06x14 - Light and Shadow

[bunniefuu]

By

Relax, dear.

What's the harm?

It's just his way
of welcoming us back.

You know Showy.

If he couldn't give a party
for someone every other week,

I'm sure he'd suffer.

He shouldn't
have brought Louise.

He had no right to do that.

She's supposed to be in school.

Well, that can't be helped now.

Besides, I should think
you'd want to see her

after all these weeks away.

There is one very good reason
she has no business here.

Nikky.

Well, if you feel
that strongly about him,

we shouldn't have
had him on the cruise.

By

Mm, it's a marvelous
party, Daddy.

And, Ali, I hope you don't mind
my being here too much.

I am having fun.

What a thing to say, Louise.

Of course
I want you to have fun.

Now, isn't she the sweetest
stepmother in the world?

By

Thanks, all.

Eh, as I was saying,
that's what we want,

a nice family grouping.

Lawton would have
gotten aboard somehow.

The Bramantes are news,
like it or not.

Louise?

Dance?

Come on, Bruno,
I'll take you out of all this

and give you
another lesson in gin.

That is, if you have the courage
after the last session.

Courage is the one thing
I never run out of.

You know that, Showy.

I'm sure you'll excuse us.

By

Good old Bruno.

He just can't bear losing.

I guess it's only natural.

How else do you become the
fourth richest man in the world?

Well, there are other ways
to riches, aren't there, Nikky?

My dear Ali, I don't believe
you've danced once today.

By

by

By

by

by

By

Good morning. Can I help you?

I'm Bill Moseley,
Mr. Bramante's secretary.

I spoke with Mr. Mannix
last night.

Oh, yes. Mr. Mannix
is expecting you.

Won't you come this way, please?

Pleasure, Mr. Moseley.
I'm Joe Mannix.

How about some coffee?
No, thank you.

I've had about
a gallon and a half already.

And not much sleep, huh?
No, none.

If I had, at least
I could have told myself

that last night was
some kind of nightmare.

Mm. Uh, sit down.

You said that George Oliver,
Mr. Bramante's attorney,

directed you to me.

Yes, and then Snowy Bartlett
told me he knew you personally.

I take it that, uh, this
was Snowy's party yesterday.

Yes.

I, uh, haven't had a chance
to read that yet...

but I can guess that
it couldn't look worse for her.

I would say that's a good guess.

In any case, Mr. Mannix,
I've been authorized

to give you this as a retainer.

I would say this is
a bit premature.

Mr. Bramante is anxious
that you start immediately

to establish, uh, that the
evidence against his wife

is insufficient...
or in some way faulty.

Or even, let's say, pointing in
another direction altogether.

What is foremost in
Mr. Bramante's mind

is that his wife be exonerated.

If, of course, out of that some
other suspect emerges...

Then all to the good.

Of course.

I think you'll find

that, uh, Nikky Lorenzo won't be
universally missed.

Yes, I got that
from Larry Lawton's column.

Along with his crowing about
being the only newspaperman

at the party yesterday.

Ah, here it is.

"Sparkling Louise Bramante

"being stubbornly pursued

by the inveterate
romancer Nikky Lorenzo."

Meanwhile, if I can be of some
further help to you, Mr. Mannix.

Yes, you can start by expressing
my thanks to Mr. Bramante

for this amount of confidence
in me, but I can't accept it.

You mean you won't take
the case?

Not until I at least
meet my client.

Mrs. Bramante?

Hmm.

I could arrange
that immediately.

Good. Then we'll see.

Oh, Mr. Moseley,
you didn't mention it,

but, uh, do you think it's
possible that she didn't do it?

I'll say this-- if, uh, she did,
I'm certain that her reasons

would be acceptable
to any jury in the country.

Good day, Mr. Mannix.

Seems to be a nice man.

Yeah, but a bit nervous,

when I read that, uh,
young Louise Bramante

was being chased by
Nikky Lorenzo.

The rest of it goes, uh, "While
her devoted secret admirer

Bill Moseley simmers quietly
on the back burner..."

Oh, Mr. Mannix, one more thing.

