The Streets of San Francisco (1972–1977): Season 3, Episode 3 - Target: Red - full transcript
Stone and Keller have less than 48 hours to prevent a politically motivated assassination by a mentally unstable, but very accurate, marksman.
I think it's the best I've done.
A beautiful specimen.
The range is exactly
what you requested.
Silencer.
Ammunition.
Mercury-tipped.
Neat, clean.
It explodes like
a small grenade.
It wasn't easy, you know.
The time pressures
I was working under.
Normally it would
take me four weeks
to custom-craft so
delicate a weapon.
Well, you're being
very well paid.
True. But when I put
this much of myself
into an instrument...
it's like giving birth.
Well, your labor pains are
most appreciated, Emile.
Most... appreciated.
Hey, about time you got around
to pulling dawn patrol, Mike.
I know, I know. I
guess I'm spoiled
working that normal
14-hour routine.
Could hardly wait
to start chasing
the coroner's wagon at 6:00 a.m.
- Captain, what do we got?
- Oh, the usual.
Some guy decided he wanted
to take a dip in the Pacific
- with his clothes on.
- Off the bridge?
No, uh, not the way the
tide was running last night.
I'd say he went in
north of the bridge.
- How's the body?
- Oh, pretty good shape.
Couldn't have been
in the water too long.
- Was there any I.D.?
- No, nothing we could find.
When's the last time
you seen a jumper
- get rid of his I.D. first?
- Well, could be
he didn't want to go
swimming of his own accord.
Oh, no signs of violence,
if that's what you mean.
- Do me a favor, will you, Frank?
- How's that?
Stick to smuggling
and rescue at sea.
Let us decide whether or not
there's been a crime
of violence committed.
And straighten
the cap, will you?
See you, Mike.
♪♪
♪ O say, can you see ♪
♪ By the dawn's early light ♪
♪ What so proudly we hail'd ♪
♪ At the twilight's
last gleaming? ♪
♪ Whose broad
stripes and bright stars ♪
♪ Thro' the perilous fight ♪
♪ O'er the ramparts we watch'd ♪
♪ Were so gallantly streaming? ♪
♪ And the rocket's red glare ♪
♪ The bombs bursting in air ♪
♪ Gave proof thro' the night ♪
♪ That our flag
was still there ♪
♪ O say, does that
star spangled banner ♪
♪ Yet wave ♪
♪ O'er the land of... ♪
- Okay.
- Anything, Frank?
Negative.
♪ And the home of ♪
♪ The brave. ♪
Think they'll miss McCovey
and Marichal this season?
I don't know. I
don't follow baseball.
Is it Schilling?
I can't be sure from this angle.
Tell Becker to get some shots.
Frank, pick up whatever you can
on the guy who just
sat next down to West.
You found the boat
satisfactory, I take it?
It'll do.
Your contract fee?
Half in advance,
half upon completion.
Agreed.
$125,000 was cabled this morning
in care of your
Mexico City account.
You'll find a map in there
with Tuesday's route on it.
Time?
ETA of the plane at
International: 1030 hours.
There'll be heavy security
at the airport and en route
to the Trade Fair Center,
so if you're planning any...
What I'm planning
doesn't concern you.
It concerns me
that you're probably
going to get only one shot,
and we're paying a hefty price
to make certain that it's true.
I'm the best, therefore
the most expensive.
If you didn't want the best,
you wouldn't have gone
to the trouble
you did to find me.
I have no argument with that.
Then I suggest you concentrate
on gathering the rest of my fee
and leave the technique
of the execution to me.
He's gone.
Frank?
No sign of him.
Well, according to the prints,
our midnight swimmer
was one Emile Kestler.
- Did he have a record?
- Two separate convictions
of selling shipments
of stolen guns.
- He served time for both.
- The autopsy report says
that he was dead
before he hits the bay?
That's right... No
water in the lungs,
- no sign of drowning.
- Cause of death?
Uh, it was a break
in the cervical column.
Yeah, the bruises indicate
the neck was snapped
by somebody who
knew their business.
What?
Sounds like the
chiropractor I used to see.
- Maybe he's on the loose again.
- Yeah.
Kestler had a tool and die
shop in North Beach, also.
It's listed as his home address.
Maybe he was back
into gun dealing again.
So somebody broke his
neck because of a gun deal?
Everybody wants guns these days.
Hoods, kids, straights;
it's something else.
Yeah, tell me about it... I
got a neighbor next-door
who bought himself a
Saturday night special.
Says he can curl up
much better at night now
with that gun next to him.
- You know what?
- What?
If I ever stop a bullet,
it's not gonna be on the job.
It's gonna be because
of some neighbor...
some dear neighbor
who thought he heard a prowler.
Homicide, Lieutenant Stone.
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir, right away, sir.
"Yes, sir, right away, sir."
Sure was. He wants me
up there on the double.
I told you, you shouldn't use
his parking space anymore.
No, it couldn't be that.
He'd just have it towed
away like he did the last time.
Listen, Steve, take Kestler's
tool and die shop, will you?
- See what you can sniff out.
- Gotcha.
- I'll catch up with you when I can.
- Right.
- Chief.
- Ah, yes, come in, Michael.
Uh, Mike Stone,
- Joe Merrick, Federal
agent, - How do you do?
Vernon Presley,
State Department.
Mr. Presley.
Uh, have a seat, gentlemen.
I'm gonna let these
gentlemen fill you in here, Mike.
Uh, Mr. Presley.
I take it you're aware of
the government's recent
trade-exchange agreement with
the People's Republic of China?
Yeah, I heard something
about that on the news.
Isn't the Chinese delegation
supposed to attend
the trade fair opening?
They'll attend the
International Trade Fair
in San Francisco and then
continue on to Washington.
It's the first visit of its kind
since the Second World War.
The delegation arrives
Tuesday morning.
We're establishing
heavy security.
The chairman of that
delegation is Su Ma Sung.
We're expecting a
possible attempt on his life.
Assassination?
