06x19 - Carol Lockwood, Past Tense

[bunniefuu]

By

What have you got, Charlie?

Female Caucasian,
age or so.

Identity unknown.

Let's see her

Do you know her, Lieutenant?

Harry, call Joe Mannix.

Tell him to see if he can get
down to the morgue right away.

By

I'm sorry I'm late, Joe,

but the freeway
was bumper-to-bumper.

Most employers would dock
your pay a full hour.

I'll only deduct,

um...

minutes worth.

Did I miss anything important?

As a matter of fact, you did.

Your Aunt Sally rang.

Uh, supermarket says,
they haven't got a rack of lamb.

Would a leg do?

Oh, and some, uh, sexy-voiced,
uh, number called Candy

wants you to phone her
as soon as you come in.

She thinks she may have left
her sandals in your bowling bag.

Joe, I said I was sorry.

Yeah? Well, repeat that
with a cup of coffee.

Oh, what's that on your desk?

Yeah, well, mine always
tastes like aviation fuel.

Well, at least I'm indispensible
at something.

Mr. Mannix's office.

{man speaks indistinctly

Oh, yes, he is.

Just a moment, please.

Sergeant Asher.

Yeah, Sarge.

The morgue?

Well, did the, uh, Lieutenant
say what it was about?

Uh, look, is he handy?
Can I talk to him?

I see.

Okay, I'll meet him there.

Yeah, right away.

Something wrong, Joe?

I don't know, Peggy.

I don't know.

By

I thought I was right
but I couldn't be sure.

I'm sorry, Joe.

Yeah, I know, Art.

I, uh...

can give you her address--

The last one I had.

Could be out of date now.

We can get that later.

Yeah.

That particular stretch
of beach...

I sure hate to count the times

Carol and |
used to go down there.

Of course,
washed in like that,

whatever happened
could've happened miles away.

Come in.

How are you, Joe?

What have you got, Sam?

Drowning, apparently.

Only a preliminary report,
but, uh,

we assume it occurred within
the hour of immersion.

We set her death at some time
on Monday the th.

Three days ago.

Yeah.

A small amount of water
in her lungs-couple of c.c.'s--

And quite a bit of alcohol
in the blood.

Stuck to her lifestyle
right down to the wire.

Scotch and water...

light on the water.

Joe, I thought both of you

closed the door on that
a year ago.

We did.

Is that all, Sam?

Except an opinion.

It looks to me like she meant
to close the door on everything.

A few bruises, of course,
but they're usual.

Otherwise, no signs
of foul play.

Just walked into the water?

Or jumped.
Could be.

Wrong.

I knew a little about
her death style, too.

Neither one of those
would've been part of it.

Leaving what?

How do you know
she wasn't pushed?

Joe, don't read something
between the lines.

She was an expert swimmer.

She knew her strength as well
as she knew that ocean.

You can't even say positively
she d*ed from drowning.

I told you it was only
a preliminary report.

Yeah, well, I'll wait
for the next installment.

In the meantime, I'll do
a little lab work of my own.

What have you got
to go on?

An ingenious little device
that starts ticking

the minute
something rings phony.

It's located right here

and it's ticking.

I finally tracked down
her last address, Joe.

She was sharing an apartment

with a girl by the name
of Linda Loman.

Good.

Let's see what Miss Loman
can come up with.

If there's anything
to come up with.

You know, Peggy, sometimes
you sound just like Art Malcolm.

It's just that
the Carol Lockwood I met

seemed like the kind of a girl
that could handle herself

in almost any situation.

Outside of herself,
that is.

Well, what I mean, Joe,
is that...

I don't think
there was any girl

that could've been
more in love with you.

It's just that
she couldn't settle for that

and went on to reach for more.

Yeah--

Yachts, diamonds, and...

menus in French.

And that's just about
what she went on to.

And Dana Royal certainly
could supply them.

Only Dana Royal isn't exactly
the forever type.

Three or four months

on the merry-go-round
with a tycoon,

and, uh, the music stops
and no brass ring.

The question is,

where did she
grab the next ride?

Peggy, uh,
give Malcolm a call.

