Mannix (1967–1975): Season 3, Episode 13 - Tooth of the Serpent - full transcript

(knocking)

WOMAN: Open this door, Cap.

Why did you sneak in?

Why did you lock the door?

Mom, stop bugging me.

Where did you get this?

What have you been doing?

Mom, I bought it from a guy.

We use it for target practice.

What's the matter with me?

Why can't I believe you?



Because you're getting
like Pop, that's why.

You got to believe the worst.

Your father is a detective.

Haven't you got any sense?

No, I haven't got any sense.

And I haven't got
any character, either,

just like he's always told you!

Cap, he wants to be your friend.

You won't let him.

You dropped out of school.

You're never home.

You never talk to him.

(door opens, closes)

Mom... please...



don't tell him about the gun.

Could hear you all
the way down the hall.

What's going on?

Why, nothing, honey.

Nothing.

Come on, honey.

Dinner's ready.

(theme music playing)

♪ ♪

Here, Eve.

I'm so nervous, Peggy.

Maybe I shouldn't have come.

Oh, Eve, you
did the right thing.

Mrs. Chancellor?

Please come in.

Oh, please, sit down.

Peggy tells me this
is about your son.

Yes. Cap.

I didn't know who
else to turn to.

Peggy's husband
and mine started work

on the force at the same time.

Well, maybe we can help you.

If my husband knew I'd come
to see a private investigator,

he'd go through the roof.

Most police detectives would.

Jim more so.

He has to prove something.

Well, that's up to
you, Mrs. Chancellor.

It can't hurt to
talk about it, Eve.

Cap came home
with a gun last night.

I took it away from him.

When I woke up this
morning, he was gone.

He'd taken the gun with him.

Do you have any idea
where he might be?

No, but I found this list
of addresses in his room,

hidden in the back
of a drawer, and, um,

here's a snapshot of Cap.

Peggy,

see if you can make any
sense out of this, huh?

Right.

Mrs. Chancellor, does your
husband know about the gun?

No.

Is he out looking for your son?

No.

He's too angry at him.

Besides, Jim's
working on a big case.

The Guardian
Armored Car robbery.

Yeah, I read about that.

Uh, two guards killed,
$350,000 still missing.

Besides that list of addresses,

is there anything
else you can tell me?

We have the generation
gap, too, Mr. Mannix.

You're that far apart,
you and Cap, huh?

Well, the building on
top of the ground is bad,

but the foundation
is still all right, I think.

Good. Now, he may
try and phone you.

If he does, stall him,
and then find a way

to get in touch with us
to tell us he's on the line,

hmm?

All right, I'll do my best.

Thank you, Mr. Mannix.

And try not to worry.

All warehouses.

All?

All.

Do you think Cap's
planning to bust one of them?

I don't know.

I just hope he calls her.

(phone ringing)

Hello.

Oh, Cap, honey.

Hold on; the
water's boiling over.

(whispering): Get
Mr. Mannix's office.

Hello, Cap?

(crying): Honey, you don't know
how much we've missed you.

If you've done anything
wrong, we can straighten it out.

I know we can.

Look, Mom, please don't cry.

I know it's been three days,
but everything's all right.

I'm just fine.

I got a few things I got
to work out, that's all.

Yes, Dan, I've got
Mannix on the car phone.

Hurry, please.

Hang on. We're getting it.

Right. Right.

Thanks a million.

Pay phone at Fifth and Columbia.

Right.

Mom, stop worrying about me.

No, I don't want you to
know where I'm living.

I got to be on my
own for a while.

Cap, please.

Mom, I can't just stand
here talking to you all day.

I got to go.

I'll call you again.

Hey, that's mine!

Cut it, cut it...!

Cut it out, you
punks! Now, cut it!

Cut it out! Cut it out!

CAP: He stole my
money! Hey! Hey!

Hey!

Cut it out!

He stole my money!

MAN: What are you,
some kind of a hothead?

Maybe I ought to call the cops.

Cops? Listen, my
old man's a cop.

He'll make it real rough on me.

Yeah, well, you should
have thought of that before.

That's your problem.

CAP: Come on,
Mister, please let me go.

