Scarecrow and Mrs. King (1983) s01e11 Episode Script
Remembrance of Things Past
WOMAN [ON TV.]
: I'm afraid, Mr.
Blade.
My life's been threatened.
Lock your doors and stay inside.
Trust me.
Oh, by the way - do you own a gas mask? WOMAN: Yes, I think so.
[POPCORN CRUNCHING.]
BLADE: Okay, kid, beat it.
I don't mess around with dolls I meet on the case.
Mess around? Dolls? Case? I'm afraid you've lost me.
Buzz, where are you going? BLADE: Where do you think? Back to Barcelona Street.
WOMAN: No, Buzz, it's too dangerous, you can't go back there.
BLADE: I don't like the thought of dying, baby.
But I like totalitarianism less.
[CROWD CHATTERING AND LAUGHING.]
So now you've seen where we spend our spare time.
- Are you disappointed? - I wish you wouldn't treat me like a tourist visiting Mount Rushmore.
I wanted to see where you spend your spare time when you're not working, that's all.
Tsk.
Do all these people work for the government? Most, not all.
See the two guys over there chugging beer? - Yes.
- The one on the left is Mike Monroe from our L.
A.
Office.
The other is Cosmo Ramos.
The Mexican office? Cuban.
Monk's is neutral territory.
It's a hangout for reporters, operatives, crooks anyone who makes a buck off the international power game.
What about that woman that's come in the door? Well, is she an agent? Yeah, she's spying for the Washington Herald.
- Heh.
- That's Marcia Stone.
The guy with her is with the Tokyo Gazette.
See, sometimes we use reporters to leak information to other governments unofficially.
No.
Hello, Lee.
Hi, Marcia.
You remember J.
Nageta? - Lee.
- Sure.
- How are you? - Oh, good.
Good to see you.
Certainly is packed in here tonight.
I guess everyone's afraid to be out.
At least in here they can keep an eye on each other.
Just what are you getting at? Oh, I guess you haven't heard.
Tonight, another agent was murdered.
One of ours or one of theirs? Another one from the West.
Jean-Claude Michet.
NAGETA: Last week, an Albanian operative was killed.
It's beginning to look like ours versus theirs doesn't apply in this instance.
Just agents on both sides getting killed by parties unknown.
Did Michet's killer use the same M.
O? To the letter.
First he delivers a warning note, then the hit.
NAGETA: Whatever his reasons are he's put quite a crimp on daily operations.
It seems to us that he's got you guys running scared.
Take a look around you, Mr.
Nageta.
I don't see anybody running.
Just a figure a speech.
Well, we'll be going.
Please don't run off I mean, don't leave because of us.
We aren't.
She's got to make a plane.
AMANDA: I really do have to get home to help the boys pack.
- Mother's taking them to Williamsburg.
- Uh-huh.
Amanda, look, I apologize about in there.
Reporters just get to me, that's all, they're always trying to stir things up.
It's all right.
Sure, we're nervous about the string of murders.
Who wouldn't be? [LEE CHUCKLES.]
Well, uh, here you are.
And drive safely.
- Why don't I give you a lift? - No, no, I'll take a cab.
Wouldn't it be safer if I drove you? - Safer? - Yes.
I mean, I know I can't punch but look, if anybody tried to attack you I could confuse them to death.
You know I can.
Oh, that I do.
And believe me, when I need a black-belt confuser I will call you.
I'm gonna be okay tonight, don't worry.
What is it, Wendell? Who gave you this? [WHISPERING.]
A man who knows a man who knows a man.
What does it say? - Nothing.
- Can I see it? - Why? - Well, just because I'm nosy.
"A warning: I've got my eye on you.
" - Is this the same note that the victims got? - Mm-hm.
What are you gonna do? - Ignore it.
- Ignore it? Amanda, heh anyone could have sent this.
In my business, we get things like this all the time.
And I can't let it get to me.
No agent can and still be effective.
All right.
We know that you're strong and brave.
