Mannix (1967–1975): Season 3, Episode 14 - Medal for a Hero - full transcript

(lock clicks)

(phone ringing)

Pickman.

Oh, yes, sir.

That stuff came in last night.

I think so.

(man speaking
indistinctly over phone line)

I-I'll check it right...

Yes, yes, sir, I'll
check it right away.

Right away.

(tires screeching)



♪ ♪

(whistles)

Sergeant Ives will
want to see this.

Sergeant.

Looks like the stuff
from the Jorgen heist.

Nearly a hundred
of these, Sergeant.

In a crate marked
"Industrial Machinery"

and weighted down with lead.

Fenneman Furs, quality stuff.

Other labels, too.

All the best stores in town.

It's a regular clearinghouse.

Sergeant?

Look at this.



In your division, aren't they?

SERGEANT: Yeah, Officers
Warren Hoxie and Vic Heineman.

Looks like they've been
on the take a long time.

250 a week.

Goes back nearly two years.

That'd be almost as long as
this series of unsolved burglaries.

Dan? Yeah?

Marcus Fair was an
old pal of yours, huh?

Yeah.

Yeah, he was killed
in the Jorgen heist.

He had a wife and a kid.

She works for Joe Mannix.

All he left behind was
the Medal of Valor.

Looks like they gave
it to the wrong man.

What's that supposed to mean?

He was on the take.

Sorry, Sergeant.

His name's in the book, too.

(theme music playing)

♪ ♪

(children chattering)

TOBY: Take it
back! Take it back!

Take it back! Take it back!

Hey! Hey! Hey! Oh.

What...? Wait a minute.

What brought this all on?

Well?

I think my mother
wants me, Mrs. Fair.

Okay, Billy.

No one's keeping you.

Anyway, I just said
what I heard on the radio.

What's the matter, Toby?

Did he say that O.J.
Simpson was a better player

than Mike Garrett?

Well, Toby, honey.

(crying): He said Daddy
was a crooked cop.

Peggy, just because

his name was on a list
doesn't prove anything.

Toby...

now, you know your father
was a good cop, don't you?

Oh, yes, sir, I know.

Or they wouldn't have
given him this, would they?

Medal of Valor.

Now, that's really
something, isn't it?

You only get it for g-gall...

Gallantry above and
beyond the call of duty.

Yeah.

Yeah.

(knocking)

Toby, you wash
up for dinner now.

Okay, Mommy.

Hi, Dan!

Hi, Peg.

Peggy, this is
Lieutenant Burdette.

Hello.

Uh, may we come in?

Of course.

Thank you.

Oh, hi, Dan.

Joe.

Oh, this is my boss,
Mr. Mannix, Lieutenant Burdette.

Hello, Lieutenant.

I'm sorry, Peg.

A search warrant?!

What are you looking for?

Just what it says there...
Stolen furs and jewelry.

I'll take this room.

But my son's in there.

Well, you better
call him in here, then.

Oh, there's no stolen property
in the boy's room, Lieutenant.

You can take my word for it.

I'm not interested in your word,

and I'd advise you just to keep
out of this, Mr. Mannix, huh?

Cool it, will you, Larry?

Now we got a job to do.

You don't have to throw
your weight around to do it.

Well, the officers on the
payoff list got a little bonus...

Stolen furs and jewelry
for their girlfriends.

And you think Marc...

I haven't any furs,

and this is the only
jewelry that I own.

May I see them?

That's out, Larry.

They were married
for over eight years.

Have you had those rings
for eight years, Mrs. Fair?

You don't have to say a word
unless you want to, Peggy.

(sighs)

Marcus couldn't afford to
buy me an engagement ring

before we were married.

He gave this to me on
our seventh anniversary.

And when was that?

Two months before he was killed.

Well, you know where he
bought it, don't you, Peggy?

It was a surprise.

Now, if none of the
merchants identify this

as stolen property, it
will be returned to you.

This, uh... this your
room, Mrs. Fair?

If you don't mind.

I know where everything is.

Well, we, uh, might as
well get this over with.

