Mannix (1967–1975): Season 3, Episode 19 - Who Is Sylvia? - full transcript

Joe Mannix is invited to a party at the home of Phil Graves, with whom he served in the Army during the Korean War. Now Phil is a bank executive married to a wealthy socialite named Kathy. She confides in Joe that there have been three recent attempts on her life, including one that day when someone apparently tampered with the brakes of her car. Joe agrees to look into why someone would have tried to kill her, and pursues the identity of a mysterious "Sylvia," when he finds an expensive locket engraved with that name in Kathy Graves' car.

Don't forget.

Tuesday, our place.

Bye.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

(tires squealing)

(tires squealing)

(tires squealing)

(horn honking)

(tires squealing)

(tires squealing)



(tires squealing)

(tires squealing)

(tires squealing)

(theme music playing)

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

(doorbell rings)

Good evening,
sir. I'm Joe Mannix.

Please.

I don't believe it.

Joe Mannix.

How are you, Phil?

I thought it was you,
but geez, you look great.

It sure has been
a long time since...



Yeah, since we wore
uniforms that didn't fit?

(chuckles)

Tell me, Joe, does anybody
remember Heartbreak Ridge

or the Iron Triangle anymore?

Well, those that
were there, I guess.

We were sure kids
then, weren't we?

You know something?
You've hardly changed.

I can't say the same
about myself, though.

This easy living...

I keep telling myself
I've got to get to a gym.

But who's got the time?

Hey, come on.
Let's have a drink.

What are you doing here
anyway? Who are you with?

Oh, now don't tell me you
don't know who you invite

to your own parties?

Not always, apparently.

Must've been Kathy's
idea and a good one, too.

You know, I'm always
telling her about you, Joe.

It's great to see you again.

What'll you have?

Scotch on the rocks. Great.

Make that two.

Well... to success.

Looks like you've
already got it.

Mm, not quite.

I'm only a VP, but
I'm up for president.

Westland National Bank.

The Board meets in the
next day or two to decide,

so, hold your breath for me.

Hi. How are you?

So good to see you.

Glad you could come.

Excuse me.

Good evening.

Good evening.
It's a lovely party.

Glad you could make it.
Oh, thank you. Thank you.

How long have you been with...

Philip, good evening.

Sorry I'm so late.

But I see you're handling
things very well without me.

May I have a drink, please?

Surely.

A vodka tonic for
Mrs. Graves, please.

Well, this must be Joe Mannix.

Oh, you two have
never met, have you?

Not yet.

Joe, this is my wife, Kathy.

How do you do. Hi.

PHIL: Why didn't you tell me
you were inviting him, dear?

Well, I wanted to
surprise you, darling.

You have no idea how
much Phil's talked about you.

KATHY: I'm so
glad you could come.

Well, I was
looking forward to it.

It almost didn't happen.

She was in an accident,
and she's lucky she's alive.

I wanted her to
cancel this party.

KATHY: Oh, I couldn't.

You know that. It's
too important to you.

I should never have allowed
her to drive a sports car

in the first place...
Women drivers.

Philip, I told you, the
accident wasn't my fault.

Phil. Excuse me.

Charlie Steadman's
all alone over there.

This might be a
golden opportunity.

Yeah, thanks, Ed.

Do you mind?

Charlie's on the board, and...

I'm holding my breath.

Was it just a surprise?

What?

My invitation... it did come
out of the blue, didn't it?

Just why did you invite me?

Oh, hi. How are you?

Someone's trying to kill me.

How do you know?

There was a car following
me right before the accident.

Kind of a small truck.

And what was this truck doing?

Well, nothing, really.

Except that's not the
first time it's happened.

You mean, being followed?

I'd be driving
along, day or night,

and suddenly, I'd become
aware of a car behind me,

speeding when I speeded,

turning when I turned.

The same car?

No.

When did you first notice this?

Oh, a couple of weeks ago.

Once I was almost
forced off the freeway.

The other night, someone
tried to run me down.

And the accident...

Well, it wasn't an accident.