It wouldn't be in the newspaper,

the report didn't come through
until late, but, uh...

But what?

The m*rder w*apon--

It was registered in
Mrs. Bramante's name.

It's her g*n.

I just didn't want you to be
surprised when you heard it.

Thank you. It does help to know

that sort of thing
ahead of time.

Good morning, Mrs. Bramante.

I believe you were
sent word about me.

Please.

I'm not used to being handled.

Of course.

I can understand how unpleasant
this must be for you.

But I'm sure George Oliver will
have you out of here

in no time at all.

I doubt if
the District Attorney thinks

you'll make a run
for the border.

I'd rather you didn't
put those on.

Then don't stare at me.

Sorry, bad professional habit.

I understand my husband has
retained you to help on my case.

Actually, Mrs. Bramante,

I haven't decided to take
your case yet.

There are a few things
I'd like to know first.

What sort of things?

For one, did you do it?

I don't know.

I mean, I don't know
what really happened.

And right here and now I'm not
even sure it did happen.

I'm afraid it did happen,
Mrs. Bramante.

I'd like you to try and remember
everything you can.

I've been through it all with
the attorneys and the police.

I'd like you to go through it
again with me.

I'm sure you've heard it all
already.

There may be something new
you'll remember that could help.

Now, as I understand it, the
party was underway on the bow

when you happened to see
Nikky Lorenzo leaving.

Sit down.

I saw Nikky leave the party,
so I followed him.

Why?

I wanted to talk to him.

About what?

A personal matter.

Personal matter?

You followed Nikky?

To his stateroom.

When I got there,
I heard voices.

I knocked.

There was no answer,
so I knocked again.

I opened the doors.

It was dark,
I couldn't see anything,

so I stepped inside.

Nikky was standing
with his back to me.

He started to turn.

That's when it happened--
a terrible expl*si*n

and then a scream.

And I think a second sh*t.

I saw Nikky fall.

Then...

Then what?

Someone ran past me.

Who?
I don't know.

All I could see was Nikky lying
there and the g*n beside him.

Your g*n?

It looked like mine.

I keep it on the yacht.

That's why I picked it up.

You said you heard a scream.

It could have been mine.

And you have no idea
who ran past you?

No.

Man or woman?

I don't know.

Considering Nikky's reputation,

a woman seems to be
the logical choice.

Uh, how did Nikky happen
to be on the trip?

We invited him.

You and your husband?

I invited him.

He gave every impression
of, uh, enjoying himself.

This was taken in St. Thomas--
one of the stops on your cruise.

It's really very good
of both of you.

Where was everyone else?

The photographers asked them
to move away.

Your husband, too?

My husband doesn't care
for nightclubs.

Unlike you and Nikky.

Here you are in,
uh, Port Of Spain.

Caracas.

Aruba.

Acapulco.

Are you a collector
of this sort of thing?

No, my secretary has a very good
memory for pictures and a friend

that happens to work at one
of the local news services.

Now, listen, however it is
you are trying to say it,

Mr. Whatever Your Name Is,

and whatever cheap and offensive
innuendos you are trying to use,

I was not having an affair
with Nikky Lorenzo

and I don't need to hide
behind these to say so!

If my husband thinks
I'd even consider

accepting any help from you,
he's very wrong.

Now get out.

Mrs. Bramante,
you may find you need me.

I may be the only person

who isn't fully convinced
you're guilty.

By the way,
the name is Joe Mannix.

The blue pins are the crew,
the yellow ones are the waiters,

and the red pins
are your guests,

showing where everyone was
when the sh*ts were fired,

as far as the ones
we were able to interview.

Now, uh, Nikky was
in his stateroom,

Miss Bramante was just inside.

Now, you and Snowy

were in the lounge playing cards

and your head steward
was someplace around here.

What does it prove?

For one thing,
that, uh, this is incomplete.

We still haven't spotted
where Mrs. Bramante was

or Mr. Moseley.

Yes.

Speaking.

That's wonderful.

My lawyers have succeeded in
having Mrs. Bramante released.

You didn't have to make an
appearance at all, Mr. Bramante?

Oh, Joe, can't you hear
that bunch down there if he had?