Come on. He'll kill me.

Oh, beat it.

Thanks.

Wasn't that Mannix?

Yeah, and that looked
like Jim Chancellor's kid.

I want to see Mannix.

Lieutenant
Chancellor to see you.

Hello, Chancellor. Sit down.

An hour ago, you were
seen chasing my kid.

I was?

Where was he headed?

I don't know. I lost him.

Why were you
following him, Mannix?

Your wife's a friend of Peggy's.

She told her Cap had left home.

Oh, and that just
made your heart bleed,

so you had to go after him.

You're really uptight,
aren't you, Chancellor?

Now you just stay out of
my family affairs, Mannix.

If my kid's missing, I'll
be the one to find him.

(door slams)

Pardon me.

5:00, pal.

We're closing.

Well, my name is Mannix.

I'm a private investigator.

Have you had any robberies
or trespassers lately?

Not that I know of, but I just
came back from my vacation.

I'll ask the night watchman.

He just came on.

Hey, Eberhard...

we have any trespassers
while I was gone?

Nope.

Uh, the name of this
warehouse, along with ten others,

was on a list
belonging to the kid

that was in that fight
you broke up today.

You saw that?

Yeah. Coincidence, huh?

Yeah.

Can you tell me
anything about it?

Mr. Mannix is a
private investigator.

Beats me.

How long have you
worked for this company?

Six years.

And you've never
seen that boy before?

No, never.

Thanks.

Anytime.

Right, Dan.

Okay, but keep on trying, huh?

Thanks.

Any luck?

Not yet.

His father's turning the
whole town upside down.

Sure hope you get to Cap first.

Look, uh, Peggy,
call his school.

Maybe they can
tell us something.

That coffee hot?

Yeah. But he's a dropout.

He's been out of
school for over a year.

Yeah, I know, but kids don't
always drop their friends.

It's a chance.

Hey, Mister!

Mister!

What do you know?

Oh. It's you again.

Yeah.

What's going on?

How come some private
eye named Mannix shows up

where I work with a list
he says belongs to you?

A list of warehouses.

How come you keep
showing up all the time?

What list? What are
you talking about?

Come on. You know what list!

Stop playing games.

Oh, that list.

Well, I told you... My
old man's a detective.

I mean, that was his list.

He's on the armored car robbery.

Maybe he was checking
those places out for the loot!

How come a private eye?

How would I know?

Maybe he works

for some warehouse
association or something.

You must have
read about the case.

350 grand missing, and
not a cent's ever showed up.

Hey, you work in a warehouse?

That's wild!

That's really way-out.

Maybe he's looking for you.

For me?

I'm a night watchman, kid.

I'm aiming for Social
Security, that's all.

Well, that's okay with me.

I mean, you did me
a favor yesterday.

I just wanted to say thanks.

Okay, you said it.

I think your hunch paid off.

Cap had one special
friend at school.

A kid named Rich
Gaines; also a dropout.

Where does he live?

112... Berkeley Street.

CAP: Come on, Rich!

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

One-way.

(door opens)

(footsteps approaching)

(door opens, closes)

JIM: Hold it right
there, Mannix.

All right, Mannix,

I want to know who
you're working for

and what you were doing there.

Don't push me, Lieutenant.

I'm on a case.

Yeah?

Who's your client?

Now you know better than that.

Someone saw you climbing
the roof of the warehouse

and called us.

The act of a
responsible citizen.

What were you doing up there?

My job.

That's all you have to say?

That's it.

All right.

I can book you on illegal entry.

But you won't.

I want to know what's going on.

Now what were you
doing in that warehouse?

Sorry, Lieutenant.

I can't tell you that.

Now, if you're not
gonna book me...

I'll be on my way.

"Thought to be an inside job."

Hm.

The police got anything
that wasn't in the papers?

Only that the explosive
was placed under the hood

shortly beforehand,

and it was detonated by radio.

Radio... Something strike you?

Yeah.

I happen to know someone
who's just great with radios.

Eberhard tells me a detective
pulled you in last night.

What were you doing here?

Following someone
who didn't make a move.

Say, I'd like to look at
Eberhard's employment records.

