07x02 - A Way to Dusty Death

[bunniefuu]

By

All set, Joe.

Ticket to Lindero.

Plane leaves in an hour.

Thanks, Peggy.

What about the rental car
on the other end?

The best they have
will be waiting for you--

A Mercedes.

That's Lindero.

Well, as long as it gets me
to Georgia Durian's place.

Just who is she, Joe?

I told you--
a mother whose son is missing.

Joe, there are plenty
of worried mothers

right here in Los Angeles
with the same problem.

You don't have
to travel miles.

We knew each other
a long time ago.

Anything special?

Nothing special.

And what about the son,
was he in some kind of trouble?

Georgia didn't spell out
the details on the phone--

Wanted to wait
till I got there--

But, uh, she was pretty worried.

I gather the son got mixed up
with some wild bunch.

Joe?

Maybe you better
take a helmet.

By

{

By

Oh,

hi.

Cool off, honey.

Come on.

Come on.

Aw...

I picked you up
about a mile back.

What were you doing
playing games with those kids?

Check his license, Hank.

Well,

let's see your license, mister.

Listen, we're a nice town.

Got a little high-spirited
element in it, but what's a kid

who doesn't bust loose
once in a while, right?

One of them, uh, looked
like the leader.

He was riding
a silver and red bike,

long yellow hair
down to his shoulders.

Now, I'm not putting
long hair down,

but this one I'd enjoy scalping.

License number?

Well, everything
was one big blur.

We've got a kid answers
that description every ten miles

this part of the country.

We can't haul them all in,
can we?

Well, I'm talking
about just one of them.

Believe me, we want
to nail them as much as you do.

This is a responsible community,

but, uh, we really don't
have much to go on, do we?

Yeah, well,
let's just forget it, huh?

But,

we're going
to keep our eyes open.

You can bet on that.

Oh, by the way, what's the motel
situation here in Lindero?

Staying in our town, are you?

Maybe a day or two.

Lot of motels.

I'd have to say La Posada
is the best, though.

La Posada?

Thanks.

Maybe see you around.

What did you get, Hank?

Mannix is out of Los Angeles.

He's a private investigator.

He is a private d*ck, huh?

His secretary said
he's here on a case.

He's here to see Georgia Durian.

Okay, thanks.

So, you did it again,
huh, stupid?

Hey, come on, Harry, let me go,
Harry! Let me go!

You want to know who
you picked on this afternoon?

I don't know what you're
talking about, Harry.

Harry, I was at the college
all day, playing football.

The only football you were
playing was with beer cans,

and you picked
on a private detective

named Joe Mannix,
and you know why he's here?

Georgia Durian sent for him.

Now, you listen to me,
little brother,

and you listen to me good.

Pop thinks you're terrific,
and that's fine.

If he ever finds out what you
really are, it'll k*ll him.

And when that happens,
I'll fix you

so you'll never ride
that motorcycle again.

You understand?

Do you understand?!

Yeah, Harry, yeah!

By

You enjoy your stay.

Thank you.

See you took my advice.

Kind of steered
you a customer, Pop.

Hey, gave him a nice room,
too, Pop.

And that's good.

Mr. Mannix, he's a famous
private detective

from Los Angeles.

Right this way, Mr. Mannix.

You work fast.

Got a little confession to make,
Mr. Mannix.

Pop isn't just "Pop.”

He really is my old man.

Got a real nice place here,
don't he?

You, uh, mind if I ask you
a question?

Heck of a guy, my old man.

Got hurt in the merchant marine
way back in .

Never hear a word of complaint
from him.

Why all the legwork?

It's my job.

Find out who's coming,
who's going.

Chief of Police
in a small town--

He's got to do something
to earn his keep.

Yeah, I guess he does.

Well, let's see.

That's your room right
at the top of the stairs here.

First door to the right.

Thanks.

Passkey.

Pop lets me have one.

I forgot to ask you
something, Mannix.

You know, we don't get
too many famous people

drop in here in Lindero.

What brings you here?

Funny thing, Chief,

I figured you'd want
to ask me that question.

As a matter of fact,
a friend of mine

asked me to drop in on her--
Georgia Durian.

Know her?

Sure.

Everyone here knows Georgia.

She grew up here.

Drifted off to L.A.

about the same time
we both got out of school.

Came back here a few years ago,
bought a bar-type place

down on Canal Street.

She got problems?

Yeah, her son, Danny--
apparently, he's missing.

You know anything
about him, Chief?

Everything.

I was the arresting officer.

For what?

Oh, I thought you knew.

Year ago this month, Danny
Durian was tried for m*rder.

