Original subtitles

Mannix.

Mr. Mannix, I told you I'd call back at 8.

So you're punctual.

I hope you've cleared up all the little details in your life.

I gave you three days.

Time's running out.

Live every minute as if it were your last, Mr. Mannix.

It can happen any time now.

♪♪

- Mr. Mannix? - Yes.

Karl Hastings. Come in.

I'm sorry I'm late.

I got trapped on the phone as I was leaving my office.

Yeah, I know how that is. Some people are hard to get rid of.

Yeah, well, this one was a little more stubborn than most.

Uh, won't you sit down?

Uh, would you like a drink?

No, thanks.

What can I do for you, Mr. Hastings?

My wife's missing. She's been gone for five days.

She just left without an explanation.

Well, uh, Mr. Mannix,

this is, uh, very hard to put into words.

Although I know you need to know everything about Illena

if you're going to have a prayer of finding her.

This isn't the first time it's happened.

I mean, she's disappeared before... Two, three days at a time.

But she's always come back to me. That's all that matters.

This time it's been five days.

Any idea where she goes?

I, uh...

I followed her once

when it began to dawn on me that she was...

It made me sick, physically sick.

Another man?

Other men.

And the places.

But I've... I've learned to live with that.

She's my wife. I don't care what else she is.

But, Mr. Mannix, all I ask is that you find her.

I'll take her to Europe,

to the best doctors, a hospital if necessary.

I should have done that a long time ago.

I need your help.

Well, uh, I'll need some descriptive information, Mr. Hastings.

Anything... anything I can tell you.

A picture would help.

This is Illena.

Of course that's ten years old.

It probably won't be very helpful.

Well, if you have something more recent.

Well, I could let you have her scrapbook.

It's newspaper pictures, society stuff, mostly.

Probably wouldn't be more help than that.

It's better than nothing.

Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

A couple of weeks ago, we went up to the high desert for a few days.

I've got some mining property up there.

I took a camera along... I got some pictures.

Yeah.

There's still a few shots left on the roll.

Fine.

I'll get them developed tomorrow.

There's a photo lab right across from my office.

Ohhh, this is a real monster.

Sensational.

You ought to own one, Joe.

Yeah, I ought to own a fifty-foot yacht, too.

I hope this film isn't important evidence in some case you're working on, Joe.

Why? What've you got?

A roll of nothing.

Whoever shot it forgot the first rule of photography... remove the lens cap.

Swell.

What do I owe you?

For nothing? Nothing.

Oh, by the way, Barry, what do one of these rigs go for?

For a friend, I could knock a few bucks off list.

Say, somewhere around eight hundred.

Thanks, friend.

The business you're in, Joe, you could write it off.

Duck, Barry!

That's how it was, Art.

I couldn't reach Nolan to knock him down.

I yelled when I saw the gunman,

but I guess he just didn't have time to react.

You might say I killed him by coming here.

I wouldn't say that, Joe.

Yeah, well, that bullet was meant for me.

I had all the warning in the world that it was on the way.

Garland, I told you no one in here.

Sorry, Lieutenant... But she said it was important.

What's happened?

There's been an accident. What is it you want, ma'am?

My name is Jill Packard. I'm a professional photographer.

Barry Nolan is processing some film for me.

It's important that I pick it up today.

J. Packard... yeah, here we are.

If you'll come down to Headquarters this afternoon

and sign the proper releases, you can pick it up.

There won't be any problem.

Has something happened to Barry?

Yes, ma'am.

He's been shot.

It was an accident.

The bullet was meant for me.

He got in the way of it.

Lucky you.

She was just upset, Joe.

Look, Art, I'll be across in my office.

When you've finished here, would you stop in?

There's something I want to show you.

I'll just be a couple of minutes.

Hello, Peggy. Bad year for termites, huh?

Not if you're a termite.

Art, that's what I wanted to see you about.

It happened last night.

Any reason why you couldn't tell me about it last night?

What were you going to do for me last night... hold my hand?

Mr. Mannix's office.

Keep him talking.

I'm sorry... We seem to have a bad connection.

Who's calling, please?

Tell him I'm sorry I missed him. He'll talk to me.

One moment, sir.

This is Lieutenant Malcolm... Trace the call coming in on KL 5-2271.

Hello. This is Mannix.

