Mannix (1967–1975): Season 3, Episode 11 - Who Killed Me? - full transcript

GUARD: Good
morning, Mr. Everett.

CHRISTINA: We have a
minute and 30 seconds to spare.

The lady's efficient, too.

Always and forever.

See you in six days.

Shall I wait here for you, sir?

No, uh, you'd better
go home... and wait.

(jet engine roaring)

Brad!

(garbled radio transmission)

2773 Tango to Tower.



Would you open my flight plan
to Hermosillo, Mexico, please?

Over.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER:
Roger. 2773 Tango.

We'll activate your
flight plan at this time.

(engine sputtering)

Mayday! Mayday!

Hermosillo Tower, this is
2773 Tango... going down.

Complete loss of power.

21 degrees north,
107 degrees west,

overlying Maria Cleofas.

I'm going to ditch.

(knocking and rattling sounds)

And today, three days
after Bradley Everett,

President of Everett Aviation,
vanished over the Sea of Cortez



while on a business
flight to Mexico,

authorities have called off
any further search efforts,

and Everett is presumed dead,

Wall Street opened strongly
this morning (door opening)

led by the electronic...
(screaming)

Oh I'm... I'm sorry.

Who are you?

Mr. Mannix, my name
is Bradley Everett.

I'd like you to find
out who killed me.

(theme music playing)

♪ ♪

Why the bandages?

Oh, just, uh, something
to hide behind.

Peggy, how about some coffee?

Coming up... and strong.

(coughs)

What you're saying is that
the accident was no accident.

That's right.

Uh, my business is
aircraft instrumentation,

and, uh, that plane
was sabotaged.

Oh, it was expertly done.

The whole... electrical
system just quit.

And so I ditched
and sat there...

Waited to drown.

I figured it would be maybe
four hours until she sank.

That's a long time
to hold your breath,

a short time to live.

But you lived.

I lived.

I guess you'd call that
a kind of a small miracle.

This old fisherman spotted me...

A Mexican shrimp fisherman,

and, uh, I paid him to
take me up to San Blas,

and stay quiet about
this whole thing.

I was able to hire a car there,

drive up the coast, come here.

Why here?

You've got a wife
and a business,

and I imagine a lot
of worried friends.

Are you asking me why
I didn't go to the police?

The thought did cross my mind.

All right, go with what?

A story about a sabotaged
airplane and, uh...

and no evidence.

No, I want my murder
investigated, Mr. Mannix...

Quietly, privately.

Okay, Mr. Everett.

And if you're right,

I think you'd better stay
here for the time being.

That's a very kind offer,

but you realize what you'd
be letting yourself in for?

What?

If they think you're
involved with me,

they'll try to kill you, too.

I'm a very cautious
man, Mr. Everett.

But, uh, don't you
think you should at least

let your wife know you're alive?

Well... why ruin her day?

Tell me, Mr. Mannix,
are you a vulture?

I've been hired to investigate
your husband's death.

Would you mind
telling me by whom?

By somebody who pays
me for discretion and silence.

How sinister.

Mrs. Everett, there
are a number of people

who stand to benefit
from your husband's death.

Including myself, of course.

Well, I'm sure it
will help ease you

through this period of mourning.

Mr. Mannix, if you
won't be coy, I won't.

Brad and I had a very
workable relationship.

We lived together, went
to social events together,

frequently dined together,

but we didn't like one
another very much.

Very civilized.

I liked our life.

Brad made a lot of money,
and we spent it with style.

I'll be richer for his death
but not necessarily happier.

After all, Brad was my
nearest and dearest.

Who would want him dead?

He had two perfectly
revolting men as partners.

Anybody else?

Perhaps.

This is a file on
Christina Preston,

compiled by my
private investigator.

And who is Christina Preston?

She was my husband's,
uh... (chuckles) hobby.

You were planning a divorce?

Oh, good heavens, no.

Marriage is a cold
war, Mr. Mannix;

each side needs a
deterrent weapon.

