Original subtitles

(theme music playing)

- Call. - Heads.

Heads it is.

Don't take any chances,

just find out who he is and what he's got to sell.

Right. See you.

Zaroff. Gregor Zaroff.

Gregor...

- Well? - Mission accomplished.

You killed him?

Naturally.

Pour yourself a drink, Zaroff.

Well, perhaps one.

We'll toast the success of our venture.

I do have a date, remember?

Ah, yes.

Our lady on the inside.

Mustn't keep her waiting.

Perhaps we ought to drink her health.

Excellent idea.

To the girl who will make all our dreams come true,

Tara King. (laughing)

(elevator whines)

Man: We're linked to the radar systems

of all allied countries.

We're able to monitor the flight

of every military aircraft in the world, theirs and ours.

What about rockets?

How soon could you detect missiles fired at this country?

- 32.6 seconds. - Astonishing.

If an attack was launched, what would the next move be?

- Now that will be up to the Field Marshall. - Field Marshall?

Field Marshall who?

General Hesketh, the Field Marshall.

Well, not very much to look at.

What does it do?

Determines the course, height, and speed

of the attacking rockets,

programs our own anti-missile missiles and fires them.

In short, it creates an impenetrable barrier,

a shield of absolute safety.

One further question,

if it were to be put out of action or damaged, what then?

Fortunately, that can't happen.

The Field Marshall is quite impregnable.

But if it weren't, this country

and the entire Western world would be sitting ducks.

Hesketh: The medal ribbons, what are they for?

Man: We got that one for action during the rocket attack

on London in 1961.

Hesketh: But there wasn't a rocket attack on London in '61.

Man: Exactly.

But without him, there would have been.

That one was for detecting of what the rest

of the allies thought was a guided missile

was only a flock of wild geese.

They came within 15 seconds of pressing the button that time.

Come along, let me show you the rest of the operation.

All right. Let her up.

Very nice try, Miss King.

- Beautifully timed. - Thank you.

I don't understand why my gun didn't fire.

You were in the magnetic field.

All the metallic parts of your pistol locked together.

Anyway, the Field Marshall is shielded

by 1-inch armor plate.

What exactly is going on? Who is this woman?

Oh, Miss Tara King, General Hesketh.

Miss King is with the department.

She's been assigned to try

and break through our security devices.

- But she genuinely tried to destroy this thing. - Of course.

We're not playing war games, General.

This is deadly serious.

You see, if Miss King had damaged the unit,

then it would have proved our vulnerability.

The next attack might have been made by a genuine enemy agent.

But you'll be pleased to know that

I've now tried to destroy this room four times

and each time I've failed miserably.

- But you will keep trying, won't you? - Of course.

My congratulations, Miss King.

You appear to be carrying out your assignation

with a great deal of enthusiasm.

Well done, Miss King.

Took me completely by surprise.

I'll be awfully grateful if you'd unlock these now.

Oh, certainly.

Oh, um, the keys...

You see I think I've left them in reception.

Oh, the gun!

Three guesses.

Steed. Steed. Steed.

Right. Right. Right.

- How are you enjoying the War Room? - Not much.

Security too good?

Haven't found anything wrong.

- I didn't think... - As yet.

- I didn't think you would. - Why?

Because the man who devised that security scheme

took a great deal of trouble.

Yes. Who was he anyway?

Me.

(door buzzer buzzes)

- Ugh. - I'll get it.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Who was it?

Flowers for you.

"Many thanks for everything."

"Affectionately, G." Who's "Affectionately G?"

Steed, do you really think the War Room is invulnerable?

I'd stake my reputation on it.

Yes, but would you stake two dozen bottles of cham...

Very pretty.

Well, I'm having lunch with Bertie Bartam.

- Care to join us? - No, I can't today.

Got to get on with my assault on the War Room.

Some other time.

Oh, by the way, keep an eye on my house of cards.

(door closes)

- (door buzzer buzzes) - Just a minute.

Jimmy Fairfax, what a surprise.

- Hello, Tara. - What are you doing here?

I was following a man called Zaroff.

I seemed to have lost him somewhere in this area.

