The Saint (1962–1969): Season 3, Episode 15 - The Set-Up - full transcript

The Saint interrupts an armed robbery and is told by Chief Inspector Teal that the gang in question are responsible for similar crimes and are building up to a last big job. A hit is put out on the Saint to prevent any further attempts on his part to foil the gang, and, as he entertains a young lady in his apartment, a man with a telescopic rifle takes aim at him from a house opposite. Surely the Saint will survive, to expose the set-up.

One of the delights of not being gainfully employed

is that my life is sort of reversed.

At night, when most men are sleeping,

I'm usually gambling or dancing

with beautiful women and drinking champagne.

Then in the morning, when most men

are going to work, I'm going to bed.

It's a topsy-turvy kind of life but I enjoy it.

It gives me a feeling of serenity and security.

You all right?

Well I'm not exactly bubbling with good humor.



What are you doing here, Ardossi?

I come here to warn you.

They're out to kill you.

Well that's nice, I thought it was my doctor

trying to drum up trade.

Who's gunning for me?

Take your pick.

Nobody has more enemies than the famous Simon Templar.

Go on, Ardossi.

There's a contract out for you.

Somebody's willing to pay five grand to have you dead.

A tightwad, I'd say I was worth a great deal more.

Who's putting out the money?

I don't know.



I just heard the word going 'round.

Well I should imagine there'll be plenty

of takers for five thousand.

You have the reputation of being

a very hard man to kill.

It's a reputation I'd be very sorry to lose.

I can only imagine the professional guns'll

be standing in line for the job.

And if they do come, I'll be waiting for them.

Thanks for the warning, Ardossi.

Oh by the way, where can I contact the man

that's putting up the money?

There's just a telephone number.

No names, nothing else, just the number.

Yeah?

Rotherhithe 1537.

Rawhide 1537

So long, Mr. Templar.

Oh Ardossi.

Aw no, Mr. Templar, no money.

I owe you a favor.

I insist, you don't owe me anything.

Oh well, thanks.

I'll see you around.

Frist Warehouse Service, Frist speaking.

Good morning, a mutual friend

suggested I contact you.

I'm in the lead delivery business.

Well, I do have a contract to place,

that is if the price is right

and the quality of the work's good.

Perhaps we could meet to discuss it.

I'd like nothing better.

Where and when?

Tonight, 9:00, here at my warehouse, 12A Mannions Wharf.

Do you want me, Mack?

Yes, I've a little shipment I'd like you

to pick up and deliver for me.

Here's my address.

If you could be there at five, just between you

and me, there's 40 quid in it for you.

For 40 quid I'd pick up yellow fever.

I'll be there, 5:00.

Hey.

What's all this about then?

One crate to be stored until it's called.

Well we haven't got any orders about it.

Anyway, we're just closed.

Oh come on.

All right, give us your note then.

I can always come back in the mornin'.

Right.

You all finished?

Just about.

Come on, let's stack it then.

Can't we leave it 'til the morning?

Why?

I got a hard night tonight.

Are you at it again?

All right, lock up will you?

I'm gonna hang on for a bit.

Okay.

Good night, Mr. Frist.

Good night.

If you're calling a policeman

you'd better get one for me, too.

Who are you?

Well let's get one thing straight.

This, makes me the quiz master, okay?

Now, why are you willing to pay five grand to have me dead?

Templar.

Get out of here, now.

I'm warning you.

You're warning me.

I'm holding this, remember?

You don't scare me.

You lay your hands on me and they'll get you.

Who?

Who are they?

Frist you better start talking.

Believe me, words sound better

with a mouth in your face.

All right, I'll tell you.

Won't make any difference.

Farnburg'll kill you anyway.

Farnburg?

Jack Farnburg?

Yeah, I thought that'd get you.

He's in prison in the States.

He came out a month ago.

He's waited for eight years to get even with you.

And how are you tied in with him?

He's a friend of mine.

I'm just tryin' to help him.

