The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries (1977) s01e04 Episode Script

Tonight, Nancy Drew in The Mystery of the Diamond Triangle.
George, you know, the Diamond Triangle Award is the highest award you can win in the soaring society.
Going up.
Will you get me off at the complaint department? I want to report you for giving me butterflies.
Nancy, you conned me into this.
I told you I was learning for my Diamond Triangle Award.
You conned me.
All right, I needed a witness.
We'll have to have somebody there to verify you did it.
I don't think I'm gonna live long enough to be a witness.
I've got terminal airsickness.
We'll be back at Willow Field in 20 minutes.
I really appreciate it, George.
You know how difficult this Triangle Award is.
Yeah, you get a Diamond Triangle, and I get a nervous breakdown.
I don't see Ned down there.
Do you? No, but then I have my eyes closed.
Ned, come in.
Where are you? Where are you? Come in.
I got lost.
I took a wrong turn.
But I can see you.
Hey, look behind you.
There's a squall comin' up.
A squall! Nancy, it's catching up with us.
Do something.
Nothing to worry about.
We'll just stay ahead of it.
Are you all right? I've been in worse than this before.
We'll make it.
Nancy, the lightning.
It hit us.
It was not even close.
Not even close? There goes my Diamond Triangle Award.
Ned, I'm not gonna be able to make it to home base.
I'm gonna have to make an emergency landing.
Hang in there, George.
We'll be down in a few minutes.
That's what I'm afraid of.
There's an open field there, just past those hills.
George! What? Ned, I just saw a car go off the road into a ravine.
Call the Sheriff.
I'll give you the exact location.
Better move it.
We're going to get soaked.
Don't worry, there's lots of time before the storm.
I feel like I've been over Niagara Falls in a Baggie.
How do you think I feel? I'm sorry.
It was supposed to be sunny.
This ought to make you feel a little bit better.
Thank you.
Thanks.
I'm sorry you didn't get your Diamond Triangle, Nancy.
It's all right.
We'll make it next time.
We? You'll make it.
That robe fits you beautifully, Ned.
Oh, Mr.
Drew.
Sheriff.
Is Ned Nickerson here? Yes.
I have some questions I have to ask him about the accident.
Oh, sure.
Come on in.
Ned, uh, the Sheriff had some questions to ask you concernin' the accident you reported.
Oh, is the driver all right? Nancy, there was no driver.
Mr.
Nickerson- No driver? No driver, no car.
Ned, you'll have to come down to the office with me.
Office? Why? Nancy.
We encourage everybody to report accidents, even anything suspicious, but on all prank calls Prank! the over-sheriff has demanded that we have complete investigation.
It was no prank.
I saw it.
You saw it? From the sailplane.
George was with me.
Well, I would have seen it, too, but my eyes were closed.
Sheriff, if Nancy says she saw something, then I'm sure she saw something.
Something, perhaps, but a car it wasn't.
Going around that barricade we broke the axle on the patrol car.
What barricade? Nancy, that road's been closed for three years, ever since the bridge was washed out.
Well, maybe the driver drove out.
A tank couldn't have made it, and there's no other way in or out.
Now you'll have to come along with me.
I'll go with you, Ned.
We'll get this cleared up in no time.
But I saw the car.
Ned only reported it.
Nancy, let me handle it, please.
Come on, Ned.
See if your clothes are dried.
I guess it just goes to prove that you can't believe everything you see.
Not on your life.
It just means we're gonna have to take a closer look.
Maybe a tow truck hauled the car out before the police got there.
I checked that out this morning.
No tow trucks reported in this area since the bridge washed out.
Here's the barricade where they had to get out and walk.
I wanna take a closer look.
Come on.
We're on the ground now, so you can keep your eyes open.
Nancy, I've worked on a lot of important cases with you.
There's no need for you to tell What is it? This is snake country if ever I saw it.
Come on.
No wonder they broke an axle.
It figures.
But if this is the only way in Well, then why are we looking for a car that- that couldn't possibly be there? Because I saw it.
What was that? That's a loon.
They hang out at Lake Arbutus.
Why's he laughing at us? Okay, this is a dead-end road with a washed-out bridge, so you can't get here by car, right? Right.
Then how could a car have been here yesterday? Because I saw it, George.
George, did you hear something? No.
Did you? Right here is where it went off the road.
If only the rain hadn't washed away the tracks, we could prove it.
I saw a movie once.
The car disappeared into quicksand.
George, this isn't quicksand.
Come on.
Be careful.
Well, there's no sign of any car.
Would've needed a tow truck to get it out of here.
At least one.
And you said there weren't any tow truck calls in this area.
