Hawaii Five-O (1968–1980): Season 4, Episode 7 - Air Cargo - Dial for Murder - full transcript

A shipping company which runs lots of valuable cargo through the islands is cherry-picking the most valuable items, taking them out of the shipments, and selling them on the black market. They also have a habit of killing anyone who gets too close to their operation. Their fatal mistake is stealing a quantity of medicine which is the only thing that can save a toy manufacturer's critically-ill wife. When the emergency re-order arrives too late, the husband -- who has been cooperating with Five-O -- goes off on his own to seek vengeance.

Jerry Turner.

Turner, Alvin Jones.

Yeah, what can
I, uh, do for you?

Airbill D49137.

Yeah. Taken care of.

Do you have a pencil?

Right on.

Airbill L29311.

Jewelry.

Incoming Melbourne, Flight 12.

It's on the line now.



Get busy. Divert Ramp 3.

No problem.

Airport security,
message center.

Officer 11 reporting in.

Five-forty a.m.
Message for Arnold Cook.

Yes?

Line moving.

I'll give him the
details tomorrow.

I gave Jerry his first job.

He said he'd
never make it to 40.

All right, Arnold.
Let's have it.

What makes you so
sure it wasn't an accident?

Jerry was working undercover.

On what? The air-cargo ring.



You told me that was a
nickels-and-dimes operation.

It was big. Big.

It got bigger than you know.

Why didn't you yell cop?

The front office said
it would kill business.

Kono, I want a full
postmortem on Jerry.

So you think it was murder?

First fatality at this airport

in ten years, and it's
my undercover man.

Could've been a coincidence. No.

Sure it happened

while he was doing
a job for the ring,

but I say he was fingered.

Who in the ring
gave Jerry his orders?

Voice at the other
end of the phone.

He got anywhere from 2 to $500

for every shipment
he pulled off the line.

Who recruited him?

Another voice on another phone.

But how did they know
Jerry would cooperate?

Well, we set Jerry
up as a cargo handler

with a hidden prison record

and a string of gambling debts.

And they bought it?

Well, why shouldn't they?

If he opened his
mouth, they had him.

But Jerry had to...

have someone in
the ring to contact.

What if something went wrong?

Uh, they gave
him a number, uh...

Apili 79247.

Chin.

Apili 79247.

Check it out.

Got it.

Uh, save your energy.

They change the
number all the time.

Trace it anyway.

Somebody's gotta
tell Jerry's wife.

What's her name? Mary?

Uh, they were divorced.

Well, it's still gonna be rough.

I'll take care of it.

Oh, one other thing.

Ask Danno to check

the contents of Jerry's locker,

trace his last movements...

Who he talked to, where
he went and so forth.

I'd like to see the cargo crew.

Okay. I'll get 'em.

Mr. McGarrett.

I'm Eric Ling, cargo
systems engineer.

I came over as soon
as Arnold called.

He thinks it's homicide.

I can't believe it.

Why not, Mr. Ling?

Mr. McGarrett,

why kill a man
with a 2-ton crate...

when a common
letter opener will do?

No, it wouldn't.

Not when you're
trying to make a murder

look like an
industrial accident.

Steve.

This the entire crew?

This is John Malcolm,
the outside crew chief.

John. How are you?

Where were you and your crew

when Jerry Turner was killed?

Any of a half a dozen places:

ramps, conveyor belts,

planes up and
down the line there.

Then no one was left
in the immediate area?

Nobody.

All hell broke loose
on a rush job out there.

So anyone could have
dumped that load on Jerry?

Or no one.

Look... do we have
to assume it's murder?

I'm not assuming
anything, Mr. Ling.

How do you think
it happened, John?

Who knows?

When we got pressed,

somebody could've left the cargo

way up on the hoist.

Maybe even Turner himself.

Maybe it slipped off.

Gentlemen, if this
was an accident,

there will be no
trouble for anybody.

But we need your help, please.

Did anyone leave that
load up on the hoist?

Now, think back.

Did anyone see it up there?

All right, thank you.

That's all for now.

Let Mr. Cook know
where you'll be.

We may wanna
talk with you later.

See, Mr. McGarrett...

I don't see anything, Mr. Ling.

You're an engineer. Suppose
you tell me how it slipped.

Force of gravity?

I have no way of knowing.

It's only a piece of
mechanical equipment.

Accidents happen.

A load can slip.

At the split second an
undercover man is under it?

Hardly.

You can pick up
Airbill 4181... 4-1-8-1

at will-call.