That was mine.

And, uh, what did Brad have?

On me? Mm.

Nothing... (chuckles) anymore.

(chuckles)

You're suspicious.

I like that.

Any reason for that?

I'm a... a somewhat
corrupt widow lady.

The second you find out
what happened to Brad,

you let me know.

I'll do that.

And Mannix, it doesn't
matter what time it is.

(mellow jazz playing)

(music stops)

Put the coffee on
the table, Wally.

MANNIX: Oh, Wally
didn't make it yet.

My name is Mannix, Miss Preston.

What do you want?

I'm a private investigator.

I'm looking into the
death of Brad Everett.

All right.

I was his mistress.

Is that what you're after?

All I want is my privacy.

I'm making no claims
against his estate.

I don't expect to collect
a penny of insurance.

So you can go back to Brad's
wife and tell her it's all hers.

Now, will you please get out?

According to my
information, Miss Preston,

Brad Everett was murdered.

I'm sorry.

You loved him.

We loved each other.

It's not an uncommon
human condition, you know.

How was he murdered?

Well, there's every reason to
believe his plane was sabotaged.

And you think perhaps I
stood to benefit from his death?

Mr. Mannix, I'm a
commercial artist,

a good one.

In other words,
Brad did not keep me.

He only loved me.

Miss Preston, I'm not passing
moral judgments or am I prying.

I'm trying to find out who'd
want Brad Everett dead.

Well, he had a pair of partners

that could frighten
a tank of piranha.

Beyond that...

I only met him two years ago.

And you fell in love?

Stupid?

Bright, successful girl,
knows her way around,

turns a corner and
falls for a married man.

But he's dead.

And in a way, it settles things.

There wasn't much
future in it for me, anyway.

And Mrs. Everett wouldn't
give him a divorce?

Mrs. Everett wouldn't
give milk to a starving baby.

So, you settled for half a loaf?

I wanted him any
way I could have him.

We were together
over the weekend.

I drove him to the airport...

and waved good-bye.

I was feeling good.

Feeling... hopeful...
against all logic.

And that night...

I... I heard that he'd crashed.

Uh, I have work to do.

You saw him take off.

Who else would know
where he was going?

Anyone could have known.

He, he had to
file a flight plan.

Brad always planned things
down to the smallest detail.

I remember that I
was a bit worried

because he'd forgotten his maps.

Maps?

Detailed charts of his route.

He left them in my car.

I wonder if I could see them.

Sure.

They didn't seem to matter
after I heard about Brad.

They're still in the car.

(two gunshots)

Behind the convertible.

That's my car!

Figures!

(motorcycle engine revving)

(slams table)

She could have been killed.

And what was I doing?

The best thing to do
is clear this thing up.

Now, let's get
back to those maps.

They cover the air route
from here to Mexico City.

Nothing special.

I bought a complete set
from Argo Map and Survey.

Well, anybody can do that...
You just go in and buy 'em.

Then why would somebody
use a gun to get them?

I don't know!

I don't even know
which ones they were!

Now, I had four sets, right?

Four sets of charts.

Three of them went
down with the plane.

One of them was left with Chris.

I don't know which
one, and I'll tell you

something else:
I don't really care.

What I do care about is,
somebody took a shot at her,

and I can't risk that
happening again!

Maybe I should
call in the police.

It's up to you.

Mannix, I-I'm worried.

I mean, if I'm a target, then

maybe she is, too.

No.

No, we'd better keep it
quiet a little while longer.

Maybe you can come up
with something solid enough

to make the
police really dig in.

I'll try.

I don't much like
being shot at either.

You know, Christina
Preston's a nice girl.

I think she might like
to know you're alive.

No... now, I don't care
to go into the gory details

of my so-called
marriage, but I love Chris,

and I don't want her
pulled into my target zone.

It's your decision.

It's my decision.

Wait a minute!

What, what are you gonna do?

Something I've
been anticipating.

Meeting your partners.

My name is Mannix. I phoned.

