06x10 - Harvest of Death

[bunniefuu]

Preload?

Nah, the air's thinning out
and the wind's coming up.

I think I'll call it a day.

Put baby to bed, will you, pal?

I'll get a early start in
the morning.

Yeah, swell.

That's exactly what Harv Walker
said the last time,

and we haven't seen him since.

So, how lucky can you get?

Now you've got talent
and dependability.

By

You're late.

Do you know where I was
when they called me?

No.

On the th tee, right
at the top of my backswing.

Hooked your drive.
I can hear the alibi now.

Right.

They're waiting.

Dave!

Hey, Joe.

It's been a long time.

Too long. Hope I didn't louse up
your game.

No problem.

I'd like you to meet
Clint Carpenter.

Mr. Carpenter.

Dave tells me you flew together
in Korea.

Yeah.
Side-by-side.

He thinks you're the right man
for this job,

and I hope so.

Oh? What kind
of job's that, Dave?

Well, to find out
what's going on.

Clint uses my dusting service.

Biggest customer I've got,
as a matter of fact.

And I soon won't be any kind
of customer, Mr. Mannix.

Somebody's out to ruin me.

They don't mind ruining me along
with him.

Two of my pilots have
disappeared on the job.

Disappeared?

Gone, not a trace.

Cars, belongings and all.

These, uh, pilots, they the kind
that can be bought off?

Nah, not a chance.

I knew them both for years.

The first one, Harv Walker, came
out of retirement to help me.

Well, what about local law?

Can't they come up
with anything?

Well, there's
a Sheriff Simkins.

He's been sheriff for years.

He's good for writing out
tickets

and cleaning up after accidents,
but that's about it.

Joe, here's our problem.

Clint's stuck
with a plague of insects.

Thrips, they're called, chomping
away at the oranges.

At the rate they're going, a
week, ten days is all we've got.

Well, it's, uh, not much time
for an investigation.

Might be enough, Joe, if you
could do the dusting yourself.

Me?

Hey, Dave,
that's precision flying.

That's right.
So is landing a fighter on

a carrier deck in a typhoon.

You did that, didn't you?

Yeah, well, now that was
different.

Joe, compared to those hot ships
we were jockeying,

the Ag Cat handles like a kite.

I could check you out down here,
and, under the circumstances,

I think I could get a waiver
for a license.

Dave, uh, maybe Mr. Mannix
doesn't like the idea

of being a decoy.

Yeah, well, it's still
a long sh*t, Dave.

That ever stop you before?

A couple of times there,

I thought you were gonna lose
the plane.

I began to worry.

About me or your crop?

Link, tie her down
for the night.

He'll make his first run in
the morning.

Is that right?

Anything you say, Mr. Carpenter.

I put you up at the Orange Grove
Inn out on the main highway.

You get cleaned up and then
drive on over to the house.

You're having dinner with us
at :.

Oh?

Afterwards, we can talk.

I'll answer any questions
you might have.

Well, I have one now.

All this property I just flew
over, that yours, too?

About as far as the eye can see.

Then how come losing an orange
crop can put you under?

I got some other investments
that haven't been going so good.

Without this orange crop,

I wouldn't be able
to hold on to my groves.

Might have to sell off some
to raise some cash.

What kind of investments?

Stocks and things.

How about crap tables in Vegas?

I suppose snooping comes natural
to you, Mannix.

I just like to know the people
I'm working for.

Saves a lot of surprises.

Be at the house at :.

We eat early and bed down early.

Ah, Mr. Mannix?

That's right.

Sheriff Simkins.
You mind if I come in?

Not at all.

What can I do for you, Sheriff?

I, uh, understand you're working
for Clint Carpenter,

is that right?

Yeah, I just started.
I'll, uh, be dusting for him.

Yeah, uh, any problems so far?

Problems?

None that I know of.

Nice, friendly community.

Yeah, but look here, uh,

just how much do you know about
the two crop dusters before you?

Well, what should I know?

There you are, you see?

The fact is, Mr. Mannix,
they both disappeared.

There's even been some talk
of foul play.

Maybe I'm just not following
you, Sheriff.

Yeah, well, uh, what I'm trying
to tell you,

Mr. Mannix, is that, uh,
if I were in your shoes,

I'd cut out of here before
something happened to me.

