Mannix (1967–1975): Season 3, Episode 17 - Blind Mirror - full transcript

(horn honks)

George!

Darling.

I'm here.

WOMAN: Let go of me, George!

(woman screams)

George, help her.

♪ ♪

Winn!

Winifred!

Winn!



(tires screech)

(theme music playing)

♪ ♪

And the second printing of the
book will be ready by October,

in time for exploitation.

(buzzer sounds) Yes?

WOMAN: Mr. Mannix
is here to see you.

Yes, good. Send him in.

Mr. Mannix.

Mr. Diamond. Good, good.

Come in, sit down.

Uh, this is the young lady
I telephoned you about.

Her name is Winifred Hill.

She's my private secretary.



Very pretty.

How long has she been missing?

Since Friday.

I was at my beach house.

I was going over
some galley proofs,

and-and Winn was supposed
to come down to the house

and bring me some
contracts to sign.

The office staff said
she left here about 12:00.

Mr. Mannix, you've
got to find her for me.

I assume you've, uh,
checked out her family, friends.

I have contacted
everybody, every place.

I-I even called the hospitals.

Were you at your
beach house all day?

No, I had to take my wife
to Emergency Hospital.

There was an accident.

Your wife?

We've been separated
for some time.

As soon as I can get
her to give me a divorce,

I'm going to marry Winifred.

But, uh, your wife was
at your beach house.

She has a habit of
dropping in on me uninvited.

She knows I don't like it,

but she does it anyway.

WOMAN: George!

Hi.

Come on, let's go for a swim.

What are you doing here?

Oh, just visiting the
Pattersons up the beach.

Come on, I'll race
you to that boat.

Not a chance.

We've had riptides all week.

Besides, I've got work to do.

Well, the least you can do
is invite me up for a drink.

I knew it was the only
way I'd get rid of her.

So I went in and built
us a couple of drinks.

But when I came out again...

I told her there were riptides,

but she's too
stubborn to listen.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Anyway, the young man

pulled her out of the... water.

(knocking)

Yes, come in.

Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know
you were busy, George.

Oh, it's all right.
Come on in, Clay.

Winifred still has
those contracts,

so I drew up a new
set this morning.

Oh, thanks.

Could I see those?

Uh, yes, of course.

Mr. Mannix, this is Clay
Riegels of our Legal Department.

How do you do?

Mr. Mannix is a
private investigator.

I've retained him to
find Winifred for me.

Find Winifr...?

Oh, come on, George.

She's only a few
hours late for work.

Nobody's seen her
since Friday, Clay.

Well, there's nothing
to get into a panic about.

You'll be hearing from her.

When did you last
see her, Mr. Riegels?

Friday morning, uh, just before
she left for the beach house.

Around 11:00, I guess.

Did she mention
any weekend plans?

No.

Not to me, anyway.

All right, thanks, Clay.

(door opens, closes)

Mr. Diamond, why didn't
you go to the police?

Mr. Mannix, I'm
still a married man.

Any publicity would
mean a scandal

for me and for Winifred.

I don't mind for myself, but...

well, I can't let
that happen to her.

I can't let anything
happen to her.

Well, I'm glad someone's
looking for the poor child.

Why "poor child"?

Well, you should have
seen her when she left here.

Face swollen, eyes red.

As if she'd been
crying her heart out.

When was that?

Friday night.

Friday? Are you sure?

About 8:30.

I didn't ask any questions,

because I don't pry into
my tenants' business.

Is she in trouble?

Tell me, uh, does your
switchboard operator

keep a record of outgoing calls?

LANDLORD: Toll calls, yes.

That's my number,
all right, Mr. Mannix.

Why do you ask?

Winifred Hill called here
three or four times on Friday.

I understand she finally
got through about 8:00 p.m.

My husband's secretary? Mm-hmm.

How very sweet of her.

But I don't remember any calls.

Jerry, come here
a moment, will you?

Why so interested in Miss Hill?

She seems to have disappeared.

Oh, now that is serious.

I'll bet my husband's
absolutely lost without her.

Hi. You want to see me?

Mm. Mr. Mannix,
this is Jerry Smith,

the young man who saved me

from a watery grave.

I heard about that. Uh...

How did you happen to be there?

Well, I was just
walking down the beach.

I heard her yelling for help.

And the foolish boy
refuses to accept a reward.

Job was all I needed.

Now I've got one.