See if he can meet me
at the Loman girl's apartment.

Right.

An enemy?

Carol?

At least none that I knew of.

Had you, uh,
noticed anything different

about Carol lately?

No.

Nothing at all?

Uh, no broken dates?

No money problems?

Uh, no visits to her doctor?

No depression?

No talk about...
doing away with herself?

Anything but.

You'd think she was
on top of the world...

judging from her note,
anyway.

A note?

What note?

We always
leave each other notes.

I mean, we did.

It was waiting for me

late Sunday night
when I got home.

It's the last word
I've had from her.

Could we see that note,
Miss Loman?

Oh, yes. Of course.

"By the time you get this,

I'll be, as the saying goes,
all at sea.”

She wasn't kidding,
was she?

"Anyway, I'll be back at sea

"and fishing for
the biggest catch of all

with guess who."

And did you guess who?

Well, I know
who it sounded like.

Only I thought that was
all over with months ago.

You mean Dana Royal?

Well...

thank you, Miss Loman.

Oh, uh, if anything else
should occur to you,

you'll give me a call,
won't you?

Oh, yes. Of course.

She was just guessing, Joe.

Yeah, well, it's at least worth
a few questions, isn't it,

a little conversation
with the great man?

What, a girlish note with
a "guess who" riddle in it?

Is that your idea
of a hot lead?

Art, do you know Dana Royal?

Yeah, I know him.

What do you think of him?

I mean, uh, not talking
as a cop.

Well, if you put it that way,

I think the wrong body
got washed up.

Okay. Then what's the harm?

All right, I'll talk to him,
but only because I'm thorough.

I don't think
I'm gonna find anything.

Yeah, I know Dana Royal,
Joe. What about him?

Well, I was wondering
if he had a fishing rig.

The guy's got a regular fleet.

Everything from
a dinghy on up--

Speedboat, racing sloop,
converted P.T.

Well, I was mainly interested
in a fishing rig.

Well, that's
a -foot deep V, glass,

twin inboards,
top of knots.

A whole lot of boat.

I was also interested
in its comings and goings

in the past few days,

like, uh, who he had aboard.

You think you might
ask around for me?

You on a case, Joe?

Could be.

By

We aren't the only ones
who can't reach Dana Royal.

He missed a stockholders meeting
this morning,

and his partners
are pretty uptight about it.

Then why aren't you?

Make something incriminating
out of it, and maybe I would be.

Sensitive bellies don't count
for a thing around here, Joe.

What have you got
on the girl, Sam?

Your message mentioned
some new findings.

Right.

For one thing, it seems

she suffered a little more
than a few bruises.

Like what?

It turns out,
she had a fractured skull.

Don't make
too much of that, Joe.

We isolated a singed area
of her clothing,

and we got some traces
of gasoline from the fibers.

At first, it shapes up
like an expl*si*n,

in which case,

the fracture could've been
caused by flying metal.

Excuse me.

Lab. Wyman speaking.

Yes, he is.
For you, Joe.

Hello.

Al Grady, Joe,
about Dana Royal.

Well, he tanked up his deep V
at the gas dock,

about dawn on the th.

No sign of it since.

Yeah, you might
also like to know

that he had a girl with him
when he shoved off.

Beautiful, redhead?

Right on the button, Joe.

Uh, one more thing.

Thanks a lot, Al.

The Coast Guard has
a sea-air search underway

for Royal's fishing rig.

He took it out all right,

and Carol was with him.

Well,
judging from that report--

expl*si*n, flying metal--

I guess we can figure out
what happened.

Boat blew up,
both of 'em aboard.

Which means that any time now,

the ocean will be nudging up
another body onto the shore.

Mm-hmm. Sounds logical.

But not logical enough,
right, Joe?

Oh, Joe, there's a young lady
waiting for you inside.

Mrs. Mclver--
unable to locate her husband.

Mm-hmm.

Oh, Joe.

Her husband works
for Dana Royal.

Mr. Mannix?

Yes.

Mrs. Mclver, uh...
please sit down.

Thank you.

"M-i-n-h."