Local girl named Katy Lopez.

r*pe-m*rder.

Yeah, I remember reading
about that.

Never connected that
with Georgia.

But he was released, wasn't he?

Legal technicality,
got off on an appeal.

But before that,
he was positively identified,

tried, convicted,
and sent to prison.

You weren't too fond of him.

Look, Mannix,

Katy Lopez was class president
of our local school,

just about to enter
Valley College.

A real nice girl.

Which means you think
Danny Durian was guilty.

Legal technicalities--
they can get you off, Mannix,

but they don't clean the slate.

Any idea where the boy is?

Not the slightest.

And I guess I really
don't care too much,

which is why Georgia Durian
never asked me

to handle the problem.

Sounds like it's, uh,
been kind of rough on her.

Been even rougher
on this town.

It's a nice town, Mannix.
Decent people.

My guess is that Danny Durian
just couldn't face

coming back, so...
he took off.

I, uh, take it you're kind
of fond of this town.

I was born here.

Lindero-- Citrus Capital
of the state.

No, I never traveled more than
a hundred miles away from here

until I went in the Marines.

Home is where the heart is.

Don't knock it, amigo.

Home-- that's the bottom line.

Danny and a couple
of the other boys

were on the motorcycles,
early evening.

They saw Joyce Ferraro
and Katy Lopez

walking along Main Street.

They invited them for a ride.

The girls accepted.

What about the other boys?

Never found out who they were.

Joyce said she didn't know
who they were.

Danny went one better;

he said he was alone that day,

never spoke to any girls at all.

Joyce Ferraro's story was...

that she and Katy got r*ped,

and when Katy threatened to go
to the police...

Danny k*lled her.

Leaving the town with a wound
that never healed.

I'll tell you something,
Lindero was like a zoo.

People who never did
anything worse

than run overtime
on a parking meter

were running around,
screaming for a lynching.

We made headlines.

Identifies a suspect
in handcuffs.

No lineup?

No lineup.

That's why I was able to appeal
Danny's conviction.

What happened
at the second trial?

There wasn't any.

I got Danny off, but I didn't
do much for myself.

I'm not too popular in Lindero.

Now, Danny was with you
the day he disappeared.

How long ago was that?

About five, six weeks ago.

I went up to San Quentin
to pick him up,

to bring him back down here.

On the way back,
we stopped for burgers.

He said he wanted to make
a phone call to his mother.

That's the last I saw of him.

Just disappeared?

Can't say that I blame him.

What's he got to come back to?

One other thing...

Chief Decken--

A good cop?

Most people here think so.

Tough as he is, Harry Decken
is a man you got to respect.

Mortgaged away the next years
of his life

to buy that motel
for his old man.

Mr. Harturian,
in your opinion...

was Danny guilty?

Guilty as a fox in a henhouse.

Give me a Scotch on the rocks

and give me
some of the good stuff.

By

Scotch on the rocks, right?

You've got a fantastic memory,
Georgia.

How are you?

Oh, don't ever ask a woman
how she is years after--

She's years older.

You've, uh, got quite a place.

And it's all mine.

Me and the bank.

Anyway, it's a long way
from that dump in L.A.

the last time you saw me.

I haven't forgotten
what you did for me, Joe.

Well, anybody can walk out
of a store, forget to pay.

I was pretty stupid
in those days, wasn't I?

Well, our problem is today.

You've just got to find him
for me, Joe.

I'd like to start with his room.

It's upstairs.

He was innocent, Joe,
I'm sure of that,

not just because I'm his mother.

It's a picture of the front
of your club.

He was probably mad at me
that day.

I had a letter from him

a couple of days
before he got out of prison.

He said he couldn't wait
to get home.

Now why would he just disappear
like that?

He could have changed his mind.

Sure, or he could be lying
in a ditch somewhere.

There's a lot of nuts
in this town.

According to Harturian,
Danny just walked off.

Sounds like he had something
in mind.

Yeah, I know
that's what Harturian says.

But why should I trust him?

He got his lumps
defending Danny.

Maybe he was in on it,

helped do something to Danny.

Maybe to square himself
in this town.

$, if you take the job.

Deal?

Well, now, Georgia...

that's a lot of money.

Danny's liable to walk in here
tomorrow morning.

$, more if you prove
he was innocent.

Suppose I prove he's guilty?

I'll take my chances.

Georgia, you haven't told me
about Danny's father.

Who is he?

Oh, a man named Jake.

Jake Durian.

I was all of years old
when I married him.

Oh, he looked
like a gold passport.

Anything to get out
of this town.

So along comes Jake,
and away we go to San Diego,

which sounded pretty good to me.