Assassination. But
not so much of the man
as much as a strike
against what he stands for...
The beginnings
of a trade liaison
between the United States and
the People's Republic of China.
Well, now, how do you know
there's going to be an attempt?
Ah. We can't be certain,
but we've picked
up bits and pieces
over a period of four months
from our intelligence service.
The group of
suspected conspirators
make repeated reference
to a code name...
- Target: Red.
- Target: Red.
Right. Now, we
have an indication
that that target is Su Ma Sung.
Now, the attempt
could take place
anywhere during the
Trade Fair visit here
or in Washington or
anywhere en route.
All right. Who are the suspects?
The button pushers are
led by a retired major general
who's convinced that any
bilateral peace agreement
between enemy states
could weaken our
defense establishment.
He has wealth, power, influence,
and he's determined to
keep the Cold War going.
And he has followers in and out
of the military who support him.
"Maintain the national
security of the country,"
is the way they put it.
Uh, we think we know
the trigger man, Mike.
Oh, yes, that's
the one on the left.
- This one?
- Mm-hmm.
His name is Jerry Schilling,
former officer in
Army Intelligence
and a trained executioner.
He was phased out of
active intelligence duty
several years ago,
for mental instability.
There's nothing
unstable about him now.
He's totally rational, deadly,
and an excellent marksman.
Who's the one on the right?
Major General Robert "Red" West.
U.S. Army, retired.
He has a home in Hillsborough.
Now, we have him
under surveillance,
which is all we can do until
we get some solid proof.
This, uh, Schilling...
You got a tail on him?
Current whereabouts unknown,
but we took those photos
yesterday at Candlestick Park.
Schilling used to
live in San Francisco.
His ex-wife still lives here.
Somebody at her place, too?
Oh, yes.
Yeah, she's a schoolteacher.
Uh, she's out of town right now,
but he may try to contact her.
Okay.
Now... why me?
Who else?
I guess you know how and
where a man would lose himself
in the streets of this city
better than anybody else, Mike.
Now, you won't be alone.
We'll have Alert Plan B in
operation all around the clock,
but that clock may be
your biggest problem.
We have less than 40 hours
before the Chinese delegation
sets down at International.
♪♪
Ah, Sonny.
Red.
- Lamar.
- Red.
You men join me in a brandy?
Sonny, you take care of it.
Sit your tired old
self down, Lamar.
Well, you made
the initial deposit?
Everything's go.
I'll transfer the rest of the
money to the conduit account
and make the
necessary arrangements
to cable to his bank.
Is it washed?
Chile to Mexico City to Miami.
I don't like this business
with Kestler, Red.
Why did he have
to be eliminated?
He's the only one that
links Schilling with us.
How does Schilling plan
to penetrate to the target?
He wouldn't say.
How can we be sure of him?
Gentlemen, once
Schilling's mind is committed,
he becomes a skillful,
precision machine,
dedicated to only one thing...
the absolute
destruction of the target.
♪♪
Well, I got nothing.
I have tried every
snitch in this town
who might know a new face.
Nobody.
Yeah, it's like trying
to track a ghost.
His whole life in San
Francisco, the United States,
seems to have
dead-ended 4½ years ago.
First he goes to
Europe, then Canada,
but there's no record of him
ever coming back to the States.
Just happens to catch
a game at Candlestick.
Yeah.
He's got phony papers,
all right, using an alias.
Excuse me.
Confirmation from
Canada on the passport.
A guy who used to forge papers
for draft evaders was caught
in a Toronto drug
bust yesterday.
He admits detailing a passport,
papers, and driver's license
in the name of Charles
Pine for Jerry Schilling.
Are they positive on that make?
Yeah, he was
using another alias,
but our contacts in Toronto
had the photos we wired them.
Schilling or Pine flew
into Chicago six days ago.
They're checking
with the airlines
to see if there's any trail.
Stakeout on Schilling's
wife came through.
She's back in town.
Well, let's go.
Top floor, apartment five.
Who is it?
Police.
We need a few
moments of your time.
Lieutenant Stone,
Mrs. Schilling.
We'd like to ask you
a couple of questions...
Well...
This is Inspector
Keller and Mr. Merrick.
Mr. Merrick and I have met.
How are you, Myrna?
I get by.
I didn't think you'd
remember me.
Hey, and how are you?
How are you today, huh?
- How old is the baby?
- Ten months.
You're really chubby.
I'm just babysitting
for my neighbor.
Oh, yes.
You said you said you
wanted to ask some questions.
Uh, yes, about your husband.
My ex-husband.
What, watch your want, huh?
Yes, when was the
last time you saw him?
Four, nearly five years ago.
Was it here in San Francisco?
No, to the best of my knowledge,
he's been living
abroad since then.
Have you been in touch with
him the last four or five years?
Postcard, letters?
What is this about?
You, you said you
were the police.
San Francisco Police
Department, that's right.
We have reason to
believe that Jerry Schilling
is in town somewhere,
and we'd like to talk to him.
Well, what does the federal
agency have to do with this?
It's just standard procedure.
We're cooperating
with the police.
Standard procedure.
You forget.
I had nine years
of that procedure.
The secrecy, the
double-talk, the lies.
From the moment
Jerry joined the agency
until the day they had
one of their psychiatrists
phase him out
for what they termed
"mental instability..."
our lives were nine
years of living hell
in which he changed
from a eager,
bright-eyed idealist
who loved his flag,
loved his country...
to a disillusioned...
cynical... paranoid mental case
who could take the life
of another human being...
without blinking an eye.
All that's not necessary.
I mean, we just want...
Don't you tell me
what's necessary!
Where were you and the
almighty agency during the trauma
and the loneliness?
Where were you when Jerry
used to wake up screaming,
night after night, until
his mind snapped?
Mrs. Schilling.
Hush, angel, hush.
Ma'am, let me leave you our
number in case he contacts you.
Thank you for your time.
We'll find our way out.
Hold on to that.
Come on, hold on.
Attaboy.
Come on.
You're a chubby one.
Good-bye.
