04x02 - Out of Control

[bunniefuu]

[dramatic music]

[music continues]

[music continues]

Hey, Mig!

Hey, Mig!

Miguel!

Miguel.

- Miguel, wake up. - Huh?

Are you alright?

- Miguel.. - Yeah, sure. Why?

Pete. Oh, man.

You spoiled a very beautiful dream.

[chuckles]

What do you want?

Well, didn't you hear me yelling?

No. No, I guess I just conked out.

Ah, a little too much crestin' yesterday.

[chuckles]

Hey, Pete, do me a favor.

Don't tell Mitch.

I said I was coming out here to check the wellheads.

Ah.

This fuel pumping any better for him now, Mig?

No, not much.

It's a crazy business.

Right, Tyrion hits an ocean of oil and..

...all Flynn can bring in from next door

is a couple of barrels a day.

Listen, in this business it's 90% luck.

It don't matter what the geologist say.

There's plenty of oil on this side too, and he'll find it.

Uh, too sorry, he doesn't find any Criterion's pipes.

Well, that's what they used to do in the old days.

Tap their neighbor's pipelines.

Is that a fact?

Oh, sure. My dad was a wildcatter.

He used to say to me, "Pete, don't ever trust a man

"with surveying equipment near your fence.

Next thing you know, he's gonna bring in a.."

"Gonna bring in a crew and shovels."

Hey, Pete, w-why'd you come out here for in the first place?

You never did tell me.

Some border jumper's crossed the line.

Been around..

I wonder if some of them might've

come by your place looking for work.

Uh, no, no, they haven't.

But, uh, but I'll let you know.

Well, what's next, Mig?

The crew and the shovels?

Pete, you don't understand.

No. No!

What, Criterion?

Pete!

[intense music]

[music continues]

[g*nsh*t]

[music continues]

[male narrator] "The FBI."

A Quinn Martin Production.

Starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr.

Also starring, Philip Abbott.

William Reynolds.

With guest stars, James Franciscus..

...Simon Scott..

...Armando Silvestre.

Tonight's episode, "Out of Control."

[dramatic music]

The two-day search for border patrolman

Peter McGrath ended in a dry wash



Another case had already brought

a ranking FBI official to the area.

Accompanied by Lewis Erskine, Assistant Director Arthur Ward

had flown to Laredo to wind up an internal security matter.

As senior agent on the scene, Ward therefore

automatically became responsible

for the investigation.

McGrath?

Called me about an hour ago.

How was he k*lled?

A b*llet wound in the stomach, close range.

Any motive?

Doesn't seem to have been money, he had $70 in his wallet.

The border's less than a mile south of here.

Could've stumbled on a smuggling operation

or ill*gal crossings, something like that.

We found one footprint leading away from the car.

He's got grass and dirt in the back of his heels.

Any indication he might have been dragged?

Nothing within a hundred yards, no.

I sent some of the soil and grass samples to the lab.

They should have an analysis for the Laredo resident agent

by tomorrow night.

Good.

Shot at close range, huh?

Looks as if he might have been taken by surprise.

Maybe even by someone he knew.

[whirring]

[footsteps approaching]

Hey, Mitch!

[dramatic music]

Hey, Mitch, will you help me?

What did I tell ya?

Now, go on back. Worry about the oil.

[dog barking]

Hey, Concho.

[music continues]

Uh, Benson, you're getting worse.

You know, you'd parked any further

I think you might as well stay in your own garage.

That's your own fault.

You keep telling me you're gonna bring in a gusher

any minute, I don't wanna be drowned.

[chuckles] Yeah, well, that's what I like around here.

Faith.

How is it going, Mitch?

Well, any minute now, you read the geologist report.

Yeah, I also read the report on field number one.

Any oils you get out of that

will have to be whatever seeps over from Criterion.

Well, the only difference on these figure on number two is

they happen to be honest.

Are you going to clarify that last statement

or just let it hang there?

Well, Banker Benson, you said a good report

on number one, it helped me raise money for number two.

