02x07 - Ordeal

[bunniefuu]

[theme music]

[dramatic music]

[lock clicking]

[music continues]

- There she is. - Ugly.

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Alright?

[sighs]

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Mr. Cooper, is that you?

[intense music]

[g*nsh*t]

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[theme music]

[male narrator] "The FBI."

A Quinn Martin, Warner Brothers Production.

Starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.

Also starring Philip Abbott.

Stephen Brooks.

With guest stars

Gerald O'Loughlin

Jacqueline Scott.

"Tonight's episode

'Ordeal.'"

[intense music]

[male narrator] Guard Lowell Hamner was dead.

Now the charge against the thieves was m*rder.

But this was no ordinary robbery.

Experimental Nitro HX-2

was highly secret and extremely dangerous.

Because Magna expl*sives was close

to the Texas state line

the FBI had also been alerted.

Senior resident agent SJ O'Brien advised

Washington of the seriousness of the robbery

and a special project team under the direction

of Inspector Lewis Erskine

was immediately assigned to the case.

[engine rumbling]

Do you know what time it is?

That's what I like about you, Mr. Lockwood.

You always get right to the core of things.

No welcome home, how was your trip?

Welcome back. How was the trip?

Now, do you know what time it is?

Drive straight and watch that post by the door, huh?

I see it.

[birds chirping]

[shutter rumbles]

[engine idling]

Any trouble?

Trouble?

Now what trouble could eight little pounds

of experimental nitro give a man?

No, it's like hauling cotton candy, Mr. Lockwood.

Almost.

I brought some sleeping bags, coffee. Take a break.

If you can pry your friend loose from that wheel.

'It's 5:30 now. I'll call you at 7:00.'

- Forget it. - What do you mean by that?

You heard.

Twenty miles is enough.

I can't go any further.

Now, Kingsley, you contracted to drive straight

through to the Gulf.

I'm not gonna argue with you.

Just get yourself another boy.

[chuckles] No, Mr. Lockwood, I'll fetch and carry for you.

I'll hire anything in the world for you

from dancing girls to performing elephants.

But when I check out, I wanna check out in one piece.

My client expects to analyze this and have the formula

aboard a plane and on its way by the 11th.

It will take me longer than that to track down a driver.

You told me you knew of expl*sives men in the business.

Nitro drivers are a special breed, Mr. Lockwood.

And this is a special breed of nitro.

There's Munger.

Carl Munger?

Carl hasn't hauled soup in over five years.

I saw him Saturday. He's broke.

Could Munger do it?

Yeah. Yeah, Carl could do it.

Five thousand to him for the job and five to you

if you get him here by tonight.

Mr. Lockwood, I like the way you spend money.

I can't abide a penny pincher.

Well, adios, muchachos.

Have fun.

[dramatic music]

Oh, Kingsley.

Look, Mr. Lockwood, I'm sorry it shook me up so much.

I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

Yes. So am I.

Dave.

[g*nsh*t]

[music continues]

Would you say then that the theft was engineered by

someone experienced in expl*sives?

Yes, sir, experienced and probably familiar

with our plant setup.

We keep very little experimental nitro around.

It's too sensitive to shock.

And the thief is definitely after the experimental nitro?

Oh, evidently.

Almost anyone can make regular nitroglycerin.

I suppose the intent is to break the HX-2 down

to its component parts for the formula.

Mr. Cooper, if this nitro is so volatile

how would a thief transport it?

- Oh, sling it. - What does that mean?

Set up a hammock arrangement in whatever vehicle

he intends to carry it in, to provide for a little give

in case of bumps or sudden stops.

I understand your transportation shed

was broken into as well.

Yes, sir.

'Was anything taken or tampered with?'

No.

Was the building always used as a garage?

Well, it has been for about the last eight months.

And before that?

It was used for experimental research.

And what about this lab building? When was it built?

Uh, 1963, October.

Hand me a rundown on all employees who left

for any reason between October '63

and eight months ago.

Yes, sir.

You mean someone might have presumed

the transportation building was still being used

for experimental research?

[instrumental music]

[doorbell rings]

[grunts]

I don't care what it is, I can't use it.

'Magazines, religion, brushes--'

Three fifty dollar bills and sample whisky.

