Mannix

Uncle Ray? Hello?

Hello?

You hung up.

I was here.

See? You've got no patience.

Oh, come on, Uncle Ray. It's only 5:30.

We're not going to miss the curtain.

Yes, yes, I'll meet you at the restaurant.

I'll be showered and dressed and ready to go

before you've even left.

All right, just wait and see.

Martha?

Nothing personal.

I'll get it.

Mr. Mannix's office.

Well, hi, Ray.

Yes. Yes, he is.

Yes, just one moment, please.

Who was it?

Ray Endicott.

Really?

He sounds awful.

Hello, Ray?

What?

Oh, Ray, I'm sorry.

Is there anything I can do?

Sure. Sure, I'll get over there as fast as I can.

Joe, what is it?

He wants me to meet him at the Veteran's Hospital,

go down to the morgue with him.

The morgue? Why?

Someone just killed his niece.

It's Martha.

I'm all right, Joe.

So young.

Pretty.

Full of life.

What kind of a human being...

The police are working on it, Ray.

What are you doing here, Mannix?

Ray Endicott, Lieutenant Deegan.

He called me from the Veteran's Hospital,

wanted me to be with him.

Please sit down. No.

This won't take long, Mr. Endicott.

Do you happen to know a man named Tommy Gantt?

He was part of our outfit. Korea.

Did he know your niece?

Why?

It would help if you'd just answer the questions.

Yeah, yeah, he knew her.

He did it.

He's the one, isn't he?

Tommy Gantt.

I haven't said so.

You don't have to.

I should've guessed.

I warned her. Didn't I, Joe?

I know, Ray.

I said, "Keep away from him. He's nothing but trouble."

Why do you suspect him, Deegan?

Well, for one thing, his police record.

And for another...

we found this cigarette lighter in the closet, uh...

where it happened.

I just remembered.

She stopped seeing him.

Two weeks ago.

She told me he didn't like it one bit.

Even threatened her.

Then that ought to wrap it up.

The motive was the only thing missing.

How did he do it, Lieutenant?

A blow to the neck.

Where is he now?

Where have you got him?

Nowhere yet. But it's just a matter of time.

It better be.

I'll tell you now... both of you...

Take it easy, Ray.

If you don't get him, I will.

And I'll kill him.

Don't touch that switch, Joel.

And don't reach for your gun.

Tommy Gantt.

You've got a good ear.

Now close the door.

Come on in.

Keep your hands where I can see them.

We were just talking about you, Tommy... downtown.

You've got to get me out of this, Joe.

I'll pick my cases.

Now, why don't you play it smart?

Right there! And no tricks, or, so help me, I'll use this, believe me.

I believe you.

You were the best natural killer I ever saw.

What is that supposed to mean?

Korea. One guy who could blast a man point blank,

slit his throat, or chop his neck,

and then grin and sleep like a baby.

Do you expect me to cry like one? I was fighting a war.

And you've had a gun in your hand ever since.

I just saw your police record.

I give you my word, Joe.

I wasn't in Martha's apartment tonight. I wasn't.

Then how come your cigarette lighter was?

Why wouldn't it be? I've been there a dozen times.

I lost it a couple of weeks ago.

In the closet? Yeah, that's where they found it, near the body...

With only your fingerprints on it.

Now listen to me. I'm not lying to you.

Somebody's trying to frame me.

Where were you at 5307

I was miles away from there, at the zoo.

The what? The LA Zoo.

Oh, great. Where was it the last time?

The roller derby or the Hollywood Bowl?

I tell you, that's where I was. I was meeting a guy.

That's very simple. Just produce the guy.

Who was he?

He, um... He what?

He didn't show.

I'm sorry, Tommy.

You'll have to do better than that.

Grab him!

Well, I had a hunch it might be you, Gantt.

Here's his gun.

One of your neighbors spotted him working on that window.

Um, sorry about your door.

All right, take him away.

Thanks a lot, Lieutenant.

It was just like old times.

Tommy?

I will do one thing.

I'll check out the zoo.

That completes it, miss.

You talked to everybody that was on duty yesterday.

I said you were wasting your time,

what with the police covering the same ground this morning.

I know. I just thought that I might have missed somebody.

Toby, stand over here.

Oh, stop! What's the matter?

I didn't talk to him.

No need to, because Smitty wasn't on duty yesterday... his day off.

What's going on, Charlie?

She's questioning people who were on duty yesterday.

Heh. I wasn't on duty, but I was here.

Brought my granddaughter. Busman's holiday.

What can I do for you, lady?

Do you remember seeing this man yesterday?

Sure, I saw him.

You did?

Yeah, back over by the elephants.

You know, it's a funny thing about the elephants.

You'd think that kids would mostly go for them, but...

Excuse me. I mean, are you sure?

You see so many people here.

He's the one, all right.

I saw him later, standing out by the main gate,

like he was waiting for someone.

Do you remember about what time?

Oh, about closing.

Yep, about 5:30.

Oh! Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Come on, Toby. Thank you.

Yeah. Hi, Peggy. Where are you?

Still in the jungle.

But with a report that'll throw you.

The attendant's absolutely certain

that he saw Tommy Gantt yesterday, and he'll swear to it.

You know what, Peggy? You've just earned yourself a bonus.

Take the rest of the day off.

Some bonus! It's 5201!

Oh, yeah, so it is. Well, look, uh...

how about a couple of days off at the cabin?

Hmm.

Yeah, I thought you'd like that a little better.

And no kidding... you and Toby can have the place all to yourselves.

Is he having fun?

A ball.

But Toby's made friends with two chimps, one penguin...

And this you won't believe... someone that looks like a white hunter.

I got a list of all of the people

that Tommy Gantt has been in touch with lately.

Any surprises?

Yeah. One good one.

Hyah!

Okay.

Ah!

Ho.

Come on back. Come on, again.

Do we bow first? No, just do it.

Yeah.

Hyah!

Yes, Miss Hoyo? A gentleman here to see you.

That's no gentleman. That's my fearless wartime commander.

My fearless wartime leader, Lieutenant Joseph R. Mannix.

Am I right?

Oh, yes, I am right.