05x11 - Scapegoat

[bunniefuu]

[instrumental music]

[woman laughing]

[engine starts]

[engine starts]

[dramatic music]

[tires screeching]

Oh, I'm sorry.

[sighs]

[dramatic music]

Trouble, miss?

- Harley? - Karen. How are you?

Oh, what are you doing over this way?

Just visiting.

What's the problem?

You tell me.

Oh. You've got a broken distributor cap.

Is that bad?

No, I can fix it, but I need the part.

Let's see, there's an all-night service station near Gilmore.

They should have it.

You're a dream. Let me lock it.

You never told me you knew this area.

I get around.

Well, you seem nervous.

Anything wrong?

What are you doing?

Harley, start the car, turn around and take me into town.

Now, look, you're a nice guy I met at a dance.

We had a charming evening and we parted friends.

Now let's stay friends.

But I don't want to be just that.

I love you.

Oh, wow.

Now, look, let's discuss it in town, okay?

Well, you can buy me a drink.

Oh, no, we'll..

We'll just go in there and you'd wanna leave, I know it.

Karen, that's why I brought you out here.

That's why I set all this up.

Set it up?

I came out here the day after the dance.

I've stayed close to you ever since.

Watched you wherever you went.

[scoffs] You've been following me?

Then tonight, you deliberately..

Harley, I warn you, don't try anything.

Oh, no.

No, you don't understand.

I wouldn't do anything like that.

'I...I really love you, Karen.'

'I just don't wanna lose you, that's all.'

'Girls never like me very much.'

I don't know why, I don't know what's wrong, I mean..

I'm not that bad-looking, I'm a nice guy..

But nobody ever really wants to get to know

what I'm like inside.

But, Harley, you can't do it this way.

You can't force someone.

No. Karen, please.

You stay with me.

I've got a special place where we can go

and we'll be alone.

We can talk and get to know each other.

I have a present for you.

[instrumental music]

It's signed.

Remember at the dance you said you like ceramics?

Yes.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Harley, someone's watching us.

[Karen laughs]

Goodnight, lover boy.

[screams]

No! No!

No..

[music continues]

Why did you laugh at me?

What's so funny?

[music continues]

[engine starts]

[theme music]

[male narrator] "The FBI."

A Quinn Martin production.

Starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr..

Also starring Phillip Abbott..

William Reynolds..

With guest stars, Michael Burns..

Nan Martin..

Arthur Franz..

and special guest star, Brenda Vaccaro.

Tonight's episode, "Scapegoat."

[instrumental music]

Early on the morning of August 10th

the body of Karen Blakely

daughter of a prominent Connecticut family

was found on the perimeter

of the United States army m*ssile range.

FBI resident agent, Arnold Kaplan

arriving up on the scene, immediately notified

assistant director, Arthur Ward in Washington.

Gilmore sheriff's office found a girl's car.

Captain Thomas is here with me now.

Where was the car found?

Highway 95, about six miles north of, uh, Gilmore.

No signs of violence, appears to have stalled.

'Breakdown was caused by a ruptured distributor cap.'

'Seems to have been contaminated with some sort of acid.'

Circumstances similar to a case here, um

investigated by state police about a year ago.

Judith Benson m*rder.

Captain Thomas here will give you full details on that one.

Yeah, Ms. Benson was found on the road off of Highway 64

close to Gilmore. Strangled.

She was about the same age as Karen Blakely

same social status.

We discovered her car a few miles away

in the same condition.

'Distributor eaten through by acid.'

Does it look like the same MO in both cases, captain?

I'd say yes, except for one significant fact.

A man was convicted of that m*rder.

'Been in Connecticut state penitentiary'

'for the last eight months serving lifetime sentence.'

[instrumental music]

Hey!

Mary said you were in the kitchen

looking for an apple.

I found one.

- Flip you for half. - Oh, no. You always win.

- What's the matter, darling? - Nothing.

Are you sure? You seem so...distant, tense.

'What is it?'

Nothing. I just told you there's nothing wrong.