Mr. Mannix would like to know

if anyone called for
me here on Friday night.

Yes, a chick buzzed.

Said she'd heard
about your little dunking.

Little dunking?

(chuckles)

She leave her name?

No. When I said Mrs.
Diamond was okay, she hung up.

Thanks.

Run along now, lifesaver.

(chuckles)

Imagine Miss Hill
being so concerned

about my little dunking.

Coffee?

No, thank you.

Sweet, dewy-eyed Winifred Hill.

She has my husband acting
like an oversexed schoolboy.

I keep hoping he'll
come to his senses.

In fact, that's why I stopped
at the beach house on Friday.

Was he expecting you?

Mm.

No, I was visiting
friends up the beach.

I just thought I'd stop in and,
uh, talk things out with George.

He was busy, as usual,

probably up to his
earlobes in galley proofs.

But when I mentioned
the magic word "divorce,"

he consented to
take a walk with me.

I told him how much
our marriage meant to me

and promised I'd forget
this little fling he's having.

I don't know what you mean
by "fling." I want to marry her.

George, you're
acting like a schoolboy.

All she cares about
is your money.

Stella, are you going to
give me a divorce, or not?

No!

I won't let you make
a fool of yourself.

Stella, I'm warning... George!

For the last time, you
listen to me, Stella!

Let go of me, George!

Let go, George!

(screaming)

I, um... I don't know if it
was an accident or not.

I'm not sure if I fell
or if I was pushed.

Are you saying your
husband was trying to kill you?

I don't know, Mr. Mannix.

But my death would
have simplified his life

considerably.

(phone ringing)

Hello?

Oh, yes, just a moment.

It's your secretary.

Oh.

Thank you.

Yeah, Peggy?

Hi. Dorothy...

You know, in Traffic downtown...

Well, she ran a check
on Winifred Hill's license,

and she found out

that the police put a tow-away
sign on that car this afternoon.

Where is it?

On Sycamore Street, outside of
a place called Belmont Towers,

where Clay Riegels lives.

♪ ♪

(knocking at door)

(clearing throat)

Well, Mr. Mannix,
what can I do for you?

Hey.

Just what the devil do
you think you're doing?

All right, Riegels,
where is she?

Where is who?

Winifred Hill. How would I know?

You can just get
out of here. Sit down.

What's going on?

Her car's parked
outside your apartment.

How do you explain that?

I can't. I don't know.

You've seen her since
Friday morning, haven't you?

No.

Those contracts you gave
George Diamond this morning...

you said you drew up a new set,

yet the date on the
contract is Friday, the 18th.

So, Winifred must
have given them to you.

I don't know what
you're talking about.

Okay.

Operator? Get me the police.

Wait a minute, now.
That isn't necessary.

Now, look, you're mixed
up in this somehow, Riegels.

If anything happens
to that girl... All right!

All right. Just
hang up, will you?

Nothing's happened to her.

Operator, forget it.

Oh, man, it never fails.

Try to be the nice guy and
I always end up the heavy.

(sighs)

Okay, Winifred came by
here Friday night about 9:00

to drop off those contracts.

She'd been to the beach
house that afternoon.

Yeah, I know.

I don't know what
happened down there,

but she looked like she'd
been through an earthquake.

I fixed her a drink,

and, well, she started to cry.

Said she had to get away for
a few days to think things out.

And she didn't want George
to know where she was.

And she left her car here?

Eh, she asked me if
I'd trade cars with her,

so George couldn't
track her down.

He's like that, you know.

Everything has
to be on his terms.

I'll need a description
of the car she's using.

Oh, come on, Mannix!
Give her a break.

She's a nice kid.

George is just using
her to feed his ego.

She doesn't want
him to find her.

But not for the
reasons she gave you.

What do you mean?
I know Winifred.

She wouldn't lie
about a thing like that.

Why not?

Everybody else is.

Your car, Riegels, describe it.

Blue convertible, license
number XXM582. Got it.

I'll call my friend
down in Traffic.

You're gonna have to
do more than that, Peggy.

I want you to try every hotel

and motel in this area.

Oh, fine.

Now, look, the
girl's in trouble.

She may have seen something
she shouldn't have seen.

For instance?

I'm, uh, I'm not sure.

I'll have to ask my client.

Diamond? Is that
where you're going now?

Yeah, I tried his
home. He wasn't there.

He's probably working late.