For crying out loud..

- Hey, Dave. - Hiya, Carl.

Come in here. Get inside here.

Hey, what are you doing in Roswell?

I thought you lived in Salt Lake now.

I do. I do. I'm here on business.

- Let me buy you a beer. - Ha! You've talked me into it.

Okay.

Hey, Carl, how's June?

[Carl] 'Oh, she's just fine.'

Any kids yet?

'On the way.'

No kidding!

- h*! h*! - Yeah.

Hey, where's the little mama?

They're throwing a party for her at work.

It's, uh, what do you call it, a shower for the baby.

Oh.

- Dave, sit down, sit down. - Thanks.

How did you find me?

Oh, I ran into Harry Kingsley.

Oh, yeah, sure. We were playing cards together last week.

Carl, um, Harry seemed to think you had a rough year.

Well, Dave, you know this business as well as I do.

It's either feast or famine.

I wouldn't say that I had a rough year.

I brought my own truck and..

...made a couple of bad guesses.

Ran into a couple of breakdowns.

Perishables. Can you beat that? Me, perishables?

So I missed a couple of payments.

And they repossessed?

Yeah.

Got to know how hard it was to get a job after you're 40.

Well, I'll get back.

Oh, sure.

Carl, how would you like to haul a load out of Odessa for me?

'Starting tonight, if I furnish the rig.'

Tonight?

Well, uh, I guess I can handle that, sure.

[chuckles] You're not even gonna ask me how much it pays?

[chuckles] Dave, if it pays over a dollar and a quarter, I'll take it.

[laughs]

Twenty five hundred.

Twenty five hundred? How long is the haul?

Odessa to Corpus Christi.

That's a short haul and it's big money.

What am I gonna be carrying, Dave, or should I ask?

Soup.

[sighs]

[exhales]

The truck will have all new tires.

I'm through with that stuff. I'm too old.

- Thirty five hundred. - Can't do it.

Four thousand?

Hey! What are you trying to do to me?

What's the matter with you?

I need a driver, you need the money.

Nobody needs the money that much.

Carl, think of June, think of the baby.

Four thousand five hundred dollars.

Dave..

...you saw me after my last trip.

You think I was acting when they pulled me out of that truck?

I couldn't move.

I couldn't even hear.

I don't know to this day how I brought it in.

Carl, you'll have paved highways all the way.

You're my friend.

Five thousand dollars.

[dramatic music]

Carl, I'll be at this number till 6 o'clock tonight.

Change your mind, give me a call.

[music continues]

[instrumental music]

We got a list of 17 names from Magnum.

Employees who had been fired

left because of illness, retired.

They all check out, except one.

A former driver, Harry Kingsley.

Rents a room in this place but he hasn't been seen here

or anywhere else since Saturday.

- Does he have a family? - He's a widower.

No children.

Contacted the landlady, she's expecting us.

Does, uh, Kingsley own a truck?

Three ton van.

It's missing, too.

Oh, Mr. Rhodes.

Mrs. Gould, this is Inspector Erskine.

Oh, that's not a bad likeness.

- Well, thank you. - Come on in.

[Mrs. Gould] 'Wait till you get a look at this mess.'

You know everybody says don't rent to people with kids.

But let me tell you something, don't rent to bachelors.

Don't rent to couples. Don't rent!

You see what I mean?

[sighs]

Mrs. Gould, how well did you know Mr. Kingsley?

Well, what do you mean by well?

Well, uh, I didn't mean to imply, uh..

Well, I didn't know him well at all.

Uh, let me put it in another way, Mrs. Gould.

When did you see Mr. Kingsley last?

Saturday morning, when he paid his rent.

Six weeks late, as usual.

Does he have any close friends?

Anyone he might have talked to later on that day?

Saturday night, he went out to play cards.

Oh, with whom?

Somebody named Carl.

He was talking on the phone when I got here

and he wrote the address down.

- Where? - On the telephone pad.

Fluke.

Yeah. This one?

'Yes.'

- Somebody named Carl. - Mm-hmm.

[Lewis] Better have the lab put this under the parallel light beam.

[instrumental music]

[horn honks]

[June] 'Carl?'

'Carl!'

'Yoo-hoo!'

Hi, sweetie.

