Mannix (1967–1975): Season 3, Episode 23 - Murder Revisited - full transcript
A controversial television interviewer telephones a shadowy figure named Harry Armitage for the "hot seat" segment of his show, accusing Armitage of bribery and influence peddling. As he speaks to Armitage on live television, shots ring out and Armitage is later found dead in his apartment. A woman named Muriel Price is found running from the scene, and her gun is determined to be the murder weapon. Joe Mannix, who had just been hired by Armitage before his death, is then hired by Muriel's twin sister, Valerie, to try to prove that her sister is innocent.
So then, you're putting the
gutter into the classroom.
You're twisting my words again.
I'm for taking sex
education out of the gutter,
and making it part of
the regular course study.
Along with such
other personal subjects
as, uh, reading,
writing and arithmetic.
And of course, the home
would be left out of this.
The parents will
have nothing to say,
isn't that right, Mrs. Landon?
It's Miss Landon.
Oh, I'm sorry.
And I never proposed
that sex education
be taken away from
the family control.
Hmm, well, now I
read this interview...
There's no mention of your
concern for parental guidance.
Well, the newspaper
didn't quote me entirely.
Oh, in other words, the
press is censoring you.
Mr. Hackett, you're
trying to make it appear
as if there is a
conspiracy against me.
Well, now, you brought
up the charge, Mrs. Landon.
Will you please stop
calling me Missus.
Oh, forgive me, a natural error.
You see, anyone as interested
in the welfare of children
as you are, Miss Landon,
would ordinarily be thought of
as a married woman or a mother.
Mr. Hackett, you are
beneath contempt.
Uh, sorry, lady,
your time is up.
Thank you very much.
All right, folks, now to
where the action really is,
"The Hot Seat."
There it is, still empty.
Third week in a row.
Seems our seat
is a little too hot
for invited guest
Harry Armitage.
But since he's
refused our invitation,
we did the next best thing.
All right, Frank, let's move
in for a nice close head shot
of Mr. Armitage.
You see before you a rare
photo of Harry C. Armitage.
Harry, by nature, is a shy man,
except when asking for a fee
for the special work he does.
By trade I guess you'd
call Harry a peddler.
The commodity he
peddles is influence.
Now what I wanted to ask
the reluctant Harry Armitage
tonight, among other things,
was how was it that a
young man of means
could get a hit-and-run charge
reduced to a misdemeanor
when actually his
car hit, ran and killed?
Now I've asked Mr. Armitage
to, uh, reply to that,
among other burning questions,
but so far, nary a
word from Mr. Armitage.
So now I'll try him
direct on the Hot Line.
(phone line ringing)
MAN: Hello.
Ted Hackett calling.
I know.
(chuckles)
You've been tuned in, huh?
Find it fascinating,
huh, Mr. Armitage?
About as fascinating
as a trash can.
Well, one man's trash
is another man's truth.
Harry, the
invitation still stands.
The Hot Seat is all warmed
up, and so are my questions.
How about it?
I wouldn't dignify any of
your questions with a reply.
Oh, you're a real
authority on dignity,
now aren't you,
Armitage? Of course.
You know exactly what it
costs to buy off a dignified judge,
or how to get a zoning change
by bribing a dignified councilman.
Right?
Armitage?
(two gunshots)
Sounded like a gunshot.
Armitage.
Armitage?
Armitage? Armitage?!
Hey, Sid, you
better call the police.
No, wait a minute,
I'll do it, I'll do it.
Uh, get me the police.
Look, this is Ted Hackett.
I want to report something.
I don't know exactly what,
but there was a gun involved,
and it could be murder
or robbery or anything.
His name is Harry Armitage.
No, I'm not there.
I just finished talking
with him on the phone.
Yes, yes, I'm sure.
Yes, there were gunshots.
Look, I'm not the only one.
There were two
million witnesses.
(theme music playing)
♪ ♪
(camera flashbulb pops)
Just a minute, Mr. Mannix.
What floor?
Penthouse.
I'm sorry, no one's allowed
up there without permission.
Who's in charge?
Lieutenant Malcolm.
Ask him.
Lieutenant Malcolm.
Lieutenant, this is Grady.
Mannix wants to
come up to see you.
The lieutenant wants
to know what it's about.
About my client, Harry Armitage.
About his client,
Harry Armitage.
Right.
Okay.
I'd say you were a
little late getting here
for your client's sake.
Yeah, I heard the news
while I was driving
down from Santa Barbara.
No way to lose a client, Joe.
It's bad for business.
Well, I hadn't actually
started work for Armitage.
He'd sent an advance
payment over to the office.
I was supposed to
meet him here tonight.
What'd he want you for?
I don't know.
Well, in the light
of what happened,
it could have been
protection, huh?
It could have been.
You got anything?
Not yet.
What do you care? It's
not your problem now.
Well, I feel I owe
Armitage some work.
Lieutenant.
She was picked up
a block from here,
running down the alley.
Name's Muriel Price.
The maintenance man said
he saw her leave the building
by the service door,
right after the
Hackett telecast.
I had nothing to do
with Armitage's death.
Where'd you get it, Frank?
Trash can in the alley,
about 20 yards from where
she was apprehended.
Fingerprints?
FRANK: Yeah, all over it,
Lieutenant, fresh and clear.
Now I've got something.
All right, that's my
gun, but I didn't kill him.
Please, if you just
let me explain...
MALCOLM: Miss Price,
it's my duty to advise you
of your rights.
You have the right to legal
counsel before you say anything.
However, anything you
do say now voluntarily
can be used against you.
All right, take her
downtown, Frank.
We'll book her on suspicion.
I'll be along.
I didn't kill him, Lieutenant.
I really didn't kill him.
I'm sorry, Miss, uh, I'm not
with the police department.
My name is Mannix.
I'm a private investigator.
Let's go, Miss.
I... I-I didn't kill
him, Lieutenant.
I didn't...
I guess she had you
figured for a soft touch.
Maybe she figured right.
(phone ringing)
Hello.
MAN: This Mannix? Joe Mannix?
Yeah, this is Mannix.
Got a job for you.
Look, it's 2:00 in the morning.
I'm at the Opal Club.
It's over on Fifth.
Who is this?
Name's Charlie.
What's it about, Charlie?
It's got to do with
the Armitage killing.
(click, dial tone)
Mannix?
I'm Charlie.
Okay, now, what about
the Armitage case?
She's got the answers.
Now, uh... how did you get out?
Murder suspects are
usually held without bail.
I'm Valerie Price.
Muriel's my twin sister.
Sit down, Mr. Mannix.
You can go,
Charlie. I'll lock up.
There are still some
things I can do around here
to keep me busy.
I'm all right. Go on.
Okay.
But if you need
something, call me at home.
Sure.
I'll fix you a drink.
No, thanks, but you go ahead.
It was Muriel's idea.
She felt you were the man.
For what?
To prove she didn't
kill Harry Armitage.
She said you could be trusted.
She doesn't even know me.
Just in passing.
Apparently, that
was enough for her.
You've got to take
this case, Mr. Mannix...
For both of us.
It's hard for people
to understand
the way it is with twins.
Whatever happens to
Muriel happens to me.
Her sorrow is my sorrow.
Her pain is mine.
We were one simple little cell,
divided, yet inseparable.
If she trusts you,
then I trust you.
And if she needs
you, then I need you.
Can you understand
that, Mr. Mannix?
Yeah, I think so.
There's something
you've got to understand.