How can you be sure?

The brakes didn't hold.

Well, that's been
known to happen.

But I had just had them checked.

There was no reason
for them to have failed

unless they'd
been tampered with.

Did you tell Phil?

Why haven't you
reported it to the police?

Because if-if there
was an investigation,

and it got in the
papers, it might hurt Phil.

He's very vulnerable.

Any sensation or
scandal might result

in a bad reaction among
his business associates.

Besides, I don't
want to upset Phil.

He's going through a very
tense and delicate period.

His job, the bank presidency,

it's-it's very important to him.

I'd hoped you'd help me quietly,

without anyone else knowing.

Do you have any idea why
someone might want to hurt you?

Any idea at all?

No.

Why they may want to
hurt Phil through you?

No.

This, uh, this truck
that was following you

before the accident, did
you get a look at the driver?

No.

What kind of a truck was it?

White.

An ordinary small truck.

Pickup?

I guess so.

Did it have a name on it?

I think so.

What was it?

I don't remember.

Will you help me, Joe?

Please?

Um, just where is your car now?

At the garage.

London Motors.

Okay, now the
next couple of days,

you stay very close to home.

If you have any
problems, give me a call.

Thank you.

What are you two doing
out here all by yourselves?

The party's in here.

Mrs. Graves claims
the brakes didn't hold.

That's right, sir.

Sounds like a
contradiction to me,

seeing that you'd
just checked them.

Not exactly, sir.

Look at this.

Now, it could have
been done with a knife,

or some other sharp
pointed instrument,

causing the fluid to leak out.

Now, I couldn't prove it,

because it could also have
resulted from the accident,

which was why I didn't
inform the authorities.

Does Mr. Graves
ever drive this car?

Often, sir.

It was he who usually brought
the car in for service checks.

Who is Sylvia?

Hmm.

How are you with
crossword puzzles?

Why?

Give me a word
starting with P-R blank N.

How many letters?

Unknown.

The rest of the
word is torn off.

This is what the locket
came wrapped in.

Looks like a piece of napkin.

Could be.

What are these things
doing in Kathy Graves' car

in the first place?

Maybe Sylvia's a
friend of Kathy's.

Or a friend of Phil's.

Oh, Joe, she could be
a friend of them both.

Why don't you ask?

Brilliant.

Only you can't.

Why not?

Kathy's not in.

How do you know?

She phoned before you got back

and said that she'd
call when she returned.

I told her to stay at home.

Where'd she go?

She didn't say.

But she did leave a message.

She said she remembered
the name of the pickup truck

that followed her just
before the accident.

It was an Apex truck,

and that's a service station.

(paper rustling)

Yep.

I remember, we did
get a call that morning,

to check on a sports
car that wouldn't start.

Here it is, right here.

Owner, Mrs. Katherine Graves.

Well, that's it.

Do you know who made the call?

Yep.

Mr. Graves.

Mr. Graves?

You sure?

I took that call myself.

As a matter of fact,

I sent a mechanic right
on out... Pat McCurdy.

But Pat nor the truck, neither
one did ever come back.

Did you notify the police?

Yes, sir... but so far, no word.

Well, thanks.

(phone ringing)

Apex Garage.

Yep.

Yep, sure.

I'll be right there.

They found McCurdy.

(footsteps approaching)

He was discovered this
morning in an abandoned lot.

Truck was found near
the Hollywood Interchange.

Can he talk?

Hasn't so far.

Bad skull fracture.

May I, Nurse?

Pat... my name is Mannix.

I'm here with your
boss, Mr. Ayers

and Lieutenant Kramer
from the police department.

Can you hear me?

Good.

Did you see the man
who attacked you?

Do you know who he is?

Have you ever seen him before?

What is it, Pat?

(no audio)

What did he have to say?

He said the man who attacked
him wore a patch over his eye.

Hello, Joe.

I'm sorry, I've
only got a minute.

I don't even have time
to offer you a drink.

Yeah, well, your
secretary told me.

The board meets tomorrow morning

and there are 30 million
things that I've got to do, befo...