Jake was working for a vet then.
He loved animals.

Fact is, he was making noise
about clean air

and extinct species
long before anybody else.

The trouble is,
it didn't take me long

to get bored with Jake.

I had to have more excitement.

So, we split,
and I lit out for L.A.

But you came back.

Well... "Home--

That's the bottom line,”
somebody once said.

Hmm.
Uh, Georgia, where is Jake now?

Beats me...

Danny could be with him.

Have you thought of that?

With Jake?

Oh, you must be kidding!

The last time Danny saw Jake
was at the trial,

and they said hello,
and... that's it.

Jake Durian?

D-U-R-I-A-N?

Mm-hmm. I'll see what I can
find out, Joe.

Chances are he's still involved
with animals, so you might start

with the California
Veterinarians Association.

And keep working my way east
until I hit ocean.

I'll start on it in the morning.

Thanks, Peggy.

Sorry to wake you.

Oh, that's all right.

It never takes me more than
two or three hours

to get back to sleep.

Good night, Joe.

Can I fix you one for the road?

No, thanks, Georgia.

But there is one thing
you can do.

What's that?

You and the chief,
Harry Decken...

What about us?

You tell me.

Harry Decken and I saw a lot of
each other in the old days.

The big ape had a yen for me all
the way back to kindergarten.

Then he checks into the Marines.

Along comes Jake,
back comes Harry,

and he's sore because his sweet
little innocent--

And believe me,
I was in those days--

Didn't wait around
for the troops to come home.

But he got over it.

Oh, sure.

We picked up again
when I got back here,

but, uh, well,
it was never the same,

not for me, anyway.

How about now?

No way, no way.

Harry Decken and me,
we've been down the road.

Oh, Joe...

Harry Decken may be small town,
but he's tough.

I'll work around him.

Joe!

Joe!

Stay back!

Joe!

Joe...
I'm all right.

Just fine.

Well, the way I read it,
you broke your feed line

when you drove into that field.

The gas dripped down,
hit a spark from the engine,

and up she went.

Or it was tampered with.

Tampered with?

Mr. Mannix, m*rder can give a
small town a low flash point,

but, uh, that doesn't mean

that somebody planted a b*mb
in your car.

Well, I didn't say anything
about a b*mb, Chief.

I said, "tampered with."”

Are you trying to trap me,
Mr. Mannix?

Imply that I had something
to do with it?

Your words, Chief.

Okay, Mannix, let's get it
straight right now.

Anybody breaks the law
around here, I go after them.

Clear?

Clearer.

Harry, I want to talk to you.

Now, there's some
private detective--

He's come into town,

and he's stirring
the whole thing up again.

He's right here.

Say hello to Mr. Mannix.

Mr. Mannix,
I want to talk to you.

Well, I'm not sure
I might listen.

Uh, who is this?

I'm Joyce Ferraro's father!

And somebody's going
to listen to me.

Now, Mannix, I'm going
to be blunt with you.

We don't need you here in
Lindero, and we don't want you.

I'm beginning to believe that.

No, no, no, no.
Now, you come into this town,

trying to find that boy

and bring him back here,
after what he did

to my daughter
and that other girl.

Now, you think about it

before you take another step,
Mr. Mannix.

Hot for this time of year.

All over town.

I know.

I know we have nothing to
talk about, but I want to talk.

I've got no intention
of meeting you now...

Listen to me, Ferraro.

I have seen you
without your wings.

So has Betty Collins.

You remember her?
She still works here.

And that's blackmail, lady.

Hmm?

Now, look...
we can't be seen together.

Well, we'll keep it nice
and discreet.

Say, uh, the drive-in movie?

It should be
pretty empty around now.

Can't.

Look, I can't leave here.

I'll just bet you can.

Half an hour, and don't be late.

There is your big voice
of decent, God-fearing Lindero.

You said something, Georgia,

about Danny's father
being at the trial.

You want to know
what they talked about?

The environment, ecology.

The kid is on trial
for his life,

and they talk about animals,
the disappearing American eagle.

That's our Jake.

Hmm. How far is it to the plant?

Ten minutes.

You better get going.
Yeah.

Listen, Joe, maybe this
isn't such a good idea.

When Ferraro finds out
you were there...

We'll worry about it then, okay?

Got to go to a meeting, Joyce.

Be back in about an hour.

Cover the calls.

Right, Daddy.

By

Excuse me.

My name is Mannix,
Joe Mannix.

I'd like to see Mr. Ferraro.

He's out.

But I'm Joyce Ferraro.

Oh, well, maybe I can
talk to you.

You must have been
reading my mind.

