03x20 - Region of Peril

[bunniefuu]

[instrumental music]

There. Look better?

Yes. That's fine. Thank you, Joe.

Lovely party, Mrs. Daly.

Oh, I'm glad you like it, Mr. Daly.

Have you, uh, spoken to Michael yet?

No.

He asked me if you'd talked to a lawyer.

I told him I didn't know.

No, I, uh...I haven't.

He suggested that we, uh

that we separate for a while.

Before filing the actual papers.

I suppose they always try to keep the parties together.

Yes, I suppose they do.

Kate.

I wondered..

Well, excuse me.

[instrumental music]

Oh, yes. Very nice.

Michael.

Don't look so glum. It isn't the end of the world, you know.

You know, Katherine, it's a funny thing.

I've been handling divorce cases for 25 years

but I've never yet gotten used to the idea

that it could happen to friends of mine.

Well, then, we're in the same boat.

I can't seem to get used to the idea

that it's happening to me.

Now, if you feel that way

don't you think you ought to consider--

I think you better put that back on the wall

before you impale someone with it.

- Now, Katherine-- - Excuse me, Michael, dear.

Be right back.

[dramatic music]

[music continue]

[doorbell rings]

Maria, I'll get it.

[music continues]

Don't scream, Mrs. Daly.

'Now, not a sound.'

'Take this, please.'

Now you go right on ahead of me, ma'am.

Go on. Go on.

- Kate. - Freeze, Mr. Daly.

Now, I'd be much obliged, ladies and gentlemen

if you'd just take your wallet and your jewels

and hand them to Mrs. Daly here as we pass among you.

That's it, just drop them right in the bag there.

That's very nice of you. Thank you, very much.

'Thank you, ma'am. That's very nice of you.'

'Much obliged, sir.'

Right on around here, Mrs. Daly.

Well, Mr. Daly.

'Right in the bucket there, sir.'

'That's very nice. Thank you very much, sir.'

'Thank you, ma'am. That's very nice of you.'

'Thank you, sir.'

'Now, Mrs. Daly.'

Step to this gentlemen, here.

That's very nice. Thank you, sir, very much.

Over there, ma'am.

Thank you very much. That's very nice..

Mrs. Daly..

Al!

[g*nsh*t]

- Can you make it? - Yeah.

Katherine.

Anyone sets foot out of this house

and the lady is dead.

Okay, move. Move!

[clamoring]

[intense music]

[Marvin Miller] "The FBI."

A Quinn Martin production.

Starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr.

Also starring Philip Abbott.

William Reynolds.

With guest stars, Anne Baxter..

...Steve Ihnat..

...Arthur Franz.

Tonight's episode..

"Region Of Peril."

[instrumental music]

Early on the morning of December 6th

the car used by the abductors of Mrs. Joseph Daly

was found abandoned in New Mexico

just across the Arizona state line.

Forty five miles south of the Daly ranch.

A second set of tire tracks indicated that

at this point, the kidnappers might have transferred

their victim to another vehicle.

Although, there was no sign of violence

the investigating officer was able to find evidence

that Mrs. Daly had been in the area.

A single diamond earring

had been dropped in the dirt.

[Will] It's definitely Mrs. Daly's, inspector.

Her husband identified it this morning.

Have you had the chance to examine the car yourself?

[Will] 'Yes.'

Will Channahon's on pop-up.

Could you tell which direction the second car took?

It continued South for about a mile and a half

to county highway 14 then turning West toward Tucson.

Were those dirt roads?

[Will] 'No, paved.'

Well, how were you able to follow the tire marks so far?

Well, the kidnappers ran off on to the shoulder several times.

Well, suppose this is a deliberate attempt

at misdirection on their part

what are their chances of crossing into Mexico?

[Will] 'Poor.'

'Both sides of the border'

'are well patrolled in that area.'

Could they've gone East?

Well, again, Mr. Ward, it's not very likely.

That's primarily desert country.

A, a few mountains, no roads, no water.

You've alerted the Mexican authorities?