Oh, oh, sure, Mr. Mannix.

Will you step right
over here, please?

Stand right here.

I hope you don't mind;
Uncle says we have

to be very careful.

This badge is good

for the Administration
Building and testing rooms,

nowhere else.

I'll show you the way.

Vic, take over.

(sustained electronic beeping)

Mr. King?

Mr. Mannix?

That's right.

I'm Lawrence King. A pleasure.

How do you do?

Henry Marshak.

Not a pleasure.

Boys, a coffee break, huh?

Thanks, Mitch.

Now, what's all this static

about investigating
Brad's accident?

Henry. We've checked
you out, Mr. Mannix.

You appear to
be quite reputable.

It's quite a coincidence.

What is?

Well, I've checked you out, too.

Both of you.

Lawrence King,
attorney at law...

Made a great deal of
money angling the takeover

of unsuspecting companies.

You've been
described as a remora.

That's a fish

that lives off of the
shark's leavings.

Now you've grown up into
a real shark all by yourself.

I'm a respectable
citizen, Mr. Mannix.

And a rich one.

Possibly rich enough
to do something

about your license.

They said you'd be
dangerous backed into a corner.

On the other hand, Mr. Marshak,

you're dangerous all
the time, aren't you?

Four arrests for labor
racketeering with violence.

That was ten years
ago and no convictions!

But there's been one
conviction on mail fraud.

That's before you learned how

to handle the
rackets inside the law.

You got a big mouth,
you know that?

Yeah, but it's
all in the record.

There are a lot of people
that aren't too happy

about you two running
Everett Aviation,

especially now...
since Brad is dead.

And we took over
his company, is that it?

To milk it dry?

The possibility has
been mentioned.

Did anybody mention

that Everett Aviation is
on the edge of bankruptcy?

That Brad Everett
got us involved

for the money to finish
his new guidance system?

It still isn't finished,
and we're still involved.

Trying to salvage
something from his swindle!

CHRISTINA: That's a lie!

How'd you get a badge?

I knew the president of
the company, remember?

Mr. Mannix thought
I should be here.

Listening at
keyholes, Christina?

Listening to you lie.

Brad was no swindler.

You two were trying
to steal his company.

Perhaps your
accountants can verify

that passionate defense.

Ours cannot.

We were suckered.

Some respectable business...
Crooked books and hot air.

That must have made you
very angry with Brad Everett.

I wanted to bust his neck.

Did you?

What's that mean?

My client's not too sure
he died accidentally.

Henry and I were stuck
with Everett Aviation.

We'd much rather have
Brad Everett alive to sue.

He's dead, so you
can say anything at all.

I know you were in
love with Brad Everett.

Did he ever offer to marry you?

Oh, you're a
gentleman to the end.

What makes you think he
was any more honest with us?

Thank you, Mr. Mannix.

CHRISTINA: Mitch,
would you take mine, too?

I won't be back.

Thank you.

That ought to do it.

My first try at being
a lady operative.

Any future?

Any time.

There's always demand
for a beautiful girl.

How about a vulnerable one?

It's been a pretty
rough time, hasn't it?

And Lawrence King
shoved the needle in deep.

I think it was over,
what Brad and I had.

We just... didn't
want to admit it.

I finally faced it after
I heard he was dead.

And then... I felt as
though he'd been dead

for a long time.

I'm being morbid.

There you are.

Do you really think a
salami on rye will help?

Well, there's an old
Armenian proverb:

(speaking Armenian)

What does it mean?

"With bread, all grief is less."

Oh, good old Mother Mannix.

Well, I like to take care of
my lady operatives any time.

I just might take
you up on that.

I halfway meant that.

I've got the
feeling that I've got

to change directions,
go somewhere new,

find somebody new,
be somebody new.

Are you interested in
somebody brand-new?

I'm sorry.

Why?

You're so gentle with
us walking wounded.

Well, uh, speaking of
walking, it's time I get going.

Do you have to?