I've been praying
for someone to come along

and take me away
from these bills of lading.

Would you like some lemonade?

Oh, fine.

Uh, no glasses;
Daddy just drinks coffee.

Joyce, I'm a private detective.

I'd like to ask you
a few questions.

About the night Katy
was m*rder*d.

Seems like the only thing

people ever want
to talk about in this town.

How's the lemonade?

It's a little sour.

Oh, I could sweeten it for you.

Don't bother.

How well did you know
Danny Durian?

I used to pass him in school
all the time.

Had a couple of classes
with him.

But that was it.

Was he a noisy kid,
a hell-raiser?

Danny Durian?

Just the opposite.

The kids used to call him
the school ghoul.

He never opened his mouth.

He kept to himself.

Gonna stay in town long, Joe?

Couple of days.

Katy Lopez-- uh, she must have
really liked Danny, huh?

Liked him?

She thought he was a creep.

I mean, we all did.

Seems funny.

Two girls are walking
down the street,

and along comes Danny Durian,
the school ghoul.

Now, he's always alone,
but this time,

he happens to have
three other boys with him.

Now, girls have
always avoided him

because he had that weird look,

and yet they cheerfully accept
a ride into the desert with him.

Now, that seems
kind of odd to me, Joyce.

What about you?

Maybe you'd just better go.

I don't have to answer
your questions.

It seems kind of strange.

Two pretty girls,
popular in school--

Now, why would they
suddenly accept

an invitation
from the school ghoul?

For kicks.

Just to see what he was like.

Haven't you ever done anything
for kicks, Mr. Mannix?

Sure.

But ride off into the desert
with a weirdo like Danny Durian

and three other fellows
you'd never seen before?

That doesn't sound like kicks.

Uh, sounds kind of crazy to me.

Like you and your friends

running me
off the road yesterday.

You get out of here.

I saw Danny Durian
k*ll Katy Lopez.

Now, I was there and I saw it!

Now, just get out of here!

Get out! Get out!

You need some help, Joyce?
Yeah.

Well, uh, thanks anyway, Joyce.

It's a bit sour.

Danny was a shy boy.

Timid, always alone.

They teased him unmercifully.

Children can be terribly cruel.

His mother, you see, she's...

well, she's...

Different.

I should say she is different,
for Lindero.

You were, uh, very fond of him?

Yes.

Had a lot of talks?

So many.

Miss Navarro,
sometimes kids have

their own special kind
of daydreams.

Now, did Danny ever talk about
any of them?

Not really.

I think he was too busy fighting
off the monsters in his life--

The ones that filled his sleep

and the ones
that hurt him by day.

A lot of the people here,
a lot of the faculty,

thought Danny was a sullen boy.

He wasn't.

He was sensitive,
and when somebody hurt him,

the spirit would
rush out of him, hide.

And then he would go off
to a corner and paint--

Animals, birds.

I think I have
some of them here.

All right, an eagle.

I'm not dumb.

It means he was thinking
of Jake.

Georgia, I know
you don't like the idea,

but, uh, he could be
with his father.

That's ridiculous.

Why?
Because it is!

Why? Because your ego
is standing in the way?

Joe, you think
I know where Jake is,

only I won't tell you,
in case Danny is with him.

Joe, I don't!

I don't know where Jake is!

And I still don't believe
that Danny would...

Now, Georgia, look...

{

Georgia, I want you
to stay right here.

Joe...

Just stay right here. Okay?

Big, tough private eye.

How tough are you, Mannix?

Not tough at all, but then,
I don't think you are, either.

Now, why don't you just,
uh, go home quietly.

Oh, we're gonna be real quiet.

Boys! Fellas!

One move... and you're going
to be looking for a new leader.

Now...

What in the hell
is going on here?!

I know each one of you by name
and diaper laundry.

And if you're not home with the
lights out in one hour from now,

one hour, I'll have your folks
in front of the judge

by noon tomorrow!

Now, get out of here!

I'll see you later.

You all right?

Yeah, |, uh, never felt better.

Your timing was perfect.

Small town.

Neighbors keep a close eye.

Your little brother
is a first-class hood, Harry.

He ought to be kept on a chain.

You know what brought
those kids here, Mannix?

You did.

Leaning on Joyce Ferraro,

getting her so hysterical
she had to be taken home.

I call that
downright irresponsible!

That, uh, yellow-haired kid
is Decken's brother?

Eddie.

Been on his way to jail
since he learned to walk.

I'll fix you a drink.

La Posada Motel.

Mr. Mannix, please.

Yes. Hold on, please.

Mannix.

Joe? Guess what?

Jake Durian is alive and well.
And guess where?