Well, you said it was urgent.

Phil... your wife's in danger.

Danger?

She's convinced
someone is trying to kill her,

and so am I.

Joe, you're putting
me on, aren't you?

Why would anyone
want to kill Kathy?

I don't know, Phil.

But there's evidence that
someone planned the accident.

It seems her brakes
had been tampered with,

someone punctured the line.

The service man
that was sent out

from the Apex service station
to help Kathy start the car

the morning of the accident...

Well, he was found in an
empty lot with his skull fractured.

Aw, come on, Joe,
couldn't that brake drum

have been cracked
in the accident?

Is there any proof that
the serviceman's accident

had anything to do with Kathy?

Or maybe he was the victim of
a holdup attempt or something.

Well, look... the odds
are a hundred-to-one

that the accident
was Kathy's fault.

She's just not a good driver.

And besides, uh, she's
given to these wild fantasies.

I don't blame you
for believing her.

I, uh... saw the two
of you on the patio.

She can be very persuasive.

But at least her fantasies
had one good effect.

They brought us together.

Phil... the service
manager at Apex

says that it was you who
called to check on Kathy's car

the morning of the accident.

Me?

Well, he's out of his mind, Joe.

You didn't make the call?

Well, why would I?

The car was running
great, and besides,

I've never even heard
of the Apex garage.

Look, anybody could have
called and said it was me.

Phil...

how are you and
Kathy getting along?

Well, great. Why?

Who's Sylvia?

Sylvia?

(sighs)

I found this behind the
ashtray in Kathy's car.

Are you implying that I've
been cheating on my wife?

Phil, I'm not implying anything,

but maybe you can tell
me how that got in your car.

It's Kathy's car.

You drive it, too.

I checked.

I'm sorry, I don't know.

Okay, Joe... look, my
marriage isn't perfect.

Whose is?

But I can tell you that
there's no serious problem

between Kathy and me...
nothing that can't be worked out.

Look, Kathy's a rich
girl from an old family.

She was brought up like
some kind of princess,

protected, isolated
from reality.

Now she's beautiful, but...

well, cold.

Now that doesn't
mean that I run around.

I mean, I couldn't stand
the scandal if I were caught.

Look, will you excuse me?

I've really got a
lot of work to do.

Sure, Phil.

You're sure... you
never heard of Sylvia?

Never knew a Sylvia
in my whole life.

Look, Joe...

why don't you forget
the whole thing, huh?

A man's near death, Phil.

(doorbell rings)

May I see Mrs. Graves,
please? She's not in.

Well, my name is Mannix.

I'm a friend of
hers. Where is she?

I'm sorry, Mr. Mannix,
she's not in.

Of course.

Sir.

Does Mrs. Graves know
you drink on the job?

I beg your pardon, sir.

That you've been stealing
from Mr. Graves' private stock?

I have never touched a
drop of his private stock.

It's from his open
bar. (anxious laugh)

I... Now where is Mrs. Graves?

I have no idea, sir.

She could be anywhere:
shopping, playing tennis or...

She didn't tell you?

She never tells me.

She leaves the
house every afternoon

and doesn't return till dinner.

I don't know where
she goes, honestly.

Please, Mr. Mannix, will
you... you won't tell her...

Tell me, does Mrs. Graves
have a friend named Sylvia?

Sylvia? Mm.

Not that I'm aware.

Does Mr. Graves?

Have you heard
either one of them

ever mention the name Sylvia?

No, sir.

Could I use your phone?

Please, Mr. Mannix.
It's right in here.

PEGGY: Mr. Mannix's office.

Peggy, has Kathy Graves called?

Not yet.

Well, the minute she does,

give me a buzz on the car phone.

Right.

♪ ♪

(laughing)

(phone rings)

Prince's Cave.

Oh, could you tell me how
late you're open tonight?

Good, good.

Oh, one more thing...
exactly where are you located?

Hollywood Boule...

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I
know exactly where it is.

Thanks.

(tires squealing)

(tires squealing)

(electric motor whirring)

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Brandt?