Everything is
against your sister.
Except one thing.
What's that?
She didn't kill Harry Armitage.
How do you know?
She told me.
It was her gun.
Yes, but it had been
missing for over a week.
Why hadn't she reported it?
She didn't have a license.
You don't need a license
just to possess a gun.
Tell me, why did she
buy it in the first place?
I don't know. A lot of
people have guns, don't they?
Yeah, far too many.
But still, very few end up
as Exhibit A in a murder case.
Look, it's a stacked case.
She received a phone call
to go to Armitage's apartment.
She found him there, dead.
She recognized the gun.
She was afraid it
would lead to her.
She took it and ran.
There's only one thing.
Armitage didn't call her.
No.
She didn't recognize the voice.
Tell me, uh, if you
were an outsider...
would you believe that story?
Obviously you don't.
And I thought you
might be able to help us.
I thought you were
going to trust me.
Why don't you
tell me everything?
I did.
Except why she went
to Armitage's apartment
in the first place.
She was a public stenographer.
She often took
dictation from Armitage.
That late at night?
How'd she get
into the apartment?
The front door was locked.
She had a key.
A public stenographer that
has a key to a client's apartment?
Muriel wasn't just a
stenographer to Armitage.
Still, she wasn't as much
as she thought to him.
There was a whole
parade of women
who went in and out of his life.
And she was on her way out.
Yes.
And that could give
the police her motive.
Anything else?
No.
I'll see what I can find out.
Well, don't I have to
pay you or anything?
No.
Why should you
do this for nothing?
I was paid in advance.
By Harry Armitage.
(engine starts)
He just left the club.
Don't worry.
I can handle her.
But you'd better
take care of Mannix.
(typewriter clacking nearby)
Uh, be with you in
a minute, Mannix.
You ready with that stuff?
PAUL: Almost.
Oh, come on. Get
the lead out, will you?
Wait just a minute, huh, Ted?
What for?
Well, it could stand a
polish, a little more color.
I'll give it plenty
of my own color
when it goes out over the air.
PAUL: It'll only take
me another minute or so.
Paul, if you want to write
the great American novel,
do it on your own time.
Right now, you're
working for Ted Hackett.
And it's not deathless
prose I'm selling.
Remember, that's-that's
TV land out there,
the simple people.
And I'm selling simple,
unvarnished truth.
(scoffs) Oh, if
I left you alone,
you'd rewrite my show
right into an early grave.
Oh, uh, coffee, huh?
Mannix?
Uh, no, thanks.
Uh, Paul?
And Danish.
Paul?
Make that prune Danish.
Sorry to keep you
waiting, Mannix.
No, you're not.
(laughs)
And I thought this was
going to be like old times.
Old times? Oh, it is.
Nothing's changed.
You're still up
to your old tricks.
Such as?
Keeping me waiting, cooling
my heels, trying to get me uptight.
That's number one.
And number two?
Still pushing your
weight around.
You mean with Paul?
(chuckles)
Mannix, some people like to
know just where they stand.
Gives them a sense of security,
which you don't understand.
I understand you, Hackett.
What's to understand?
I'm a simple man,
searching for the simple truth.
Seven years ago, I left
St. Louis with nothing.
You've still got nothing.
Only money.
(laughs)
Try as hard as you will, Mannix,
you can't get me to dislike you.
And my offer still stands.
I could really use
an expert like you.
Somebody who could dig deep
enough to get the real lowdown.
I'm afraid I just couldn't
fill the rest of the bill.
What's that?
Running for coffee,
prune Danish.
Still got to have
a gimmick, huh?
Yeah, the Hot Seat.
Well, I guess that's
show business.
Truth business.
You always were hung
up on that, weren't you?
What's wrong with the truth?
The way you use it.
The way I use it
appeals to a lot of people.
So did public hangings.
Mannix... (chuckles)
you didn't come
here to talk about that.
I came here for help, Hackett.
From me?
For a guy who's
looking for a favor,
I guess I got off
to a bad start, huh?
No mistake about that.
What kind of help?
Want a line on Harry Armitage...
A list of people who might
have killed him or had him killed.
Police have already
discussed that with me.
Well, I thought you might have
held out a tidbit
here and there.
Now, why would I
do a thing like that?
Spring it on the air, boost
your ratings a point or two.
Why should I change my mind now?
Because it might help somebody
besides yourself, Hackett.
My client's been booked
for Armitage's murder.
(chuckles)
Yeah, the, uh, Price girl.
What do you say, Hackett?
About killing Armitage?
Well, I don't blame her.
That's what I say.
(engine starts)
It's just not your
day all around.
Hmm.
You know, in this
business, Peggy,
you sometimes get a feeling.
Kind of a gut reaction.
Now, this is one of those times.
This case is just too easy.
Why?
They caught Muriel
Price flat-footed,
at the scene of the crime,
with a gun in one hand
and a motive in the other.
I know.
That's what's bugging me.
Now, a girl shoots a
man with her own gun,
she's caught running
away from the scene.
Open-and-shut case.
Why does she spend
the rest of her time...
(putts golf ball)
denying it?
Every prison is full of
innocent people, Joe.
Just ask them.
Well, I saw this girl.
She's just not the type.
When murder and love are
involved, there isn't any type.
Peggy, do me a favor, huh?
Stop, uh, quoting some
half-baked philosopher.
Joe, I'm quoting you.
Hmm.
Okay.
They got the right girl.
All the pieces fit.
Then tell me: why have
two clowns been tailing me?
What two clowns?
Two clowns who were waiting
for me outside the TV studio.
I'll tell you why.
Because somebody else
knows this isn't a closed case.
So what do we do?
Hmm.
Well, maybe we, uh... maybe
we needle Ted Hackett a little.
Hackett? Yeah.
I got a feeling he knows
something and isn't telling.
Why?
Maybe because
he's got two million
faithful viewers that,
uh, he'd rather tell first.
Yeah.
Maybe that's why
he's so successful.
I have to admit it.
I hate him, but I watch him.
Yeah. Doesn't everybody?
Hey, Peggy, uh,
you still got that friend
on the switchboard at KDF TV?
Yeah, we had dinner
together last night.
What do you want?
I want a list of all the
numbers Ted Hackett called
from his hotline
during the last month.
Then get me a rundown on
the names and addresses, huh?
What do you expect to find?
Someone who might have fed him
a piece of information
about Harry Armitage.
Something, anything.
(snaps fingers)
I'll get on it right away.
Joe, there's someone here.
Yeah, who?
Wouldn't leave his name.
What does he want?
Wouldn't say.
Come in.
Hold the calls, Peggy.
We weren't
introduced, Mr. Mannix.
My full name is Paul Russell.
Hackett doesn't know I'm here.
I thought we might do
each other some good.
Hackett doesn't like you.
That should put
me on a long list.
Right at the top now.
Because you're the last
person he'd want to know this.
Know what?
Hackett held out on you.
About my client?
No. About her sister.
Those two have more in
common than just looks.
Harry Armitage.
Valerie was first with
Armitage, and then came Muriel.
Okay?
You said, "do us both good."
That's right.
Hackett's all set to spring
this tidbit on his show Friday.
Big scoop.
Won't be much of a
scoop by Friday, will it?
What's in it for you?
I'm just putting
a little rat poison
on the prune Danish.
(door closes)
MANNIX: Why didn't you tell me?
Might have made
things worse for Muriel.
Well, that has a familiar ring.
It happens to be true!
