The Lineup

Look out!

Are you nuts or something?

What's the matter with you, can't you see this truck?

Hey, where you going?

Come back here!

Makes no sense.

No sense at all, Ben.

I mean that cabbie ran him down just like that.

Moore had time to get one shot off.

- Moore? - Don Moore.

Did you notify the chaplain, the Chief's office?

Yes, sir.

- DA? - Yes, Sir.

Let's take a look at that cab.

Apparently, the cab driver panicked

after he rammed that rig.

Maybe.

It still isn't much of a reason for Moore to be dead.

I want lots of coverage on this, Dave.

That gun certainly knocks out the panic theory.

Possibly used that gun on Moore,

if the cab hadn't been a handier weapon.

Sure looks that way, Ben.

Why?

Fred!

That's too bad about Moore.

We heard most of it while we were rolling.

Anything to add?

Well, nothing from the truck driver.

The other witness is Philip Dressier

of the San Francisco Opera Company.

Just got in on the Ansonia.

Dressier says a porter at Pier 41

took his bag, threw it in this cab,

the porter disappeared and the cab dug out fast.

Witnesses corroborated the story.

- That Dressler's bag? - Yeah.

We'll book it for evidence.

Run it through the lab for prints.

This Dressier seems pretty reputable.

You don't think his bag means anything, do you?

I don't know what to think.

The whole case doesn't add up.

What about this cab driver, Fred, you make him?

No, no ID, wallet, nothing.

Call the cab company, get a rundown on the cab.

It's possibly hot.

And run that gun, too.

When the coroner arrives, tell him we want

a set of his prints as soon as we can get them.

Run them though the Bureau.

Can't identify them, we'll get a FBI make on them.

All right, Ben.

See you, Fred.

I see this cab's coming at me

like suicide's back in style.

Are you Mr. Dressier?

Yes, that's right.

Well, I'm Lieutenant Guthrie.

This is Inspector Quine.

How do you do, gentlemen?

Well, it's unfortunate we have to meet

under these awful circumstances, I know.

We meet a lot of people under

unpleasant circumstances, Mr. Dressier.

I understand that that bag in that cab belongs to you.

That's correct, sir.

Mind describing the contents for us?

Not at all.

There's really nothing of value in the bag.

Some personal things and a few knickknacks

I picked up in Hong Kong.

What kind of knickknacks?

Oh, a few ebony pieces and a rather,

rather unusual statuette.

I think that's about it.

Is the statuette very valuable?

You mean valuable enough to have this happen?

We're looking for some kind of a motive.

I only paid $20 for it.

Now, you told Inspector Asher this porter took your bag,

threw it in a taxi cab and the cab took off

without waiting for you, is that right?

That's absolutely right, sir.

You know, stealing a bag that's worth nothing, it,

well, it seems pretty senseless, doesn't it?

It would be, except two people are dead.

Would you recognize this porter if you saw him again?

Possibly, possibly not.

I'd be glad to try, though.

We'd appreciate it, Mr. Dressier.

What is your address?

3960 Lake Street.

- Phone? - Seabright 10711.

We might be calling on you.

Well I'll be at the opera house most of the afternoon.

All right, Mr. Dressier.

That'll be all for now, thanks.

Well what about my bag?

Well we'll have to hold it for a while.

The crime lab will want to go over it

for fingerprints and so on.

Yes, of course.

Well, good day, gentlemen.

Good day.

Why, Ben?

No rhyme, no reason.

Yet Don Moore is dead.

Uh-uh.

The gun's as dead as your cab driver, fellows, I'm sorry.

We can usually bring the serial number right out

no matter how well it's been filed down,

but in this case it's been completely gouged out,

probably by a gunsmith.

Somebody sure wanted to guarantee it couldn't be traced.

Well it's a pro's gun, all right.

Lab, Thompson speaking.

Yeah, yeah, he's right here.

Ben.

Guthrie.

Oh, you did? Fine.

Who?

What does his rap sheet show?

Well, try and confirm his last address

and let us know, will you?

All right, thanks.

The B of I made the cab driver.

The coroner's got the prints right over there.

His name is James Sanford Jenkins, nicknamed Lefty.

What are his priors?

His rap sheet shows his last big fall was at Q.

Did five years on a 211 robbery.

Drove the getaway car in a Sausalito bank job.

He's supposed to be one of the best wheelmen on the coast.

Maybe we're getting somewhere.

Norm, did you get any prints off Dressler's bag?

Yeah, we lifted a good clear set,

but they don't match up with anything we have here.

Well maybe they will later when we get the FBI make.

Hey, now.

She shows up hollow under the lights,

and there's something inside.

I'm sure it's heroin.

Give it the Marquis reagent test.

All right.

If that's the pure stuff, there's enough in there

to fix every addict in San Francisco for the next two weeks.

And after it's cut, it'll be worth over $100,000.

What was it Dressier said?

Just a few knickknacks?

We'll get him in here fast.

No, Al, we'll go and talk to him at the opera house.

Oh, well how do we handle it?

We'll soft-pedal it, we won't tip.

Thompson, I want a dummy package of milk sugar

in that same wrapping.

And put the statuette together exactly the way it was.

Okay.

Then the plan is that we let Dressier

make the delivery if he's guilty.

Well obviously this is a big

narcotics smuggling operation.

There's more than one man responsible for Don Moore's death.

But I want to get them all.

Where can we find Mr. Dressier, please?

In his office down the corridor there,

second door to your right.

- Thank you. - Okay.

There was sure a slew of stuff in here

to mark and photograph.

We might need a record of it for evidence.

Yeah, but suppose Dressier spots

our marks on these items.

That'll throw the whole plan out the window, won't it?

- I don't think so. - Oh.

If our friend Dressier can spot

police identification marks,

at least we'll know one thing about him.

And what's that?

He's guilty.

Yes?

Oh, gentlemen, I didn't expect to see you so soon.

I see you brought my bag, thank you very much.

Yes, we want to talk to you about the porter that took it.

Do you think you could identify him?

I don't know, possibly.

We'd appreciate it if you'd come down

to the Hall of Justice tomorrow morning at 9:00

and take a look at the porters who worked

the Ansonia dock in the lineup.

You might be able to recognize the man

who took the bag and threw it in the cab.

Well, yes, I'd be glad to.

Good, oh, there's one thing more, Mr. Dressier.

We'll have to check the contents of the bag with you.

We like to be sure nothing's missing before we release it.

Oh, of course, of course.

Oh, do you mind, I think over on the table

we'd have a little more room.

- Sure. - Thank you very much.