Just what are you
doing following me?

After all, as one
private cop to another,

you should have
professional ethics.

Who's paying you?

Nobody.

Oh, you like your job so
much you do it for nothing, huh?

Who's paying you to tail me?

If I, uh, tell you, you
keep your trap shut, right?

Talk.

Okay.

Graves.

Phil Graves?

Look, it's just a job.

He pays a good buck.
It's nothing personal.

What does he want to know?

Uh, you know: what you do,
where you go, who you see.

Why?

I don't know... I swear, Mannix.

Okay, Brandt.

But from now on, you
can stop tailing me.

Can I help you?

Yeah, scotch on the rocks.

Hi.

Well, now, what did you have

in that glass before
you emptied it?

I've forgotten.

Fill her up.

You know something?

It's nice to meet
a real gentleman.

Don't be deceived by the looks.

(laughing)

Cheers.

Cheers.

I don't think I've ever
seen you here before.

Bad lights.

(chuckling)

You, uh, looking for
someone in particular?

Sylvia.

What do you want her for?

Oh, you know her?

I'm sure I've never
seen you here before.

I'd like to talk to Sylvia.

Where is she?

Nothing special about her.

Why not stay put?

Thanks.

Sylvia?

Kathy, let's go.

Kathy... Look, Mister,

I just bought the lady a drink.

And that's where it ends.

Well, be reasonable.

I didn't come here
looking for trouble.

Get lost and you won't find any.

Let's go, Kathy.

Let go!

Let me go!

Taxi!

(tires screech)

Relax.

DRIVER: Hey!

What's going on?

17 Paseo Verde, fast!

Peggy, this is Kathy Graves.

Hi.

Lock the door. We're
closed for the day.

Done.

Are you going to
tell Phil about me?

Why should I?

You're his friend;
his war buddy.

You and he w... Look,
my job is to find out

who's trying to kill you
and why, nothing more.

Now, if I'm to do that,
I've got to understand.

What?

Why you do the
things you're doing.

You want to tell
me about it, Kathy?

That's really why you called me

in the first place, isn't it?

You couldn't live with
your secret anymore.

You left obvious clues.

You wanted to be found out.

I go to Prince's Cave
practically every afternoon.

Why?

I don't know.

You find it exciting?

One thing I can tell you,

my life at home is
anything but exciting.

It's so blindingly
empty, dull, boring.

M-Maybe if I had a child.

Oh, I'd like that.

I think I'd be a good mother.

You're not able to?

The doctor says
not to give up hope.

I have no real interests.

Nothing to look forward to.

What about Phil?

(sighs)

His whole world
revolves around that bank.

Our relationship...

We go through the
motions like mechanical toys.

How long has this been going on?

For me? Mm-hmm.

Ever since I was a child.

I was an only
child, always alone.

In a big house with no friends,

no one to talk to
except servants.

I used to see the other children
passing by on the street...

or playing games.

Oh, I used to pray
to be one of them.

Any one of them.

Anybody but myself.

So, I-I made Sylvia up.

She was free to go anywhere,
do anything, be herself.

And you finally became
that imaginary girl.

Oh, every afternoon.

Who is Sylvia?

A young girl in an old song.

"Who is Sylvia? What is she?"

"That all the swains
commend her?"

Maybe I wanted to have
all the boys admire me.

You know, the whole
thing happened by accident.

Really.

I don't doubt you.

I, um, I was out
shopping one day, alone,

and I stopped in Prince's Cave

for a cocktail
before going home,

not realizing what
kind of place it was.

When was that?

Three, four months ago, I guess.

Anyway, a man approached me.

And then another.

I became quite upset and left.

I mean, I'd never been
in a place like that before.

But the idea of it haunted me.

I kept thinking about it.

I found myself returning,
almost automatically.

I couldn't help myself.

How did you get along with
the people you met there?

Jed's been very...
very nice to me.

That's Jed, Jed
Collier, the owner.

If Phil knew, though,
it would be awful.

I mean, he wouldn't
even try to understand.