[Will] 'Yes.'

[Lewis] 'Well, let's start an air search'

'over the ground to the East, too.'

I'll be out there by noon, your time.

[Will] 'Yes, sir.'

[dramatic music]

That was..

That was quite a nap you had.

Uh, what time is it?

Oh, about 11:30.

[sighs] Help me.

I better get going. I don't want to hold you up.

You won't hold anybody up. Now, just don't fret about it.

Sure went off just..

...just like clockwork, didn't it, Frank?

Yeah, she sure did.

[sighs]

Where'd you bury the woman?

[instrumental music]

Well, uh, the woman is still alive.

Oh. That..

That's a mistake. Now, that..

That's, that's a mistake.

You k*ll that woman, you hear me?

'They won't know.'

'They'll think you still got a hostage.'

They'll keep their distance.

Where's Tony?

Uh, Tony took the other car

and picked Linda up in Barstow.

Now you k*ll her. You k*ll that woman, you hear me?

Hear me?

Yeah, I hear you.

[breathing heavily]

[instrumental music]

You don't want to pay any attention to him, Mrs. Daly.

He's delirious.

Listen.

My father's an oil man.

I can give you his address.

He'll give you any ransom you want.

[Frank] 'But you see, ma'am, we didn't take you for ransom.'

We don't have time for that.

You were just insurance so nobody would follow us..

Oh, please.

Don't k*ll me, please.

Please don't k*ll me.

Mrs. Daly.

There's the one I ought to k*ll for spooking you like that.

Alright.

I'll tell you the truth.

We talked about it.

Oh, we talked about it. We did.

I mean, we had the whole thing timed out pretty tight.

Tony, he was gonna lead the police off on a wild goose chase

to LA and Al and me would hike out in to the desert.

We got a plane hidden out there.

We figured you wouldn't be able to keep up anyways.

I would.

I would. I was born here.

I know the desert.

I'm...I'm even a licensed pilot.

Where are you going?

- Mexico? - Mm-hmm.

Look, I can help out on the trip.

I can help out.

And after you've landed

you could let me go.

And then I, I-I could find my way home.

Later, later on.

Could you find a place up here

called Silver Mason, Mrs. Daly?

Silver Mason.

Well..

Not at night.

But in, in the day time

I think I could.

Uh, see, I don't know the desert at all.

Al was the guide.

'So you might say that, uh..'

...our lives kind of depend on each other, don't they?

I, I mean, if Al doesn't make it.

[instrumental music]

What about the insurance angle, Will?

Any possibility of collusion on Daly's part?

I looked in to his financial background. He's solvent.

He's a millionaire ten times over.

Any ransom notes?

Nothing yet.

We had a few crank calls to Daly and to us.

One might be significant.

A woman in Barstow telephoned the resident agent.

She claims she saw a woman in an evening gown

struggling with three men in a '67 grey Fairlane sedan.

The agent asked for her name and address.

She just gave the license number

of a California plate and hung up.

What time did the call come in?

Six this morning.

A car traveling at normal speeds would've gone through

Barstow about that time.

A break in the case, no more misdirection.

There is one thing, inspector, that made us wonder

if this trio hadn't come from Los Angeles.

An informant mentioned that an LA thief named Frank Padgett

had been seen in the Tucson area.

Now, Padgett has been connected

with a number of jewel robberies.

He likes to work with one or two helpers, particularly

a man named Al Barnes.

And he has used stocking masks.

What else do we have on him, Will?

Not much. He, he's unmarried.

He was a pilot in the w*r.

- A pilot? - Yes.

Is he considered dangerous?

Yes, sir. Homicidal.

[man on radio] 'Power in the near East.'

'Now, for a look at the local news.'

'There was still no word today on the fate of Mrs. Joseph Daly'

'kidnapped Tuesday evening from her Arizona ranch home.'

'Police and FBI agents continue to search the area'

'although rumors persist that the kidnappers'

'may have fled to California.'

'Prices continue to climb in the San Pablo area'

'as a reflection of..'

So, now, we've fled to California.