But I'm not, I'm scared and I'm not strong, and I'm not brave.
So just to humor me would you please let me drive you home? Please? [IN UNISON.]
Okay.
Good.
- How about I drive? - Sure.
Yeah.
There you go.
Here's your, ahem, note.
[CAT MEOWING NEARBY.]
[GARBAGE CANS CLATTERING.]
[DOG BARKING.]
[SIGHS.]
[KNOCKING ON DOOR.]
[GUN COCKS.]
[BANGING ON DOOR.]
Did I startle you, Mr.
Stetson? [SIGHS.]
Yes.
I always hate to disturb you.
I never know whether or not you're entertaining a lady friend.
- Uh, I'm alone, Mr.
Feller.
- Oh, good.
I mean, at least I'm not interrupting anything.
I know how distracting a knock at the door can be at the wrong moment.
Uh, did you need something specific, Mr.
Feller? Hmm? Oh, oh, yes, of course.
A delivery boy brought this earlier.
I signed for it.
It's quite tastefully wrapped, don't you think? - Yes, yes, it is.
Thank you, good night.
- Good night, sir.
LEE: Yes.
[GUN COCKS.]
[SIGHS.]
FRANCINE: The second and third murders were within hours of each other.
Victim number four, Marco Castelli.
Italian Intelligence, 33.
Good in the kitchen, on the tennis courts, on the dance floor and in - You were saying? - I was? Yeah, uh, good on the dance floor and good in? - Backgammon.
- Backgammon.
Mm.
One of the best.
Do you realize how many of these victims you have known? Maybe that's the common link between the victims they have all played backgammon with Francine.
These men were all young, single, good-Iooking.
Nothing politically in common none of them had ever worked the same case together.
[BILLY SIGHS.]
Lee, I'm worried about you.
Me? Oh, Francine and I haven't played backgammon in years.
BILLY: Now, wait you received the same identical warning the others got.
Too identical.
Meaning what? LEE: Well, maybe we've got a copycat practical joker.
Some prankster on the inside who's just pulling my leg.
You don't really believe that, do you? No.
But what I do believe, however is that we're not going to get to the bottom of anything if we overreact.
Espionage Dos and Don'ts, chapter two.
Bye.
[DOOR CLOSES.]
[CLOCK TICKING.]
[GRUNTS.]
[SIGHS.]
[SIGHS.]
That does it, you need protection, and I don't want any argument.
Come on.
Let's go, come on.
- Come on.
LEE: All right.
Look, are you gonna be taking me to dinner every night? What kind of agent can I be when there's somebody with me? A live one.
There are going to be guards posted at your apartment.
And you're gonna have a tail wherever you go.
- Oh, starting when? - Starting now.
Wilson's gonna meet you at the agency and follow you home.
Got it? [LEE SIGHS.]
Yeah, I got it.
Your car in the shop again? - Oh, come on, Billy.
It's a classic.
- Oh.
[ENGINE SPUTTERING.]
[LEE GRUNTING.]
[GRUNTING.]
[SCREAMS.]
[MAN SPEAKING IN CHINESE.]
I'm sure we all have similar memories of Lee Stetson.
For some, he was a loyal colleague [AMANDA WHIMPERING.]
ALEC: for others, a worthy adversary.
- Thank you.
ALEC: If nothing else Lee Stetson was a realist.
And as such he knew that all of us in this business were just fighting the odds knowing the odds could beat us all.
We know full well that tomorrow we may meet once more at each other's throats.
But we continue to do what we do in the only way we know.
Lee, que sera sera.
[CHURCH BELL RINGING.]
It's rough, I know.
[WHIMPERING.]
I never thought it would happen.
I mean, I knew that it could, but I never really thought that it would.
No one ever does.
You put it out of your mind, you keep on living.
What happens now? You go home.
Amanda, trust me.
Go on home.
Tomorrow will be better.
[SIGHS.]
Bye.
PHILIP: Grandma, I won't leave town without my Mr.
T sun visor.
- No way.
- Okay.