Zaroff. Zaroff.

What case is that?

We're pretty certain he killed Perowne.

Oh, yes, I remember reading the reports.

- What can I do for you? - Well, I remembered you lived here.

I wondered if I could use your phone.

Oh, of course, go ahead.

Here, I'll move this for you.

Now how did he do that?

Oh, sorry.

Help yourself, I'll get us a drink.

Hello, Mother? Fairfax.

I'm at Tara King's apartment.

I've lost Zaroff.

Mother: What do you mean you lost...

(indiscernible ranting)

Yes, Mother.

No, Mother.

Of course, Mother.

Good-bye, Mother.

Took the news well, I see.

He was a little bit piqued.

I'll stay here for orders. Do you mind?

No, of course not. Sit down, make yourself at home.

- Cheers. - Cheers.

I'll be back in a minute.

(telephone ringing)

I'll get it!

- Hello? - Hello, Tara?

No, don't say anything, just listen.

Yes.

Right, I understand. Thank you.

Listen, I have to go out for a while.

- You don't mind staying here alone do you? - No.

Right. Well, you sit down.

Anything you want, I'm sure you'll find it.

I'll probably see you when I get back. Bye-bye.

(rings)

Man: Tara, it's all set.

Zaroff is waiting.

Hello?

Hello.

Who is that?

- (telephone rings) - Hello?

Man: Look under the directories. You'll find what you want.

Hmm, it's beautiful.

Beautiful.

Well, there's just time for you to run down to the bank

and pay this in.

I think you'll find it's all made out correctly.

Zaroff's personal check of 2,000 pounds

made out to our dear friend Tara King.

(sneezing)

It's the air conditioning, you know.

The atmosphere down here is so dust-free

and absolutely pure,

sinuses can't adjust to it.

Just think, only two more days here

and I'll be back in London with the rain and fog and smog.

- Tell me, these papers... - What about them?

Would they be of any use to a foreign power?

Well, not just on their own,

but they might help somebody make an educated guess

about our control systems.

Thinking about trying to smuggle some out?

Constantly. (sneezes)

I shouldn't bother.

If these papers are exposed

to half a degree's temperature change,

they self-ignite.

Steed didn't miss anything, did he?

(sneezes)

I think I'll go up to ground level...

(alarm ringing)

Search her.

Camera, eh?

Not very original, Miss King.

Switch off the detector.

Let her go.

- You guys certainly play rough. - Yes.

How did they know about the camera?

There's a sensor beam just here.

It reacts to the chemical components of film emulsion,

simple as that.

Well, you, uh, can't win them all.

I hope you can't win any of them.

Are you certain?

Sure beyond any shadow of a doubt?

Quite certain. Absolutely sure.

You realize the gravity of the charges

- that you're making? - I'm making no charges,

merely reporting facts.

I made every effort to justify the things that happened.

But quite frankly, Mother,

I'm still forced to the same conclusion.

That Tara King was working for Zaroff?

Inconceivable.

The telephone call,

the voice asking to speak to Zaroff.

The card with the initial G.

Incidentally, his Christian name is Gregor.

The envelope she collected.

I saw Zaroff with it a short time later.

It contained War Room documents.

Let us consider the alternatives.

On the basis of your evidence,

Tara King is either a traitor

or alternatively,

and judging only by the facts...

- she is a traitor. - You'll have to take action.

Don't tell me what I have to do, boy!

I was making life-and-death decisions

when the only choice in life you had to make

was whether to eat your baby cereal or spit it out!

As of this moment,

Tara King's security rating is reduced to zero minus.

Loyalty checks and surveillance to commence immediately.

I'll get onto it right away.

- Fairfax. - Yes?

Do what you have to,

but ideally, clear her name.

Prove conclusively that she has nothing to do

with this man, Zaroff!

War Room duty is just about finished, isn't it?

Day after tomorrow.

You haven't found a security flaw yet?

Looks as though I'm going to win my bet.

Did you recognize him?

- No. - Did you?

You better have a look around, see if anything is missing.

Look in the bedroom.

Everything seems normal except that...

Except what?

Well, it's all a bit too perfect,

as if someone had made a search but a very careful search.