Look, the newspapers
would have taken it
and blown it up,
way out of proportion.
Twins are special people.
They make special stories.
Particularly where
there's a murder.
What else didn't you tell me?
Nothing.
That has a familiar ring, too.
Mr. Mannix, no
matter what you think,
Muriel didn't kill
Harry Armitage!
She just isn't tough enough.
Are you?
Yes!
But I didn't kill him.
What motive would I have?
Same as your sister.
Oh, no. Oh, no.
I made my arrangement with
Harry Armitage at the start.
I'm not the type to let my
future just take care of itself.
I made sure Armitage
took care of it.
And Mr. Mannix, you're standing
right in the middle
of it, this place.
It's mine.
That makes me cold
and calculating, huh?
Practical.
Why be nice about it?
You don't approve, right?
You don't need my approval.
Somehow, I could
use it right now.
(phone rings)
Mr. Mannix's office.
It's me, Peggy.
How'd you make out?
Went in like a lion,
came out like a lamb.
And those two clowns
are still on my tail.
Anything I can do?
Get me a quick check on a
license number... 247OJF.
Where will you
be? I'll call you back.
I'll call you back, Peggy.
I'll be on the move.
Better move faster
than that, Mannix.
Okay, Pete.
(car engine starts)
Well, Mannix, you in
more of a mood to talk now?
I told you I got nothing
to talk to you about.
Come on. What about all the
stuff Armitage spilled to you?
He spilled nothing to me.
You're a hit-and-run
candidate, Mannix, unless...
Armitage was already dead
when I came into the case.
You're in this case.
So, what's what?
What've you dug up?
Nothing.
Get her on the road, Pete.
(engine revs)
(tires squeal)
(man grunts)
(running footsteps)
(water running)
(gasps) Now, take it easy.
I'm not gonna hurt
you. Just do as I say
and don't scream,
you understand?
(sighing)
Look, I'm sorry,
but I'm in trouble.
Who'd ever guess?
Losers, that's all I ever get.
Who'd you kill?
Oh, it's nothing like that.
Then why are you running?
A couple of characters
would like to see me dead.
Well, what if they come here?
Don't worry. I'll
keep you out of it.
You gonna give me
a written guarantee?
Well?
I don't see them.
Good-bye.
It's been very nice knowing you.
Look, I'm afraid I'm going
to have to stick around
just a little longer.
Oh, typical. Losers.
I don't only pick 'em.
They find me from nowhere.
You don't happen to
be in sports, do you?
No.
Oh, well, that's a change.
I don't know. Somebody
always gets the winners.
Me, I always wind
up with the losers:
a football player
with a trick knee...
a boxer who gets his
brains punched out
in his second
professional fight...
and a jockey who gets
caught doping horses.
Not exactly the hit parade.
Mister, I'm telling you,
with my luck, if I had a
mantis, it wouldn't pray.
Where're you going?
I'd like to use your
phone, if you don't mind.
Oh, no, I don't mind,
but it's been cut off.
Now it's your luck.
I guess it can be catching, huh?
Are they out there?
Shh!
Yeah, they're out there.
They gotta figure out
that I'm in this building,
and come around searching.
Hey, I could get rid of 'em.
How?
Uh, well, my phone's
out of order, see?
And I-I gotta make this
very important phone call.
Have you got a dime?
Yeah, I think so.
Here you are. Good.
Wait a minute. Here.
Now what's that for?
Your trouble.
Well, I, I could use it.
Then take it.
Can you spare it?
Sure. Okay.
Okay, wait a minute.
(door opens, shuts)
Good evening.
Hey... Pardon me.
Did you see anybody
come in here?
Uh, some guy went
running up the stairs.
Wait a minute.
Mister, I got to
make a phone call.
You got any idea where he went?
Uh, well, the roof,
uh, maybe. I...
Excuse me.
I beg your pardon.
Excuse me, please.
What are you
doing out in the hall?
What? Look, mister,
you see this dime?
Ten lousy cents.
Th-That's the last one I got.
Uh, my own phone's
been cut off, see?
And there's this chance I got
to pick up a, an easy 20 bucks.
So, so I got to use the phone.
But-But if I don't
make that call fast,
a certain party will
be gone, and, uh...
and I'll stay as
flat as this, okay?
Okay, lady, except
you dropped something.
Oh, good heavens. Easy $20.
Hey, wait a minute. Now
listen, there's nobody up there.
Gotta be this one with the lights
on. I tell you, they're all gone.
Nobody's there.
All right, open it.
Hey, Dave?
Anybody come out
on this fire escape? No.
Keep your eyes open.
See? Nobody's here.
He ran away before you came.
There's nobody there.
IRENE: See? There's nobody here.
WALT: Hey, Pete.
He went out that way.
It's a big jump.
So if he broke a leg,
how far can he get?
Yeah, he probably broke a leg.
How far can he get, huh?
Hey, give me that! That's mine!
Hey, Dave, go around
back! He can't be far.
Oh... He took my 20.
Can you get my 20?
Eh, you big bozo!
Hey, come on out, they're gone.
(chuckles) Oh, that
was... Thanks. What?
I'll see that you
get your money.
Oh, no, that comes second.
What counts is you're okay.
Thanks to you.
Well, that's what I
mean. A change of luck!
Thank you for coming
so quickly, Mr. Mannix.
What's it about?
VALERIE: I guess
I'd better explain.
This was more or less
my idea, Mr. Mannix.
What was?
Getting a lawyer
for Muriel... the best.
He's agreed to take the case.
Well, that's not all
you're trying to tell me.
No, I'd like to thank
you for everything.
Meaning you'd
like me off the case.
The lawyer feels that
he can get Muriel off
on the grounds of
insufficient evidence.
(over phone): He feels
that her case could be hurt
if you kept digging into it.
Well, now, Valerie,
you've done all the talking.
We've heard how
your lawyer feels
and how you feel.
What about you,
Muriel? It's your life.
How do you feel about it?
I'm sorry, Mr. Mannix,
but it's the way I feel, too.
Looked straight at me
with those big, brown eyes,
and backed up her
sister's story 100%.
She doesn't want
me on the case, either.
PEGGY: Maybe it
was the lawyer's idea.
Ah, no way.
But why, Joe?
Maybe, uh, maybe to
keep me from digging.
Maybe to let
Muriel be the patsy.
I don't know, Peggy,
but I do know that
those two look alike,
but I'll bet it's the first
time in a long while
that they've thought alike.
(phone rings)
Mr. Mannix's office.
Oh, hi. Did you get it?
Great.
What?
Are you sure?
Thanks.
Yeah, yeah, I
think it'll help a lot.
Who was that?
Gloria Oberhansly in DMV.
She checked out that
license number you phoned in.
Who does the car belong to?
An old friend out of the past.
The car was registered
to Alliance-Pacific
Investment Company.
Carl Dorso!
None other.
Well, now the fog's
beginning to lift a little.
Do you think Dorso's
involved in that Armitage case?
Enough to want me dead.
That's involved.
Look, Peggy, you
stick next to that phone.
I think we're back in business.
(door shuts)
Yes, sir, may I help you?
Sir?
You keep your
muscle off me, Dorso!
I'm sorry, sir. He
rushed right past me.
Don't do that, sonny.
No, Ellis, don't.
What brings you here, Mannix?
Last night, two thugs used
a car that just happened
to be registered
to the Alliance-Pacific
Investment Company.
When I think of
Alliance-Pacific,
I can't help but
think of Carl Dorso.