Is that pronounced,
uh, Minh?

Yes.

Very pretty name.

Thank you.

And your husband's a pilot
for Dana Royal?

He flies
for Trianon Air Freight,

one of Mr. Royal's companies,

a small one.

They fly cargo between here
and Vietnam.

Is, uh,

that where you're from?

Yes.

I met Allan in Saigon.

He was
with the Air Force then.

The last time I saw him,
the day before yesterday,

he had just come back
from there.

He--he brought me
this barrette.

It's jade.

You wear it nicely.

Thank you.

Mrs. Mclver, uh,

was your husband
troubled in any way,

uh, disturbed?

No.

He was the happiest
I've ever seen him.

There had been money problems.

He spent a lot.

He's more extravagant
than he should be.

But this time...

he said everything was
coming up roses.

Only now, I'm not so sure
of that.

Mrs. Mclver,

there's one thing that...

that puzzles me a little.

What is that?

Why didn't you go
to the police about this?

|-I didn't want to cause him
any embarrassment,

in case everything
turned out all right.

And when he left,

you had no reason to believe
everything wasn't all right?

No.

He told me that he had to
go out for a little while--

A spot of business.

I thought it was some paperwork
at the airport,

something like that.

And when you phoned later,

you found out he never went
to the airport.

That's right.

No word since?

Do you have a picture
of your husband?

At the apartment.

I'd like to have it.

Maybe I could pick it up
in the morning.

Of course.

Mm-hmm.

Mr. Mannix,

thank you for helping me.

Wait until I've done something.

Bye-bye. Thank you.

Bye-Bye, Mrs. Mclver.

Peggy, I think we can use
Albie on this one.

See what we can dig up
on Allan Mclver--

Uh, background, service record,
uh, character rundown.

The works, huh?
Right.

Am I interrupting anything?

No, no.
Come on in, Art.

I was in the neighborhood

when the report
came over the radio,

and I thought
you might be interested.

I might,

if I knew the report.

The Coast Guard helicopter
landed a big one off Catalina.

Dana Royal?

That's right.

Alive?

How did you guess that?

Just give me
the rest of it.

All I know is what
was in the report.

He was clinging
to a piece of wreckage.

Right now, he's on his way
to St. Anne's hospital

for observation.

Do me a favor, Art.

I want to see Royal
the second he can talk.

Can you arrange it?

Joe, there is no case.

The man's boat exploded.
It happens every weekend.

What do you want us to do,

nail him for having gas fumes
in the bilges?

Yeah, a boat explodes,

the skipper survives
but the passenger dies.

You just gonna accept that?

He hadn't seen
Carol Lockwood in months.

What was his motive?

What possible reason
could he have for k*lling her?

That's exactly what I intend
to find out...

right after
I talk to Dana Royal.

By

by

They keep sending me
nurses like you, little lady,

and they'll never
get me outta here.

Well...

Mr. Mannix.

That'll be all for now.
Thank you.

Well, you must be
one rugged fellow, Mr. Royal,

considering
what you've been through.

It'll take more than
three days in the ocean

to do me in.

As a matter of fact,

the helicopter
was the worst part of it.

I never fly
if I can help it.

Is that right?

I suppose you're here
about Carol.

Mostly that, yes.

Yeah, it's a terrible thing.

Would you mind telling me
why you suddenly decided

to see her again on Friday,

uh, after backing away
so long?

I suppose my attorney

would call that
a loaded question.

Mm-hmm.

At the very least,
privileged information.

But I don't mind
telling you.

Good.
I'd like to know.

Well, we were after
bluefin tuna.

There hasn't been one
around these waters for years.

And then all at once,

last week, no rhyme or reason,
they were back.

Carol and I used to
chase bluefin

up and down Baja
in the old days.

And when
this terrific run started,

it just made sense

to put a call through
to an old fishing pal.

Any ideas
about the expl*si*n,

the cause of it?

No.

All of a sudden,
there was this...

roar, and...

flame and...

then the boat...

disintegrated.

And the next thing I knew,
I was in the water.

Holding on
to a piece of wreckage?