We've got a washed-out bridge, a dead-end road.
So many questions and no answers.
I know, but this is where it skidded off, George.
And it was a very unusual car.
I've never seen anything like it before.
George.
Come on.
George, this is it.
That's the car you saw? Sure looks like it.
Nancy, that a '37 Auburn.
I mean, there must be lots of those running around.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
The Antique Car Guild says there's only two of them in New England.
Sure, but the chances of one of them being on that road One of them is right here in River Heights.
Here, this is the address the man at the Antique Guild gave us.
Hello.
We're looking for Morgan Poole.
Yeah, what is it? At least we found half of him.
I need to talk to you.
If it's about a repair job, it'll have to be next week.
No.
I'm Nancy Drew.
I saw your car skid off the road yesterday.
I'd like to ask you a few questions.
My name's George.
Hi, George.
I'm sorry, but you didn't see my car.
It's locked in the garage out back.
Has been for a week.
I drive that pickup over there.
Don't you drive a brown Auburn convertible? Yeah, how'd you know? Could we see it, please? Look, I don't have a lot of time.
I have to have this finished tonight.
Please, it's really important.
Okay, back here.
As a matter of fact, I just finished restorin' it last week.
Soon as I get the new lacquer job polished, I'm putting it in a show.
You have a new paint job? $300 worth.
The greatest chinchilla upholstery you've ever seen.
Repair work's enough to support the family, but this beauty- Oh, you're married? No, my mother and sisters.
Oh.
This baby's for me.
I should be able to make enough prize money to go back to school.
Prize money? Car shows.
This is a classic.
And, uh, I rebuilt it from the frame up.
You won't see a better one.
I don't see anything.
Where is it? You should know.
I told you I haven't checked the garage in a week.
I would've called the police.
Well, I think you better do that now.
Fat chance they'll find it.
Could've been gone for a week already.
Nancy saw it yesterday.
Everybody knows that if a car isn't reported stolen in the first few hours, you couldn't get anything back but a stripped chassis.
Aren't you insured? Yeah, but book value is nothin' compared to what I owe in parts alone.
Sounds to me like you're gonna need a lawyer.
No way, I can't afford bus fare now.
Nancy's father's a lawyer.
This is the file on your policy, Morgan.
When you insured your car with us, it was for its book value, which we're not contesting.
But it's worth triple that now that I've restored it.
That's what you told me last week.
Right.
And you were going to bring me an appraisal as proof of the new value.
Yes, sir.
But I had to let the new paint job dry first.
Unfortunately, Mr.
Everett, Morgan's car was stolen before he got the appraisal.
The paint job was the last part of the restoration.
He was gonna sell the car to pay for his college tuition.
Miss Drew, the timing here is most regrettable.
But I can't run an insurance office totally on a verbal basis.
Morgan had to bring me that appraisal in order to make his new policy binding.
Mr.
Everett, don't you insurance people have what you call a "verbal binder," where you grant coverage to a person on the basis of his verbal description of the property? Yes, but that's subject to later confirmation of the facts.
Doesn't Morgan have cause for a suit here? Hold on a minute, Nance.
What I'm getting at, Mr.
Everett, is suppose Morgan were to bring you written receipts for the restoration he's done.
Now, wouldn't that be the same as an appraisal as far as your company is concerned? Well, I will admit that I am sympathetic to this young man's situation.
So in the interest of good will, I will agree to that point providing you can show me receipts that the work was actually done.
Well, uh, to tell you the truth, I'm not very good at keepin' receipts.
You see, I, uh, I traded for a lot of the parts, so I don't know that I could prove very much.
Uh, Mr.
Drew, may I speak to you for a moment alone, please? Would you excuse us? Mr.
Drew.
We have a lot of this.
Youngsters selling their hubcaps, then, uh, later reporting them stolen.
But I don't have any of those receipts.
That would be fraud.
Well, I'm afraid young people don't realize how serious it is.
Well, I think that we'd better get back to you after we check on this somewhat further.
All right.
Uh, let's go.
Thanks, Mr.
Everett.
Goodbye.
Well, uh, I've gotta get back to work.
Thank you, Mr.
Drew.
Nancy.
Now, remember it's very important that you get those receipts.
If the car isn't found within 30 days, then you collect immediately.
But the amount you collect depends upon what we can prove you spent on it.
Uh, yeah, I know.
I'll, uh, call you if I can find them, okay? Uh, Nancy, uh, Morgan Poole could be in a lot of trouble.
He could be guilty of-of a felony if he's lying about that car.
You see, I told you.
I knew it when I saw the lock.
One way to find out for sure is if you handle the case.
