Rex: A Cop's Best Friend (1994–2008): Season 5, Episode 8 - Giftgas - full transcript

INSPECTOR REX

POISON GAS

It must be in one of these cars.

I spoke to the guy in Moscow.
He put it on the train himself.

If anything goes wrong,
half of Vienna will be poisoned.

Relax. The Russians know
how to handle gas bottles.

It'll all be over
the day after tomorrow.

- Couldn't we do it differently?
- How?

We thought it through.
This is the best way.

Nothing can go wrong.

Let's go along here.



Nothing in there.

Only furniture.

Hey, look!
This is a Russian car.

Maybe there's some vodka
in here.

Or the like.

Well?

- Find anything?
- Some wire and a few bikes.

Nothing for us.
Wait, there's a box back here.

There could be something
in there.

Find anything?

I've got a bottle.
But it's a gas bottle.

Edi?
What's the matter?

I don't feel too good.

Edi!



Edi?

Edi!

Let's try putting these on again.

I'm going to my room.
It's late.

I said we'll trial it again.

My breakfast.
You've had yours.

But if you get the mail,
you can have my ham roll.

How about it?

Hey! I said the mail,
not the ham roll.

That's not fair, Rex.

I can't get angry
when you look at me like that.

Brandtner.
Hi, Christian. What's up?

The marshalling yard near
the cemetery? I'm on my way.

Rex!
Come on, we have to go.

Well... okay.

All is forgiven.
Let's go.

- Good morning.
- Good morning. Hi, Rex.

- That railway official found him.
- What happened?

To tell you the truth,
I'm a bit perplexed.

There are signs of suffocation

but there are no bruises
or strangle marks on the neck.

The grass is all flat here.

Some is pulled out.

Maybe he writhed in pain

which would indicate cramps
or maybe poisoning.

I won't know till the autopsy.

We found his ID on him.
Eduard Salzer, no fixed address.

It looks like
this was his last address.

I'll be in touch
when I know more.

That can take time.

Clinical tests
are done outside. Bye.

He irritates me.

It's the first time
I've seen Dr Graf perplexed.

It wasn't theft. His money
and watch were still on him.

Let's talk to some other
homeless souls.

They won't talk.

- Who says?
- Me. We're their enemy.

- How come?
- We've had years of experience.

Have your little fights, but
do you have anything for me?

- A round of beer for everyone.
- Thanks.

How generous.

I want to know what happened
back there.

Right.

You want information.

You're only giving us beer?

- Right. A round of schnapps.
- Got it.

The expensive one.

So, what happened?

Get lost. We don't give
information to cops.

How do you know
I'm a police officer?

I can smell it.

No cause of death, no address,
no associates...

Maybe the deceased
had relatives.

Salzer is a common name.
I'm working on it.

- The hobos won't talk. I tried.
- I told you.

I spent 379 schillings
on beer and schnapps.

- Can I get reimbursed?
- Got a receipt?

It was hard... but I got one.

That's a receipt?

It's all there,
including name and GST.

Incredible.

Yes. Eduard Salzer,
born 22 April 1958.

No Eduard in your family...
Thanks all the same.

Here are our
anabolic steroids.

- Where is everyone?
- No idea, somewhere around.

- No one knows Mr Salzer.
- That's normal for a hobo.

No social security,
tax file number, address...

- So what now?
- A different approach.

Posh.

- Where did you get that?
- I borrowed it from the depot.

I recognise that jacket.

It could belong to
this guy I arrested for burglary.

I hope he doesn't get out now
and want his things.

I'm leaving my gun and mobile.
They don't fit the image.

- How can we get in touch?
- You can't. I'll contact you.

How about some chow, Rex?

All you'll get there
is cheap red wine.

He bit into my jacket!
What about our ham rolls?

I can explain that.

I told him to misbehave
to become an undercover agent.

Good morning. We're to collect
a crate for DCS Import-Export.

- Are you the owner?
- No.

But the firm has given me
an authorisation to pick it up.

One crate of tools.

You'll find it on platform 4.

What do you want here?

A shelter for me and my dog.

The cops got nasty
and chased us out of the park.

Get lost.

We've got enough problems.

Why? What's up?

None of your business.
There's no room here for you.

Are you the boss
or something?

- Looks like it.
- Oh well...

We'd better get going, then.

Wait a minute.

Where did you get
that expensive wine?

It was on special
at the supermarket.

You just have to run fast once
you've grabbed it off the shelf.

What about the dog?

He's my friend.

He's with me
in these lonely hours of life.

He also helps me.

There...

Watch. I'll show you.

- Good dog.
- Sure is.

What's the matter?

I don't know.
I've got this bad headache.

Me too.
And I feel sick in the stomach.

Maybe because
I haven't eaten anything.

Thanks.

Maybe it's the weather.

- Everything go okay?
- Yes.

