04x09 - Sunburst

[bunniefuu]

Cool and careful.

Hi there. Would you fill it up, please?

Oh, and check under the hood.
It seems to be heating up.

Probably needs a little water.
Sure thing.

I'm going to get a cup of coffee.
Hey, mister.

Yeah?

This will only take a minute.

I'm in no hurry.

Can I help you?

Just a cup of coffee, please.

Passing through?

Yeah. It's a long way between stops.

Yeah.

Thank you.

That's good coffee.

Care for a refill?

Yeah, please.

Hold it.

Help.

We just might put that
on your tombstone.

♪♪

You'd better watch this woman of yours.

What happened?

Ohh!

Your wife serves coffee in a dirty cup.

Your wife tried to tell this clown
what happened.

Are you crazy? They warned us!

I'm-- I'm sorry.

I think everybody's going to be sorry...

starting with the clown here.

Stand up, clown.

Clean?

Uh-huh. Empty everything
out of your pockets.

Put it on the counter.

And easy.

Who is he?

We were just going
to find that out, Clint.

Hey, hero, make some breakfast.

Hmm.

Where were you going, Mr. Mannix?

Fishing. Bovard Basin.

Check out his car.

It wouldn't do me any good
to ask questions?

No good at all.

If you're very lucky,
you'll remain in happy ignorance.

Get him some coffee.

In a clean cup.

You'll stay here a while,

along with Mr. and Mrs. Simmons.

Then we'll go away, and you'll be free.

All right?

All things considered, fine.

Sensible.

Two spinning rods,
fishing tackle, everything.

Well, you're an honest man, Mr. Mannix.

Enjoy your coffee.

I want some of that coffee.

That'll be cents.

Heh.

Fair enough.

What's your name?

Joe Mannix.

Invest this in some music, will you, Joe?

If you don't mind.

Sure. Let's keep it all happy.

Any requests?

Let's see.

Hey, now.

Yes, Ben?

Hey, I want those eggs over easy.

And crisp! I like my bacon crisp!

Relax, Ben, just take it easy.

I'm sorry.

That's the way the marriage crumbles.

Dance with me?

Who are they?

I don't know who they are.
I don't know what they want.

They just came in here
this morning and took over.

They sure make a good-looking
couple, huh, Larry?

Oh, yeah.

Oh, you're funny.

Did they say what they wanted here?

No.

The ice cube-- Clint--
the one that went out of here--

He just said to stay quiet
and not cause any trouble,

and they'd be gone soon.

The tall one, in the blue--

He just showed Ben his g*n,
and that's all she wrote.

I can't blame him.

They're professionals.

They'd scare anybody.

Not you.

You're watching. You're fingering it.

You're waiting.

That's why you're dancing with me,
so we can talk.

What did you expect
your husband to do?

Get himself k*lled?

No. But he could've stood up to them
a little longer,

tried a little harder.

He's like paper.

You touch him, and he crumbles.

It took me a long time to find that out.

Hey, Ben.

You ought to take up dancing.

You can cook.
But if you could only dance,

you just might maybe
get yourself a wife.

That's about enough!

Hold it.

Move.

Do you know him?

His name is Perry.

He's one of the crop-duster pilots
from last summer.

You, back to the bar.

Say hello to him, give him some coffee,
and get rid of him.

Hi, Ben! Danal

Well, how's the Roadside Ritz!

Hey, I thought things
would be kind of quiet.

Looks like business is real good.

Hi!

Hello. Some coffee, please.

I'll buy that. And a piece of
that good apple pie, hey, Ben?

You fellas just traveling through?

Fishing trip.

We're about to close.

I mean, I don't want to rush you
or anything.

Well, I can take a hint.

Okay, how much do I owe you?

It's on the house... till summer.

Oh. I'm on my way.

See you next time
I come through, sweet thing.

Hello? Simmons' Sandwich Stand.

Ptomaine our specialty.

Croker?

Hey, I thought you was dusting
down the Imperial Valley.

I think that's for me.

Hello?

Yes. Yes, it is.

No. Look, never mind for now.

Um, give me your number.
I'll call you back in a few minutes.

Al right.

How's the human foghorn?

You know him, do you?
Oh, sure.

All us crop dusters know one another.

Old Croker, I tell you--

Got his wind gauge wrong one day.

Let all his dust loose into an updraft.

Well, sir, he must've inhaled
insecticide forever.

Anyway, ruined his throat.

So ever since then,
he sounded like a mean old bullfrog.

Say, if you're going to hire Croker...

maybe you could use another man?

Yes, Mr. Perry, I can.

Mel'?

Hey, now, wait!

Now, wait--
Shut up.

We've wasted enough time.
It's too dangerous.

Both of them.

Do you know this place?

Spinner Dam.

What are they going to do?

k*ll us.
What?

Stay loose.