Look, I'll check with you later.

♪ ♪

(rustling)

(clattering)

(gunshot)

♪ ♪

Mannix?

Yeah. Ow.

You all right?

No, I'm not all right.

Feel like somebody
put a pleat in my head.

Did you see who it was?

See who it was? No.

I was... I was... standing
over at the bookcase.

I heard somebody at the door.

Before I could turn around,
though, the lights went off.

There. That ought to help.

Thanks.

I came over here
to get my revolver.

I keep it in this
drawer right here.

That's when I got clobbered.

Whoever it was must
have stolen my gun.

Yeah, and he used it on me.

You mean, he took a
shot at you? That's right.

Oh, look, Mannix, this is
more than I bargained for.

I just hired you to find Winn.

Now they're hitting
me on the head,

somebody is, they're
taking a shot at you.

Do you realize Winn
could be in danger, too?

You've got to find
her for me, Mannix.

What kind of a gun did you have?

It was a pearl-
handled .32 caliber.

It was kind of a
collector's item.

I've had it around
here for years.

I never had any
reason to use it.

Get me the police.

Wait a minute.

No police.

Look, Mr. Diamond,

this is not just a missing
person case anymore.

I told you I didn't want any
police when we started all this.

You told me a lot of
things, Mr. Diamond,

including a pack of lies!

I want to know what
really happened on Friday.

I told you that this morning.

This time you're
gonna tell me the truth.

Winifred was at your beach
house on Friday, wasn't she?

You saw her there.

Yeah, I did.

And she saw something
that made her run away.

I want to know what it
was and how it happened.

I didn't tell you this before,

because I was afraid
that you'd misinterpret it

the way Winn did.

Try me.

All right.

I was working on the sundeck.

Stella came by.

I didn't want to see her, but...

she said we'd
discuss the divorce,

so, I took a walk
down by the rocks.

We've invested nine
years in each other.

Doesn't that mean
anything to you?

Not anymore, I'm sorry.

What if I told you I loved you,
that you mean everything to me?

Would you believe me?

Let's just say, I think you'd be

a little out of character, baby.

Well, it's true.

If I lost you, George, I
really don't know what I'd do.

You'd muddle through.

I'm not sure I'd want to.

What's that supposed to mean?

Oh, George, do I have to say it?

I'm not very much at melodrama.

Come on, Stella.

You're not exactly
the suicide type.

Then you won't reconsider?

Come on, let's go
back to the house.

You go ahead. I'm
going for a swim.

Now, don't be ridiculous!

Would it make any
difference to you

if something did happen to me?

Will you stop being difficult?

Stella!

(screaming)

Why didn't you go in after her?

Well, I started to, but...

Something stopped me.

Suddenly, I had
this strange feeling

that she wanted
me in that water.

Stella's always been
a good swimmer.

It just wasn't like
her to panic that way.

And then I saw the young
man swimming toward her.

I knew she'd be all right.

So I started back to the house
to call the lifeguard station

at Zuma, in case she
needed emergency treatment.

And that's when I saw Winifred.

I could tell from
the way she acted,

she had the wrong idea of
what happened out there.

(sighs)

That's why I hired
you to find her, Mannix.

She's got to know the truth.

This, uh, strange feeling
you had while your wife was

in the water... how
do you explain that?

Well... I think
Stella was faking.

I think, baiting me.

I think she wanted
me in the water.

Look, as a widow, she'd
have the whole estate.

Um, I think she'd have a pretty
tough time doing that job alone.

Yeah, but what
about that beach boy

who just happened to be there?

Between the two of them, I
wouldn't have stood a chance.

You think he was
involved in all of this, huh?

I don't know. I don't
know. Could be.

Stella's always got some kind
of young Adonis hanging around.

And believe me, she
can be very persuasive

when she puts her heart into it.

It's very funny.

She claims you
tried to kill her.

(chuckles)

Well, that doesn't surprise me.

But why? What am I
supposed to gain by that?

You'd be free.

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

What about tonight?

You think I took a
couple of shots at you,

and then hit myself on the head?

It's been known to happen.

To set up an alibi.

All right, all right.

Let's... just for
the fun of it...

Let's say that I shot at you

and then I slugged
myself on the head.

What about the gun?

I wouldn't have
had time to hide it.

Where is it?

Look, Mannix, all of my life
I've gotten what I wanted to.

I have never had to
commit murder to do it.