Eberhard? Why?

Any objection?

No. No, not really.

Just that I'm surprised.

He's the best man we
ever had here on this job.

You could use a
little air-conditioning.

Eberhard was loaned to the
Guardian Armored Car Company?

That was over a year ago.

You trying to tie
him in with that?

Coincidences are
piling up a little.

He was on duty here
the night of the robbery.

How do you know that?

I was here when he checked
in, and when he checked out.

Besides...

here are his punch tapes.

You can look for yourself.

The robbery took place
at 2:10 in the morning,

and it was across town.

Eberhard punched
in at 2:00 a.m.,

and then again at 2:12.

He couldn't possibly.

That'd make a perfect
alibi, wouldn't it?

How about his punch clock?

Don't you ever give up?

That's how I earn my living.

Being stubborn.

Well, uh, thanks.

What's that you're copying?

Eberhard's former addresses.

You're barking up the
wrong tree, Mannix.

Well, maybe.

But if you bark up the
wrong tree long enough,

sometimes, someone from
the right tree might come down.

(knocking)

Mr. Mannix.

Mrs. Chancellor.
Come in. Come in.

Please.

Thank you.

Uh, what have you found out?

Is Cap all right?

Mrs. Chancellor... (sighs)

I think Cap and his
friend Rich Gaines

are mixed up in something big.

What?

The, uh, Guardian
Armored Car case.

I don't believe it.

Cap a killer.

Well, now, I don't think it's as
bad as that, Mrs. Chancellor.

Not from what little I know.

You see, a man
named Eberhard lived

in an apartment at
112 Berkley Street.

And, now, Rich
Gaines lives there.

But I don't understand.

I got a feeling that
they ran into something

tying Eberhard into
the Guardian case.

Now, my guess is that
he is the one involved

and that Cap and
Rich are planning

to take the money he's hidden.

Then they haven't
done anything yet?

As far as I know, all they've
done is break into a warehouse.

Then stop them
before it gets any worse.

Mrs. Chancellor...

I think your husband
ought to know.

No, he'll arrest Cap.

I know he will.

Well, he might
arrest Cap, but, uh,

isn't that better than gunplay

or having Cap run away
and never come back?

I don't want Jim to know.

(door opens)

I told you to stay out
of my affairs, Mannix.

He's just Peggy's boss.

You hired him.

You hired him!

He's helping us, Jim!

All right, out with
it! All of it! Say it!

All right!

Yes, I hired him!

To find Cap.

So that's why you
were following him.

Your wife was worried.

You didn't even try to find him.

Tr-Try to find him?!

I spent 17 years
trying to find him!

Maybe it was time for
him to do a little finding...

and maybe being off on
his own would do it for him.

You are blind.

You don't see what's going on.

Well, I might, if it weren't
going on behind my back.

Oh, you're a tough cop!

You only see what
you want to see!

Yes, I'm a tough
cop. I have to be.

You don't have to
be hard and cruel

and cut your son
out of your life!

All right, Mannix,
where's the boy?

I can't tell you that
unless your wife...

He was the one who broke
into the warehouse, wasn't he?

Now, where is he?

I can't tell you, Jim,

unless I get permission
from my client.

Your client.

Well, you're not on this
case anymore; you're fired.

Don't tell him, Mr. Mannix.

I said he's fired!

Now, fire him.

Fire him!

Mr. Mannix, go to Cap.

Mannix, I'll follow you.

I'll follow you.

When you contact
him, I'll pick him up.

You'll destroy us all!

Who are you
calling? My secretary.

I'm going to tell her

to let Cap know
you're after him.

He broke the law.

He broke the law.

You're aiding and
abetting a criminal!

Tell him he's through.

Tell him he's through!

Tell him!

I'm sorry, Mr. Mannix.

I have to do what my
husband tells me to.

Okay, Jim.

I'm off the case.

All right.

It's police business now.

Where is he?

112 Berkley Street.

Who's in it with him?

Rich Gaines, Caucasian.

Take it easy, Mrs. Chancellor.

He always wins.

(sobbing): There's
nothing I can ever do.

There's something
you can do this time.