I'm sorry.
So am I.
Very sorry.
Why didn't you tell
us you knew Schilling?
Does it make a difference?
Course it makes a difference,
especially if we're
being used for stalking
some bureaucratic
intelligence operation, yeah.
Well, the last time I saw him
was during the
Bay of Pigs action.
From what we just heard, you
go back further than that with him.
Well, we had a lot in common.
We started the same time.
You know, Myrna was right.
Schilling was different then.
But then we all were,
right, the whole world?
You know, I remember
Schilling and I were together
at a party in Georgetown
for JFK's inaugural address.
"Ask not what your
country can do for you..."
I swear, we both
had tears in our eyes.
Ready to do anything,
pay any price.
And then...
the Bay of Pigs,
Laos, Cambodia...
Dallas.
I'll tell you, I've
been divorced twice,
I've got a bleeding
stomach ulcer,
a son back from
'Nam a paraplegic,
and a 15-year-old daughter
busted twice already
on drug charges.
I don't know
where it all went...
All the dreams of all
the bright young men.
You know, she
says he's deranged.
Eh, he's not,
but he's, he's deeply
disillusioned, deeply.
And with a man like Schilling,
that's every bit as dangerous.
And I'll tell you
something else...
If he's out there with a gun...
we're going to have
to kill him to stop him.
♪♪
Excuse me, I'd like to
rent a safe deposit box.
Yes, sir.
Just let one of the girls know
when you're through, Mr. Pine.
Thank you.
♪♪
- Oh, Mrs. Schilling?
- Yes.
Oh, I'm so glad you came.
I didn't know whether
you'd be visiting today or not.
Something wrong with Kevin?
Oh, it's not Kevin.
It's, uh, your husband.
My husband?
He said he'd been
out of the country,
and he hadn't seen
Kevin since he left.
Well, we didn't see any
harm in letting him visit...
as long as he understood Kevin
couldn't communicate with him.
Where is he?
He's with Kevin in
the recreation room.
I think Kevin might
be afraid of him.
You know how he
is with strangers?
Mm.
I went in with them in
the beginning, and, uh...
Kevin turned his face away
as soon as your husband
sat down next to him.
That was over an hour ago.
I... don't think either one
has spoken a word since.
They've just been
sitting like that.
Both of them... like statues.
Jerry?
He doesn't speak yet,
and he has trouble
responding to strangers.
I'm not a stranger.
I'm his father.
Could we talk
about this outside?
There's nothing to talk about.
Jerry!
There's brain damage.
The tests have
been inconclusive,
but the the doctors believe
that there's still hope.
Will he talk?
We don't know.
He makes sounds now.
There's a chance.
And he could spend
the rest of his life
staring at a wall.
The mating of the losers.
It's no wonder
we produced an it.
Not a him, an it.
A nothing,
a zero, a blank.
And all the hope in the world
isn't going to change that.
Mrs. Schilling, your
husband left this.
Thank you.
Mike, I got something on
that Kestler case. You...
I thought I told you to get off
that case and give it to Burton.
Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
Burton went through the ledger.
Turns out Kestler was
into gun dealing, all right.
Custom-made jobbies
for the discriminate buyer.
Look at these two names.
Charles Pine.
A custom purchase to
be delivered on the sixth.
The day Kestler was killed?
That's right. It's the
last name on the ledger.
Could be Schilling
bought a new piece
before old Kestler went to
the great gun shop in the sky.
And R. West. He
bought a piece, too?
No, no. That came off a
cross-check of the ledger names
with Kestler's
old tool receipts.
It's a Robert "Red" West.
He's a Major General, retired;
and he's living in Hillsborough.
In the den?
All right, I'll take care of it.
Lamar, I'll be right back.
The real beauties are locked
downstairs in the playroom.
Everything from a Wild
Bill Hickok Colt Peacemaker
to a Russian automatic rifle
I got off a North
Korean General.
That's where you picked
up the nickname Red, isn't it?
Hey, you've been
reading my press clippings.
Yeah.
That seems like a lifetime ago.
Did an Audie Murphy.
Held this little hill in North
Korea against the Commies.
Real blood and guts.
Held the hill against
their advance.
We, uh, wiped out some of
them, they wiped out some of us,
picked up a chest-full of
ribbons and that moniker Red.
Was it worth it?
Was what worth it?
Taking the hill. I understand
you suffered the worst
casualties of the war, General.
Anything is worth
stopping the enemy, son.
A hill, a village, border...
'Cause if you don't
stop them there,
you're gonna have to
stop 'em someplace else.
But you, uh... you
got police business.
You didn't come
here to hear me spout,
well, military philosophy.
Oh, on the contrary, General.
Your philosophy
is very enlightening.
I'm Lieutenant Stone,
and this is Inspector Keller.
My man says that
your I.D. is authentic.
He probably also told you that
I have guests waiting outside.
Well, then we'll make
it short and sweet.
Shoot.
Does the name Jerry
Schilling mean anything to you?
Jerry Schilling.
No. Should it?
What about Charles Pine?
Does that sound familiar?
- Pines?
- Pine.
Pine? No.
I-I knew a Darlene
Pine once. A stripper.
She used to work
the service clubs,
but, uh, Charlie Pine,
no, I... I can't recall.
Charles Pine is the alias
Schilling is using in
San Francisco now.
Oh, is that right?
And who is this Schilling?
A professional assassin.
Oh.
I'm sorry I'm not able to
be more helpful, but I, uh...
Did you ever purchase any guns
from an Emile Kestler, General?
Oh, Inspector, I
own a lot of guns.
I've been collecting
guns for 40 years.
But the name Kestler... I...
Berlin right after the
Second World War.
You were in the
OSS with Kestler,
before it got disbanded.
I've served with a lot of men
in a lot of places,
in a lot of wars,
and you're coming very close
to spoiling my guests'
afternoon, and...
General,
please... we'll stop
with the skirmishing.
We'll get right down
to the heavy artillery.
A... Emile Kestler's lying
dead in the morgue right now.