And doing some praying,
I don't mind telling you...

till I was spotted.

A miracle's the only way
I can describe it.

I'd say half a miracle.

What?

Your passenger
wasn't so lucky.

No.

I never did see poor Carol,

from the moment
of the expl*si*n.

How do you account for that?

Well, naturally,
I've wondered about it myself.

Could be
that she was struck by...

something
and was unconscious

before she hit the water.

The medical examiner
goes along with you on that.

Figures
she could have been dead

a split second
before she hit the water.

Yeah, I suppose
that's possible.

Or for that matter,
even an hour before.

No way of telling.

I can tell you.

She wasn't.

Listen, Mannix...

let's not, either of us,
be under any delusions here.

I didn't know we were.

You think I don't realize

you'd give your eyeteeth
to sink a hook into me,

after Carol?

You're taking
too much credit.

I haven't really been
an ardent fan of yours

since long before
I ever met Carol.

But get well anyway.

By the way, uh,

I was sorry to hear about
your man Mclver.

Who?

Allan Mclver.
He flies for you.

Uh, your Trianon lines.

Well, Trianon's just one of
my many interests.

I don't know everybody
who works for me.

What about him?

He's been missing
the last couple of days.

Well, I'd hardly know
about that, would ?

I've been a little
out of touch myself lately.

By

Mclver's been averaging
two round-trips a month

between here and Saigon.

A total of so far.

What sort of cargo?

Albie hit a stone wall
on that one,

but he got something
maybe as good--

Aline
on his recent bank deposits.

Listen to this.

Well, what do you know?

I'll get back to you, Peggy.

By

Mr. Mannix.
Come in, please.

Thank you.

I have the photograph
for you.

It's over there.

Say, this is, uh,
very nice.

Thank you.

This is Allan.

Mm.

Plays poker,

favors bourbon,

um, down-to-earth,

and has
a soft Tennessee drawl.

You have been working,
haven't you?

Yeah, with some help.

I was thinking about
the night he left,

his saying he was going out
for "a spot of business,”

I believe you told me.

Now that doesn't sound like
a boy from Tennessee.

No.

Allan didn't say that.

Who did say it?

The woman who called.
I answered the phone.

Who is she? Do you know?

I thought she was from
the airline office.

I remember she said,
"would you put him on, please?

I have a spot of business
I want to discuss with him."”

Mr. Mannix...

you don't think that he's...

Mixed up with a woman?

Not that way.

No more than you do.

I don't understand.

Help me to understand,
Mrs. Mclver.

Help me to understand
how a man who could put away

almost $,
for months work

could have a money problem.

$,?

Yeah, that's what
his bank account shows,

almost to the penny.

I don't know anything
about that.

Only that his problems were
about to be solved? How?

Now you can't possibly
have a money problem

at $, a year
unless you wanted more money.

Don't you agree?

I don't know.

This isn't pilot salary we're
talking about, Mrs. Mclver,

not that kind of money.

So why don't you
level with me?

The truth for once,
what you're really thinking.

You have no right
to talk to me that way.

One question--
why did you wait days

before reporting him missing?

I kept hoping
he'd come back.

And you wouldn't
have to open up something

that might bring the police
on the run.

I had no proof that he was
doing anything wrong.

I still have no proof.

But you have senses,
intuition, like I have.

When I find out

a pilot's been banking
more money than he should,

I start thinking
about smuggling.

I see contraband,
like gold, uncut diamonds,

jade, narcotics,
maybe even people.

What do you see, Mrs. Mclver?

Allan needed all this.

I found out that...

that nothing--

Not me,
not anything in the world--

Mattered to him
as much as money.

It was his whole life.

Let's hope that isn't
what it's cost him.

By

Creo que es un Americana.

By

by

This smuggling angle, Joe,

do you have any more proof
of smuggling

than you have about
anything else in this case?

I'm telling you,
it's all there, Art,

if you'd only try and see it.

Mclver wanted a bigger cut
from Dana Royal

and threatened to blow
the whistle if he didn't get it.

And that was Royal's answer--
a b*llet in the back.

Fired by remote control,
I suppose.