- Yeah.
- Ready.
Jamie, I think it's safe to assume that they have bedding in Williamsburg.
This is my squishy pillow.
I have to sleep on my squishy pillow.
Oh, okay.
[CAR HORN HONKS.]
JAMIE: Come on, we're gonna put our stuff in the car, Grandma.
[DOTTY SIGHS.]
[DOOR CLOSES.]
Amanda, honey, I'm gonna take your copy of Virginia's Forgotten Diners, okay? [AMANDA SIGHS.]
Whatever.
Why are you staring at that ficus? Oh I just don't think I have what it takes.
I mean, to water plants and walk dogs.
What does it take? [SIGHS.]
Objectivity.
You have to be professional in this work and Well, what I do is I get I get sort of attached to a plant and then when it's gone I feel like I've lost a friend.
Honey, are you all right? Do you want somebody to talk to? The boys and I can cancel our weekend trip.
No, um, I really think I probably just need to be alone.
Probably be good for me to be alone this weekend.
You just go on to Williamsburg and have fun and take lots of pictures.
JAMIE: Reverend Milton's car's here.
AMANDA: All right.
DOTTY: Good.
That's great.
You have a good time, be careful and do everything your grandmother tells you.
- Here, take this.
PHILIP: Okay.
Bye.
DOTTY: We'll be in the Plum and Pig Inn if you want us.
The number's on the fridge.
I love you.
AMANDA: Bye-bye.
I love you too.
- Okay, I'm coming.
[SIGHS.]
The hardest part about this work is the feelings.
Lee said not to get involved.
[WHIMPERING.]
He was right about that.
LEE: I never thought I'd live to hear you say that.
Actually, I didn't live to hear it.
Not officially, of course.
You're alive? You're alive and standing right here in my family room? Oh, you are.
Oh, you are.
[AMANDA LAUGHING.]
- Oh, I'm so angry with you.
- What, for being alive? No, for whatever it is you're pulling whatever secret mission it is that causes this kind of deceit.
Look, was it, uh, a nice funeral? [AMANDA GASPS.]
- Heh.
Not too fancy? - Oh, how dare you make jokes? I have been really upset about this.
I thought I'd lost a friend and that hurts.
[SNIFFS.]
And I was frightened too, and, uh Look, I know you don't like tears, I know they frighten you more than bullets so I'm sorry about this little scene.
But you brought it all on yourself because it would have been totally unnecessary if you hadn't been killed which you haven't been.
And I cared that you were dead.
And I don't care if you don't care that I care.
I do care.
Really.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
[CHUCKLES.]
- Would you like a sandwich? - That would be nice.
Good.
[AMANDA GRUNTS.]
AMANDA: Why did you do it? LEE: I almost was dead.
My pen pal, the guy that wrote me that note at Monk's he attacked me three days ago.
Almost made good his threat.
- Are you okay? - Except for a little vent in my left shoulder.
Billy and I figured that if the killer thought I was dead he'd feel free to move on to the next victim.
He'd never suspect I was investigating my own murder.
Now, you and Billy are the only two that know the plan.
- You got any milk? - In the refrigerator.
How are you gonna investigate if you're dead? You can't show your face.
Who's going to do your legwork? I mean, if Billy and I are the only two who know that you? Oh.
Amanda, I'm not crazy about the idea either.
The killer is obviously very plugged into the intelligence community and Billy wanted someone the guy wouldn't know.
If I volunteer, what would be our game plan? Where would we rendezvous, where would our, um, headquarters be? See, now, this part is either incredibly convenient or incredibly awkward, depending on your answer.
- To what question? - Can I stay here? No.
No one I know would ever look for me here and everyone you know is out of town.
So if you could just get past the psychological barrier everything would be great.
So where do you want me to put my things? Hmm? Guatemala.
When my husband was murdered, I felt I had to say something.
BLADE [ON STEREO.]
: This case is devilish.
Whoever our killer is, he's very cagey.
Last night, he attacked Blade with a knife in the back of his Jaguar.