Ellis, what was the
plate number of that car
we reported as stolen?
247OJF, sir.
Would it happen to be
that particular car, Mannix?
You see?
Nothing up our sleeve.
Except the vice money
that comes out as
legitimate investments.
You run a nice laundry, Dorso.
Dirty money to instant clean.
Rumors.
You know, you didn't have to send
your hoods out to work me over.
I'd be only too glad to
tell you everything I know.
About what?
You've been itching to find out
what I've dug up on
the Armitage case.
What is there to dig up?
The police have their suspect.
You know what I think, Dorso?
I think she's just a
patsy for a contract
you put out on Armitage.
Contract?
Mannix, that sort of thing
went out with running boards.
Ted Hackett found
out about the fixes
Armitage put in for
you and the Syndicate.
Now you couldn't afford
to knock off Hackett.
That would stir up
too much trouble.
Armitage was a fixer.
Now who would miss a fixer?
So Armitage drew
the short straw.
That's a fairy tale, Mannix.
Is it?
You ought to tell him about it.
Went out with running boards.
We're not open yet.
Tell your boss I
want to talk to her.
She isn't here.
I'll wait.
She's taking the day off.
Get lost.
VALERIE: Stop it!
It's all right, Charlie.
I guess I'd better speak
to Mr. Mannix, after all.
Dorso really got
to you, didn't he?
He scared you, told
you exactly what to do,
and sister Muriel backed you up.
All I have is this place.
I could be finished with one
snap of Carl Dorso's fingers.
What did you expect me to do?
Think about your
sister for a little bit.
I did.
They've hired the
best lawyer in town.
They promised to get her off.
And that ends it?
Yes. For Muriel.
What about you?
What is that supposed to mean?
Well, yesterday you told me
that your sister wasn't
tough enough to kill Armitage.
Oh. And I said
I was, is that it?
Right.
So now you suspect me?
Why shouldn't I?
You're reaching, Mr. Mannix.
After all, I was the one who
called you in on this case.
Well, that makes
a perfect cover.
Sister worried sick, so she
calls in private investigator.
I have no motive.
I have everything I want.
Look, I wasn't near
Armitage's apartment that night.
As a matter of fact, I tried
reaching him by phone
for over a half hour up till
the minute he was killed.
The line was busy.
Only you can't prove that,
because you were all alone
in the apartment while
you were making the calls.
No.
I was right here.
All night.
And I've got a bar
full of witnesses.
I never left.
You, uh, say the line was busy?
Yes.
(door shuts)
Where is he?
In the studio.
Did he say what
this was all about?
No.
Where are you going?
With you.
Look, I can handle this alone.
Oh, okay, then
I'll wait out here.
Go home.
Hackett?
Paul tells me he had
to get you out of bed.
I'm sorry, I... couldn't
get in touch with you.
He wouldn't give me
your private number.
What do you want, Mannix?
I could still use your help.
The Armitage case?
Right.
The Armitage case.
And that's what you
dragged me down for
in the middle of the night?
Look, I'm an early riser.
I value my sleep.
Take it easy, Hackett.
I'll make it worth your
while. We'll work a deal.
Why, you sound like a man
with his back up
against the wall.
Well, I'll play it straight
with you, Hackett... I am.
Everybody wants me off the case.
Valerie Price fired me.
Carl Dorso tried to
put the arm on me.
Wait a minute, what's
Dorso got to do with it?
Aw, now, come on, Hackett.
I said I was going
to play it straight.
Let's put the
cards on the table.
You know about Armitage's
connection with Dorso.
You were going to
blow the lid on it, right?
(chuckles)
Yes, sir, Mannix, like I said,
I could sure use a
good man like you.
Well, I'm afraid
I'm just not much
for running after prune Danish.
Now your boy
Paul, he's the type.
Yeah, well, I'm
thinking of firing him.
Oh?
For feeding you that
inside information
about Valerie Price's
connection with Armitage.
That's funny.
What?
I was beginning to think
that you sent him over
with that little piece of news.
Now why would I
do a thing like that?
Your style.
Well, why would I want to
make your life miserable?
Okay, so I was wrong.
Anyway, it checked out.
Sure, sure, that's
what I deal in,
nothing but the truth.
So, uh... what are you
going to do for me, Mannix?
I'm going to give
you the straight scoop
on the Armitage case.
And, uh, what do I do for you?
For the time being,
just watch the monitor.
Something Valerie Price
said has been bugging me.
So I had master control pipe
the tape of your last show in here.
I watched it a couple of times.
Here, let's watch
it together, huh?
(dialing phone)
Yeah, this is Mannix.
Uh, could we run
that tape again?
Yeah, from the same spot.
Uh, what was it Valerie
Price said that bugged you?
Well, she claims
she called Armitage
the night he was killed.
So?
Let's watch it.
So now, I'll have to
do the next best thing,
and call him direct
on the Hot Line.
(phone line ringing)
ARMITAGE: Hello.
Ted Hackett calling.
I know.
You've been tuned in, huh?
Find it fascinating,
huh, Mr. Armitage?
About as fascinating
as a trash can.
Okay, now let's roll it back
to just before the phone call,
and we'll run it through the
same way we did the last time.
Let me know when you're ready.
What's the point?
What Valerie Price said.
You mean, what Armitage
told her over the phone?
No, no, she didn't get
through to Armitage.
Uh, his line was busy up
till the time he was shot.
Well, everybody knows
he was talking to me
when that happened.
That's what's bugging me.
OPERATOR: Ready,
Mr. Mannix. Okay, go ahead.
Just watch and listen,
we're going to run
it in slow motion.
HACKETT: So I'll now try
him direct on the Hot Line.
(dialing phone)
That's enough.
Thanks for hanging
around. Good night.
What bugged me was, if
Valerie Price couldn't get through
to Armitage for
over a half hour,
right up to the time he
was killed, how could you?
Well, I then had the
tape slowed down
so I could count
the dial clicks.
That wasn't Armitage's
phone number you dialed.
Two million witnesses
heard his voice.
What they heard was
a recording of his voice.
How do you account
for the gunshots?
They were laid in,
just like the bits and pieces
of phone conversations
with Armitage which
were previously recorded.
The rest is obvious.
Tell me, tell me anyway.
Well, you dialed your
own private number,
the one you guard
so jealously, right?
Go on.
And you rigged an answering
device on your phone.
Harry Armitage was already dead.
You had a talk with
a corpse, Hackett,
in view of two
million witnesses.
Yes, sir... Mannix,
I really admire you.
You are a tiger.
Why did you kill him, Hackett?
You want it straight?
Straight.
Armitage warned me to lay off.
He said if I didn't,
he'd nail me.
I didn't think he'd
go that far back.
I never figured
anyone would find out,
and I thought I'd
covered all my tracks.
What'd he have on you?
I was connected with a murder
seven years ago in St. Louis.
Armitage dug up that connection.
And you were the one who
called Muriel Price that night,
told her to get over to
Armitage's place in a hurry.
You made her the patsy.
I had everything working for me.
I had a handful
of solid suspects.
If not Muriel, Muriel's
sister, Valerie.
If not Valerie, Dorso.
You see, Mannix, how part
of the truth can work for you?
Yeah, but then I've got
the whole naked truth
right in front of me.
But there are only two
of us who know that.
I'd forget that if I
were you, Hackett.
You've lost this ball game.
Instant replay.
MANNIX: Why did
you kill him, Hackett?
HACKETT: You want it straight?
Straight.