Mr. Diamond, do
you have somewhere

that you can stay tonight?

Someplace where you'd be safe?

Yeah, yeah, I have a, uh...

I have a membership card to
the Brentwood Athletic Club.

Good, I'll drop you off.

Oh, good. Mannix,
this is important to me.

I've told you
the truth, all of it.

I want you to believe me.

Maybe I will.

When I hear the same
story from someone else.

Who?

Jerry Smith.

Your wife's beach boy.

(doorbell rings)

Jerry?

(dials phone)

Operator, get me Homicide.

Bullets... 32 caliber, I'd say.

I'll have Ballistics
check on it.

Her husband's gun.

It was stolen from his office.

When?

Tonight about 8:00.

By Jerry Smith?

Possibly.

Did you see him use the gun?

No, but he was in the
house when I got here.

So was this.

A cufflink. Initials "G.E.D."

George Edward Diamond.

Where'd you find it?

Under the body.

Maybe his gun
wasn't stolen, after all.

Uh, wait a minute, Joe.

How do you fit into all this?

When I find out,
I'll let you know.

Put out an APB on
George Diamond.

Do you know
where I can find him?

It's very important.

Oh, never mind.
He just walked in.

Thanks, anyway.

Where've you been?

I've been calling
all over town for you.

Trying to locate a client.

George Diamond?

Yeah.

He wasn't at the club, and
he's not at his apartment in town.

He was at the club
a half hour ago.

I just talked to him.

Thanks.

I wonder where he went.

Probably to see Winifred Hill.

Winifred?

That's why I was
trying to call you.

I located that blue
convertible she was driving.

You didn't tell
Diamond where she is?

Well, of course. That's what
he's paying us for, isn't it?

Peggy, the man's
wanted for murder.

Murder?!

Yeah. Winifred may have seen him

trying to kill his
wife at the beach.

Now if he gets to
her before we do...

Oh, Joe, I'm
sorry. I didn't know.

Yeah, I know, I know.

He had me fooled, too.

Somehow he must have
staged that shootout in his office.

Where is she, Peggy?

Holiday House, room 11.

On the Coast Highway.

(tires squealing)

(tires squealing)

(knocking)

WINIFRED: Who is it?

The manager.

Miss Hill, I'm sorry.

Go away! You're not the manager!

Get out of here!

Just relax, Miss Hill.
I'd like to help you.

Who are you? What do you want?

My name is Mannix.

I'm a private investigator.

George Diamond
hired me to find you.

All right. You found me.

Now what?

Well, first, I think

we'd better get
you out of this place.

No!

He knows you're here.

He couldn't possibly know.

You didn't know
yourself till a moment ago.

You don't have
to tell him, do you?

I mean, I-I can pay
you. I have some money.

Miss Hill... I don't
want your money.

What do you want?

I want to know
exactly what you saw

down at the beach
house on Friday.

I don't know what
you're talking about.

Now look, Miss Hill,

if George Diamond is a
killer, we're both in trouble.

Now you tell me exactly
what you saw down there.

George called me at the office.

He said he-he wanted me
to bring out some contracts.

I went around the
side of the house

and then onto the sun porch...

and then I heard
a-a woman's voice.

A shout, like a cry of fear.

I could see George and his wife.

They were on the
rocks, struggling, fighting.

The next thing I knew,
Stella was in the water,

screaming for help. (screams)

Would you say she was pushed,

or did she fall?

I couldn't see clearly enough.

The sun was glaring in my eyes.

But if she had fallen,

George would have tried
to save her, wouldn't he?

(voice breaking): He didn't.

He just stood there,
watching his wife drown!

Were they alone?

Did you see anybody else at all?

There was a motorboat
out there somewhere...

And the, the boy
who rescued Stella,

he seemed to appear
out of nowhere.

It's a good thing he did, or
she would have drowned.

Obviously, George had
no intention of saving her.

When he saw the
boy, he ran away.

That's when he saw me.

And I've been
running ever since.

Miss Hill, could you
maybe have misinterpreted

the whole incident?

Did George pay
you to tell me that?

Then you honestly believe
he would try and kill you?

(sobbing): I don't know
what I think anymore!

I only know I'm afraid!

I'm afraid of George,
of myself, of everything!

I may have fallen in
love with a murderer!

(gasps)

(gunshot)

Stay down.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

He got away.

He left his calling ca...