Oh, dear.
All right, all right.
In the meantime, I think I should take care of the rest of my practice.
So I'll see you back at the house later.
Thanks, Dad.
Bye.
Take care, Mr.
Drew.
Bye-bye.
You do the same.
Nancy, you won't be alone on the case.
I'm going all the way with this one.
Even if we do have a crook for a client.
The short of it is we owe you kids an apology.
Not that you weren't a little off in your geography, Nancy, but that's to be expected, flying around in a storm the way you were.
Well, here we are.
Well, you feel vindicated, Nancy? Disoriented is more like it.
Come on, Nancy.
There it is.
Just like you said.
It means they're gonna have to drop those misdemeanor crank call charges against me.
Oh, I'm glad about that.
It's just I don't see how I could have mistaken this ravine for the one I thought I saw it in.
They're miles apart.
Nancy, we were really being tossed around in that storm up there.
I mean, you were right.
You were wrong.
Where does that leave Morgan? I'm afraid this puts the lid on that boy.
It does look like insurance fraud.
Morgan calls the insurance company and tells them he's completed work.
They revalue the car, give him a binder on it, and then he burns the car before they can check the work.
I just don't believe he did this.
He loved that car.
Okay.
What's the matter? Well, I'm no expert but if that was chinchilla on those seats, I'm a fullback.
Well, you can play in my backfield anytime.
It isn't funny, Ned.
I believed him.
Five minutes, miss.
No more.
Hello, Morgan.
Well, here I am, a full-fledged criminal.
They found the parts hidden in your garage.
The ones you said you put on your car.
It wasn't very smart of me to leave them there, was it? No, not very.
I guess that's what bothers me the most.
They said the chinchilla was off the car, too.
They find that in the garage? Yeah.
But, you know, Morgan, I would have thought that somebody who went to as much trouble as you supposedly did, would have found a better hiding place.
You'd think so? Does that mean you still believe in me? You and in me.
I couldn't have been that off about the prevailing winds of the storm.
I know I wasn't off-course because I landed on target moments after seeing your car.
What difference does it make? The cops have their minds made up.
You're just a girl trying to help.
Thanks.
You make helping you very attractive.
I didn't mean it like that.
I just mean somebody went to a lot of trouble to put me here.
I don't know why.
But they did a good job.
It just seems hopeless.
Well, even if you're giving up, I'm not.
I don't like being made a fool of.
Talk to you later.
Well, this is great, isn't it? I thought you two sleuths had a blood pact never to split up.
Right.
It was the chance that we might crack up that turned her off.
You did the right thing in calling me.
I've been needing some stick time.
Stick time? Ned, you don't even have your glasses on.
I was hoping you'd handle the camera.
Come on, Nancy.
I have almost as many hours as you do.
Besides, I'm cleared for flying without my glasses.
That's because I fly by the seat of my pants.
Let's cut loose.
What are we? 5,000 feet? Ned, that's 500 feet! Put your glasses on.
Where are we? Never mind.
Signal to cut loose.
We'll be over the ravines soon.
Keep it steady.
Take it lower but keep the speed up.
Aye, aye, Captain.
I said, nice and steady.
Relax.
I know what I'm doing.
Use the dive breaks, take some speed off.
I was just about to do that.
Now I know how George felt.
What? Nothing.
Ned, there's a man down there.
Where? Never mind, just hold your bearing.
Did you get it? I don't know.
I hope so.
I do, too.
I couldn't see anything.
Thanks.
Hammer two.
There's a sailplane in the area flying low.
Didn't get the markings.
There's only one glider field in the area.
We'll check it when it lands.
Ned, why are we flying so low? Oh, just a little altitude problem, that's all.
Push the stick down.
Pick up some speed.
We're flying low already.
Ned! Watch out for those trees.
Let me take it.
Tighten your seat belt.
Here we go.
I loved every minute of it.
More fun than a broken roller coaster.
Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Just a couple of kids, Birch.
Just to make sure, let's get the license number on their car.
Congratulations, Nancy.
It's, uh, a nice landscape.
Well, there's a man in there.
What happened to his head? Well, Ned swooped when he should've swerved.
There was an updraft.
Could happen to anyone.
Look, that has to be a walkie-talkie.
Now, why would a man be out there in the middle of nowhere with a walkie-talkie? He could be a member of the Audubon Society.
George, that man is no bird watcher.
Now, I tend to agree.
Now, if you were a hunter, you'd need to have a gun.
And if you were a bird watcher, you'd have binoculars.
But he's got a walkie-talkie.
Why? George, you were telling me about your great hunches on this case.
Yeah, I- I've got a hunch.