How about that, Al?

'Make you feel safer?'

Al?

[dramatic music]

Just leave him here like this.

I put some...rocks out front.

Cover the opening.

Keep the coyotes away.

Get ready, we're leaving.

Didn't you hear me? I said, we're gonna leave!

Alright, what's the matter?

I just don't see why I should lead you to your plane

just to have you sh**t me in the head right there

and leave me there.

If I'm gonna die

might as well both die right here.

Now, what makes you think I'd do a thing like that?

Why should I think you wouldn't?

Because I told you, Mrs. Daly.

You see, with Al gone, I'm in what you might call

a sort of a weakened position.

I admit it.

'Now, I could k*ll you here and now, I guess.'

'Take my chances out there alone.'

'But that just seems to me like'

'cutting off my nose to spite my face.'

On the other hand, I see your point.

You wanna make sure I'll take you past Silver Mason.

Alright.

I'm probably gonna regret this to my dying day

but I'm gonna level with you.

You see Al, he was my pilot, too.

'How about that?'

'Without you I'm really grounded, aren't I?'

'So come on, Kate.'

You lead me to the plane

and when we get to Mexico

I swear, I'll turn you loose.

'Okay?'

[instrumental music]

What do you say?

Here we go.

[music continues]

[instrumental music]

Anyway he must have circled around

and he came through the back of the house.

He came through that door.

No one noticed him at first.

We were all looking at Peterson.

Then he, then he yelled something and he, he fired.

What did he yell, Mr. Daly?

A name, I think.

Al.

Mr. Daly, uh, several of the guests Mr. Channahon spoke to

commented on how sombre your wife looked during the party.

I was wondering, had she had any premonitions of trouble?

Had there been any threats

perhaps from discharged servants?

No. No, not that she mentioned to me.

They said she looked sombre?

'Sombre, sad, preoccupied.'

Well, we've...we've had certain personal problems.

We're not trying to pry in to your affairs, Mr. Daly

but sometimes, it helps us to know a kidnap victim's

mental and emotional attitude.

[instrumental music]

We lost our son about four years ago.

Or rather, my son.

By my first marriage.

We never talked about it much but it was always with us.

I'm sorry, I..

Do you mind telling us how it happened?

Katherine accidentally k*lled him.

'He was ten.'

They wanted to fly to Denver to visit some friends.

Katherine had her own plane.

I didn't want them to go.

It was just about this time of year.

Yeah, December.

Anyway they went.

Storm came up and they, they crashed in the mountains.

'Couple of days later, Katherine'

crawled down to one of the roads

with little Mac in her arms.

He was dead.

The doctor said he would've made it if she hadn't picked him up.

Rescue party had already reached the plane.

[phone ringing]

Hello.

Yes.

Just a minute.

Lou.

Los Angeles.

Erskine.

[Durant] 'Hello, Lou. Durant.'

Yes, Bryan.

We found a 1967 grey Fairlane sedan

listed in the Barstow report.

Where?

It had been left in front of

a South Pasadena duplex.

One of the tenants noticed it

when he drove to work this morning and called the police.

[Durant] 'They took one look at it and contacted us.'

Any leg imprints?

Nothing so far.

The car might have been wiped clean.

But we did come up with one significant item.

Let me make a wild guess.

A diamond ear ring?

Yeah.

Did anyone there actually see the car arrive?

Well, not the arrival itself.

But a woman in one of the apartments across the street

saw a girl looking in to the car around 9 am.

Did she give you a description?

Just that she was young, flashy.

She walked to the bus stop on the corner

and sat down on the bench there.

The next time the witnessed looked, the girl was gone.

I've been trying to locate the bus driver

who might have picked her up.

Have somebody meet me at the airport. I'm leaving now.

Will do.

Do you think you found the kidnap car?

No, but I think we found the car

that at least one of the kidnappers used

and that's almost as important.

Keep as many flights over the desert as you can.

If they're out there, this is when they'll be moving.

[instrumental music]

[chopper whirring]

Okay.