So I gave you good report.

Mitchell, listen, this isn't the frontier of 1850.

- There're laws, controls. - Well, not for me.

Certainly for you, for everybody.

No, no, nothing basic changes.

Cougars have been k*lling the sheep

ever since there were cougars and sheep on this earth

and no law's gonna change that.

That reminds me, my, uh, my foreman Mig Valdez

he's, he's worried.

Need some help.

Could you give him an alibi for Monday afternoon?

Monday? Why?

Well, that's when he shot McGrath.

Mitchell, you're not talking about a sign of beef.

If Valdez m*rder*d a man--

Now, wait a minute, wait a minute.

Who said anything about m*rder?

I said he shot the man, that's all.

- It was a fair fight. - Well, what happened?

Well, Mig was looking for a place to tap into

the Criterion's lines

and McGrath happened to stumble on to the thing.

Look, Benson.

Either, I pay off some of my creditors

or I'm gonna have to close down drilling on this well.

But there is oil down there.

You know it and I know it.

If Criterion can keep me going a month longer or a week longer

then I figure, I got to use Criterion.

Mitchell, I..

I got to be going.

Mitch, aren't you afraid I'll go to the police with this?

No. You're my friend.

Well, even friendship has its limits.

[chuckles]

Well, Benson, if you really objected

to the way I've been working

why didn't you call the police in five years ago, huh?

You were helping me then?

You knew it was ill*gal.

Didn't you?

Well, anyway, thanks for giving Mig a hand.

Why won't you say he come across you on the road

last Monday around 5:00.

You had a flat tire, he helped you change it. Okay?

Thanks again, Doug.

[dramatic music]

[male #1] 'This is the type of grass found in the shoes.'

'Texas needle grass.'

The soil itself is a sandy conglomerate.

No resemblance to the samples

from the wash where he was found.

[telephone ringing]

Lab.

[woman on phone] 'Inspector Erskine calling'

'from Domingo, Texas, for Mr. Colby.'

Yes, he's right here.

- Colby. - 'Hello, Tom.'

Hello? Where are you?

You weren't expected in until the morning.

No, we're still in Domingo.

We drove back here after the arrangement.

Tom, do you have an analysis yet on McGrath's samples?

[Tom on phone] 'Yeah, they just came in.'

'Incidentally, the shoeprint was a size ten.'

Hello, Tom. This is Arthur.

I'd like you to bring that lab report

out here yourself on the next flight.

Yes, sir, of course. What happened?

Well, we found some notes in McGrath's desk

on a report he was about to submit.

Seems he picked up a Mexican national who'd been living

in Texas illegally for over five years.

Yeah, the man told me about an oil operation he'd worked on

in Bliss County where one of the wells was deliberately

set afire so the owner could file

a fraudulent bankruptcy petition.

The two names that are mentioned in connection with fraud

are Mitchell Flynn and Douglas Benson.

Well, how are they involved in the McGrath m*rder?

Well, we're not sure, except that Flynn's name

figures in both cases.

McGrath kept a trip log.

And the day he was k*lled, he indicates that

he was in Flynn's office looking for the foreman

a man named Miguel Valdez.

He noted that he talked to Flynn, but Flynn denies it.

The soil and grass samples on McGrath's shoes

didn't come from the wash.

Is it gonna be difficult getting on Flynn's land to take a look?

Very difficult, we don't expect any co-operation at all.

You'd better get out here as soon as possible.

We'll have clothes for you, work shoes and hat.

- Work shoes? - 'Yes, Flynn is hiring people.'

'He's evidently got great hopes for some of his new fields.'

He's working crews day and night.

So we'll meet you tomorrow with a truck and drive you out there.

Have fun, Tom.

Wow, I just wanted to get into your game.

[instrumental music]

[dog barking]

[dog whimpering]

Congratulations.

He scares most people half out of their minds.

Glad to meet a man who understands animals

unless you're another one of those predators.

- You're Mitchell Flynn? - Yeah.