(sighs) Oh, come on now, Dan.

There's nothing in this room
but the boy's clothes and toys.

Look, Joe, I don't like
this any better than you do.

Marcus was my friend, too.

We started on the
force the same time.

Yeah, I know, I know.

That buddy of yours, Burdette...

He's got all the
charm of a tiger snake.

Yeah, well,

Larry takes this
thing very personally.

He won't be satisfied till
he pulls this thing apart

and spits the pieces
into the garbage can.

Why take it out on Peggy?

Well, I suppose because

the other two guys
weren't really locals.

They were transfers
from Coronado Park.

(water running)

Dan... (door closing)

what have they
got against Marcus

besides his name
being on that list?

One... all the robberies
occurred in his area.

His and Warren Hoxie's.

They were both assigned
to Patrol Car A-67.

Two... we've dug up witnesses
who spotted the car at the scene

of two of the robberies.

Apparently, Joe,

they were standing
lookout for the burglars.

Wait a minute. Marcus was killed

trying to prevent that
jewelry store burglary.

Not according to the
man who killed him.

Donnelly?

He was convicted
and sent up for life.

Yeah, well, he's appealing.

He's claiming self-defense.

He claims Marcus wasn't
acting as a police officer.

Well, as what then?

As an accomplice.

Sure, Marcus was my accomplice.

He was in on it all the way.

Why didn't you plead
self-defense at the first trial?

You're putting me on, man.

Who'd have taken my
word against a dead hero's?

His unsupported word, at that.

But it isn't unsupported
now, Mr. Mannix.

There's corroboration.

The payoff list.

Exactly.

Clayton, tell Mr. Mannix

precisely what
happened that night.

It was a real smooth operation,

or at least we thought
it was going to be.

(thump)

Man, you scared
me half to death.

What are you doing
in here, anyway?

You're supposed to be
outside keeping an eye out.

While you guys lap
up the real gravy, huh?

He was half drunk,

or maybe he wouldn't
have done what he did.

What have you got in your hand?

Unset diamonds, but
look, Marcus, you...

And hard to trace, huh?

I'll take 'em as my cut.

Look, you get yours in payoff.

Now, get outside
where you belong.

Okay, hand 'em over, Clay.

(gunshot)

(gunshot)

(gunshots)

I was lucky, believe me.

He was too smashed to
shoot the side of a barn.

But you weren't,
and you killed him?

Well, it's self-defense.

Your word against
a dead man's, right?

Right.

And some names and
figures you call a payoff list.

Oh, that isn't all we've got
against Fair, Mr. Mannix.

There's more.

What?

A witness who actually
saw him accept a bribe.

From whom?

I'd rather not go
into that just now.

Hmm. Who's the witness?

My girl, Hettie Wills.

Please, Clay!

That's in confidence,
Mr. Mannix.

There are other matters

I want you to concentrate
on if you're going

to work for us.

(bangs hand on table) Sorry.

But Sergeant Ives
implied you were available.

Ives was wrong.

I've already got a client.

Who?

Oh, I don't think you'd
know him, Mr. Ogilvie.

He's only eight years old.

Thanks, Vic.

Hey, what are you doing here?

I thought I told you to
take a couple of days off.

I had to come in, Joe.

Look, why don't you
go home and relax

and let me handle this, huh?

I'm not a porcelain doll, okay?

Okay.

Donnelly says his girl
actually saw Marcus

accept a bribe.

I don't believe it!

No, but if she's gonna testify,

she's gonna have to identify
the man who paid him the bribe.

He must be the one
who put Marcus's name

on the payoff list.

I'd like to know why.

Avery Pickman?

The manager of the warehouse?

Maybe.

The police think so.

Peggy, Donnelly's
girlfriend's name is Hettie Wills.

See if you can locate her.

Okay.

Would you, for me, go see
Warren Hoxie, Marcus's old partner?

I think he'd help
us if he could.

Is he in custody?

No, just suspended.

He's at 614 Fifth.

Apartment 309.

♪ ♪

(doorbell rings)

Can't you let the
dead rest in peace?