This morning, Joe was found hanging in his office by his temp secretary too.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING.]
WOMAN: I wonder if this has something to do with that submarine.
You never mentioned a submarine.
WOMAN: Didn't I? - No.
WOMAN: Didn't I mention that? I'm so sure.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING.]
BLADE: No, you didn't.
Tough to forget.
WOMAN: Oh, dear.
I hope you don't think I'm just a silly woman.
BLADE: I never met a woman I thought was silly.
Dangerous, yes.
Deadly, yes.
Poison, yes.
But not silly.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING.]
What are you doing here so late? Oh, submitting my, uh, lunch receipt so I get reimbursed.
Two months of tuna melts.
Heh.
I guess I'm looking for excuses to stay here too.
It's very frightening to think that the killer could be any one of us here in Intelligence.
And I'm the one who always pooh-poohed backstabbing.
[WOMAN 1 SCREAMS NEARBY.]
WOMAN 2 [O VER PA.]
: Attention.
All sectors, code 14.
Attention, code 14.
GUARD: No further, Miss Desmond.
What's going on, sergeant? What is everybody looking at? - Special agent Vernon, ma'am.
- Vernon? Vernon's off duty, what's he doing here? [SIGHS.]
AMANDA: Where did you learn to cook Japanese food? Japan.
You want some more? Um - No, thank you.
- Oh.
Uh, it's just not the same without enoki mushrooms.
- It compliments the taste of the squid.
- Hmm.
This is really rather interesting.
It's a domestic side of you that I just didn't expect.
A man's got to eat, you know? I thought that probably one of your lady friends boiled you a lamb chop every now and then or something.
Heh, you can't always count on lady friends being able to cook.
That's one of the advantages I've had to bumming around the world half my life.
- Learning how to throw together a meal.
- Oh.
Ha, ha.
- Well, let's get going.
- Where are we going? I want to check out the King Edward Apartment Hotel before they rent room 1204.
What's in room 1204? That's where Jean-Claude was killed.
The French agent.
Don't you think the police have already checked it out? How much attention do they give the murder of a scrap-metal dealer in a hotel for transients? But Jean-Claude was an agent.
So the French government must have had to tell the investigators something.
Hmm.
The minimum.
France can't acknowledge his real identity without compromising future missions.
All right, well, um, I'll just get my coat and, uh, you take these dishes and scrape them and just put them in the dishwasher.
- Yes.
- I'll do the rest later.
Do you have something I can borrow? I don't want to be recognized.
Uh, sure, I think I can Yeah, I can find something.
LEE: I hate plaid.
I look like the front seat of a DeSoto.
AMANDA: Well, listen, I'm sorry but you said you didn't want to be recognized and Dean likes plaid.
- Excuse me - Full up.
Thank you.
- Are you sure? - Yep.
Do you suppose that you could find a vacancy for $ 100? Twenty dollars - Take your pick.
- Thank you.
- Name? - Smythe.
Well, it's actually Smythe, with a Y.
And an E.
A hundred dollars.
How am I supposed to know what the current bribery rates are? A hundred dollars seemed fair to me.
In this neighborhood, you can rent a city block for that.
Oh, renting a room with no luggage.
Can you imagine what that desk clerk must think? [CHUCKLES.]
Amanda, did you see that guy? I mean, do you really care what he thinks? Believe me, he's seen worse than a lousy one-nighter.
Hmm? - Which this isn't.
- Thank you.
[POLICE SIREN WAILING NEARBY.]
[LEE CLEARS THRO AT.]
- Lee? - Hmm? What am I looking for? Uh, anything, you know, suspicious.
Some of his things are still here.
- Don't they ever clean these places? - Are you kidding? "It was the best of times" [AMANDA SCREAMS.]
Lee! [AMANDA GRUNTING.]
LEE: Amanda? AMANDA: Lee.
Lee, help! [LEE GRUNTING.]
AMANDA: He went out the window.
[CAT MEOWS.]