That's killing number one.
And we have reason to believe
that Jerry Schilling is
going to kill somebody else.
Now, we know your
record, and your reputation
and your politics.
And we just don't want to
see you making a mistake
of playing your war
games in this city.
Is that it, Lieutenant?
Not quite.
If you can get in touch with
Schilling, you'd better do it.
Because if you don't, we're
gonna nail him and you,
and everybody else connected
with that political
team of yours.
Now that's it.
You know where the door is.
So, what do you think?
Well, those pictures of him
at Candlestick Park don't lie,
so what he's been
feeding us has to be.
Inspectors eight-one to
headquarters. Anything?
Headquarters to
Inspectors eight-one.
You have a message from
a Mrs. Schilling. Urgent.
He didn't say anything
about where he
was going or staying.
He just left that bag.
He must have
brought that for Kevin,
but he never even
took it out of the bag.
You said something
about a prescription.
Yes. There was also a
prescription receipt in the bag.
Jerry has an allergy.
I-I thought if he had taken the
prescription to the pharmacy,
he might not have
picked it up yet.
I'll have the Marin County
Sheriffs meet us there.
We appreciate your time.
Thank you very much.
Lieutenant...
would it be all right
if I kept the toy?
Thank you.
Your man's already
been here, Lieutenant.
Picked up his
prescription and split.
Druggist said he had
a cab waiting for him.
Golden Gate Cab.
Get to the cab company.
Run a trace on where
that cab was headed.
Hi.
Hello.
You look very alone.
I came here for a quiet drink.
Which means you'd
rather be by yourself, right?
I think so.
Yeah, I know how you feel.
There are times
when I get wound up,
and I just think I
want to be alone.
Then there are times when I
just think I want to be alone,
but what I really need
is to be with someone.
You know what I mean?
How much?
What?
You're hustling. How much?
You don't waste
any time, do you?
Not as much as you do.
Fifty.
Pass.
Wait a second.
Maybe we could
work something out.
Uh-oh. Trouble.
I, uh... I didn't get your name.
Yeah, and I don't
think you're going to.
Oh, hey, come on, now.
I've changed my mind.
Are you sure?
What can I say?
You're irresistible.
I'll call you later.
I, uh, took a cab here,
so, uh, which one is yours?
The white Mustang.
My name's Kimberly.
Uh, Charlie. Charlie Pine.
♪♪
- Where's Schilling?
- Did you get the license number?
128 BNJ.
- All right, get out an APB.
- Are you okay?
Yeah, I'm okay. Should've said
something before I approached.
- You sure?
- With a girl I didn't know.
- You sure you're okay?
- Yeah, I'm sure. I'm okay. Yeah.
Well, now he knows
we're on to him,
he does one of two things...
He can either drop the contract,
or make it twice as
tough for us to catch him.
What do you got, some
kind of a death wish?
The guy that came up to
your car was vice squad.
- You knew him?
- I know the type.
You see, you're a hooker
and I'm a married man,
and I can't afford to
get involved with a bust,
- you know what I mean?
- Sure.
Who can afford a bust?
You can...
now.
State Department security will
be responsible for the airport.
The motorcade will pick
up the Chinese group
directly from the plane,
and take them nonstop
from International... to
the Trade Fair Center.
- Closed cars?
- Absolutely.
We've given the route
a tight security check,
and it'll be double-checked
and heavily patrolled
- during the motorcade.
- What about helicopters?
Oh, we'll have
two up at all times.
- Nothing on the car.
- Nothing at all?
Nothing.
Okay, then we stay with this.
♪♪
Su Ma Sung, head of the
Peking Trade Commission
and leader of the delegation
from the People's
Republic of China
is the first to disembark.
The Chinese delegation will
be travelling in a motorcade
from International Airport to
the downtown Trade Fair Center,
and accompanied by
State Department officials.
Chairman Sung, on behalf
of the State Department,
I wish you welcome.
We were making our
usual rounds, Lieutenant,
checking the garages...
There's been a high theft rate
in this area recently... when
we spotted this little number.
128 BNJ. That's it.
Registration on
the steering column
lists a Kimberly
Young, this address.
We checked the lobby
mailboxes... Apartment 806.
Looks like she picked the
wrong guy to get friendly with.
♪♪
We're not looking
for a beard anymore.
He used the lady's razor.
Receipt for a safe-deposit
box in the name of Charles Pine.
Look at this.
At a bank address on
the motorcade route.
Here we go, Mr. Pine.
Let us know if we can
be of any more help.
Thank you.
♪♪
♪♪
Lieutenant Stone.
Yes sir, what can I do for you?
I'd like some information
about one of your customers.
♪♪
He signed in, but
he didn't sign out.
Was the deposit box returned?
No. That's when he
would've had to sign out.
What did Pine look like?
Oh, he... about your height,
brown hair...
clean-cut.
He walked with a limp.
- He used a cane.
- That's not Charles Pine.
The Charles Pine who
rented that box had a beard.
- No limp, no cane.
- Well, it's the same signature.
Which compartment did he have?
The one back there.
Costume rentals.
Hey, wait a minute.
Did either of you see a nun
in here just a few minutes ago?
Not anyone who checked
in while I was up front.
Yes, I remember.
It struck me odd, because
they're not supposed
- to have property, are they?
- No.
I-I mean, not this kind.
No, they're not.
- She was alone.
- When we were coming in, sure.
Yeah, that's right.
♪♪
Mike!
Mike, what do you think?
It's possible.
♪♪
Steve.
Schilling, hold it!
He wouldn't stop.
Don't worry about it.
He died a long time ago.
Better have something more
than a few snapshots
of me at a ball game
to build a case on, Lieutenant.
Don't you worry
about it, General.
We'll throw something
together to make it work.
- Conspiracy to commit murder?
- Well, that's for openers, yes.
But I wouldn't be
afraid about being alone.
Doesn't change
anything, you know.
Military action,
assassination, it's all the same.
Stop the enemy,
one place or another.
Hills, villages, borders.