Well, I think there is.

[sighs]

Well, I...got a monster over here

that's giving me some problems.

Where did you find this one?

From a collector up in Norwich.

I think he gave up on it.

It's a 1914 Model T.

Only about four or five of them in the whole state.

But I think I'm gonna take off that stock head

and put on a front neck with 16 valves.

It seems to..

I'm sorry.

I keep forgetting this isn't your bag.

Nor yours, Harley. Not really.

Something has really changed about you.

You don't talk to me anymore. You don't even look at me.

I've been worried, darling.

And that's why I think we ought to have a little talk.

Let's not, alright? Just let me work on the car.

Well, you can't spend your whole life playing with cars.

I'm not playing!

Can't you see? Can't you understand that?

This is what I like doing.

Alright, I'm sorry. We'll talk about it later.

[car honking]

It's very secretive in here with the gates closed.

You two up to something?

Well, hi.

[Harley] 'Hi.'

I'm sorry I'm late.

Brief took longer than I expected.

Hello, darling.

I'll just get my purse.

We're, uh, going down to the club, Harley.

Want to come along?

Now that's just as well.

I thought I'd take my chances with another proposal.

Good luck.

Let's see, what will that make it, four times this month?

Yeah. Yeah, par for the course, huh?

You know, I think if I were you, I'd try another course.

Switching tires, huh?

Looks like you've got a lot of good rubber left on these.

I just thought I'd try a new set.

Harley, um, do you suppose there's a chance

that you and I might become friends?

We are friends, Carl.

No, not exactly.

Not the way we could be.

You see, Harley, I'm not

trying to take your mother away from you

or trying to replace your father.

Besides, your mother shouldn't be alone

for the rest of her life.

She's not alone. She has me.

[instrumental music]

[instrumental music]

Giles, my name is Erskine. I'm with the FBI.

Well, if you got a warrant or something, Mr. Erskine

why don't you just sit down and take a chair?

I'm gonna be busy for about 99 years.

Well, that's just what I came here to talk to you about.

Well, I'm sorry, I'm just not much in the mood for company.

You see, these doctors came up here last week

looking for a cure for Hodgkin's disease

and I put up as a guinea pig

so I'm really not much in the mood for company.

Well, it's commendable of you to help.

I'm not trying to help I'm trying to die.

What are you doing poking into this case for anyway?

It had nothing to do with the FBI.

We're investigating a case that's very similar to yours.

You mean another girl got k*lled?

Mm-hmm.

Well, I'm sorry, but maybe it wouldn't have happened

if they'd spent a little more time

trying to find the real k*ller

instead of trying to railroad me.

I've been studying the transcript of your case

and there are a couple of points I'd like to talk to you about.

Like what?

How did you meet Judith Benson in the first place?

[sighs]

I drifted into Gilmore about a year and a half ago

and I got a job at the garage there.

- Yeah. Reynolds? - Yeah.

And that's where I met Judy Benson.

She came in there to get her car fixed up.

I thought I'd like to go out with her

but I figured she wouldn't have anything to do

with a guy like me. So I worked up this gimmick.

After I fixed her car that night

I drove out to her house and I pretended I wanted

to road test it a few more miles

and I asked her to go with me.

It was a way to break the ice.

We got up to the highway and then we had that accident.

You claim that the blood stains in your clothing

were the result of that accident?

Yeah, a car pulled in front of us, and I hit the brakes

and she knocked her head on the dash.

Was she badly hurt?

She was bleeding pretty bad, so I went to look for a doctor

but then the car broke down.

And when I got out, I found out

the distributor cap had been eaten away.

So I locked her in the car and I walked to find a phone.

Did you reach anyone?

No. 'Cause I walked about ten minutes

and then I got worried about her and I went back.

But when I got there, she had left.

So I went back to town, and when I got there

it was too late to call

and the next morning, the cops picked me up.

If you were, if you were only gone ten minutes

it doesn't seem likely she'd have started walking

or opened or unlocked the door to a stranger.

No. You mean, you believe my story?

