Mannix (1967–1975): Season 3, Episode 9 - The Nowhere Victim - full transcript

A husband is driving his wife home after their anniversary celebration when he apparently runs down a man on a darkened street. The couple returns to the scene but can find no evidence of the man they thought they hit. Reluctant to go to the police because the husband had been drinking that night, they hire Mannix to make sure that no one was injured. Mannix approaches the only witness to the incident posing as the driver of the vehicle, but the witness suddenly claims that he saw nothing. Then the mystery deepens as Mannix is visited by two men who accuse him of having been hired to kill the hit-and-run victim.

(tires squealing)

MAN & WOMAN (slurring, off-key): ♪ I dream
of Jeanie with the light-brown hair... ♪

(both laughing)

I had a wonderful time, sir.

Happy anniversary, ma'am.

Me, too. (laughs)

(tires squealing)

(screaming)

Walter... I know.

We have to go back.

Yeah. Yeah.



Where is he?

We hit a man, Walter. I saw him.

I saw him!

I know. I know.

(theme music playing)

♪ ♪

I told Walter I'd have
the car fixed today,

but I wasn't able to sleep.

I was so concerned
about that poor man.

Somebody could have taken
him into a house or picked him up

in a car and taken
him to a hospital.

I guess, but wouldn't
there have been something

in the paper about it?

Or on the radio or TV?



I called all the
hospitals and the morgue

and couldn't find out anything.

Did you call the police?

No.

Why not?

Walter was arrested for
drunk driving a few months ago.

And last night was our
wedding anniversary

We had some drinks.

He has to drive in his work.

He'd lose his license if he
were involved in an accident,

But I have to know if
someone might be badly hurt,

dying maybe, and
we're responsible?

I'll see what I can
find out, Mrs. Lane.

That's right, Joe.

4705 Winkler Lane.

We had a call there.

11:15 p.m.

You did, huh? What was it?

You tell me.

A client of mine was driving
through there about that time.

He thought he hit
something or somebody.

He stopped, turned
around, drove back

and couldn't find anything.

What's your client's name?

Now, you know you'd be more
than welcome to his name, Art,

if he was wanted for anything.

No, I don't want him.

I was just curious.

You can tell him he probably
hit a cat or a dog or something.

We had a unit there about
11:20, and there was nothing.

Who made the call?

Well, an old-timer
named Antionoli.

Lives a couple of blocks away.

"Above-mentioned citizen
was out for an evening stroll

"before going to bed.

(chuckles) "Admitted to partaking
of one half to three-quarters

of small glass of wine."

To ward off the chill.

No doubt.

Well, thanks, Art.

My client will be happy
to know he's off the hook.

If he thought he hit someone,
he should've called in himself.

Well, he had a little wine,
too; wedding anniversary.

Yeah.

Hey, what's this
Antionoli's address?

(knocking)

(knocking continues)

Yes?

Mr. Antionoli?

Who wants him?

Oh, my name is Joe Mannix.

I'd like to talk to you about
what happened last night

a little after 11:00.

Well, I already told
the police all there is.

I need your help, Mr. Antionoli.

I was driving my car on
Winkler Lane last night,

and I think I hit somebody.

I went to the police, and
they said you saw it, too.

I saw nothing.

I just thought I did.

You didn't hit nobody.

Well, I'm sure I did,
and I'm worried about it.

Now, I know I
went to the police,

and they didn't
find anyone there,

but if I could just come in
and talk to you a few minutes.

No, no, you can't.

I told you nobody was hit.

Now, why don't you
just forget about it, huh?

I wish I could.

Well, anyway, if you
should change your mind

and would like to talk
to me, here's my card.

Okay.

I-I did all right,
Mr. Smith and Mr. Brown?

You did fine, just fine.

You sounded like you
meant every word of it.

You're from the old country,

aren't you, Mr. Antionoli?

Si, señores, Firenze.

Really?

