Police Woman (1974–1978): Season 3, Episode 15 - Disco Killer - full transcript
- Police, freeze!
- She was shot in the back,
so she had to be
running away from them.
Odds are they never
got a look at her face.
It's worth a chance, Bill.
I'm about the same
size and coloring.
- My daughter thought
she could make it
by going to bed
with important men.
- It's not gonna take
an Einstein to figure out
if she lives and fingers
you two guys and that idiot...
- What did you think?
That they'd let you go
by telling them I'm a cop?
(dramatic music)
(upbeat dance music)
- Arnold must think this
group's gonna make it.
He's serving the A food.
But he'll come out all right.
He always does.
- Is that Shep Arnold?
- I've known you too
long to do a pitch, Arnold.
- I wouldn't do
that with any critic.
These kids today are
too much, believe me.
- Big man himself.
White hope of
the record industry.
Was, anyway, till Santorini
Records booted him out
for taking payoffs.
- Well, he's not doing too
badly with his own company.
- These five guys
make sweet music.
It's not the la-dee-da
stuff, you know,
this is really cool.
The musicians, there's
a lot of counterpoint
in what they do.
It's beautiful, it's like Bach.
It's unbelievable.
- Very attractive.
- Watch it, he
chews up girl singers.
- If it means a record, I
may take my chances.
- If you listen to every
cut on this album,
I can tell you right now
what your review is gonna be.
A rave.
You listen.
- Shep, what's this
party gonna cost?
- I'll know when
the bills come in.
Ah, come on, Leo,
give me a break.
You can't sell a new group
without spending some money.
Will you stop worrying, man?
- I got a call about
the financial statement
this afternoon, I'm afraid
there could be trouble.
- Okay, okay, we'll
talk about it tomorrow.
Relax, have a good time.
Hiya.
- Hello.
- This is gonna
be over at eight.
Could you stay?
- Well, I don't know.
I did have something planned.
But, uh, I'll think about it.
- Hi, Sheila.
(growling)
You're looking good, huh?
How are ya singing?
I wanna hear you soon.
- Hi.
- Hi yourself.
- Tell me, are you and
Evel Knievel still pen pals?
- I could've used
him out there tonight.
The next time AD Vice
wants to borrow me,
I have a message for you.
- Yeah, I gotta talk
to you about that.
- About what?
- Uh, they want to know
what you're doing Saturday.
- I'm going to a wedding.
- Whose?
- I don't know, I'll find one.
I won't be the bride and
I won't be wearing this.
- That's kind of a shame.
- Why is she so grumpy, he asks?
- No, I know why
she's so grumpy.
It's 'cause she's
tired and hungry.
And I also know what she needs.
- I know what I need.
- No, you need to go to Vinny's
with Pete and Joe and me.
Vinny's is cooking up
one of his specials for us.
- It's the grime in that
stinking neighborhood,
it soaks into every pore.
What's the special?
- Listen, how's this grab you?
Swedish meatballs with
potato and cabbage pie.
- Uh, I'll pass.
I'm going home to take a
bath as soon as possible
for as long as possible.
- You need any help
with your buttons?
- No.
- You sure?
I'm very good at
scrubbing backs.
- My back is not what's grimy.
- Hey, well, listen, you know.
In some circles, I'm known
as a relentless grime-buster.
(laughing)
Trust me, I'll find it.
- Speaking of grime-busters,
where are Pete and Joe?
- Pete and Joe are
finishing up the reports
on the Meyers thing.
They'll be back in a minute.
Hey, listen, are you
sure you won't go with us?
- No thanks.
It's really dragging.
I'm gonna borrow some
of your bubble bath.
- Just try not to jump
over too many trucks.
(laughing)
- I'll see you in the morning!
- It makes absolutely
no difference if you say
the cocktail party is
from five until eight.
You still have to smoke 'em out.
What'll you have?
- Oh, brandy, small.
Do you always lock
your office door?
- Our cleaning lady has
the worst timing in the biz.
- Oh, uh, I see.
- One small brandy coming up.
- Thank you.
- Oh, you're very lovely, Jan.
- Uh, Jean.
And I'm very talented, too.
- Oh, I'm sure you are.
- The tape?
Remember, I broke
my date because
you said you'd listen to it.
(sighing)
- There's plenty
of time for that.
- But I worked very
hard on this tape.
- Honey, I'm sure you have.
- The tape.
- Later.
- Maybe I should
come back later.
- You know, that's
very expensive brandy.
You mustn't waste
the good stuff.
- I don't really dig brandy.
- Oh, I see.
You just came
here to talk music.
Okay.
Okay, later, there
shall be music.
But now...
(knocking)
Who is it?
- [Man] Leo, it's important.
- Come on.
Wait in here.
This'll only take a minute.
(knocking)
Coming!
What is this?
- We're here to have a
chat on behalf of the boss.
Like about $900,000 worth.
- I already talked to him.
Every record company
loses money the first year.
Now why don't you
children take a little walk?
- Because the
man ain't happy with
your under the table deals.
- Listen, punk.
I work here from 10 until seven,
and right now I'm busy.
- [Man] Well,
that's too bad, pal,
'cause you're gonna
work overtime tonight.
- [Shep] I'm busy.
- Sit down and listen.
Now, look, we had a chat
with your bookkeeper Leo today.
He said there isn't any
money, and that's a problem.
Now, we had a talk
with the distributors.
Either you come
up with the dough,
or you're gonna get your
pretty face messed up.
(dramatic music)
You idiot!
Those were not the orders!
Somebody's in there.
- [Man] What's
going on up there?
- Come on, come on,
guys, get out of here.
- You sure there was
more than one man up here?
- I heard them
running down the stairs.
There were at least two.
- What about the girl, you
know anything about her?
- No.
Arnold always had something
going after every party.
I had strict orders
not to poke my nose in
when the lights were on.
- I see, okay.
Thanks very much.
- Is she still alive?
- She was when we sent
her to the hospital, yeah.
Barely.
I figure the girl must've
waited in here, don't you think?
- I'd say she also
saw it happen, too.
- Either saw it or heard it.
This door might've been closed.
Whatever it was, she got
scared and ran down the hall.
- Hey, Bill, Mrs.
Arnold's waiting for you
downstairs in the
coroner's office.
- Already?
How's she taking it?
- She seems to
be taking it okay.
- What'd you do with
those keys you found
in Arnold's personal effects?
- Having them checked out.
- Good.
Listen, if Perrino
calls, I'll be back.
Mrs. Arnold, I know
what you've been through.
I actually, this really
could've waited for a while.
- I would've been
here sooner, Sergeant,
but the children
were almost hysterical
when they heard what
happened to their father.
If you have any
questions, please ask them.
- Okay.
Can you think of any
reason why anybody
would want to kill your husband?
Did he have any enemies?
- On which coast?
When I married Shep, he
was attractive and decent.
But all that changed
with success.
When he was president of
Santorini Records in New York,
he fought with everyone.
Singers, PR men, his staff.
Anyone who tried
to take the limelight
away from Shep Arnold.
- What about his record
company out here?
Anybody out here?
- I'm sure he had
the same trouble.
Not to mention his
financial problems.
- What financial problems?
- I'm afraid the
company's bankrupt.
Shep doesn't have a cent.
- Mrs. Arnold, apparently
there was a young lady
waiting in your
husband's outer office.
She was shot up pretty badly.
Do you know a Jean Mercer?
- Sergeant, she was
just the last of a long list.
The best thing I could
do was look the other way
for the sake of my children.
I wish I could be more
help, Sergeant, but I can't.
- Everything will
be all right, Adele.
I'll tie up all the
loose business ends.
- Mrs. Arnold, I
appreciate your coming in.
Believe me, I
will not bother you
unless it's
absolutely necessary.