I don't disbelieve it.

- Thanks, Giles. - Hey, w-wait a minute.

And what happens now?

We'll continue our investigation.

If anything develops in your favor, I'll be back.

Sure. Hey, let me give you a point of logic, inspector.

Judy wouldn't have opened that door

except to somebody she knew.

And the only people she knew were blue bloods.

So, even if you and the whole FBI find the k*ller

you're not gonna bring him to trial

'cause there's too much juice in that town.

Too many people with connections at the top.

It's gonna be a lot easier for you

to just let me lay here and rot.

Why don't we see what happens, huh?

[instrumental music]

As far as we can make out, it would have taken the acid

less than 15 minutes to work its way through the distributor cap.

Well, she was last seen at the yacht club.

So, figuring the distance between there

and where her car broke down

the acid must have been used on her car

while it was in the, uh, club parking lot.

Right. Yeah, we have interviewed the night manager

and the employees who were on duty at the time.

Tom can tell you about that.

Oh, yes, sir.

Uh, it seems that Karen Blakely, uh, arrived alone about 8:30

uh, stayed about two hours and left alone.

Did anyone bother her during that time?

Not that anyone noticed.

She talked with several men, but, uh,

they all were reported to be friendly.

And none of them left the club until after the estimated

time of her death.

Any witnesses in the parking lot?

No one we could find.

There's no attendant on duty there after 9 o'clock.

We're still trying to locate and interview

all the people who were there that night.

Mm-hmm.

Well, the Identification Division wasn't able to come up

with anything on the latents found on Karen Blakely's car.

But we may have a lead from the lab

on the plaster impressions made at the scene.

'One of them was identified as an armada classic tire tread.'

'0-0-4-1-6. Seemed to be a fairly new tire.'

Uh, will you forward the report?

'It's on the way. And keep me informed, Lewis.'

Better have some agents check the armada dealers

in the vicinity.

We've talked to all of Karen Blakely's acquaintances.

Everyone she ever dated, spent any time with

even talked to.

- Uh, may I see that report? - Certainly.

Think the k*ller's in there somewhere?

Maybe Giles can tell us.

[instrumental music]

[indistinct chatter]

- Miss. - Yes?

- Can I have a drink, please? - Oh, sure, sure.

Uh, what would you like?

- Anything wrong? - No. No. Nothing.

I'm sorry, I guess you just looked like somebody I know.

- What's the matter? - Nothing.

Nothing. Uh, excuse me, I'm busy.

Wait a minute, wait a minute, I haven't ordered yet.

- Oh. - Uh, gin and tonic, please.

Excuse me. I don't understand.

I think you do.

You saw me in the parking lot

the night Karen Blakely was here.

Are you bribing me?

Well, you can call it what you want

but I'm really just trying to protect myself.

You see, I, I didn't do anything that night.

I was waiting outside for friends.

As a matter of fact, I didn't even see Karen Blakely.

Okay. So why are you worried?

Well, you know the police. They'll pin it on anybody.

And if they found out I was here, well..

I just don't wanna get in trouble, that's all.

You believe me, don't you?

Yeah, sure.

Well, listen, you don't have anything to worry about.

'Cause I don't wanna get in any trouble either.

I learned a long time ago not to get mixed up in things.

[instrumental music]

Look, inspector, doesn't the fact that I was here

when the second m*rder was committed mean I'm innocent?

I mean, you proved the same guy committed both murders.

No, we haven't proved it.

But I mean, the same gimmick was used in both cases

the acid on the distributor cap.

Use of acid in the Judy Benson case

was written up in all the papers.

Anybody could have read that

and done the same thing this time.

Giles, this is a list of everyone

even remotely acquainted with Karen Blakely.

You recognize any of them?

Well, I just met her that afternoon.

I mean, I'm sure I don't know anybody in that crowd.

- Harley Garnett. - You know him?

Yeah, he used to hang around the garage where I worked.

- Did he know Judy Benson? - I don't know.

I mean, he never paid too much attention to girls.

His big thing was cars.