I would have bet
you were a Siciliano

like my family.

No, no.

But I-I know of the Brotherhood.

Remember the
Brotherhood, Mr. Antionoli.

Ciao.

So, somebody has to be lying.

Now, Mrs. Lane
swears they hit a man,

and the fender backs her up.

An old man out for
a walk, Antionoli...

Now, he was positive enough
when he talked to the police.

Now he's just as
sure he was mistaken.

Maybe he was.

Well, I think
somebody got to him.

The question is, who and why?

Would you want
to keep it a secret

if you got hit by a car?

If I was afraid of being
taken to the hospital.

Right. Now, who would be
afraid of going to a hospital?

A fugitive from the law,
escaped criminal, maybe.

Right.

Or a wandering husband
that was someplace

he shouldn't have been,

so far as his wife
is concerned, that is.

Now, there's a
woman's mind for you.

I'm just being practical.

Anyway, if he was
hurt badly enough,

he'd need medical help.

Hey, it's after 6:00.

You've got a hungry
kid waiting at home.

You'd better go!

Well, anyway, you
narrowed it down.

You're looking for some
sort of fugitive from the law...

or from a wife.

Or maybe neither.

Good night.

(door closes, pencil
clatters on desk)

(soft thuds)

Do you have a gun, Mr. Mannix?

(sighs)

In the top drawer.

"Call Medical Board.

Check on doctors
losing licenses."

Who hired you, Mr. Mannix?

Quite a few people have.

No jokes, if you don't mind.

Who hired you?

For what?

You know for what.

The contract.

A contract? Me?

Now, you boys must be getting
bad information somewhere.

From you. You told
somebody about an hour ago

you were driving on
Winkler Lane last night.

Ah, I see.

You think I was hired
to run somebody down.

That's right.

You were at the right
place, at the right time,

and you hit the right man.

Not me.

You can check my car outside.

You've had time to get it fixed
or you could have used a rental.

Who put out that contract?

I'll tell you again...
there was no contract.

Keep telling us, Mr. Mannix.

Now look, I do pretty well,
you can ask my tax man.

Why would I louse it
up by taking a contract?

(dialing)

This is Brown.

That's right.

Can I talk to him?

Yes, sir, his name is Mannix.

He, uh... That's
right, a private.

Yes, sir, he says he
didn't take a contract.

Mm-hmm.

Yes, sir.

Good-bye, sir.

He says Joe Mannix
wouldn't take a contract.

MANNIX: Uh, Mr. Brown.

Yeah?

How is he?

Fair. He sends his regards.

I'd like to send
him some flowers

or maybe a book.
Where could I...?

He has all the flowers
and books he wants.

He'll appreciate
the thought, though.

We'll be sure and tell him.

Vinnie?

They're gone.

They went in to see
a guy called Mannix.

All right, I'll wait for him.

I can handle him alone.

I'm sure.

Sit still, Mannix!

(engine starting)

(engines roaring)

VINCENT: Can you
hear me, Mannix?

Now can you hear me, Mannix?

Yeah, I hear you.

You know who I am?

My name is Vincent.

James Vincent.

The name means nothing to you?

It means you're Jimmy Vincenzo.

Angelo's little nephew.
Angelo Palerma.

How could I forget?

Well, don't stop now.

Where is my uncle?

He's in Sicily, where
he was deported

ten, eleven years ago.

(scoffs)

He's here and he's hurt.

And you know where he is.

(wry chuckle)

You'll tell me.

It'll save time and pain.

Now where?

(sighs)

I don't know where he is.

Two of his men were
at your office today.

His men?

You mean his men
aren't your men?

Why were they there?

They wanted to know who
hired me to hit him with my car.

It sounds too nutty to be
anything but the truth, Vinnie.

VINCENT: Did you hit him?

My client hit somebody.

He went back to
look, couldn't find him.

He got nervous. He called me.

I just sort of stood in for him.

(slams desk)

You know something, Mannix?