Look at my loot.

Well, that's what I call a real haul.

Yeah.

When those girl's give a shower

they don't mess around, do they?

- So how was your day? - Oh, just fine.

I washed the dishes and put the meatloaf on.

There's enough here for twins.

[chuckles] Yeah.

We could open a store.

Wait till you see the rest of it.

Rest of it?

Yeah, mom took the big stuff.

You know, the, uh...the crib.

Well, honey, she's all by herself in that big house.

She's...she's worried.

I, uh..

I told her we'd move in with her.

[instrumental music]

Oh, well, it's just for a little while.

Well, honey, we can't help it.

Today was my last day at work.

Now, look, if she's worried

she wants to be with you

let her move in here with us.

Oh, Carl.

Well, I got a job today.

- You-- - I go to work tonight.

They supply the rig.

Oh, why didn't you tell me?

You didn't let me.

Dave Nolan stepped by. Remember Dave?

- Yeah. - I'm just gonna call him.

Oh.

Oh, it's been so terrible for you for so long.

Now it's all over.

It's all over.

[instrumental music]

'There's nothin' to worry about.'

'Nothin' to worry about.'

[dramatic music]

[phone ringing]

Rhodes.

Wait just a minute, please.

Mr. Ward from Washington.

- Yes, Art. - Hello, Lewis.

We put your notepaper impression

under the parallel light beam.

The message was

"Carl Munger, 229 Arno, dinner."

Thanks.

We checked on Munger.

He has no federal record.

Good. Thanks very much, Art.

- Anything new? - No sign of Kingsley yet.

We've put out a description of his truck.

Anything we can do for you at this end?

You might get me a list for the South West

covering the last, oh, six months

of all expl*sives, hijackings

quantity firearms, robberies, that sort of things.

I'll have it for you tomorrow.

Thanks very much, Arthur.

Cliff, see if the local police

have a file of this man, would you?

Jim.

[instrumental music]

Okay, Mr. Munger?

Who rigged this stuff? Harry?

Harry and me together.

Mr. Munger, it's getting late.

I've already lost a day.

Where's this stuff headed for?



Corpus Christi, Texas.

I mean after that.

After these two mysterious men meet me and give me my money.

After that?

I wouldn't know.

This stuff's going to South America, Carl.

Shut up, Dave.

You see, I might say that Mr. Lockwood here

is a sort of a purchasing agent.

His client is a teacher who wants to own a country.

'Now, he's got the men, he's got the money.'

He needs something special in the form of fireworks.

He figures if he makes a loud enough bang

Peking will hear it and maybe give him a hand.

Isn't that how it figures, Mr. Lockwood?

Well, Mr. Munger, are you too pure

to dirty your hands in communist money?

I got a family.

How about a pay off if I don't make it?

You better make it. I'm not spending one cent--

I'm not gonna move this stuff one inch

unless I get some kinda of an assurance.

Half to your wife.

Dave?

Well, I've worked with Mr. Lockwood for three years now.

He's always kept his word before.

[instrumental music]

Okay.

Close it up.

[music continues]

[engine cranks]

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I don't understand.

Your husband's away at the moment, Mrs. Munger?

Yes. he's on a job.

Is he still self employed?

Yes.

Does he drive his own truck?

Well, no, that's, um..

Well, no, I mean, his equipment's being repaired.

Uh, the man who hired him provided the rig.

You know what sort of rig this is, Mrs. Munger?

A three ton van.

Do you know the name of the man who hired him?

Dave Nolan.

And his address?

[sighs] Well, no, I-I'm not sure.

He, uh, he used to have a little place

in the desert down near Odessa.

But, uh, I-I think he's moved to Salt Lake City now.

I'll have them both checked on.

Mrs. Munger, do you know a man named Harry Kinsley?

Harry and Dave and my husband

used to drive the same outfit.

expl*sives?

L-look, what's happened?

We just want to ask your husband a few questions, Mrs. Munger.

Did he tell you where he'd be picking up his load?

Uh, no.

- Or his destination? - No.

Or what he'd be carrying? Uh..

Do you know if it was expl*sives?

No!

[instrumental music]

Mrs. Munger.

Do you have any idea where your husband can be reached?

Why does the FBI want him?