[AMANDA GRO ANS.]
You okay, huh? [AMANDA GRO ANS.]
AMANDA: Yeah? - Yeah.
[AMANDA SIGHS.]
So now he's tried to kill both of us.
Couldn't we just get out of here before that man comes back? We can leave when we find something we might be able to use.
But so far, there is nothing unusual in this place.
Except a crazy man in the bathroom.
If he was the killer, he must have come back for something.
Something that he left behind when he killed Jean-Claude.
How about this? - What is it? - Ticket stub.
To the Bonnie View Drive-in.
That's your idea of something unusual? Well, it's the most unusual thing I could find in the bathroom.
It was on the floor.
It wasn't there before the man came in the window.
I think he dropped it in the fight.
- He dropped it? - Mm-hm.
[BANGING ON DOOR.]
- Amanda, get in the bed.
- What? - Just do it, will you? CLERK: What's going on in there? Open up.
[LEE SIGHS.]
- What's all the ruckus in here? - Ruckus? Yeah, there's screaming and pounding and yelling.
Eddie, the alcoholic, says it sounds like World War III.
LEE: Hey, now, look, man.
Me and the chick here paid for some privacy and we expect it, so beat it, huh? Tell Eddie, the alcoholic, to put in his earplugs if he don't like it.
AMANDA: Yeah.
- Look, I run a nice, clean joint here.
You got five minutes to clear out or I call the cops.
Do you know what it must take to offend that man's sense of decency? - I'm so glad that I was the one to do it.
- Oh, God, let's get out of here.
We're not gonna find much more anyway.
AMANDA: What did we find? - We've got your drive-in ticket and this.
- What is it? - I pried it off the back of the TV set.
- What for? I don't know.
It's the property of the J.
C.
Neeman Company.
Oh, they're the people who do the television ratings.
These boxes record what the television was turned to at any given hour.
[SCOFFS.]
Looks like our French spy, Jean-Claude, was a Neeman family.
Come on.
[RUSTLING NEARBY.]
AMANDA: Two Turkish cigarettes and a Coney Island ashtray a novel called Attack of the Extremities, page 34 was turned down.
Everything that you noticed in Jean-Claude's room was noted and logged by our people when we swept the place except, of course, for the ticket stub to the Bonnie View Drive-in.
The man dropped it when he was choking me.
Excellent.
Does Lee really think it's important to know what Jean-Claude watched on TV? I don't know, I guess he does.
Will the Neeman Company cooperate? One of their people is examining the box now.
He should have the results by the time you leave.
Lee thinks that the killer came back to the room for something that he left there.
Assuming that the man that climbed in the window was the killer and not some maniac prowler.
Killers, maniacs, prowlers.
You know, before I came to work for you people the worst person in my life was a grumpy milkman.
Tell Lee that we haven't got a thing yet on the agent that was killed here in the office.
Yes, sir.
So that means that it could be one of you.
Us.
Tell Lee that we're rechecking all of our personnel files.
- Yes, sir.
- Billy, these are the Oh, Amanda.
You're here.
I was under the impression that you only worked with us in connection with Lee.
Uh, well, I was very upset and, uh, Billy was trying to console me.
- Oh, buck up, Mrs.
King.
- Yes.
Thank you, that helps.
I'd better go now.
Amanda, believe me.
I know how you feel.
AMANDA: Yes.
- I, uh Of course, I'm very sorry about your dashed career.
Thank you, Francine.
If you'll excuse me, I'd really better go.
- I'll see you out.
AMANDA: Goodbye, now.
Bye.
[SIGHS.]
That was the worst movie I have ever seen.
I wonder why the killer had a ticket to a Buzz Blade movie.
- Maybe he was a Russell Sinclair fan.
- Who? Russell Sinclair, Buzz Blade in the movie.
Oh.
Don't you remember his TV show in the '60s? - You know, uh, Buzz Blade, Secret Spy.
- Yeah.
Whatever happened to him? That movie.
He left the series to make it.