- Exactly.
- Right, right.
You, know, you may be
right in this case, General.
We stopped you, didn't we?
Come on.
A beautiful specimen.
The range is exactly
what you requested.
Silencer.
Ammunition.
Mercury-tipped.
Neat, clean.
It explodes like
a small grenade.
It wasn't easy, you know.
The time pressures
I was working under.
Normally it would
take me four weeks
to custom-craft so
delicate a weapon.
Well, you're being
very well paid.
True. But when I put
this much of myself
into an instrument...
it's like giving birth.
Well, your labor pains are
most appreciated, Emile.
Most... appreciated.
Hey, about time you got around
to pulling dawn patrol, Mike.
I know, I know. I
guess I'm spoiled
working that normal
14-hour routine.
Could hardly wait
to start chasing
the coroner's wagon at 6:00 a.m.
- Captain, what do we got?
- Oh, the usual.
Some guy decided he wanted
to take a dip in the Pacific
- with his clothes on.
- Off the bridge?
No, uh, not the way the
tide was running last night.
I'd say he went in
north of the bridge.
- How's the body?
- Oh, pretty good shape.
Couldn't have been
in the water too long.
- Was there any I.D.?
- No, nothing we could find.
When's the last time
you seen a jumper
- get rid of his I.D. first?
- Well, could be
he didn't want to go
swimming of his own accord.
Oh, no signs of violence,
if that's what you mean.
- Do me a favor, will you, Frank?
- How's that?
Stick to smuggling
and rescue at sea.
Let us decide whether or not
there's been a crime
of violence committed.
And straighten
the cap, will you?
See you, Mike.
♪♪
♪ O say, can you see ♪
♪ By the dawn's early light ♪
♪ What so proudly we hail'd ♪
♪ At the twilight's
last gleaming? ♪
♪ Whose broad
stripes and bright stars ♪
♪ Thro' the perilous fight ♪
♪ O'er the ramparts we watch'd ♪
♪ Were so gallantly streaming? ♪
♪ And the rocket's red glare ♪
♪ The bombs bursting in air ♪
♪ Gave proof thro' the night ♪
♪ That our flag
was still there ♪
♪ O say, does that
star spangled banner ♪
♪ Yet wave ♪
♪ O'er the land of... ♪
- Okay.
- Anything, Frank?
Negative.
♪ And the home of ♪
♪ The brave. ♪
Think they'll miss McCovey
and Marichal this season?
I don't know. I
don't follow baseball.
Is it Schilling?
I can't be sure from this angle.
Tell Becker to get some shots.
Frank, pick up whatever you can
on the guy who just
sat next down to West.
You found the boat
satisfactory, I take it?
It'll do.
Your contract fee?
Half in advance,
half upon completion.
Agreed.
$125,000 was cabled this morning
in care of your
Mexico City account.
You'll find a map in there
with Tuesday's route on it.
Time?
ETA of the plane at
International: 1030 hours.
There'll be heavy security
at the airport and en route
to the Trade Fair Center,
so if you're planning any...
What I'm planning
doesn't concern you.
It concerns me
that you're probably
going to get only one shot,
and we're paying a hefty price
to make certain that it's true.
I'm the best, therefore
the most expensive.
If you didn't want the best,
you wouldn't have gone
to the trouble
you did to find me.
I have no argument with that.
Then I suggest you concentrate
on gathering the rest of my fee
and leave the technique
of the execution to me.
He's gone.
Frank?
No sign of him.
Well, according to the prints,
our midnight swimmer
was one Emile Kestler.
- Did he have a record?
- Two separate convictions
of selling shipments
of stolen guns.
- He served time for both.
- The autopsy report says
that he was dead
before he hits the bay?
That's right... No
water in the lungs,
- no sign of drowning.
- Cause of death?
Uh, it was a break
in the cervical column.
Yeah, the bruises indicate
the neck was snapped
by somebody who
knew their business.
What?
Sounds like the
chiropractor I used to see.
- Maybe he's on the loose again.
- Yeah.
Kestler had a tool and die
shop in North Beach, also.
It's listed as his home address.
Maybe he was back
into gun dealing again.
So somebody broke his
neck because of a gun deal?
Everybody wants guns these days.
Hoods, kids, straights;
it's something else.
Yeah, tell me about it... I
got a neighbor next-door
who bought himself a
Saturday night special.
Says he can curl up
much better at night now
with that gun next to him.
- You know what?
- What?
If I ever stop a bullet,
it's not gonna be on the job.
It's gonna be because
of some neighbor...
some dear neighbor
who thought he heard a prowler.
Homicide, Lieutenant Stone.
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir, right away, sir.
"Yes, sir, right away, sir."
Sure was. He wants me
up there on the double.
I told you, you shouldn't use
his parking space anymore.
No, it couldn't be that.
He'd just have it towed
away like he did the last time.
Listen, Steve, take Kestler's
tool and die shop, will you?
- See what you can sniff out.
- Gotcha.
- I'll catch up with you when I can.
- Right.
- Chief.
- Ah, yes, come in, Michael.
Uh, Mike Stone,
- Joe Merrick, Federal
agent, - How do you do?
Vernon Presley,
State Department.
Mr. Presley.
Uh, have a seat, gentlemen.
I'm gonna let these
gentlemen fill you in here, Mike.
Uh, Mr. Presley.
I take it you're aware of
the government's recent
trade-exchange agreement with
the People's Republic of China?
Yeah, I heard something
about that on the news.
Isn't the Chinese delegation
supposed to attend
the trade fair opening?
They'll attend the
International Trade Fair
in San Francisco and then
continue on to Washington.
It's the first visit of its kind
since the Second World War.
The delegation arrives
Tuesday morning.
We're establishing
heavy security.
The chairman of that
delegation is Su Ma Sung.
We're expecting a
possible attempt on his life.
Assassination?
Assassination. But
not so much of the man
as much as a strike
against what he stands for...
The beginnings
of a trade liaison
between the United States and
the People's Republic of China.