Or you want a share in a quarter

of a million dollars, is that it?

I don't know what you're talking about.

Oh sure you do.

Farnburg knocked over an army payroll.

He was arrested but they never found the money.

I figured he'd be back sooner or later for the loot.

Where is he now?

I don't know.

Well try and remember.

Then we'll go and see him.

I don't know I tell you.

Start remembering.

We'll just get into my car, I parked it

before I was delivered.

Back, start writing.

Hey Frisk!

Answer him.

Up here.

Well things are goin' pretty good.

I got an address for the Ballinger dame.

She's got a house at 22 Cromfort Street at--

What's a matter with you Frist?

He's allergic to guns.

So you better drop yours on the floor.

Now back up behind the desk.

You too, Frist.

You're early, Templar.

We didn't expect you until nine.

Oh I was so excited at seeing you again, I couldn't wait.

If you're smart you'll pull the trigger

on me right now, because if I stay alive,

I swear they're gonna be pickin' up little pieces

of you all over this crummy town.

Haven't changed much, have you Jack?

You still talk like a hoodlum

in a second rate gangster movie.

Okay smart boy, you're dealin' the cards.

What happens now?

Well for a start, how 'bout tellin' me

where that quarter of a million dollars is?

Listen Templar, that dough is mine.

I paid for it in time.

You should know that better than anybody,

you helped put me inside.

My pleasure.

Well I'm here to collect now.

You, the cops, nobody's gonna stop me.

That's a pretty selfish attitude.

Incidentally, you did a lousy job

trying to run me down this morning.

That was this bum's stupid idea.

He figured if we could throw a scare

into you you'd buy Ardossi's story and come here.

Yes, well I only bought half of it.

And while we're on the subject

of buying, let's get back to the whereabouts

of that missing payroll, hmm?

Why don't you drop dead?

Blast it.

I'll get some more shells.

Look out!

That's as far as you go, Buster.

Get in.

You all right?

Sure, what the devil are you doing here?

I specialize in nick of time rescues.

I've been following Farnburg, I saw your car

in the alley, heard the shots, thought you might

wanna leave in a hurry.

Thanks heavens for the US cavalry.

Now, where can the Major John Dunston

taxi service take you?

Home.

Home it is.

Dun, it's great to see you again.

Still in the air force security?

Yes, and I'm gettin' too old to make a change.

Besides, I'll be eligible for a pension

in about eight years.

Well what brings ya back to London?

Well I've been right behind Farnburg

ever since he got outta the pen.

Uh-huh, hoping he'll lead you to that missing payroll?

That's right.

But I don't think he knows where the money is

otherwise he'd just grab it and beat it, wouldn't he?

Here, I'll fix that.

As I remember there was a lapse of about two hours

between the time Farnburg was picked up

and the time of the heist.

That's right.

And during those two hours he could've passed

the money to somebody else.

Any ideas?

No, but I don't think he can find the guy.

Where does Frist fit into this?

Well, he was living in the States for a while

and he did a stretch for forgery.

He wound up in the same cell with Farnburg

and I guess they teamed up.

Well I'm glad Farnburg didn't come all the way

from the States just to kill me.

Well don't get too complacent about it.

He's got a big grudge against you, buddy boy.

By the way, does the name Ballinger

mean anything to you?

Ballinger?

No, why?

Well Farnburg mentioned it when he came

into Frist's office tonight.

He's quite excited about it.

I better get some more ice.

I'll get it.

Good evening.

Oh good evening, sir, Mr. Templar?

Yes.

It's been reported that your car

was seen parked for the best part

of the day and the evening outside Frist's Warehouse.

Well you haven't come all the way this time

of the evening to give me a parking ticket, surely?

No, sir.

A Mr. Teal sent me.

He'd like to see you.

Oh, what about?

About Mr. Frist, sir.

You see, he's been murdered.

Well?

Claude, it's my considered opinion

that you're right, he is dead.

Don't get smart.

I have enough evidence to book you right away.

