Hawaii Five-O (1968–1980): Season 7, Episode 24 - 6,000 Deadly Tickets - full transcript

Okay, swing around the corner.

Go.

Ben, this is Mr. Simpson.
He owns the travel agency.

They were going to the bank?

Right.

How much money
did they get, sir?

No money.

No money?

They were airline tickets.

Airline tickets?

Blanks.



Six thousand of them.

Central, this is Kokua.
Give me a patch to Five-0.

Are you insured against
such losses, Mr. Simpson?

There's no reason for insurance.

But they're worth
over a million.

They're blank tickets.
There's no intrinsic worth

until they're filled
out and validated.

Which could be done easily
on the hot-ticket market.

Oh, I don't know
anything about that,

though I suppose they
could use phony validators.

Who issues the
tickets? The airlines?

It's handled by the ATC,

the Air Traffic
Conference in Washington.

They distribute tickets



to all the travel
agencies in the country.

I'll be reporting the loss,

and they'll notify every
airport in the world.

Seems impossible that
anybody could get away

with using a hot ticket.

Security's not so
hot at a lot of airports.

Well, that's true.

You're one of the
largest travel agencies

on the island.

If you come across
anything that might help us,

please let us know, Mr. Simpson.

Chin, see what you can find
out. I'm gonna go to the airport

and pick Steve up.

How are things in Hilo?

Your timing was good, Danno.

I just finished testifying
before the grand jury

when I got your message.

Ran for the plane. Here
I am. What do we got?

We've got three different
descriptions of the getaway car.

What about the hit man?

Oh, it all happened too fast.

They knew exactly
when to make the hit.

A real precision job.

Does it look like somebody
on the inside set it up?

Simpson's got 20 employees.

Any one of them
could be Mr. Inside.

Well, maybe we
can narrow it down.

Let's go and see Simpson.

You've turned on a lot of heat.

You know that, huh? Huh?

Well, what did you
expect me to do

when that toy cop
went for his gun?

He didn't have to be
such an eager beaver.

He's just stupid. Come
on, relax, will you?

The day I start to relax

is the day you better
start worrying, bruddah.

Hey, what happens
with these here?

You and the boys start
peddling to the regular customers.

Well, if you're so sweaty,

why don't you let
them cool off a while?

Because it'd take
another ice age

to get the heat
out of that paper,

and I cannot wait that long.

Okay. Same price, huh?

Fifty a copy.

And if they give you any static,
you know what to do. Okay?

But one of my employees?

Let's examine a couple
of facts, huh, Mr. Simpson?

There's no
financial loss to you.

The ATC will
replace the tickets.

Is that correct? Yeah.

Now, your employees
must know that.

Yes, but murder. DANNO:
Maybe the informer

didn't know your employee
and the guard would be killed.

Maybe he didn't care.

None of my people
would do such a thing.

Your supply of tickets
arrive every three months,

is that right?

Yes.

McGARRETT: And not
on any specified day?

No. Well,

how do you think the killer
knew the exact moment

those tickets were
going to the bank vault?

Well, he probably
watched the place.

Or he was tipped
off. You're wrong.

Well, you can prove
us wrong, Mr. Simpson.

What are you suggesting?

Polygraph examinations.

Lie-detector tests?
McGARRETT: That's right.

I'm not gonna put
myself in a position

of forcing my employees to...

We're not talking about
force. Nobody can be forced.

We're asking for
purely voluntary action.

But... McGARRETT: But what?

Until now,

the black market in
stolen airplane tickets

on these islands
has been negligible,

but this was a major hit,
and we intend to crack it,

with your help or
without. As I understand it,

polygraph tests don't
necessarily prove anything.

That's correct,

but they're capable
of giving us a lead,

which we need and want.

You're gonna like this one.

Ah, come on, Ollie.

All these tour groups are alike:

a lot of sun, a lot of surf,
getting bombed at night.

Not this one. Just
wanna see the sights.

Hey, how's it, Ollie, baby?

How's business, pal?
What do you care?

What are you talking
about? Come on, now.

I like to see my
customers happy.

Well, for your information,
business is lousy.