When I make my move,
you make a break for it.

He could be anywhere by now.

There's a man k*lled.

Trouble, Sheriff?

Bring some water over here.

He was just k*lled up at Spinner Dam.

m*rder*d.
Take it easy.

Check out a m*rder up at Spinner Dam.

Yeah, I'm on my way.

Here you go.

Easy, easy.

You drink up,
and then we'll have us a little talk.

Well, here we are.

There's my car.

Nobody here.

Well, of course they're gone.
They knew I'd go to the police.

They're probably holding
Ben and Dana Simmons as hostages.

Deputy Hodge calling Sheriff Wells.

Deputy Hodge calling Sheriff Wells.

Right here.

I'm up here at Spinner Dam.
It's real pretty.

It's nice and clean, and it's empty.

No dead bodies.

All right, I'll see you back in town.

Ten-four.

There was a body.
They got rid of it.

Hey, there you are.

I've been hunting for you
for the last two hours.

Hunting?

Yeah.

Luck you found him, Sheriff.

I told him if a man was going
to go walking in this country,

first of all, he shouldn't.

Second, if he does,
he should wear a hat.

You don't know how easy it is
to get sunstroke.

I'm sorry, Sam.

I don't know what Mister--

Mannix, isn't it?

I don't know what he's getting at.

And nobody's been
threatening you, Ben?

Just the bank, as usual.

You sure?

Hey, Sam, I told you.

No gunmen, no holdup, nothing.

Now--
Uh...

Ben, what about Dale Perry?
You seen him around?

Sure, last summer, when he was
flying for the Agricultural Co-op.

You remember.
Yeah.

Not since then, huh?

Nah, you know these gypsy pilots.

They keep drifting.

And what about Mr. Mannix here?

Well, he drove in today.

His car was overheated, low on gas.

Oh, she's ready, by the way.

That'll be, uh, $..

That includes gallons of high test.

Tell me--

Where's your wife?

She went to town.
We needed some stuff.

You know women, Sam--
any excuse to go shopping.

Yeah.

Anything else, Ben?

Well, uh...

here's my .

Keep the change.

All right, Ben.

Mr. Mannix, I think you and I
had better go back into town

and continue our little chat.

You drive ahead of me.

Malcolm.

The sheriff of what county?

Well, I'm busy. Can't you
shovel him off on somebody else?

Who?

Oh.

All right, put him on.

Joe, I'm up to ears.
Make it fast, whatever it is.

Well, I've got trouble, Art.

Just tell Sheriff Wells here
that I'm a reasonably reliable citizen

and a reasonably
professional investigator.

Heh! Well, seconds
ought to do it, Art. Thanks.

Sheriff?

Lieutenant?

Yep.

Heh. Yeah.

Okay, if that's what you want.

Al right.

You've got friends in the I A. Police.

Now do you believe me?

And you've also got a story

that smells like two gallons
of home-cooked lightning.

And no evidence to back it up.

What about Dale Perry?
He's dead.

My deputy searched Spinner Dam.

Well, they probably dumped
his body in the water.

♪♪ feet deep?

It would take a month to drag.

And I'm not about to authorize
anything like that

without real hard evidence,
and you don't have any.

Now, look, Mannix...

Ben Simmons said something
about a touch of sunstroke.

And I'm inclined to agree.

Simmons was lying. He had to.
His wife was being held hostage.

Hi, Dana.
Hi, Sheriff.

Ben said you wanted to see me.
Uh-huh.

Hello. I'm glad Ben found you.

He was worried about you
when I left.

Sit down, Dana.

He recovered in time
to make his speech.

About what?

Now, Dana, listen to me--
where have you been?

Shopping.

I called Ben and asked him
if we needed any coffee,

and he said that you'd been
up there asking questions

about some kind of a holdup.

Yeah. Three men, with g*ns.

They were holding you,
Ben and myself prisoner in your cafe.

Three men?
And nobody's threatening you?

No. Ben isn't that kind of a man.

They k*lled Dale Perry...

after they took us up
to Spinner Dam.

Dale Perry? I haven't seen Dale
in about six months, Mr. Mannix.

Mr. Mannix?

How is it you know my name
after serving me one cup of coffee?

Ben saw the registration in your car.

We were very worried about you
when you went out like that.

Yeah, I got sunstroke,
Dale Perry's just fine somewhere,

and your husband's
not being held hostage.

So now you can go back
to telling your story.

Mr. Mannix?

Heh heh. I find it
very difficult to believe

that the whole world is in on this.

Dana, I'm sorry you had
to go out of your way.

No trouble.

Goodbye, Mr. Mannix.

Sheriff.

Lieutenant Walters said
I should stop by

to get some details
on a call you put out on a, uh...

Dale Perry.

He wants to know how serious is it.

Heh! Well, I don't think
there's any emergency here.