Well, now, how do you know
there's going to be an attempt?
Ah. We can't be certain,
but we've picked
up bits and pieces
over a period of four months
from our intelligence service.
The group of
suspected conspirators
make repeated reference
to a code name...
- Target: Red.
- Target: Red.
Right. Now, we
have an indication
that that target is Su Ma Sung.
Now, the attempt
could take place
anywhere during the
Trade Fair visit here
or in Washington or
anywhere en route.
All right. Who are the suspects?
The button pushers are
led by a retired major general
who's convinced that any
bilateral peace agreement
between enemy states
could weaken our
defense establishment.
He has wealth, power, influence,
and he's determined to
keep the Cold War going.
And he has followers in and out
of the military who support him.
"Maintain the national
security of the country,"
is the way they put it.
Uh, we think we know
the trigger man, Mike.
Oh, yes, that's
the one on the left.
- This one?
- Mm-hmm.
His name is Jerry Schilling,
former officer in
Army Intelligence
and a trained executioner.
He was phased out of
active intelligence duty
several years ago,
for mental instability.
There's nothing
unstable about him now.
He's totally rational, deadly,
and an excellent marksman.
Who's the one on the right?
Major General Robert "Red" West.
U.S. Army, retired.
He has a home in Hillsborough.
Now, we have him
under surveillance,
which is all we can do until
we get some solid proof.
This, uh, Schilling...
You got a tail on him?
Current whereabouts unknown,
but we took those photos
yesterday at Candlestick Park.
Schilling used to
live in San Francisco.
His ex-wife still lives here.
Somebody at her place, too?
Oh, yes.
Yeah, she's a schoolteacher.
Uh, she's out of town right now,
but he may try to contact her.
Okay.
Now... why me?
Who else?
I guess you know how and
where a man would lose himself
in the streets of this city
better than anybody else, Mike.
Now, you won't be alone.
We'll have Alert Plan B in
operation all around the clock,
but that clock may be
your biggest problem.
We have less than 40 hours
before the Chinese delegation
sets down at International.
♪♪
Ah, Sonny.
Red.
- Lamar.
- Red.
You men join me in a brandy?
Sonny, you take care of it.
Sit your tired old
self down, Lamar.
Well, you made
the initial deposit?
Everything's go.
I'll transfer the rest of the
money to the conduit account
and make the
necessary arrangements
to cable to his bank.
Is it washed?
Chile to Mexico City to Miami.
I don't like this business
with Kestler, Red.
Why did he have
to be eliminated?
He's the only one that
links Schilling with us.
How does Schilling plan
to penetrate to the target?
He wouldn't say.
How can we be sure of him?
Gentlemen, once
Schilling's mind is committed,
he becomes a skillful,
precision machine,
dedicated to only one thing...
the absolute
destruction of the target.
♪♪
Well, I got nothing.
I have tried every
snitch in this town
who might know a new face.
Nobody.
Yeah, it's like trying
to track a ghost.
His whole life in San
Francisco, the United States,
seems to have
dead-ended 4½ years ago.
First he goes to
Europe, then Canada,
but there's no record of him
ever coming back to the States.
Just happens to catch
a game at Candlestick.
Yeah.
He's got phony papers,
all right, using an alias.
Excuse me.
Confirmation from
Canada on the passport.
A guy who used to forge papers
for draft evaders was caught
in a Toronto drug
bust yesterday.
He admits detailing a passport,
papers, and driver's license
in the name of Charles
Pine for Jerry Schilling.
Are they positive on that make?
Yeah, he was
using another alias,
but our contacts in Toronto
had the photos we wired them.
Schilling or Pine flew
into Chicago six days ago.
They're checking
with the airlines
to see if there's any trail.
Stakeout on Schilling's
wife came through.
She's back in town.
Well, let's go.
Top floor, apartment five.
Who is it?
Police.
We need a few
moments of your time.
Lieutenant Stone,
Mrs. Schilling.
We'd like to ask you
a couple of questions...
Well...
This is Inspector
Keller and Mr. Merrick.
Mr. Merrick and I have met.
How are you, Myrna?
I get by.
I didn't think you'd
remember me.
Hey, and how are you?
How are you today, huh?
- How old is the baby?
- Ten months.
You're really chubby.
I'm just babysitting
for my neighbor.
Oh, yes.
You said you said you
wanted to ask some questions.
Uh, yes, about your husband.
My ex-husband.
What, watch your want, huh?
Yes, when was the
last time you saw him?
Four, nearly five years ago.
Was it here in San Francisco?
No, to the best of my knowledge,
he's been living
abroad since then.
Have you been in touch with
him the last four or five years?
Postcard, letters?
What is this about?
You, you said you
were the police.
San Francisco Police
Department, that's right.
We have reason to
believe that Jerry Schilling
is in town somewhere,
and we'd like to talk to him.
Well, what does the federal
agency have to do with this?
It's just standard procedure.
We're cooperating
with the police.
Standard procedure.
You forget.
I had nine years
of that procedure.
The secrecy, the
double-talk, the lies.
From the moment
Jerry joined the agency
until the day they had
one of their psychiatrists
phase him out
for what they termed
"mental instability..."
our lives were nine
years of living hell
in which he changed
from a eager,
bright-eyed idealist
who loved his flag,
loved his country...
to a disillusioned...
cynical... paranoid mental case
who could take the life
of another human being...
without blinking an eye.
All that's not necessary.
I mean, we just want...
Don't you tell me
what's necessary!
Where were you and the
almighty agency during the trauma
and the loneliness?
Where were you when Jerry
used to wake up screaming,
night after night, until
his mind snapped?
Mrs. Schilling.
Hush, angel, hush.
Ma'am, let me leave you our
number in case he contacts you.
Thank you for your time.
We'll find our way out.
Hold on to that.
Come on, hold on.
Attaboy.
Come on.
You're a chubby one.
Good-bye.
I'm sorry.
So am I.
Very sorry.
Why didn't you tell
us you knew Schilling?
Does it make a difference?