My name's Erskine, Mr. Flynn. I'm with the FBI.

I understand you have a foreman named Miguel Valdez.

Yes, I have.

Is he around? I'd like to talk to him.

Well, I'll send him back if I see him.

He's out in the back property somewhere.

One of my dogs turned out missing last night.

He was a real fighter.

Take on almost anything.

Mountain lion, rattler.

Just gonna pull ground out there myself.

[Lewis] 'Oh, Mr. Flynn.'

I'd like to join you, if you don't mind.

Now, this kinda country ain't exactly for city boys.

I was born in this kinda country, Mr. Flynn.

Well, be my guest. Billy?

[instrumental music]

That's Mig's tracks. He can't be too far.

Hey, Mitch! Up here!

[music continues]

[dog barking]

[barking continues]

He sprung a trap.

[dog barking]

Alright, alright, Concho. Easy, easy, boy. Easy, it's me.

[barking]

One of us better ride to the nearest phone, call a vet?

No, no, there's no time for that.

He could break that leg if he flops around there much more.

I'll have to take that trap off myself.

You don't have a tranquilizer?

Alright, Mig, you get around the opposite side.

Listen, he doesn't like me.

- I've still got the scars. - Mig, I said--

He's afraid the dog'll know it, it will never calm down.

And you aren't afraid of him?

I've handled dogs before.

[barking]

Alright.

Here, you wrap this jacket around your arm.

He'll go for your throat, if he jumps.

Make sure you get your arm up and tight.

And talk to him. Try and get his attention.

'All my dogs are trained, it's just the question'

'weather he's too bad hurt to respond.'

[barking continues]

Quiet.

Quiet!

Concho, here.

Concho, here!

Stay on him. Stay.

Concho!

[growling]

Easy, easy, easy, yeah. Here, here.

Easy. The teeth go through?

No, it's alright.

Yeah. Now, boy, come on. Here, boy. Yeah.

Now, sit down, that's it.

That's it, boy, Atta boy.

Oh, my thanks, inspector.

You're a man who knows how to hang in there when it counts.

- So are you, Mr. Flynn. - Well, my mother loves me.

Coward or not.

[chuckles]

Mr. Erskine, this is my foreman Miguel Valdez.

Mig, this inspector from the FBI

wants to ask you a few question.

About what?

[Lewis] 'About Monday afternoon, Mr. Valdez.'

Yeah?

Where were you, do you remember?

I drove in to Domingo in the morning.

Uh, I took the pickup.

Yeah.

I started back about 3:00.

Got in, oh, I guess it was around 8:30.

Usually it'd take you five and a half hours

to drive back from Domingo?

Well, no, sir, but, I stopped to change a flat for a guy.

- You got his name? - Yeah.

I recognized him. Douglas Benson.

What size shoe do you wear, Mr. Valdez?

Oh, ten.

Okay, thanks very much.

Was that all?

All for now. I found my way back.

Okay. Thanks again, inspector.

[instrumental music]

What do I do now, leave?

Well, that might be just what he's waiting for, Mig.

Why did he want my shoe size?

Maybe I left a footprint.

Oh, you're the only man with a size ten?

No, he's got nothing solid.

Anyway, McGrath isn't the problem. Money is.

And the string of creditors hanging around my neck all week.

Told 'em I was hiring double crews

to work on number two.

I need all the ready cash to meet the payroll.

But nothing worked till I said my old number one well

was fine, and begin to show profit too.

So there's gonna be half a dozen that will come up here tomorrow

to take a look around.

I thought we'd have Criterion hooked in by then.

Mitch, I just can't risk it.

I know, I know. It's too late anyway.

You figure they'll shut us down?

Yeah.

Yeah, they will if they think I've been conning 'em.

So we're just gonna have to cover that up.

How? All they have to do is look down the wellhead.

Yeah, they're still producing some.

Yeah. A few barrels a day ain't enough to fool those boys.

Yeah, it's enough to singe their eyebrows

if they get too close, enough to keep 'em away

enough to make 'em think that it might have paid off.