Just what are you after?

You know what I'm after, Mr. Mannix.

If you're going to kill me, I'd like to know why.

You would? That's very funny.

And I suppose you would also like to hold me

on this line long enough to trace this call.

That's very stupid of you.

Goodbye, Mr. Mannix.

Sorry, Art.

At least you don't have to listen to any of his old tapes.

You caught the act live.

That voice is something else, isn't it?

Yeah, he's obviously afraid that you'd recognize his normal voice.

That narrows the field down to someone you know.

All my friends would like to kill me sooner or later.

How about your enemies?

We've made a list of those, too, didn't we, Peggy?

The Who's Who of Losers.

Two- and three-time losers.

No one you feel might want to take a shot at you?

Only one... but he's in prison. I nailed him on a narcotics rap.

His name?

Ben Taylor.

I don't remember Taylor threatening your life at the time of the trial, Joe.

Well, he didn't advertise it over a P.A. system,

but he did get word to me through his attorney he wanted to kill we.

What's the difference? He's in Folsom.

He got out a week ago.

I read it in the Intelligence Report this morning.

He's right here in L.A.

Parole?

Good behavior.

Taylor!

Open up, Taylor! This is the police. We've got a warrant!

You suppose he spotted us and took off?

Possible.

He must've crawled out onto the ledge when I hollered for him to open up.

Anyway, Joe, he won't be making any more phone calls.

Hello.

May I come in?

Sure.

Is that look surprise or anger?

Neither.

I was just thinking.

The first time I saw you, you were about two inches tall

in a photograph accompanying one of your travel layouts.

Incidentally, you enlarge very well.

Thank you.

How about a drink?

No, thank you.

Care to sit down?

No... I'm going to do this standing on my own two little flat feet,

without support of any kind.

Do what?

What's been bugging me all afternoon.

What's that?

I was a witch when I first met you this morning.

I'm sure you didn't need my nasty little remark.

I came to apologize.

That wasn't necessary, but now that you've got the job done,

how about that drink?

You're letting me off too easily.

Well, then, how about dinner? Punishment enough?

I am hungry.

I like hungry girls.

Joe Mannix speaking. This is a recording.

I've gone out.

When you hear the tone, leave your name and number,

and I'll call you back.

I saw the young lady, Mr. Mannix.

Very lovely.

Unfortunately, you won't get to spend much time with her

because you'll be dead.

But why should I tell this to a tape machine?

You won't be around to hear the playback.

♪♪

♪♪

- I don't know how you do it. - What?

Two pieces of strawberry cheesecake, and you can still dance...

Oh, it's easy.

You know, I must have been out of my mind.

When?

When I said I liked girls who were hungry.

- Question, okay? - Uh-hmm.

What's a beautiful girl like you doing behind the camera?

Oh, Joe, not you.

That's always the opening question.

I got a strong finish.

I mean, you've taken your camera to Vietnam, Biafra, the Middle East,

climbed three quarters of the way up Mount Everest.

You've been a prisoner in Red China.

You're not going to tell me it's all fun and games.

But it is,

if you're a hungry girl.

You play the game of private eye,

and people shoot at you with live ammo, right?

- Hmm. - Question, okay?

Why aren't you an accountant or a shoe salesman?

Shoe salesmen get to tickle a lot of pretty toes.

Well, I guess I'm just a hungry boy.

Are you sure you don't want me to take you home?

It's pretty late. I could get your car to you tomorrow morning.

I'll be all right, but it was sweet of you to think of it.

In fact, I find you a very satisfactory person on balance.

That was for balance.

Thanks for feeding a hungry girl.

Any time.

You won't get to spend much time with her because you'll be dead,

but why should I tell this to a tape machine?

You won't be around to hear the playback.

I don't understand, Joe.

Join the club.

But I thought you said the man who was trying to kill you died.

Yeah, well, just call it a case of mistaken identity.

Art, did you come up with anything?

This. Dug it out of the wall of your carport.

Weighs in like a 30.06.

A hunting rifle.

Well, for a hunter, he's a bum shot.

Third time he's missed me.

With all the practice he's getting, he's a cinch to improve.

You know, there's something else that bugs me, Art.

Why did Ben Taylor climb out on that window ledge?

He wasn't the guy shooting at me.

No, he was on dope.