- It's all right.
Call me any time, Sergeant.
I was very much in
love with him once.
(water running)
(phone ringing)
- Hi, Bill.
Well, who else would it be?
Well, I was just...
Uh, never mind.
What hospital?
Okay, I'll be right there.
Yeah.
- [PA] Dr. George
Frelick, please report
to the third-floor
nurse's station.
Dr. George Frelick,
third-floor nurse's station.
- You all right, Pep?
These long days
are getting to me.
- I know.
- Any change?
- She's in pretty bad shape,
still hasn't regained
consciousness.
- Found out any more about her?
- Well, we found her address
book, and I called her mother.
It turns out she's an
ex big band singer.
Do you remember Laila Mercer?
- Laila mercer is her mother?
- Yes, she's on her way.
Maybe she can help us.
- I doubt it.
I talked to the
guard, he said this girl
was just another one of
Arnold's one-night stands.
I doubt the mother will
have much to tell us.
- [Woman] I'm Laila Mercer.
- Mrs. Mercer, hello.
I'm Sergeant Crowley
with the police department,
this is Sergeant Anderson.
- How do you do?
- Well, I get a call in
the middle of the night,
and then they keep me waiting
downstairs for a half hour.
- I'm sorry, Mrs. Mercer,
but we have to be careful.
- Isn't that a little late?
- You can see your daughter
only for a few minutes.
- Will she recover?
- It's a little soon to tell,
but the doctors are hopeful.
- How many times a week
do you use that speech?
I can take the truth.
- The doctors are hopeful.
She's in room 302,
it's down the hall.
(heart monitor beeping)
(clearing throat)
- Mrs. Mercer,
if you don't mind,
we'd really like to talk
to you for a few minutes.
- I'm sorry, I can't help you.
- We know it's a difficult
time, but we have to find out
all we can about the shooting.
- Look, I said I can't help you.
- Do you know if your
daughter ever saw
Shep Arnold before tonight?
- What difference
does that make?
- Well, she was in
the office with him
at the time of the killing.
- Well, she'd be
in anybody's office
if she thought it
would help her career.
Only tonight she
made the big mistake.
- Mrs. Mercer...
- Look, there's no
point in hiding the truth.
My daughter thought
she could make it
by going to bed
with important men.
Now, I sold millions of records,
and I never had to do that.
- Yes, ma'am, you see,
that's really beside the point.
What we...
- My daughter and I
haven't spoken for years.
She lived her life,
and I lived mine.
Bye.
- Thank you.
- I tell you, listen, why don't
we send her some flowers
on Mother's Day?
- You buy.
- Sergeant Crowley, please.
(phone ringing)
- Crowley.
- This is Adele Arnold.
I was wondering if
there was any news.
- Uh, Mrs. Arnold,
I hate to tell you.
There just hasn't been
anything significant at all.
We're right where we were.
- What about Miss Mercer?
Is she still in a coma?
- She's not regained
consciousness.
(doorbell ringing)
I don't know what
to do, Sergeant.
I had to take my
children out of school.
Because of the TV
coverage, people have been
asking all sorts of questions.
- I'm sorry to hear that.
I guarantee you that
you'll be the first to know
as soon as I hear anything.
- [Adele] Thank you, Sergeant.
- That's perfectly fine.
You call whenever you like.
She had to take her
kids out of school.
- Mrs. Arnold?
- Yeah.
- We're nowhere.
- How about making
a fresh pot of coffee?
- You don't drink my coffee.
- Today I'll drink anything.
Hello, Crowley.
- We tracked down
one of the keys
we found in Arnold's desk.
It belongs to a safe deposit box
at the Southwestern Pacific
Bank, Lakeview Branch.
I'm here now.
- Is it registered
in Arnold's name?
- No, it isn't.
It's in the name of Andrews.
But I showed the lady
here a picture of Arnold,
she thinks he's the same guy.
- Okay, Joe, listen.
Just hang in at the bank.
I'll talk to the DA
and get a court order.
- Will do.
Sergeant's on his way over.
May I?
- Talk about operators.
- As they say, somebody had
good reason to knock off Arnold.
- You're right about that.
100,000 of 'em.
- $850,000, how could
he have pulled out
that kind of money without
somebody finding out about it?
- My guess is that
somebody did find out about it.
I just wish we could
bring that Mercer girl
out of her coma.
- Suppose you
arrange for her to talk.
Suppose we spread the
word that the girl is recovering
and she gave you a complete
description of the killers.
Think they'd make a move?
- Pep, I've been
all through that.
The girl's life is
hanging by a thread,
I'm not about to
turn her into a target.
- She was shot in the
back, so she had to be
running away from them.
Odds are they never
got a look at her face.
It's worth a chance, Bill.
I'm about the same
size and coloring.
- I'd hate to turn that
hospital into a shooting gallery.
- Well, what if I fixed
it so we didn't have to?
- Then I might buy it.
- All I need is some help
from the ever-loving mommy.
- Give her a call.
- You got it, boss.
(dramatic music)
(slow lounge music)
- You know, everybody
thinks the Andrews Sisters
had the big record, but I
outsold them two to one.
- Sounds great.
- Yeah, well, it's
nothing like the noise
they call music today.
Wait'll you hear this one.
- Mrs. Mercer, please,
you still haven't answered.
- No, I got it, I got it.
You wanna pose as Jean.
As a matter of fact,
you remind me of her.
And the idea is you're
going to recuperate
in your mother's apartment,
and all you're asking me to do
is to risk my life.
- We'll have the
apartment house covered.
You'll be completely protected,
I'll be with you the whole time.
- Oh, sure.
Haven't I done the mother bit?
Isn't that enough?
- If Jean does recover,
she's still in great danger.
She saw the killers,
they know she saw them.
- Well, that's her problem.
Maybe next time
she'll be more careful
who she goes out with.
- Mrs. Mercer,
she's your daughter.
- Yeah.
I get all choked up
about the poor kid.
- I'm sorry I wasted your time.
I'd just like you
to think about this.
If anything does
happen to that girl,
you're gonna
have to live with it.
- Wait a minute.
- Yes?
- Wait a minute.
Look, how long would I
be cooped up with you?
- A couple days at the most.
Everything's set to go.
- Mr. Garson?
- Come on in, Eddie.
Shut the door.
- Look, Mr. Garson, I'm sorry.
- Sorry?
Well, at least that's
some consolation.
That trigger-happy idiot
who was with you guys.
He sorry too?
Is he?
- Yeah.
Look, sometimes things...
- Yeah, I know,
always happen so fast.
The girl.
She see you?
- No, no.
- And you're sure about that?
- Yeah.
I don't think so, no.
- Second-rate punks.
I can't trust anything
to anybody these days.
All right, Eddie.
Let's get down to some facts.
You work for me, fact.
A few people are
aware of that, fact.
Now, it's not gonna take
an Einstein to figure out
if she lives and fingers
you two guys and that idiot,
then it all starts falling
down, right on me.
Fact?
- Yeah, I know.
That's what I wanted to
talk to you about, Mr. Garson.
To figure out what
we can do about it.
- We?
What we?
Where do you get we?
- You, Eddie.
You, pal.
You got us into this.
Now you take it from there.
- Right, okay.
- Hello, boss.
- William, just
heard the local news.
Jean Mercer's out of the woods,
and gave a complete
description of the killers.
- You spread the
word around she'll be
recovering in her
mother's apartment?
- We covered every mob in town.
We did just about everything
but print it on the bar tabs.
- Good.
What about the apartment,
you got that covered?
- Yeah.
- Ever since Pepper drove
over to Laila's apartment,
we've got six
men, 12-hour shifts.
- Okay.
I'll pull three of 'em off
for tonight, we'll take them.
Let's see that stakeout.
- Gonna take a laser
beam to get in there.
(lounge music)
- Could you turn the
music off for a little while?
- I just thought you'd
like a little entertainment.
What's going on?
- Nothing important.
- [Laila] Well, look,
if there's trouble,
I wanna know about it.
- Mrs. Mercer, don't
get upset, it's nothing.
Is this Jean?
- Yeah.
- If you feel the way you do,
why do you keep this around?
- She was my daughter then.
- She must've meant a
great deal to you then.
- She meant the
whole world to me.
I spent 300 days
a year on the road,
sleeping in buses and playing
towns you never even heard of.
So she could have everything.
She sure paid me back.
- What'd she do
that was so terrible?
- She just destroyed
my life, that's all.
Look, I let you move in here,
but that doesn't
give you the right to
poke your nose into my business.
- I thought you might
wanna talk about it.
- Well, don't waste your breath.
No one could ever forgive
Jean for what she did.
No one.
- What'd she do?
- I said don't
waste your breath.
(phone ringing)
- Yeah, I'll get that.
Hello?
- How's it going?
- Oh, let's see, well.
We've got two girls in bikinis
and a dirty old man
nearby pretending to read.
Let's see what else,
anything around?
There's two new guys,
look like they could be ours.
- [Bill] They are ours.
We also got a couple of guys
spread out on nearby terraces.
You can read someone 12 by 59.
- You mean I can relax?
- [Bill] Just stay away
from those dirty old men.
- Everything all right?
- Don't worry, a mailman
can't even get through.
(ominous music)
- Looks legit.
Better check him out anyway.
- Roger, we're checking
on the company now.
- I thought you said
we'd be protected.
- We are, now get
away from that window.
- Why did I ever let you talk...
- Will you calm down?
It sounds like it's all right.
Now just relax.
- Okay, both of
you, out the back.
Now, come on!
Come on.
Come on.
- Take it easy, I just
got out of the hospital.
- Get out.
- Police, freeze!
(gunshots)
- Freeze!
- Everything's okay, Pepper.
We've called for an ambulance.
Are you all right?
Sergeant Anderson,
are you all right?
Can you read me?
Get in there, fast!
We'll cover the garage.
- All right, get in the
car, get 'em in the car!
Come on!
Come on.
(tires squealing)
- Hold it!
Pepper.
- We had six men stationed
at that apartment house.
Now how the hell many
did you need, a regiment?
- [Officer] We never figured
they'd hit us from behind.
- I don't believe this.
- In case you're interested,
they cold-cocked Demoray.
- I don't give a damn
about Demoray!
They've got Pepper Anderson,
you understand what I'm saying?
Those killers have
got Pepper Anderson.
Did you get out a
description of that car?
- It was a blue sedan.
We never did get
the license plate.
- You didn't get the plates?
That's terrific.
(honking)
- What've you got?
- A green job.
- All right, Miller,
get 'em out.
You never saw us, right?
- Have I ever?
- Hey, Freddie.
Clean up around this blue thing.
- Where are you taking us?
- Relax.
- Somebody wants to talk to you.
Laila Mercer.
You know, when I was a kid,
every time you
played the Paramount,
my old man would take off
from work to go to see ya.
He thought you
were something else.
So did my mother.
She hated your guts.
Laila Mercer, Laila Mercer,
that's all she
ever talked about.
She even threw an
eggplant at him once.
And here we are today.
The old man's kid
riding in the same car
with you and your kid.
- But you don't
understand, she's not my...
- There's no point in
trying to con them, Mom.
I saw what they did to Shep.
- Don't listen to
her, because...
- Oh, oh!
- What's the matter with you?
- The stitches,
I think they tore.
I told you to take it easy.
Okay, if you want Arnold's
damn money, take it,
but please let us go.
- What money?
- Don't play dumb with me.
Over $800,000.
- Where?
- In a safe deposit
box in my name.
- Miller, pull up there
at the next gas station.
(bell ringing)
- I have to use the restroom.
- All right, all right,
come on, make it quick.
Miller, watch 'em.
- What did you think?
That they were gonna let you go
if you told them I was a cop?
- I don't know, I don't
know what I was saying.
Do you really know
where the money is?
- Yes.
- Well, how did you ever
get the safe deposit key?
- I don't really have
the safe deposit key.
I'm gonna have to fake
that part with my locker key.
And you're gonna have
to keep your mouth shut
and go along with it.
Here.
- I'll try.
- You'll do more than that.
You'll do it.
- [Miller] Hey,
let's go in there!
- Just give us another minute!
Ladies take longer, you know.
- I wish I had your guts.
- Yeah, well, the
returns aren't in yet.
- All right.
You come up with the
dough and you got a deal.
- I don't have the key with me.
I left in a hurry, remember?
- Where is it?
- Bill, nothing yet.
Pep's gonna be all right.
You know that, don't ya, Bill?
- No, I don't know that, Pete.
Do you know that?
Do you know she's
gonna be all right?
How do you know that?
- Well, I do know one thing.
It's not gonna do us any good to
sit around thinking about it.
That I do know.
Everybody's on it, Bill.
(sighing)
- Yeah, I know.
- Now, I'm gonna go
get something to eat.
Can I bring you back a sandwich
or some fruit or something?
All right.
(tires squealing)
- There's nothing around
here that even smells like a cop.
- They're probably down
at the station getting hell
for letting you slip by them.
- All right, is that the one?
- Yeah, the yellow one.
- All right, come on, let's go.
- It's in the glove compartment.
- Well, get it, come on.
- Okay.
- Now we're getting somewhere.
- Hey, what's
going on over there?
- All right, come on.
- Hey, what's going on?
- All right, take off.
- Hey!
Beatrice, put me
through to the police, fast.
(phone ringing)
- Crowley.
- Sergeant Crowley,
I'm the manager
of the Mercers' apartment house.
I just saw a green
sedan pull out
with Mrs. Mercer and your
policewoman and two men.
- Is Sergeant Anderson okay?
- [Manager] I dunno, they
got out of here real fast.
- You stay where you are.
We'll be right there.
Pete, Joe, let's go.
- All right.
- The banks are closed
now, where are we going?
- I'll let you know.
- Look, you've got the key.
You can't get into
the safe deposit box
without my signing at the bank.
I have to sign.
- When it's time to let
you know, I'll let you know.
- [Manager] Well, hi.
- Hi, I'm Sergeant Crowley.
- Hi, I'm Tuttle,
I'm the one that
spoke to you on the phone.
- Yeah.
- Listen, I was
just on my upstairs
when I saw them over here.
And just like in those
TV shows, you know,
I didn't touch anything, I
left everything just like it is.
- Was this glove
compartment open like that?
- That's just how I found
it, I didn't touch anything.
- Yeah.
Uh, give Investigator Styles
here all the details, will you?
- Yeah, you wanna
come this way, please?
Give me more of a full
description of what happened.
- Pete, why would she
come all the way back here
just to go through her
glove compartment?
Why the hell would she do that?
(birds singing)
(dog barking)
- [Pepper] Your
boss has nice taste.
(doorbell ringing)
- Come in, please.
- All right, come on, come on.
In there.
- This is Mr. Garson.
- Jack.
It's Laila, Laila Mercer.
Don't you remember me?
I used to play all
your clubs back east.
What are you doing here?
I thought you ran all your
operations from the coast.
- I'm not running any
operation from anywhere.
I'm retired.
- All right, let's get
down to business.
- Sit down.
Because of my friendship
with Shep's wife here,
I supplied all the necessary
financing for Arnold's company.
That was a mistake.
- The boys took care
of him, didn't they.
- What did you expect?
The money in that safe
deposit box belongs to me,
if you've got it.
- I've got it.
- Tramp like you could've
walked out on him.
Why'd he take the chance
of putting it in your name?
- Shep knew I wouldn't
play any games.
Not like his sweet
little wife here.
(gasping)
- I want my money, Miss Mercer.
Tomorrow the boys
will take you to the bank,
to see that they get it.
- I'm not going anyplace
until I find out what's
gonna happen to us.
- Don't worry, Miss Mercer.
I'll arrange for passports
and a couple of plane tickets.
But don't make the
mistake of coming back.
- No, we won't.
We won't, Jack.
- They can stay in the
west wing overnight.
- Wait a minute, Boss,
you're not gonna let them go?
- Just do what you
have to for now.
- All right, come on.
Come on, come on, let's go.
Let's go!
- The Mercer girl,
she's very attractive.
- Yeah.
- You know, from right
after the honeymoon,
it was one girl after another.
Sometimes I think it started
during the honeymoon.
- Then was then.
Now is now.
My plan's working out fine, huh?
And when it's over, we'll go
to Rio, or wherever you want.
- Strange how it
all started, isn't it.
Shep made me go
to you for the money.
Then it happened between us.
- Ever been to Rio?
- Never.
- It's beautiful.
We'll take the kids.
They've got beaches,
shopping, boating.
- No, let's just
go, the two of us.
I'd like to get away from
everything for a while.
What about Mercer
and her daughter?
- Adele, baby, the
minute we get the money,
the boys'll take care of them.
(sighing)
- I brought you a
cup of coffee, Bill.
- Uh, Pete, I don't
want any coffee.
I don't understand
why we haven't heard
from somebody out
there about that car.
- Yeah, I know.
- What time is it?
- 11:30.
- We're in the pits, huh?
It's frustrating.
I should never have
let her go in there alone.
I should've had somebody
else in that apartment.
She shouldn't have gone
in there by herself, Pete.
(sighing)
- I think I'll give Joe a call.
I know he's worried.
(ominous music)
(dog barking)
- Why don't you put that away?
You're not reading it anyway.
Try to get some sleep.
- I can't, I keep
thinking about tomorrow
and those goons out there.
- Well, worrying about
it isn't gonna help any.
- Yeah, well, Garson
won't keep his word.
I know him.
Everybody in the business
was scared to death of him.
And that woman, the widow?
- Ah, the widow.
She's something, isn't she?
But just don't worry.
I'll try to come up
with something.
If you can't
sleep, try to relax.
Why don't you pour
yourself a drink?
- I should've figured something
like this would happen.
Anything that had
to do with Jean
always ended up in disaster.
- Why do you hate her so much?
- I don't hate her, I just
don't wanna talk about it.
- Did you ever think that
if you got it off your chest
you might feel better?
And sometimes with
a stranger, it's easier.
- Is that what the
psychology books say?
- What'd she do?
- Have you ever been in love?
- Mmm-hmmm.
- Did you marry him?
- [Pepper] No.
- Well, I did.
I hit the jackpot.
I mean, the whole
wonderful thing.
- You mean Jean's father?
- Him?
Oh, no.
He was one of
the all-time losers.
We got divorced when
she was a year old.
And then I became
mother and father to her,
and I spent most of
my time on the road,
paying the bills for
my little princess.
I never figured there'd
by anyone else in my life.
Not with musicians.
Then I got lucky.
Did you know Alan Carter?
- Uh-uh.
- Oh, he was one of the big
ones, up there with Dorsey
and Harry James.
He was a good-looking guy.
Sweet and decent.
We were married for
five beautiful years,
and I thought I had it made.
But there was a joker.
- Bet I can guess.
- My little princess.
She just adored her stepdaddy.
She always greeted him
with big hugs and kisses.
Then one night I came
home from the club.
She was 17 then.
Pretty, real pretty.
- Figures.
Did it ever occur to you
that maybe it was his fault?
- That's what she said.
- There it was, huh?
- A couple weeks
later they both left.
And it didn't take long
for word to get around
that Laila Mercer was
drinking and unreliable.
The highest-paid club act in
Vegas couldn't even get a job
at a two-bit strip joint.
- Well, that explains
a lot of things.
- Yeah, maybe.
Maybe it was my fault.
- I doubt it.
I think it was probably
nobody's fault.
Just the way it ended up.
Que sera, sera, you know?
- You have a good time today.
I'll see you both at dinner.
Sally, take good care of them.
I hope the ladies
spent a restful night.
- No trouble.
- Take the blue
car this morning.
- How come?
- I talked to Jack, he
thinks it's wiser if we switch.
- I can't do it.
- Yes you can.
We've got to go
through with this.
- But what happens
when we get to the bank
and they won't let
you in the vault?
- I'll worry about
that later, come on.
(suspenseful music)
- All right, come on.
All right, let's go.
- Hey.
If you're not back
in 10 minutes,
don't bother looking
for your mother.
- Look, I said I'd
get the money.
Don't stay so close,
I have friends here.
714, please.
714.
- This way, please.
- Thank you.
Never mind.
We haven't got much time.
Are you sure you
pushed that alarm button?
- Yes, I'm pretty
sure I pushed it.
- We've got to find
something to fill this.
- There's nothing here
except the bank money,
and I can't touch that.
- Fine, okay.
- Listen, I can get in trouble.
- Give me that thing.
- What are you
gonna do with this?
- Here, pour it in.
- All of it?
- Yes, hurry up.
- Okay, thanks.
- Pepper.
- Report about a silent alarm
in Southwestern Pacific Bank.
A suspicious vehicle
had just pulled up
with two men, two women.
One of them could be Pepper.
- It's almost 10 minutes.
I hope she isn't
pulling anything.
- She gave you her word.
She'll keep it.
- Thanks.
- What's going on?
- Oh, and thank you very much.
- You're welcome.
- All right, let me have it.
Give it to me, come on, give it!
(tires squealing)
- Police, freeze!
Drop it!
(gunshots)
(tires squealing)
(police sirens)
- All right, hands up.
Hands up.
Put 'em on the top,
put 'em on the top.
- I was so frightened,
I was so frightened!
- It's all right, you
did it, you did it.
You helped me pull it off.
It's all over, come on.
- Thank you.
Crowley, yeah.
Hey, Perrino, what's up?
How much?
You're kidding.
- Get that transcribed
as quickly as possible,
will you?
- Yeah, thanks, I'll tell her.
- Thank you.
She identified the
same three men,
not that we needed it.
Who was on the phone?
- That was Perrino.
The judge is holding
Garson and Adele Arnold
on a $100,000 bail.
Garson uses that kind
of money for petty cash.
- So what else is new?
- I'd like to have a
talk with that judge.
- Hello.
- Oh, hi, Laila.
- I got your message.
Are you sure she
wants to see me?
- Yes.
She's a pretty good dame.
(gentle piano music)
- Hi.
- Mama?
- No, Joe, listen, why
don't you both go home?
I'm tired, I don't
wanna come in.
Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow.
Yeah, okay, bye.
- What do you say
we get cracking?
- What do you say
we go by Vinny's
and have a good stiff drink?
- Nice, huh?
How things turn out sometimes.
- Huh.
You are a real
sentimentalist, aren't ya?
You know, you're
beginning to sound like
one of Laila's old records.
- Huh, they weren't
all that bad, you know.
- Are you kidding?
They were terrific.
(chuckling)
- What's so funny?
What are you laughing at?
- I never told you this.
But when I had
my first love affair,
they were playing one of
her records all through it.
- I don't believe you.
- It's true.
Betty Jean Short, she had
freckles all over her face.
We called her Peanut Betty.
(laughing)
- I don't believe you.
- Hey.
What do you see we
stop off at my place?
I'll see if I can dig
up that old record.
- I think we'd better
stop off at Vinny's,
and have that drink.
- Spoilsport.
(dramatic music)
- She was shot in the back,
so she had to be
running away from them.
Odds are they never
got a look at her face.
It's worth a chance, Bill.
I'm about the same
size and coloring.
- My daughter thought
she could make it
by going to bed
with important men.
- It's not gonna take
an Einstein to figure out
if she lives and fingers
you two guys and that idiot...
- What did you think?
That they'd let you go
by telling them I'm a cop?
(dramatic music)
(upbeat dance music)
- Arnold must think this
group's gonna make it.
He's serving the A food.
But he'll come out all right.
He always does.
- Is that Shep Arnold?
- I've known you too
long to do a pitch, Arnold.
- I wouldn't do
that with any critic.
These kids today are
too much, believe me.
- Big man himself.
White hope of
the record industry.
Was, anyway, till Santorini
Records booted him out
for taking payoffs.
- Well, he's not doing too
badly with his own company.
- These five guys
make sweet music.
It's not the la-dee-da
stuff, you know,
this is really cool.
The musicians, there's
a lot of counterpoint
in what they do.
It's beautiful, it's like Bach.
It's unbelievable.
- Very attractive.
- Watch it, he
chews up girl singers.
- If it means a record, I
may take my chances.
- If you listen to every
cut on this album,
I can tell you right now
what your review is gonna be.
A rave.
You listen.
- Shep, what's this
party gonna cost?
- I'll know when
the bills come in.
Ah, come on, Leo,
give me a break.
You can't sell a new group
without spending some money.
Will you stop worrying, man?
- I got a call about
the financial statement
this afternoon, I'm afraid
there could be trouble.
- Okay, okay, we'll
talk about it tomorrow.
Relax, have a good time.
Hiya.
- Hello.
- This is gonna
be over at eight.
Could you stay?
- Well, I don't know.
I did have something planned.
But, uh, I'll think about it.
- Hi, Sheila.
(growling)
You're looking good, huh?
How are ya singing?
I wanna hear you soon.
- Hi.
- Hi yourself.
- Tell me, are you and
Evel Knievel still pen pals?
- I could've used
him out there tonight.
The next time AD Vice
wants to borrow me,
I have a message for you.
- Yeah, I gotta talk
to you about that.
- About what?
- Uh, they want to know
what you're doing Saturday.
- I'm going to a wedding.
- Whose?
- I don't know, I'll find one.
I won't be the bride and
I won't be wearing this.
- That's kind of a shame.
- Why is she so grumpy, he asks?
- No, I know why
she's so grumpy.
It's 'cause she's
tired and hungry.
And I also know what she needs.
- I know what I need.
- No, you need to go to Vinny's
with Pete and Joe and me.
Vinny's is cooking up
one of his specials for us.
- It's the grime in that
stinking neighborhood,
it soaks into every pore.
What's the special?
- Listen, how's this grab you?
Swedish meatballs with
potato and cabbage pie.
- Uh, I'll pass.
I'm going home to take a
bath as soon as possible
for as long as possible.
- You need any help
with your buttons?
- No.
- You sure?
I'm very good at
scrubbing backs.
- My back is not what's grimy.
- Hey, well, listen, you know.
In some circles, I'm known
as a relentless grime-buster.
(laughing)
Trust me, I'll find it.
- Speaking of grime-busters,
where are Pete and Joe?
- Pete and Joe are
finishing up the reports
on the Meyers thing.
They'll be back in a minute.
Hey, listen, are you
sure you won't go with us?
- No thanks.
It's really dragging.
I'm gonna borrow some
of your bubble bath.
- Just try not to jump
over too many trucks.
(laughing)
- I'll see you in the morning!
- It makes absolutely
no difference if you say
the cocktail party is
from five until eight.
You still have to smoke 'em out.
What'll you have?
- Oh, brandy, small.
Do you always lock
your office door?
- Our cleaning lady has
the worst timing in the biz.
- Oh, uh, I see.
- One small brandy coming up.
- Thank you.
- Oh, you're very lovely, Jan.
- Uh, Jean.
And I'm very talented, too.
- Oh, I'm sure you are.
- The tape?
Remember, I broke
my date because
you said you'd listen to it.
(sighing)
- There's plenty
of time for that.
- But I worked very
hard on this tape.
- Honey, I'm sure you have.
- The tape.
- Later.
- Maybe I should
come back later.
- You know, that's
very expensive brandy.
You mustn't waste
the good stuff.
- I don't really dig brandy.
- Oh, I see.
You just came
here to talk music.
Okay.
Okay, later, there
shall be music.
But now...
(knocking)
Who is it?
- [Man] Leo, it's important.
- Come on.
Wait in here.
This'll only take a minute.
(knocking)
Coming!
What is this?
- We're here to have a
chat on behalf of the boss.
Like about $900,000 worth.
- I already talked to him.
Every record company
loses money the first year.
Now why don't you
children take a little walk?
- Because the
man ain't happy with
your under the table deals.
- Listen, punk.
I work here from 10 until seven,
and right now I'm busy.
- [Man] Well,
that's too bad, pal,
'cause you're gonna
work overtime tonight.
- [Shep] I'm busy.
- Sit down and listen.
Now, look, we had a chat
with your bookkeeper Leo today.
He said there isn't any
money, and that's a problem.
Now, we had a talk
with the distributors.
Either you come
up with the dough,
or you're gonna get your
pretty face messed up.
(dramatic music)
You idiot!
Those were not the orders!
Somebody's in there.
- [Man] What's
going on up there?
- Come on, come on,
guys, get out of here.
- You sure there was
more than one man up here?
- I heard them
running down the stairs.
There were at least two.
- What about the girl, you
know anything about her?
- No.
Arnold always had something
going after every party.
I had strict orders
not to poke my nose in
when the lights were on.
- I see, okay.
Thanks very much.
- Is she still alive?
- She was when we sent
her to the hospital, yeah.
Barely.
I figure the girl must've
waited in here, don't you think?
- I'd say she also
saw it happen, too.
- Either saw it or heard it.
This door might've been closed.
Whatever it was, she got
scared and ran down the hall.
- Hey, Bill, Mrs.
Arnold's waiting for you
downstairs in the
coroner's office.
- Already?
How's she taking it?
- She seems to
be taking it okay.
- What'd you do with
those keys you found
in Arnold's personal effects?
- Having them checked out.
- Good.
Listen, if Perrino
calls, I'll be back.
Mrs. Arnold, I know
what you've been through.
I actually, this really
could've waited for a while.
- I would've been
here sooner, Sergeant,
but the children
were almost hysterical
when they heard what
happened to their father.
If you have any
questions, please ask them.
- Okay.
Can you think of any
reason why anybody
would want to kill your husband?
Did he have any enemies?
- On which coast?
When I married Shep, he
was attractive and decent.
But all that changed
with success.
When he was president of
Santorini Records in New York,
he fought with everyone.
Singers, PR men, his staff.
Anyone who tried
to take the limelight
away from Shep Arnold.
- What about his record
company out here?
Anybody out here?
- I'm sure he had
the same trouble.
Not to mention his
financial problems.
- What financial problems?
- I'm afraid the
company's bankrupt.
Shep doesn't have a cent.
- Mrs. Arnold, apparently
there was a young lady
waiting in your
husband's outer office.
She was shot up pretty badly.
Do you know a Jean Mercer?
- Sergeant, she was
just the last of a long list.
The best thing I could
do was look the other way
for the sake of my children.
I wish I could be more
help, Sergeant, but I can't.
- Everything will
be all right, Adele.
I'll tie up all the
loose business ends.
- Mrs. Arnold, I
appreciate your coming in.
Believe me, I
will not bother you
unless it's
absolutely necessary.
- It's all right.
Call me any time, Sergeant.
I was very much in
love with him once.
(water running)
(phone ringing)
- Hi, Bill.
Well, who else would it be?
Well, I was just...
Uh, never mind.
What hospital?
Okay, I'll be right there.
Yeah.
- [PA] Dr. George
Frelick, please report
to the third-floor
nurse's station.
Dr. George Frelick,
third-floor nurse's station.
- You all right, Pep?
These long days
are getting to me.
- I know.
- Any change?
- She's in pretty bad shape,
still hasn't regained
consciousness.
- Found out any more about her?
- Well, we found her address
book, and I called her mother.
It turns out she's an
ex big band singer.
Do you remember Laila Mercer?
- Laila mercer is her mother?
- Yes, she's on her way.
Maybe she can help us.
- I doubt it.
I talked to the
guard, he said this girl
was just another one of
Arnold's one-night stands.
I doubt the mother will
have much to tell us.
- [Woman] I'm Laila Mercer.
- Mrs. Mercer, hello.
I'm Sergeant Crowley
with the police department,
this is Sergeant Anderson.
- How do you do?
- Well, I get a call in
the middle of the night,
and then they keep me waiting
downstairs for a half hour.
- I'm sorry, Mrs. Mercer,
but we have to be careful.
- Isn't that a little late?
- You can see your daughter
only for a few minutes.
- Will she recover?
- It's a little soon to tell,
but the doctors are hopeful.
- How many times a week
do you use that speech?
I can take the truth.
- The doctors are hopeful.
She's in room 302,
it's down the hall.
(heart monitor beeping)
(clearing throat)
- Mrs. Mercer,
if you don't mind,
we'd really like to talk
to you for a few minutes.
- I'm sorry, I can't help you.
- We know it's a difficult
time, but we have to find out
all we can about the shooting.
- Look, I said I can't help you.
- Do you know if your
daughter ever saw
Shep Arnold before tonight?
- What difference
does that make?
- Well, she was in
the office with him
at the time of the killing.
- Well, she'd be
in anybody's office
if she thought it
would help her career.
Only tonight she
made the big mistake.
- Mrs. Mercer...
- Look, there's no
point in hiding the truth.
My daughter thought
she could make it
by going to bed
with important men.
Now, I sold millions of records,
and I never had to do that.
- Yes, ma'am, you see,
that's really beside the point.
What we...
- My daughter and I
haven't spoken for years.
She lived her life,
and I lived mine.
Bye.
- Thank you.
- I tell you, listen, why don't
we send her some flowers
on Mother's Day?
- You buy.
- Sergeant Crowley, please.
(phone ringing)
- Crowley.
- This is Adele Arnold.
I was wondering if
there was any news.
- Uh, Mrs. Arnold,
I hate to tell you.
There just hasn't been
anything significant at all.
We're right where we were.
- What about Miss Mercer?
Is she still in a coma?
- She's not regained
consciousness.
(doorbell ringing)
I don't know what
to do, Sergeant.
I had to take my
children out of school.
Because of the TV
coverage, people have been
asking all sorts of questions.
- I'm sorry to hear that.
I guarantee you that
you'll be the first to know
as soon as I hear anything.
- [Adele] Thank you, Sergeant.
- That's perfectly fine.
You call whenever you like.
She had to take her
kids out of school.
- Mrs. Arnold?
- Yeah.
- We're nowhere.
- How about making
a fresh pot of coffee?
- You don't drink my coffee.
- Today I'll drink anything.
Hello, Crowley.
- We tracked down
one of the keys
we found in Arnold's desk.
It belongs to a safe deposit box
at the Southwestern Pacific
Bank, Lakeview Branch.
I'm here now.
- Is it registered
in Arnold's name?
- No, it isn't.
It's in the name of Andrews.
But I showed the lady
here a picture of Arnold,
she thinks he's the same guy.
- Okay, Joe, listen.
Just hang in at the bank.
I'll talk to the DA
and get a court order.
- Will do.
Sergeant's on his way over.
May I?
- Talk about operators.
- As they say, somebody had
good reason to knock off Arnold.
- You're right about that.
100,000 of 'em.
- $850,000, how could
he have pulled out
that kind of money without
somebody finding out about it?
- My guess is that
somebody did find out about it.
I just wish we could
bring that Mercer girl
out of her coma.
- Suppose you
arrange for her to talk.
Suppose we spread the
word that the girl is recovering
and she gave you a complete
description of the killers.
Think they'd make a move?
- Pep, I've been
all through that.
The girl's life is
hanging by a thread,
I'm not about to
turn her into a target.
- She was shot in the
back, so she had to be
running away from them.
Odds are they never
got a look at her face.
It's worth a chance, Bill.
I'm about the same
size and coloring.
- I'd hate to turn that
hospital into a shooting gallery.
- Well, what if I fixed
it so we didn't have to?
- Then I might buy it.
- All I need is some help
from the ever-loving mommy.
- Give her a call.
- You got it, boss.
(dramatic music)
(slow lounge music)
- You know, everybody
thinks the Andrews Sisters
had the big record, but I
outsold them two to one.
- Sounds great.
- Yeah, well, it's
nothing like the noise
they call music today.
Wait'll you hear this one.
- Mrs. Mercer, please,
you still haven't answered.
- No, I got it, I got it.
You wanna pose as Jean.
As a matter of fact,
you remind me of her.
And the idea is you're
going to recuperate
in your mother's apartment,
and all you're asking me to do
is to risk my life.
- We'll have the
apartment house covered.
You'll be completely protected,
I'll be with you the whole time.
- Oh, sure.
Haven't I done the mother bit?
Isn't that enough?
- If Jean does recover,
she's still in great danger.
She saw the killers,
they know she saw them.
- Well, that's her problem.
Maybe next time
she'll be more careful
who she goes out with.
- Mrs. Mercer,
she's your daughter.
- Yeah.
I get all choked up
about the poor kid.
- I'm sorry I wasted your time.
I'd just like you
to think about this.
If anything does
happen to that girl,
you're gonna
have to live with it.
- Wait a minute.
- Yes?
- Wait a minute.
Look, how long would I
be cooped up with you?
- A couple days at the most.
Everything's set to go.
- Mr. Garson?
- Come on in, Eddie.
Shut the door.
- Look, Mr. Garson, I'm sorry.
- Sorry?
Well, at least that's
some consolation.
That trigger-happy idiot
who was with you guys.
He sorry too?
Is he?
- Yeah.
Look, sometimes things...
- Yeah, I know,
always happen so fast.
The girl.
She see you?
- No, no.
- And you're sure about that?
- Yeah.
I don't think so, no.
- Second-rate punks.
I can't trust anything
to anybody these days.
All right, Eddie.
Let's get down to some facts.
You work for me, fact.
A few people are
aware of that, fact.
Now, it's not gonna take
an Einstein to figure out
if she lives and fingers
you two guys and that idiot,
then it all starts falling
down, right on me.
Fact?
- Yeah, I know.
That's what I wanted to
talk to you about, Mr. Garson.
To figure out what
we can do about it.
- We?
What we?
Where do you get we?
- You, Eddie.
You, pal.
You got us into this.
Now you take it from there.
- Right, okay.
- Hello, boss.
- William, just
heard the local news.
Jean Mercer's out of the woods,
and gave a complete
description of the killers.
- You spread the
word around she'll be
recovering in her
mother's apartment?
- We covered every mob in town.
We did just about everything
but print it on the bar tabs.
- Good.
What about the apartment,
you got that covered?
- Yeah.
- Ever since Pepper drove
over to Laila's apartment,
we've got six
men, 12-hour shifts.
- Okay.
I'll pull three of 'em off
for tonight, we'll take them.
Let's see that stakeout.
- Gonna take a laser
beam to get in there.
(lounge music)
- Could you turn the
music off for a little while?
- I just thought you'd
like a little entertainment.
What's going on?
- Nothing important.
- [Laila] Well, look,
if there's trouble,
I wanna know about it.
- Mrs. Mercer, don't
get upset, it's nothing.
Is this Jean?
- Yeah.
- If you feel the way you do,
why do you keep this around?
- She was my daughter then.
- She must've meant a
great deal to you then.
- She meant the
whole world to me.
I spent 300 days
a year on the road,
sleeping in buses and playing
towns you never even heard of.
So she could have everything.
She sure paid me back.
- What'd she do
that was so terrible?
- She just destroyed
my life, that's all.
Look, I let you move in here,
but that doesn't
give you the right to
poke your nose into my business.
- I thought you might
wanna talk about it.
- Well, don't waste your breath.
No one could ever forgive
Jean for what she did.
No one.
- What'd she do?
- I said don't
waste your breath.
(phone ringing)
- Yeah, I'll get that.
Hello?
- How's it going?
- Oh, let's see, well.
We've got two girls in bikinis
and a dirty old man
nearby pretending to read.
Let's see what else,
anything around?
There's two new guys,
look like they could be ours.
- [Bill] They are ours.
We also got a couple of guys
spread out on nearby terraces.
You can read someone 12 by 59.
- You mean I can relax?
- [Bill] Just stay away
from those dirty old men.
- Everything all right?
- Don't worry, a mailman
can't even get through.
(ominous music)
- Looks legit.
Better check him out anyway.
- Roger, we're checking
on the company now.
- I thought you said
we'd be protected.
- We are, now get
away from that window.
- Why did I ever let you talk...
- Will you calm down?
It sounds like it's all right.
Now just relax.
- Okay, both of
you, out the back.
Now, come on!
Come on.
Come on.
- Take it easy, I just
got out of the hospital.
- Get out.
- Police, freeze!
(gunshots)
- Freeze!
- Everything's okay, Pepper.
We've called for an ambulance.
Are you all right?
Sergeant Anderson,
are you all right?
Can you read me?
Get in there, fast!
We'll cover the garage.
- All right, get in the
car, get 'em in the car!
Come on!
Come on.
(tires squealing)
- Hold it!
Pepper.
- We had six men stationed
at that apartment house.
Now how the hell many
did you need, a regiment?
- [Officer] We never figured
they'd hit us from behind.
- I don't believe this.
- In case you're interested,
they cold-cocked Demoray.
- I don't give a damn
about Demoray!
They've got Pepper Anderson,
you understand what I'm saying?
Those killers have
got Pepper Anderson.
Did you get out a
description of that car?
- It was a blue sedan.
We never did get
the license plate.
- You didn't get the plates?
That's terrific.
(honking)
- What've you got?
- A green job.
- All right, Miller,
get 'em out.
You never saw us, right?
- Have I ever?
- Hey, Freddie.
Clean up around this blue thing.
- Where are you taking us?
- Relax.
- Somebody wants to talk to you.
Laila Mercer.
You know, when I was a kid,
every time you
played the Paramount,
my old man would take off
from work to go to see ya.
He thought you
were something else.
So did my mother.
She hated your guts.
Laila Mercer, Laila Mercer,
that's all she
ever talked about.
She even threw an
eggplant at him once.
And here we are today.
The old man's kid
riding in the same car
with you and your kid.
- But you don't
understand, she's not my...
- There's no point in
trying to con them, Mom.
I saw what they did to Shep.
- Don't listen to
her, because...
- Oh, oh!
- What's the matter with you?
- The stitches,
I think they tore.
I told you to take it easy.
Okay, if you want Arnold's
damn money, take it,
but please let us go.
- What money?
- Don't play dumb with me.
Over $800,000.
- Where?
- In a safe deposit
box in my name.
- Miller, pull up there
at the next gas station.
(bell ringing)
- I have to use the restroom.
- All right, all right,
come on, make it quick.
Miller, watch 'em.
- What did you think?
That they were gonna let you go
if you told them I was a cop?
- I don't know, I don't
know what I was saying.
Do you really know
where the money is?
- Yes.
- Well, how did you ever
get the safe deposit key?
- I don't really have
the safe deposit key.
I'm gonna have to fake
that part with my locker key.
And you're gonna have
to keep your mouth shut
and go along with it.
Here.
- I'll try.
- You'll do more than that.
You'll do it.
- [Miller] Hey,
let's go in there!
- Just give us another minute!
Ladies take longer, you know.
- I wish I had your guts.
- Yeah, well, the
returns aren't in yet.
- All right.
You come up with the
dough and you got a deal.
- I don't have the key with me.
I left in a hurry, remember?
- Where is it?
- Bill, nothing yet.
Pep's gonna be all right.
You know that, don't ya, Bill?
- No, I don't know that, Pete.
Do you know that?
Do you know she's
gonna be all right?
How do you know that?
- Well, I do know one thing.
It's not gonna do us any good to
sit around thinking about it.
That I do know.
Everybody's on it, Bill.
(sighing)
- Yeah, I know.
- Now, I'm gonna go
get something to eat.
Can I bring you back a sandwich
or some fruit or something?
All right.
(tires squealing)
- There's nothing around
here that even smells like a cop.
- They're probably down
at the station getting hell
for letting you slip by them.
- All right, is that the one?
- Yeah, the yellow one.
- All right, come on, let's go.
- It's in the glove compartment.
- Well, get it, come on.
- Okay.
- Now we're getting somewhere.
- Hey, what's
going on over there?
- All right, come on.
- Hey, what's going on?
- All right, take off.
- Hey!
Beatrice, put me
through to the police, fast.
(phone ringing)
- Crowley.
- Sergeant Crowley,
I'm the manager
of the Mercers' apartment house.
I just saw a green
sedan pull out
with Mrs. Mercer and your
policewoman and two men.
- Is Sergeant Anderson okay?
- [Manager] I dunno, they
got out of here real fast.
- You stay where you are.
We'll be right there.
Pete, Joe, let's go.
- All right.
- The banks are closed
now, where are we going?
- I'll let you know.
- Look, you've got the key.
You can't get into
the safe deposit box
without my signing at the bank.
I have to sign.
- When it's time to let
you know, I'll let you know.
- [Manager] Well, hi.
- Hi, I'm Sergeant Crowley.
- Hi, I'm Tuttle,
I'm the one that
spoke to you on the phone.
- Yeah.
- Listen, I was
just on my upstairs
when I saw them over here.
And just like in those
TV shows, you know,
I didn't touch anything, I
left everything just like it is.
- Was this glove
compartment open like that?
- That's just how I found
it, I didn't touch anything.
- Yeah.
Uh, give Investigator Styles
here all the details, will you?
- Yeah, you wanna
come this way, please?
Give me more of a full
description of what happened.
- Pete, why would she
come all the way back here
just to go through her
glove compartment?
Why the hell would she do that?
(birds singing)
(dog barking)
- [Pepper] Your
boss has nice taste.
(doorbell ringing)
- Come in, please.
- All right, come on, come on.
In there.
- This is Mr. Garson.
- Jack.
It's Laila, Laila Mercer.
Don't you remember me?
I used to play all
your clubs back east.
What are you doing here?
I thought you ran all your
operations from the coast.
- I'm not running any
operation from anywhere.
I'm retired.
- All right, let's get
down to business.
- Sit down.
Because of my friendship
with Shep's wife here,
I supplied all the necessary
financing for Arnold's company.
That was a mistake.
- The boys took care
of him, didn't they.
- What did you expect?
The money in that safe
deposit box belongs to me,
if you've got it.
- I've got it.
- Tramp like you could've
walked out on him.
Why'd he take the chance
of putting it in your name?