Got enough trouble
without hustling your stuff.

So why don't you
lay off me this month?

Well, Ollie, that's exactly
why I came down here.

You don't have to
buy 15 this month.

No?

No. This month,
you're gonna buy 50.

Fifty? MAN: At
50 bucks a throat.

I don't have it!

Don't worry about that.

Your credit's good with
us. Pay us next week.

I won't have it
next week, either.

Sure you will, Ollie.
All you've got to do

is hustle a little
more, that's all.

No.

Look, maybe I don't
understand something.

Now, you buy those
blanks from us for 50 bucks.

You turn around
and sell them for 100.

Now, that's like
finding 2,500 bucks.

What the hell is
wrong with that?

Because one of these
days, I'm gonna get nailed,

and what happens then?

Okay, then you've
got some trouble,

but I'll tell you,

the cops ain't got a corner
on giving trouble, Ollie.

Look, I know a couple of guys,

they can take this
whole joint apart

in maybe five or six minutes.

That includes a
little vacation for you,

in the hospital, pal.

Hey, that sounds a little

like one of them package
tours you sell, don't it?

See you guys next week.

Easy. Easy. Sit down,
Ollie. Take it easy.

Hey, don't sweat it, man.

Like I told you before,

I can hustle more than
15 a month of these, easy.

It's too risky.

You got a choice?

Yeah.

I could blow the whistle on
the whole stinking business.

Come on, Ollie.
Don't try to be a hero.

You're too tense, man. Relax.

Come on, relax, huh?
Come on. Please.

Like I said, you know,
I'll take care of these.

Cool it. All right?

Hawaii Five-0.

Hello?

Hello?

McGARRETT: Chin.

I just came from the morgue.

Weapon's a .38-caliber.

And from the damage it did,

Doc thinks the slugs
were magnum loads.

Magnum loads?

Yeah.

Can you believe
something like that?

Got to be a pro at work.

What about a ballistics report?

Che's on it.

Running it through
NCIC and H.P.D.?

Right. Oh, and Doc is sending

some fingernail scrapes
from Marvin Wilson.

Anything special? Yeah. Hair.

Hair? Yeah.

Let's go and see
Che. Where's Ben?

Testifying in the Hayward case.

I'm picking him up at
the judiciary building

in a half-hour.

How are we doing on that?

Manicote says we're a cinch

for conviction on all counts.

Good.

Now, just try to relax, miss.

I'm gonna ask you
a series of questions

to establish your
reaction level.

You answer "yes" or "no."

Are you ready?

Yes.

All right.

Your name is Irene Lewis?

Yes.

Do you live at 2777
Lanihuli Street?

Yes.

You're single? Yes.

You've been employed
by the Simpson Agency

for six months?

No. I've been there
over... Over two years.

Very good. Now
let's get to work.

I used a scanning
electronic microscope

on those hair strands
Doc found in Wilson's hand.

This is a hair sample of my own.

I'd like to show you something.

Take a look.

Notice the hair follicles

at the base of my
own hair sample.

But the killer's hair

has an inorganic
substance at its base.

Yeah, which is what?

It's silicone.

Which means his
hair is not his own?

Well, not all of it, anyway.

A toupee or a permanent implant?

Implant.

That's interesting.

Danno, get Ben on it.

Check every salon that
does work of this kind.

Anything else for us? Yes.

Slugs Doc dug out
of the dead man.

McGARRETT: You mean
they indicate the gun is new?

I'm saying the gun
hasn't been fired too often.

The lines and grooves
indicate precise definition.

Any idea of the make of the gun?

All I'm sure of is it's not
a Saturday night special.

Steve?

Yeah, Nick.

I just came from
the Simpson Agency.

All the employees agreed
to take the polygraph test.

Good. Good.

You know, it occurs to me
that we've forgotten something.

What's that?

There is one employee
who cannot be tested:

Marvin Wilson.

You think the killer could have
bought the information from him?

Could be, then
given him a bonus.

That way he wouldn't talk
or expect a cut of the tickets.

That would explain why
Wilson caught two slugs.

Yeah, but it doesn't wash.