Did you believe
King and Marshak?

Not on a stack of legal briefs.

They wanted all
of Everett Aviation.

They tried to buy him out,

then they tried
to force him out.

They killed him.

Now, that's what I'm
going back to find out.

By invitation. What?

Well, sort of.

(car approaching)

(faint, sustained
electronic beeping)

(faint, sustained beeping)

(flipping switches)

(rattling doorknob)

(sustained beeping grows louder)

(camera shutter clicks)

Any of the neighbors see him?

No? Well, stake it out.

Start the machinery.

King evidently never went home.

He left the office at 6:08,
and he's been gone since.

Why would he
want to kill Marshak?

Thieves' falling out, maybe.

Those two have
long, sour records.

Everything but murder.

Maybe this time, King
went over the edge.

Well, he impressed
me as a very cool cat.

Joe, I'm not interested
in your expert opinion.

I want information.

Well, I guess I have to swallow
that whole story of yours,

including a return
from the dead.

Come on.

Where to?

I'm holding a wake. I
want to meet the corpse.

What happened?

Miss Preston?

Yes?

Would you come inside
a moment, please?

Chris, I'm sorry.

For what?

(sighs)

I just don't understand.

Look, if you'll tell me...

BRAD: Chris.

Why?

CHRISTINA: Why?

I couldn't let you know.

I didn't want you
mixed up in this.

So, instead you let me
spend three days in hell?

And you... No. No, Mannix didn't

have anything to do with this;
I told him not to say anything.

Darling, please, if you'll...

Brad, I, uh... I have
to get used to it.

Understand it.

We all have some
explaining to do, Mr. Everett.

In a matter of murder.

What murder?

He's alive.

But Henry Marshak is dead.

It seems somebody
didn't like him at all.

Where's Larry King?

I don't know. He's disappeared.

Oh, no, no, wait a minute,
Lieutenant. Now, Larry's

a lot of things. He's a
schemer. He's an angle player.

He's a fast man with
a legal twist, but...

(knocking at door)

All right, Frank.

Brad, darling, how
were things in heaven?

Is it all it's cracked up to be?

You certainly take
surprises well, Mrs. Everett.

I have all the smaller talents.

Lieutenant Malcolm. Homicide.

Of course. Are you going
to arrest my husband?

For what?

For being so sneaky, darling.

DIANA: About your
Lazarus-like recovery.

I had no evidence
before, Lieutenant.

Now I have.

BRAD: Henry Marshak is dead.

A revolting little man.

I will not weep at his funeral.

Lieutenant, this is becoming
a very boring evening.

What do you want of me?

Information.

About Marshak?
I barely knew him.

Can you think of anyone who
might have wanted him dead?

Well, he was, uh,
mixed up with the rackets

in the Midwest. Maybe
it was an old grudge.

Of course, uh,

if both Henry and I were dead,

then King would own
all of Everett Aviation.

That would certainly
give King a motive.

I think I'd like all of
you to come downtown

and make a complete statement,

if you don't mind.

Look, let's... We'll go
downtown with the lieutenant

and get this over with,
then we can talk, all right?

All right.

A man's wife and his girlfriend
both see him back from the dead,

and they're both cool,
calm and collected.

The wife, especially.

That is one beautiful icicle.

Or else maybe it wasn't
that much of a surprise.

I'd say Larry King
has the missing pieces.

Except Larry King is
one of the missing pieces.

(knocking at door)

Who is it?

Joe.

Hello, Chris.

I'd like to talk to you.

I thought the police
had taken over.

I'm stubborn. I'm
looking for Brad Everett.

I'm stubborn, too.

I sent him away to
give me time to think.

Instead of sleeping?

My problems are my own.

Well, the last time, they
were shooting at me, too.

Well, maybe if you go away,

they'll stop shooting.

Now, Chris, you
can't make it disappear

by keeping your eyes closed.

It's a mess.

But I'd like you to
help me untangle it.

I can't help. I don't
know anything.

Maybe you do.