A pretty good mechanic, was he?

Oh, as good as any, man.

He could take a car apart

and put it back together.

Hey, he wouldn't have any trouble

putting acid on a distributor cap.

Did he happen to be in the garage

the day Judy Benson brought her car in?

Oh, I've been over that day a thousand times.

Hey, wait a minute. Yeah, he was there.

And he saw her.

She brought her car in to be fixed up. She needed a rush job.

She said she had to drive to New London the next morning.

He heard her say that?

I don't know. He was there.

I-I wasn't paying any attention to him

I was concentrating on her.

But he could have heard it.

Inspector, you're wanted on the phone.

Hmm.

- Right in there. - Thank you.

- Erskine. - Hey, Lou, this is Tom.

Agents located an auto supply dealer in Stanton, Connecticut

who handles armada tires.

And I checked the sales records.

Came up with one name

on the list of Karen Blakely acquaintances.

Harley Garnett.

'He bought a complete set of armadas'

'on April 10 of this year'

'and then another set a few days ago.'

Now we have a list of sales slips, warranty numbers.

Have you checked with DMV on the make and model of the car?

Yes, sir. Apparently, he has several cars.

Most of them antique.

But they're all registered in his mother's name

Eleanor Garnett.

Start a background inquiry on him, Tom.

And wait for me, I should be there in an hour.

'Yes, sir.'

[instrumental music]

Well, I've gotta be going now.

Well, well, is there anything new?

Maybe. I'll keep you informed.

Oh, inspector, listen..

...even if I never get out of here

I want you to know I'm grateful.

[instrumental music]

He's the son of Steven Garnett. Deceased, 1964.

Founder of Garnett Builders, a large construction firm.

And Harley's mother, Eleanor

still owns the controlling interest.

Did, uh, Giles connect Harley with the Benson girl?

Yes, he did.

He was at a dance last Thursday night

at the Fairfield country club.

Karen Blakely was there too.

He spent the whole night

hanging around her, acting as her errand boy

bringing her drinks, lighting her cigarettes..

Does he have an arrest record?

Uh, no, but there was a complaint filed against him

in, uh, 1964 by the parents of a teenaged girl in Gilmore.

'Garnett allegedly threatened her'

because she wouldn't accept a date with him.

The parents talked to his mother

and the whole thing was dropped.

Let's pay him a little visit.

[instrumental music]

I got your message. How did you find me?

A customer...at the club.

He recognized you when you came in.

'He said he'd seen you a lot of times'

'at the stock car races.'

You didn't tell him anything?

No, of course not. I wouldn't tell him anything.

Well, what do you want?

Well, I've got a problem.

You see, I told my father

'and my father thinks that I should go to the police'

'and I should report it.'

But I don't want to do that.

I mean, I believe your story about you being innocent and..

And like I said before

I really don't want to get mixed up in anything.

Well, what's on your mind?

You didn't bring me out here

just to tell me that.

I thought maybe you could help me.

See, my father is a crippled.

About a year ago he was in an accident.

His back was broken, and he's been in a wheelchair ever since.

'Now there is this doctor'

'and he says maybe he can get him to walk again.'

But it's gonna take a lot of money.

Mm-hmm.

How much?

Ten thousand dollars.

[instrumental music]

Listen, I hate to ask you, but I--

It'll take me quite a while to raise that kind of money.

Well, I'm afraid I have to have it tonight.

Where should I bring it?

Brennan Trailer Camp.

Just outside of town.

'Unit 12.'

Hey, I don't really like doing this, you know?

Believe me, I don't.

But I guess, sometimes, you just can't help

getting mixed up in things.

[music continues]

These new trees are doing very well.

This corner is going to look just beautiful

by the time we get through.

[Lewis] 'Uh, Mrs. Garnett.'

Yes?

We're with the FBI.

I'm Inspector Erskine, uh, Special Agent Colby.

What can I do for you?

We'd like to talk to your son.

'The maid thought you might know where he is.'

Well, he went out about 9 o'clock this morning.