Just tell me all about it.

Well maybe I can help.

How?

This is tied up with the Farnburg case.

Farnburg?

Farnburg was a flight sargent on one

of our bases over here.

He robbed the paymaster's office

of a quarter of a million bucks.

Simon was visiting the base at the time

and he helped me with the arrest.

The money was never recovered.

With Templar there I'm not surprised.

In short, Farnburg has come back

for the money and me.

Yes, and US Air Force would like to get

the money back, too, and that's where I come in.

Then why did Farnburg kill Frist?

I don't think he did.

You don't?

No, Frist was an asset.

Excuse me.

Of course.

I should imagine he was probably financing Farnburg.

He had no reason to kill 'im.

Then who did?

I don't know.

But I can give you a couple of things to work on.

For instance, this skylight.

What about it?

Well when I was here earlier it was closed,

now it's open and from the angle of the wound

Frist could've been shot from there.

Here's another thing.

What are they?

They're the complete works of a lady

called Eileen Wilton, they're all crime stories

and all brand new.

Hardly the sort of thing you'd expect

to find at in an office of this sort.

Happy reading.

You'll find the rest of them in the bookcase.

Excuse me.

Where you going now?

Home.

Good night.

You can't go yet, you haven't told me a thing.

Well Major Dunstun will give you a blow

by blow rundown on the story so far.

Oh sure, but where do we go from here?

Well I suggest you try to locate Farnburg.

And you?

Tomorrow I shall go and see the lady Farnburg mentioned

at 22 Cromfort Street.

She's not here?

Who isn't?

Mrs. Ballinger.

When will she be back?

Well how should I know?

Been away three months already you know.

In Spain.

Oh, you're her housekeeper?

Oh no, nothing like that.

I come in a few times a week and I feed the fish

and dust around a bit.

Well thank you, it looks as though I'm wasting my time.

Yes, that's what I told the other man.

He was from the phone company too.

But I'm not from the phone company.

No, nor was he if you ask me.

Asking me all those questions.

What was he like?

American or something like that.

Very suspicious tempted to tell

the police, I was

Well I've got my shopping to do.

Can't stand here all day talking to you.

Mrs. Ballinger?

Please don't be nervous, I'm not here to harm you,

I'm here to help you, I think your life

may be in great danger.

What are you talking about?

Who are you?

Get out of here.

My name's Simon Templar.

Well?

There's a man named Jack Farnburg

in London looking for you.

Does the name mean anything to you?

Yes, there was a Jack Farnburg

in the air force with my husband.

When he was stationed in Suffolk.

Where's your husband now?

He was killed in an air crash eight years ago.

I'm sorry.

So am I.

Now what's all this about?

Mrs. Ballinger, I know this sounds mysterious,

whether you like it or not you're mixed up

in something particularly unpleasant.

Look, I'd like you to meet and talk

to a Major Dunston, he's in US Air Force security.

You're right, Mr. Templar,

this does sound most mysterious.

Here's my card.

Will you come to my place tonight at eight?

I'll have Major Dunston there and you can meet

and talk to him.

Will you come?

Please?

All right.

By the way, I notice you're a great fan

of Eileen Wilton detective stories.

I should be, I wrote them.

Wilton is my maiden name.

Simon don't you think it's about time

we got down to business?

I wish you would, I'm really very anxious

to know what this is about.

All right, but I'm afraid you won't like it.

We've been doing some checking

into your husband's service record.

But why?

He's been dead for eight years.

Mrs. Ballinger, how much money

did your husband leave you?

It is none of your business.

Please.

Well, if you must know, very little, about $500.

There was some insurance, of course,

but Kurt wasn't a rich man.

He may have been richer than you think,

by a quarter of a million dollars.

Quarter-oh that's absurd.

He only had his air force pay.

And we lived out through every penny of that.

In fact if it hadn't been for my writing

I doubt if we should have made ends meet.

Mmm, giving him a reasonable motive for robbery.

Robbery?