Our cargo flights to Taiwan

are filled to capacity.

First open departure,
11 a.m. tomorrow.

Oh, yes.

The leather shipment,
incoming Sydney,

will be trucked directly
to your warehouse.

Our files show

customer refused consignment,

so cargo returned to shipper.

Anita Putnam, Cargo Status.

Anita, it's Alvin Jones.

Do you have a pencil?

Yes.

The new number is Kawena 20699.

Kawena 20699.

That's correct.

Let's hear from you soon.

Not murder, Hal.

Count me out.

I never bargained for murder.

Eric, stop wringing your hands.

What ever became of
our inscrutable Oriental?

Yeah. Keep up that
gallow humor of yours.

Hal... what's the
matter with you?

Who...? Who did it for you, huh?

Malcolm?

It was an accident, Eric.

A tragic accident.

Accident?

Heh.

Who do you think
will buy that...?

That self-propelled-crate
idea of yours?

McGarrett saw through it

in less than five milliseconds.

There were no witnesses.

Let him prove it beyond
a reasonable doubt.

That's a murder rap
you're talking about, Hal.

Listen. We've got
a smooth, highly...

Highly efficient,

highly profitable
organization right here.

How could you be so stupid?

Eric... you're new at this.

Sometimes killing is necessary.

Oh, no. Not me, Hal.

Not me.

I'm splitting.

I advise you to
do the same thing.

To go where and do what?

I do not intend to
live the rest of my life

on the run.

But you don't have to.

I know where to go.

Besides...

we've already skimmed
off the cream, huh?

Why be greedy?

Greedy?

Do you know what I've
done for this company?

Cargo profits are up 28 million.

In gratitude, they threw me

a few extra nickels.

Hal...

we're on a collision
course with McGarrett.

All he's got is a dead body.

Now, why run?

We're built to take a squall.

You're copping out on your
own systems engineering.

But it wasn't
programmed for murder!

Listen... I... I
meant what I said.

I-I want out, right now.

That was part of our deal.

Do you understand?

You're panicking, Eric.

All right. All right,
you're free as a bird.

Only do me a favor.

Invent a dying
relative or something.

Cover me when you walk.

Yeah.

Yeah, I'm walking.

But I think...

I think you're making
a big mistake, Hal.

Anita Putnam, Cargo Status.

This is Oahu Hospital.

We're expecting a
shipment of glucagon.

Has it arrived yet?

Airbill number?

Bl-14339, due yesterday.

Just a moment, please.

Hello? I'm terribly sorry.

We have no record of arrival.

Would you check on it for us?

It's a new drug. We
need it in a hurry.

I'll send a tracer.

Kawena 20699.

Your call is being
answered electronically.

When the tone sounds,

you will have 60 seconds
to record your message.

Speak slowly and clearly.

This is Anita.

Arrival Flight 4,
pharmaceutical.

Glucagon.

Airbill number Bl-14339.

Insured for $130,000.

Visitors are taxing.

Even husbands.

I love you, Joanna.

Jerry's notebook.

Hope the lab can
make something of that.

Come in.

Arnold.

You look beat. I am.

Here's that personnel
file you were after.

Who's who in air cargo

from director to janitor.

Good.

Kono, this is your bible.

Put together a boiler
room with H.P.D.

Everybody on this list
gets a thorough going-over.

What are we looking for?

Who's in debt,
whose wife is sick,

who's losing his shirt gambling,

who's stashing
a chick, the usual.

Boy, that's some
fishing expedition.

Those bloodsuckers
who run that cargo ring

find out who's
vulnerable and uses 'em.

We're going down
the same rat holes.

Who's gonna sign
for this package?

I will.

Received, one corpse.

Cheaper by the dozen, Arnold.

Chalk up another
murder for the ring.

How'd they get to him?

Garroting.

Japanese pathologist says

the murder weapon
was packing case wire.

He died about...
eight hours, uh...

Uh, before he, uh,
turned up in Tokyo.

It's about the flight
time from here.

They must have been hard put

to get rid of the body fast.

They just killed him and
shoved him in the container.

Yeah. But they still took
time to cover themselves.

False ID, false passport.

If the Tokyo police hadn't
checked with, uh, Interpol,

we'd still be looking for him.

Aloha, bruddah. Aloha.

We have special
today on lop chong.

No, no, no, no. Not today.

I'm here on business.

Chin Ho Kelly, Five-0.

My herbs are pure.

I give no prescription.

Just for general health.