Just up and leave?

Yeah, but what about my contract
with Dave Winters?

Yeah, well, uh...

it ain't Dave that's taking
the chances, is it?

Now, uh, let me see if I've got
this straight.

Are you telling me

that I can't count on your
office for protection?

What I'm saying, Mr. Mannix, is

that this is one big hunk
of country

with only me and my deputy
to patrol it.

So, the best way I can give you
protection is

to offer you some good,
sound advice.

Oh, and, uh, don't think I don't
appreciate that, Sheriff,

but I guess what it comes down
to is

that I've got more confidence in
you than you've got in yourself.

Yeah, well...

it's your funeral.

By

by

Mr. Mannix?

Yes.

Come in.
Thank you.

You're expected.

This way, please.

Mr. Mannix.

I'm Nora Carpenter,
Clint's wife.

How do you do?

Clint will be down in a minute.

Can I fix you a drink?

Thank you. A scotch on the rocks
would be fine.

You're younger than the others.

The others?

The other two dusters.

Oh, the, uh, two
missing dusters.

I wondered
if Clint had told you.

But you still took the job.

Don't give me too much credit,
Mrs. Carpenter.

The job pays very well.

Cheers.

They were nice men,
those pilots.

I met each of them once.

At a dinner like this.

And then, never again.

Mr. Mannix...

I know it's important
to my husband-- your dusting--

But on the other hand...

Jesse, hurry up with dinner.

At least be careful.

Ah, Mannix.

I see you've met my wife.

How about a drink
for your husband, Nora?

Excuse me.

One a day.

Two and I get mean.

According to my family.

What do you think of the place?

It's everything you said it was.

My father started out
in a farm shack.

No electricity,
outside plumbing.

He built it all himself.

So, I guess we haven't done
so bad at that.

And I'm sure
you've added your bit.

I haven't stood still.

You can come to the table now.

It's about time!

You can seat Nora,
if you would, Mannix.

I think she'd like that.

Be my pleasure.

Oh, darling.
Marietta.

I wasn't expecting her.

Clint.

Oh, don't worry, Nora, darling.

I felt like joining the party,

and so I asked Jess
to set another place.

You couldn't wait, huh?

No, I couldn't wait to toast
your handsome guest of honor.

This is Mr. Mannix.

He's a crop duster.

My mother.

Very pleased to meet you,
Mrs. Carpenter.

Another crop duster.

Seems like we have
a new one every day.

Or maybe this young man
didn't know about that.

Yes, uh, I am aware of it,
Mrs. Carpenter.

Then why go on?

You don't need
to concern yourself

with business matters, Marietta.

Just leave that to me.

Where's dinner, Jesse?!

That's the whole list, Mannix.

Maybe the one
you're looking for is on it.

Anyway, they all hated
my father, and they all hate me.

It's a pretty good-sized roster.

Does the order mean anything?

I'd say so; I put them down
as they came to me.

Then this name at the top--
Sam Maturian--

He's the one you suspect
the most?

Yeah.

Works in the groves.

Speaks for all the others.

Claims my father cheated him.

He's threatened to get even.

years, he's threatened.

Well, that ought to qualify.

How about the others?

Piddling besides him.

Little beefs
of one kind or another.

Incidentally, uh,
what about Sheriff Simkins?

Without my father's support,
he'd have never made sheriff.

And without mine, he wouldn't
be able to keep the job.

Okay, Maturian it is.

Oh, uh, meantime,
there is something

you can be doing on your own.

What's that?

Find out if your hold
on the sheriff

is as strong as you think it is.

You all right?

What are you doing here?

I found the door open,
so I came in.

Maybe you can tell me
what I'm doing here.

My friend must have
dragged me in.

Very considerate.

What's the matter?

He also took my g*n.

Well, the way things
were going around here,

I thought I ought to have one.

Have you any idea who it was?

Nothing definite.

But, uh, let's talk about you.

Not long after you left,
I drove into town

to get a prescription filled
for my mother-in-law.

And, uh, I detoured here.

Not to warn me again?

You did that once,
and, uh, I'm very grateful.

I had a feeling...

that you were someone
I could talk to.

Works both ways.

I eavesdropped tonight,
Mr. Mannix.