The burglars in this district are very upper-class.

They're noted for their neatness.

Mm, still odd he didn't take anything.

Well, I'll mention it to Mother just to be on the safe side.

Good idea.

Maybe we could have dinner later.

Maybe. That's a good idea, too.

- Bye. - Bye.

I want to ask one question, Mother.

Is Tara King in danger?

Is Fairfax waiting outside her apartment to protect her?

Two questions, Steed. One answer, no.

Then why?

- You. - Mr. Steed.

Sorry if I was a little rough.

My orders were not to be caught.

Aubrey Phillipson, recently joined us

- from political intelligence. - All right.

Now you're not gonna like this, Steed, neither do I.

Give him a preview from the dossier.

Tara King is suspected of being in contact

with a known enemy agent, one Gregor Zaroff.

- But this is ridiculous. - Wait, Steed, wait.

He's been seen entering

and leaving her apartment building.

I was there this afternoon to search and fingerprint.

I also found a gift card with his initial.

- "Affectionately, G." - Gregor.

I checked her bank account.

A payment of 2,000 pounds has been made to her.

I have the check.

Payable to Tara King, signed by G. Zaroff.

Have you talked to Tara about this?

No, how can I if she's gone over to them?

Gone over?

If she has gone over,

we'll have to keep our investigation secret

until we find out what she's up to.

We think she could have broken the security on the War Room.

- What? - Two weeks ago,

she requisitioned a miniature camera from stores.

Yesterday, she took out another camera,

special wrist watch job.

The War Room censors detected a camera

and the miniature was confiscated.

But she got out with the other one undetected.

Conclusion, she's been photographing

documents and equipment.

I want to handle this case.

Officially or otherwise, I'm going to.

All right, Steed, I'll give you 24 hours.

(telephone rings)

Hello?

Tara.

About the War Room, I want you to go somewhere.

Have you got that address?

Good.

That's all.

You know, most people's feet are so ugly.

Mine, they are so elegant.

It's Fairfax.

She's just driven into Maple's Garage.

My bet... She's meeting somebody.

I'm going in after her.

- Man: Careful. - Right.

(telephone rings)

- Steed. - Mother here.

Tara is at the Maple Garage, possible meeting place.

Like to take a look at it?

Leaving now, Maple Garage.

(gunshots)

- He's dead. - And it's your gun.

Superb.

You know, that really is the only word that fits.

Superb.

Don't you agree, Zaroff?

It's a nice suit.

I didn't mean the suit. I meant me.

If you can drag yourself away from the mirror for a moment,

we really should talk about Tara.

Oh, what is there to say? She's played her part well.

Yeah, she's under arrest by now.

Quite right, too.

It must be quite apparent that she shot Fairfax.

Poor child,

there's so much evidence against her.

Enough?

Would you doubt that she's been working for us?

- No, I suppose not. - Exactly.

Well, I don't think it's too early

to start congratulating ourselves.

There's just one more nail

that needs to be hammered into that coffin

and then we can collect our fee.

Well, we've earned it.

- It's been a very smooth operation. - (chuckles)

Well, I think we've seen the relevant part

of the material.

Cut it. Lights.

And you still deny that you know Zaroff?

I've told you,

he was just someone who asked me the way.

- A total stranger? - Yes.

Then account for the total stranger's prints

all over your apartment.

Account for the fact that Zaroff, a total stranger,

paid you a check for 2,000 pounds,

sent you flowers and pearls,

has been seen entering and leaving your apartment.

I can't.

I can't account for any of it.

I didn't expect you would.

Now let's come to the murder of Fairfax.

You heard shots, you ran to the place,

Tara was kneeling beside the body with a gun in her hand.

Your gun, Miss King?

He was dead when I found him.

There was a gun lying beside the body,

I picked it up, that's all.

I didn't kill him.

Then why did you go to the garage?

Well, I got a phone call.

- I didn't know who it was from. - Convenient.

It was from a man.

He said... he said he had some information about

a security leak from the War Room.

What about the envelope you picked up in the phone booth?

Part of the payoff?

There was an envelope, yes, but it was empty.