He-He'd just walk out.

Or worse.

Oh, not because of jealousy

or any feelings he
might have for me, but...

because of the effect

the scandal would
have on his career.

Not that I want to hurt him,

but maybe if his
career were destroyed,

he'd have time for
me or, or something!

Tell me... do you hate Phil?

I love him.

I really do.

Even though I think
he's the one who...

The one who what?

Who's trying to kill me.

Phil?

Help me, Joe.

Help me.

Peggy, I want you to stay
with Kathy until I get back.

Don't leave here and
don't let anyone in.

No one. Okay.

But where will you be?

With her husband.

Cheers.

(sighs)

What do you want, Joe?

Talk.

You didn't have to
break in here like this

just to do that.

I didn't break in here,

your butler let me in.

Do you always come
home from the bank at night

and guzzle down the
drinks like that, Phil?

It's none of your
business what I do, Joe.

You want to talk, talk.

Alone.

We are alone.

What about the guy
you put on my tail?

What do you mean?

Dick Brandt,
private investigator.

What's the matter, Phil?

Don't you trust me?

(sighing)

No.

To tell you the truth...

I don't trust anybody anymore.

I've been going
through a rough time.

The bank?

Not only the bank.

Kathy.

What about Kathy?

Well, I guess I've finally

come around to
accepting the idea

that someone really
may be trying to kill her.

Let me tell you...

I'm convinced someone
is trying to kill her.

Who?

Do you suspect anyone?

Well, now, husbands and
wives have been known

to harbor strong feelings
against each other.

What are you trying to say?

In your case, Phil, there'd
be plenty of motivation.

You're out of your
cotton-picking mind!

You must know where
Kathy goes every afternoon.

No!

You must have suspected
something for some time.

What are you talking about?

That's why you hired
a private detective.

To check on her, to follow her.

That's not true.

When I showed up on
the scene and got involved,

you had him check on me, too.

No!

Let me see that hand.

Joe... what you said is true.

Well, I'm here to listen, Phil.

I know about Kathy.

When I found out, I
almost went out of my mind.

All I could think about was
how to cut her out of my life.

(sighs) Yes, I
considered murder.

I considered it seriously.

Joe... Look at me.

Do you take your
old buddy for a killer?

No, Phil.

(sighs)

I love Kathy.

I love her very much
in spite of everything.

Then you must realize
that you helped drive her

to do what she did
in the first place.

(phone ringing)

Hello.

Yes, he is.

It's your secretary.

Peggy. What's wrong?

We're at my place.

What happened? What
are you doing there?

Well, we saw someone
outside of the office,

and he looked as though
he was trying to get in,

so we sneaked out the
back way, and here we are.

Did he see you leave?
Did he follow you?

I'm not positive.
I mean, I'm not...

How's Kathy?

Shook up, but fine.

All right, bolt the
door and stay put.

I'm on my way.

Joe, what...? Relax, Phil.

Kathy's all right, and I'll
see that she stays that way.

Get somebody to
look at that hand.

(doorbell rings)

(sighs)

Peggy?

You all right?

Peggy's been watching
over me like a mother hen.

Have you, uh, seen
anything or heard anything?

Nothing so far.

This guy you saw
outside the office...

What did he look like?

It was too dark to tell, Joe.

Well, if he's followed you,

he's probably casing the place

before making his move.

Where's Toby?

PEGGY: Downstairs
with Mrs. Kingsley.

What are you going to do?

I want the guy that's
following Kathy to think

I've left you two alone
so he'll make his move.

Where are you going?

I'm gonna go out front
and make a show of leaving.

Then I'll park in the rear
and come up the back way.

Bolt this door behind
me and don't open it

until you hear my voice.

Right.

(engine starts)

(doorbell rings)

Peggy, it's me.

I'll put on some coffee,

just in case we have company.

(sighs)

What's wrong?

I'm trying to figure out why
somebody wants you dead.

Kathy, I found this in your car.

The name Sylvia's
engraved on it.

Oh, yes.

I'd forgotten all about it.