"The privileged rich"?

"Look what money can do"?

The DA would have had to hold
her till the place froze over.

Well, uh, back to your daughter
and Mr. Moseley.

Forget all that.

Louise had nothing
to do with this.

It's all right, Daddy.

I, uh, went to the cabin behind
Nikky's to freshen my makeup.

Mr. Moseley?

Same place.

I was with Louise.

Mr. Mannix, do you or don't you
have anything of substance

for my wife's defense?

Yes, yes, I think I do.

I'd like to hear it.

Mrs. Bramante said
that there was somebody

in Nikky's stateroom, who ran
out past her after the sh**ting.

She never said anything
about that earlier.

Snowy, the shock of a thing
like m*rder can block out

all or any part
of a person's recollection.

Now, we know in time
that bits and pieces

or even all of it can return.

You say it can.

That doesn't mean
it always will, does it?

No, but in the case
of your stepmother,

part of her memory
has come back.

And the rest, when--
a month, two months, a year?

I can't tell you that.

Mr. Mannix, as it stands now,
the entire burden of guilt

rests purely on my wife.

No alternatives to that, none.

Not necessarily.

Peggy, tell Mr. Bramante
what you found out

by talking to some
of Nikky's gentleman friends.

Many of them sounded
like they would like

to put a b*llet through
Mr. Lorenzo very happily.

With my wife's g*n?

You are talking about people who
correctly consider the man

an obnoxious philanderer.

I'm still talking about
a solid alternative.

You mentioned your wife's g*n.

Uh, you knew she had one then?

I must have, or else
I wouldn't have mentioned it.

Well, put that together
with the fact

that you might
have suspected your wife

of having an affair with Nikky,

how about you as an alternative,
Mr. Bramante?

Joe, what's the idea?

The idea is to prove

that alternatives
are not hard to come by.

Bruno was playing cards with me
in the salon.

He never left.

Then doesn't that demonstrate
the error

of picking the first alternative
that comes by?

I ought to dismiss you
right now.

Mr. Bramante, I want you
to realize

it takes time to build up
a defense.

I try to dig deep.

Now if that bothers you...

Excuse me, sir.

I thought you'd like to know,
Mrs. Bramante is coming aboard.

We'll talk later, Mannix.

The family would like to be
alone, Mr. Mannix.

You understand.

Hmm.

Peggy.

Louise.

I think the less
of this welcome home business,

the better for her.

Mrs. Bramante.

I'm very happy for you.

Thank you.

Hello.

Welcome home, darling.

Thank you.

We can talk later.

I'm sure you'll
want to rest now.

If that's their idea
of togetherness,

it loses a little something
in the translation.

At least we know where Bramante
and Snowy were

when Nikky was k*lled.

If you want to take
their word for it.

Yeah, right now I'm more
interested in Nikky himself

before he was sh*t and before
that cruise in fact.

With maybe a little special
attention to his love life.

Shouldn't be too difficult.
It's the only kind he had.

You can get on
with your work now.

Yes.

Why did you do it, Showy?

Do what?

Lie for me.

You know I left that card table.

Oh, for two or three minutes
to get a new deck of cards,

because you blew your top
and tore up the old ones.

Oh, Bruno, I know you
couldn't k*ll anyone.

My old friend, dear old friend.

Well, after all,
what are old friends for?

Files, Mannix.

Name anybody important enough
to get into my column,

and I've probably got a dossier
the FBI would be proud to have.

That would take in the Bramante
crowd, wouldn't it?

The Bramantes, huh?

See this?

On his last wife, Melina.

Now remarried,
living in Cannes.

Staff...

Albert Higby,
born Coventry, England.

Ten years service.

Snowy Bartlett.

Everything from his land
developments

to his Middle East oil holdings
to his favorite French wine.

How about the dead man,
Nikky Lorenzo?

How about him?

Roger,
where's my coffee and Danish

I asked for minutes ago?

Well, the photos were
just coming out of the lab,

and I thought I...

You thought.
That's your trouble.

Stop thinking
and do what you're told.

Right.

Shall I make that two?

No, he's leaving.