What is it? I've got a hunch I should get out of here before you suggest we go back out there where that man is.
I'm sure Ned will go with me.
No, I don't think that's any place for a girl, not even two girls.
I'll go and have a look around when I finish up at the office.
But, Ned, that could be too late.
If they saw our glider, they could be getting things out of there right now.
Taking what things out? Whatever it is they're hiding with those walkie-talkies.
Nancy, you can't go out there by yourself.
And we both know where George stands.
Now, if you want my help, you're gonna have to do things my way.
I'll let you know what I find out.
That's very nice of you, Ned.
Don't mention it.
Catch you later, George.
What'd he mean by: "We all know where George stands"? I really don't know, George.
You do, too.
He's saying that I don't have the nerve to go back out there with you.
Is that what he's saying? He was also saying that you aren't capable of doing the same job he is.
Kind of makes you want to prove a point, doesn't it, George? Yes? Mr.
Drew, your daughter is on line 1.
Oh, good.
Hi, Nance.
Dad, how're we doing on Morgan Poole's bail? Well, I've been talking to the judge and I think it's gonna work out.
Great.
The judge is only going along with this because I was willing to put my reputation on the line.
Frankly, Nancy, we both think Morgan is guilty.
Well, I don't.
I think he's been framed.
But why? Who'd have any reason to go to all that trouble? I can't explain it all now, but I think it'd be a good idea if you talk to Sergeant Hooper.
Sergeant Hooper? He might have some of the answers we need.
Nancy, i-i-is there something that you're not telling me? Nothing that Ned can't explain to you later.
Dad, we're in a hurry.
Thanks a lot.
Bye.
Nance? That girl.
Let's hide.
Get back.
Well, now we know how that car that wasn't there got there.
We solved the mystery.
We can go.
But we still don't know why.
Nancy, how many mysteries can we be expected to solve in one day? It's getting dark.
Yeah.
Nancy, I know that owls come out at night.
Do snakes go in? Something's bothering me.
What? Say somebody wanted to frame Morgan, how did they know when his car was finished? He locked it up in his garage as soon as he painted it.
You thinking what I'm thinking? He's guilty.
Except that insurance agent.
What do you mean? No, nothing, it doesn't make any sense.
The only person who knew about it is the last person who'd wanna steal it.
I'm cold.
They could have driven for miles.
Not on this road.
There's no other way out of the canyon.
No wonder we didn't see it from the air.
It's so far back in the woods.
Come on.
I have a feeling if Morgan had told us everything he knew, we wouldn't have to be here.
I hope you're wrong.
Come on.
"Hurry.
" "Come on.
" You should be a drill sergeant.
No wonder we didn't see the building.
It's camouflaged.
Queens over treys.
They're even tougher-looking than the ones who drove over the gully.
I wonder what they're up to.
They're playing cards.
Let's go home.
We haven't found out anything yet.
Poker's illegal around here but hardly worth an arrest.
And upsetting those guys Let's go.
No.
Come on.
Morgan, now that you're free on bail, it might be a good time to do a little soul-searching.
Yes, sir.
I mean, the judge would take into account your youth and the fact that you wanted the money to go to college.
You mean if I plead guilty? That's right.
But I'm innocent, Mr.
Drew.
Morgan, if you're innocent, then someone has concocted the most incredible set of circumstantial evidence against you that I've ever seen.
Yeah, I guess it is kind of hard to believe.
Impossible is more like it.
I mean Do you have enemies? Uh, anyone who would want to get you into this kind of trouble? Well, I owe a guy $30 for some car parts.
But I doubt that he'd go to this much trouble to collect.
Yeah, I kind of doubt that myself.
Yes? There's a police officer to see you.
Sergeant Hooper.
Just hold on a moment.
Morgan, are you sure there's nothing else you want to tell me? Yeah, I'm sure.
You can ask Sergeant Hooper to come in, please.
Mr.
Drew.
Nice to see you again, Sergeant.
Sergeant Hooper, this is Morgan Poole.
How do you do? Sir.
Morgan, the Sergeant is with the fraud and car theft division.
Nancy thought he might be able to help.
I'd get back to you sooner, Mr.
Drew, only we've had a mess of these car thefts lately.
I thought car thieves stayed away from the more unusual models because they're so easy to spot.
They always have.
But suddenly they've become very popular with these thieves.
Uh, quite a few have been disappearing these past six months.
It's kind of strange, isn't it? Cars that are easy to spot and difficult to unload begin to disappear.
Why would that suddenly happen? Unless they were being stolen to order.
You mean they find out, for instance, that somebody's in the market for a car like mine so they find one and steal it.