When Clint was telling you
about Sam Maturian,

I wanted you to know that you'd
only be wasting your time

and stirring up more trouble.

Why do you say that?

Because those people,
Maturian's people,

they hate my husband
enough as it is.

And because I simply
can't believe that Sam Maturian,

for all he must
hate the Carpenters,

could possibly be guilty
of any of this.

You know him, then?

Not personally.

But I know what the people
around here think of him.

You must, uh, know what
real hate can do to a man, too.

I take it your husband
doesn't know you're here.

Of course not.

Even though it's for him, too.

He'd be furious.

Yeah.

That seems to be
his normal temperature.

He wasn't always that way,
Mr. Mannix.

In the beginning...

Well, it-it was a wonderful
marriage for three years.

Now, what changed it?

What changed him?

Clint, Sr. d*ed.

It happened so quickly.

Almost overnight, Clint changed.

His friends became his enemies.

The trips to Las Vegas began.

Always without me.

And soon, I was cut off.

As surely as his mother
had been cut off before me.

He became
a different person altogether.

You mean, uh, he became
another Clint, Sr.

And you were Marietta
all over again.

I suppose you could say that.

Who is it?

Sheriff Simkins.

Just a minute.

Well, hello, Mannix.

Sheriff. Is this a raid?

No.

But, uh, if it had been,

I'd have come a little earlier
and caught myself a fish.

Well, your timing
could have been better.

Well, sorry about that.

But, uh, business goes on
as usual, you know.

At least, mine does.

Uh, Joe Mannix,
private investigator,

license number .

Crop dusting
just a hobby with you,

or, uh, is the detective
business falling off?

Let me ask you a question,
Sheriff.

You run a check on every visitor
to Carpenter?

Uh, just about.

Clint, Sr. put me onto it.

You know, he didn't like
meddling strangers.

So, I thought I'd give
Clint, Jr. the same service.

What about it, Mannix?

Well, I was, uh, hired

by the Winters
Crop-dusting Service

to find those two
missing pilots.

Well, you said yourself you
didn't get anyplace with it,

so maybe it's time
for an outsider.

Well, what I mean is we haven't
been able to prove anything,

but supposing I was to tell you
that there is one party

who'd be tickled silly
to see Clint, Jr. lose his tail.

Of course, proving
that he's working at it

is something else again.

Sam Maturian.

Boy, you sure do work fast,
don't you?

Yeah, fast enough to know
there are people

around here who'd swear by him.

Fast enough to know

that he figures
he's the rightful owner

of a good-sized chunk
of the Carpenter spread?

Huh?

Yeah, that's right.

All that acreage out there
in orange trees.

Now all he does is dig
irrigation ditches around them.

Well, uh, that does
change things a little.

It certainly does, doesn't it?

Well, I'm, uh, willing
to give you

all the help I can, you know,

but, uh, keep your head down.

Oh, uh, by the way,

that perfume...
it's kind of special.

I wonder what Junior would think
if he knew that his wife

was visiting a man
in his motel room

at this hour of the night.

Sorry I'm late, Joe.

Yeah, well,
you can see I waited.

I see that.

Just coffee, Betty.

Well, what do you have?

Anything yet?

Well, I thought I ought to give
you a report on my first flight.

I leaned over to reach
for the car phone, and, uh...

Yeah?

Somebody took a potshot at me.

Oh, Joe. Who was it?

No idea.

What do you know
about a man named Sam Maturian?

Well, he's a real old-timer
around here.

He sticks with his own people.

Runs them with an iron hand.

His name keeps popping up.

Maybe it's time
I had a little talk with him.

Well, uh, why don't you
take a cr*ck at him now

and I'll handle the dusting
this morning?

Dave, you're the type of client
every man ought to have.

Does all the real work himself.

And Joe...

Yeah, yeah.

Keep my head down?

Everybody keeps telling me that.

Keep it down anyway.

Sam Maturian around?

Who wants to know?

My name is Mannix.

I'm the new crop duster
for Carpenter.

I'll tell you this, mister,

you got some nerve
coming up here.

{man shouts in Armenian

Stop where you are.

All of you against one man?

What do you think you're doing?

Who are you?

He's Carpenter's new man, Sam.

That's who he is.

You... oh your way.

I came here, Mr. Maturian,
hoping you and I could talk.

Get out!