Those guys--
"Give us an equal shake,"”

they're always saying.

So you give 'em a camera,
make "em an assistant even,

ten minutes later they've
forgotten how to take orders.

Now, uh, about Nikky
and the Bramantes...

Get lost, Mannix,
your friendly visit's over.

What?

Am I some kind of a nut?

I develop a regular library
on the Bramantes

that's finally going
to pay off big,

and now I open it up to you?

That's what you were after,
wasn't it?

For one thing.

I thought you might be able
to give me a lead

that could help Ali Bramante.

Or hang her.

Ali Bramante's been helped
from the day she was born.

As they say.

That's one of the things.

The other is, uh... exactly
where you were on the ship

at the time of the sh**ting.

Don't tell my I'm a suspect.

Actually, Mr. Bramante's steward
said you were in Cabin C.

Said he put you there
when you asked for a place

to jot down some notes
for your column.

Guest lists, things like that.

So why ask me?

I thought it best
to double check,

seeing that Cabin C is
right next

to the cabin that Nikky was in.

And that makes me a suspect?

Well, it doesn't help when you
stop to consider

that eight years ago,
Nikky Lorenzo made a play

for your wife
and broke up your home.

And not long after,
she was a su1c1de.

I was sorry to learn
that part of it.

Where did you get that?

Let's just say that not all

of your old newspapers
colleagues

remain lifelong friends.

Listen, Mannix, I'll admit

I'm not sorry
that crumb is dead,

and I'll admit I was getting
ready to pay him back,

but not that way.

Then what way?

It's got nothing to do
with this case.

You may not be the best judge
of that.

Mannix, this could be
a big mistake,

getting into something
that, believe me,

is none of your business.

Well, you know what
they say, Lawton.

Sometimes the best payoffs
come from the biggest mistakes.

I see you're still on Lawton.

Yeah.

Now, what did he mean,
"pay Nikky back"?

How? Have him b*at up,
blackmailed

or say bad things about him?

Nikky?

Oh, Peggy, by the way,

you were gonna check on
Nikky's recent activities.

Albee's on it. I called him
this afternoon.

Oh, good. Thanks.

You know, why don't you go home
and get some rest, huh?

Joe, with all the classy
suspects,

why are you still concentrating
on Lawton?

Good night, Peggy.
See you in the morning.

Good evening.

Who are you?

A messenger.

Now, look...
Joe!

Get yourself another case.

Otherwise, we'll see you
just once more.

Joe, are you...?

It's all right, Peggy.

Be happy.

Yeah.

We must be doing something
right.

Morning, Art.
Hello, Peggy.

No need to ask if he's in.
I can see him.

How are you, Joe?

Hi, Art. Something wrong?

That's what I'm wondering.

Those guys that worked you over
last night, who were they?

Muggers. They're everywhere
these day...

How did you know?

I've got my pipeline, too.

Peggy...?

Joe, I was worried.

Yeah, I know.

Joe, I know that you're working
for Bruno Bramante.

If you're withholding
vital information...

You know something, Art?

You sound like a guy who's
not at all sure of his case

against Ali Bramante.

In his cabin, with her g*n?

Come on.

Art, you want some coffee?

No, thanks, Peggy.

At least he's polite.

Which is a lot more than your
boys were to Peggy yesterday.

Joe, I didn't say
they were impolite.

Just immovable.

Look at the coroner's report
on Nikky Lorenzo.

Now, is that asking too much?

Joe, the pressure I'm getting
from upstairs on this case

you wouldn't believe.

Anyway, that report is
classified.

All right, then you can
understand why

I can't reveal information about
my two callers last night.

Now, look!

Ah, well, what really throws me
is the attitude of your boys

when I ask them to have a look
around Bramante's ship.

That boat is under
security guard.

No unauthorized visitors.

Thought there might be
an exception.

You thought wrong.

Well, I guess I can understand
that pressure from upstairs

cutting a guy off at the knees.

Al right.

The coroner's report.

What do you want
to know about it?

Routine stuff.

Condition of the body,
for instance.

He was hit twice.

Powder burns?
None.

Which means that the g*n had

to be fired from at least, uh,
six to eight feet away.