Was that before or after
the student pilot

spotted him in the ocean?

Student pilot?

You said the Coast Guard
found him.

I said the Coast Guard
picked him up.

That was after the pilot saw him
and sent word to them.

Doesn't that strike you
as kind of cockeyed, Art?

Why?

Well, the whole Coast Guard

search-and-rescue operation
comes up blank.

And then some private plane,
a student pilot at that,

finds the needle
in the haystack.

So?

Who was the pilot?

I don't know, Joe.
What difference does it make?

It happened to be somebody
with pretty good eyesight

who happened to be flying over
the right stretch of ocean

at the right time of day.

Yeah.

That's exactly
the way it hit me.

Thanks.

Miss Kellaway?

Yes.

That was, uh,
very well done.

Well, thank you.

Compliment me on
my plane handling these days,

and I'll be
your sl*ve forever.

Well, that won't be necessary.

Just a few comments
about yesterday's plane handling

will do nicely.

Out over the ocean.

You mean
the endurance swimmer?

Right.

I'm a private investigator,
Miss Kellaway.

My name is Mannix.

Insurance, am I right?

Uh, that man's boat--

I read in the paper
about it exploding.

Well, if you've read
the papers,

you don't just say,
"that man's boat.”

That ant-like figure that was
floating around down there

was hone other
than Dana Royal.

Yes, how about that?

Uh, but I-I don't see
what this--

Well, we don't know that
there was anything irregular,

but we like
to cover the case from,

oh, call it pre-blastoff
to rescue,

which seems to include you.

The papers
were just a bit sketchy.

Well, I was...

practicing some banking turns
out over the water.

The plane
belongs to Bayside here.

I'm sort of their golden girl.

Soloed in six hours
to the minute

after my first lesson.

You should've been
my instructor.

Of course,
I had to work at it.

Didn't help my regular career
one bit.

What career was that?

I'm a photographer.

I have a studio on the strip.

If you ever want to be
a centerfold in a magazine,

just give me a call.

I'll remember that.

Yes...

the banking turns.

Oh, well, I must have been
about miles out,

winged over,
and there was this seal.

I mean,
I thought it was a seal

except it seemed to be
clinging to something,

which is pretty weird.

Then after I buzzed it
a couple of times,

of course I saw it was this man,
waving his hand.

There's "that man" again.

All right. Dana Royal.

But from a couple of thousand
feet up, who's to know?

Yeah, right.

At that altitude,
a quick pass,

uh, who's to even know Royal
from a waterlogged woman?

Well, I suppose
you wouldn't.

But later, it turned out
it was a man.

That's why I must have put it
that way automatically.

So you, uh, got on the radio
with an S..S.

Along came
the Coast Guard chopper,

and I flew back,
feeling as though...

well, as though I'd earned
my merit badge for the day.

Score one for the Girl Scouts.

Well, I'm, uh, much obliged
to you, Miss Kellaway,

as I imagine Mr. Royal is,
to put it mildly.

That I wouldn't know.

Oh?

I doubt he even knows
my name.

Well, I'd say that's, uh,
his loss.

Thank you, Mr. Mannix.

You can visit me
in my studio anytime.

By

What if Royal
hasn't thanked her yet?

Can't you give him
a little time to recuperate?

No, listen, Art.

He was as fit
when they hauled him out

as when he went in.

Now forget orchids
or a mink coat.

The least he could do
was make a phone call.

Something to thank the girl
for saving his life.

Okay.

We'll book him
for rank ingratitude

and being just plain tight
with a buck.

That oughta be good
for at least years.

All I'm suggesting, Art,
is that it's so unreasonable,

it means something.

So...
interpret it for me.

My stomach doesn't tick
like yours.

I'd say he was making a point
of steering clear of her

to, uh, blur the connection,

and I'd say she was making

the same point
with regard to him.

Shied completely away from
his name at every turn.

Fine, Joe.

That's just the kind of solid,
hard-rock evidence we need

in order to get
an instant indictment

against both of them.

First things first, Art,

like Miss Kellaway's
remarkable talents as a flyer.

You can bet your boots,
she's good.