Oh, no. Please.

Please.

Can I rest a minute?

I guess you should have wore a good

sensible pair of walking shoes to your party, huh, Kate?

Look, just..

Just let me rest a minute.

Sure.

Oh.

You don't mind me calling you Kate, do you?

You afraid of me, Kate?

Yes.

Good.

You like your woman scared, do you?

I like my women obedient.

A little fear generally helps in that direction.

Yes.

I suppose it does.

That's why you and I get along so well, Kate.

I can trust you.

I'm not always afraid you're gonna run off

and do some dumb thing on your own.

'How did you get so smart?'

I learned my lesson once.

I ran off and did a dumb thing on my own.

Made your husband mad, huh?

So, he put the fear of God into you

and you've been a good girl ever since.

'Am I right?'

Either that or I put the fear of God into myself.

I really don't know.

[instrumental music]

[mountain lion snarls]

That mountain lion, don't panic.

I'll see where he is.

[music continues]

[music continues]

[intense music]

- Bryan. - Lou.

We were in the freeway when we got your call.

I ran into a dead end so far as the bus drivers were concerned.

No one remembered picking up a girl

at the South Pasadena stop.

So I thought I'd play a hunch.

See if there had been any cabs cruising in the area.

I found Mr. Gilroy.

Mr. Gilroy, this is Inspector Erskine.

Hi, Mr. Gilroy.

Uh, I gather you picked up a fare in South Pasadena

about 9:00 this morning?

Yes, sir. She was a cute kid. Nineteen, maybe 20 years old.

Where did you take her?

Well, I took her to Colorado Boulevard.

She wanted to take a bus to Hollywood.

Yeah, I got her address, if that'll help.

I mean, I think it's her address.

She was in a kind of a hurry. She forgot her magazine.

[dramatic music]

[panting]

Help!

[music continues]

[footsteps approaching]

How?

[Frank] 'You cut your feet on the rocks, Kate.'

I just followed the blood.

That's it.

- Let's take a look. - Alright.

[honking]

Yeah, why not?

- Ms. Soames? - Yes?

FBI.

Hey, now, what'd you do, baby doll?

Rob a bank or something?

[Lewis] 'What's your name?'

Uh, Anthony Chandler.

We'd like to talk to you.

Perhaps you'd be more comfortable inside.

Um, yeah, maybe we would.

Oh, honey, you have the keys, don't you?

Oh, yeah, I left them in the car. Here, hold this.

Okay.

[g*nshots]

[Linda screams]

Tony! Tony! Aah!

Ambulance.

Where are they holding Katherine Daly?

[instrumental music]

Kate, didn't you hear me back there on the bluff?

I said we couldn't waste any more time.

Couldn't take any more risks.

Couldn't play any more games.

'Come on.'

I, I can't walk.

[sobbing]

You got the worst attitude I ever saw.

Always looking on the dark side.

How do you know you can't if you won't try?

You try, you can make it.

No. No.

I'll bet you can.

No.

Come on, let's bet.

Now, I'll bet by the time I count to three

you'll find the strength, Kate.

Okay?

Okay.

One..

...two..

See, what did I tell you?

[music continues]

Who got you into this mess? Barnes or Padgett?

Padgett.

It was all his plan, his baby.

He thought of the earring bit, the second car

the phone call in Barstow.

Hey, uh, you, you go easy on Linda, huh?

She just did what I told her.

Go on.

Well, we...we stole a second car in Arizona.

Kept the Arizona plates on it till..

...till we got to Pasadena.

Then I put on the stolen California plates

so you could find it.

- Was there a third car? - 'No.'

You say they took the woman East into New Mexico.

Walked There, there are no roads out there any how.

Where's the airplane heading?

I don't know. One of them aces.

That was Al's department. He and Padgett are both fliers.

Al, he-he rented a plane on Monday

and flew it to this spot he knew and then..

Then he hurried back alone.

How far away do you think the plane was

from the way Barnes spoke?

Good day's hike, maybe more.

There was..

There was a mine just over on the New Mexico side where..