You can tell Lieutenant Walters
he can still get married on Saturday.

Thanks, Sheriff.

Mr. Mannix, I suggest you go back
to L.A. and get some rest.

And I promise you we'll keep
our eyes open here, huh?

Sure. I'll get a good night's rest.

Then maybe head up north
and get back to my fishing trip.

Well, maybe you should
come on back, Joe.

Look, Art, I need identification
on three men, all pros.

All right, but snap it up, huh?

Yeah, sure. Now, the guy that looked
to be number I man--

His first name was Clint.

I'd say he's about '" or ",

pounds.

Mid-forties, blue eyes,

medium brown hair.

The second guy's first name was Mel.

I'd say about pounds, '",

mid-thirties.

Hazel eyes, sandy blond hair.

The other guy was called Harry.

I'd say he was ", pounds...

medium-dark hair, blue eyes.

Got it.

It's going to be some time
before I can get back to you, Joe.

We've got a big headache down here--
John Romano.

What kind of headache
can you have with a man in jail?

He's finally decided to talk in detail.

Romano can give us
half the syndicate's western operation,

as soon as we can get him out of I A.
and back to Washington

in front of the committee.

And that gets priority, old buddy.

Thanks, Art.

Come in.

I had to.

I'm sorry.

It's all right.

It was terrible.

They hurt Ben.

He was crying.

I had to do it.

I had to make you out a liar.

Maybe I don't love him.

But they were going to k*ll him.

Where are they now?

I don't know.

They let me off
at the edge of town

so I could talk to the sheriff.

I have to go back there by myself
in a few minutes...

or they'll pick me up.

Well, I'd say your only chance

is to tell this all to the sheriff.

Oh, no, Joe. I can't.

I told you, I can't.

I know you want to help me,

but you can't do anything.

Except hope they'll let Ben and me go
when they're finished.

Just let it happen. Please.

Please.

Did the sheriff believe you?

Yes.

And, uh, Mannix went back to LA'?

Yes.

How do you know?

He said he would...
in the sheriff's office.

What did he say in the hotel room?

Tell me what he said
in the hotel room.

Hi, Mr. Mannix.
Right.

You made a report on a homicide?

Yeah.

We've located a motorcycle
registered to a Dale Perry.

Can you identify it?

I think so.

Oh, good. Lieutenant Walters
would like to see you right away.

Have you called the sheriff?

Oh, yeah, he's on his way, too.

You'd better get moving.

I'll just get my things.

Say, the three men at the cafe--

Any idea what they wanted
at the Simmons' place?

Considering it's worth
about a buck and a quarter?

No. Lieutenant Walters--
he'll help you with that.

Say, when I was at the sheriff's office,

I overheard that
Lieutenant Walters' wife was sick.

Serious?

Oh, no. I don't-- not bad.

Good.

It's pretty tough on kids
when their mother is sick.

I'm smarter than you, Mannix.

How did you figure it out?

Well, Lieutenant Walters isn't married.

And, uh...your voice, Croker.

Yeah. Heh.

Well, uh, you just come on with me,
or I'll have to, uh...

to sh**t you for resisting arrest,
or something like that.

Come on.

So he's got my g*n.

But I left him on a--

A dry lakebed,
miles from nowhere.

Stop congratulating yourself.

Forget Mannix.

Get yourself cleaned up,
and start for Los Angeles.

Who's in that plane?
It's one of them.

Get out. I'll take over.

Well, he's dead.

He made me drive him here.
He had a g*n on me.

Who was he?
I don't know.

He arrived in that uniform. He had
another man with him in handcuffs.

He's in the cafe now.
One of the others is with him.

Where's Dana?

In the cafe. They're holding her.

Let's go!

Turn that up, will you?

Local school officials,
meanwhile, have insisted

that police intervention on the campus
is not necessary.

Is there a back way in?

Yeah, behind the trellis.

Hey, I'm going with you.
Forget it.

Look, I'm not going to let you
take all the risks.

Al right.

Now, they're expecting you
back from the airstrip.

Now, you drive the jeep up front
like nothing happened.

When you start in the front way,
that'll be my chance

to surprise them from the back.

And Los Angeles
Police Department spokesmen

have definitely confirmed
that John Romano

made his escape this afternoon
from a police escort

at Santa Monica's Clover Field.

Romano, head of operations
for the Syndicate,

until his conviction last May,

had served only six months
of his life sentence

when he made his daring escape.

All roads leading from the airfield
have been blocked,

but police fear that Romano
made his getaway by plane

with two men
dressed in police uniform.

Oh, you're a celebrity now,
Mr. Romano.

Hmm.

You ought to get some new
publicity pictures taken.

Those don't do you justice.

Listen, punk, if you can't say
anything funnier than that,

keep your mouth shut, huh?

How did it go?
Fine.