Is that how you've
got it figured?

Now it's your turn, Joe.

Those two guys last night--
what were they after?

Not much.

They just told me
to get off the Bramante case.

Any idea who sent 'em?

I haven't got one bit of proof,
understand that, Art.

But Larry Lawton the columnist
could have hired them.

I know I shook him up a little.

Oh, that doesn't make any sense.

Why?

Well, Lawton called us
last night

and asked for police protection.

Did you give it?

We'd no sooner started
questioning him--

Who was after him,
what the problem was--

And he backed off.

Confessed he'd had
a couple of drinks.

Admitted he's threatened
at least once a month

about something he runs
in that column.

I'll get it, Peggy.

Mannix.

Yes, he is.

Malcolm.

What?

When?

I'm on my way.

Looks like one of those threats
came due.

Lawton?

He's dead.

Peggy.

Lawton's assistant probably
hated him.

See if you can talk him into

letting me take
a look at the files.

I'll do what I can.

How long you gonna be guarding
this place, Officer?

Hey! Hey, what is it?!

What's going on?

Joe, I told you to stay off
of this boat.

Art, your, uh, guard is hurt.

He's below the gangplank.

Ron.

What happened?

Everybody asleep?

I think so, sir.

You see that it stays
that way till you hear from me.

My guess, Art, is that a couple
of guys were looking

for something in
Nikky Lorenzo's stateroom.

I think we ought to see
if they had time to find it.

Sorry, Lieutenant, zero.

All right. Wait outside, Ron.

Ah, I guess we were too late.

Unless we've been hunting
the wrong kind of thing.

Meaning what?

Maybe they came
to destroy something,

not take something
off the boat.

Like some kind of evidence?

Why not? Put a torch
to it if they had to.

It's happened.

I don't know.
I just don't...

What is it?

That may be it.

What?

What you just said.

What? You mean burn the boat?

Not exactly.

But if that's what they had in
mind, they're in luck.

This wouldn't put out a match.

Heroin.

I'd say worth half a million,
at least.

Got it.

And they identified
both of them?

Right.

I'll call you later.

Things breaking
all around, Joe.

That was Albee.

Ever hear of a Sandpiper Motel?

Yeah, it's out on Coast Highway,
isn't it?

And one of Nikky Lorenzo's
favorite retreats.

Two months preceding the cruise,
he checked in there

no less than four times
with the same roommate.

This one.

Hmm.

There's some things you
never get used to, Peggy.

Even when you know
what you're going to find.

Mannix.

You should have stayed
dumb and alive.

Yeah, well, unfortunately
I ran across

one of Larry Lawton's files
including a letter he left

in case something
happened to him.

That's too bad.

So I left a letter too, in case
something should happen to me.

What happened to you?

Oh, I was just shaken up a bit,
Mrs. Bramante, uh...

Oh?

In more ways than one.

Come up. I'll fix you a drink
while you tell me about it.

What will you have?

Oh, Irish whiskey's fine.

Thank you.

Bruno is out on the deck playing
cards with Snowy.

I'm sure he'd like to hear
what you have to say, too.

I'd like to talk
to you alone first.

As you wish.

What do you know about Nikky
Lorenzo's romantic interests?

Everyone knew about Nikky,
Mr. Mannix.

Maybe not about
a particular affair

before the last cruise.

I'll nail it down for you.

A locale, for instance.

I'll be in the lounge,
Bill. I'll mix us a drink.

Oh, sorry.

Don't be, Miss Bramante.

As a matter of fact,

we were just talking about
Nikky Lorenzo.

I think you might be interested.

Oh?

There's a place out on the Coast
Highway Nikky used to go to.

The Sandpiper.

And always with
the same young lady.

I didn't tell him, Louise,
believe me, I didn't.

No? But you knew, didn't you?

You knew all along.

Yes, I knew.

What I didn't know was how
to break it up.

So you could have him
to yourself?

That's why you took him
on the cruise.

That was your doing.

Just so you could have him
to yourself.

No! It was only to get him away
from you,

hoping that would break it up.

And to keep your father from
finding out how far it had gone.