Did you get a good look at
that map Brad left behind?

I saw it, yes,

but it was just a lot of ocean.

Now, there's an old
Armenian proverb.

(speaking in Armenian)

What does that mean?

"What the eye truly sees,
the heart never forgets."

Now, you just might be able

to recognize that
particular stretch of ocean.

TROY: Mr. Everett
ordered four ONC charts.

L.A. to roughly Calexico,

then halfway down
the Gulf of California.

From there to
roughly Guadalajara,

and finally, the area
around Mexico City.

What we want are the
charts on the Sea of Cortez.

Oh. Well, it's
five, I'd imagine.

There were some small
islands. I remember that.

That one.

You sure?

Yes, I remember those islands.

Uh-huh. The Marias.

Tres Marias: Maria Magdalena,
Maria Madre, Maria Cleofas.

I don't know the names,
but that's the one.

Does it help?

No.

They're just
everyday ONC charts.

They're the best
commercially available.

Yeah, I know, but if
somebody wanted one,

they could go out and buy it.

They wouldn't have to
go hunting for it with a gun.

Which ones are these?

TROY: Oh, that's
just specks of rock.

That's not one of the Marias.

They're very obscure.

We had a terrible time
trying to find an H.O. chart

for Mr. Everett that
showed this one.

An H.O. chart?

Well, that was
quite a while ago,

and it had nothing to
do with his trip to Mexico.

How do you know that?

Well, it was a
chart for the ocean,

for somebody that sails a boat.

A boat.

Art, I think we found something.

So did we. We found King.

He's holed up in a
building in there with a gun.

He's got Brad
Everett as hostage.

And at last count, he put
two bullets in one of my men.

(car engine starts)

(brakes screeching)

Got him spotted?

He took some potshots
from that window.

With Everett in there,
we can't risk a shoot-out.

MALCOLM: If I rush him, he'll
probably kill some of my men,

and he'll certainly
kill Everett.

(gunshots)

Uh-uh.

No chance.

Keeps moving.

Takes a potshot
every now and then.

It's stupid.

He's just spinning out time.

Sooner or later, he's going to

run out of ammo,
and we'll take him.

He's just adding more charges.

For a smart lawyer, it's stupid.

Or there's some other
reason we haven't thought of.

Great.

You think your deep thoughts.

MALCOLM: I've got
my own little problems.

See if you can find somebody
that knows this layout.

EVERETT: Mannix!

King says he
wants to talk to you!

Mannix, this is King!

What is it?

Don't risk it!

He's gonna shoot me anyway.

Mannix, I want to talk.

Uh-uh.

MANNIX: He may
want to make a deal.

He may want to get a clean shot.

It's not likely.

Besides, what more
have we got to lose?

You.

I can use all
the free publicity.

Cover him.

KING: The stairway, Mannix.

I'm here, King.

(gun cocking)

(two gunshots)

(gunshot)

(groans)

Joe...

Joe, what choice did you have?

I'm okay.

If you could just, uh, get that.

Hey, Mannix, thanks.
You were, you were great.

Was I?

Well, I mean, he
did kill one man

and he was trying to kill you.

Yeah.

Yeah, I guess that made
it necessary to shoot him,

but it didn't make it fun.

I'm sorry.

But it does take a
big weight off of me.

It's over.

(sighs)

It's cold in here.

I wish Brad would get back.

Well, he's just tying
up a few loose ends

with Lieutenant Malcolm.

Would you like to wait outside?

Watching them measure
where the body landed?

No, thanks. (phone ringing)

Mannix here.

Yeah.

I see.

Oh, thanks, Art.

I just want to be
away from here.

Where would you like to go?

I don't know.

I don't know what
I'm going to do.

EVERETT: Well, I do.

And it's gonna be good.

Now that this is finally over,

I'm going to
make it right for us.

In fact, for all of us.

Money... and love.

Hey, it's cold in here.

I'm sorry. Or sensible?

Wh-What do you mean?