Two days before your husband was killed

there was a robbery on the base.

Yes, I remember that quite clearly

but Kurt had nothing to do with it.

You see at the time of the robbery

he'd already taken off on a flight.

According to our records, your husband's flight

took off seven minutes after the theft.

Now with split second timing, it's quite possible

that Farnburg may have handed your husband the money.

No, that's not true, you just want to find a scapegoat.

We wanna find the money.

All right then, where is it?

If you think Kurt took it, what'd he do with it?

We don't know, we thought you might help.

Help destroy my husband's memory, is that what you want?

We want the truth.

You've got the truth right there in your blasted records.

Two days after all this happened my husband was killed

trying to stop his plane from crashing into a town.

My husband was killed, do you understand?

Now look somewhere else for your thief

and leave us alone.

Mrs. Ballinger, I'm sorry you had

to find out this way.

It's a little late to start being sorry.

But don't worry, as far as I'm concerned

it's forgotten, it's all over.

Simon, what're you doing?

Working out a timetable.

Does it fit?

Well just about.

Farnburg must've passed the money

to Ballinger minutes before take-off.

So at the time we made the arrest

he could've been halfway up the cost of Norway.

Right, he got back the following morning.

Do you remember if he was checked?

Well there are 5,000 guys on that base.

Then Ballinger being on a flight,

I don't suppose he was even suspect.

Yes, but he would have been confined

to base though, wouldn't he?

Everybody was.

Well, that takes care of the Saturday.

Then on the Sunday he took off again with the same crew.

Yeah, and on the way back he crashed

right outside of Oxford and was dead

by the time they got 'im to the hospital.

So the vital time would be the weekend

they were confined to base.

Well it wouldn't have been to hard to break camp.

Wonder whether his wife would know.

The way she feels I don't think

she'd tell us if she did.

It's worth a try.

By the way, do you have Ballinger's flight log?

No, it was destroyed in the crash.

That's funny, she left here over an hour ago.

Maybe she's just not answering.

Maybe she can't.

Now look lady, that dough is somewhere here.

Now you tell me where it is

or I'm gonna have to hurt you real bad.

I don't know anything about any money.

I don't even know what you're talking about.

Don't give me that stuff.

Your husband and me were partners.

He told you what we were doin'.

No, I swear he didn't.

That money is here and I'm not leavin' without it.

There's nothing here, I've told you there's nothing.

All right, if you wanna make it tough on yourself.

I can figure a couple a ways to make you talk.

We're gonna look pretty silly bustin' in

if he's not there.

I'll take that chance.

How much further?

Couple blocks.

We'll go in from the back just in case.

I'm askin' ya real nice one more time.

Where is it?

I don't know.

I'll make a deal with you.

You keep 20,000 bucks.

The rest is mine.

I don't want any part of it.

If it was here you could take it, all of it.

All right, I'm through askin'.

We'll play it my way now.

Let's get outta here, quick.

Here, drink this.

I'm all right now.

Mr. Templar, Farnburg said he and my husband were partners.

Is that true?

Everything points to it.

I love my husband.

I'll do anything I can to protect his memory

but I must know the truth.

Could help a lot.

We must recover that money before Farnburg does

or before anybody else gets hurt.

What do you want me to do?

First I'd like to locate all the men

in your husband's air crew.

Well I've lost touch with most of them.

They've nearly all left the service

and gone back to the States.

All that is except Chuck Powers.

Where's he?

Oh, he's in a veteran's hospital.

He was married to an English girl, you see, so he stayed.

He's been a more or less permanent invalid since the crash.

I'd like to talk to 'im.

Well, I'm sure it could be arranged.

Would you like me to come with you?

Yes, how 'bout first thing tomorrow morning?

Fine.

Well?

He had Ardossi waiting in the car.

I think you'd better spend tonight in a motel.

Why?

Do you think he'll try to come back?

Your husband was alone in the plane when it crashed?

Yes, except for Chuck.

The others bailed out but his parachute

was damaged in the fire.