One word from me,
and they tear you apart!

{men murmuring

Our language you speak.

I grew up speaking it,

like most other
second-generation Armenians.

Too strong for you, huh?

In my family, coffee this weak

is only for women and children.

But I must say, it's not bad
for this neck of the woods.

You know...

...once I shared this drink
with old man Carpenter...

Mm.

When we agreed
on the oranges, the grove,

and the time he
would give me to pay it off.

That was my one dream.

Having that land for our people.

What happened?

I slaved. Somehow,
with the grace of God,

I got all the money together--
within the time, you know?

And then he didn't want it.

You mean old man Carpenter
backed out of the deal?

He already had enough money
for three lifetimes.

More power,
that's what he wanted.

And what about your agreement?

Well, because I trusted him,

the agreement was, how do
you say...

Verbal.

Well, it was his word
against mine, huh?

First he had the marshal
come around

with all the legalistic
papers to evict me.

And then somewhere a judge,

with one sweep of his hand...

wiped out ten years
of hard work.

But you stayed.

I was a younger man.

More?

Uh...

I was a much younger man then.

And all I lived for was
to b*at Carpenter to the ground.

And then one day...

he d*ed, and he
was in the ground,

and I was old.

Well, it was no different
with that poor woman of his,

Marietta Carpenter.

All those years with that man!

And in the end... for what?

Why do you stay?

We have to.
What else can we do?

Our lives are in this crop.

If it fails, we starve!

I see.

Then you have nothing to gain
by stopping the dusting.

Not even... vengeance.

Something is wrong.

The plane's in trouble.

Dave.

Dave.

P-Plane...

...s-s-sabotaged.

Take it easy, Dave.

S-Sulfur in... the gas t*nk.

Exploded.

S-Saw it happen...

once... b-before.

Dave Winters dead?

I can't believe it.

Clint, give this up!

Stay out of this!

I can't! I won't!

Are you still with me, Mannix?

Dave Winters was my friend.

My deal was with him, too.

Then you'll finish dusting?

Yes.

Then you are a fool,

and you'll get what you deserve.

Why don't you
go back to your room?

Maybe you didn't
drain the bottle.

And you'll get
what you deserve, too,

if you keep him around here.

What's that supposed to mean?

Kind of a man that
would lure your wife

to his motel
after you went to bed.

Is that the kind you want?

Is that the kind you can trust?

Do you know what you're saying?

Go ahead and ask him.

Ask him, if you
don't believe me!

Ask him if she wasn't there!

Oh, Nora!

Nora! Oh, honey...

I didn't mean it.
I didn't mean it.

Nora.

I didn't mean it.

Did you go to him last night?

Did you?!

Wait a minute, Carpenter.

Nothing happened.

She only came...
You tramp!

I ought to k*ll you!

Listen to me, Carpenter!
Nothing happened!

She didn't do anything wrong.

You're through, Mannix.

You're fired.
Get out!

I may be fired...

but I'm not through.

Not until I find out
who k*lled Dave Winters.

Oh, Mr. Mannix?

Phone call just came for you.

They wouldn't leave their name.

They leave a message?
They just said that

Sam Maturian wants to see you
right away at his place.

Thank you.

Mr. Maturian?

Poor fella's dead.

An old man like that...

How could you do
such a thing, Mannix?

sh*t with my missing g*n,
I suppose.

I don't have to guess
who's got it.

How about this fellow, Tiny?

Didn't I tell you he was good?

This is...

well, what do you know?

Exhibit A.

Now, there's a m*rder w*apon,
if I ever saw one.

Put the cuffs on him, Tiny.

Too bad that plane crash caught
Dave instead of me.

Would have saved you
all this trouble.

Oh, well, you can't hit it right
every time, you know.

So, you just keep on trying,
right?

There's one thing
that still puzzles me.

Oh, what's that?

At the trial, you're gonna have
to come up with a motive.

Why did I k*ll Maturian?

Oh, we'll think of something.

Uh, Clint was scared of him, so
he hired you to knock him off,

and collect yourself
a big bonus.

You know, something like that.

Once a hick cop,
always a hick cop.

Now what kind of talk is that?

There's not gonna be a trial.
You know it and I know it.

Because you can't take a chance
that I won't come up

with an alibi that'll stick.