The autopsy report showed that he was stoned at the time of death.

Probably thought he was being busted by the narcs.

He just couldn't face the trip back to Folsom.

If that's our boy, hold him on the line.

All your incoming calls are being monitored.

Joe Mannix.

Yeah. He's right here. Just a minute.

It's for you.

Malcolm. Yeah.

All right, I'll be in in a few minutes.

Oh... call Mr. Hastings and have him come down to the morgue.

I'll meet you there.

Art... this Mr. Hastings, is that by any chance Karl Hastings?

Yeah... why?

Well, uh, what about him?

A floater just surfaced off the pier in Santa Monica.

Tentatively identified as Mrs. Hastings.

What's that to you, Joe?

Well, that's the job I was working on. I was trying to find her.

Maybe you'd better come along, Joe.

Yeah.

Yes.

It's Illena.

I just can't believe it.

I'm sorry to have to put you through this,

but we had to have a positive identification.

How did it happen, Lieutenant?

We won't know until we get the autopsy report.

It's possible she simply walked into the water.

No, that's not possible. She'd never be a suicide.

It could have been an accident. We'll have to wait for the report.

Mannix, I want you to find the man who killed her.

We're not sure that it was murder, Mr. Hastings.

I know how you feel, Mr. Hastings.

Look, I know what I'm doing, Lieutenant.

If there was a homicide, we'll handle the investigation.

Are you telling me that I can't have my own investigator on the case?

Of course not.

I'm just telling you to try and stay calm.

At least until we find out what happened.

See you, Joe.

Well, Mannix?

I'll let you know as soon as the autopsy report's in.

Shooting at me?

Joe, you've got to be kidding!

I wish I were.

But why?

That's one of the things that's been gnawing at me...

That and how a man with a high-powered rifle could be such a rotten shot.

Now one or two misses I could buy, but three times, no way.

Anyone can own a rifle. That doesn't make him a marksman.

If he wasn't sure he could hit his target from a distance,

he could have moved in closer.

Come on, Joe. I don't have enemies like that.

- Wrong. - How can you be so sure?

Well, if you step over here, I'll just try and explain.

Now let's just assume that this space is the carport.

Your car is here.

And the lighter is my car.

We drive up and I pull into here alongside your car.

The car where the shot came from is right here.

I get out of my car, and I come around to open the door for you.

All the time I'm coming around here, I'm a perfect target.

But does our man shoot? No.

He waits until you get out of the car and are standing beside me,

right in the line of fire.

As a matter of fact, it was the same thing

when I was crossing the Paseo from my office to Barry Nolan's shop.

I was a perfect target then, too.

But the killer passed on that and waited for a difficult shot through the window.

He even had me in his sights, standing still,

but he hit a man behind me that was moving.

Then you think he was trying to kill Barry Nolan all along.

Yeah, I do.

Still, there's no connection.

There's got to be.

All Barry Nolan ever did for me was to process some film.

Maybe that's the connection.

Did you ever pick up those pictures?

Sure.

Could I see them?

Of course. But why?

They're just a photo essay for a magazine that I'm doing on ecology.

There's nothing here that rings a bell for me.

I must say they're good shots.

Thank you.

Let's take a look at the negatives.

What is it?

These notches along the side of the film.

Do they mean anything?

They tell you the speed of the film you're working with.

Then when you get in the darkroom and can't see,

your fingertips can feel the notches.

Two notches means double-X,

three notches means triple X and so on.

Did you use two different kinds of film when you took these shots?

- Oh no. - You're sure?

Positive. When I work outside, I only use double-X.

- With two notches. - With two notches.

This has two, and this has three notches.

Triple-X... that doesn't make sense.

It does if you didn't expose that particular negative.

But I did.

It's the shot I took in the alley.

This one.

The only possible explanation

is that Barry Nolan made a duplicate negative from my original shot,

enlarged the duplicate, and kept the original.

- Why would he do that? - I can't imagine.

Could this be the reason?

The sunlight reflecting off that window.

From the looks of the shadows,

I'd say the sun was on the other side of the building.

I think you're right, Joe.

It looks as though it's been air-brushed and re-photographed.

That's why Barry Nolan made a duplicate...

To hide whatever was happening in that window.

What could it have been?

It could be worth your life for us to find out.

No, Joe... nothing.