It was a fluke Wilson
was delivering the tickets.

Simpson's secretary was
to make the trip to the bank.

The last minute, Simpson
changed his mind.

Yeah, but it's worth
checking anyway, Danno.

Let's dig into
Wilson's background.

Crime lab. Yes, Jenny.

It's for you, Steve.

Yes, Jenny?

A Mr. Harry Rosen
is here at your office.

Wants to see you.

He's an investigator with
the Air Traffic Conference.

Just flew in from Washington.

Good. I'll be right over.

The problem's
gotten out of hand.

Stolen airline tickets
are costing the airlines

millions of dollars a year.

What are you
people doing about it?

Our first line is the tight
control of the travel agencies.

No agency is
permitted to keep more

than two days' supply
of ticket blanks on hand.

If we find them overstocked,

we have the right
to pull all their tickets.

Yet you send them a
three-month supply at a time.

But once they're recorded,

they must be kept
in a bank vault.

You are looking into
the possibility that

one of Simpson's employees...
McGARRETT: Of course,

but if we don't
get a lead there,

we'll need a break
at the other end.

What about the
computer terminals

at the, uh, check-in counters?

Well, they're tied
to the airline offices

just to handle reservations.

So the only way they could
spot a hot ticket would be

to check the serial number
of every ticket presented.

And think of the
time that would take.

The airline can't keep the
passenger waiting that long.

They have enough delays already.

Suppose that we
took the serial numbers

from all of the blank tickets
stolen in the Simpson heist,

and we fed them into
the H.P.D. computer.

But then we patch

the reservation
confirmation terminals

from all of the airlines into
the same H.P.D. computer.

That would give
us an instant check

on any tickets
sold at any counter.

Wouldn't it?

It just might work.

Do you have any
personal knowledge

of anyone involved in
the theft of airline tickets?

No.

Do you know of any
individual who does?

No.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

This is Sergeant Watt. I'd
like to speak to McGarrett.

Is that him? Yeah.

Mr. Franklin. Yes?

I got your tickets for you.

Four round trips to New York.

But that's full price.

No. All you pay me is 600.

You know how
much I'm saving you?

Two hundred and
twenty-five bucks.

I... I haven't done
anything like this before.

Yeah, you got
nothing to worry about.

Look, they're always
busy at the airport, right?

The counterman's only got time

to check the price
and destination.

All you're doing,
man, is making the call

and making the
reservations, that's all.

You sure?

Am I sure?

I got nothing but
happy customers, man.

Thanks. Yeah.

Aloha.

Here.

What kind of a game are
you playing, Mr. McGarrett?

I won't take that
kind of accusation.

I'm not accusing you of
anything, Mr. Simpson.

I'm merely pointing
out that the polygraph

indicates that you're
withholding information

about the stolen tickets.

And I'm asking you if you
can offer an explanation

for your reaction.

Before I answer any questions,
I want my lawyer present.

All right, Simpson,

but how do you
expect to do business

if ATC doesn't okay
replacement of the stolen tickets?

Why, you have no right.

Wrong.

Read your agreement with ATC.

I could recommend that
you not get another ticket

until this case is closed.

But you'll put me
out of business.

It's your choice.

Come into my office, gentlemen.

There's an extortion ring.

They force tour agencies

to buy a number of
stolen tickets each month.

And you've been buying
them at this agency?

My quota's 20 tickets a
month, but I burn them.

I can't jeopardize my business

by selling them
under the counter.

You mean you eat the tickets?

Yes.

Who's behind all this?

I don't know.

Are you telling me that you
buy 20 stolen tickets a month

and you don't know
who's selling them to you?

Well, I'm contacted by a
different man each month.

What about the original contact?

Well, he didn't give a name.

Well, then describe him.

I can't.

You can't or won't?

Mr. McGarrett,

I have a wife and two
children living here in Honolulu.

I have a son attending
college in Los Angeles.

I have a married daughter
and three grandchildren

living in San Francisco.

If you can give me a
100 percent guarantee

for their safety,
mine, my business,

then I might be
able to help you.

Otherwise, we have
nothing to talk about.

Not yet.

Not ever.