You know him well?

He was best man at our wedding.

Hello, Chuck.

It's nice to see you again.

Yeah, nice to see you.

You remember Mrs. Ballinger don't you?

Ballinger?

Well, I knew a Kurt Ballinger.

Eileen.

You must be Eileen.

Yes.

I haven't been to see you

for a long time, Chuck, I'm sorry.

This is Mr. Templar, he wanted to talk

to you about something.

Hi, Chuck.

I'd like to ask you about some things

that happened a long time ago.

Memory's not so good anymore I-But you can try me.

It's about the last but one flight

you made with Kurt Ballinger.

Last but one.

Yes, it was a routine flight.

It was August.

You'd been up the Scandinavian coast

then back down the Russian border.

Oh yeah, sure, we did that route all the time.

Yes, but when you got back to the base

the whole place was in an uproar.

The paymaster's office had been robbed.

I don't recall I ... It's hard, it's hard.

Please try to remember, Chuck.

It's very important.

Did anything happen on the flight?

Anything out of routine?

No, no, it was always the same routine.

Just routine.

Thousands of miles of sky and cloud.

Just routine.

I think we'd better go to Oxford.

Maybe the doctor who pulled them out

of the crash will come up with something.

We had a leak in the fuel line.

We had to set down in Holland.

Where in Holland, Chuck?

Amsterdam.

Yeah, we were there for about four hours.

It's a pretty town.

You went into town?

Was Kurt with you?

No, no he wasn't with us, he had to see some friends.

Kurt was stationed in Holland

before he came back to England.

Well Amsterdam's about the best place

in the world to convert a quarter

of a million dollars into diamonds.

Diamonds?

Cash is bulky, diamonds take up no space at all.

But where could they be?

Chuck, how long was Kurt away from you?

You're low, Kurt.

You're too low.

My God we've hit the cables.

My God we're burning.

Get 'er up, get her up.

It's all right, Mr. Powers, it's all right.

Leave 'er, Kurt.

We gotta get out, we gotta jump.

They've all gone.

They've all gone, I can't make it.

I can't get out, I'm burning.

I'm burning, help me, I'm burning.

Help me, I'm burning.

Yes, Mrs. Ballinger, I got Powers

and your husband out of the wreckage.

The plane crashed in my field.

Out there.

Was Kurt dead when you?

No, he died in my arms about five minutes after the crash.

Dr. Jerome, did he say anything?

Well he seemed to be trying to tell me something.

It was terribly difficult for him to talk.

He kept on mumbling some man's name.

What name?

Sounded like Richard Reason.

Richard Reason?

Mean anything?

No, nothing.

Well, thank you, Doctor, it was good of you to see us.

Mr. Templar, why all this interest after eight years?

This is twice in one day.

Twice?

Yes, the American gentleman this morning.

Here they come.

After 'em.

Keep on their tail and don't lose 'em.

Whatta ya gonna do?

I don't know.

I'm sure this Richard Reason bit

means somethin' to that broad.

I wanna know what.

Farnburg seems to be keeping one step ahead of us.

I'm certain that name must be important.

I've just never heard it before.

Could be there was a third man involved.

We'll get Dunston to check the personnel list.

What time are we supposed to meet him?

1:30.

Ya know there's one big gap in the timetable still.

What did your husband do that weekend

he was confined to the base?

He wasn't confined.

He was permitted to leave the base because he came home.

To London?

Yes.

Then he must have broken camp.

Nobody was allowed out that weekend.

Well then it's possible he came home

just to hide the diamonds.

That's likely.

It's all beginning to fall in place, isn't it?

Yes, but we still don't know

who Richard Reason is, do we?

Yes, well I'm hoping Dunston will be able

to solve that one for us.

Nope, no Richard Reason on the base.

Well it has to mean something.

Let's go over it again.

Mrs. Ballinger, I don't like doing this.

Major Dunston, my husband is under suspicion.

There's really no need for you to try to be tactful.