I don't know where, he said he'll be back shortly.

Please tell me what this is about.

Ah, we wanna talk to him in connection

with Karen Blakely's death.

What does my son have to do with that?

Well, we're talking to everyone who knew him, Mrs. Garnett.

We understand that your son met her at a dance

uh, about a week ago.

A dance?

Yes, yes, we went to the country club dance that night

but he never mentioned meeting that girl.

Do you happen to know where he was

the night of her death? That was last Saturday.

[instrumental music]

He was here at the house.

- The whole night? - Yes, of course.

He was working in the garage in one of his cars.

Where you with him?

Well, not all the time, but I-I went out there

every now and then to talk to him.

If that girl was k*lled near Gilmore

'well, Harley couldn't possibly have gotten there and back'

without my being aware of his absence.

Now, I'd like to ask you a question.

Why are you trying to involve my son?

This is ridiculous.

Harley is a good boy.

Would you mind if we, uh, had a look around the garage?

Well, certainly I mind, but you go right ahead.

Search...search the house if you like.

'Whatever you're looking for, you won't find.'

Thank you.

[music continues]

Mrs. Garnett, I find something.

I show you.

[music continues]

Somebody leave something.

[dramatic music]

Good tire. Somebody make mistake?

Oh, well, hello, Harley.

I've got to talk to you.

Well, of course.

Let's go in to the den.

'Would you like a drink?'

I need a loan, Carl.

- Can you help me? - Well, I suppose so.

What happened? Overshoot your allowance?

No, no, I need a lot of money.

Well, how much?

$10,000.

Please, I've got to have it.

Well, Harley, for that kind of money

I'd need some form of collateral.

Well, you know I have nothing to give.

The Mark One's worth something

but all my cars are in my mother's name.

Well then why don't you ask her to release

a couple of them to you if you need the money that badly.

I couldn't do that, she'd ask questions.

Well, why shouldn't she ask questions?

[telephone rings]

- Hello? - Carl?

'Oh, hello, Eleanor.'

I need your help, I'm trying to find Harley.

Well, as a matter of fact he's right here. Just a moment.

It's your mother.

- Yes, mother? - Harley, where have you been?

You come home right away

and-and ask Carl to come with you.

What's the problem?

The FBI was here asking for you.

The FBI? Why?

Never mind, just come home, right now.

Will you stop treating me like a child?

Now, what did they want?

They wanted to know where you were the night of..

The night of Karen Blakely's m*rder.

[scoffs] Karen Blakely?

That's ridiculous. I didn't even know her.

[Harley] 'Did-did you tell them I was home that night?'

Yes.

Alright, well, there's nothing to worry about.

Now, you come home right now.

Alright, alright, I'll be there in a minute.

'And let me speak to Carl.'

Hello, Eleanor.

Uh, Harley?

Harley, just a minute, I want to talk to you.

Harley!

Have you located Harley Garnett?

Not yet, we're still looking for him.

I've given all the units his description.

Local police, uh, highway patrol have been alerted.

Uh, they have an APB on him. Surveillance only, of course.

Hmm. And, uh, the acid.

What have you found out about that?

Lab checks out to be something called natretic acid.

It seems though, um, the swimming pool companies

carry it.

I'm, uh, checking right now on any recent purchases.

I just got a call from the night manager at the yacht club.

He suggests we talk to another one of his employees.

A c*ck waitress named Geri Coates.

She was at the club about the same time as Karen Blakely.

Strange he didn't mention this before.

Well, he said it slipped his mind

because she wasn't on duty that night.

She'd finished her shift about an hour before.

She just dropped by to pick up something she'd forgotten.

Mm-hmm. Have you contacted her?

She doesn't have a home phone. she lives in a trailer park

outside of town, um...Brennan trailer park.

Let's go have a talk with her.

Now, these tires were on Harley's Continental.

I saw him changing them yesterday.

Why would he bury them?

Probably because he didn't want to have them traced.

Traced to what?

Please, let's stop playing games.

You said he was wanted for questioning

in the Karen Blakely m*rder.