And I don't know where else he could have hidden it.

He wouldn't put it in the trash.

Why not? Mrs. James said Nolan never let her throw out anything.

Perfect place to hide a negative.

But he'd have to be able to find it.

Yeah, right. He probably put it in something he could identify,

like a mailing tube or a cigarette carton.

It's not there.

Wait a minute. We're forgetting something.

- What? - Well the trash bin itself.

Where better to hide something of value than in a trash can?

Well...

Wrong.

What do you know?

- Double-X. - It's the alley.

Ecology finds another killer, maybe.

Can you give me just the woman?

Why? Do you think you'll recognize her?

I'm beginning to think I might.

It's Illena Hastings.

Can you give me a blow-up of the man?

Hastings.

He must have caught his wife once too often.

All right, but why did he shoot at me?

I would say that Nolan told him about you taking a picture.

Probably thought that fact would keep Hastings in line.

But I didn't know what was in the picture.

But you did know what day you took it.

If the original negative turned up...

And you can bet Nolan assured Hastings it would if anything happened to him...

You could have put Hastings on Death Row.

I'll get a hold of Lieutenant Malcolm.

We won't need the Lieutenant, Mr. Mannix.

Could I have the negative, please... And the pictures?

Thank you.

Thank you for saving me the trouble of finding them.

Nolan had a nice place here.

The trouble was he priced himself to death.

Fifty thousand dollars for a picture of me... imagine.

Those phone calls to me,

that was just to make Nolan's death look like an accident.

Almost worked, too.

The police know your wife was murdered.

They're not going to stop looking.

They also know that I insisted you stay on the case.

They won't look in my direction.

Shall we go, folks?

Mr. Mannix, would you pull up by that shack over there, please?

Now, if you will get out please, Miss Packard.

And don't forget the camera.

And now you, Mr. Mannix.

That's just fine.

Are you always this well prepared, Mr. Hastings?

This time I am.

Although it was originally planned

only Miss Packard and myself were going to be on this excursion.

The thought of that warms me all over.

I thought it would

But then, when you went to see Mr. Mannix,

I decided it would be easier

to let you stop a bullet the police thought was for him,

the way Barry Nolan did.

Just didn't work out that way.

And now, Miss Packard, I think it might be a good time for you to take some pictures.

Of what?

It doesn't matter.

Whatever you get on film

is going to be published in more magazines and newspapers

than anything you've ever done.

Caption... "Last Photographs Taken By Jill Packard."

On the nose.

And if I don't?

Well, in that case, I think Mr. Mannix will try to persuade you.

I want you to get a screwdriver out of the tool case.

Don't point that camera at me,

or the shot you hear will mean Mr. Mannix's death.

I want you to loosen the hose fitting on the radiator

just enough to let the water trickle out.

Move!

All right, that'll be enough.

Now throw the screwdriver away.

The car won't make it a mile before we crack the block.

Terrific.

Let's go, Miss Packard.

Throw the screwdriver away, Mr. Mannix.

Well, that does it. Now what?

We walk.

Oh, so that's how it's going to end, huh?

The tragic photographic mission of Jill Packard.

Car breaks down... lost in the desert... Desperate attempt to hike out.

Good reading.

Shall we all get out?

All right, keep moving.

How much more of this do we have to take?

All there is.

We'll make it through tonight.

Tomorrow will be a short day for you.

I take it you've been through this desert before.

Every foot of it with a Geiger Counter.

It was a newspaper photograph of my doing just that

that Barry Nolan remembered.

All right, folks, let's go.

All right, Mr. Mannix, get back.

I just wanted to see how much juice you still had left.

That's pretty stupid, Hastings.

What?

You're out of water.

Oh.

Now you're in the same spot we are.

All right, let's go.

Come on.

Would you believe behind this rock there's a jeep and two canteens of water?

I believe it.

You're beautiful, you know that?

All right, let's go, Mannix.

You're really something else.

Let's go.

That's good.

All right. Easy.

All right, on your feet, Mannix.

I said on your feet!

Or she's gonna die.

Jill... here... drink this... not too much.

Easy. Easy.

That's good.

All right?

Easy. Easy.

All right, Hastings, on your feet.

Get in the passenger side.

Can you drive one of these things?

Yes.

I've driven them across battlefields.

Good.

Then you can drive us across this one.