the tunnel.

Take the next right.

Head east, inland.

Paradise.

That's right.

Last stop, on the way to Heaven.

Joe.

Welcome to Paradise, Mr. Mannix.

Why all the games?

I'm ready to make a deal.

With the police in your hip pocket?

Well, I couldn't stop them; I figured to lose them.

You just made things easier.

Please, Mr. Mannix.

You two are very bothersome to me.

And two bullets ought to solve the problem.

That's not gonna get you the list.

If you ever had the list.

And it's not just a couple of names and places

and a lucky guess.

As a matter of fact, perhaps you can save me a bullet.

You kill the girl;

we keep your gun with your fingerprints on it.

Hey...

yeah, and then that locks him in to us for the murder rap.

You can live to be a rich old man, Mr. Mannix.

What do you say?

All right.

Joe! Sorry, Celia.

The game's been called on account of reality.

Only one bullet, Mannix.

Go ahead, shoot her.

No...

You stay here with the girl.

Come on, let's go.

Come on!

Well, George!

Never thought I'd see you in Paradise.

Well, I told you that if it was in the state, we'd find it, hmm?

We had some help: Kehoe and Haggerty both talked,

in detail, including the Paradise Gun Club.

Now, where did you leave Peters?

Oh, you'll find him up by the waterfall. Okay.

Are you all right?

Mm. Yeah.

Hey...

did you miss me deliberately, or are you just a bad shot?

Aren't you glad you're alive to find out?