You're kidding
yourself, Mr. Simpson.

You're not buying protection,
you're just buying time.

And the price is going to
keep going up and up and up

until you'll be scrambling
for enough money

to buy a month
or a week or a day.

Now, you're playing
a dangerous game

that you can never win.
Give it some thought.

Let's go.

Ollie. What did I tell you?

Look at that. Look
at all that bread.

Man, the way it's going,
I'm gonna have to get a stick

and beat them off of me.
Hey, give me another batch.

Come on. Let's go. Come on.

Come on, man!

Time's a-wasting. Money
to be made out there.

Here.

What you doing? No more.

Agency's telling me the
cops have been around

asking questions.

Well, I made up
my mind. No more.

You're crazy, you know that?

And what you gonna do when
Win Low's bagman comes around?

I'll give him a
message for them:

"Back off or I'll
holler, 'Cop.'"

Okay, Ollie, if that's
the way you want it.

You're too tense,
man. Too tense.

Airline ticket?

What are you talking
about, bruddah?

I run a cab business.

Okay. I just thought
I'd do you a favor.

Oh, uh, by the way,

one of your customers is about
to tell you to leave him alone

or he's gonna holler,
"Cop." Hey, hey, hey.

Hey, kid, what you
do for a living, huh?

Tour guide.

And I push bargain
tickets on the side.

But, you know, I was thinking,
uh, I could do a lot better

if I dealt directly
with a wholesaler.

Hey, what agency
you work for, huh?

And I was also
thinking that, uh,

if my boss goes out of business,

I'd like to, uh,

keep selling tickets.

You know, I think
you're gonna do

all right for
yourself, you know.

You plenty akamai.

Lot of initiative, you know?

Why don't you fill out
this job application?

Be sure to put down
the name and address

of your present employer, okay?

All right, that's
two in first class

on the Princess Anne.

Sailing date is the 30th.

If you have any
questions at all,

call me back here, okay?

What do we got, Nick?

A witness saw a car slow down

and speed away just
before the explosion,

but she couldn't give us
a description of the car.

I want anything you can
find: business records,

names of customers,
employees, anything.

Especially any blank
airlines' ticket stock.

Move on.

Move on, bruddah.

I may have the guy
who tipped off the killer

in the Simpson burglary.
McGARRETT: Who?

Got a court order to look at
Marvin Wilson's bank records.

Now, he had a long
record of being overdrawn,

but get this:

two days before
the ticket heist,

he made a cash
deposit of $2,500,

and deposited another 2,500
on the morning of the heist.

That looks like
a payoff pattern.

McGARRETT: Yeah, looks like it.

Take over here, Chin.
Nick will need a hand.

Right. McGARRETT:
Get Ben on it too.

He's following up on that
hair lead Che dug up, Steve.

Good. Okay, leave him on it.

We've done implants on
seven men with that color hair.

Can you give me their
names and addresses?

I think I can do
better than that.

We make it a practice

of taking before and
after photographs

of all of our customers.

Williams to McGarrett.

Go, Danno.

H.P.D. just picked up a guy

and his family trying to
use four stolen tickets.

Their serial numbers
were spotted

by the H.P.D. computer tie-in.

Tickets from the Simpson job?

Right.

They're holding him in the
security room at the airport.

Bring him in.

Come.

Well?

Haven't you heard? Heard what?

About Ollie Harris.

What about him?

They bombed his office.

What?

McGARRETT: Now, tell me
where you got those tickets.

It says right on them.

It's a phony agency and
a nonexistent address.

No.

Mr. Franklin, those
tickets were from a robbery

in which two men were killed.

Oh, my... Now, tell
me where you got them.

A man in the Kopiko bar.

How did he know
where to contact you?

Lew gave him my name.

Lew? He's the bartender.

All right, sergeant, book him.

Receiving stolen property.

What'll I tell my wife and kids?

You should have thought of that
before you went bargain hunting.

Are you gonna pull
in the bartender?

No, not yet. All
we'd get out of him

is the name of some
small fry he deals with.

Wait a minute. Maybe...

Maybe we could use
him for an initial contact

and then go for a big buy.