All right then.

Suppose Farnburg passed the money to Ballinger

seconds before take-off.

Then over Holland he fakes engine trouble

and touches down.

Yes, but even supposing that that's true,

you don't just walk into a shop

and buy a quarter of a million dollars

worth of diamonds, do you?

Yes, but your husband was stationed in Amsterdam.

He had contacts.

Presumably this was all planned in advance.

He came back, broke bounds, came to London,

and hid the stones.

And on the next flight he was killed.

That's why I think the name's so important.

More coffee, madam?

Oh, no thank you.

Gentlemen?

No thanks.

No thanks, just the bill please.

Richard Reason.

I've got an idea.

Tell me something about the actual robbery.

Oh it was very clever.

We got a report that the armored car was being robbed

and during the panic and while the guards were closing in,

Farnburg was calmly helping himself

to a quarter of a million dollars

out of the paymaster's office.

Simon, I know now.

Riches and treason, that's what Kurt was saying,

not Richard Reason, riches and treason.

Go on.

When I married Kurt I was writing a novel

called Riches and Treason about an armored car robbery.

It was set in France but my characters

did exactly the same thing.

That's gotta be it.

That's why Farnburg and Frist had all your stories.

Kurt must've told him the beginning but not the end.

Well he couldn't, I never finished it.

I couldn't find an ending.

I still have the manuscript.

Let's get it.

All right, I'll see you in the car.

I just want to powder my nose.

Here, I'll take that.

Simon!

Simon!

Get in here, hurry up, get in.

Hold 'im, Dun, I'll get the car.

What'd you do that for, Dun?

We'll have real trouble now finding the girl.

If it's not true, baby, I'm gonna come

right back here and kill ya.

It is true.

I swear it.

Okay, now where is the manuscript?

It's in the bottom drawer in my desk.

Mrs. Ballinger it better be.

I've waited eight years for this

and nothin's gonna stop me now.

Come on, open up.

Open up!

We've got a lotta reading to do, baby.

And you're gonna explain all the hard words to me.

Don't go, baby.

3:30.

Well it's been a long wait but your hunch was right.

Why don't we just go in and grab 'im?

You don't think he's going to tell us

where she is, do you?

We've gotta stay behind him even

if it means another day and night.

Here he comes.

He's hidden her far enough away.

And it's beginning to get light.

Better let him get farther in front.

Nothing this side.

Here!

Sorry to keep you waitin', baby.

Now we'll have that readin' lesson.

Come on, we're gettin' outta here.

Simon!

Are you all right?

Templar, for God's sakes help me, my foot's caught.

Templar.

Hurry!

Try sliding it back.

I can't huh, I can't.

There's a train coming.

Give me that thing!

Help, please.

Well here's one ending I tried.

They substituted the gold bars

for the weights in a life shaft.

I'll remember that the next time

I have some hot gold.

Well here's something.

It's pretty wild, though.

They took the gold to the zoo,

dropped it in the tanks at the aquarium.

Ooh, did I write that?

Anyway, it's diamonds we're looking for not--

Right here, after all these years.

Okay buddy boy, I'll take those now.

I wondered when you'd come into the open, Dun.

Just give me the stones.

You didn't have to shoot Frist.

Yes, I did.

I met 'im in the States and he knew

I wasn't with Air Force security anymore.

And then you gunned down Ardossi

when there was no need.

Just cutting down the opposition.

Give me the stones.

What was the matter?

Civilian life too tough for you?

Something like that.

I spent my whole life in the service

and I didn't think the pension was big enough.

Now gimme.

Well buddy boy, you better make your play.

When they do a ballistics check

on the bullet that killed Ardossi,

it's gonna match the one that cooled Frist.

Simon, I don't wanna kill you.

Now gimme the stones.

Now turn around.

Simon!

Ow!

Get 'im out of here.

Good-bye, Dun.

And what do you plan to do with those?

Oh, I thought I'd return them to the US Air Force.

That's a fishy story.