I believe you.

Unfortunately, it won't
help you much now.

You know Angelo's here and
you know I'm looking for him.

And I don't think you knew
that before you came up here.

So that makes
it mostly my fault.

Sorry.

No games. Just
take care of business.

Now, hold it.

How much would it help
me if I knew where he was?

You don't.

I could find out.

I'm the professional.
My, uh, life's on the line.

Where would you start?

I'm going to need more
information from you.

Like what?

Oh, like when he arrived,
why he's here... habits,

names of his
closest associates...

things like that.

Oh, it's a $100 a
day, plus expenses.

All right, Mannix. You
got yourself a client.

Never mind about
the information.

I'll tell you everything
you need to know.

Ha. Why is Angelo here?
I'll tell you why he's here.

He's here to organize his
part of the family against me,

because I'm
through taking orders.

He's here because
he's old and he's scared

and I am young and strong.

When did he arrive?

I don't know. I didn't
even know he was here

until after he was hurt.

How'd you know he was hurt?

Never mind that.

Give him back his gun.

Oh, if you if you, uh, you
think I'm going to use this

after I find Angelo,
it's not my line of work.

Never mind that,
Mannix. You just find him.

Fast. Like 24
hours, do you hear?

Vinnie, you really think
he can find the old man?

We have one lead to Angelo.

If that doesn't pay
off, maybe Mannix will.

Angelo's boys already
visited him once.

They'll be back. Follow 'em.

Yeah. If it works, what then?

I mean, Mannix
already knows too much,

and he may know
more pretty soon.

Hey, I just answered
my own question, didn't I?

(laughing)

I haven't asked any questions
yet, Joe, but I'm about to.

Don't, Al. I'd only lie to you.

"A noted team of surgeons

"performed the emergency
open heart surgery.

"According to Dr. Hugh
Ellison, internist and spokesman

for the group... Please turn
to column six, page two."

"And the two surgeons
who did the actual operating

were Dr. Alvin McGraw

and Dr. Lambert
Whitaker of Los Angeles..."

Who's your client,
Joe, the Brotherhood?

Well, that'll be the day.

Ah, thanks, Al.

I see.

No, thank you. I'll call back.

Dr. Whitaker's answering
service says he's out of town,

but he's back, as
far as they know.

And he and his office
staff will be into the office

in about a half hour.

Dr. Hugh Ellison deceased.

Dr. McGraw, in the Caribbean
and gone for ten days.

What do you want
to bet Dr. Whitaker

will be late getting
to his office today?

Do you think he's
with Angelo Palerma?

Well, or on his
way. It's a possibility.

The only one I've
got for the moment.

His home address in the book?

1850 Outpost Drive.

Operator, this is LA KG62114.

I want 292-0799.

(phone rings)

Hello?

Dr. Whitaker?

Yes, this is Dr. Whitaker.

MANNIX: How is Angelo, huh?

Who?

Angelo. I want to
know how he is.

Who is this?

A friend.

Tell him from the old days.

A good friend.

Operator, this is Los
Angeles KG62114.

I want the Police Department.

Angelo Palerma?

You're out of your
skull, Joe. He's in Sicily.

MANNIX: Not anymore, he isn't.

He's probably your
hit and run victim.

And you think Whitaker will...

That's right. Lead us to him.

If my hunch is right.

1850 Outpost Drive, huh?

I'm on my way.
Stick around, Joe.

Now, don't worry,
Art. I wouldn't miss it.

(whistles)

Angelo wants to
see you, Mr. Mannix.

(siren approaching)

44 hours is a long time to
wait when you're bleeding, Doc.

I told you I was out of
town for the weekend.

I had no idea you were back.

As soon as I got the call...

Doctors ought to leave a number.

Wherever they go, they
should leave a number.

Tsk. You shouldn't
have waited, Angelo.

You should have
called someone else.

Who? Who? Who else I call?

Who I trust?