D-do you think that this load

he's driving is stolen?

Can you help us?

[music continues]

He's going to call me tomorrow morning from Trucker's Rest.

It's..

...outside of Stone Park.

[dramatic music]

[phone ringing]

Rhodes.

Just a moment.

Washington.

- Erskine. - Hello, Lewis.

I've got that list of firearms robberies you asked for.

Three large jobs were pulled off

in the area and timespan you mentioned.

Are they all still open?

Yeah, they're all still open.

And they all exhibit roughly the same MO.

Night time jobs, breaking into warehouses, use of trucks.

How much they got away with?

Enough to outfit a small army.

Any leads at all?

Yes, a couple.

Latin-American sources indicated there's a school teacher

by the name of Martinez who maybe planning

a Castro-type coup in his won country.

State advices that, uh

he'll be taking Chinese orders when he gets the means.

Apparently, none of these arms have reached him yet.

Mm-hmm.

Oh, we located Munger's truck, by the way.

It's under surveillance.

He seems to be heading South East.

Is Kingsley with him?

No sign of him, unless he's in back with the nitro.

You don't know Munger's destination yet.

- No. - Lou.

Oh, he's coming in now, alright.

We'll see what we can find out about his contacts.

Alright, he'll probably get something to eat.

Strike up a conversation with him.

We've gotta find out where he's headed for.

Alright.

[instrumental music]

[Jim] 'Morning.'

Name's Tom James.

I noticed you came in on the old Canyon road.

Wonder if you passed out at a 16 foot van a little ways back.

What time is it?



Would you do me a favor?

Yeah, sure.

Bring me a couple of donuts and a cup of coffee.

Now, you look beat.

You should go inside, rest a while.

Ask the counter man to charge it to Carl Munger.

Tell him to call my wife.

Tell her I got in okay. He knows the number.

Alright.

Anything else?

No. Thanks.

Carl, does your wife know where you're headed?

Make the coffee black, will you?

Alright.

[dramatic music]

[music continues]

[engine running]

Here you are.

Hey, uh, James?

[Tom] 'Yeah?'

Um..

What are you doing here, anyway?

Waiting for a ride.

You ever haul porcelain?

You mean like cups, uh, dishes, stuff like that?

I need a relief driver.

You want a day's pay?

Well, I don't know, Carl. That depends on where you're headed.

Forget it.

Carl, wait a minute.

You won't get five miles by yourself.

Move over.

Hey!

[instrumental music]

Okay, all clear, take her out.

But, easy.

Remember what you got back there.

Make believe it's nitro.

Yeah.

[music continues]

[engine revving]

[engine revving]

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[instrumental music]

[engine revving]

[engine revving]

[music continues]

[engine revving]

[expl*si*n]

Welcome back.

Where are we?

Just passed Wellersburg.

That's funny. I-I must have had a nightmare.

I thought I heard an expl*si*n.

It's thunder.

Few drops already.

Oh, great. It's gonna be pouring by the time it's dark.

Mm-hmm.

You're, uh..

...worried about your porcelain back there, aren't you?

Yeah.

Well, Carl, we've got something in common.

Well, don't you worry about it. You're doin' fine.

You're a good driver.

'Just keep your eyes on the road.'

- Here. - No, no, thanks.

How long have you been driving, Tom?

Oh, um..

Not, not too long, really.

Used to..

Used to handle vans like this, back East, when I was a kid.

A kid?

[chuckles]

I'm not as young as I look, you know.

- You're married? - Nope.

I am. Gonna be a father.

Is that right?

- Any day now. - Congratulations.

Gonna call him George, after my old man.

- Him? - 'Yeah, sure.'

I'll tell you one thing, he's not gonna..

...be a trucker, he's gonna go to college..

He's gonna be a lawyer.

Guess maybe I'm rushing things a little, eh?

No, no. You gotta make plans.

That's right.

Otherwise, there's nothing.

So, you gotta think and you gotta worry

and you gotta shape yourself up and provide for your own.

- That's right. - What's a man for?

Carl, you know, speaking of..

speaking of plans, you still haven't told me

where we're taking this thing.

Now what?

Slow down.

Tom, maybe we just better turn back, huh?

No, we can't go back, we can't lose time.

[engine revving]

What do you think?