Might be worth a try.

I'll get H.P.D. to give us
a man to go undercover.

Mr. McGarrett, let
me make the contact.

You?

Well, I'm not
known on the island,

and I've done
undercover work before.

Mr. Rosen, these local
hoods operate on a theory

that the simplest
solution to a problem

is a bullet in the head.

Now, Five-0 could cover you,

but we can't give
you any guarantees.

I've been there
before. I can handle it.

Okay. Jenny.

Man, I remember when you
got some change for a dollar.

You don't look that old. Hm!

I gotta get off this rock.

Hey, it's just as
bad on the mainland.

Oh, yeah?

Well, at least I can
get a job over there.

I got an offer for a great
job in Trenton, New Jersey.

But before they hire me,

they want a personal interview,

and I gotta pay
my own plane fare.

Well, if the job's good...

No. I can't gamble my last few
hundred bucks on plane fare.

Suppose they don't hire me.

Maybe you need
a cut-rate ticket.

What?

Maybe half price,
a real bargain.

Last bargain I got
was a used car.

It threw a rod the next day.

Bargain.

Think I'll hit the beach
for a couple hours.

Hey, listen.

If I can get a cut-rate ticket,
would you be interested?

You mean you know somebody?

All kinds of guys come in here.

Give me your name and number.

Bill Siebert?

Okay. Maybe you'll
get a phone call.

Thanks, uh...?

Lew.

Thanks, Lew.

Mahalo.

This is Williams.
Start the trace.

Keep him on the line
as long as possible.

Hello.

Bill?

Yeah, this is Bill.

I'm a friend of Lew's. Who?

Lew.

Lew, the bartender
at the Kopiko.

Oh, Lew. Sure.

Yeah, uh, he tells me, uh,
you're looking for a bargain.

Yeah. Everybody likes a bargain.

Yeah.

I understand you
wanna go to Trenton.

Yeah.

Look, now, uh, there's
no direct flight to Trenton,

but I could make the tickets
out to Philly or wherever you...

Lew must be hard of hearing.

I didn't say anything
about wanting one ticket.

Yeah, but he told me...

I told him I wanted 1,000.

A thousand?

What's the matter, pal?
Can't you count that high?

Yeah, sure I can, but...

Oh, I see. You play
for onesies or twosies.

Well, sorry I bothered you.

Wait a minute, man, uh.

I didn't say I
couldn't get them,

but why did you give Lew
all that jazz about Trenton?

What did you want me to
do, put an ad in the paper?

Look, can you
deliver or can't you?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I... I can deliver. Um.

It'll cost you 120 apiece.

Listen, you got my number there?

Well, tear it up and go
back to hustling tourists.

Well, wait, wait. Uh... Uh...

Maybe I can come down a
little, uh, you know what I mean?

Would you go 100?

You're a regular comedian.

So long, pal.

Wait, wait, wait!

Forget it.

But how much you willing to pay?

Um, I don't know. Why
don't you keep talking?

When I hear a number
I like, I'll holler, "Bingo."

You know, uh, I'm
paying 100 myself.

Okay, let's forget it.

For 1,000 tickets, I
don't need a middleman.

Seventy-five. Would you go 75?

Now, I'm not saying
that I can get it for that,

but, well, maybe I can
work out something, huh?

Here's the bottom
line, baby: 50.

Fifty?

That makes 50,000
cash. Take it or leave it.

Um, uh, um... Can
I call you back?

Sure, but don't bother if you
want a nickel more, okay?

Fine.

Steve?

We got the trace.

Guy's name is Shige Yagamato.

Apartment house on Kapiolani
Boulevard, number 1617.

I still don't like the idea

of a guy coming out of the blue

to make such a big buy.

You let me think it
over. I'll call you back.

What do you think?

I think it might be a cop.

I don't think a cop would chisel
the price so low, you know?

He wouldn't risk
blowing his setup.

No, no. I'm talking
about a smart cop.

Look, I think we ought to pass.

Well, there's only
one way to find out.

You call Shige
back on the phone.

Maybe I laid it on too heavy.

Fifty is a rock-bottom
price on the mainland.