Course it makes a difference,
especially if we're
being used for stalking
some bureaucratic
intelligence operation, yeah.
Well, the last time I saw him
was during the
Bay of Pigs action.
From what we just heard, you
go back further than that with him.
Well, we had a lot in common.
We started the same time.
You know, Myrna was right.
Schilling was different then.
But then we all were,
right, the whole world?
You know, I remember
Schilling and I were together
at a party in Georgetown
for JFK's inaugural address.
"Ask not what your
country can do for you..."
I swear, we both
had tears in our eyes.
Ready to do anything,
pay any price.
And then...
the Bay of Pigs,
Laos, Cambodia...
Dallas.
I'll tell you, I've
been divorced twice,
I've got a bleeding
stomach ulcer,
a son back from
'Nam a paraplegic,
and a 15-year-old daughter
busted twice already
on drug charges.
I don't know
where it all went...
All the dreams of all
the bright young men.
You know, she
says he's deranged.
Eh, he's not,
but he's, he's deeply
disillusioned, deeply.
And with a man like Schilling,
that's every bit as dangerous.
And I'll tell you
something else...
If he's out there with a gun...
we're going to have
to kill him to stop him.
♪♪
Excuse me, I'd like to
rent a safe deposit box.
Yes, sir.
Just let one of the girls know
when you're through, Mr. Pine.
Thank you.
♪♪
- Oh, Mrs. Schilling?
- Yes.
Oh, I'm so glad you came.
I didn't know whether
you'd be visiting today or not.
Something wrong with Kevin?
Oh, it's not Kevin.
It's, uh, your husband.
My husband?
He said he'd been
out of the country,
and he hadn't seen
Kevin since he left.
Well, we didn't see any
harm in letting him visit...
as long as he understood Kevin
couldn't communicate with him.
Where is he?
He's with Kevin in
the recreation room.
I think Kevin might
be afraid of him.
You know how he
is with strangers?
Mm.
I went in with them in
the beginning, and, uh...
Kevin turned his face away
as soon as your husband
sat down next to him.
That was over an hour ago.
I... don't think either one
has spoken a word since.
They've just been
sitting like that.
Both of them... like statues.
Jerry?
He doesn't speak yet,
and he has trouble
responding to strangers.
I'm not a stranger.
I'm his father.
Could we talk
about this outside?
There's nothing to talk about.
Jerry!
There's brain damage.
The tests have
been inconclusive,
but the the doctors believe
that there's still hope.
Will he talk?
We don't know.
He makes sounds now.
There's a chance.
And he could spend
the rest of his life
staring at a wall.
The mating of the losers.
It's no wonder
we produced an it.
Not a him, an it.
A nothing,
a zero, a blank.
And all the hope in the world
isn't going to change that.
Mrs. Schilling, your
husband left this.
Thank you.
Mike, I got something on
that Kestler case. You...
I thought I told you to get off
that case and give it to Burton.
Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
Burton went through the ledger.
Turns out Kestler was
into gun dealing, all right.
Custom-made jobbies
for the discriminate buyer.
Look at these two names.
Charles Pine.
A custom purchase to
be delivered on the sixth.
The day Kestler was killed?
That's right. It's the
last name on the ledger.
Could be Schilling
bought a new piece
before old Kestler went to
the great gun shop in the sky.
And R. West. He
bought a piece, too?
No, no. That came off a
cross-check of the ledger names
with Kestler's
old tool receipts.
It's a Robert "Red" West.
He's a Major General, retired;
and he's living in Hillsborough.
In the den?
All right, I'll take care of it.
Lamar, I'll be right back.
The real beauties are locked
downstairs in the playroom.
Everything from a Wild
Bill Hickok Colt Peacemaker
to a Russian automatic rifle
I got off a North
Korean General.
That's where you picked
up the nickname Red, isn't it?
Hey, you've been
reading my press clippings.
Yeah.
That seems like a lifetime ago.
Did an Audie Murphy.
Held this little hill in North
Korea against the Commies.
Real blood and guts.
Held the hill against
their advance.
We, uh, wiped out some of
them, they wiped out some of us,
picked up a chest-full of
ribbons and that moniker Red.
Was it worth it?
Was what worth it?
Taking the hill. I understand
you suffered the worst
casualties of the war, General.
Anything is worth
stopping the enemy, son.
A hill, a village, border...
'Cause if you don't
stop them there,
you're gonna have to
stop 'em someplace else.
But you, uh... you
got police business.
You didn't come
here to hear me spout,
well, military philosophy.
Oh, on the contrary, General.
Your philosophy
is very enlightening.
I'm Lieutenant Stone,
and this is Inspector Keller.
My man says that
your I.D. is authentic.
He probably also told you that
I have guests waiting outside.
Well, then we'll make
it short and sweet.
Shoot.
Does the name Jerry
Schilling mean anything to you?
Jerry Schilling.
No. Should it?
What about Charles Pine?
Does that sound familiar?
- Pines?
- Pine.
Pine? No.
I-I knew a Darlene
Pine once. A stripper.
She used to work
the service clubs,
but, uh, Charlie Pine,
no, I... I can't recall.
Charles Pine is the alias
Schilling is using in
San Francisco now.
Oh, is that right?
And who is this Schilling?
A professional assassin.
Oh.
I'm sorry I'm not able to
be more helpful, but I, uh...
Did you ever purchase any guns
from an Emile Kestler, General?
Oh, Inspector, I
own a lot of guns.
I've been collecting
guns for 40 years.
But the name Kestler... I...
Berlin right after the
Second World War.
You were in the
OSS with Kestler,
before it got disbanded.
I've served with a lot of men
in a lot of places,
in a lot of wars,
and you're coming very close
to spoiling my guests'
afternoon, and...
General,
please... we'll stop
with the skirmishing.
We'll get right down
to the heavy artillery.
A... Emile Kestler's lying
dead in the morgue right now.
That's killing number one.
And we have reason to believe
that Jerry Schilling is
going to kill somebody else.