It was a real bomb.
Disappeared right after it came out.
Why would they rerelease such a bad movie? You see that place? It was packed.
People come in there to have a good laugh.
Hello.
What is it? Guess what was on TV the night Jean-Claude was killed.
- I don't know.
- Buzz Blade, Secret Spy.
Right here.
The TV was turned on at 1:30 a.
m.
So he was a Secret Spy fan and he watched television at 1:30.
He couldn't have watched television at 1:30 in the morning.
Why not? Because his death was fixed prior to midnight.
Oh.
- I'll get something to eat, I can think better.
- Wait a minute.
- We just got here.
- Well, we can leave again.
Come on, I get fidgety.
You're supposed to be dead.
You can't be seen.
[SIGHS.]
I'm sick of being dead.
I miss my apartment, I miss restaurants, I miss nightclubs.
This is probably very healthy for you.
No, really.
Real people do not go to restaurants and nightclubs every night.
They stay home and make hamburgers and watch television.
Amanda.
Are you going to try to make me into a real person again? No.
But the exposure certainly couldn't do you any harm.
Okay, okay, make the hamburgers.
I'll go pick us out a nice Beaujolais to go with them.
What? Where do you keep your wines? Well, there might be a half-bottle of something or other in the refrigerator.
I see.
- I'll just have to add that to my list.
- What list? I want you to pick up some things in my apartment in the morning.
Uh, aftershave, a couple of sweaters and a small but provocative selection of wines.
Huh? - Are you going somewhere? - What do you mean? Well, there's a bunch of suitcases right there.
- What's wrong? DOTTY: Amanda, is that you? - That.
Get out of here.
- Um I didn't hear you come in.
Oh, you will never dream what happened.
- Everything all right? - Oh, we almost drowned trying to sightsee.
This terrible storm hit.
It's on its way here now.
- The boys are upstairs, asleep.
- Good.
I didn't leave this door open.
Did you come in this way? - Yes, Mother.
- Oh, good.
I am going to have myself a glass of milk with a splash of Galliano.
- Can I get you something? - No, Mother.
- You're sure? - I'm sure, thank you, though.
Amanda, are you feeling all right? [THUNDER RUMBLING.]
Uh, yes, Mother, I feel fine.
I'll tell you something, it is going to be a mess outside.
Now, I am just gonna take this upstairs and drink it.
- I'll clean it up.
- Oh, okay.
- I'll take care of it.
- I love you.
- Good night.
- Good night.
Sweet dreams.
DOTTY: Uh-huh.
[PHONE RINGS.]
Hello? [WHISPERING.]
Yes, he is.
Sure, just a minute.
- Lee.
LEE [WHISPERING.]
: Yeah.
DOTTY: Amanda? LEE: Ow.
[IN NORMAL VOICE.]
Yes, Mother? DOTTY: Honey, was that for me? - Uh, no, Mother.
Am I comfortable at Amanda's? Huh.
She's moving me into the garage.
I should be much better there.
What's up? We've gone back through all of our personnel records as you suggested.
LEE: Did you find anything? Some of our employees have incomplete records.
We're missing employment data, birthdate, and some background details.
All hired at the same time by the same personnel officer.
Yeah, well, I think I should talk to that personnel officer.
Well, she's not with us any longer.
She retired about three years ago.
Well, let's find her, Billy.
I mean, let's find her.
"Address book in desk, extra-firm blue toothbrush any lively Chardonnay of my choice.
Oh, Slippers" Address book in desk.
Extra-firm blue toothbrush.
[KNOCKING ON DOOR.]
AMANDA: Oh, hello.
- Hi.
- I'm Floyd Feller, the doorman.
- Oh, yes, I know, we've met.
I've been so distressed ever since I heard of Mr.
Stetson's passing.
Oh.
- A man so young doesn't deserve that.
- No.
No matter how degenerate his lifestyle.
- Now, why are you here? - Oh, I'm just picking up a few things.
- What? - I'm a relative.