You take good care
of Angelo before.

I wait for you this time.

How bad, Doc?

It's bad.

I'm going to have to
operate to stop the bleeding.

You take care of it, Doc.

(sighs)

Yep... (footfalls approaching)

Uh-huh.

(grunts)

Been a long time, Mr. Mannix.

Hello, Angelo.

I don't... I don't have
time to talk right now.

I say right out.

You... you surprise me.

I would have sworn
you to not be bought.

I'm just curious.

How much, Mr. Mannix?

How much?

I told your men, Angelo,

if there was a contract
out on you, I didn't take it.

You ran me down.

My boys heard you say so.

That was on behalf of
my client when I said that.

Who?

Somebody who probably
never even heard of you, Angelo.

It was an accident, that's all.

I know you a long time;
I know you ain't stupid.

That's why I said,
"Not Joe Mannix.

He don't take no contracts,
especially against Angelo."

But I could be wrong, too.

For one thing, you show
up at Doc's place a while ago.

The boys come to pick him up.

Three doctors worked on you

when you had your
operation in '58.

Doctor Whitaker was the
only one in town right now.

Uh-huh.

It was you call up on the phone
and ask "How's Angelo", huh?

That's right.

I knew you'd need medical help.

It was you who
call the cops, too.

Why?

The law says you're
supposed to be in Italy, not here.

If you'd stayed, you'd
been a lot better off.

So would my client.

I, I, I didn't come
because I want to.

One more question.

This isn't doing you
any good, Angelo.

The longer we delay...

How'd you know I... I
was back in the country?

Your nephew told me.

My nephew?

Jimmy Vincenzo?

Yeah, Jimmy Vincent.

A lousy story.

It's the truth.

No one knows Angelo is back.

And no one knows
Angelo's here except you.

Listen to me, Angelo.

Jimmy knows you're back.

He said you came
here to organize

your part of the
family against him.

When I get back on my feet,

I'm going to take care
of that young punk.

He's been wanting
to take over for years.

That's why I came back.

But how did he know?

You've got a leak
somewhere, Angelo.

It's as simple as that.

Lock him someplace.

Think the old pump is
going to stand up, Doc?

I can't answer that, Angelo.

You'd better make it stand up.

Mr. Mannix, this
is a loyal family.

No leaks.

Oh, sure, everybody
loves Angelo, right?

They'd do anything
for the old man.

Not a traitor in the bunch.

Who is it?

Tell us and we'll guarantee
you'll get out of here safe.

I don't have any idea who it is.

It might be one of you.

Now, look, you've been in
the Brotherhood long enough

to know there's
only one magic word.

It's not loyalty,
it's not family,

it's not tradition, it's money.

You think someone's betraying
the old man for money?

Or his life.

Everybody doesn't love Angelo.

His own nephew wants him dead;

there's gotta be others.

I'd like to know
who it is myself.

But, uh, I'm not about
to find out, locked in here.

You can come out when
Angelo says you can.

If he's around to say it.

SMITH: How long before
you'll be able to tell, Doc?

A few hours.

Internal bleeding has stopped.

If his heart holds
out, he'll be all right.

He's pretty tough.

Yeah.

You're tired, Doc.

Get some rest.

I'll sit up with him.

All right.

You call me if there's,
uh, even the slightest

change in breathing
or if he wakes up.

We'll take care of it, Doc.

I'll stay with him.

Call us if there's anything.

(bottles clinking)

(distant tapping)

You're up early, Doc.

I wanted to be here
when he wakes up.

He hasn't moved.

Breathing hasn't changed either.

His pulse is stronger.

Anything you need?

No, not now.

You do, though.

Yeah.

Yeah, sleep.

Brown will be down
in a few minutes.

Take care of him.

(boards snapping)

(snapping continues)

(phone ringing)

Yeah.

Oh, it's you.

What's the word, Doc?

It's the first time

I've had a chance
to use the phone.