Well, Chris has
had time to think.

She faced the fact
that you were dead,

and I think that made
everything a lot clearer.

She's too much woman to
settle for a part-time man.

You just collected
a lot of money.

I didn't expect it to
buy me a put-down.

A lot of money.

Well, I'm afraid
I can't take that.

Why?

Well, it might seem odd...

coming from the man that
killed Marshak and King

and set up his own phony murder.

Now, Mannix, you're,
you're losing me.

No, Everett, I've found you.

Joe, what are you talking about?

Yeah?

Well, let's stop looking at all
this manufactured evidence.

Take a look at the end result.

King dead, Marshak dead,

and you, lucky Brad Everett,

end up owning all
of Everett Aviation

free and clear. You'll
never have to explain

why you milked the company

or how you conned King
and Marshak... they're dead.

You end up being an
instant tycoon again.

Ah, you're, you...
you're putting me on.

You believe him?

I wanted this mess untangled.

Mannix, I came to you, remember?

Yeah, I remember.

And the story held
up until I saw the map.

What map?

The map you left in Chris's car.

I had a dozen maps.

Yeah, plus one
set of boat charts

for a small island off
the coast of Mexico.

I'm a very careful pilot,
and the surface charts

are just in case I
have to come down.

Just in case, out
of the whole Pacific

you have to come
down near one unnamed

piece of rock; come down where

you just happened to be
picked up by a small boat.

That's wild.

(chuckling)

It's really wild.

And risky, but it worked.

You played the nervous target
and sent me out to investigate,

which left no one looking
when you killed Marshak.

Well, now, that's ridiculous.

And what about
King? I didn't kill him.

Neither did I.

It's curious the way
he kept popping out

in front of the windows
almost as if he was shoved.

And then he came out into
plain view and shoots at me.

Almost as if he wanted
to get shot down.

Yes, which is exactly what a
dozen policemen saw you do.

Wrong.

You see, Everett,

King was facing me straight on

when I fired at him.

Lieutenant Malcolm
just called and said

the bullet that killed
King went in from the side.

Now, the only man

who could have shot
King from that angle

was you.

Oh, you were in
there, playing hostage.

You, uh, had a gun on
him, forced him to talk.

And you pushed
him out and shot him.

Brad... is that true?

It's crazy.

He's just spinning his
wheels. He has no proof.

You did.

You killed them.

Now, don't be childish.

And you'll never sell
that story, Mannix.

No chance.

'Cause half the police force
saw me come out of there

with my hands tied behind me.

It took me roughly 30 seconds

and a short piece of wire.

So much for your alibi.

I tied it loosely.

As you said a little
while ago, Everett,

it's all over.

MITCHELL: I like the
way you move, Mannix.

The gun, Mannix.

Slowly.

I'm a pro, too.

Por favor, hombre.

Mitch...

Well, this clears up a lot.

Didn't figure that you'd gamble

on a Mexican
fisherman picking you up.

I'm handy with small
boats... and guns.

Got a problem, huh?

Not anymore, Mitch.

Thank you.

Chris, I left standing orders

to keep a company
plane ready to go.

Now, I took a lot of
money out of this company.

It's all tucked
away very privately.

It's enough for a
good life, Chris.

I don't think I could
lie well enough

to convince you I'd go with you.

I'll be able to keep
it simple, then.

Mannix, I'll let Chris
go as soon as I'm clear.

I'm a rational man.

I only kill for profit.

Now, be sensible.

Don't make any trouble.

It'll be much easier that way.

Bye, Mannix.

Chris.

I don't suppose I
can buy you off?

Not a chance.

Everett!

(gunshot)

(two gunshots)

A stranger.

Hmm?

Brad.

I should feel sick,
sorry or angry...

but I just feel empty.

But you're not
really empty, Chris.

You're free.

There's a difference.

Free? For what?

Unless you've got

an old Armenian
proverb to explain it all.

Well, uh... I'll have to
go to work on that one.

(theme music playing)