Well, uh..

We take it easy.

Come on!

Go.

[instrumental music]

Let's go, come on now! Come on!

[music continues]

[male #1 on radio] Dispatcher to control. Dispatcher to control.

[engine idling]

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[music continues]

[male #1 on radio] 'Dispatcher to control.'

Control.

'SRA O'Brian for you, sir.'

'Go ahead.'

[O'Brian on radio] 'Inspector!'

Yes, O'Brian.

I'm at Dave Nolan's Odessa ranch.

Yes?

'Well. your information paid off, we found Harry Kingsley.'

He'd been m*rder*d, shot.

- Any leads? - 'Well, no sign of the weapon.'

'There's plenty of other evidence though.'

They tried to bury Kingsley's body in the barn

and Nolan's prints are all over it.

Local authorities have issued a warrant for Nolan's arrest.

Suspicion for m*rder.

So now, all we have to do is find him.

Yeah, that's all we have to do.

[thunder rumbling]

[engine revving]

[thunder rumbling]

Sign ahead.

"Caution, highway under construction next 20 miles"

Oh, no. They're kidding, they gotta be kidding.

That's what it says.

Should we turn back?

No.

Why don't I take the first ten?

No, no, I'll take it.

Tom.

'I don't know how much you've been able to figure out.'

But we're not haulin' porcelain, we're haulin' nitro.

'Slung back there like a baby in a crib.'

The best slings in the world aren't gonna hold

if we hit somethin' too rough.

Now, I'm going through.

If you wanna get out here

you give me your address

and I'll send you your day's pay.

Well, what if I'd rather stay?

Then you're gonna get in the back

and you're gonna brace that stuff.

In case we do hit a hole.

Nobody lives forever, do they?

[thunder rumbling]

[dramatic music]

Crawl under it.

[music continues]

Now, get yourself under it.

Hold on to it and brace yourself.

You don't wanna be surprised if one of these

sling braces gives away.

If it does..

...just ease it down as gently as you can.

Hold it in your lap.

I'll go slow as I can and we're gonna make it.

Alright.

[music continues]

[thunder rumbling]

[music continues]

[thunder rumbling]

[engine revving]

[music continues]

Twenty miles?

Well, he'd have never taken this road

if he wasn't definitely headed for Corpus Christie, inspector.

[thunder rumbling]

Control to Corpus Christie.

[male #2 on radio] 'Corpus Christie to control.'

Subject vehicle continues headed for your city.

Dispatch units to all warehouse areas

piers, bus and train terminals.

'Roger, will do.'

Alright, go ahead.

[instrumental music]

[thunder rumbling]

[music continues]

[engine revving]

[engine revving]

[instrumental music]

[music continues]

[music continues]

What's happened to him? It's past five.

Martinez's man is getting nervous.

Maybe we should backtrack.

Alright, good. Here he comes now.

Show him where to unload.

[engine revving]

Hey, how are you, Carl? You made it alright, huh?

You get this thing unloaded

I'll buy you the biggest drink of whiskey in town.

[intense music]

[tires screeching]

Stay where you are. This is the FBI.

[tires screech]

[instrumental music]

[sighs]

I've been sitting here, listening.

Trying to think of something clever to say.

And what did you decide on?

Thanks.

[instrumental music]

I don't know who they are.

All Nolan told me is soon as they analyze their stuff

gonna send the formula to South America to some teacher.

Then Lockwood was the head of the outfit in this country.

As far as I know.

Inspector, how much time am I gonna get for this?

Hard to say.

Your co-operation will count for something, of course.

The serial numbers on the g*ns in there

check with the stolen arms list.

I think we got 'em all.

Good.

Bob?

You got a good man there, inspector.

Anytime you wanna leave the bureau, Mr. Rhodes

let me know.

They're always looking for good nitro drivers.

I'll recommend you, you can pick up some easy money.

[male narrator] Carl Munger was convicted

of the interstate transportation

of stolen property.

But because he was a first offender

and co-operated with the FBI

he received a suspended sentence

in the federal court.

Graham Lockwood and David Nolan were found guilty

of the murders of guard Lowell Hamner

and driver Harry Kingsley.

Both received the death penalty.

[instrumental music]

[theme music]

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