Show her the photographs, Steed.

I found these in your apartment.

Well, that was my job.

I was at the War Room to try and find a flaw

in the security.

I succeeded. I got these pictures out.

But you didn't tell anybody.

I was going to give them to Steed tonight.

- We had a bet. - Naturally.

Well, I think we've got enough.

Well, tell them.

There will be a formal inquiry.

Meanwhile, your security rating

is further reduced to zero minus one.

You will return to your apartment

where you will stay there under guard

until you're called for.

I've never been under house arrest before.

- What are the rules? - You just carry on as normal.

Except that if you attempt to escape, I will shoot you.

What do you think my chances are at the trial?

Not a hope.

You think they'd at least give me an opportunity

to find some evidence for my own defense.

You'd be wasting your time.

I'm just going to get a drink. Do you want one?

No, thanks.

Cheers.

She's escaped.

Has she now?

Then you'd better find her, Zaroff.

And bring her here?

What else are friends for?

(telephone rings)

Steed.

Man: Don't say anything, just listen.

If you want to help Tara,

go to the phone booth at the corner of Lynstead Woods.

What?

Hello!

Hello?

(telephone ringing)

Hello?

Man: What you're looking for is between the pages

of the E to K directory.

Oops, I'm sorry.

(gunshot)

Tara.

That's your gun, isn't it?

- Are you hurt? - No, I'm not, but if I had been dead

and someone had come in here right now,

it'd be a pretty difficult situation to explain, wouldn't it?

You standing over my dead body

with your own gun in your hand.

And what about this?

How would you explain a gift like this?

And there's a card here signed Zaroff,

a well-known enemy agent.

And this envelope, you've got one exactly like it.

Now, if someone had seen you collect that envelope

and then seen me with it, they'd have every right

to assume that you'd given it to me.

- Very ingenious. - I'm not finished yet.

Oh, that's the fellow who bumped into me.

That's right, but for all you know,

he could have been an enemy agent.

Pretty incriminating evidence, really.

You actually look like you know each other.

- Who is he? - A friend of mine.

- Didn't he telephone me? - That's right.

You've done a pretty good job.

Steed, given the time and the opportunity,

I could make you look a 100% double-dyed traitor.

Hmm, circumstantial evidence, but given enough of it...

That's exactly what they've done to me.

The best bit of framing since the Mona Lisa.

But why? Why?

- Well, that's the question. - Revenge?

No, I've never done anything to Zaroff.

- It couldn't be that. - But it must be something big.

They wouldn't go to all that trouble and expense

to set you up.

Any brilliant ideas?

No, but I've got to find out.

But first of all,

you've got to go back into custody.

- What? - You got to play this by the book.

Every agent in London is on the lookout for you.

I'll take you in, square it up with Mother.

All right.

Come on. Come on.

Okay. (Gasps)

Hello, Tara. Come on.

Your friends are waiting for you.

Mm, attractive.

Very attractive.

- I'm glad you approve. - Oh, I do.

Almost beautiful enough

to be a suitable companion for me.

That's my case.

No, merely an exact replica.

Just part of the window dressing.

There you are my dear... One plane ticket, one passport.

You better get started. Good luck.

See you in a day or two.

- Not a bad likeness. - Thank you.

Vandalism, sheer vandalism.

What is?

The need to destroy something as beautiful as you.

Zaroff killed Perowne to draw attention to himself.

He wanted to be under constant surveillance

so that he would apparently be

in contact with Tara.

And we keep coming back to the same old question.

- Why? - I don't know.

Any of the agents have a lead on where Zaroff is living?

- No. - I've got to find him.

- (telephone rings) - Yes?

I see.

Yes, right.

A woman answering Tara's description

was seen at London airport.

She left on an eastbound flight.

Just doesn't make sense.

She might have been fooling you, Steed, fooling all of us.

No, not that. The fact that she was seen.

She's a very experienced woman.

She could go to a crowded airport and never be noticed.

Any word?

No, what about the War Council?

They'll make their decision within the hour.

Well, that doesn't give us much time.

Of course, they've still got a chance.

Rewind that film ready to run, I've got to get something.