Now, we know your
record, and your reputation
and your politics.
And we just don't want to
see you making a mistake
of playing your war
games in this city.
Is that it, Lieutenant?
Not quite.
If you can get in touch with
Schilling, you'd better do it.
Because if you don't, we're
gonna nail him and you,
and everybody else connected
with that political
team of yours.
Now that's it.
You know where the door is.
So, what do you think?
Well, those pictures of him
at Candlestick Park don't lie,
so what he's been
feeding us has to be.
Inspectors eight-one to
headquarters. Anything?
Headquarters to
Inspectors eight-one.
You have a message from
a Mrs. Schilling. Urgent.
He didn't say anything
about where he
was going or staying.
He just left that bag.
He must have
brought that for Kevin,
but he never even
took it out of the bag.
You said something
about a prescription.
Yes. There was also a
prescription receipt in the bag.
Jerry has an allergy.
I-I thought if he had taken the
prescription to the pharmacy,
he might not have
picked it up yet.
I'll have the Marin County
Sheriffs meet us there.
We appreciate your time.
Thank you very much.
Lieutenant...
would it be all right
if I kept the toy?
Thank you.
Your man's already
been here, Lieutenant.
Picked up his
prescription and split.
Druggist said he had
a cab waiting for him.
Golden Gate Cab.
Get to the cab company.
Run a trace on where
that cab was headed.
Hi.
Hello.
You look very alone.
I came here for a quiet drink.
Which means you'd
rather be by yourself, right?
I think so.
Yeah, I know how you feel.
There are times
when I get wound up,
and I just think I
want to be alone.
Then there are times when I
just think I want to be alone,
but what I really need
is to be with someone.
You know what I mean?
How much?
What?
You're hustling. How much?
You don't waste
any time, do you?
Not as much as you do.
Fifty.
Pass.
Wait a second.
Maybe we could
work something out.
Uh-oh. Trouble.
I, uh... I didn't get your name.
Yeah, and I don't
think you're going to.
Oh, hey, come on, now.
I've changed my mind.
Are you sure?
What can I say?
You're irresistible.
I'll call you later.
I, uh, took a cab here,
so, uh, which one is yours?
The white Mustang.
My name's Kimberly.
Uh, Charlie. Charlie Pine.
♪♪
- Where's Schilling?
- Did you get the license number?
128 BNJ.
- All right, get out an APB.
- Are you okay?
Yeah, I'm okay. Should've said
something before I approached.
- You sure?
- With a girl I didn't know.
- You sure you're okay?
- Yeah, I'm sure. I'm okay. Yeah.
Well, now he knows
we're on to him,
he does one of two things...
He can either drop the contract,
or make it twice as
tough for us to catch him.
What do you got, some
kind of a death wish?
The guy that came up to
your car was vice squad.
- You knew him?
- I know the type.
You see, you're a hooker
and I'm a married man,
and I can't afford to
get involved with a bust,
- you know what I mean?
- Sure.
Who can afford a bust?
You can...
now.
State Department security will
be responsible for the airport.
The motorcade will pick
up the Chinese group
directly from the plane,
and take them nonstop
from International... to
the Trade Fair Center.
- Closed cars?
- Absolutely.
We've given the route
a tight security check,
and it'll be double-checked
and heavily patrolled
- during the motorcade.
- What about helicopters?
Oh, we'll have
two up at all times.
- Nothing on the car.
- Nothing at all?
Nothing.
Okay, then we stay with this.
♪♪
Su Ma Sung, head of the
Peking Trade Commission
and leader of the delegation
from the People's
Republic of China
is the first to disembark.
The Chinese delegation will
be travelling in a motorcade
from International Airport to
the downtown Trade Fair Center,
and accompanied by
State Department officials.
Chairman Sung, on behalf
of the State Department,
I wish you welcome.
We were making our
usual rounds, Lieutenant,
checking the garages...
There's been a high theft rate
in this area recently... when
we spotted this little number.
128 BNJ. That's it.
Registration on
the steering column
lists a Kimberly
Young, this address.
We checked the lobby
mailboxes... Apartment 806.
Looks like she picked the
wrong guy to get friendly with.
♪♪
We're not looking
for a beard anymore.
He used the lady's razor.
Receipt for a safe-deposit
box in the name of Charles Pine.
Look at this.
At a bank address on
the motorcade route.
Here we go, Mr. Pine.
Let us know if we can
be of any more help.
Thank you.
♪♪
♪♪
Lieutenant Stone.
Yes sir, what can I do for you?
I'd like some information
about one of your customers.
♪♪
He signed in, but
he didn't sign out.
Was the deposit box returned?
No. That's when he
would've had to sign out.
What did Pine look like?
Oh, he... about your height,
brown hair...
clean-cut.
He walked with a limp.
- He used a cane.
- That's not Charles Pine.
The Charles Pine who
rented that box had a beard.
- No limp, no cane.
- Well, it's the same signature.
Which compartment did he have?
The one back there.
Costume rentals.
Hey, wait a minute.
Did either of you see a nun
in here just a few minutes ago?
Not anyone who checked
in while I was up front.
Yes, I remember.
It struck me odd, because
they're not supposed
- to have property, are they?
- No.
I-I mean, not this kind.
No, they're not.
- She was alone.
- When we were coming in, sure.
Yeah, that's right.
♪♪
Mike!
Mike, what do you think?
It's possible.
♪♪
Steve.
Schilling, hold it!
He wouldn't stop.
Don't worry about it.
He died a long time ago.
Better have something more
than a few snapshots
of me at a ball game
to build a case on, Lieutenant.
Don't you worry
about it, General.
We'll throw something
together to make it work.
- Conspiracy to commit murder?
- Well, that's for openers, yes.
But I wouldn't be
afraid about being alone.
Doesn't change
anything, you know.
Military action,
assassination, it's all the same.
Stop the enemy,
one place or another.
Hills, villages, borders.
- Exactly.
- Right, right.
You, know, you may be
right in this case, General.
We stopped you, didn't we?
Come on.