Only about a hundred miles
from where you are.

He works as a park ranger

for the U.S. Forest Service
in Fairfield.

There's a small airport nearby.

Thanks, Peg.

I'm practically checked out
and on my way.

Pop!

You'll have to ride
the switchboard.

I got business.

Well, I sure hope you enjoyed
your stay, Mr. Mannix.

Your motel was the nicest
part of it, Mr. Decken.

Well, thank you.
Thank you, sir.

Oh, I think this
is your cab now.

Good-bye, sir.

Leaving so soon?

Well, I didn't want
to overstay my welcome.

Oh, I'm leaving Georgia's car
here, if you don't mind.

She'll pick it up
later this afternoon.

No problem.

You come back sometime.

Always find friendly people
here in Lindero.

Oh, Chief.

You know, I found out something
about small towns

while I was here.

Mmm? What's that?

Some of them are small
because of their size,

and some of them
because of their people.

Let's go.

"Jake," she said,

"any man who would
rather be with animals

than with people ought
to live with animals.”

Which is the way it turned out.

No, the thing that really broke
us up was kind of funny... now.

She said she got herself a job
as a cocktail waitress.

So one night I found the place,

went in there with
a surprise birthday present.

Guess who got the surprise?

There she was up on that stage
in her birthday suit.

So, I just walked
out of the place,

caught the next bus to Tijuana,

and got myself
a weekend divorce.

Georgia tells it different--
says she got the divorce.

She didn't.

I'll tell you one thing.

It was me that lost out.

California don't care
what the mother does,

she still gets the kid.

He's here, isn't he?

You going to keep him
locked up in a cage

like those animals you got here,
so he won't get hurt anymore?

Be better than that h*nky-tonk
life he had back there.

Jake, you and Georgia don't
agree on a lot of things,

but you both want the best
for Danny.

Now let me talk to him.

If he convinces me
he wasn't guilty,

I'll go all the way to prove it.

Give him his chance.

He's not here.

He's out in the desert
somewhere.

Said he wanted some time
to think things over.

I bring him his supplies
once a week,

that's tomorrow.

I don't know where he camps
exactly.

We just meet at a place called
High Point Rock.

Tell you what you do:
you go back to Dos Cruces,

rent yourself a surplus jeep,

and I'll mark you up a map.

Just make sure you get yourself
a good compass.

By

by

by

by

Danny!

Danny!

Danny!

Danny!

{metallic crashing

Sorry, Mannix.

Get up, Decken.
Get up!

Danny?

I don't know who you are,
but just get out of my way.

My name is Mannix.
I'm a friend of your mother's.

She doesn't know where I am.

Your father does--
he gave me a map.

So you found me.

Okay, Decken,

let's pick up that little talk
we had up in San Quentin.

What kind of bull is that?

Mannix, you've got to get me
into town-- my arm.

Danny!

I'm going to k*ll him.

Danny, put down that r*fle.

He's going to tell the truth,
or I'm going to k*ll him.

Mannix, you-you've
got to stop him!

You set me up with a...
with a r*pe-m*rder.

Why? Why me?

You're guilty.
You were identified.

Why me?

Why'd you pin it on me?

Look, Danny, if you are
innocent, keep it that way.

He came up to San Quentin.

He warned me not to come home,

said he'd frame my mom,
close down her place.

That's the truth,
isn't it, Decken?

Mannix?

Danny, don't be a fool.

You k*ll him,
you'll go back to prison.

Danny.

Now, let the law
take care of him.

Danny!

All right, all right.

Joyce Ferraro lied about you,
Danny.

Why would she do that?

I think I can guess why, Danny.

Decken got Joyce to lie,

threatened to tell her father

that she didn't
have to be dragged

into the woods by that bunch.

Now you were covering
for somebody, Decken. Who?

Who really k*lled Katy Lopez?

My... my kid brother, Eddie.

I had to cover for him.

It... it would have k*lled Pop.

I-I-it would've k*lled him.

Satisfied, Danny?

Well, you can go home now,
Danny.

To what?

To a town where everybody
hates my guts?

I'm better off staying away.

Maybe working with animals,
like my old man does.

There's at least one thing
to go back to.

Your mother needs you, Danny.

To do what,
to work behind a bar?

To give her someone to lean on.

She's never had that.

Mom does need someone.

So does my old man.

Maybe I could get them
back together again.

They've both changed a lot.

Maybe they could hack it now.

That'd be a reason to go back.

Give it a try.

It just might work.

Hi, Mom.

Oh, Danny.

Are-are you all right?

I think I'm gonna be fine, Mom.

I'll, uh... see you, Georgia.