Oh, I had assumed you were one of his lady friends.
- No.
- Do you mean to say that relatives are fighting over his things already? Not that it's any of my business.
Well, I guess we're just that sort of family.
I'm sorry, but you'll just have to excuse me.
I want to grab the teapot before Aunt Ellie gets here.
- Oh, dear.
Oh, my.
- I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude.
[AMANDA SCREAMING.]
LEE: I had a hell of a time tracking you down, Mrs.
Peters.
Uh, I wanted to ask you a little bit about your days at the agency.
Oh, I was such a mess then.
Tension, pressure, ulcers, migraines.
Going to work was like having my fingernails pulled out.
Mrs.
Peters, when you were personnel officer at the agency you interviewed and hired a lot of people.
That place chewed them up and spit them out.
Yeah.
I know.
There are certain irregularities in a few of the job applications that you processed.
Is that why you're here? Does Buzz Blade, Secret Spy mean anything to you? What do you know about that? If you tell me what you know we may keep some people from getting murdered.
Russell Sinclair was very successful in his Buzz Blade television series so successful that he wanted to get out of the show so he could make the Buzz Blade movie.
Yeah, I know that.
During the making of the film there was a terrible accident on the last day of the production.
He was almost killed.
After a year of treatment Russell finally came out of the hospital, terribly disfigured.
No career, no money.
Uh, that's when I met him.
How did you meet him? He showed up at the agency one day, begging for a job.
He'd played a secret agent for so many years I think he thought he really was one.
- So you hired him? - Yes.
Janitor, night shift.
Non-classified levels.
That was 15 years ago.
He had several more operations that did improve his appearance, but his self-image was shot.
- And you promised you'd never tell? - Yeah, I wanted to protect him.
And now you think he may kill someone? I think he already has.
It is so good to know just how highly regarded I am here.
An operation of this kind of importance and am I informed? No, I am not informed.
Francine, it was a need-to-know only.
No one knew except Lee, myself and Mrs.
King.
- Amanda King knew about this? - Lee had to have some place to stay.
Oh, ha, ha, of course.
[INTERCOM BUZZES.]
[FRANCINE SCOFFS.]
Yes? I'll take it.
Billy.
I just talked to Mrs.
Peters.
I think I may have a line on our killer.
Lee, Francine went out to the cemetery.
Your grave had been opened.
I think this maniac is on to us.
Hello, Lee? Amanda? Amanda? I've been expecting your call, Mr.
Stetson.
If you want to see her alive again, you'll come here.
Alone.
MAN: Mrs.
King.
I I think I can put my finger on the precise moment I knew they had to die.
- Who had to die? - All of them.
All these dashing, young agents.
They had no right to do the things I could no longer do.
I was better than them.
- But you were an actor.
- I was Buzz Blade, Mrs.
King.
I could have been Buzz Blade forever.
Except for that accident.
Mr.
Sinclair, I'm no expert on this sort of thing but I really think that you could use some help.
The film was virtually complete the day of the explosion.
They were able to release it.
It didn't do well.
When I heard it was going to be released again I felt I was given a second chance at life.
They opened it in drive-ins.
"Okay," I thought.
A lot of successful films open in drive-ins.
Oh, and it is very successful.
Yes, I mean, the night that I was there, the place was packed, there were Yes.
They come.
They They come to laugh.
They throw beer cans at the screen.
Mr.
Sinclair what are you going to do with me? Mrs.
King, I have nothing whatsoever against you.
Unfortunately, in the process of killing Mr.
Stetson I'll probably kill you too.
The set looked very much like this the day I shot my final scene.
I remember thinking, "This looks very realistic.
" Then I woke up in intensive care.
Mr.
Sinclair, you're going to blow the whole building up.
Indeed.
Drop the gun, Mr.
Stetson.
[LEE SIGHS.]
[GRUNTING AND SHOUTING.]
LEE: Sinclair, hold it.
[SINCLAIR GRUNTS.]
[SINCLAIR SCREAMS.]