Don't worry, I'm not
here to make an arrest.

Just tell me where I
can find this number.

It's upstairs. I'll show you.

What happened to the people?

The place is empty.

No wonder the
phone stops ringing.

I used to hear it night and day.

They've never given me notice.

You rented them the room?

Good tenants. Paid
two months in advance.

They were never there.

Who answers the phone?

You sound as though
you just came off the boat.

In America, the
phone answer itself,

makes beeping
noises and plays back.

Who came to see the room?

Nobody.

A man saw the sign, "for rent,"

he telephoned me,
needed a place cheap

to get his mail and messages,

and to hang his hat.

I say, "Okay." He
send me a check.

Would you still have his check?

Yes.

Arnold and I talked to everybody

who went near that Tokyo flight.

Nothing. They must all
be deaf, dumb or blind.

Ling's murder was an inside job,

no doubt about it.

But, uh... why kill a
systems engineer?

You mean, why kill this one?

We don't know
anything about Ling yet.

Okay, Kono.

What has your boiler
room come up with?

Four alcoholics,

three adulterers
and one ex-bookie.

But we can't tie any
of 'em to the cargo ring.

I have a feeling we're really

breathing down their necks now.

Let's go.

What's that all about?

Blowups of Turner's notebook.

The, uh, blood made the ink run,

but the lab was able to, uh,

filter out the stain

on the few pages
remaining intact.

Those numbers mean
anything to you, Arnold?

Yeah, it's all routine
freight information.

Jerry was memorizing
it to pass as a handler.

Anita Putnam. Who is she?

Anybody know her?

All right, Kono,
that's one for you.

Yes, I'll hold.

Yes, Dr. Fowler?

Paula Thomas
again, Oahu Hospital.

What about that
glucagon shipment?

No, it has not arrived.

I've checked air cargo I
don't know how many times.

We have to have an
emergency shipment

as soon as humanly possible.

Two days?

A-all right, do
the best you can.

We have a patient in
cardiac shock right now.

Thank you.

They're running
up a special batch.

It'll be here day
after tomorrow.

Miss Thomas, I'm in
import-export myself.

I ship every day of the week.

This is inexcusable.

Who kept airport security

from coming to us for help?

I take full responsibility.

You do?

Mr. Williams, you surprise me.

What do you think I'm here for?

I'm not in air freight,

I'm in the charm business.

I massage and caress
customers till they purr.

I send the wives
on island junkets,

and I get girls for the daddies.

Your company was being robbed.

Why didn't you come to us?

Come now, Mr. Williams.

After wooing the
world's largest concerns,

tripling our tonnage,

did you expect me
to scare everyone off

with a crime wave?

What were you going to do?

Massage it out of existence?

Just keep it in the family.

Did you hire Eric Ling?

I rubber-stamped it.

The company's
slide-rule boys picked him.

Who were his friends?

I never met any of them.

Who did he work with?

The whole airport.

He was our troubleshooter.

Did he have any
friends in particular?

Not that I noticed.

Uh... I'm sorry I
can't be more helpful.

So am I.

It's a search warrant,
Mrs. Kahama.

It gives us the right

to look through
Mr. Ling's house.

Yes, I understand.

Now, on the day
he disappeared...

Thursday. Yes, Thursday.

Did he come home from work?

No.

The last few times you saw him,

did he seem nervous or upset?

I don't know.

Steve.

Look at this.

Hm.

What is one systems engineer

doing with three
safety-deposit boxes?

Where's your manager?

I'm afraid he's still out.

Well, I've been
here for an hour.

Grayson. Remember the name?

Well, if you'd tell me what
it's about, Mr. Grayson.

It's about a missing
shipment of glucagon.

And negligence.

Criminal negligence.

My wife is dying because of it.

That's what it's about.

Operator, this is an emergency.

Get me Hawaii Five-0.

McGARRETT: What's
the airbill number?

Yes. Yes, Mr. Grayson.

It is possible it was stolen.

Well, if it was, we'll make sure

the replacement
gets there safely.

Yes, we'll have a man there.

You have my word.
You're welcome.

Thank you for letting us...

Yes, thank you for telling us.

Chin, be at the
airport tomorrow.

A woman's life depends
on this shipment.

I'll be there.

What's the count?

Oh, very nice nest egg.

Two hundred eighty thousand. Hm.

The richest man in
the cemetery, huh?

How many of those we've
had through the years, huh?

Translation:

If greed were a fever,

all the world would be ill.

Speak for yourself, Chin.