Give it a new paint job, new license plates, new serial number, and they're in.
It's been done before.
But-but they'd have to have some way to locate exactly the model of car that they wanted.
Morgan's car was taken right out of his garage.
The lock wasn't even broken.
The lock wasn't broken.
It was a combination lock.
Sergeant, I'd like to have my assistant do some checking on this for you.
You remember my daughter Nancy.
Oh, yeah.
Why don't you come on to home with me, Sergeant? I have a feeling Nancy might have a lead on this already.
"Savino Wines.
" I never heard of it.
Can't be doing much business.
That building had to be abandoned before the bridge washed out.
Question is what is it now? What are we gonna do, Nancy? I don't know.
Look at this place.
Look at all the cars.
Nancy? Mr.
Drew.
What an operation.
It's a whole ring.
They steal the cars, repaint 'em, put on new license plates.
Yeah, I bet that's what they do, all right.
Now can we let the police take care of it? Took the words right out of my mouth.
What're you doing here? I asked, what are you two doing here? We're on a nature walk.
It's a school project.
Observing owls and other night creatures.
She's the one I saw landing the glider.
Come on, let's get out of here.
Close the doors.
These cars must be worth $100,000.
$200,000 by the time we get finished with them.
Look, Mister, we don't care.
Just let us go.
Let's go.
Let's go.
In here.
Keep an eye on 'em.
Mr.
Drew.
Mr.
Drew.
Nancy? Ned? George? Somebody should be home.
Mr.
Drew.
Mr.
Drew.
Yes, Ned.
Where are you? I'm on my way to find Nancy.
Where is she? I'm checking Bear Creek Road.
You'll find it marked on the map she left.
It's on your desk.
What's she doing out there again? You might find the answer in that list of stolen car data you told me to check.
Yes? Computer analyzed the geographical area, make of the car, all ownership factors- The bottom line, Ned.
the expensive models were insured by the same company.
Apex.
That's the company I'm insured with.
That makes sense.
All anyone would have to do would be to punch into the Apex computer, and they could find any make or model of car they wanted to steal.
Think I'll stop looking for stolen cars, and go talk to the people at Apex.
Uh, young man, you come along with me.
First we have to find Nancy.
Ned, have you tried to raise Nancy on the CB? Ever since I couldn't get you on the phone.
Well, keep trying, we'll be right out.
Nancy, this is Ned.
Nancy? Nancy, come in.
This is Ned.
Nancy? What do we do with those girls? Leave them right where they are.
But the cops will throw out a dragnet.
They're bound to come here sooner or later.
Yeah, but that's kidnapping! I know what it is.
We wouldn't be in this mess if you hadn't driven Poole's car off the road.
Now get a move on.
Now! Well, it looks like we owe Morgan Poole an apology.
What'd you mean? That's Mr.
Everett, the man from the insurance company, out there.
Morgan's innocent.
I'm glad.
Now it all makes sense.
Move all the cars and the equipment out as fast as you can.
You, get on the walkie-talkie and call in the guards.
Will you look at this? Now, this explains a lot.
Ned, what are you doing here? Shh.
Be quiet.
Forceful, isn't he? Come on, we're gonna have to make a run for it.
Grab those kids.
Get them.
Get 'em.
Don't let them get away.
Stop them! Don't let 'em get away.
Don't let them get away! Oh, my eyes! It's lacquer! Get in the car.
That's one way to get a parking place.
All right.
Get them out of there.
And this time put them someplace where they don't get away.
Come on! Get that guy! Don't let him get away! Move slow.
Get your hands up against the wall.
Come on.
Move along.
Move along.
Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on.
Well, Sergeant, this could mean a promotion for you.
Well, if that's so, I owe it all to Nancy.
Yeah, that's some restoration job.
Was yours this good? Better.
There'll never be another one like mine.
I don't understand why they totaled Morgan's car.
Well, it didn't cost them a dime.
They stole the car, and they did need a diversion while they found a new place to set up their operation.
Right.
The burned-out car provided an explanation for what Nancy saw from the air.
It was supposed to keep anyone from nosing around.
It almost worked.
What a waste to destroy a car like that.
Well, it'll be a while before I can afford another one.
What about the insurance money? I have to use that for my education.
I think cars are out of my life for a while.
Well, maybe not.
There should be a big reward for finding all these cars.
I didn't do anything.
Well, George thinks you deserve it.
Don't you, George? Yeah, and an apology.
I've got it made.
In eight more minutes, I'll have my Diamond Triangle.
What are you doing? I'm getting a closer look.
There's a man down there with a blinker light.
I wonder who he's signaling to.
If I had a parachute, I swear I'd jump.