Who gave it to you?

Jed.

Owner of the Prince's Cave?

Yes.

He used to play pro
football, didn't he?

Several years ago.

He's, uh, known as
somewhat of a playboy.

Supposedly very rich.

You must have
known him pretty well.

I mean, not even a playboy
gives out an expensive locket

like that to just anyone.

Yes, I knew him.

Tell me about him.

Did he come to the
Cave very often?

All the time.

He has an office in the rear.

Were you ever in that office?

No.

I mean, I wasn't invited,

but I walked in several
times unannounced.

You know something funny?

Each time that
happened, I noticed

the conversation would
stop and shift to other things,

as if I'd broken
in on something.

You must have met
a lot of his friends.

Can you recall
any of their names?

Jay Germani.

Ed Key.

Paul Too... he's the bartender.

Ed Key.

Was he there very often?

Yes, he seems to be
a good friend of Jed's.

Why?

He's also a very
important figure

in the West Coast
operation of the Cosa Nostra.

Are you sure?

Yeah, I'm sure.

Why would Jed Collier
want to have you killed?

Jed?

It's got to be him.

Kathy, you're going to
have to help yourself.

How?

Well, you must have
learned something

at the Prince's Cave.

Seen something
or heard something

when you were making
one of your trips to the office.

Something that Ed Key or
Collier wanted to keep quiet.

But what?

It's maybe something
that's happened,

or something that's
going to happen.

But it's something they
wouldn't want you to know, or

anyone else to know.

But I know it?

Well, they think you know it.

I don't know what it could be.

Hmm.

Well, it must have
involved a great deal

for them to want to kill you.

Anyway, whatever it
was must have happened

within the past two weeks.

That's when the attempts
on your life started.

I can't think of anything.

Saturday!

Yeah, this is Saturday.

What about it?

I just remembered
that Jed had mentioned

his boat was coming in Saturday.

It's a yacht, actually.

What made you think
of that all of a sudden?

I don't know.

Wait.

When I... When I heard
the boat mentioned,

something was said
about bringing back horses.

Horses?

Yes.

The boat had gone on a
special trip to get horses.

Isn't that strange?

Kathy, do you know
when that boat's coming in?

What dock?

You know what time?

I don't know.

It's coming up from
Mexico, though.

(door opening)

(quietly): Come on, quick...
Both of you into the bedroom.

Let's go.

Lock the door.

(door opening)

All right, now, careful.

I'm very jumpy.

Jed Collier sent you over here

to kill Kathy Graves, didn't he?

What about that shipment of H?

H?

Yeah. Horse. Heroin.

You're crazy.

Collier's boat is due in
here tonight from Mexico.

I want to know
where and what time.

Now, look, you're in
this up to your neck.

Attempted murder.

Cooperate, and I'll put in
a word for you to the police.

Otherwise, I got a feeling
you're going up for good.

It's your neck.

Okay. The Marina.

9:00.

9:00.

(glass breaking)

(grunting)

(grunting)

(grunting)

Hold it right there!

Looks like Peggy
called just in time.

Of course, you never would
have thought of it, hmm?

(door opening)

My new chair!

ANCHORMAN: Saturday night,

federal agents confiscated
approximately 50 kilos

of pure heroin
from a pleasure boat

allegedly registered
to Jed Collier,

the former football star.

The heroin is said to
have a market value

of over three million dollars.

Now, Collier was arrested
along with a confederate, Ed Key,

and bond in each case
was set at $100,000.

In Washington today,

the Senate voted 63 to 17

to prohibit the passage of
any bill that would allow...

Well, that's that.

(knocking on door)

Phil Graves is here.

Oh, show him in.

I asked him to come, Kathy.

Hello, Phil.

I couldn't come home, Phil.

I didn't know what to say.

I know.

I know.

I'm sorry.

I'm really sorry.

I guess it was my fault
as much as it was yours.

I would like to try.

I really would like to try.

Do you think it could ever
work again for us, Phil?

Come home, Kathy.

Yes. Yes.

Yes.

(theme music playing)