Okay, Danno, let's go.

Check these signatures against

the, uh, Photostat
of the rent check.

The, uh, loops of the E.

And the L.

Formation of the R.

And the W.

All four guys are Ling.

No question.

Yeah. And he's dead.

Well, that's it.

MAN 1 Will she be back?

Just have her phone
Officer Kekuala, Eddie.

What do you mean
by a lot of money?

Yes. Yes, I see.

She disappears on weekends.

Kono. What have we got?

Heavy feedback
from Anita Putnam.

Okay, let's hear it.

She's divorced.

Got an 18-year-old
daughter named Cynthia

always being picked up for, uh,

sniffing coke, taking LSD.

A real bummer.

It costs Mrs. Putnam
an arm and a leg...

for bail, attorneys,
psychiatrists.

Yeah, so?

So take a look at
her bank account.

Besides her payroll check,

$200 on the 4th, 500 on the 7th,

300 on the 8th, 400 on the 15th.

Well, it could be
alimony or child support.

No way. We checked.

Were these deposits
made by check?

Cash. Every one.

You got us a lead, Kono. Good.

McGarrett, Five-0.

Well, what is it?

Is Cynthia in trouble again?

We're interested in
you, Mrs. Putnam,

not your daughter.

Did you know Jerry Turner,

the cargo handler
who was killed?

Yes. But just to say hello to.

Funny thing...

your name was in his notebook.

Was it?

Well... Well, somebody at work

must have, you know,
told him to call me...

for a date or something.

How did they get you to join?

Uh, join? Join what?

What are you talking about?

Could you account for the 2,

the 3 and the $500
bank deposits?

Oh. That's my ex-husband.

He sends us money all the time.

No, he doesn't.

He's in Maryland.

He's remarried,
he has four children

and he's in debt.

Now, would you like to talk here

or would you rather go
down to Five-0 headquarters?

Look... my daughter
was in trouble.

I mean, really bad trouble.

So you started
spotting for them.

All right, let's go.

No. Please.

All right.

What do you wanna know?

Who was in the ring with you?

Well. I can't even help you.

Because I didn't
meet any of them.

This man phoned me.
He knew about Cynthia.

I mean... I mean, he knew
things that I didn't even know.

So I had to have the money.

I did whatever he wanted me to.

Such as?

No, don't ask me, because...

they're gonna find out.

And they'll kill me. They will.

Mrs. Putnam, decide.
Do you wanna talk,

or do you wanna be booked?

Yes.

Yes.

Yes, I...

I was a spotter.

I phoned in all
airbill numbers...

on accounts that were
insured for over $20,000.

To whom? To whom did you phone?

Uh, a blind tape that, uh,

erased itself when
they got the message.

Do you remember
any specific shipments?

Some, uh, Swiss
watches and, uh...

Um... industrial diamonds

and fine art and...
pharmaceuticals.

Pharmaceuticals?

Glucagon?

Do you know that

Joanna Grayson is
dead because of you?

Oh, my God.

I couldn't help it.

I'm in debt over my head.

You just... You don't
know what it's like

to have a daughter
that's in trouble.

What was the phone
number you used?

Uh...

Apili 79277.

The new number?

That's the only number I know.

The new number!

Listen...

If I help you,
maybe you could...?

No. No.

No deals.

I don't wanna go to jail.

Then start cooperating.
What was the new number?

Kawena.

2-0-6...

99.

Kawena 20699.

Your call is being
answered electronically.

When the tone sounds,
you will have 60 seconds

to record your message.

Speak slowly and clearly.

Did you get the
federal judges okay?

In writing, Che. In writing.

What are we waiting for?

Well, it's not that easy.

We know the ring uses an
automatic answering system.

They all work on
the same principle.

Dial the lab extension.

This is Che Fong
at the crime lab.

Your voice will be recorded

when the tone sounds.

Testing, one, two, three, four.

If a man does not keep
pace with his companions,

perhaps it is because

he hears a different drummer.

Put it down.

All right, if that
were a cargo spotter,

how do we rob the tape?

Here. I'll show you.

Dial the lab extension again.

This is Che Fong
at the crime lab.

Your voice will be recorded

when the tone sounds.

McGARRETT: Testing,
one, two, three, four.

If a man does not keep
pace with his companions,

perhaps it is because he
hears a different drummer.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Will that beeper work

on all automatic
answering devices?

No. But we can
test until we find one

with the right
combinations of beeps.

But we've gotta be careful.

Mrs. Putnam said that the
tape automatically erases.