What?

Hire me back.

(knocking on door)

Who's there? Who is it?

RICH: Stop worrying.

It's me.

Hi.

Oh. Everything go
okay with Eberhard?

Perfect.

I tailed him home
just for kicks.

You are too much.

(laughing)

Hey, tonight is the night.

I went by the diner
yesterday, said thanks.

Eberhard was a little
shook up, but he bought it.

You went and talked to him?

Are you out of your
woolly-headed mind?

Easy, Rich.

Cool it.

We know he's running scared.

He already bought a
ticket for Switzerland.

Yeah, but I
wanted to nail it in.

And what if he panics
and changes his mind?

He won't.

The day you found that
sketch here things changed.

You used to be cool, real cool.

But you got a family.

That's your hang-up.

Since your old man is involved,

you're like in a
sweat all the time.

Shut up, Rich.

Just shut up!

We do it my way, or I'm out!

Okay. Okay.

We take the gun,

and we stay with
Eberhard all day.

As long as he doesn't change
his plans, we got him bagged.

Yeah.

(laughing): All
right. That's better.

All right, right
there is just fine.

Now what are you
punks up to, huh?

Why the gun?

You must be flipping out.

We're not up to anything.

Now, I want an answer.

Your mother put a
private detective on you.

I fired him.

Pop, are you trying to
say you did that as a favor?

Now, what were you
doing in that warehouse?

He followed you
there, didn't he?

We were just scouting around.

What for?

Why? Was anything missing?

Now you keep your
mouth buttoned up.

What makes you think
everything I do is no good?

Why are you always
jumping to conclusions?

Maybe it's not
what you think it is.

Then you explain it.

Real simple, so
I can understand.

I... Cap, cool it.

I told you... buttoned!

What for? I'm not under arrest.

I got a right to talk.

Buttoned!

Now, why did you leave home,

what are you doing with a gun,

and what were you
doing in that warehouse?

Nothing.

Now, Cap, you lay it out,

or so help me,
you're going to jail!

My dad.

His big moment.

He gets to book his own son.

(grunts)

You didn't have to do that.

(Jim groans)

(groans)

I'm going to tell him.

No, you're not.

(groaning)

Oh.

Give him this.

(groaning)

Here, Pop.

(sighs)

(gasps)

What did you put in that water?

He needs a few hours' rest.

He'll float.

You shouldn't have done it.

You should have asked me.

We had to do it.

We?!

You mean you.

He would have staked
out the warehouse.

Now, this is going to work
out just the way you want it.

He's so tough when
he's on his feet.

Lying down, he's just
like everybody else.

Yeah, well, we got work to do.

Let's get out of here.

Okay.

Let's do it.

Don't touch a thing.

Now, Peggy, send an ambulance
to Rich Gaines's apartment.

Then get the police
to keep an eye

on Transglobe's Flight
137 to Switzerland.

Yeah, Eberhard's booked to
leave on that flight at midnight.

The kids?

No, but I'm going
to try and find them.

What's that you found?

A man named Eberhard
once live in this room?

Yeah, that's right.

Oh. Do you remember

if Rich Gaines ever
went through the trash?

Well, as a matter of fact,

the second day he was
here, he asked my wife

if he could go through the
trash and look for a sock.

That buddy of his
went down with him.

It's all beginning to add up.

What's that paper?

Oh, this? Uh, this is what
Gaines found in the trash.

Could be worth $350,000.

Maybe I ought to call
and see if he's okay.

Suppose the place
caught fire or something.

Forget it.

By tomorrow morning,
he'll be a new man.

So will you.

All we have to do is
keep tabs on Eberhard.

What's he doing?

My old man said
he was off the case.

Your old man was lying.

You were sensational, buddy boy.

Sensational.

That gives us a clear field.

♪ ♪

EVE: The doctor said to
stay in bed until morning.

Now, Jim... Yeah.

(groans)

I'm going after them. Don't go.

Don't, Jim.

They almost killed me.

Not Cap.

He wouldn't.

Ah, you don't know your own son.

They have to be stopped.

Someone else can stop them.

Mannix?

Jim, I need you.

I need Cap, too.