I knew that right after
the first week.

Not that she didn't try
to fake it.

Fake it?

Yeah, you know, she...

I better...

This might be
confidential, you know, to her.

Was there something wrong?

No, nothing like that.

It's just that--
trying to pretend

she's a first-time student,
you know...

You mean, she'd flown before?

Oh, yeah.

There was a guy here from
Vancouver a little while back,

He didn't know her,
but he recognized her, you know?

And he came to me and said,

"What is she doing
taking flying lessons?

She's a regular
Amelia Earhart.”

Didn't you ever ask her
about it?

No, I didn't care.
It means nothing to me.

Maybe she's showing off
for a few guys.

I don't care, you know.

Anyway, when she rents a plane,
I can rest easy.

Like the one
three or four days ago?

That was a night rental,
wasn't it?

Yeah, right.

Yeah, there was
something funny about that.

You mean where she went?

No, that was right over here
to Riverside.

Said she was gonna practice
some night landings, you know?

She brought that plane back,
it was empty.

I mean, it was empty.

That's a lot of landing.

Yeah, with that much gas,
a person could make

a round-trip
to, uh, ooh, Mexico, huh?

And then some.

That's great.
That's a terrific outfit.

You look like Charlie Chaplin.

That's great.

Yeah, that's fan...

Tastic.

Straight into the lens.

Yeah, I like that.

Good. Give us those eyes.
Uh-huh.

That's terrific.

Now move a little
to the right.

Now a little to the left.

That's--that's perfect.
Hold it.

No, no smile, honey.

Genevieve, no smile.

Well, Mr. Mannix.

You didn't waste any time.

I'm very flattered.

What do you think
of it?

Well, I couldn't be
more impressed.

Maybe the next trip,
I can really look it over.

Not more questions.

Let's just say,
it's an instant replay

of some of the answers.

Frankly, they didn't seem
altogether...

What?

Truthful, Miss Kellaway.

They didn't seem
altogether truthful.

I'm not altogether accustomed
to being called a liar, either.

Well, we can, uh, glide safely
over your flying expertise,

at least for now.

Let's talk about your
association with Dana Royal.

But I've already told you...

I know what you told me.

The question is, why?

Have yourself a little break,
will you, pet?

I've got a spot of business
to take care of over here.

It'll only take a minute.

Uh, this may take more than
a minute, Miss Kellaway.

Oh?

Yes.

Telling me about
the spot of business

you took care of
with Allan Mclver.

Who?

Allan Mclver--

Another acquaintance
of Dana Royal.

I've never heard of him.

Well, you phoned him
the other night

to get him out of the house
and on his way to Mexico.

Well, well, well, Mr. Royal.
Come in. Come in.

We were just talking
about you.

Mr. Mannix,

isn't it funny
running into you here?

I was just thinking that
it's, uh,

it's time I thank the young lady
for saving my life.

Mm-hmm.

Well, it's better late
than never.

Uh, you are Miss Kellaway,
I take it?

You know she's Miss Kellaway.

You certainly must have known
that a couple of nights ago

when the two of you
were with Allan Mclver.

Do you have any idea

what this man is raving about,
Miss Kellaway?

She does,

but I can probably
tell you better.

It's mainly about Allan Mclver,

who certainly made the mistake
of his life,

trying to shake you down
for more money.

You keep that up, Mannix,

you're gonna wind up
with a slander suit

that'll polish you off
for good.

Now let me tell you something--

You've just about hit
the end of your runway,

both of you.

See you in court.

You'll make a handsome pair.

You were bluffing, Joe.
You had to be.

No, hear me out, Art.

Let's start
at the beginning.

Royal knows he has to
take care of Mclver,

but he needs an alibi,
airtight.

So what does he do?

He sacrifices
his own fishing rig

and someone along with it

who had nothing to do
with the case.

I take it you mean
Carol Lockwood.

He sets up a co-victim,

a partner in the catastrophe.

He deliberately kills Carol

to give himself
the kind of an alibi

nobody can doubt.

Or att*ck, either.