It's all right, Mrs. Bramante.

I've known all along about,
uh... Louise and Nikky.

Your father could never be
that understanding.

I'm sorry, Ali.

If you really want
to make amends,

why don't you
take her off the hook?

She's been covering
for you from the start.

I don't understand
what you mean.

I mean about exactly where you
were when Nikky was k*lled.

She told you.
She was putting on her makeup.

In a cabin already occupied
by Larry Lawton? Wrong.

She was in Nikky's cabin

and ran out past Mrs. Bramante
after the sh**ting.

Isn't that right?

Uh, that day during the party,

I think for the first time

I really saw Nikky
for what he was.

So...

I followed him to his cabin

to tell him I wouldn't
see him anymore.

Only that.

And that's the truth,
Mr. Mannix, all of it.

My message for Nikky was
considerably stronger.

I was about to tell him that if
he didn't leave right then

I'd have to go to Bruno.

As much as I didn't want
to do that.

Oh, Ali, I'm so ashamed.

I was just so afraid
they'd think I did it.

Anyone would be afraid.

And neither one of you could
have sh*t him.

You were both too close.

The only possible place those
sh*ts could have come from

was through
the porthole outside.

What's all this?
Is this a private party?

Mannix, what have you said
to my child?

Your child, as you put it, has
been saying a few things to me.

So has your wife.

In fact, Mr. Bramante,

we've been talking
to each other,

which apparently hasn't been
the custom around here

for some time.

Who do you think you are?

No trusting, no confiding.

Just suspecting
and guessing wrong.

Your secretary here guessed

that your daughter needed
an alibi, so he gave her one.

He said he was in that cabin
with her, and he was lying.

Which pretty well sums up
the climate around here.

I should have fired you
the first day.

Maybe, but let me tell
you something first.

I got a look at Larry Lawton's
research this afternoon.

Especially the file
on Nikky Lorenzo.

He was all set
to clobber Nikky with it,

till Nikky got himself k*lled.

Did Lawton have something
on Nikky?

He had solid proof
that Nikky was up to his ears

in drug traffic.

That's how he made his living.

Nikky Lorenzo?
The playboy?

Yeah, the great traveler Nikky.
A real jet-setter.

He no sooner got back
from a trip,

then he'd send off
a great big fat deposit

to his Swiss bank account.

Delivery and payoff.
Oh, and this last job--

It was going to be
the sweetest one ever.

After all, what narcotics agent
is going to check out

the Bramante ship
down to the last plank?

And Lawton had that file?

Plus his own desperate plan to
get something for his snooping.

Which was to shake down
Nikky's buyer.

And I'm guessing Nikky had that
plan for himself, too,

for a bigger cut, and they both
wound up dead.

Then if Bill's story
about being with Louise

was a lie, where was he then,
really?

He was up near the bow,
brooding.

One of the crew members
saw him there.

Mr. Bramante, tell me,
isn't it possible

that you could have left
your gin game

with Snowy for a minute or two?

Joe, are you seriously
suggesting that a man like Bruno

with all his
legitimate interests...

Now Snowy, let's talk about
your oil companies

and your land developments.

You know what Lawton found out?

That most of your companies

are nothing but dummies--
shells.

Now where does your play money
come from, Snowy?

Are you suggesting

that you would believe
a sleazy blackmailer?

Oh, and that welcome home party
you threw on the ship--

That was just a big cover-up,
wasn't it, Showy?

Champagne flowing,
music blaring,

and you're all set
to take the heroin

and get off the ship when you
ran into Nikky, who threatened

to blow the whistle on you
unless you raised the ante.

So you grabbed Mrs. Bramante's
g*n and you k*lled him.

Then he did try
to shake you down.

I'm sorry, Joe.

So am |, Snowy.

What can I say, Ali?

You've just said it.

Daddy...

There's uh...

There's so much I want to say.

Baby, why don't you tell him
about it, uh, inside?

Will you call me tomorrow?

Of course.

You've given me back
much more than my freedom.

We try and throw in a few fringe
benefits whenever we can.

Good-bye, Mrs. Bramante.

Good-bye.