- Fire it? - Yeah.

Just like Bliss.

Mitch, I'd cut off my right arm for you.

But with the FBI on the property, I'm not--

The FBI won't get back on the property

I promise you that.

[dramatic music]

Thanks very much. Mr. Flynn will be in later.

Sure. Did you find the dog?

Yeah, we found him. He's alright.

Oh, can I, uh, get a match?

Thank you.

Don't mention it. Keep it.

[music continues]

Mr. Ward?

- Mr. Benson? - How do you do?

Sorry, I had to keep you waiting.

- It's alright. - Now, won't you to sit down.

Thank you.

I should've phoned for an appointment.

Mr. Benson..

...do you know a man named Miguel Valdez?

Mig? Oh, I've known him for many years.

Would you recall seeing him last Monday at anytime?

No.

Oh, yes, I do too.

I had a flat when I was driving to Domingo.

Mig was on his way out to the oil fields

I waved him down and he changed the tire for me.

It should've been around



How long has Valdez worked for Mitchell Flynn?

Several years.

As long as Flynn's been in business, as a matter of fact.

How long is that?

Now, let me see, I first met Mitchell in the spring of '52.

It was probably the worst year of my life.

My wife and son had been k*lled in a swimming accident

three summers before.

'I didn't take very good care of myself.'

'I finally ended up in a tuberculosis sanatorium.'

Mitchell was an attendant there.

He was 18.

[chuckles] He didn't believe in death.

He kept joking us out of it.

Day by day, and week by week.

- Have you ever met him? - No, I haven't.

Well, Mr. Ward, he's an anachronism.

He belongs in an other century.

He's a plainsman, a pirate.

Anyway, he saved my life, and probably my sanity, too.

'Two years later, I was released.'

'I told him I'd set him up in any business he wanted.'

He picked oil. He hired Mig Valdez.

Owned a field he liked, and sank a well.

And made a very good thing of it, too.

But it wasn't always that way, was it?

He went bankrupt, five years ago in Bliss County.

'I read that petition.'

He listed liabilities of 358,000.

Well, it's a very unpredictable business, Mr. Ward.

Some men stumble, some recover.

But who would lend him the money for the two new fields?

I did.

Even though he lost more than a third

of a million dollars through the bankruptcy?

Well, he'd get all that back and more

through field number two.

And as for the Bliss bankruptcy, one of his wells caught on fire

he was literally burnt out of the business.

Now, that isn't financial irresponsibility.

That's just plain bad luck, wouldn't you say?

[intense music]

[music continues]

Well, well, well.

Would you tell me why I always eat so much?

I don't know, Billy. Maybe you're just a natural born hog.

Well, you not say that.

[chuckles]

You know, I never worked any place where

you never see the foreman.

Oh, he's usually around.

[mouth organ music]

Is that him in there talking to the boss?

Probably yes. That's his pickup parked there.

Say, will you tell me something?

What's with you and that grass bit?

Every time I look at you, you're always picking up grass

you're chewing on grass

you've always got grass in your face.

Now, what's that all about?

Yeah, I look for different kinds.

It's, uh, kind of like a hobby.

- A hobby? - Yeah.

You see, this is needle grass.

Find a lot of this in the number one field.

Grows best in sandy areas.

Like, by Criterion.

- Interesting? - Yeah.

Beautiful.

[instrumental music]

[music continues]

[music continues]

[music continues]

[music continues]

[expl*si*n]

[intense music]

[both grunting]

[music continues]

[grunts]

[engine revving]

[music continues]

[instrumental music]

Mr. Flynn.

Flynn, Mr. Flynn, there's fire down in number one field.

There's wind picking up fast.

Sure, that figures, just when she's beginning to pay off.

I don't know, sometimes I wonder.

I better get that emergency team over there right now.

[laughs]

[speaking in Spanish]

You alright?

No.

- What happened? - A guy saw me.

- Who? - 'One of the new men.'

I don't know what he was doing out there, but he saw it all.

Where is he now?