Where are you going, Steed? Steed!

Well, just don't stand there, rewind the... the thing.

The War Council must act soon, and when they do,

our work will be completed.

And then we get out of this country fast.

Very fast.

Collect our very considerable fee

and spend the rest of our lives contemplating beauty.

I can accept you killing me as an occupational risk.

What I can't accept is not knowing why.

Well, then I'll tell you, Miss King.

You'll be lost in admiration.

It's a plan, a creation...

of pure genius.

Now, gentlemen, this is Miss Culpepper.

She is going to help us find Tara.

How do you do? I'm very glad to meet you.

Gladys, we don't have too much time.

Now, if you'll come and sit down.

There, we can get started.

All right, comfortable?

Oh, yes, yes, thank you, Mr. Steed.

Will you start the film?

- What's happening? - I'll tell you.

Rhonda, turn the lights off.

Oh, this is nice.

I haven't seen a cinema since Mr. Valentino passed away.

This is not nearly as exciting as The Sheik, I'm afraid.

Now there's the first bit.

Watch carefully.

Now what's he saying?

"Could you tell me the way to Wilson Street?"

I can't quite see the young lady's answer.

That's fine, Gladys.

Miss Culpepper,

is the very best lip reader in Britain.

Now the next bit's the important bit.

Now what's he saying?

Oh, I can't... he forms his words so badly.

- Ah! - Yes, what is it?

He told the man to drive to the Baronet Sporting Club,

Edgechester Place.

- Was that all right, Mr. Steed? - Magnificent, Gladys.

I don't know how I can repay you.

Oh, there's no need, Mr. Steed.

The 200 pounds you promised me is more than enough.

Perhaps you'd care to pay Gladys the cash, Mother?

Oh, Mr. Phillipson, would you give the lady a ride home

and thanks again, Gladys.

What a nice man, Mr. Steed is.

I knew his grandfather, a charming old man.

- (telephone rings) - What?!

Mother.

Understood.

They're starting to dismantle the Field Marshall immediately.

The moment you started your War Room duty,

it was simply a matter of convincing your colleagues

that you were in contact with known enemy agents.

And we sent you presents, and I've given you money.

And I've been seen coming and going from your building

where I left fingerprints and clues.

In fact, an observer could be left in no doubt,

we were working together.

It seems I was the only one who didn't know.

It really was remarkably easy.

I still don't know the reason why.

The War Room?

You see, your friend, Steed, created a defense system

which was impossible to crack.

So we used a little psychology.

You made the department suspect me.

Quite.

You had access to all the radio control channels.

If they believe that

you were passing that information onto us,

the wavelengths, the command circuits,

they would know that we could jam the system.

We could make the whole Field Marshall defense system

absolutely useless.

But you still don't have that information.

But your people don't know that for sure.

And they can't afford to take the chance.

So they'd have to dismantle the Field Marshall

and put in completely new circuits.

Now you've got it.

But that job would take at least 48 hours.

And during that time,

this country would be as defenseless

as you are at this moment.

Our rocket attack will be launched.

There'll be nothing on earth to stop it.

So now you know it all,

and as we have no intention of being here

when those rockets start to fall,

I'm afraid we must leave you.

Thank you so much for all your help Miss King.

Or may I call you Tara?

Couldn't I just have one last cigarette?

But you don't smoke.

What a lovely suit.

- You've done it again. - I haven't finished yet.

- I still have a question I want to ask him. - Oh, doubtless,

like the name of the government he's working for.

Much more important, the name of his tailor.

Ah. Oh.

And now...

So far so good.

What do you think?

Oh, well, I think it's very...

very.

You wait till you see it working.

It's not dangerous, is it?

Every great achievement has an element of risk.

Now this is one of my brighter contributions

to mankind.

Excuse me.

- (cork pops) - Oh!

Oh, a champagne fountain!

Isn't that beautiful?

You didn't think it would work, did you?

Oh, it's glorious.

You're very clever, Steed.

- The best is yet to come. - What's that?

We drink.

To Tara King,

of whom I never suspected funny business for one moment.

Never?

Well, almost never.

(theme music plays)