Armitage warned me to lay off.
Said if I didn't he'd nail me.
I didn't think he'd
go that far back.
I never figured...
Okay, boys, you can cut it.
Lieutenant Malcolm is on his way
down to ask you about the truth.
And as they say, Hackett,
the camera never lies.
(theme music playing)
gutter into the classroom.
You're twisting my words again.
I'm for taking sex
education out of the gutter,
and making it part of
the regular course study.
Along with such
other personal subjects
as, uh, reading,
writing and arithmetic.
And of course, the home
would be left out of this.
The parents will
have nothing to say,
isn't that right, Mrs. Landon?
It's Miss Landon.
Oh, I'm sorry.
And I never proposed
that sex education
be taken away from
the family control.
Hmm, well, now I
read this interview...
There's no mention of your
concern for parental guidance.
Well, the newspaper
didn't quote me entirely.
Oh, in other words, the
press is censoring you.
Mr. Hackett, you're
trying to make it appear
as if there is a
conspiracy against me.
Well, now, you brought
up the charge, Mrs. Landon.
Will you please stop
calling me Missus.
Oh, forgive me, a natural error.
You see, anyone as interested
in the welfare of children
as you are, Miss Landon,
would ordinarily be thought of
as a married woman or a mother.
Mr. Hackett, you are
beneath contempt.
Uh, sorry, lady,
your time is up.
Thank you very much.
All right, folks, now to
where the action really is,
"The Hot Seat."
There it is, still empty.
Third week in a row.
Seems our seat
is a little too hot
for invited guest
Harry Armitage.
But since he's
refused our invitation,
we did the next best thing.
All right, Frank, let's move
in for a nice close head shot
of Mr. Armitage.
You see before you a rare
photo of Harry C. Armitage.
Harry, by nature, is a shy man,
except when asking for a fee
for the special work he does.
By trade I guess you'd
call Harry a peddler.
The commodity he
peddles is influence.
Now what I wanted to ask
the reluctant Harry Armitage
tonight, among other things,
was how was it that a
young man of means
could get a hit-and-run charge
reduced to a misdemeanor
when actually his
car hit, ran and killed?
Now I've asked Mr. Armitage
to, uh, reply to that,
among other burning questions,
but so far, nary a
word from Mr. Armitage.
So now I'll try him
direct on the Hot Line.
(phone line ringing)
MAN: Hello.
Ted Hackett calling.
I know.
(chuckles)
You've been tuned in, huh?
Find it fascinating,
huh, Mr. Armitage?
About as fascinating
as a trash can.
Well, one man's trash
is another man's truth.
Harry, the
invitation still stands.
The Hot Seat is all warmed
up, and so are my questions.
How about it?
I wouldn't dignify any of
your questions with a reply.
Oh, you're a real
authority on dignity,
now aren't you,
Armitage? Of course.
You know exactly what it
costs to buy off a dignified judge,
or how to get a zoning change
by bribing a dignified councilman.
Right?
Armitage?
(two gunshots)
Sounded like a gunshot.
Armitage.
Armitage?
Armitage? Armitage?!
Hey, Sid, you
better call the police.
No, wait a minute,
I'll do it, I'll do it.
Uh, get me the police.
Look, this is Ted Hackett.
I want to report something.
I don't know exactly what,
but there was a gun involved,
and it could be murder
or robbery or anything.
His name is Harry Armitage.
No, I'm not there.
I just finished talking
with him on the phone.
Yes, yes, I'm sure.
Yes, there were gunshots.
Look, I'm not the only one.
There were two
million witnesses.
(theme music playing)
♪ ♪
(camera flashbulb pops)
Just a minute, Mr. Mannix.
What floor?
Penthouse.
I'm sorry, no one's allowed
up there without permission.
Who's in charge?
Lieutenant Malcolm.
Ask him.
Lieutenant Malcolm.
Lieutenant, this is Grady.
Mannix wants to
come up to see you.
The lieutenant wants
to know what it's about.
About my client, Harry Armitage.
About his client,
Harry Armitage.
Right.
Okay.
I'd say you were a
little late getting here
for your client's sake.
Yeah, I heard the news
while I was driving
down from Santa Barbara.
No way to lose a client, Joe.
It's bad for business.
Well, I hadn't actually
started work for Armitage.
He'd sent an advance
payment over to the office.
I was supposed to
meet him here tonight.
What'd he want you for?
I don't know.
Well, in the light
of what happened,
it could have been
protection, huh?
It could have been.
You got anything?
Not yet.
What do you care? It's
not your problem now.
Well, I feel I owe
Armitage some work.
Lieutenant.
She was picked up
a block from here,
running down the alley.
Name's Muriel Price.
The maintenance man said
he saw her leave the building
by the service door,
right after the
Hackett telecast.
I had nothing to do
with Armitage's death.
Where'd you get it, Frank?
Trash can in the alley,
about 20 yards from where
she was apprehended.
Fingerprints?
FRANK: Yeah, all over it,
Lieutenant, fresh and clear.
Now I've got something.
All right, that's my
gun, but I didn't kill him.
Please, if you just
let me explain...
MALCOLM: Miss Price,
it's my duty to advise you
of your rights.
You have the right to legal
counsel before you say anything.
However, anything you
do say now voluntarily
can be used against you.
All right, take her
downtown, Frank.
We'll book her on suspicion.
I'll be along.
I didn't kill him, Lieutenant.
I really didn't kill him.
I'm sorry, Miss, uh, I'm not
with the police department.
My name is Mannix.
I'm a private investigator.
Let's go, Miss.
I... I-I didn't kill
him, Lieutenant.
I didn't...
I guess she had you
figured for a soft touch.
Maybe she figured right.
(phone ringing)
Hello.
MAN: This Mannix? Joe Mannix?
Yeah, this is Mannix.
Got a job for you.
Look, it's 2:00 in the morning.
I'm at the Opal Club.
It's over on Fifth.
Who is this?
Name's Charlie.
What's it about, Charlie?
It's got to do with
the Armitage killing.
(click, dial tone)
Mannix?
I'm Charlie.
Okay, now, what about
the Armitage case?
She's got the answers.
Now, uh... how did you get out?
Murder suspects are
usually held without bail.
I'm Valerie Price.
Muriel's my twin sister.
Sit down, Mr. Mannix.
You can go,
Charlie. I'll lock up.
There are still some
things I can do around here
to keep me busy.
I'm all right. Go on.
Okay.
But if you need
something, call me at home.
Sure.
I'll fix you a drink.
No, thanks, but you go ahead.
It was Muriel's idea.
She felt you were the man.
For what?
To prove she didn't
kill Harry Armitage.
She said you could be trusted.
She doesn't even know me.
Just in passing.
Apparently, that
was enough for her.
You've got to take
this case, Mr. Mannix...
For both of us.
It's hard for people
to understand
the way it is with twins.
Whatever happens to
Muriel happens to me.
Her sorrow is my sorrow.
Her pain is mine.
We were one simple little cell,
divided, yet inseparable.
If she trusts you,
then I trust you.
And if she needs
you, then I need you.
Can you understand
that, Mr. Mannix?
Yeah, I think so.
There's something
you've got to understand.
Everything is
against your sister.
Except one thing.
What's that?
She didn't kill Harry Armitage.
How do you know?
She told me.
It was her gun.
Yes, but it had been
missing for over a week.
Why hadn't she reported it?
She didn't have a license.
You don't need a license
just to possess a gun.
Tell me, why did she
buy it in the first place?