We'll just have to wait and see.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I
know what to tell him.

Hey, what about the tickets?

Set it up for Mount Tantalus.

What time?

Ten tomorrow morning.

Okay.

Yeah?

Hey, uh, you got the bread?

I got it.

Um,

you know where, uh,
Tantalus Mountain is?

Yeah.

Tomorrow, 10.

Hey, pal, just gonna be
you with the tickets, right?

No rip-off.

Hey, relax.

Just as long as we
understand each other.

All right, uh, tomorrow
morning, 10:00.

See you. Right.

Tantalus. 10:00 a.m. tomorrow.

You called it. Tantalus is
a perfect spot for a rip-off.

I can't back out now.

Taking a long time.

Take a look out there,
but I'll bet he switched cars.

I'll call Steve.

Yeah?

Chin and Nick lost
him. Shige shook them.

Were they spotted?

Well, they're sure they weren't.

He was probably
just playing it safe.

Okay, we'll pick
up Shige at this end

as soon as he makes
a sale to Rosen.

Well, it looks
clear. Let me see.

Hey, I've seen that guy before.

Yeah.

Hey, that guy was with the cops

outside of Ollie's
office after the bombing.

Shige, are you sure
it was the same guy?

Yeah, man.

He was dressed different,
but the same cat, man.

How you figure?

I don't figure it.
Ain't no way to figure.

That means Five-0
is getting close.

Hey, Shige.

You know, when
you talked to the man,

maybe you let slip where
you got the tickets from, huh?

Oh, come on, Win.

Okay, you go back to the pad.

You call the guy.

Tell him you want to
arrange another meeting.

Five o'clock.

Same place?

No, you make it
the boat rental place.

You know, by Makali Bridge
going over Ala Wai Canal.

Mm-hm. Okay?

Right.

And listen.

When you make the arrangements,

you call me from a
phone booth, huh?

And you sit tight till
you hear from me.

Check.

The Ala Wai Canal?

At 5:00.

I don't like it.

That no-show on Mount Tantalus
could mean that they're wise.

No, it's more like
they're being careful.

Okay, but don't turn
your back on them.

Danno, tell Chin and Nick

to fold that stakeout on Shige's
pad and take up positions

around the Ala Wai boat dock.

I want you there too.

After Shige makes
the sale to Rosen,

I'll tail them, rotating
with Chin and Nick.

Right.

Just in from Washington.
It's a make on one of the guys

who had a hair transplant.

McGARRETT: Fred
Burke, alias Fred Barnes,

alias Burke Fredericks.

Used to work in
Chicago as an enforcer.

Thought to be
living in Waikiki. Huh.

Let's put a little
heat on Mr. Simpson.

McGARRETT: Take a look at this.

You may not believe
this, Mr. McGarrett,

but I was about to call you.

About what?

Ollie Harris.

I've been going through hell
ever since what happened to him.

He once worked for me.

I started him in this business,

even helped him set
up his own agency.

We were very
close for a long time.

Yes, this is the man
who first contacted me.

Do you know who he works for?

A man named Win Low.

Win Low, huh? You know him?

Oh, yeah, I know
him. I just didn't know

he dealt in stolen
airlines' tickets.

Wanna bring him in?

No, let's let Shige
lead us to him.

When we nail Win Low, this
time he's gonna stay nailed.

Get H.P.D. to find
him and stake him out,

but don't move on
him till I give the word.

Right.

I'll arrange with H.P.D.

to give you all the
protection you need

for as long as you need it.

Thank you.

Steve, nothing.

Chin, can you see
the parking-lot entrance

from where you are?

Yeah, but no sign of Shige.

Looks like it might
be another no-show,

but, uh, let's give them

another 10 minutes, huh?

Get an ambulance.

Danno, don't let him get
under the Ala Moana Bridge,

or he'll get out to sea.

Danno! Hold your position!

Keep firing! Don't
let them through!

Right!

Steve, been on the
radio with the hospital.

Rosen's got a good
chance of making it.

Good.

Chin, you and Ben pick
up Win Low and book him.

How do you want him charged?

For openers, murder
one, three counts.