...they were gonna rest, pick up the radio, canteen, whatever.

That's where, that's where Padgett figured he could..

Figured he could what?

Bury the woman.

Al said she'd just be a drag to him.

You said Padgett has a radio?

'Yeah, for weather reports, news about the job.'

Has this 24-hour station. KNZT.

They have a news broadcast every hour on the half hour.

Listen, you, you got a cigarette?

Thanks.

[Frank] 'Well, this ain't bad, Kate, is it?'

What do you suppose this was? Some prospector's place?

[chopper whirring]

Kate.

I sure wish you'd quit acting like I was gonna haul off

and kick you any minute.

I'm sorry it's been such a rough trip. I really am.

'Sorry you didn't have a better pair of shoes.'

'Sorry I didn't have a car for us.'

The point is..

...I'm not here to torment you, Kate.

All I want is to get to my plane, that's all.

Now if you fight me, we're both in trouble.

But if you cooperate, then we both make it.

How can it be any simpler?

You could have let me rest.

I'll tell you the truth, I wasn't sure at first

whether I could trust you or not.

I mean, I wanted to make sure that, uh

you weren't leading me around in circles.

How are your feet?

[chuckles]

Okay, swing 'em around here.

We'll wrap 'em in these.

Walking isn't over yet, Kate.

How much further do you think it is now?

About ten miles.

Well, could be worse.

Suppose it was 50.

I just..

I just can't do it.

Sure you can, Kate.

We'll take it slow.

Communicate with her?

What are you talking about? How?

You don't even know where she is.

We know she's in the desert

somewhere East of the state line.

We know the men she's with have a radio.

We know the station they'll be listening to

and we know what time they'll be listening.

But even if she's alive

even if you broadcast 24 hours a day

from every station on the South-West

what could you possibly tell her that could help?

You realize, Mr. Daly, that if she's alive

it's only because of her value as a guide.

Padgett can't get through that desert without her or Barnes.

And you think Barnes is dead, huh?

- Dead or immobilized, at least. - Alright, alright.

But what are we gonna say on this broadcast?

"Dear Katherine, this is your FBI.

"Would you please hit Padgett over the head

when he isn't looking and run?"

We're gonna try to arrange a place where we can all meet.

Where you can..

I've got a detailed map of the area.

- Excuse me. - Here.

I talked to a pilot who knows this country.

He said there are half a dozen places

that Barnes could have hidden the plane.

They'd all be in this section.

The terrain both North and South

is either to rough for take of

or to exposed for camouflage.

Mr. Daly, what's this, uh, Tiburon Wells?

Oh, they're all dried up now.

'There hasn't been any water there for 20 years.'

- Centrally located. - Mm-hmm.

I assume your wife speaks Spanish.

Oh, yes, yes.

Is she familiar with Tiburon Wells?

Certainly.

I'll tell you what we'll do, then.

We'll translate this, uh loosely into English.

Call it what, uh..

- Shark hollow? - Good.

Inspector, I do-I don't understand what you're talking--

Mr. Daly.

We're gonna device a code.

A, a message that your wife will understand

in words that won't mean anything to Padgett.

We're gonna ask her to change direction

and lead him to Tiburon Wells instead of to his plane.

But if he finds out she's trying to trap him..

Well, Mr. Daly, if she takes into his plane

there's no doubt as to what will happen, is there?

He's a pilot, he won't need her anymore

and he'll certainly k*ll her.

Inspector, it won't work.

I know Kate.

She'll be too scared to try to trap him.

Then it's up to us to see that she does try, isn't it?

Because it's the only chance she's got.

[instrumental music]

[clanking]

What happened?

You don't care for my new type alarm clock, huh, Kate?

We had a little visitor.

Cheese eating guest.

A mouse?

A rat.

What? Where?

Oh, don't worry, he's gone.

I didn't hit him but I sure scared him

out of a couple years of growth.

Come on, you miserable..

- Is it broken? - Yeah.

Shame, too. They had your husband on.

My husband?