Please, don't go.

Get my clothes.

(tires screeching)

(tires squealing)

Chancellor, the two
boys are in there.

Hold it, Mannix.

Will you stop being so
stubborn and listen for a change?

Turn around. I'm
handcuffing you to the car.

While you're doing that, you
might as well look in my pocket.

There's a sketch
there showing exactly

how the Guardian
Armored Car was hijacked.

Yeah, that's right.

Where'd you get this?

It used to belong to
Eberhard, the night watchman.

But he was on duty
here at the warehouse

the night of the robbery.

Yeah, but he jimmied
the punch clock

so the tapes would
tell a different story.

He had plenty of time to go
over and blow up that armored car,

kill two guards and get
back here with the money.

Money's in the warehouse?

Yeah, I think so.

The boys made
contact with Eberhard

by staging a phony fight.

Then they scared him by
saying you were on his tail.

They're up there waiting
for him to make his move,

which is gonna be tonight.

Uh-huh.

Chancellor, don't
try this alone.

Eberhard's a killer and
the boys are in there.

It's my case, Mannix,
and it's my son!

You know, I was always told

when a cop got personally
involved in a case,

he either withdrew
or came with a partner.

Maybe this ax is a little
too big for you to grind.

Yeah, well, they
tried to kill me.

One of them.

The other one put a
pillow under your head.

Mannix, I want to
handle my own problems.

Yeah, so much so,

you'd risk destroying
your son and your wife

while I'm locked to this car.

Well, maybe you're right.

Alone is one thing I learned

not to do first
day on the force.

Come on.

♪ ♪

Sonny.

(cocks gun)

I'll take the hardware.

EBERHARD: You
almost had me fooled,

you punks, and you blew it.

You know why?

Because you don't
know your own father.

If Chancellor was
suspicious of me,

he'd have had me
down at the station house

ten times a day.

When he didn't, I figured
something was wrong.

I don't know how
you got on to me,

but it doesn't matter.

Because all I gotta do
is kill the both of you,

and it'd look like I
was doing my job.

You kill us and you're finished.

You know that.

What have I got to lose?

All right, come on.

EBERHARD: Go over there.

Grab that torch.

EBERHARD: Cut off the
end of that air compressor.

(torch hissing, crackling)

You know, Eberhard,
you're a smart guy.

RICH: You met us
only a couple of times,

you figured this out perfectly.

Me, I'm smart, too.

I know when someone's
got the upper hand.

Listen, uh... I got an idea.

(gunshot)

You shot him.

I didn't shoot him.

You did.

Now get to work, pal.

I'm gonna take that loot,

and then I'm gonna
have to kill you.

You and Eberhard
just had a shoot-out.

That's the way it lays out.

Some joke.

Rich, you can't mean it.

Rich, you can't.

We were in this
just to show my Pop!

We were gonna
bring him the dough,

split the reward.

RICH: Get going!

Come on, Rich.

Put the gun down.

Get to work, boy!

Rich, listen.

Hurry up!

Hold it, Rich.

There's a gun on you.

Pop, are you all right?

You stepped right
in front of him, Pop.

You walked right
in front of his gun!

Should I...

Should I call an ambulance
or should I stay with you?

I better stay with you.

We need an ambulance!

We need an ambulance!

Rich!

Now, you don't want
to pull that trigger, Rich.

You don't want to shoot
someone else, especially

since it's not gonna
do you any good.

Besides... you still
haven't got the money.

It's back there
where Eberhard left it.

I don't care.

I-I'm alone in the world,

and either I'll kill
you and get out,

or you'll kill me.

And either way
it's okay with me.

Get me the police.

(crying)

Pop?

Please be all right.

Please don't die.

Whatever you do, don't die.

I'll change.

I'll listen.

I need you, Pop.

I really need you.

Don't give up, Pop.

Don't give up.

Listen, I'm sorry about
what I did to you and Mom.

I-I just wanted you to see...

I-I just wanted you to see
that I was worth something.

(stifled sob) Pop...

The ambulance is on its way.

Hang on, Pop.

Hang on.

Don't die.

Him?

No way.

(theme music playing)