Now Carol is already unconscious
when the Kellaway girl

pulls up alongside
the fishing rig,

probably in Dana's speedboat.

She picks him off
and heads for shore

as the rig explodes.

Now Royal has
a spot of business elsewhere.

Mclver.

And together, they fly Mclver
to Mexico

and shut him up for good.

Then Miss Kellaway returns
with just enough gas left

to put Royal back in the ocean,

where he can flounder around
for a respectable time.

At least until
she can come out later

and discover him
for the Coast Guard.

Joe...

do you intend to prove
all that?

Art...

that phone call that sent
Mclver to his death

was answered by Mclver's wife.

Now she'd recognize that voice
if she heard it again.

So all we have to do is f--

What's the matter?

I told the Kellaway girl

that I knew she had made
that phone call.

Mrs. Mclver!

Mrs. Mclver,
it's Joe Mannix.

Mrs. Mclver?

Joe, we--

I gave her to them...

On a platter.

By

by

Well, it couldn't have been
more than minutes ago.

I was putting a new bulb
in the sign outside.

That's when I saw her.

With anyone?

Yeah, a couple,
getting in this car.

A white Mercedes sedan?

Uh, yeah, yeah, it was.

Well, look, I-I didn't think
anything about it.

Uh, no rough stuff
that I could see, you know.

Uh, grant you, it was--
it was pretty dark, but--

I understand.

Uh, Mr. Farin,
this is Joe Mannix.

We were talking
earlier today.

Yes, Mr. Mannix.
What can I do for you?

Did Leona Kellaway rent
a plane tonight by any chance?

No, not that I know of. No.

Uh, she was with a couple--

A guy about
and a Vietnamese girl.

No, I haven't seen anybody
like that around here tonight,

but then,
I've been busy all night.

You know, I've been stuck
in the office.

My phone number's on
the card I left you.

Now if she shows up,
I'd appreciate a call,

and try and keep her there.

This is a police case
right about now.

Okay.

This is a big place, Joe.

How would I know if Royal's
taken his speedboat out?

Well, find out,
will you, Grady?

And if he hasn't but starts to,
hold him there.

All right, Joe.

Yeah, Rick.
What can I do for you?

Andy, give me
the, uh, call sheet

on the, uh, Macintosh case,
will you?

That one went sour.
It's gonna cost us.

What a night.

Hey.

I'll be back
in about a minute.

Hi, Andy.
How's the weather?

Ah, clear as a bell,
Miss Kellaway.

The wings' itching, huh?

Yes, I see
that new Bonanza's available.

I thought I might practice
some night instrument training

up and down the coast.

Great night for it.

Uh, want any help?

No, thanks. I can manage.

Well, she's all gassed up.

Just sign there.

You've got a complete make

on the vehicle
and the three people in it.

Why haven't you nailed 'em?

Look, we're on it.

The county sheriff's on it,
and the state highway patrol.

Can't do much more,
Lieutenant.

Well, you've got
my phone number here.

Call me the minute
there's a break.

Who just took off
in the new Bonanza?

The Kellaway chick.

Man, I wouldn't mind
checking out the coastline

with her myself some night.

Oh, no.

What's with you?

What's with me?
What's with her?

Mannix just called.
She's wanted by the cops.

The cops?

Yep. Ah.

That's all I need.

I haven't got enough headaches.

She's not back yet, Mr. Mannix.
She's still up there.

And you didn't see
who was with her?

All I know is, she was alone

when she came in
and signed out for the plane.

Where was it parked,
the plane?

At the end of the runway.

Get in and show me.

Okay.

By

That's the car.

The plane was parked
right over there.

Mrs. Mclver's.

Gotta come down sometime.

Well, the question is, will
Mrs. Mclver still be with them?

Anybody that'd k*ll
an innocent girl

and sh**t a man in the back

wouldn't bat an eye about
dumping Mrs. Mclver overboard.

I only hope Royal meant

what he said in the hospital
about planes.

What about 'em?

Flying isn't
his favorite sport.

Let's go.

Where to?

The tower.
You've got some talking to do.

By

Hey, Rick. What's up?

The new Bonanza's up.