How about Marcus Fair, Hoxie?

Can he rest in peace?

I'm the living dead, friend.

He's the dead dead. They
can't hurt him anymore.

They can hurt his wife and kid.

I'm Joe Mannix.

Peggy Fair works for me.

What do you want?

You can help me.

Me?

How?

I'd like to know how Marcus
Fair's name got on that list.

It's all they've
got against him.

Well, that's all they
got against any of 'em.

Is it?

I heard you and Heineman
wrapped some furs

around your girlfriends.

We bought 'em
off a street peddler.

Can you prove it?

Can they prove I didn't?

Is that the story you told
Internal Investigation?

I didn't give them any story.

On the advice of
counsel, I took the Fifth.

I see.

You see what?

They can bust me off the force,

but why should I talk
myself into prison?

You can't clear Marcus Fair

without incriminating
yourself, is that it?

Maybe, maybe not.

But what's a dead's
man reputation worth

compared to seven
years in the pen?

Look, if Marcus
is clean I'm clean,

and so is Heineman.

Don't forget we were all
in the same boat together.

What boat?

Patrol Car A-67.

I thought the letter "A"
stood for a two-man car.

It does.

Heineman filled in
on Fair's days off.

What are you doing here, Mannix?

Well, that's between me
and my client, Lieutenant.

You gonna get out of my way,
or do I walk right through you?

You were here to see
Warren Hoxie, weren't you?

I'm trying to clear Marcus Fair.

Any objections?

The police can wash
their own dirty linen

without your help.

Maybe I can furnish the soap.

Don't get smart with me, Mannix.

Technically,
Lieutenant, that's assault.

You like to try for battery?

Yes, Hettie Wills.

Oh, look, Vic, are you giving
me the runaround, by any chance?

(sighs)

Because of Marcus.

All right, all right.

I take it back.

Yeah.

Thanks, anyway, Vic.

Hmm.

What was that all about?

I was trying to find someone
down at headquarters

to give us a lead on
locating Hettie Wills.

But all of a sudden,
I'm an outsider.

It's not you, Peggy.

It's me.

Why you?

Well... forget it.

Hey, what about
that license number?

Oh, I'm getting that.

At least Katie down
in DMV still likes me.

(tapping) Oh, Dan.

Hi.

Hey, Dan, what's up?

Oh, just a certain
Lieutenant's dander.

Word to the wise, Joe.

Stay away from him.

You came all the way
down here to tell me that?

Well, I-I was in
the neighborhood.

Then have a cup of coffee.

Thanks, Joe.

I've got to go.

Dan...

who was assigned to Car
A-67 the dates of the burglaries?

Marcus and Hoxie, I guess.

I... Not Heineman and Hoxie?

I should have thought of it.

I just didn't think
about Heineman

being Hoxie's partner.

He only filled in occasionally.

Joe, you mean,

on the night of
the burglaries...

If they occurred on
Marcus's night off...

Which I suspect is
what we'll find out.

(sighs)

Thanks, Dan.

(crying)

No... don't mind me.

I choke up watching commercials.

I'll check those dates, Joe.

Thanks, Dan.

Hey.

(chuckles)

Hey now, take it easy.

PEGGY: Good night, Mrs.
Hackett, and thank you.

Hello, Mommy. Hi, darling.

I didn't mean to wake you up.

I like to be waked up like that.

Did Mrs. Hackett
give you dinner?

Then off to bed.

Mr. Mannix, will they
take this back now?

Well, of course not, Toby.

Peggy, uh, does this
book mean anything to you?

It's Marcus's daybook.

I couldn't bring
myself to look at it

after he was killed.

Look at this. Routine reports.

Investigations under progress.

Complaints answered.

And then the last four
days, nothing but numbers.

Why?

I don't know.

Tell me, uh, those
last few days of his life,

what was Marcus's attitude?

Attitude?

His state of mind.

Troubled.

More troubled than
I'd ever seen him.

Honey, what's bothering you?

Nothing, Peg. Oh, come on now.

I know better than that.

You've been worried
sick these past few days.