By the pump. Dead, I think.

You think?

[dramatic music]

[fire whooshing]

[tires squealing]

- Well? - Gone.

A truck driver found him walking alongside the road.

Brought him in about twenty minutes ago.

'Wasn't carrying any identification'

'but he mentioned the FBI several times'

'So, we thought we'd better contact your office.'

Well, thank you very much.

How badly was he hurt, doctor?

Well, he sustained a heavy blow to the back of the head.

No fracture, according to the X-ray.

It's probably some concussion, though.

Well, see to it he gets everything he needs.

Oh.

We found these in his pocket.

'Would they have any special meaning?'

Yes, they have a great deal of meaning, thank you very much.

I'll see about a private nurse right away.

Texas needle grass, sandy soil.

Looks as though he may have been getting close

to McGrath's m*rder*r.

Yeah.

[instrumental music]

Well, who was this man?

How did he get out there, in the first place?

That's a good question?

I don't know.

All I know is, there's a man walking around loose now

who knows that well was dynamited, and that Mig did it.

Yes, but Mig Valdez wouldn't implicate you

in a thousand years.

No. No, he wouldn't.

Not if he can help himself.

But, Mig's not smart enough to stay loose in the witness chair.

He'd start talking about the Bliss bankruptcy.

Including your knowledge of it, your part in it, your guilt.

And he'll have us all in jail before long.

Break his heart, but there we'd be.

You know I don't see what you're going to do about it.

'I'm gonna ride out there again after sun up and look around.'

If I don't find that man or his body

well, we're just gonna have to get rid of Mig, that's all.

Send him away, you mean?

'No, no, no. They'd just track him down.'

- Mitchell! - There's no other way.

No. I'm not going to stand for this.

I'm going to call the FBI.

Douglas.

You know, your not alone out there

on that branch you sawn off.

Let me tell you what else falls, if you go to jail.

Your projects, public and private.

Confidence in you.

The financial structure of this entire area, your bank served.

[dramatic music]

Well, I gotta be getting back.

Mig's waiting for me at the office.

Don't you fret about it, Douglas. No, sir.

Maybe they'll all work out

maybe that man out there is dead.

Maybe we haven't got a thing in the world to worry about.

[door closes]

[dramatic music]

Excuse me.

What'd you find out?

Fire is at Flynn's old number one field.

It's out of control, and nobody knows how it started.

[Tom] 'Lew.'

- Dyna.. - Take it easy, take it easy.

Dynam.. Dynamite.

Somebody dynamited the well?

- Yeah. - Valdez?

- Was he the one who hit you? - Yeah.

Alright, that's it.

Ask the US Attorney to issue a warrant charging as*ault

on a federal officer.

[dramatic music]

[music continues]

[music continues]

[groaning]

Hey, Mitch.

What time is it?

Uh, it's about six.

Well's still burning?

Yeah, did a good job on that, Mig.

They won't cap that one for awhile.

[chuckles] You'll be a billionaire by then.

Something tells me we're gonna bring number two in real soon.

I smell oil on that drill.

Yeah.

Yeah, we'll all be billionaires.

Just don't get so big that, uh, you go out of business.

I have to work with you, you know?

You'll always be with me, Mig, don't you worry about that.

- Here. - Thank you.

Say, did you, uh..

I mean, what about the guy I saw?

I couldn't find hide nor hair of him.

You know, uh, he could be out there dead someplace.

I'll get the truck.

See if I can pick up any tracks.

Now, wait up, Mig, later. You drink your coffee.

I, uh, I'll be back for you in about an hour.

Where you going?

Well, I'm just going on the back property

I wanna ride around a little bit.

[chuckles] I'll come with you.

Drink your coffee, Mig.

I wanna be alone.

Come on now, will ya? What is this, a revolution?

I said, "Drink your coffee."

Yes, sir.

[dramatic music]

Adios, Miguel.

[instrumental music]

I'm looking for Valdez, have you seen him?

Mister, I haven't seen anything but fire all night long.