Any word from Miss Kellaway
since she took off?

Police officer.
Try and raise her on the radio.

When he gets her,

tell her to turn around
and come back immediately.

Tell her something's wrong
with the plane.

Wrong like what?

Just make it up.

Bonanza Victor.

This is Santa Monica tower.

Come in, please.

Bonanza Victor,
This is Santa Monica tower.

Come in, please.

Victor,

come in please.

Not answering.

Your turn. Scare her.

Miss Kellaway,
can you hear me?

Miss Kellaway, can you hear me?

This is Rick Farin.

Miss Kellaway,
this is Rick from Bayside.

You gotta
bring that plane right back.

The oil pump is not working.

It's dangerous.

Miss Kellaway,

Andy didn't know it when he
checked the plane out to you.

Now bring that plane
right back.

That engine could seize up
on you.

Can you hear me?

You're supposed to know about
these things.

What does the gauge say?

The oil pressure
looks fine.

Well, tell him so.

Santa Monica tower,
this is Bonanza - Victor.

Rick,
the oil pressure looks fine.

Don't worry.
I'll be back on schedule.

Let me have that.

Miss Kellaway,
this is Joe Mannix.

I'm gonna
spell it out to you.

Do you read me, Miss Kellaway?

Keep going.

We'll take care of our problem.

Land somewhere down the coast.

Miss Kellaway,

we know Royal's with you
and so is Mrs. Mclver.

You were seen
leaving her place.

Proving nothing.

We found her jade hair clip

in the back of your car.

She left it there
for us to find.

In your car, Miss Kellaway,
not Royal's.

I'm sure he saw to that.

What's the difference?

Without her, he's got nothing
on either of us.

And I'm sure he's had
the bright idea

of dropping Mrs. Mclver
into the ocean

and landing someplace
down the coast.

I tell you, there's nothing
he can touch us with.

Miss Kellaway?

Do you read me, Miss Kellaway?

We must be out far enough.

Start heading south.

Come in.
Come in, Miss Kellaway.

They still can't prove
a thing.

And we'll go on from there,

in the clear,

on our own,
just the two of us,

for as long as you like.

All we need to do is...

Come in.
Come in, Miss Kellaway.

Now listen
to me, Miss Kellaway...

there's something
you'd better consider.

If Royal kills that girl now,

there's only
one witness left--you.

I don't have to remind you

what happened to another one of
his playmates--Carol Lockwood...

Can't you see
what he's trying to do?

or what happened

on that last trip to Mexico
to Allan Mclver.

Shut it off.

Miss Kellaway,

you're the only one
that can call the turns now.

Don't worry about Royal.
He's a fish out of water.

He can't fly,
and he's terrified of planes.

There are people like that,
you know?

sh**t a man, m*rder a girl,
but planes?

They're petrified.

I said shut it off.

Use your head.

You're the only one who can
tie him into every part of this.

He knows that.

You don't honestly think
he's gonna let you live

after this is over?

What's the matter with you?
You want us to crash?

Miss Kellaway, listen to me.

You land Royal anywhere
but right back here,

the minute
you step off that plane,

you're stepping
into your grave.

Miss Kellaway,

if you want to stay alive,
you'd better turn around.

You do just as I say, Leona.

Go ahead, Dana.
Pull the trigger.

This time, there'll be
nobody left to find you

after we crash.

By

Go on past
to the end of the runway.

I mean it.

By

That must have been
very uncomfortable, Mrs. Mclver.

Well, Mr. Mannix,

if you ever decide to be
a centerfold in a magazine,

I guess you'll have to call
another photographer.

Are you all right,
Mrs. Mclver?

I was so frightened.

You know, I'm, uh...

very glad that you, uh,

left your calling card.

It helped.

How can I ever thank you
for what you did, Mr. Mannix?

Well, for a start, uh...

how about a little smile?

That'll do it.

One of our men will
take you home, Mrs. Mclver.

And tomorrow, we can try
and piece it together.

My stomach doesn't tick
like yours, Joe,

but when it's neglected,
it kicks like a mule.

Come on.
I'll buy you dinner.

Yeah.