Lee, we have a burning fuse in here.
FELLER: Hello? - Hello! I know something funny is going on now.
LEE: Well, Mr.
Feller.
Well, how you doing? Nice day, isn't it? [SIGHS.]
Well, forgive me, Mr.
Stetson.
I guess what you do in the privacy of your apartment is your business.
Goodnight, sir.
What happened to Mr.
Sinclair? He lost.
- Poor man.
- Yeah.
I'll call Billy, have him send some people over.
You okay? Oh, yeah, sure, I'm fine.
- You're sure? - Oh, yes.
- All right.
- Well I guess this means you're back to the land of the living.
Yeah, right.
Oh, God, am I glad to be back.
Yeah, I guess we won't be able to have those hamburgers and wine at your place.
You know, like real people? No, I guess you'll be able to go back to your fancy restaurants and nightclubs.
LEE: Mm-hm.
You're not disappointed, though, are you? Me? No.
- Are you? - Me? No.
Hmm.
Uh, Lee? Oh, yeah.
[CHUCKLES.]
: I'm afraid, Mr.
Blade.
My life's been threatened.
Lock your doors and stay inside.
Trust me.
Oh, by the way - do you own a gas mask? WOMAN: Yes, I think so.
[POPCORN CRUNCHING.]
BLADE: Okay, kid, beat it.
I don't mess around with dolls I meet on the case.
Mess around? Dolls? Case? I'm afraid you've lost me.
Buzz, where are you going? BLADE: Where do you think? Back to Barcelona Street.
WOMAN: No, Buzz, it's too dangerous, you can't go back there.
BLADE: I don't like the thought of dying, baby.
But I like totalitarianism less.
[CROWD CHATTERING AND LAUGHING.]
So now you've seen where we spend our spare time.
- Are you disappointed? - I wish you wouldn't treat me like a tourist visiting Mount Rushmore.
I wanted to see where you spend your spare time when you're not working, that's all.
Tsk.
Do all these people work for the government? Most, not all.
See the two guys over there chugging beer? - Yes.
- The one on the left is Mike Monroe from our L.
A.
Office.
The other is Cosmo Ramos.
The Mexican office? Cuban.
Monk's is neutral territory.
It's a hangout for reporters, operatives, crooks anyone who makes a buck off the international power game.
What about that woman that's come in the door? Well, is she an agent? Yeah, she's spying for the Washington Herald.
- Heh.
- That's Marcia Stone.
The guy with her is with the Tokyo Gazette.
See, sometimes we use reporters to leak information to other governments unofficially.
No.
Hello, Lee.
Hi, Marcia.
You remember J.
Nageta? - Lee.
- Sure.
- How are you? - Oh, good.
Good to see you.
Certainly is packed in here tonight.
I guess everyone's afraid to be out.
At least in here they can keep an eye on each other.
Just what are you getting at? Oh, I guess you haven't heard.
Tonight, another agent was murdered.
One of ours or one of theirs? Another one from the West.
Jean-Claude Michet.
NAGETA: Last week, an Albanian operative was killed.
It's beginning to look like ours versus theirs doesn't apply in this instance.
Just agents on both sides getting killed by parties unknown.
Did Michet's killer use the same M.
O? To the letter.
First he delivers a warning note, then the hit.
NAGETA: Whatever his reasons are he's put quite a crimp on daily operations.
It seems to us that he's got you guys running scared.
Take a look around you, Mr.
Nageta.
I don't see anybody running.
Just a figure a speech.
Well, we'll be going.
Please don't run off I mean, don't leave because of us.
We aren't.
She's got to make a plane.
AMANDA: I really do have to get home to help the boys pack.
- Mother's taking them to Williamsburg.
- Uh-huh.
Amanda, look, I apologize about in there.
Reporters just get to me, that's all, they're always trying to stir things up.
It's all right.
Sure, we're nervous about the string of murders.
Who wouldn't be? [LEE CHUCKLES.]
Well, uh, here you are.
And drive safely.
- