Quincy M.E. (1976–1983): Season 4, Episode 22 - The Death Challenge - full transcript
You're not going to let
her go down into the tank
until we can determine the cause
of her husband's death, are you?
I thought that had been
determined. Drowning.
She has less than three minutes to
escape from The Death Challenge.
She's not ready, Quincy.
She's just not ready.
Get her out! Get her out, quick!
You killed your protege, Sultini and
you almost killed his wife, Georgette.
Up is up, but this guy
must have been in orbit.
I don't know anybody who
would want to see him dead.
- I do.
- Who?
Whoever switched that
pill and murdered him.
Gentlemen, you
are about to enter
the most fascinating
sphere of police work,
the world of forensic medicine.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank
you, ladies and gentlemen.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Good evening,
ladies and gentlemen,
and what a special, rare
treat we have for you tonight.
A man who has
performed all over the world,
in front of kings and
queens and presidents,
the world's greatest magician and
his world famous Death Challenge,
the one and only
the Great Whitehead.
Oh! Harry Whitehead's
coming on next, Quincy.
Aren't you going to watch?
Well, if Harry was getting
into the tank himself,
like he did in the old
days, then I would watch.
Do you know Harry
Whitehead personally?
Yeah. He's sort of the
maitre d' at the Magic Castle.
Are you a magic buff?
Am I?
You know I'd rather
make two doves disappear
than have a date
with Robert Redford.
Yeah? I'll introduce
you to him some time.
- Really?
- Yeah, he's a nice guy.
Thank you.
Good evening,
ladies and gentlemen.
Tonight, for the first
time since my retirement
11 years ago, the
famous water escape,
an act created by the
great Houdini and myself,
will be attempted by my
protege, Mr. Mark Sultini.
Excuse me.
After my young
friend Sultini is...
Will you hold this for me,
Velma? I forgot to take it off.
- Oh, sure. Good luck, darling.
- Thank you.
He will be put in this rather
formidable trunk you see here,
with two clasps
locking it tightly shut.
Two of our city's finest have consented
to check all the locks and restraints
to make sure there is no
possible way of escape.
Finally the trunk will be
placed in a canvas cover,
inside the larger plastic box,
and submerged.
- Quincy?
- Yeah?
How long can somebody
hold their breath?
Well, it depends. I
think three minutes.
Plus there's some air in the
box before the water forces it out.
Really?
Listen, I was thinking...
I was thinking why don't we
have the brandy in the cockpit?
There's a full moon, you know.
Don't you.
Oh, wait a minute. Wait.
Quincy, how does he get out of
all those handcuffs and things?
Double jointed.
Oh, come on.
You've got to be more than double
jointed to get out of those padlocks.
Honey, will you relax? They
know what they're doing.
Besides, with the
size of that box,
he's got at least 30
extra seconds of air.
- Really?
- Yeah.
Very quickly water
invades the trunk.
The breath of life
is brief, all too brief.
Will Sultini survive,
as I did before him
and Houdini before me?
Or will death finally win
this terrifying challenge?
Please give your close
attention to the clock.
Quincy? He's not coming up!
Maggie, they have safeguards.
He's probably out now
putting things together.
Besides with that extra 30
seconds of air, he's got the edge.
Come on. Quincy,
he's not coming up!
Come on, come up, come up!
It's all right, folks.
Everything's all right.
Don't you see. It's an act.
He's not even in the box. He'll
probably come popping in from the side.
Ladies and gentlemen,
may I ask your cooperation.
Everything's going to
be fine. Please sit down.
Please, ladies and gentlemen.
Please. Please be patient.
It can't be!
He can't be dead!
That's it, Sam.
Here are the ventricular
chloride levels Quincy wanted.
There's better than a 35% difference
between the right and left ventricles.
That proves it then, water
was taken into his lungs.
Quincy will want to hear this.
He'll be interested in this, too.
- About finished?
- Yep.
What'd you find?
The level of chloride ions in the left
ventricle was significantly reduced.
So water was
taken into the lungs.
A plain, old-fashioned
case of drowning.
I'm not surprised. But look at
this tox analysis on the blood.
- Amphetamine?
- Otherwise known to
diet freaks as an upper.
.05 micrograms per ml!
Up is up, but this guy
must have been in orbit.
You sure you didn't
make a mistake?
Check it yourself.
But, Sam, why would he take something
that would speed up his respiratory system?
He knew he had a
limited amount of oxygen.
- Check it. Please.
- Sure you wouldn't mind?
The trunk was designed to
fill within the first 30 seconds.
Which meant a rapidly
decreasing supply of oxygen
from the instant
it hit the water.
Right. So why would
he take an upper?
Chloroform separation?
That's right.
Okay, one for you. Big deal.
I knew you were right all along.
Wow.
With this kind of upper in him,
Sultini must have been
hyper-ventilating like crazy.
And gobbling up his
precious supply of oxygen.
Thank you. Thank you very much.
You have me feeling like Little
Eva about to cross the ice out there.
- What's taking so long?
- I didn't know
you were in a hurry.
I'm not in a hurry,
the world is in a hurry.
You think somebody dies
on national TV every day?
I don't know what
they'll do to me
if you don't give me some
information, and soon.
What do you need to know?
What I always need to
know, the cause of death.
Drowning.
Drowning. That's good. That's clean.
That's simple. Accidental, of course.
No, no, no, no.
I didn't say that.
- What did I think
I heard you say?
- I said drowning.
Simple drowning. The water gets into
your lungs, you can't breathe, drowning.
But that's like
saying accidental.
Nobody deliberately puts their
head under a faucet and drowns.
Look, let me lay it out for you.
It will save us all a lot of time.
We found amphetamine
in his blood.
Which, as you know, is the last
thing in the world you'd want to take
when your life depends on conserving
your limited supply of oxygen.
When you say "drowning," it's
very hard for me to say "accidental."
What Quincy is
trying to say is...
Be quiet, Sam, I know
what Quincy is trying to say,
but until he
says it for certain,
what do I say to those reporters
who are waiting outside that door?
Why don't you try the truth?
Tell them we don't know yet.
Oh, brilliant! Brilliant!
What can they do to
you? Break your limbs?
- Where are you escaping to?
- I'm going to take
a crash course in magic.
I wonder if it would work.
Gentlemen, I don't
know. Oh, that's terrific.
- Quincy.
- Hello, Velma. How are you?
As well as can be expected.
Oh! Maggie, I'd like you
to meet Velma Whitehead.
- Hello,
I'm so glad to meet you.
- Hello, Maggie.
Welcome to the Magic Castle.
Thank you.
Terrible thing that
happened last night.
Quincy, Mark was
such a fine young man,
and he was working so hard
learning the act with Harry.
I just can't understand
what happened.
- Look at you.
- What's the matter?
You forgot your tie
again. You know the rules.
Aw, please. Gimme a break,
will ya? Just this one time.
- I just want to talk to Harry.
- Sorry. I only work here.
- All right, all right.
- No, no, not red.
What's the matter with that?
It has to match? Here, perfect.
- All right. All right.
- Now wait a minute. Let me help you.
Rufus still stalking around
like he owns the joint?
Yes. I don't mind for myself.
I just wish he would show a
little more respect for Harry.
But it's a living
for both of us.
I'm going to find Harry.
I'll talk to you later, okay?
- Okay.
- Bye.
- Let's go look for him.
- Where?
- In the other room.
- How?
You don't have
any faith, do you?
Didn't you ever read Ali
Baba and the Forty Thieves?
- I used to date him.
- Very funny.
Remember how he used to get in the
cage? He used to say "open sesame."
It's true.
- May I help you, Dr. Quincy?
- Yes, as a matter of fact.
I'm looking for Harry Whitehead.
We have an appointment.
He's seating another
party at the moment.
- Perhaps you'd like
a drink at the bar.
- No, Rufus. I better find him.
- Quincy!
- Oh, Harry.
- Hello, my friend.
- Harry, how are you?
Maggie, I want you to meet
the famous Harry Whitehead.
Oh I'm so thrilled to
meet you, Mr. Whitehead.
I saw you once when
I was a young girl.
Oh, you still are, my dear.
Oh, my goodness.
- Are you staying for dinner?
- Not tonight.
Listen, I have to talk to
you, it's very important.
What about Irma's Room?
I'm sure she wouldn't mind.
Okay.
Who's Irma?
A long-time resident.
Oh, what a beautiful room.
Listen, I really
do have to know...
No, no, no, no.
First things first.
Irma, I would like
you to meet Maggie.
Maggie, this is Irma.
Where?
Oh, Quincy!
That is rude of me. I am sorry.
Irma's drink, please.
Please. Thank you.
Tell me I'm not seeing
what I'm really seeing.
What's your favorite tune?
If we're lucky, we could
get Irma to play it for you.
Oh, come on.
- Really? Okay.
- Yeah.
Okay. I've got one
she won't know.
I'm a Gitchy-goo, and
You're My Widdy-woo.
Oh, my gosh! Quincy, that's it!
I haven't heard that
since I was a Girl Scout.
Would you excuse me
for a minute, please?
- Sure.
- Harry, please. I've got to talk to you.
- I know, I know, I know. About Mark.
- Yeah.
It never... It never
should have happened.
I performed that identical trick for
over 30 years without one single mishap.
- What happened that night?
- I don't know.
I worked with that boy for almost
two years, getting him ready.
I thought he was.
Obviously I was wrong.
I performed an
autopsy on him today.
- I found a very
powerful upper in his body.
- It's impossible!
- It's true, Harry.
- No, you don't understand.
Yes, he did take a pill, but it was
to slow down his respiratory system.
In spite of his youth,
he was never really able to
fine tune his body the way I did
when I performed the escape.
So he relied on drugs.
Are you saying that he usually took a
downer before he went into the tank?
Oh, absolutely. In fact, I myself
saw him take one last night.
His wife Georgette
gave it to him.
Do you know if she had
any reason to want him dead?
I don't know anybody who
would want to see him dead.
- I do.
- Who?
Whoever switched that
pill and murdered him.
That's right, Monahan. Murder.
You gotta be kidding, Quincy. I saw
the whole thing myself on TV last night.
It's what you don't see in
magic that makes the difference.
- Well, any leads?
- Why don't you start
with his wife, Georgette?
Get some background
on their marriage.
- I'm on my way to see her now.
- Okay. Yeah?
Dr. Quincy. Coroner's office.
You're too late, pal.
Or don't you watch TV?
I'd like to see Mrs. Sultini.
Look, she's real busy right now.
Why don't you come
back in a little while, okay?
It's very important.
Look, she's right in the
middle of signing some papers.
- Papers?
- Yeah. To do the act on TV.
- You don't mean
the water escape?
- Yeah, that's right.
Excuse me.
- Mrs. Sultini,
I have to talk to you.
- What's the matter, Joe?
- He says he's the Coroner.
- I'm Dr. Quincy.
I performed the autopsy
on your husband.
This is Ed Shannon.
- How do you do.
- I'm sorry to interrupt.
But he just told me that you're planning
to do the act that killed your husband.
Yup. Saturday night.
Isn't that a little macabre?
Or am I just old-fashioned?
I... I agree with you, Doctor.
As a matter of fact, I was here
expressing my condolences to Georgette.
Mrs. Sultini.
All of a sudden the
subject just came up.
Really? How convenient you
brought the proper contracts along.
If you'll excuse me now,
Dr. Quincy. I'm finished here.
Wait a minute!
You're not going to let
her go down into the tank
until we can determine the cause
of her husband's death, are you?
I thought that had been
determined. Drowning.
- There may be
mitigating factors.
- Oh, yeah, like what?
I don't know yet. I haven't
finished my investigation.
Nice meeting you,
Dr. Quincy. I'm running late.
Oh, if there's anything
you'd care to talk to me about,
call my attorney.
What mitigating factors?
I understand your husband always
took a downer before he went into the tank
to keep his pulse down
and his respiratory system.
Yeah, he did.
- And you gave him
the pill yourself.
- Uh-huh.
I found the residue of a powerful
upper in his bloodstream instead.
- An upper!
- Yeah.
He would have been crazy
to have taken it willingly,
unless he wanted
to commit suicide.
Are you saying that
she switched the pills?
Did you?
No, I did not.
But if I'd really thought
about it a whole lot,
I could have done it.
May I see the pill bottle?
Be my guest.
Joe, would you get it
out of the satchel, please?
He was no bargain, you know.
You know what he thought
of me? About that much.
The act, that's all he
thought about, that act.
Well, I've got a chance to take
that act and make it work for me,
and I'm going to take it and
I'm going to make a bundle
and I'm going to get a little
bit of attention for a change.
I'm not some dumb broad
that just stands in the wings
for the rest of
her life, you know.
It's empty.
There were 12 pills in here.
You mind if I take it with me?
I didn't kill that jerk!
And I'm going ahead
with the act, okay?
Thank you.
Oh, as I've heard Lieutenant
Monahan say hundreds of times,
don't leave town.
Are you sure the bottle
contained meprobamate?
No. No, I didn't say
you did anything wrong.
But...
Thank you very much.
Hell hath no fury
like a pharmacist who
thinks you're accusing him
of filling the
wrong prescription.
How's the test coming
on the pill bottle?
I found enough residue in the bottom
to confirm what the man just said.
Meprobamate. A downer.
I can't believe it,
Sam. I'm sure...
Now wait a minute.
You didn't hear it all.
There's also a very slight
trace of dextro-amphetamine.
See. Somebody did pull a switch
on Sultini, give him an upper.
They're both white, they're
almost the same size.
What with the excitement of going
on and everything, he didn't notice.
What happened
to the rest of them?
Georgette told me there were at
least 12 more tablets in the bottle
when she gave
that one to Sultini.
At least that was her story.
- Quincy. Sam.
- Quince.
- What'd you find out?
- Well,
I checked this Georgette.
It seems that Sultini
didn't treat her too well.
He used to slap her
around quite a bit.
He was up on a battery
charge couple months ago.
So she turned to this stage
manager, Joe Kirby, for consolation.
Yeah, he's a former Strongman.
Then either Kirby or she
could have pulled the switch.
- Or they were in it together.
- Anybody else?
Nobody crazy enough to kill.
No jealous husbands,
ex-wives, anything like that?
Nope. Of course, there's
always Harry Whitehead.
He could screw up the trick
better than anyone. He invented it.
Why would Harry
Whitehead want to kill Sultini?
- I don't know.
- Maybe professional jealousy.
Oh, forget it, will ya.
I've known him for 20
years. He wouldn't hurt a fly.
Hello, give me Jim Barnes of
the District Attorney's office please.
Dr. Quincy from the
Medical Examiner's office.
What're you doing?
I'm going to try to get an
injunction to stop Georgette
from going into the
tank Saturday night.
- You're kidding!
- Like heck I am.
Sam and I both agree
that Sultini was murdered.
Now, if Georgette didn't do it,
who's to say she wouldn't be next...
Hello Jim? Dr. Quincy.
I want to set up a
meeting right away.
I'm sorry, Quincy. But the
evidence is just too circumstantial.
What evidence? I don't
want to convict anybody!
All I want is the act postponed
until we can make a more
thorough investigation!
Postponed? That's impossible.
- The network is
already running promos!
- Well, let them un-run them!
I already told
you. I'm not afraid!
Look, she's right.
Who'd want to kill her?
I don't know. Maybe you!
Calm down, everybody.
Now look, Quincy,
at this point I'd have a hard time
getting the judge to issue an injunction.
Absolutely! You're messing
around with the First Amendment.
Hey, Shannon, you know,
I've got a great show for you.
Why don't you round up some Christians
and you'll throw them to the lions?
Look what that will
do for your ratings.
That's a cheap shot,
Quincy, and you know it.
Now it's no secret my ratings
have been slipping lately.
As a matter of fact, they're talking
of maybe cancelling my show.
But Saturday night
could put me on top again.
But believe me, Quincy,
if there was the slightest
possibility of anybody being hurt,
I'd back off totally.
But the lady who's
going to do the stunt
assures me that it's
nothing but a piece of cake.
That's right.
Quincy.
If you ruin this chance
for me, I'll sue you.
I swear to God I will.
I don't believe any of you.
Okay. You win. If...
- If what?
- If I can conduct some tests.
With the equipment.
Check it out for myself.
That's okay by me. Georgette?
You can't take that trunk
apart or anything, you know.
I don't care how
the escape is done.
The tests will be
purely scientific.
Okay. I guess so.
But the property belongs to
Harry Whitehead, you know.
So you're going to have
to get his permission, too.
He'll give it to me.
Quincy, you know
how my business works.
You have to strike
while the iron is hot.
Thank you for
being so reasonable.
If anything happens to
that girl Saturday night,
you'll find out I can
be very unreasonable.
Be out in a couple seconds.
Give me a hand, will ya, Tarzan.
There you go.
You okay, buddy?
Yeah.
- No.
- What? What?
Quince, I've done some crazy
things for you. But this is the worst!
Aw, you were terrific. You stayed
under for two minutes and 40 seconds.
- Swell.
- Well, it's all in
the interest of science.
- Whoopie!
- Say, you all done
with this, Quincy?
You're all heart, you
know that. Thank you.
So what did we prove?
Except that I can hold my breath
for two minutes and 40 seconds
and almost drowned?
We also proved that's the maximum
that Georgette can stay under, too.
I examined her, remember?
You have roughly the same body mass
and similar pulse and respiratory rates.
Look, now that we know the
exact inner dimensions of the trunk,
the diameter of
the holes in the top,
we can calculate
the cubic feet of air
and the rate it's displaced
by the water, and the water...
Quincy, we already
figured that part out before.
But what good is it
going to do us now?
The show is tomorrow night.
Trust me, will you, Sam?
The more I know about Georgette,
the more I'll be able to help
her if something goes wrong.
It still may not be enough,
Quince. You know what I mean?
Yeah.
I know what you mean.
Tonight, ladies and gentlemen,
live from this very stage,
Georgette will
courageously attempt
the escape her husband
failed to complete last week
the famous Death Challenge.
Harry didn't want to go
through with this tonight.
But I told him I thought he should be
here in case something went wrong.
I have a terrible
premonition about this.
She's not ready, Quincy.
She's just not ready.
I'll check.
And now, ladies and gentlemen,
we begin the deadly countdown.
She has less than three
minutes to escape from
The Death Challenge.
Please give your close
attention to the clock.
Get her out! Get her out, quick!
What are you doing?
She's in trouble I
tell you, get her out!
As fast as you can, get her out!
Get out of my way.
You did a great job, Quince.
She's gonna pull through.
- Thank heavens.
- Oh! Yeah.
She was still pretty cyanotic
when she arrived, you know.
- So I gave her
some epinephrine.
- The adrenalin worked then?
- Yeah.
- Good.
Can I talk to her for
a couple of minutes?
Sure. She's in 401.
- Thanks for everything.
- You're welcome.
Well, you heard what the
doctor said she's going to be fine.
Why don't you go
home and get some rest?
Quincy, couldn't we please
just see her for a few minutes?
- Tomorrow.
- Quincy's right.
Bye-bye.
Hi.
Feeling okay?
Yeah.
Thanks to you, so they tell me.
How'd you know I was in trouble?
When I saw those bubbles
coming up and you weren't out yet.
What happened?
- I guess I panicked.
- I guess you did.
You were still wearing those
cuffs when you came up.
I usually keep on the
straps but when I went...
Show me how you do it.
I used my teeth on
the straps, like this.
But when I went
for the lock pick,
I couldn't... I
couldn't... I felt weird.
Lock pick?
Yeah, it's a little piece
of steel I stick in my hair.
I pick the lock with it.
I thought it was
done with mirrors.
What happened, when
you had the weird feeling?
I don't know.
I have gotten out of those cuffs
a hundred times in rehearsal.
But tonight, they
were just too tight.
And when I went for the
pick, I couldn't reach them.
And I was feeling really sick.
Did you take anything
before you went on?
- You mean like drugs?
- Yeah. I took my tranquilizer.
Oh, we're back to that
again. Now where is it?
It's in my purse.
And it really is a tranquilizer.
I remembered what you said about
Mark, and I got a new prescription.
And I have not let
it out of my sight.
You mind if I take this with me?
Be my guest. I'm not
climbing into any more trunks.
In my line of work I don't
usually have to ask this,
but may I look at your ankles?
Why, Dr. Quincy...
Uh-huh.
That's all you've got to say?
Oh, very nice.
Hey, baby, you okay, huh?
You louse! Where have
you been? I coulda died!
Hey, I've been with
the police. Easy, huh?
They asked me a
million questions.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Listen, I hate to break up
the romance of the century.
Listen, I've got
something to say.
Now you better go over again who
tried to kill you and your husband.
You were lucky tonight.
Next time the odds are
going to be against you.
Take it easy.
I'll be right back.
Dr. Quincy.
Look, I don't know whether you're still
trying to pin this thing on me or not.
But I'm afraid for Georgette.
If anybody had a good
reason to kill Sultini,
it was that old goat,
Harry Whitehead.
- Whitehead?
- Yeah.
He and Sultini had a falling out
a couple of days before the show.
What kind of a falling out?
Well, Whitehead
threatened to kill Sultini.
Frankly, I don't
blame him if he did.
- You didn't know Sultini,
did you?
- No.
Well, he was evil.
But I really mean evil.
He didn't have a kind
thing to say to anybody.
He put Georgette in the
hospital for two days, the creep.
This all happened
before I came around.
What about Whitehead?
Whitehead and
Sultini had a deal.
70-30 split.
Evidently the old man
didn't have anything on paper.
Sultini got greedy,
shafted the old man.
Do you believe me?
Maybe.
Well, that's it. A downer,
meprobamate. We're back to square one.
Sam, I'm positive I saw signs of
some kind of angioneurotic edema.
Her wrists and ankles were
swollen, her eyes were puffy
like she had taken something
she was strongly allergic to,
like an antibiotic.
Well, it could've been just a
natural reaction to her cyanotic state.
The swelling wouldn't
have lasted that long.
Emergency.
Dr. Covington, please.
Oh, Roy, it's you.
Dr. Quincy. You got a minute?
Sure, Quince. I'm
between freeway accidents.
That lady last night,
Georgette Sultini.
Did you give her anything
else besides adrenalin?
Like what?
Like... Well, I know this
is going to sound crazy.
Like something she might
be allergic to, like an antibiotic?
- Nope. Just epinephrine.
- Switch me to
her room, will ya?
I can. But she's not there. I let
her check out a few minutes ago.
- You know I'm
betting zero with you.
- Oh, don't give up.
Could be, I got
something you could use.
Her family physician was here.
He asked me the
same question you did,
but specifically
about penicillin.
Seems the lady is
extremely allergic to it.
Roy, you're back on the
team. Thank you. Bye-bye.
Just as I thought, Sam.
She's allergic to penicillin.
That's why she puffed up
and couldn't get out of the cuffs.
But she wouldn't willingly
take it, knowing it would kill her.
That's right, isn't it, Sam?
- Quince, where are you going?
- Georgette
probably isn't home yet.
You keep trying to reach her. Find
out who else knew about her allergy.
- Okay. Where will you be?
- I'm going to take
another look at that trunk.
Like you said, Sam, she
wouldn't take it willingly.
So I want to find out how that
penicillin got into her system.
What's the real reason you
decided to come out of retirement
after all these years, Mr. Whitehead,
and do The Death Challenge?
The money?
I created this escape
over 40 years ago.
Recently, one person was
killed, another barely survived.
I want to dispel any rumors that
it's too dangerous to be performed.
Mr. Whitehead, about Sultini,
didn't he have any safety devices?
A back-up air supply,
something like that?
The escape is a death challenge.
Velma, has he gone bananas?
I tried to talk him out of it.
Harry's always been
his own man, Quincy.
That will be enough for
now, ladies and gentlemen.
If you'll excuse him,
Mr. Whitehead has a great deal to do
to prepare for
Saturday night's show.
So that'll be the end of
today's press conference, huh?
If, however, you would like to
adjourn into the bar, I'm buying.
Can I talk to you for a minute?
Quincy, Quincy, it is no use.
You can't talk me
out of doing this show.
But it's too dangerous!
What happened to Mark and
Georgette, they weren't accidents.
- I don't believe that.
- Okay, Harry, let's level.
You're not a kid anymore.
It's been a long time
since you've done this trick.
Look, I am in perfect shape.
Please, let's drop the whole subject.
Okay. Can I at least
examine the trunk again?
If it'll make you feel any
better, I have no objections.
- Yes, it would. Where is it?
- In my apartment.
We can run over
there now if you like.
- Let's go.
- Okay.
Dr. Quincy,
telephone call for you.
- Hello?
- It's me, Quince.
I haven't had any luck
reaching Georgette.
Her answering service says she's
gone out of town to recuperate.
They haven't any idea where.
Recuperate, my foot!
She finally realized somebody
wants to kill her. She's hiding out!
Well, I left an urgent
message, asking her to call.
That's not gonna do. Get
Monahan to put an APB out on her.
She's the only one who can tell us
who knew she was allergic to penicillin.
And we gotta find her
before Saturday night.
Right.
Let's go.
Rufus, I'm taking the
rest of the week off.
Of course, Mr. Whitehead,
whatever you say.
Be a pal, will ya,
Harry? Will you tell me?
I went over every
inch of that box.
There's no hidden compartments.
No trap doors. How do you do it?
I'm sworn to secrecy.
By the Magician's Union.
Just a plain wooden box,
a pair of real handcuffs.
Oh, sure.
Harry,
there is one question
you're gonna have to answer.
I'd rather you tell me.
Why did you and Sultini
have a row just before he died?
- Who told you that?
- Joe Kirby.
He told me you even
threatened to kill him.
Did I ever show you this
milk can Houdini gave me?
This was his greatest escape
of all. From his London tour.
I was just a young
magician, on the circuit.
And he took me under his wing.
He taught me everything he knew.
I really stood in awe
of that man, Quincy.
The thought of betrayal
never entered my mind. Never.
You still haven't
answered my question.
Mark was young, eager.
I decided it was better for someone
to carry on the things I knew.
So I taught him.
Then his agent made the
deal for the Ed Shannon show.
It was his big break.
But they forgot one small thing.
To include me in
the arrangements.
And I got angry.
I said a lot of things
I never should have said.
Later, he rectified the mistake
and gave me a spot on
the show introducing the act.
Fortunately, we made up.
We were friends again
before he died.
And that's all there is to it?
Yes.
Excuse me.
Find anything interesting?
Oh, I just cut my lip, see.
- Who was on the phone?
- A reporter.
He wanted to know if
anything happens to me
would Velma try the
escape next week.
Thanks for the tour, Harry.
Well, how do I look?
Just like I remember
you from the old days.
I can't forget it.
You won't forget tonight either,
Quincy. How do you like Velma's dress?
- Oh sensational.
- Thank you, Quincy.
I've saved it all these years. I
wore it at Buckingham Palace.
- And put the Queen to shame.
- Oh, you darling flatterer.
Don't you believe a
word he says, Quincy.
I'd like to check the
equipment, Harry.
I've already done that.
Let him check it, Velma. We
have no secrets from Quincy.
Most of the big pieces are on
stage but the rest of it is here.
Thank you.
This isn't the same muff you
showed me last week, is it?
No, no. I changed all
the props except the trunk.
I didn't want bad vibes.
Call it superstition.
Only a few minutes and
you're on. Ready, Harry?
I'm ready.
Well, well, well.
Hello, Doctor.
Not too late to call
this off, Shannon.
Are you kidding?
We expect a 60 share tonight.
Excuse me.
Two minutes. Let's go, Harry.
Quincy, we've left Georgette
and Kirby down in the lobby.
I'm going to check the stage.
- Give 'em hell.
- Always did.
Harry.
I love you, sweetheart.
They're causing an
awful lot of trouble.
You better have a pretty
good explanation for this.
Will you calm down? I'll explain
everything. I need your help.
I have positive proof now that
somebody tried to murder you last week.
The same person who
killed your husband.
If somebody tried
to murder somebody,
then why don't the police make
an arrest and stop harassing us?
They will, as soon as we can
put a couple of things together.
You're allergic to
penicillin, aren't you?
- Yeah, I am.
- Now who else knew
about that allergy?
- Why?
- The night you
went into the tank.
You went after the strap
on the cuff with your teeth.
- Now you cut your
mouth on the buckle.
- How'd you know that?
Let's just say I surmised it.
Yeah, it was... It was
the buckle on the strap.
I've still got the
cut right here.
That strap was
loaded with penicillin.
Because of the cut, it went
directly into the bloodstream
and caused an
immediate allergic reaction.
Your wrists and
your ankles blew up.
That's why you couldn't
get out of the restraints.
Who'd want to do a
horrible thing like that to me?
Somebody with a strong
reason to want you dead.
Somebody who knew
about your allergy.
Yeah, but nobody else knew
about it. Except my doctor and Joe...
Hey, wait a minute.
What's going on here?
Well you're the only other
person who knew about it.
Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
There was somebody else.
Who?
And now ladies and gentlemen,
the seconds are ticking away.
Still no sign of the
Great Whitehead.
Will he be able to survive this
tremendous Death Challenge?
Keep in mind,
ladies and gentlemen,
that no human being has ever held
their breath for more than three minutes
and lived to tell about it.
Ten seconds to go.
Eight, seven, six, five,
four, three, two, one...
He's already passed
the maximum time limit.
Minus four, five, six...
Somebody get him
out of there, now!
Hurry it up! Hurry it up!
He's not there!
Was somebody looking for me?
The Great Whitehead,
unchallenged,
remains the only person in history
to perform this death-defying trick
and live to tell about it!
There you are, ladies and
gentlemen, the Great Whitehead!
- To the rest of our lives.
- No, darling, to this moment.
Quincy, how did you like it?
You were magnificent.
He was magnificent.
Wasn't he?
Did... Did you know that
my good friend, Houdini,
actually believed it was possible
to achieve dematerialization
to perform the perfect escape
by passing through matter?
You believe he was right?
Well, I believe in
what I see and touch.
Ah! But it's what you can't
touch and can't see that matters.
That is what composes illusion.
Yeah, so I've heard.
But I try not to deal in
illusions, Mr. Whitehead.
In facts, that's
what I deal with.
I hate to tell you this but I
have to read you your rights.
You have a right
to remain silent.
You have a right to have
an attorney present...
What? Is this
some kind of a joke?
It's not a joke, Harry.
We found out who killed Sultini.
You waive your rights?
Yeah, I waive them.
Say what you have to say.
Quincy.
You killed your protege, Sultini and
you almost killed his wife, Georgette.
You lied to me, Harry.
Sultini tried to cheat you
out of what was your due.
You taught him the act
and he reneged on what he
promised to pay you, a 70-30 split.
It was that simple.
All right. That's right.
He did cut me out.
But I did not kill him.
Oh, yes, you did.
You knew he was in lousy shape.
You switched the pills, you
saw that he got the upper.
It was perfect, wasn't it?
You figured when Sultini failed,
they'd have to come to you,
but Georgette stepped in before you
had your chance to make your move.
You knew about her allergy,
you put the penicillin on the strap,
you sharpened the
pin on the buckle
and if it worked
you were home free.
You made your comeback,
you quit that
cash-and-carry job you had,
you were a big man again.
That's a very
nice story, Quincy.
Of course, not one
word of it is true.
Suppose you tell them
that downtown, huh?
You're under arrest. Let's go.
No.
Quincy, you know
I'm the one that did it.
- Velma, for heaven's sake... What?
- Harry.
Oh, Harry, you were
magnificent tonight.
Better than Buckingham Palace.
I'd give all my life just to
see it this one last time.
Oh, you were
wonderful. Wonderful!
Keep quiet! Keep quiet!
Velma, what are you saying?
She's telling the truth, Harry.
That's why we had to
come down so hard on you.
She had to bring it out.
She's the only other
person who knew about this.
It's Georgette's
med-alert medallion.
She forgot she was wearing
it the night Sultini did his act.
She was wearing
gold and that's silver.
She gave it to
Velma to hold for her.
It says that Georgette
is allergic to penicillin.
Harry, I...
I didn't do it for the money.
I did it for the
applause, the adulation.
I just wanted to see it one
last time, darling, that's all.
I have just been
in to see Velma.
She's in good spirits, and
I'll stand by her, of course.
Till death do us part.
They really love
each other, don't they?
They sure do.
Isn't it ironic, Quincy?
She gave up her freedom to
give him his last hour of glory,
and boy, he'd give it up just in a
minute to give her back her freedom.
It's like the ending
of an O. Henry story.
- Ready?
- Ready for what?
Well, I bought this magic set
and I'm going to give you a show.
Hey, that's terrific.
What is this, the
milk an illusion?
her go down into the tank
until we can determine the cause
of her husband's death, are you?
I thought that had been
determined. Drowning.
She has less than three minutes to
escape from The Death Challenge.
She's not ready, Quincy.
She's just not ready.
Get her out! Get her out, quick!
You killed your protege, Sultini and
you almost killed his wife, Georgette.
Up is up, but this guy
must have been in orbit.
I don't know anybody who
would want to see him dead.
- I do.
- Who?
Whoever switched that
pill and murdered him.
Gentlemen, you
are about to enter
the most fascinating
sphere of police work,
the world of forensic medicine.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank
you, ladies and gentlemen.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Good evening,
ladies and gentlemen,
and what a special, rare
treat we have for you tonight.
A man who has
performed all over the world,
in front of kings and
queens and presidents,
the world's greatest magician and
his world famous Death Challenge,
the one and only
the Great Whitehead.
Oh! Harry Whitehead's
coming on next, Quincy.
Aren't you going to watch?
Well, if Harry was getting
into the tank himself,
like he did in the old
days, then I would watch.
Do you know Harry
Whitehead personally?
Yeah. He's sort of the
maitre d' at the Magic Castle.
Are you a magic buff?
Am I?
You know I'd rather
make two doves disappear
than have a date
with Robert Redford.
Yeah? I'll introduce
you to him some time.
- Really?
- Yeah, he's a nice guy.
Thank you.
Good evening,
ladies and gentlemen.
Tonight, for the first
time since my retirement
11 years ago, the
famous water escape,
an act created by the
great Houdini and myself,
will be attempted by my
protege, Mr. Mark Sultini.
Excuse me.
After my young
friend Sultini is...
Will you hold this for me,
Velma? I forgot to take it off.
- Oh, sure. Good luck, darling.
- Thank you.
He will be put in this rather
formidable trunk you see here,
with two clasps
locking it tightly shut.
Two of our city's finest have consented
to check all the locks and restraints
to make sure there is no
possible way of escape.
Finally the trunk will be
placed in a canvas cover,
inside the larger plastic box,
and submerged.
- Quincy?
- Yeah?
How long can somebody
hold their breath?
Well, it depends. I
think three minutes.
Plus there's some air in the
box before the water forces it out.
Really?
Listen, I was thinking...
I was thinking why don't we
have the brandy in the cockpit?
There's a full moon, you know.
Don't you.
Oh, wait a minute. Wait.
Quincy, how does he get out of
all those handcuffs and things?
Double jointed.
Oh, come on.
You've got to be more than double
jointed to get out of those padlocks.
Honey, will you relax? They
know what they're doing.
Besides, with the
size of that box,
he's got at least 30
extra seconds of air.
- Really?
- Yeah.
Very quickly water
invades the trunk.
The breath of life
is brief, all too brief.
Will Sultini survive,
as I did before him
and Houdini before me?
Or will death finally win
this terrifying challenge?
Please give your close
attention to the clock.
Quincy? He's not coming up!
Maggie, they have safeguards.
He's probably out now
putting things together.
Besides with that extra 30
seconds of air, he's got the edge.
Come on. Quincy,
he's not coming up!
Come on, come up, come up!
It's all right, folks.
Everything's all right.
Don't you see. It's an act.
He's not even in the box. He'll
probably come popping in from the side.
Ladies and gentlemen,
may I ask your cooperation.
Everything's going to
be fine. Please sit down.
Please, ladies and gentlemen.
Please. Please be patient.
It can't be!
He can't be dead!
That's it, Sam.
Here are the ventricular
chloride levels Quincy wanted.
There's better than a 35% difference
between the right and left ventricles.
That proves it then, water
was taken into his lungs.
Quincy will want to hear this.
He'll be interested in this, too.
- About finished?
- Yep.
What'd you find?
The level of chloride ions in the left
ventricle was significantly reduced.
So water was
taken into the lungs.
A plain, old-fashioned
case of drowning.
I'm not surprised. But look at
this tox analysis on the blood.
- Amphetamine?
- Otherwise known to
diet freaks as an upper.
.05 micrograms per ml!
Up is up, but this guy
must have been in orbit.
You sure you didn't
make a mistake?
Check it yourself.
But, Sam, why would he take something
that would speed up his respiratory system?
He knew he had a
limited amount of oxygen.
- Check it. Please.
- Sure you wouldn't mind?
The trunk was designed to
fill within the first 30 seconds.
Which meant a rapidly
decreasing supply of oxygen
from the instant
it hit the water.
Right. So why would
he take an upper?
Chloroform separation?
That's right.
Okay, one for you. Big deal.
I knew you were right all along.
Wow.
With this kind of upper in him,
Sultini must have been
hyper-ventilating like crazy.
And gobbling up his
precious supply of oxygen.
Thank you. Thank you very much.
You have me feeling like Little
Eva about to cross the ice out there.
- What's taking so long?
- I didn't know
you were in a hurry.
I'm not in a hurry,
the world is in a hurry.
You think somebody dies
on national TV every day?
I don't know what
they'll do to me
if you don't give me some
information, and soon.
What do you need to know?
What I always need to
know, the cause of death.
Drowning.
Drowning. That's good. That's clean.
That's simple. Accidental, of course.
No, no, no, no.
I didn't say that.
- What did I think
I heard you say?
- I said drowning.
Simple drowning. The water gets into
your lungs, you can't breathe, drowning.
But that's like
saying accidental.
Nobody deliberately puts their
head under a faucet and drowns.
Look, let me lay it out for you.
It will save us all a lot of time.
We found amphetamine
in his blood.
Which, as you know, is the last
thing in the world you'd want to take
when your life depends on conserving
your limited supply of oxygen.
When you say "drowning," it's
very hard for me to say "accidental."
What Quincy is
trying to say is...
Be quiet, Sam, I know
what Quincy is trying to say,
but until he
says it for certain,
what do I say to those reporters
who are waiting outside that door?
Why don't you try the truth?
Tell them we don't know yet.
Oh, brilliant! Brilliant!
What can they do to
you? Break your limbs?
- Where are you escaping to?
- I'm going to take
a crash course in magic.
I wonder if it would work.
Gentlemen, I don't
know. Oh, that's terrific.
- Quincy.
- Hello, Velma. How are you?
As well as can be expected.
Oh! Maggie, I'd like you
to meet Velma Whitehead.
- Hello,
I'm so glad to meet you.
- Hello, Maggie.
Welcome to the Magic Castle.
Thank you.
Terrible thing that
happened last night.
Quincy, Mark was
such a fine young man,
and he was working so hard
learning the act with Harry.
I just can't understand
what happened.
- Look at you.
- What's the matter?
You forgot your tie
again. You know the rules.
Aw, please. Gimme a break,
will ya? Just this one time.
- I just want to talk to Harry.
- Sorry. I only work here.
- All right, all right.
- No, no, not red.
What's the matter with that?
It has to match? Here, perfect.
- All right. All right.
- Now wait a minute. Let me help you.
Rufus still stalking around
like he owns the joint?
Yes. I don't mind for myself.
I just wish he would show a
little more respect for Harry.
But it's a living
for both of us.
I'm going to find Harry.
I'll talk to you later, okay?
- Okay.
- Bye.
- Let's go look for him.
- Where?
- In the other room.
- How?
You don't have
any faith, do you?
Didn't you ever read Ali
Baba and the Forty Thieves?
- I used to date him.
- Very funny.
Remember how he used to get in the
cage? He used to say "open sesame."
It's true.
- May I help you, Dr. Quincy?
- Yes, as a matter of fact.
I'm looking for Harry Whitehead.
We have an appointment.
He's seating another
party at the moment.
- Perhaps you'd like
a drink at the bar.
- No, Rufus. I better find him.
- Quincy!
- Oh, Harry.
- Hello, my friend.
- Harry, how are you?
Maggie, I want you to meet
the famous Harry Whitehead.
Oh I'm so thrilled to
meet you, Mr. Whitehead.
I saw you once when
I was a young girl.
Oh, you still are, my dear.
Oh, my goodness.
- Are you staying for dinner?
- Not tonight.
Listen, I have to talk to
you, it's very important.
What about Irma's Room?
I'm sure she wouldn't mind.
Okay.
Who's Irma?
A long-time resident.
Oh, what a beautiful room.
Listen, I really
do have to know...
No, no, no, no.
First things first.
Irma, I would like
you to meet Maggie.
Maggie, this is Irma.
Where?
Oh, Quincy!
That is rude of me. I am sorry.
Irma's drink, please.
Please. Thank you.
Tell me I'm not seeing
what I'm really seeing.
What's your favorite tune?
If we're lucky, we could
get Irma to play it for you.
Oh, come on.
- Really? Okay.
- Yeah.
Okay. I've got one
she won't know.
I'm a Gitchy-goo, and
You're My Widdy-woo.
Oh, my gosh! Quincy, that's it!
I haven't heard that
since I was a Girl Scout.
Would you excuse me
for a minute, please?
- Sure.
- Harry, please. I've got to talk to you.
- I know, I know, I know. About Mark.
- Yeah.
It never... It never
should have happened.
I performed that identical trick for
over 30 years without one single mishap.
- What happened that night?
- I don't know.
I worked with that boy for almost
two years, getting him ready.
I thought he was.
Obviously I was wrong.
I performed an
autopsy on him today.
- I found a very
powerful upper in his body.
- It's impossible!
- It's true, Harry.
- No, you don't understand.
Yes, he did take a pill, but it was
to slow down his respiratory system.
In spite of his youth,
he was never really able to
fine tune his body the way I did
when I performed the escape.
So he relied on drugs.
Are you saying that he usually took a
downer before he went into the tank?
Oh, absolutely. In fact, I myself
saw him take one last night.
His wife Georgette
gave it to him.
Do you know if she had
any reason to want him dead?
I don't know anybody who
would want to see him dead.
- I do.
- Who?
Whoever switched that
pill and murdered him.
That's right, Monahan. Murder.
You gotta be kidding, Quincy. I saw
the whole thing myself on TV last night.
It's what you don't see in
magic that makes the difference.
- Well, any leads?
- Why don't you start
with his wife, Georgette?
Get some background
on their marriage.
- I'm on my way to see her now.
- Okay. Yeah?
Dr. Quincy. Coroner's office.
You're too late, pal.
Or don't you watch TV?
I'd like to see Mrs. Sultini.
Look, she's real busy right now.
Why don't you come
back in a little while, okay?
It's very important.
Look, she's right in the
middle of signing some papers.
- Papers?
- Yeah. To do the act on TV.
- You don't mean
the water escape?
- Yeah, that's right.
Excuse me.
- Mrs. Sultini,
I have to talk to you.
- What's the matter, Joe?
- He says he's the Coroner.
- I'm Dr. Quincy.
I performed the autopsy
on your husband.
This is Ed Shannon.
- How do you do.
- I'm sorry to interrupt.
But he just told me that you're planning
to do the act that killed your husband.
Yup. Saturday night.
Isn't that a little macabre?
Or am I just old-fashioned?
I... I agree with you, Doctor.
As a matter of fact, I was here
expressing my condolences to Georgette.
Mrs. Sultini.
All of a sudden the
subject just came up.
Really? How convenient you
brought the proper contracts along.
If you'll excuse me now,
Dr. Quincy. I'm finished here.
Wait a minute!
You're not going to let
her go down into the tank
until we can determine the cause
of her husband's death, are you?
I thought that had been
determined. Drowning.
- There may be
mitigating factors.
- Oh, yeah, like what?
I don't know yet. I haven't
finished my investigation.
Nice meeting you,
Dr. Quincy. I'm running late.
Oh, if there's anything
you'd care to talk to me about,
call my attorney.
What mitigating factors?
I understand your husband always
took a downer before he went into the tank
to keep his pulse down
and his respiratory system.
Yeah, he did.
- And you gave him
the pill yourself.
- Uh-huh.
I found the residue of a powerful
upper in his bloodstream instead.
- An upper!
- Yeah.
He would have been crazy
to have taken it willingly,
unless he wanted
to commit suicide.
Are you saying that
she switched the pills?
Did you?
No, I did not.
But if I'd really thought
about it a whole lot,
I could have done it.
May I see the pill bottle?
Be my guest.
Joe, would you get it
out of the satchel, please?
He was no bargain, you know.
You know what he thought
of me? About that much.
The act, that's all he
thought about, that act.
Well, I've got a chance to take
that act and make it work for me,
and I'm going to take it and
I'm going to make a bundle
and I'm going to get a little
bit of attention for a change.
I'm not some dumb broad
that just stands in the wings
for the rest of
her life, you know.
It's empty.
There were 12 pills in here.
You mind if I take it with me?
I didn't kill that jerk!
And I'm going ahead
with the act, okay?
Thank you.
Oh, as I've heard Lieutenant
Monahan say hundreds of times,
don't leave town.
Are you sure the bottle
contained meprobamate?
No. No, I didn't say
you did anything wrong.
But...
Thank you very much.
Hell hath no fury
like a pharmacist who
thinks you're accusing him
of filling the
wrong prescription.
How's the test coming
on the pill bottle?
I found enough residue in the bottom
to confirm what the man just said.
Meprobamate. A downer.
I can't believe it,
Sam. I'm sure...
Now wait a minute.
You didn't hear it all.
There's also a very slight
trace of dextro-amphetamine.
See. Somebody did pull a switch
on Sultini, give him an upper.
They're both white, they're
almost the same size.
What with the excitement of going
on and everything, he didn't notice.
What happened
to the rest of them?
Georgette told me there were at
least 12 more tablets in the bottle
when she gave
that one to Sultini.
At least that was her story.
- Quincy. Sam.
- Quince.
- What'd you find out?
- Well,
I checked this Georgette.
It seems that Sultini
didn't treat her too well.
He used to slap her
around quite a bit.
He was up on a battery
charge couple months ago.
So she turned to this stage
manager, Joe Kirby, for consolation.
Yeah, he's a former Strongman.
Then either Kirby or she
could have pulled the switch.
- Or they were in it together.
- Anybody else?
Nobody crazy enough to kill.
No jealous husbands,
ex-wives, anything like that?
Nope. Of course, there's
always Harry Whitehead.
He could screw up the trick
better than anyone. He invented it.
Why would Harry
Whitehead want to kill Sultini?
- I don't know.
- Maybe professional jealousy.
Oh, forget it, will ya.
I've known him for 20
years. He wouldn't hurt a fly.
Hello, give me Jim Barnes of
the District Attorney's office please.
Dr. Quincy from the
Medical Examiner's office.
What're you doing?
I'm going to try to get an
injunction to stop Georgette
from going into the
tank Saturday night.
- You're kidding!
- Like heck I am.
Sam and I both agree
that Sultini was murdered.
Now, if Georgette didn't do it,
who's to say she wouldn't be next...
Hello Jim? Dr. Quincy.
I want to set up a
meeting right away.
I'm sorry, Quincy. But the
evidence is just too circumstantial.
What evidence? I don't
want to convict anybody!
All I want is the act postponed
until we can make a more
thorough investigation!
Postponed? That's impossible.
- The network is
already running promos!
- Well, let them un-run them!
I already told
you. I'm not afraid!
Look, she's right.
Who'd want to kill her?
I don't know. Maybe you!
Calm down, everybody.
Now look, Quincy,
at this point I'd have a hard time
getting the judge to issue an injunction.
Absolutely! You're messing
around with the First Amendment.
Hey, Shannon, you know,
I've got a great show for you.
Why don't you round up some Christians
and you'll throw them to the lions?
Look what that will
do for your ratings.
That's a cheap shot,
Quincy, and you know it.
Now it's no secret my ratings
have been slipping lately.
As a matter of fact, they're talking
of maybe cancelling my show.
But Saturday night
could put me on top again.
But believe me, Quincy,
if there was the slightest
possibility of anybody being hurt,
I'd back off totally.
But the lady who's
going to do the stunt
assures me that it's
nothing but a piece of cake.
That's right.
Quincy.
If you ruin this chance
for me, I'll sue you.
I swear to God I will.
I don't believe any of you.
Okay. You win. If...
- If what?
- If I can conduct some tests.
With the equipment.
Check it out for myself.
That's okay by me. Georgette?
You can't take that trunk
apart or anything, you know.
I don't care how
the escape is done.
The tests will be
purely scientific.
Okay. I guess so.
But the property belongs to
Harry Whitehead, you know.
So you're going to have
to get his permission, too.
He'll give it to me.
Quincy, you know
how my business works.
You have to strike
while the iron is hot.
Thank you for
being so reasonable.
If anything happens to
that girl Saturday night,
you'll find out I can
be very unreasonable.
Be out in a couple seconds.
Give me a hand, will ya, Tarzan.
There you go.
You okay, buddy?
Yeah.
- No.
- What? What?
Quince, I've done some crazy
things for you. But this is the worst!
Aw, you were terrific. You stayed
under for two minutes and 40 seconds.
- Swell.
- Well, it's all in
the interest of science.
- Whoopie!
- Say, you all done
with this, Quincy?
You're all heart, you
know that. Thank you.
So what did we prove?
Except that I can hold my breath
for two minutes and 40 seconds
and almost drowned?
We also proved that's the maximum
that Georgette can stay under, too.
I examined her, remember?
You have roughly the same body mass
and similar pulse and respiratory rates.
Look, now that we know the
exact inner dimensions of the trunk,
the diameter of
the holes in the top,
we can calculate
the cubic feet of air
and the rate it's displaced
by the water, and the water...
Quincy, we already
figured that part out before.
But what good is it
going to do us now?
The show is tomorrow night.
Trust me, will you, Sam?
The more I know about Georgette,
the more I'll be able to help
her if something goes wrong.
It still may not be enough,
Quince. You know what I mean?
Yeah.
I know what you mean.
Tonight, ladies and gentlemen,
live from this very stage,
Georgette will
courageously attempt
the escape her husband
failed to complete last week
the famous Death Challenge.
Harry didn't want to go
through with this tonight.
But I told him I thought he should be
here in case something went wrong.
I have a terrible
premonition about this.
She's not ready, Quincy.
She's just not ready.
I'll check.
And now, ladies and gentlemen,
we begin the deadly countdown.
She has less than three
minutes to escape from
The Death Challenge.
Please give your close
attention to the clock.
Get her out! Get her out, quick!
What are you doing?
She's in trouble I
tell you, get her out!
As fast as you can, get her out!
Get out of my way.
You did a great job, Quince.
She's gonna pull through.
- Thank heavens.
- Oh! Yeah.
She was still pretty cyanotic
when she arrived, you know.
- So I gave her
some epinephrine.
- The adrenalin worked then?
- Yeah.
- Good.
Can I talk to her for
a couple of minutes?
Sure. She's in 401.
- Thanks for everything.
- You're welcome.
Well, you heard what the
doctor said she's going to be fine.
Why don't you go
home and get some rest?
Quincy, couldn't we please
just see her for a few minutes?
- Tomorrow.
- Quincy's right.
Bye-bye.
Hi.
Feeling okay?
Yeah.
Thanks to you, so they tell me.
How'd you know I was in trouble?
When I saw those bubbles
coming up and you weren't out yet.
What happened?
- I guess I panicked.
- I guess you did.
You were still wearing those
cuffs when you came up.
I usually keep on the
straps but when I went...
Show me how you do it.
I used my teeth on
the straps, like this.
But when I went
for the lock pick,
I couldn't... I
couldn't... I felt weird.
Lock pick?
Yeah, it's a little piece
of steel I stick in my hair.
I pick the lock with it.
I thought it was
done with mirrors.
What happened, when
you had the weird feeling?
I don't know.
I have gotten out of those cuffs
a hundred times in rehearsal.
But tonight, they
were just too tight.
And when I went for the
pick, I couldn't reach them.
And I was feeling really sick.
Did you take anything
before you went on?
- You mean like drugs?
- Yeah. I took my tranquilizer.
Oh, we're back to that
again. Now where is it?
It's in my purse.
And it really is a tranquilizer.
I remembered what you said about
Mark, and I got a new prescription.
And I have not let
it out of my sight.
You mind if I take this with me?
Be my guest. I'm not
climbing into any more trunks.
In my line of work I don't
usually have to ask this,
but may I look at your ankles?
Why, Dr. Quincy...
Uh-huh.
That's all you've got to say?
Oh, very nice.
Hey, baby, you okay, huh?
You louse! Where have
you been? I coulda died!
Hey, I've been with
the police. Easy, huh?
They asked me a
million questions.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Listen, I hate to break up
the romance of the century.
Listen, I've got
something to say.
Now you better go over again who
tried to kill you and your husband.
You were lucky tonight.
Next time the odds are
going to be against you.
Take it easy.
I'll be right back.
Dr. Quincy.
Look, I don't know whether you're still
trying to pin this thing on me or not.
But I'm afraid for Georgette.
If anybody had a good
reason to kill Sultini,
it was that old goat,
Harry Whitehead.
- Whitehead?
- Yeah.
He and Sultini had a falling out
a couple of days before the show.
What kind of a falling out?
Well, Whitehead
threatened to kill Sultini.
Frankly, I don't
blame him if he did.
- You didn't know Sultini,
did you?
- No.
Well, he was evil.
But I really mean evil.
He didn't have a kind
thing to say to anybody.
He put Georgette in the
hospital for two days, the creep.
This all happened
before I came around.
What about Whitehead?
Whitehead and
Sultini had a deal.
70-30 split.
Evidently the old man
didn't have anything on paper.
Sultini got greedy,
shafted the old man.
Do you believe me?
Maybe.
Well, that's it. A downer,
meprobamate. We're back to square one.
Sam, I'm positive I saw signs of
some kind of angioneurotic edema.
Her wrists and ankles were
swollen, her eyes were puffy
like she had taken something
she was strongly allergic to,
like an antibiotic.
Well, it could've been just a
natural reaction to her cyanotic state.
The swelling wouldn't
have lasted that long.
Emergency.
Dr. Covington, please.
Oh, Roy, it's you.
Dr. Quincy. You got a minute?
Sure, Quince. I'm
between freeway accidents.
That lady last night,
Georgette Sultini.
Did you give her anything
else besides adrenalin?
Like what?
Like... Well, I know this
is going to sound crazy.
Like something she might
be allergic to, like an antibiotic?
- Nope. Just epinephrine.
- Switch me to
her room, will ya?
I can. But she's not there. I let
her check out a few minutes ago.
- You know I'm
betting zero with you.
- Oh, don't give up.
Could be, I got
something you could use.
Her family physician was here.
He asked me the
same question you did,
but specifically
about penicillin.
Seems the lady is
extremely allergic to it.
Roy, you're back on the
team. Thank you. Bye-bye.
Just as I thought, Sam.
She's allergic to penicillin.
That's why she puffed up
and couldn't get out of the cuffs.
But she wouldn't willingly
take it, knowing it would kill her.
That's right, isn't it, Sam?
- Quince, where are you going?
- Georgette
probably isn't home yet.
You keep trying to reach her. Find
out who else knew about her allergy.
- Okay. Where will you be?
- I'm going to take
another look at that trunk.
Like you said, Sam, she
wouldn't take it willingly.
So I want to find out how that
penicillin got into her system.
What's the real reason you
decided to come out of retirement
after all these years, Mr. Whitehead,
and do The Death Challenge?
The money?
I created this escape
over 40 years ago.
Recently, one person was
killed, another barely survived.
I want to dispel any rumors that
it's too dangerous to be performed.
Mr. Whitehead, about Sultini,
didn't he have any safety devices?
A back-up air supply,
something like that?
The escape is a death challenge.
Velma, has he gone bananas?
I tried to talk him out of it.
Harry's always been
his own man, Quincy.
That will be enough for
now, ladies and gentlemen.
If you'll excuse him,
Mr. Whitehead has a great deal to do
to prepare for
Saturday night's show.
So that'll be the end of
today's press conference, huh?
If, however, you would like to
adjourn into the bar, I'm buying.
Can I talk to you for a minute?
Quincy, Quincy, it is no use.
You can't talk me
out of doing this show.
But it's too dangerous!
What happened to Mark and
Georgette, they weren't accidents.
- I don't believe that.
- Okay, Harry, let's level.
You're not a kid anymore.
It's been a long time
since you've done this trick.
Look, I am in perfect shape.
Please, let's drop the whole subject.
Okay. Can I at least
examine the trunk again?
If it'll make you feel any
better, I have no objections.
- Yes, it would. Where is it?
- In my apartment.
We can run over
there now if you like.
- Let's go.
- Okay.
Dr. Quincy,
telephone call for you.
- Hello?
- It's me, Quince.
I haven't had any luck
reaching Georgette.
Her answering service says she's
gone out of town to recuperate.
They haven't any idea where.
Recuperate, my foot!
She finally realized somebody
wants to kill her. She's hiding out!
Well, I left an urgent
message, asking her to call.
That's not gonna do. Get
Monahan to put an APB out on her.
She's the only one who can tell us
who knew she was allergic to penicillin.
And we gotta find her
before Saturday night.
Right.
Let's go.
Rufus, I'm taking the
rest of the week off.
Of course, Mr. Whitehead,
whatever you say.
Be a pal, will ya,
Harry? Will you tell me?
I went over every
inch of that box.
There's no hidden compartments.
No trap doors. How do you do it?
I'm sworn to secrecy.
By the Magician's Union.
Just a plain wooden box,
a pair of real handcuffs.
Oh, sure.
Harry,
there is one question
you're gonna have to answer.
I'd rather you tell me.
Why did you and Sultini
have a row just before he died?
- Who told you that?
- Joe Kirby.
He told me you even
threatened to kill him.
Did I ever show you this
milk can Houdini gave me?
This was his greatest escape
of all. From his London tour.
I was just a young
magician, on the circuit.
And he took me under his wing.
He taught me everything he knew.
I really stood in awe
of that man, Quincy.
The thought of betrayal
never entered my mind. Never.
You still haven't
answered my question.
Mark was young, eager.
I decided it was better for someone
to carry on the things I knew.
So I taught him.
Then his agent made the
deal for the Ed Shannon show.
It was his big break.
But they forgot one small thing.
To include me in
the arrangements.
And I got angry.
I said a lot of things
I never should have said.
Later, he rectified the mistake
and gave me a spot on
the show introducing the act.
Fortunately, we made up.
We were friends again
before he died.
And that's all there is to it?
Yes.
Excuse me.
Find anything interesting?
Oh, I just cut my lip, see.
- Who was on the phone?
- A reporter.
He wanted to know if
anything happens to me
would Velma try the
escape next week.
Thanks for the tour, Harry.
Well, how do I look?
Just like I remember
you from the old days.
I can't forget it.
You won't forget tonight either,
Quincy. How do you like Velma's dress?
- Oh sensational.
- Thank you, Quincy.
I've saved it all these years. I
wore it at Buckingham Palace.
- And put the Queen to shame.
- Oh, you darling flatterer.
Don't you believe a
word he says, Quincy.
I'd like to check the
equipment, Harry.
I've already done that.
Let him check it, Velma. We
have no secrets from Quincy.
Most of the big pieces are on
stage but the rest of it is here.
Thank you.
This isn't the same muff you
showed me last week, is it?
No, no. I changed all
the props except the trunk.
I didn't want bad vibes.
Call it superstition.
Only a few minutes and
you're on. Ready, Harry?
I'm ready.
Well, well, well.
Hello, Doctor.
Not too late to call
this off, Shannon.
Are you kidding?
We expect a 60 share tonight.
Excuse me.
Two minutes. Let's go, Harry.
Quincy, we've left Georgette
and Kirby down in the lobby.
I'm going to check the stage.
- Give 'em hell.
- Always did.
Harry.
I love you, sweetheart.
They're causing an
awful lot of trouble.
You better have a pretty
good explanation for this.
Will you calm down? I'll explain
everything. I need your help.
I have positive proof now that
somebody tried to murder you last week.
The same person who
killed your husband.
If somebody tried
to murder somebody,
then why don't the police make
an arrest and stop harassing us?
They will, as soon as we can
put a couple of things together.
You're allergic to
penicillin, aren't you?
- Yeah, I am.
- Now who else knew
about that allergy?
- Why?
- The night you
went into the tank.
You went after the strap
on the cuff with your teeth.
- Now you cut your
mouth on the buckle.
- How'd you know that?
Let's just say I surmised it.
Yeah, it was... It was
the buckle on the strap.
I've still got the
cut right here.
That strap was
loaded with penicillin.
Because of the cut, it went
directly into the bloodstream
and caused an
immediate allergic reaction.
Your wrists and
your ankles blew up.
That's why you couldn't
get out of the restraints.
Who'd want to do a
horrible thing like that to me?
Somebody with a strong
reason to want you dead.
Somebody who knew
about your allergy.
Yeah, but nobody else knew
about it. Except my doctor and Joe...
Hey, wait a minute.
What's going on here?
Well you're the only other
person who knew about it.
Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
There was somebody else.
Who?
And now ladies and gentlemen,
the seconds are ticking away.
Still no sign of the
Great Whitehead.
Will he be able to survive this
tremendous Death Challenge?
Keep in mind,
ladies and gentlemen,
that no human being has ever held
their breath for more than three minutes
and lived to tell about it.
Ten seconds to go.
Eight, seven, six, five,
four, three, two, one...
He's already passed
the maximum time limit.
Minus four, five, six...
Somebody get him
out of there, now!
Hurry it up! Hurry it up!
He's not there!
Was somebody looking for me?
The Great Whitehead,
unchallenged,
remains the only person in history
to perform this death-defying trick
and live to tell about it!
There you are, ladies and
gentlemen, the Great Whitehead!
- To the rest of our lives.
- No, darling, to this moment.
Quincy, how did you like it?
You were magnificent.
He was magnificent.
Wasn't he?
Did... Did you know that
my good friend, Houdini,
actually believed it was possible
to achieve dematerialization
to perform the perfect escape
by passing through matter?
You believe he was right?
Well, I believe in
what I see and touch.
Ah! But it's what you can't
touch and can't see that matters.
That is what composes illusion.
Yeah, so I've heard.
But I try not to deal in
illusions, Mr. Whitehead.
In facts, that's
what I deal with.
I hate to tell you this but I
have to read you your rights.
You have a right
to remain silent.
You have a right to have
an attorney present...
What? Is this
some kind of a joke?
It's not a joke, Harry.
We found out who killed Sultini.
You waive your rights?
Yeah, I waive them.
Say what you have to say.
Quincy.
You killed your protege, Sultini and
you almost killed his wife, Georgette.
You lied to me, Harry.
Sultini tried to cheat you
out of what was your due.
You taught him the act
and he reneged on what he
promised to pay you, a 70-30 split.
It was that simple.
All right. That's right.
He did cut me out.
But I did not kill him.
Oh, yes, you did.
You knew he was in lousy shape.
You switched the pills, you
saw that he got the upper.
It was perfect, wasn't it?
You figured when Sultini failed,
they'd have to come to you,
but Georgette stepped in before you
had your chance to make your move.
You knew about her allergy,
you put the penicillin on the strap,
you sharpened the
pin on the buckle
and if it worked
you were home free.
You made your comeback,
you quit that
cash-and-carry job you had,
you were a big man again.
That's a very
nice story, Quincy.
Of course, not one
word of it is true.
Suppose you tell them
that downtown, huh?
You're under arrest. Let's go.
No.
Quincy, you know
I'm the one that did it.
- Velma, for heaven's sake... What?
- Harry.
Oh, Harry, you were
magnificent tonight.
Better than Buckingham Palace.
I'd give all my life just to
see it this one last time.
Oh, you were
wonderful. Wonderful!
Keep quiet! Keep quiet!
Velma, what are you saying?
She's telling the truth, Harry.
That's why we had to
come down so hard on you.
She had to bring it out.
She's the only other
person who knew about this.
It's Georgette's
med-alert medallion.
She forgot she was wearing
it the night Sultini did his act.
She was wearing
gold and that's silver.
She gave it to
Velma to hold for her.
It says that Georgette
is allergic to penicillin.
Harry, I...
I didn't do it for the money.
I did it for the
applause, the adulation.
I just wanted to see it one
last time, darling, that's all.
I have just been
in to see Velma.
She's in good spirits, and
I'll stand by her, of course.
Till death do us part.
They really love
each other, don't they?
They sure do.
Isn't it ironic, Quincy?
She gave up her freedom to
give him his last hour of glory,
and boy, he'd give it up just in a
minute to give her back her freedom.
It's like the ending
of an O. Henry story.
- Ready?
- Ready for what?
Well, I bought this magic set
and I'm going to give you a show.
Hey, that's terrific.
What is this, the
milk an illusion?