I don't know. A lot of
people have guns, don't they?
Yeah, far too many.
But still, very few end up
as Exhibit A in a murder case.
Look, it's a stacked case.
She received a phone call
to go to Armitage's apartment.
She found him there, dead.
She recognized the gun.
She was afraid it
would lead to her.
She took it and ran.
There's only one thing.
Armitage didn't call her.
No.
She didn't recognize the voice.
Tell me, uh, if you
were an outsider...
would you believe that story?
Obviously you don't.
And I thought you
might be able to help us.
I thought you were
going to trust me.
Why don't you
tell me everything?
I did.
Except why she went
to Armitage's apartment
in the first place.
She was a public stenographer.
She often took
dictation from Armitage.
That late at night?
How'd she get
into the apartment?
The front door was locked.
She had a key.
A public stenographer that
has a key to a client's apartment?
Muriel wasn't just a
stenographer to Armitage.
Still, she wasn't as much
as she thought to him.
There was a whole
parade of women
who went in and out of his life.
And she was on her way out.
Yes.
And that could give
the police her motive.
Anything else?
No.
I'll see what I can find out.
Well, don't I have to
pay you or anything?
No.
Why should you
do this for nothing?
I was paid in advance.
By Harry Armitage.
(engine starts)
He just left the club.
Don't worry.
I can handle her.
But you'd better
take care of Mannix.
(typewriter clacking nearby)
Uh, be with you in
a minute, Mannix.
You ready with that stuff?
PAUL: Almost.
Oh, come on. Get
the lead out, will you?
Wait just a minute, huh, Ted?
What for?
Well, it could stand a
polish, a little more color.
I'll give it plenty
of my own color
when it goes out over the air.
PAUL: It'll only take
me another minute or so.
Paul, if you want to write
the great American novel,
do it on your own time.
Right now, you're
working for Ted Hackett.
And it's not deathless
prose I'm selling.
Remember, that's-that's
TV land out there,
the simple people.
And I'm selling simple,
unvarnished truth.
(scoffs) Oh, if
I left you alone,
you'd rewrite my show
right into an early grave.
Oh, uh, coffee, huh?
Mannix?
Uh, no, thanks.
Uh, Paul?
And Danish.
Paul?
Make that prune Danish.
Sorry to keep you
waiting, Mannix.
No, you're not.
(laughs)
And I thought this was
going to be like old times.
Old times? Oh, it is.
Nothing's changed.
You're still up
to your old tricks.
Such as?
Keeping me waiting, cooling
my heels, trying to get me uptight.
That's number one.
And number two?
Still pushing your
weight around.
You mean with Paul?
(chuckles)
Mannix, some people like to
know just where they stand.
Gives them a sense of security,
which you don't understand.
I understand you, Hackett.
What's to understand?
I'm a simple man,
searching for the simple truth.
Seven years ago, I left
St. Louis with nothing.
You've still got nothing.
Only money.
(laughs)
Try as hard as you will, Mannix,
you can't get me to dislike you.
And my offer still stands.
I could really use
an expert like you.
Somebody who could dig deep
enough to get the real lowdown.
I'm afraid I just couldn't
fill the rest of the bill.
What's that?
Running for coffee,
prune Danish.
Still got to have
a gimmick, huh?
Yeah, the Hot Seat.
Well, I guess that's
show business.
Truth business.
You always were hung
up on that, weren't you?
What's wrong with the truth?
The way you use it.
The way I use it
appeals to a lot of people.
So did public hangings.
Mannix... (chuckles)
you didn't come
here to talk about that.
I came here for help, Hackett.
From me?
For a guy who's
looking for a favor,
I guess I got off
to a bad start, huh?
No mistake about that.
What kind of help?
Want a line on Harry Armitage...
A list of people who might
have killed him or had him killed.
Police have already
discussed that with me.
Well, I thought you might have
held out a tidbit
here and there.
Now, why would I
do a thing like that?
Spring it on the air, boost
your ratings a point or two.
Why should I change my mind now?
Because it might help somebody
besides yourself, Hackett.
My client's been booked
for Armitage's murder.
(chuckles)
Yeah, the, uh, Price girl.
What do you say, Hackett?
About killing Armitage?
Well, I don't blame her.
That's what I say.
(engine starts)
It's just not your
day all around.
Hmm.
You know, in this
business, Peggy,
you sometimes get a feeling.
Kind of a gut reaction.
Now, this is one of those times.
This case is just too easy.
Why?
They caught Muriel
Price flat-footed,
at the scene of the crime,
with a gun in one hand
and a motive in the other.
I know.
That's what's bugging me.
Now, a girl shoots a
man with her own gun,
she's caught running
away from the scene.
Open-and-shut case.
Why does she spend
the rest of her time...
(putts golf ball)
denying it?
Every prison is full of
innocent people, Joe.
Just ask them.
Well, I saw this girl.
She's just not the type.
When murder and love are
involved, there isn't any type.
Peggy, do me a favor, huh?
Stop, uh, quoting some
half-baked philosopher.
Joe, I'm quoting you.
Hmm.
Okay.
They got the right girl.
All the pieces fit.
Then tell me: why have
two clowns been tailing me?
What two clowns?
Two clowns who were waiting
for me outside the TV studio.
I'll tell you why.
Because somebody else
knows this isn't a closed case.
So what do we do?
Hmm.
Well, maybe we, uh... maybe
we needle Ted Hackett a little.
Hackett? Yeah.
I got a feeling he knows
something and isn't telling.
Why?
Maybe because
he's got two million
faithful viewers that,
uh, he'd rather tell first.
Yeah.
Maybe that's why
he's so successful.
I have to admit it.
I hate him, but I watch him.
Yeah. Doesn't everybody?
Hey, Peggy, uh,
you still got that friend
on the switchboard at KDF TV?
Yeah, we had dinner
together last night.
What do you want?
I want a list of all the
numbers Ted Hackett called
from his hotline
during the last month.
Then get me a rundown on
the names and addresses, huh?
What do you expect to find?
Someone who might have fed him
a piece of information
about Harry Armitage.
Something, anything.
(snaps fingers)
I'll get on it right away.
Joe, there's someone here.
Yeah, who?
Wouldn't leave his name.
What does he want?
Wouldn't say.
Come in.
Hold the calls, Peggy.
We weren't
introduced, Mr. Mannix.
My full name is Paul Russell.
Hackett doesn't know I'm here.
I thought we might do
each other some good.
Hackett doesn't like you.
That should put
me on a long list.
Right at the top now.
Because you're the last
person he'd want to know this.
Know what?
Hackett held out on you.
About my client?
No. About her sister.
Those two have more in
common than just looks.
Harry Armitage.
Valerie was first with
Armitage, and then came Muriel.
Okay?
You said, "do us both good."
That's right.
Hackett's all set to spring
this tidbit on his show Friday.
Big scoop.
Won't be much of a
scoop by Friday, will it?
What's in it for you?
I'm just putting
a little rat poison
on the prune Danish.
(door closes)
MANNIX: Why didn't you tell me?
Might have made
things worse for Muriel.
Well, that has a familiar ring.
It happens to be true!
Look, the newspapers
would have taken it
and blown it up,
way out of proportion.
Twins are special people.
They make special stories.
Particularly where
there's a murder.
What else didn't you tell me?
Nothing.
That has a familiar ring, too.
Mr. Mannix, no
matter what you think,
Muriel didn't kill
Harry Armitage!