That's just the problem.

As soon as we pick
up their messages

from their spotters,

the tape will wipe clean,

and the ring will draw a blank.

They'll know something's up.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Do you have a... An
ordinary tape recorder

around here with a
telephone hookup?

Right.

Connect it to this.

Okay.

Now, if this works,

you're about to hear the
cargo ring in operation.

Now, I'm gonna dial
the other number,

rob their tape, and
record it on ours.

So will you start the machine?

Kawena 20699.

Your call is being
answered electronically.

When the tone sounds,
you will have 60 seconds

to record your message.

Speak slowly and clearly.

Hello. Henrietta. Air freight.

Rare prints, arrival
Flight 10, London.

Airbill A19911K.

Insured $40,000.

Now, when we get
it all on our tape,

you dial the other number again

and play it right back to
them when the tone sounds.

I see what you're doing.

They get their messages,
we have our copy.

Right.

You make voiceprints
of all those spotters.

They'll be our fingerprints.

Very clever.

And you're not even Chinese.

Listen, Che, all we
have are the little fish.

We haven't even laid a
mitten on the big shots

who are running this operation.

But there's got to be a
way. There's got to be a way.

Wait a minute.

Maybe this is my lucky day.

Mr. McGarrett,
I... I'll do anything.

Anything you suggest.

That's all right. Uh...

Corinne's been
with me for 25 years.

Mr. Grayson, we'd
like you to prepare

a shipment of rare jade.

Insure it heavily.

The amount has
to be large enough

so that the head man won't trust

anybody else to dispose of it.

Will a... quarter of
a million be enough?

Perfect. And the
sooner the better.

You know where to reach us.

What will happen to...

whoever killed my Joanna?

Well, that's up to the courts.

Oh, yes. The courts.

Delays... appeals... years.

And nothing.

It's a stupid ritual.

Useless and stupid.

You're wasting your time.

Then help us produce
some hard evidence.

And whoever runs that ring

will be behind
bars, I promise you.

I'm sorry.

I just can't believe that.

You don't have to.

But at least stop them
from killing other people.

You'll have your
package tomorrow.

Anita.

Asiam, antique jade.

Company, Jade Unlimited.

Airbill Y24388.

Departure, Maui, Flight 3.

Insured for $243,000.

Steve, Anita came
through for us.

It's on its way.

Isn't that John Malcolm...

the cargo handler who
was working with Jerry

the day he was killed?

Yeah, it's him.

Get a good, clear
head-and-shoulder shot.

Where's he
diverting the jade to?

There's your answer.

Central, standing by.

Go ahead, McGarrett.

Add cargo handler outside
crew chief John Malcolm

to your pick-up list.

Suspicion of
first-degree murder.

Grand theft. We'll tell
you when you can move.

What happens at the
will-call warehouse?

Nothing. The
shipment just sits there

until somebody shows
up with a copy of the airbill

and picks it up.

Kono... it's coming
out Gate Number 7.

I got 'em.

We need the chopper...

to get a fix on a blue pickup

heading, uh, east on Beretania,

license plate 70784.

I don't wanna lose them.

Ten-four.

Copter to McGarrett.

Yeah. Go ahead, Hank.

You can lay back,
Steve. I've got him.

He's heading east
on Wynama Road.

Okay. But alert H.P.D. units,

but tell 'em to keep clear.

Fred, what's this doing here?

Fred, answer me.

You're not planning to use this.

Mind your own business.

But... But why?

Joanna's dead. That's why.

Fred, that package...
You didn't...

But Mr. McGarrett,
the policemen,

they can be killed.

They won't get close to it.

I, uh... I know
about explosives.

Top man will get it.

And maybe some of the...

greedy ones around him.

I want them to die.

I want them all to die.

Five-0 headquarters.

Hurry, please.

Central dispatch calling Car 1.

The jade shipment,
it has a bomb in it.

Repeat: It has a bomb in it.

I read you, Dispatch.
Over and out.

Package being hand-carried

to house at end of Wynama Road,

Black Point.

Received your
message. On the way.

My friend. Take a look.

Hold it!

McGARRETT: You're under arrest.

Your noble act

just destroyed all the evidence.

You're looking at
two eyewitnesses

who saw you receive
stolen property.

But that's only the kickoff.

We've got you on
manslaughter and murder.

Book him, Danno.

Rhetoric, Mr. McGarrett.

Don't bet on it.

From what I know
of John Malcolm,

he'd be glad to
trade his life for yours.