- Shep knew I wouldn't
play any games.
Not like his sweet
little wife here.
(gasping)
- I want my money, Miss Mercer.
Tomorrow the boys
will take you to the bank,
to see that they get it.
- I'm not going anyplace
until I find out what's
gonna happen to us.
- Don't worry, Miss Mercer.
I'll arrange for passports
and a couple of plane tickets.
But don't make the
mistake of coming back.
- No, we won't.
We won't, Jack.
- They can stay in the
west wing overnight.
- Wait a minute, Boss,
you're not gonna let them go?
- Just do what you
have to for now.
- All right, come on.
Come on, come on, let's go.
Let's go!
- The Mercer girl,
she's very attractive.
- Yeah.
- You know, from right
after the honeymoon,
it was one girl after another.
Sometimes I think it started
during the honeymoon.
- Then was then.
Now is now.
My plan's working out fine, huh?
And when it's over, we'll go
to Rio, or wherever you want.
- Strange how it
all started, isn't it.
Shep made me go
to you for the money.
Then it happened between us.
- Ever been to Rio?
- Never.
- It's beautiful.
We'll take the kids.
They've got beaches,
shopping, boating.
- No, let's just
go, the two of us.
I'd like to get away from
everything for a while.
What about Mercer
and her daughter?
- Adele, baby, the
minute we get the money,
the boys'll take care of them.
(sighing)
- I brought you a
cup of coffee, Bill.
- Uh, Pete, I don't
want any coffee.
I don't understand
why we haven't heard
from somebody out
there about that car.
- Yeah, I know.
- What time is it?
- 11:30.
- We're in the pits, huh?
It's frustrating.
I should never have
let her go in there alone.
I should've had somebody
else in that apartment.
She shouldn't have gone
in there by herself, Pete.
(sighing)
- I think I'll give Joe a call.
I know he's worried.
(ominous music)
(dog barking)
- Why don't you put that away?
You're not reading it anyway.
Try to get some sleep.
- I can't, I keep
thinking about tomorrow
and those goons out there.
- Well, worrying about
it isn't gonna help any.
- Yeah, well, Garson
won't keep his word.
I know him.
Everybody in the business
was scared to death of him.
And that woman, the widow?
- Ah, the widow.
She's something, isn't she?
But just don't worry.
I'll try to come up
with something.
If you can't
sleep, try to relax.
Why don't you pour
yourself a drink?
- I should've figured something
like this would happen.
Anything that had
to do with Jean
always ended up in disaster.
- Why do you hate her so much?
- I don't hate her, I just
don't wanna talk about it.
- Did you ever think that
if you got it off your chest
you might feel better?
And sometimes with
a stranger, it's easier.
- Is that what the
psychology books say?
- What'd she do?
- Have you ever been in love?
- Mmm-hmmm.
- Did you marry him?
- [Pepper] No.
- Well, I did.
I hit the jackpot.
I mean, the whole
wonderful thing.
- You mean Jean's father?
- Him?
Oh, no.
He was one of
the all-time losers.
We got divorced when
she was a year old.
And then I became
mother and father to her,
and I spent most of
my time on the road,
paying the bills for
my little princess.
I never figured there'd
by anyone else in my life.
Not with musicians.
Then I got lucky.
Did you know Alan Carter?
- Uh-uh.
- Oh, he was one of the big
ones, up there with Dorsey
and Harry James.
He was a good-looking guy.
Sweet and decent.
We were married for
five beautiful years,
and I thought I had it made.
But there was a joker.
- Bet I can guess.
- My little princess.
She just adored her stepdaddy.
She always greeted him
with big hugs and kisses.
Then one night I came
home from the club.
She was 17 then.
Pretty, real pretty.
- Figures.
Did it ever occur to you
that maybe it was his fault?
- That's what she said.
- There it was, huh?
- A couple weeks
later they both left.
And it didn't take long
for word to get around
that Laila Mercer was
drinking and unreliable.
The highest-paid club act in
Vegas couldn't even get a job
at a two-bit strip joint.
- Well, that explains
a lot of things.
- Yeah, maybe.
Maybe it was my fault.
- I doubt it.
I think it was probably
nobody's fault.
Just the way it ended up.
Que sera, sera, you know?
- You have a good time today.
I'll see you both at dinner.
Sally, take good care of them.
I hope the ladies
spent a restful night.
- No trouble.
- Take the blue
car this morning.
- How come?
- I talked to Jack, he
thinks it's wiser if we switch.
- I can't do it.
- Yes you can.
We've got to go
through with this.
- But what happens
when we get to the bank
and they won't let
you in the vault?
- I'll worry about
that later, come on.
(suspenseful music)
- All right, come on.
All right, let's go.
- Hey.
If you're not back
in 10 minutes,
don't bother looking
for your mother.
- Look, I said I'd
get the money.
Don't stay so close,
I have friends here.
714, please.
714.
- This way, please.
- Thank you.
Never mind.
We haven't got much time.
Are you sure you
pushed that alarm button?
- Yes, I'm pretty
sure I pushed it.
- We've got to find
something to fill this.
- There's nothing here
except the bank money,
and I can't touch that.
- Fine, okay.
- Listen, I can get in trouble.
- Give me that thing.
- What are you
gonna do with this?
- Here, pour it in.
- All of it?
- Yes, hurry up.
- Okay, thanks.
- Pepper.
- Report about a silent alarm
in Southwestern Pacific Bank.
A suspicious vehicle
had just pulled up
with two men, two women.
One of them could be Pepper.
- It's almost 10 minutes.
I hope she isn't
pulling anything.
- She gave you her word.
She'll keep it.
- Thanks.
- What's going on?
- Oh, and thank you very much.
- You're welcome.
- All right, let me have it.
Give it to me, come on, give it!
(tires squealing)
- Police, freeze!
Drop it!
(gunshots)
(tires squealing)
(police sirens)
- All right, hands up.
Hands up.
Put 'em on the top,
put 'em on the top.
- I was so frightened,
I was so frightened!
- It's all right, you
did it, you did it.
You helped me pull it off.
It's all over, come on.
- Thank you.
Crowley, yeah.
Hey, Perrino, what's up?
How much?
You're kidding.
- Get that transcribed
as quickly as possible,
will you?
- Yeah, thanks, I'll tell her.
- Thank you.
She identified the
same three men,
not that we needed it.
Who was on the phone?
- That was Perrino.
The judge is holding
Garson and Adele Arnold
on a $100,000 bail.
Garson uses that kind
of money for petty cash.
- So what else is new?
- I'd like to have a
talk with that judge.
- Hello.
- Oh, hi, Laila.
- I got your message.
Are you sure she
wants to see me?
- Yes.
She's a pretty good dame.
(gentle piano music)
- Hi.
- Mama?
- No, Joe, listen, why
don't you both go home?
I'm tired, I don't
wanna come in.
Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow.
Yeah, okay, bye.
- What do you say
we get cracking?
- What do you say
we go by Vinny's
and have a good stiff drink?
- Nice, huh?
How things turn out sometimes.
- Huh.
You are a real
sentimentalist, aren't ya?
You know, you're
beginning to sound like
one of Laila's old records.
- Huh, they weren't
all that bad, you know.
- Are you kidding?
They were terrific.
(chuckling)
- What's so funny?
What are you laughing at?
- I never told you this.
But when I had
my first love affair,
they were playing one of
her records all through it.
- I don't believe you.
- It's true.
Betty Jean Short, she had
freckles all over her face.
We called her Peanut Betty.
(laughing)
- I don't believe you.
- Hey.
What do you see we
stop off at my place?
I'll see if I can dig
up that old record.
- I think we'd better
stop off at Vinny's,
and have that drink.
- Spoilsport.
(dramatic music)