She just isn't tough enough.
Are you?
Yes!
But I didn't kill him.
What motive would I have?
Same as your sister.
Oh, no. Oh, no.
I made my arrangement with
Harry Armitage at the start.
I'm not the type to let my
future just take care of itself.
I made sure Armitage
took care of it.
And Mr. Mannix, you're standing
right in the middle
of it, this place.
It's mine.
That makes me cold
and calculating, huh?
Practical.
Why be nice about it?
You don't approve, right?
You don't need my approval.
Somehow, I could
use it right now.
(phone rings)
Mr. Mannix's office.
It's me, Peggy.
How'd you make out?
Went in like a lion,
came out like a lamb.
And those two clowns
are still on my tail.
Anything I can do?
Get me a quick check on a
license number... 247OJF.
Where will you
be? I'll call you back.
I'll call you back, Peggy.
I'll be on the move.
Better move faster
than that, Mannix.
Okay, Pete.
(car engine starts)
Well, Mannix, you in
more of a mood to talk now?
I told you I got nothing
to talk to you about.
Come on. What about all the
stuff Armitage spilled to you?
He spilled nothing to me.
You're a hit-and-run
candidate, Mannix, unless...
Armitage was already dead
when I came into the case.
You're in this case.
So, what's what?
What've you dug up?
Nothing.
Get her on the road, Pete.
(engine revs)
(tires squeal)
(man grunts)
(running footsteps)
(water running)
(gasps) Now, take it easy.
I'm not gonna hurt
you. Just do as I say
and don't scream,
you understand?
(sighing)
Look, I'm sorry,
but I'm in trouble.
Who'd ever guess?
Losers, that's all I ever get.
Who'd you kill?
Oh, it's nothing like that.
Then why are you running?
A couple of characters
would like to see me dead.
Well, what if they come here?
Don't worry. I'll
keep you out of it.
You gonna give me
a written guarantee?
Well?
I don't see them.
Good-bye.
It's been very nice knowing you.
Look, I'm afraid I'm going
to have to stick around
just a little longer.
Oh, typical. Losers.
I don't only pick 'em.
They find me from nowhere.
You don't happen to
be in sports, do you?
No.
Oh, well, that's a change.
I don't know. Somebody
always gets the winners.
Me, I always wind
up with the losers:
a football player
with a trick knee...
a boxer who gets his
brains punched out
in his second
professional fight...
and a jockey who gets
caught doping horses.
Not exactly the hit parade.
Mister, I'm telling you,
with my luck, if I had a
mantis, it wouldn't pray.
Where're you going?
I'd like to use your
phone, if you don't mind.
Oh, no, I don't mind,
but it's been cut off.
Now it's your luck.
I guess it can be catching, huh?
Are they out there?
Shh!
Yeah, they're out there.
They gotta figure out
that I'm in this building,
and come around searching.
Hey, I could get rid of 'em.
How?
Uh, well, my phone's
out of order, see?
And I-I gotta make this
very important phone call.
Have you got a dime?
Yeah, I think so.
Here you are. Good.
Wait a minute. Here.
Now what's that for?
Your trouble.
Well, I, I could use it.
Then take it.
Can you spare it?
Sure. Okay.
Okay, wait a minute.
(door opens, shuts)
Good evening.
Hey... Pardon me.
Did you see anybody
come in here?
Uh, some guy went
running up the stairs.
Wait a minute.
Mister, I got to
make a phone call.
You got any idea where he went?
Uh, well, the roof,
uh, maybe. I...
Excuse me.
I beg your pardon.
Excuse me, please.
What are you
doing out in the hall?
What? Look, mister,
you see this dime?
Ten lousy cents.
Th-That's the last one I got.
Uh, my own phone's
been cut off, see?
And there's this chance I got
to pick up a, an easy 20 bucks.
So, so I got to use the phone.
But-But if I don't
make that call fast,
a certain party will
be gone, and, uh...
and I'll stay as
flat as this, okay?
Okay, lady, except
you dropped something.
Oh, good heavens. Easy $20.
Hey, wait a minute. Now
listen, there's nobody up there.
Gotta be this one with the lights
on. I tell you, they're all gone.
Nobody's there.
All right, open it.
Hey, Dave?
Anybody come out
on this fire escape? No.
Keep your eyes open.
See? Nobody's here.
He ran away before you came.
There's nobody there.
IRENE: See? There's nobody here.
WALT: Hey, Pete.
He went out that way.
It's a big jump.
So if he broke a leg,
how far can he get?
Yeah, he probably broke a leg.
How far can he get, huh?
Hey, give me that! That's mine!
Hey, Dave, go around
back! He can't be far.
Oh... He took my 20.
Can you get my 20?
Eh, you big bozo!
Hey, come on out, they're gone.
(chuckles) Oh, that
was... Thanks. What?
I'll see that you
get your money.
Oh, no, that comes second.
What counts is you're okay.
Thanks to you.
Well, that's what I
mean. A change of luck!
Thank you for coming
so quickly, Mr. Mannix.
What's it about?
VALERIE: I guess
I'd better explain.
This was more or less
my idea, Mr. Mannix.
What was?
Getting a lawyer
for Muriel... the best.
He's agreed to take the case.
Well, that's not all
you're trying to tell me.
No, I'd like to thank
you for everything.
Meaning you'd
like me off the case.
The lawyer feels that
he can get Muriel off
on the grounds of
insufficient evidence.
(over phone): He feels
that her case could be hurt
if you kept digging into it.
Well, now, Valerie,
you've done all the talking.
We've heard how
your lawyer feels
and how you feel.
What about you,
Muriel? It's your life.
How do you feel about it?
I'm sorry, Mr. Mannix,
but it's the way I feel, too.
Looked straight at me
with those big, brown eyes,
and backed up her
sister's story 100%.
She doesn't want
me on the case, either.
PEGGY: Maybe it
was the lawyer's idea.
Ah, no way.
But why, Joe?
Maybe, uh, maybe to
keep me from digging.
Maybe to let
Muriel be the patsy.
I don't know, Peggy,
but I do know that
those two look alike,
but I'll bet it's the first
time in a long while
that they've thought alike.
(phone rings)
Mr. Mannix's office.
Oh, hi. Did you get it?
Great.
What?
Are you sure?
Thanks.
Yeah, yeah, I
think it'll help a lot.
Who was that?
Gloria Oberhansly in DMV.
She checked out that
license number you phoned in.
Who does the car belong to?
An old friend out of the past.
The car was registered
to Alliance-Pacific
Investment Company.
Carl Dorso!
None other.
Well, now the fog's
beginning to lift a little.
Do you think Dorso's
involved in that Armitage case?
Enough to want me dead.
That's involved.
Look, Peggy, you
stick next to that phone.
I think we're back in business.
(door shuts)
Yes, sir, may I help you?
Sir?
You keep your
muscle off me, Dorso!
I'm sorry, sir. He
rushed right past me.
Don't do that, sonny.
No, Ellis, don't.
What brings you here, Mannix?
Last night, two thugs used
a car that just happened
to be registered
to the Alliance-Pacific
Investment Company.
When I think of
Alliance-Pacific,
I can't help but
think of Carl Dorso.
Ellis, what was the
plate number of that car
we reported as stolen?
247OJF, sir.
Would it happen to be
that particular car, Mannix?
You see?
Nothing up our sleeve.
Except the vice money
that comes out as
legitimate investments.
You run a nice laundry, Dorso.
Dirty money to instant clean.