John!

It looks pretty bad.

You have a place
where we can put him?

Yeah, the bedroom.

Well, Mr. Romano.

You're a cop?

You're here after me, right?

Am I glad to see you.

Oh, sure.

Right after you've escaped
from half the police in I A.

No, no, I didn't make any break.

I was kidnapped. Look!

It was a contract job.

I was going to testify.

So they had me picked off.

A contract operator named Peterson
was making the delivery.

Why are you still alive?

They wanted to find out
how much I'd told them up to now.

They were going to
take their time with me.

Look, we've got to get moving.

Peterson's coming back here
with a truck in , minutes.

That big trailer truck--
they brought it here.

Peterson took it out of sight.
That's the idea.

The cops look for a plane,

and I'm getting hauled across country
on a freight truck.

Now, come on, get me loose.

Get me out of here
before they get back.

You'd better hope
that he's got the key.

He's still unconscious.

We'll get him an ambulance
as soon as we get away from here.

We haven't got much time.

You don't have any time.

No time at all.

Ben?

Give me that g*n.

He should be in a hospital
as soon as possible.

He'll be all right.

Move!

Take it easy, Romano!

Ben--

Please, Dana, stay out of this!

Listen to me, kid.
Sit down.

Sit down, Mannix. Sit down!

Listen to me, kid,
we can do business--

Don't work up a sweat, Romano!

We're just going to sit here and wait!

Listen to me. I got money, cash.

You get me out of here,
and I'll give you enough dough

for the rest of your life.
Come on, we can do business.

No, we can't do any business.

I've got a deal.

With Peterson?

I was in it from the beginning.

$, worth.

Enough money
to take care of us for life!

Oh, no.

Some coward, huh?

Ben, you're crazy! They're murderers!
They k*lled Dale Perry.

And that's what they're
going to do with Romano.

Take it easy, Mannix.

Ha ha ha! That's beautiful.

I get a couple of breaks.
Along comes idiot boy.

You shut up!

What'll you do, sh**t me?

Maybe that would be a favor.

Remember, I was
in the same business myself.

I know what'll happen.

Peterson handles disposals.

He's done a lot of
contract work for us.

Yeah, I even okayed a couple myself.

Heh. Now there's one out on me.

Well, maybe that's all right.

But you--

Can't you think out
what he'll do to you?

We have a deal.
You're a meatball.

Why should he hand you $,

when he can settle
for cents' worth of lead?

That's what'll happen, Ben.

There's no way out.

I'm not stupid!
I'm not going to take any chances!

Ben, think!
You don't have to do this!

Three murders, Ben.
You'll be an accessory.

No.

I didn't do anything.

I don't know anything,
and I don't want to know.

I didn't ask you to stop for gas.

You're on your own, Mannix.

Where am I?

You're with me, like a good wife.

Oh, Dana, we'll come out all right.

We'll come out fine.

We can go anywhere.

It'll be good.
Oh, Ben.

Now, remember--

You told the sheriff everything was fine.

You lied to him.

If you don't keep quiet,
you'll rot in jail.

You thought I was a failure, huh?

Well, am I?

Oh, if you know how...

sick I am of this stinking kitchen!

Having to wait on every slob
who comes in off the highway.

Waiting on him.

Picking up his nickels and dimes.

Just what did you prove
by letting Dale Perry get k*lled?

How can you live with that, Ben?

Don't worry.
He won't have to live with it.

Just die with it.

Ben!

You can be a hero.

In front of million people.

Just call the police.

You'll be the man
who delivered John Romano.

Oh, no, no.

Talk is cheap.

I got $, waiting.

Here it is.

Big surprise, huh, Mr. Peterson?

What happened?

They nearly got away.

Gorham's dead, out on the airstrip.

Oh? Where's Larry?

He's in the bedroom. He's been sh*t.

I had to handle things myself.

Looks like you did, Simmons.

Give me the money, Ben.

Go check on Larry.

I've underestimated you.

That was quick thinking.

Thanks.

How about giving me the money now?

Listen to me!

Nobody's listening to you
anymore, Romano.

You're dead.

Unlock him. Get him up.

He's in bad shape.

He won't make it
unless we get him to a hospital.

What do you think we're running,
an ambulance service?

I don't know any hospitals.
Leave him.

What did I tell you?

cents' worth of lead.

Come on, get them all outside.

You, come on. You.

Oh, no. You, too.

What about my money, Mr. Peterson?

Yes, of course. We, uh, have a deal.

It's all there-- ,.

Aah!

Hold it!

Okay, back up to the truck.

Right here will do very nicely.

You've had all your chances, Mannix.

Ben!

Get up.

Mannix! Give me the g*n.

I'll keep an eye on him.

Come on, man.

I got nowhere to go.

Was it my fault?

He just had a dream
he couldn't handle.