It's pretty heavy.
Why didn't you get it yourself?

The boss took the truck.
Put it down here.

- What do I owe you?
- 800.

Without the tip.

- 900. Okay?
- Thanks.

- Funny weather today.
- Why?

We both have headaches.
It must be the weather.

Yes. It can sometimes
have that effect.

If you need a taxi truck again,
give us a call.

Sure.

Bye.

- What's up?
- The drivers have headaches.

- Could the bottles be faulty?
- No.

Nothing of the sort.
They'd be dead otherwise.

I'm not touching that crate.

Put on these gloves
and help me lift the crate.

I had a small business.

It went bust.

After that
it was the same old story.

I couldn't get a job.

Then my dear wife
filed for divorce.

She threw me out of our home.

Then, when I'd used up
the hospitality

of my friends
and acquaintances,

I landed on the street.

That's how fast it can go.

And you?

My husband drank all his money.

Mine too.

Then he ran up debts.

I had to pay them back.

Men are shit.

That's for sure.

Sorry.

Yes, well...
And what was with...

Edi Salzer?

Edi...

We moved around together.

Edi was my friend.

And suddenly he was
dead on the ground.

Couldn't any of you help him?

I was beside him,
but I couldn't do anything.

What was the matter?

He was writhing about.

Then suddenly
he couldn't breathe.

I tried shaking him, but...

Maybe he just drank too much.

Edi?

He could handle more
than you and me together.

- Why do you want to know?
- I'm just curious.

What about you and me
getting some shut-eye too?

Come on.

I've known more comfortable
places than this.

I know.

We have to stay
and find out what happened.

Cheers.

Go ahead.
Just leave some for me.

All the valves are tight.
Nothing could have leaked out.

The Russians must have been
careless filling the bottles.

Some must have spilled out.

Otherwise those drivers
wouldn't have had headaches.

We'd better wash the bottles
in the bath.

- What about the residue?
- We'll use your bathroom.

- This gas gives me the creeps.
- Cool it!

Good morning, Doctor.
The Salzer results are here.

- They're on your table.
- Thanks.

That's impossible!

Böck here.
Hello, Doctor.

Any news?

Why "unfortunately"?

What?

What is phosphoric acid
ester poisoning?

Phosphoric acid esters
are highly poisonous compounds

that are used in insecticides
like E605, for example,

and also in
chemical warfare agents.

Our hobo died from
cholinesterase blockage.

Death occurred
through respiratory paralysis.

Could you explain that
in lay terms?

We're talking about
poison gas!

Yes, unfortunately.
The stuff is called sarin.

Not too much of it
could have escaped

or we'd have hundreds of corpses
in the marshalling yard.

Isn't Brandtner there?

Then please inform him.
Immediately!

Got any fags?

A pretty meagre breakfast.

Can we find anything
around here?

You can sometimes find grog
in those carriages.

Well...

I'll go and have a look.
Coming?

- The last time I did, Edi died.
- How?

- Why do you want to know?
- I don't want to cark it too.

He went into a Russian carriage
looking for schnapps.

He didn't find any
and then...

He said something about
gas bottles.

Where was that carriage?

On that track up there.

Where is it now?

Gone.
They never stay here long.

What do they want?

Hey, you with the dog.
Come here.

Here, Rex.

May I ask
what you want with me?

You're suspected
of having stolen that jacket.

I'd like you
to come with us.

So long.

Take care of yourself.

You too.

- What's up?
- I spoke with Dr Graf.

Salzer died from a poison gas
called sarin.

A chemical warfare agent.
That explains the symptoms.

Salzer broke into a freight car.
We must find it.

Railway Control should be able
to help us.

- You can call me on my mobile.
- They found traces of sarin.

- Any other freight?
- None.

We must find where it went.
Anyone touching it is in danger.

- Excuse me.
- Yes?

We need data on the freight
from that carriage.

- Forgetting something?
- What?

Oh... Yes, I heard.
What's it all about?

An accident.
We're in a hurry.

There were bikes
for a wholesaler,

copper wire
for an engineering firm

and a crate of tools
for DCS Import-Export.

- All collected.
- By whom?

The bikes and wire
were collected by the firms.

We always ask for identification.

The crate with the tools
was collected by a taxi truck.

That's it.

Precious stones and jewellery

There.

- Tomorrow as planned.
- How many people?

- About 50, including guards.
- That's a lot of corpses.

We'll have to risk that.
Most will only be dazed.

We'll be in and out quickly.

- Why not do it at night?
- Too many alarms.

There are fewer by day.
300 million is at stake here.

Not everyone will die.

The deceased's fingerprints
were found in the freight car.

Gas has to be transported
in pressurised containers.

The outside must have been
contaminated during filling.

Dr Graf said the gas could also
be absorbed through the skin.

Salzer probably
touched the bottles.

We checked out
the wire and bike deliveries.