Rumors.
You know, you didn't have to send
your hoods out to work me over.
I'd be only too glad to
tell you everything I know.
About what?
You've been itching to find out
what I've dug up on
the Armitage case.
What is there to dig up?
The police have their suspect.
You know what I think, Dorso?
I think she's just a
patsy for a contract
you put out on Armitage.
Contract?
Mannix, that sort of thing
went out with running boards.
Ted Hackett found
out about the fixes
Armitage put in for
you and the Syndicate.
Now you couldn't afford
to knock off Hackett.
That would stir up
too much trouble.
Armitage was a fixer.
Now who would miss a fixer?
So Armitage drew
the short straw.
That's a fairy tale, Mannix.
Is it?
You ought to tell him about it.
Went out with running boards.
We're not open yet.
Tell your boss I
want to talk to her.
She isn't here.
I'll wait.
She's taking the day off.
Get lost.
VALERIE: Stop it!
It's all right, Charlie.
I guess I'd better speak
to Mr. Mannix, after all.
Dorso really got
to you, didn't he?
He scared you, told
you exactly what to do,
and sister Muriel backed you up.
All I have is this place.
I could be finished with one
snap of Carl Dorso's fingers.
What did you expect me to do?
Think about your
sister for a little bit.
I did.
They've hired the
best lawyer in town.
They promised to get her off.
And that ends it?
Yes. For Muriel.
What about you?
What is that supposed to mean?
Well, yesterday you told me
that your sister wasn't
tough enough to kill Armitage.
Oh. And I said
I was, is that it?
Right.
So now you suspect me?
Why shouldn't I?
You're reaching, Mr. Mannix.
After all, I was the one who
called you in on this case.
Well, that makes
a perfect cover.
Sister worried sick, so she
calls in private investigator.
I have no motive.
I have everything I want.
Look, I wasn't near
Armitage's apartment that night.
As a matter of fact, I tried
reaching him by phone
for over a half hour up till
the minute he was killed.
The line was busy.
Only you can't prove that,
because you were all alone
in the apartment while
you were making the calls.
No.
I was right here.
All night.
And I've got a bar
full of witnesses.
I never left.
You, uh, say the line was busy?
Yes.
(door shuts)
Where is he?
In the studio.
Did he say what
this was all about?
No.
Where are you going?
With you.
Look, I can handle this alone.
Oh, okay, then
I'll wait out here.
Go home.
Hackett?
Paul tells me he had
to get you out of bed.
I'm sorry, I... couldn't
get in touch with you.
He wouldn't give me
your private number.
What do you want, Mannix?
I could still use your help.
The Armitage case?
Right.
The Armitage case.
And that's what you
dragged me down for
in the middle of the night?
Look, I'm an early riser.
I value my sleep.
Take it easy, Hackett.
I'll make it worth your
while. We'll work a deal.
Why, you sound like a man
with his back up
against the wall.
Well, I'll play it straight
with you, Hackett... I am.
Everybody wants me off the case.
Valerie Price fired me.
Carl Dorso tried to
put the arm on me.
Wait a minute, what's
Dorso got to do with it?
Aw, now, come on, Hackett.
I said I was going
to play it straight.
Let's put the
cards on the table.
You know about Armitage's
connection with Dorso.
You were going to
blow the lid on it, right?
(chuckles)
Yes, sir, Mannix, like I said,
I could sure use a
good man like you.
Well, I'm afraid
I'm just not much
for running after prune Danish.
Now your boy
Paul, he's the type.
Yeah, well, I'm
thinking of firing him.
Oh?
For feeding you that
inside information
about Valerie Price's
connection with Armitage.
That's funny.
What?
I was beginning to think
that you sent him over
with that little piece of news.
Now why would I
do a thing like that?
Your style.
Well, why would I want to
make your life miserable?
Okay, so I was wrong.
Anyway, it checked out.
Sure, sure, that's
what I deal in,
nothing but the truth.
So, uh... what are you
going to do for me, Mannix?
I'm going to give
you the straight scoop
on the Armitage case.
And, uh, what do I do for you?
For the time being,
just watch the monitor.
Something Valerie Price
said has been bugging me.
So I had master control pipe
the tape of your last show in here.
I watched it a couple of times.
Here, let's watch
it together, huh?
(dialing phone)
Yeah, this is Mannix.
Uh, could we run
that tape again?
Yeah, from the same spot.
Uh, what was it Valerie
Price said that bugged you?
Well, she claims
she called Armitage
the night he was killed.
So?
Let's watch it.
So now, I'll have to
do the next best thing,
and call him direct
on the Hot Line.
(phone line ringing)
ARMITAGE: Hello.
Ted Hackett calling.
I know.
You've been tuned in, huh?
Find it fascinating,
huh, Mr. Armitage?
About as fascinating
as a trash can.
Okay, now let's roll it back
to just before the phone call,
and we'll run it through the
same way we did the last time.
Let me know when you're ready.
What's the point?
What Valerie Price said.
You mean, what Armitage
told her over the phone?
No, no, she didn't get
through to Armitage.
Uh, his line was busy up
till the time he was shot.
Well, everybody knows
he was talking to me
when that happened.
That's what's bugging me.
OPERATOR: Ready,
Mr. Mannix. Okay, go ahead.
Just watch and listen,
we're going to run
it in slow motion.
HACKETT: So I'll now try
him direct on the Hot Line.
(dialing phone)
That's enough.
Thanks for hanging
around. Good night.
What bugged me was, if
Valerie Price couldn't get through
to Armitage for
over a half hour,
right up to the time he
was killed, how could you?
Well, I then had the
tape slowed down
so I could count
the dial clicks.
That wasn't Armitage's
phone number you dialed.
Two million witnesses
heard his voice.
What they heard was
a recording of his voice.
How do you account
for the gunshots?
They were laid in,
just like the bits and pieces
of phone conversations
with Armitage which
were previously recorded.
The rest is obvious.
Tell me, tell me anyway.
Well, you dialed your
own private number,
the one you guard
so jealously, right?
Go on.
And you rigged an answering
device on your phone.
Harry Armitage was already dead.
You had a talk with
a corpse, Hackett,
in view of two
million witnesses.
Yes, sir... Mannix,
I really admire you.
You are a tiger.
Why did you kill him, Hackett?
You want it straight?
Straight.
Armitage warned me to lay off.
He said if I didn't,
he'd nail me.
I didn't think he'd
go that far back.
I never figured
anyone would find out,
and I thought I'd
covered all my tracks.
What'd he have on you?
I was connected with a murder
seven years ago in St. Louis.
Armitage dug up that connection.
And you were the one who
called Muriel Price that night,
told her to get over to
Armitage's place in a hurry.
You made her the patsy.
I had everything working for me.
I had a handful
of solid suspects.
If not Muriel, Muriel's
sister, Valerie.
If not Valerie, Dorso.
You see, Mannix, how part
of the truth can work for you?
Yeah, but then I've got
the whole naked truth
right in front of me.
But there are only two
of us who know that.
I'd forget that if I
were you, Hackett.
You've lost this ball game.
Instant replay.
MANNIX: Why did
you kill him, Hackett?
HACKETT: You want it straight?
Straight.
Armitage warned me to lay off.
Said if I didn't he'd nail me.
I didn't think he'd
go that far back.
I never figured...
Okay, boys, you can cut it.
Lieutenant Malcolm is on his way
down to ask you about the truth.
And as they say, Hackett,
the camera never lies.
(theme music playing)