But I, I don't know, he may have gone up into the back country

with Mitch or Mr. Flynn.

- Can I borrow your horse again? - Sure, go ahead.

[dog barking]

[whimpering]

Stay!

Valdez?

Valdez, Valdez!

Pike!

Pike!

Here you go.

Looks like he's been poisoned by some kind of depressant.

See if you can find some warm water and salt back there

we gotta get it down him.

Talk to me, what's your name?

No.

Where were you born?

- Where were you born? - Born...Texas.

- What's your name? - Miguel.

Valdez.

How many pills did you take, Miguel?

- Nothing. - Well, you took something.

- Coffee. - Who gave you the coffee?

Hmm?

Who gave you the coffee, Miguel?

- He did. - Who's he?

- Who? - Mitch.

Let me, let me lie down.

Inspector.

Start pouring it down him. Make him talk to you.

Keep him moving, anything to keep him awake.

I'll get help right away.

Valdez has been poisoned, call the hospital.

[intense music]

Well, uh, Mr. Ward, what can I do for you

so early in the morning?

- Mind if I sit down? - Oh, no, please do.

Mr. Benson, why did you lie to me

about seeing Miguel Valdez last Monday?

I didn't lie to you.

We checked with the men who usually service your car.

They said you hadn't brought in a tire for repair.

Well, I had to fix it in another place.

May I have the name of that shop, please?

Mr. Ward, I'm awfully tired this morning.

Perhaps I could call you in a day or two.

Alright.

Whatever is most convenient for you.

May have all cleared up by then, anyway.

The hospital informs us, they expect Valdez to pull through.

What happened to Valdez?

He was given an overdose of sleeping pills.

'We suspect Mitchell Flynn, we're looking for him now.'

Oh, no.

I didn't think he'd go that far.

Mr. Benson, you don't have to tell me a thing.

You may even want to call your lawyer.

But, you'd be helping us a great deal

if you decided to cooperate now.

It's over, isn't it?

Did Valdez k*ll McGrath?

Yes.

McGrath had found him trying to tap

a Criterion pipeline for Mitchell.

Why was he doing that?

'So there'd be oil to fool the creditors with.'

When that didn't work out

Mitchell had Valdez fire the well.

Was the Bliss bankruptcy fraudulent?

I didn't lose a nickel, actually.

He'd set aside a quarter of a million dollars

before he fired the Bliss well.

There was no way of knowing, of course

how much he'd sunk in the drilling.

So, it was easy to get the creditors off his back.

We still had $250,000 between us.

"We" you say?

I got part of the quarter of a million.

And I'd only put in a few thousand of my own.

And that was the quarter million you pretended to loan him later?

You say you're looking for Mitchell?

Yes, we are.

You'll never take him.

He's not a man for a cage.

He won't give up as long as he can think and move.

Neither will the man who's looking for him, Mr. Benson.

[dramatic music]

[dog barking]

[music continues]

Stay, stay.

[g*nsh*t]

[g*nsh*t]

Stay.

[g*nf*re]

[dramatic music]

Flynn, drop the g*n.

[g*nsh*t]

[music continues]

[instrumental music]

I was the one who suggested the fraudulent bankruptcy.

I don't know why I expected it to win there, but I did.

You really believe that, Mr. Benson?

Maybe I didn't want it to stop.

It was a certain excitement to live the way Mitch did.

Alright, Mr. Benson, we'll have the statement typed up

and you can look it over.

- How's Mig? - He's much better.

The man he hit?

[telephone ringing]

He's fine, he'll be released from the hospital tomorrow.

FBI.

Alright, thank you, I'll tell him.

Something else wrong?

[scoffs] I guess it depends on your point of view.

That was Flynn's number two well.

They've hit a gusher.

[male narrator] Mitchell Flynn and Douglas Benson

are serving terms in the federal penitentiary

for violation of the National Bankruptcy Act.

Miguel Valdez was sentenced to twenty years

for the m*rder of Border Patrolmen McGrath.

[theme music]