Isn't it bad enough to
be a policeman's wife

without having to put
up with his problems?

You concentrate on the loving,

leave the worrying to me.

Then he went
back to his daybook.

Then later...

What's wrong, honey? Nothing.

I have to go out for a while.

But you're off duty tonight.

A cop's never off duty, honey.

Take care.

One more for the road?

A man could get
smashed on those.

(door opens and shuts)

And that was the last night?

And earlier in the evening he
was brooding over this book?

Yes.

Then, even though
he was off duty,

he went out.

There's a connection.

He wasn't patrolling...

I don't think he just, uh,
blundered onto that robbery.

I think he knew it
was gonna happen.

Then he would have reported it.

What if he wasn't sure?
What if he just had a hunch?

What if he suspected his
partner of being involved?

And Hoxie was, you know.

Oh, that would have torn
Marcus up pretty badly

to inform on a fellow officer.

Yeah, particularly on a hunch.

Peggy, Marcus was too good a cop

not to keep up his daybook.

And he did keep it
up, but in such a way

that he wouldn't hurt his friend

if his hunch
happened to be wrong.

I think this is a code.

(piano jazz playing)
BOBBY: Elementary.

MANNIX: Can you decode it?

Sure. How long will it take?

A day, maybe.

You know, I've
got to admit, Bobby,

I never really
believed those stories

about you being with G-2.

You really were an
intelligence officer.

If you saw my old
uniform, you'd believe it.

Shiny only in the
seat of the pants.

Another case

of the Army putting a round
peg in a square hole, huh?

No, not so.

Musicians make
great cryptologists.

They have a natural ear for it.

To say nothing of the eye.

What's this, but a code?

With its bars and clefs,

sharps and flats,
majors and minors?

There's a call for
you, Mr. Mannix.

Ah, thank you.

I'll get back to you.

♪ ♪

Hello.

Joe, I finally got it.

Hettie Wills lives
at 5693 Peck Place.

How'd you manage it?

Marcus had a lot of
friends beside policemen.

I spread the word and one
of them just got back to me.

Joe...

when you see her, I
want to go with you.

Sure.

Hettie Wills?

My name is Joe Mannix.

This is Peggy Fair.

Mrs. Marcus Fair.

Clay Donnelly says you
saw Marcus Fair paid off.

Who was the payoff
man, Miss Wills?

Was it Avery Pickman?

Why don't you ask him?

Clay Donnelly said to ask you.

Look, I'm trying to
spare this girl's feelings.

I know what it's like
to lose your man.

Now Clay's got one
foot in the gas chamber.

If you think I'm going

to help you drag in his
other foot, you're crazy!

Miss Wills, we're not
here to hurt Clay Donnelly,

but I don't want my son

to grow up thinking that
his father was crooked.

What are you worried about?

The honkeys'll whitewash
your man along with their own.

That's not true.

Charges are
pending against them.

They'll pend for a long time.

Little cops don't get rich

unless some big
wheel gets richer.

What big wheel?

Never you mind.

But they won't dig up any dirt.

They'll just sweep
it under the rug.

Avery Pickman!

Get down!

(gunshot)

(gunshot)

(gunshot)

(gun chamber clicks)

(tires squeal)

Lieutenant, don't shoot!

His gun was empty.

How was I supposed to know that?

I yelled at you not to shoot.

You closed his
mouth, Lieutenant.

And you closed it permanently.

And who's to blame, huh?

Now we had that house
under surveillance.

We would have taken him
alive if it hadn't have been for you.

Mannix, I'm going to
have your license for this.

Thanks, Katie.

License number Z-R-R-380

is registered to a man
named Elbert Jensen.

Two addresses and
phone numbers...

Residence and business.

Try the business.

Right.

(phone ringing through, click)

Martin Ogilvie, attorney-at-law.

It's Donnelly's lawyer.

Is this Mr. Ogilvie?

No. This is Elbert Jensen,
Mr. Ogilvie's private secretary.

Can I help you?

Uh, no, thank you.

I'll call back later.