- No trace of sarin.
- What about the third firm?

It doesn't exist.
Nor does the sender in Moscow.

Then we have to find the taxi
truck that took the crate.

You transported poison gas.
The contamination is only slight.

Tell us exactly what happened.

Someone rang us with an order
to collect a crate.

The form was faxed through.

Where was it delivered?
Who signed for it?

The face was much thinner.

He didn't have so much hair.

That was him.
Wasn't it?

That's what he looked like.

If you think of anything else,
contact us any time. Bye.

Goodbye. Thanks.

The crate was shipped
from Moscow.

There are several plants
around Moscow

that produce chemical and
bacteriological warfare agents.

Those factory workers
haven't been paid for months.

No wonder
they look for a side line.

Yes.

But that doesn't get us closer.
We must find this ldentikit guy.

The taxi truck was called
from a phone booth.

A slight lead at least.

- Not eating?
- No. I can't.

Tell me, do you really want this?
I mean...

You have nothing to do with it.

You'll wait outside in the car.

- You're paid well. Eat a bit.
- I can't!

- Can't you understand? I can't.
- Why get so upset?

Sure you won't have a bite?

Found anything?

Lots of fingerprints on the coins
but none that match our files.

You're getting on my nerves.
This isn't our first job together.

I've never killed anyone.
I won't be part of that.

You forget how you shot
that messenger.

He could have died.

- Using poison gas is different.
- Get a hold of yourself!

If you quit now,
I'll kill you.

One of the coins had
the fingerprints of a Kurt Weiss.

He's a known burglar.
Hasn't been in Vienna lately.

It fits.

It seems he's back.
The question is where.

What is this?

Hey! Let me go!
Are you crazy?

Let me go, you arsehole.
Cut it out.

- I'm looking for Kurt Weiss.
- He's a pro.

Operates in southern France.

- Is he in town?
- Apparently he's been seen.

- Where can I find him?
- He visits his ex-wife and child.

No!

- Let's go.
- You owe me.

Sure.
Come on now.

The pig wanted to get me
to squeal.

- I told him nothing.
- One double over here.

Hi, Alex.
We went to see Weiss' ex.

He hasn't been to see her.
I left Böck with her.

Me?
I'm outside her house.

Got you.

Viennese Gas Works

Okay...
As we agreed.

You spend the night
in the hotel.

Check out in the morning
and drive to the back entrance.

Don't forget your protective suit.
Some gas could escape.

Okay, okay.

You'd better forget about
visiting your ex-wife and child.

They're not to know you're here.

Mr Weiss? Stay where you are
and hands up!

Stop!

- Fritz! I'm over here.
- The back is locked.

I've put a bullet into him.
He must be hiding.

See that he doesn't escape.
We'll look for him.

Rex!
Rex, don't!

Rex!

Emergency Entrance

- You stay with Weiss.
- Okay.

- No dogs.
- He's been shot. Help me.

- How?
- I won't find a vet in time.

All right.

That's it. Don't let him
run around for a while.

Thanks.
I'll recommend you.

Please don't.
I could lose my job.

It's lucky he was only grazed.

- What a courageous dog!
- That means an extra ham roll.

We won't be able
to see Weiss yet.

Mr Brandtner? I'm sorry,
but he hasn't come to yet.

- Nurse...
- Yes?

- We must speak to that man.
- I'll have a look.

You can see him
for a few minutes.

It's no use lying.
We know you received the sarin.

Go away.
I know nothing.

We have witnesses
or I wouldn't be here.

Witnesses are sometimes wrong.

Good morning.

- Where's the boiler room?
- Anything wrong?

I'm from the Gas Works.

The feed line or the main
could be defective.

- We may have to change them.
- Could there be a leak?

No, but we may have to
turn off the gas.

That's okay, then.

It's one storey down
and first door on the right.

Got you.

- Can I leave the bottle there?
- No problems.

Till now
you've never killed anyone.

One man is already dead.
A hobo who touched the sarin.

If anything happens now
thousands could die.

Do you want to bear
that responsibility?

Mr Weiss!

He has taken it...

to the Museum of Applied Art.

- Nobody's seen anything odd.
- We'll be there soon.

That gas fitter is going up.

- Something's fishy.
- Why?

He's supposed
to work downstairs.

Hey you...
What are you doing here?

- I told you who I was.
- The boiler room is downstairs.

You stay here, Rex.

- Where did he take the bottles?
- Upstairs in the lift.

I'll wait here
for the alarm specialists.

Hands up!

Get lost!

Drop your gun.

NOW!

Let go!

Christian! Let it be.
We've got him.

- How's that?
- The stairs are an art work.

They go nowhere.

You can come back down now.

Hey, you!

Wait up.
Is that your dog?

- Yes, why?
- Dogs aren't allowed in here.

Rex...

I don't think
we're wanted here.