(Winifred screams)

(car engine starts)

(tires squeal)

(phone rings)

Homicide, Crawford.

Pete, I'm at the Holiday House.

I finally got a lead
on George Diamond.

What kind of a lead?

Well, I caught up
with Winifred Hill.

He took a shot at
us, and then took off.

Took her with him. He got away.

I found his gun, a .32 caliber.

All right, stay put.
We'll be right there.

Mr. Diamond you may
as well come along with us.

We may need your help.

(siren wailing)

(tires screech)

Come on.

Well?

He took a shot at us
through that window.

Must've dropped
his gun when he ran.

George Diamond's, hmm?

Check it out.

I will.

Oh, don't forget,
that's my handkerchief.

Mr. Diamond, would
you come in here, please?

(footsteps)

Mannix, where's Winifred?

I'll ask the questions,
if you don't mind.

First of all, is this your gun?

Yes, that's my gun.

It was stolen from
my office last night.

CRAWFORD: Thank you.

Where is she, Mannix?

We'll find her, Mr. Diamond.

Now, if you'll just
wait outside, please.

Mr. Diamond was in
custody when you called, Joe.

That's why he couldn't
possibly have fired that shot.

And incidentally,

he didn't kill his wife, either.

How do you know?

Coroner's report.

She'd been dead at least
two hours when you found her.

That would place the
time of death at 8:00.

Do you have any idea where
Diamond was at 8:00 last night?

Yeah.

Yeah, he was with me, in
his office, nursing a headache.

Exactly.

You're his alibi.

Cufflink, stolen gun...

The killer's trying
to frame Diamond.

He'll murder Winifred and try
and hang that on Diamond, too.

Not if we find her first.

Now let's start with a
description of the car.

Wait a minute, where you going?

If you wanted to kill a girl

and pin it on Diamond,
where would you take her?

(tires squealing)

Mannix!

Will you tell me
what's going on?

Mr. Diamond, that
beach house of yours...

Is there anybody there?

No.

Well, there's gonna be.

Stay here, and
wait for the lab men.

Show us how to
get there. Come on.

(engine turns)

(siren wailing)

(tires squealing)

(tires squealing)

♪ ♪

(tires squealing)

I'll check the house.

You better come along.

(coughs)

He, he tried to kill
me, in the water.

Take it easy, you're safe now.

Where'd he go?

He heard your car,
and he... he ran away.

Mannix, is she all right?

Is she all right?

I'll let her tell you.

(sobbing)

(murmurs): It's okay.

It's all right,
baby, it's all right.

Oh, George! It's all right,
it's all right, it's all right.

I, I was so wrong about you.

I know. About everything.

I know. Shh, I know.

Come here.

Here, Mannix.

I almost got him, Mannix.

He was too quick for me.

Who?

George.

George, George Diamond.

He was gonna drown
Winifred over there.

He'd have made it,
too, if I hadn't come over.

Nice try, Clay,
but it won't work.

What do you mean?

It's the truth.

No, I've heard the truth
from four different people.

Each one telling it his own way.

Would you like to
hear my version?

Your version?

Yeah.

It happened on Friday, remember?

Right out there, on those rocks.

Now do you remember, Clay?

(screaming)

(splash)

Stella.

Relax, Clay.

That's the way you and
Stella planned it, wasn't it?

It's all in the point
of view, Clay.

See?

Just keep looking...
remembering.

He's gonna save her.

MANNIX: The boat was there
in George's story, and Winifred's.

The only one who didn't
mention the boat was Stella.

That's your boat
out there, isn't it?

Where'd you get that idea?

MANNIX: There's a trailer
hitch on the back of your car.

Oh yeah, Clay,
that's you out there.

CLAY: You can't see from here.

MANNIX: No...
but Winifred could.

That's why you
wanted to kill her.

She didn't see me?

That's right, Clay.

But there's still one
gap in your story.

You were so close to Stella,

you were even ready to
help her kill her husband,

and control it all.

Why did you kill her?

That's why.

Out there.

Look at them.

Look at them, slobbering
over each other.

Ever since Friday,
it's been like that.

Anywhere, anytime.

Even the other night.

♪ ♪

(screams)

(gunshot resounds)
(gull squawks)

Jerry took off because
he was getting involved

in something he couldn't handle.

You understand,
don't you, Mannix?

I had to do what I did.

Yeah.

Let's go.

(theme music playing)