Now why would
Ogilvie's private secretary

be calling on Warren Hoxie?

Peggy, find out from
Dan if the handwriting

in the payoff list
is Avery Pickman's.

And if it isn't?

Then the head of
the burglary ring

is still alive and breathing.

Who?

The man behind Ogilvie.

The man who gave him the
money to defend Donnelly.

I happen to know
Donnelly's tapped out,

and Ogilvie isn't defending him

out of the goodness
of his heart.

Bobby! Bobby.

Joe, I'm sorry.

I tried to stall him, but
he dragged me over here.

Hand it over, Mannix.

Hand what over?

You know what I'm talking about!

Give it to him, Bobby.

(sighs)

Well, withholding evidence.

That'll be one more charge
against you at the hearing.

What hearing?

You're to appear

before the Department
of Professional Licenses

tomorrow at 5:00 to show cause
why yours shouldn't be revoked.

I'll see you there.

How'd he find out?

I called the Police
Academy to find out

if it was some kind
of a stock police code.

It isn't,

but I guess word
got back to Burdette.

Well, that daybook
was our only lead.

BOBBY: It still is, pal.

I photographed every page.

(taps shoulder)

BOBBY: That's the word
that occurs most often.

MANNIX: Then Marcus was
investigating the burglaries.

That's right.

You see how the code
works? No, not quite.

Oh, I learned a long time
ago that A is the first letter

in the alphabet,
and B is the second,

but how can the same
digit represent A and U?

You got to
distinguish the sharps

from the flats, old boy.

Go on.

BOBBY: Well, you see the digit 1

under the letter
A is a straight line.

The digit 1 under the
letter U is a straight line

with a bar across the bottom.

Making it represent 21,

or the 21st letter
of the alphabet.

MANNIX: I see.

And the second digit 2
has a little curlicue on top,

and the number 2 under
the letter B has none.

That's the idea.

Here's the first page, decoded.

That's it! When can
you get the rest of it?

Sometime this afternoon.

Hurry it up, will you, genius?

Joe,

what if Hoxie suspected
Marcus was on his trail?

What if he had him set
up for Clay Donnelly?

Are you out of
your mind, Mannix?

I wouldn't connive with
a punk like Donnelly.

You're conniving
with him right now.

What are you talking about? How?

By letting him get away

with the charge that
Marcus was his accomplice.

All right!

Donnelly was lying.

Now, will you let go of me?!

So Marcus wasn't his accomplice?

No!

Can you prove it?

Sure, I can.

Then why haven't you?

Because I want
to forget that night.

Forget that you were
bought by the gang?

Everybody's going
to know that, anyway.

Look, haven't I told
you enough already?

You can clear Marcus.

I've got to know it all.

I can't tell you any more.

Why?

Because you killed Marcus?

Get off of that!

That's what you
want to forget, isn't it?

(bottle breaking)

Isn't it?

No!

I could have saved
him, and I didn't.

That's what I want to forget.

What's taking so long?

You're under arrest.

On your feet with your hands up.

I should have
broken in right then

and sided Marcus,
but I... I couldn't move.

I froze.

(gunshots)

(groans)

Hey, what are you doing?!

I want you to tell Sergeant
Ives what you just told me.

No! No?!

No, I talk to my lawyer first.

If you interfere,
Mannix, I'll clam up.

I want him with me
when I surrender.

All right.

(hangs up receiver)

When?

In an hour. He's coming here.

You'll call me afterwards?

I'll call you.

(clatter)

Let's give him a chance, Peggy.

He said an hour.

I still think you should have
reported that little incident

outside the building.

(knocking)

Hi, Dan. Joe.

Peg, I got some good news.

On the dates of
all the burglaries,

Marcus was off duty.

Heineman and Hoxie
were assigned to Car 67.

Thanks, Dan.

Who was responsible
for the assignments?

Their watch officer,
Lieutenant Burdette. Why?

(door opens, shuts)
And another thing.

The handwriting on that
payoff list was not Pickman's.

Maybe it was some guy
whose initials are L.B.

What?

I decoded the rest
of the daybook.