Next thing you know,

I've launched a search
for those missing pilots.

So, what's called for is
a little roadside justice.

Prisoner sh*t while attempting
to escape.

Man, you really are something.

Did you hear all that, Tiny?

Just, uh, where am I supposed
to try this escape?

Well, I hate
to keep you waiting.

This looks like
as good a spot as any.

Pull over, Tiny.

Come on!

Let's get the dogs.

Hey, Steve!

Get off!

I got Sam's k*ller!

Steve, we got him!

Hold it, hold it!

I didn't k*ll him.

You got to believe me.

I didn't k*ll him.

You were the last one with him.

No, no, I wasn't.

The man who k*lled Sam
was the last.

I believe you.

Sam trusted you.

He told me so.

You got to help me.

First thing, we get rid
of these, all right?

Yeah.

Come.

Some of our men have not yet
heard about Sam.

Still off on their search,
the one you want.

A man as fast as Aram
won't need luck, Mr. Mannix.

He'll have your scent
out of the camp,

across the river in minutes.

That's coming from
the workers' place.

Come on.

Now for my part.

Did that sh*t come from here?

Mannix was trying
to get to his car.

Where'd he go?

He got away.

Out there somewhere.

Well, don't worry.

We'll get him.
Come on, fellas.

We should have k*lled him.

The law will take care of him,

if we can
put the pieces together.

What else can I do?

Well, you can give me a lift.

There's somebody
I want to talk to.

Hello, Mr. Mannix.

Will you tell Mrs. Carpenter
I'd like to see her?

Mannix. What are you doing here?

Didn't I tell you to clear out?

I'd like to talk
to your mother, Clint.

My mother?

Mr. Mannix, she's always been
our friend.

I think you're going to find out

exactly what kind
of a friend, Steve.

Now, I want to talk
to your mother.

Hey, you don't
give the orders here.

And if you got anything to say,
you say it to me.

On the way out.

That's enough, Clint.

Get back to your room.

I'm sorry, Steve.

They say that you k*lled
Sam Maturian, Mr. Mannix.

But you know better than that,
don't you, Mrs. Carpenter?

In fact, you know
the truth about

a great deal of what's been
going on around here.

What do you mean by that?

Be quiet.

I mean, your mother
was so anxious

to stop me
from dusting the grove,

she made a bad slip.

Like what?

Mrs. Carpenter,

Nora didn't tell you about
her visit to me last night.

Harmless as it was.

And I certainly didn't.

The only person who could have
told you was Sheriff Simkins--

Your partner in this enterprise
to destroy your son's crop.

You're lying.

Tell him he's wrong.

Tell him, Mother!

The sheriff wasn't my partner.

He was my employee...

...who promised me faithfully
that no one would get hurt.

Sam Maturian... was a good man.

His m*rder was the last thing
I would've wanted.

Try to believe that.

I believe it, Mrs. Carpenter.

And this, uh, whole plan of
yours was for Sam Maturian?

For Sam and his people,
yes, it was.

And now it's your turn, Clint.

How many times have I pleaded
with you to make amends

for what your father did
to Sam and his people?

How many times have I begged you
to live decently?

With honesty and goodness
instead of hate and greed.

That's what your father
lived with.

I kept praying
that you would be different.

But you finally gave up.

And decided
to take it on yourself

to see that Sam Maturian
got what belonged to him.

Your son would lose
that acreage,

and then you'd secretly buy it
in through Sheriff Simkins...

...turn it over
to Sam Maturian.

Now it's no use.

I just failed again.

Mr. Mannix.

We found the bodies
of the two pilots in the river.

Deep spot near Miller's Bend.

Cars, too.

Well, you finally got him.

Good going, fellas.

Don't touch him.

What are you doing?

You can stop pretending,
Sheriff.

I told them everything.

You were only supposed to
frighten those pilots away.

Instead, you k*lled them.

And Sam Maturian.

And you had a private deal with
Clint's Las Vegas creditors.

With his gambling losses
and the loss of the crop,

you were gonna join them
in taking over

the entire Carpenter ranch
when it went under.

It's all right here
in the file, Sheriff.

At trial, they'll find out
how much your mother

had to do with all of this,
and how little.

That doesn't mean she won't need
all the support she can get.

Steve.

Sam finally got
the land for you.

By