He's at the Britelli Farm
near Pamona, off Highway 66.

We're on our way.

Now, listen, Jimmy.

Remember, I'm free after this.

This is the last time.

Now, remember you promised.

Stay loose, Doc.

Get the wheels. We roll!

(tires squealing)

Morning, Doc. Morning.

What's the verdict?

I'll know better
when he wakes up.

Should be any time now.

(dog growling)

(growling, snarling)

Easy, boy.

Easy... boy.

Down, boy...

(growling continues)

Easy, boy.

Easy, boy.

(vicious barking, snarling)

(snarling, Mannix grunting)

(growling, barking)

Get back Val! Back!

VICTORIA: Get off!

Now get back!

(panting)

(footfalls approaching)

What's going on here?

A stray cat got
in the back door.

Val just went kind of crazy.

I'm only going to tell
you this just once more.

If you want him alive,

keep him in that room
with you and your grandpa.

As long as you're up, you
might as well heat up that broth.

I have a hunch Angelo will
be wanting some before long.

(door opening)

You're the one they
brought here last night.

Yeah.

I'm surprised
you're still alive.

Me, too.

I'm sorry about the dog.

You're one of the
Palermo family?

I'm Victoria Britelli.

I live here with my grandfather.

They came two days ago,

said if we didn't do what
they say, they'd kill us.

Who are you?

I'm a private investigator.

How do I get out of here?

There is no way out.

They're all over the place.

There are others, sleeping.

Come in.

I'll try to hide you.

You got a phone?

They tore it out.

The only one in use, he
has... The one who was hurt.

Beside his bed, in the cellar.

I've got to get to it.

They'll kill you.

Maybe not... if
you're willing to help.

But... You've got to trust me.

I... I'm... hungry.

(whispers): Grandpa, what
are you doing out here?

They told you to
stay in your room.

(speaking Italian)

What are you doing
with one of them?

He's not one of them.

He's going to try to help us.

(footfalls approaching)

Angelo's operation
was a success.

Get the soup.

All right.

Victoria, try and find out how
many men are down there.

I'm going back down
the way I came up.

If you're all right, Angelo,
I'd like to get back to town.

I'll be back tonight.

Sure, Doc, sure.

Uncle Art will drive you.

Oh, Doc...

Thanks.

You're welcome.

ANGELO: Ah...

Thank you, Miss Britelli.

Minestrone.

They said only
broth, nothing solid.

Maybe tomorrow, minestrone, huh?

All right.

Uh-uh, wha-what's the matter?

You-you don't like Angelo?

I... hope you
recover very quickly.

And get out, huh?

Well, I don't blame you.

Feed me.

I...

Uncle Lou, it's time I
talked to Mr. Mannix.

Bring him.

Do what I tell you.

Where... where's Lou?

He's getting a
little sleep, Angelo.

Now, if you'll excuse me,
I got to use your phone.

(phone dialing)

(gun cocking)

(screaming) (gunshot)

(Angelo grunting and yelling)

(two gunshots)

Follow! Follow!

(two gunshots)

(gunshot outside,
motorcycle engines revving)

(gunshot outside)

(two gunshots)

(motorcycle engines
revving outside)

(gunshot outside)

(gunshot)

(gunshot)

(gunshot)

(gunshot outside)

(gunshot)

(gasping)

(gunshot outside)

(gunshot)

(gunshot)

(barrel creaking)

(gunshots outside)

(labored breathing)

(gunshot outside)

(gunshot outside)

(screaming)

(rapid footfalls
thudding down stairs)

Angelo?

VINCENT: Angelo?

(gunshots outside)

(laughing)

(crying and whimpering)

(phone dialing)

(gunshot outside)

Hey, Art, this is it.

The old Britelli Farm, a
quarter mile off of 66, Pamona.

You'd better alert
the Pamona boys.

Tell them to bring
everything they've got, fast.

Right.

Young punk.

(theme music playing)