He didn't k*ll that girl. I know he didn't.

You'd like to believe he didn't, so would I.

Eleanor, I've got to report this to the police.

You can't.

Don't you realize this is a m*rder case?

A girl has been k*lled. Those tires may be evidence.

It's just possible he had nothing to do with that girl.

Then you don't have a thing to worry about.

I don't care, I won't let you do it.

You can't go on sheltering him. It's too late for that.

You think he did it! Admit it.

Yes, I think he could have.

He's a sick boy, or haven't I mentioned that to you before?

If you do this, it's over between us.

I never wanna see you again.

Hey, over here.

Hello.

- I don't have it. - You don't have it?

No, and you're not gonna tell anybody about this.

- What do you mean? - You know what I mean.

Okay, okay, just a minute.

You were told to bring the money tonight,

You said it was your father.

[chuckles]

Sorry about that.

That he was sick.

You're not gonna tell on me.

Yeah, well, you didn't bring the money.

What else can we do?

Please, I don't wanna have to hurt you.

[laughing]

Th-this guy must be kidding.

- Lester. - Stop it.

- I can't believe it. - I said stop it!

[dramatic music]

[groans]

Lester.

Hold it! FBI.

Call in description of the car, Tom.

Right.

Inspector, I've got the tires.

And Mr. Stokely showed me where they were buried.

Registrations numbers check out with the guarantee

made out to Harley Garnett.

Good, get them to the lab.

I've ordered road blocks and a helicopter sweep

through the area, but so far neither Harley nor the car

have been spotted.

[tires screeching]

[horn blaring]

[dramatic music]

Help!

[tires screeching]

[groans]

Get out of here!

Go on! Get out!

Can you think of anyplace he might go?

You tried to warn me, didn't you, Carl?

[Eleanor] 'And now it's happened.'

Inspector, one of our units have located Harley.

He's in a gas station just outside of Gilmore.

He's threatening to k*ll the girl hostage if we move in.

Send some more units and tell 'em we're on our way.

Inspector?

I'd like to go along, I might be able to help.

Look at them.

Why can't they just leave me alone?

Why didn't you leave me alone? I never hurt you.

Well, listen to me..

It wasn't my fault, I didn't want her with my boyfriend.

- You're lying! Stop it! - Oh.

[Erskine on speaker] Harley Garnett, this is the FBI.

I'd like to come in and talk to you. Unarmed.

Oh.

- Get out of here! - Oh.

Now, you listen to me.

It won't do you one bit of good to hurt that girl

because you're not going anywhere.

Get your men and your cars and get out of here, or I'll do it.

Harley?

Mother?

Go away.

Please, let that poor girl go.

Let's talk.

We can still do something, darling.

You've done enough already, can't you see that?

Please leave me alone!

You're right.

But you listen to me, Harley, now

and you try to understand.

I was so alone.

I couldn't lose you, not yet.

'I-I guess I just held on.'

'You see, it's my fault.'

I'm to blame.

And that's why..

You've got to let me help, you know?

'Please, darling, let me help you.'

[sobbing]

Can you bring those girls back to life?

That's right.

There was more than one.

Don't say anymore. Don't

At least this one last time, you do what I tell you to do.

[sobbing]

[sighs]

It's over.

I'm glad you stopped me.

[sobbing]

Mother!

Mother!

[Harley] 'Mother!'

[engine starts]

[Erskine] 'Everett?'

I believe Inspector Erskine has something to tell you.

Sit down.

Everett, Harley Garnett has made a full confession

of the m*rder of Judith Benson.

Your release papers are being processed by the governor.

They should be ready in a couple of days.

[sobbing]

Oh, I'm sorry.

What are you sorry about?

I'm sorry about what I said about the FBI

never having the guts to look into my case.

Thank you.

[male narrator] Harley Garnett, following psychiatric examination

was found incompetent to stand trial

and was committed to a federal mental institution.

Lester Watson and Geri Coates were convicted of blackmail

and sentenced to the state penitentiary.

[theme music]