What do you mean, who had him on?

The news.

Started in about 2:30 this morning.

'The kind of interview that must been on tape.'

I thought you might have got a kick out of hearing him.

They played it every 15 minutes or so.

What, uh..

What did he say?

Is he worried?

Yeah, you know..

Talked about when you and him were first married..

...he used to live in Shark Hollow.

- Lived where? - Shark Hollow.

[Joseph on radio] 'Yeah, we had each other.'

- 'I'll never forget the day..' - Here, listen.

'Katherine came to me and she said..'

'Joe, what in the world did you bring me here for?'

'There's nothing here but a couple of wells.'

'Of course, that was before they dried up.'

[man on radio] 'So, what did you say then, Mr. Daly?'

[Joseph on radio] 'Well, I, I tried to point out all the advantages.'

'I told her, her friends would be coming.'

'That she'll have help, you know.'

[Joseph on radio] 'I said that the very fact that she could speak Spanish'

'would be a lifesaver at Shark Hollow.'

Uh, no, no, wait. Please.

[Joseph on radio] 'So I said, "Kate.'

'"Do this one thing for me.'

'Try."'

'And I said'

'"Remember'

'I love you."'

[Frank] 'Well..'

'Well, you heard most of it.'

It's just the same thing over and over again.

Those were the good old days, huh?

Do you ever like to go back?

To Shark Hollow?

I'm afraid.

Well..

...let's get started.

[man on radio] 'Rent to hub. Come in, hub.'

This is hub, go ahead.

Well, we finally found the right mine.

Barnes is dead.

[Lewis on radio] 'And the woman?'

There's no sign of her but the indication are

that she and Padgett left together.

The tracks disappear about a quarter mile to the East.

Well, at least we know she was alive yesterday.

[man on radio] 'Still quite at the wells?'

Still quite.

Wait.

I know it's tough, Kate, but we can't stop here.

There's no place to hide if the planes come over.

Get up, Kate.

It can't be much further now, can it?

No.

Well, then, come on.

This way.

I thought you said it was straight under

the slash in the hill.

No.

This way.

Kate..

It's harder ground to cover

but it's shorter.

Shorter?

How long should it take us then, at the outside?

Half an hour.

An hour if we go straight ahead.

You know what will happen to you if you're lying to me?

Just trying to keep me out here?

Yes.

No, I mean, do you really know?

'Have I've made it clear enough to you'

'that you've run out of options?'

Okay, I'll give you half an hour.

And 15 more minutes to boot.

And if we haven't found that plane by then

I'll k*ll you.

'Do you understand me?'

Yes.

You still wanna take the shortcut?

Yes.

Okay.

[intense music]

Hopefully, this will work, inspector. She..

[music continues]

It's been a half hour.

Almost there.

Doesn't look much like the way Al described it.

Well, it's..

You see it..

...it gets more level..

...behind those big rocks.

Alright, you got 15 more minutes.

Get away from him, get away.

[music continues]

Ah!

Kate!

I can't!

Drop it, Padgett.

[g*nshots]

[g*nshots]

[music continues]

Hold it, Padgett.

[g*nshots]

[instrumental music]

Joe, will you please stop fussing?

I'm fine, I'm a big girl, no problems.

You can say that again.

Then you didn't hear the broadcast

until morning, Mrs. Daly?

No, no, that's right.

And you see, after I saw he was finally

gonna let me sleep for a little while

I couldn't, I couldn't think of anything else.

And when I finally got around to listening

I, I thought you were crazy.

Shark Hollow. Now, who's idea was that?

Theirs.

It was your husband who thought of the interview.

He thought you might respond more quickly

to a voice you recognize.

Yes, I did.

I thought it was time we started to, uh

communicate again.

No matter how far apart we've been.

And we weren't so far apart after all, were we?

[Marvin Miller] Frank Padgett and Tony Chandler

were convicted of kidnapping in federal court.

Both received life sentences.

Linda Soames was sentenced to five years in prison

for her part in the kidnapping conspiracy.

[theme music]

[music continues]