What daybook?

Lieutenant Burdette took...

Didn't he tell you?

No.

What about L.B.?

Marcus suspected the
payoff money was given

to just one cop

who divided it with
the others. Who?

I'm not certain.

Marcus also wrote

that he overheard Hoxie mention
the name of the payoff man.

To him, it sounded
like the initials L.B.

That could be any one
of a thousand people.

I'll talk to the captain.

I'm sure Larry turned
that book over to him.

And if he didn't?

Shouldn't we be hearing
from Hoxie by now?

(laughs)

If it'll make you feel better.

(phone ringing through)

(phone rings)

Yeah?

MAN: Hoxie?

Yeah.

20,000 is all we could
raise on such short notice.

Take it or leave it.

Okay, where?

You been drinking?

One or two.

You forget you wanted
to make it to the lake?

Just double-checking.

(clicks)

♪ ♪

Masheena Lake?!

Look, Joe, you don't
know what kind of trouble

you're going to
run into up there.

Let me call Dan and... Okay.

But call me as soon as you can.

(door opens)

(dog barking)

Howdy!

Howdy.

Um, you know this man?

It's Mr. Hoxie.

A real nice fella.

You know where I might find him?

It's important.

Oh, the place he usually camps

is straight across the lake.

The quickest way to get
there is rent one of my boats.

Thank you.

You bet!

(motor revs)

(ducks quacking)

(motor humming fades)

♪ ♪

Waiting for somebody, Hoxie?

Hoxie, you're a liar
and a blackmailer.

And for once, you're
gonna start talking straight.

Now, where do you
think you're running to?

To anywhere where
they couldn't extradite me.

You think I was gonna
stand still for a jail sentence?

An ex-cop in a can
with thieves and killers!

Have you any idea
what that'd be like?

And you figure your ex-employers
would finance this little jaunt

or you'd blow the
whistle on them, huh?

They got me into this mess.

They owe me!

You got yourself
in this mess, Hoxie.

You're a fool.

They tried to kill me,

and I only know half
of what you know.

Now, let's go!

You're gonna take me back?

What do you think?

I leveled with you, Mannix.

I helped you with Fair.

You owe me!

Everybody owes
you, don't they, Hoxie?

Now, let's go.

Move!

(gunshot)

(gunshot)

(gunshot)

(gunshot)

All right, this way.

Ah... just can't keep your nose
out of things, can you, Mannix?

How did you know? Peggy told me.

Who's out there trying to blow
your head off, Mannix, huh?

Not that I don't think
it's a pretty good idea.

Well, I'd say one of
the men's name is Elbie.

Isn't that what you
called him, Hoxie?

Elbert Jensen.

Warren Ogilvie's secretary.

I always thought the man
behind Ogilvie was the one

who organized all
of these burglaries.

But there was nobody behind him.

Just Ogilvie.

Elbie was the payoff man.

He gave Hoxie the money to
divide with Heineman and Marcus.

Hoxie knew he
couldn't corrupt Marcus

so he pocketed his
share of the money.

Ogilvie didn't know that

so he put Marcus's
name on the payoff list.

(gunshot)

Came from off to the right.

Were you in the
Infantry, Lieutenant?

Sure.

What else would a flatfoot be?

What do you say we try a
little double-flanking maneuver?

Why not?

(gunshot)

All right, Elbie,
turn around slowly

and drop the gun.

(gunshot)

Drop it!

Stand still!

Hands up!

(screams)

(thud)

You okay? Yeah.

Elbie's dead.

Well, that wasn't too bad a
double-flanking attack, Joe.

Save your kind
words for the hearing.

About my license...

Oh, there won't be a hearing.

The chief witness just
decided not to show up.

All right, let's go.

(knocking on door)

Joe! Hi, Peggy.

Toby up? Not yet.

TOBY: Mommy, is
someone at the door?

Hello, Toby.

I, uh, I thought you
might like to see this.

There, now how about that, huh?

(laughs)

Oh, uh, Peggy,

Lieutenant Burdette gave
me something to give you.

(theme music playing)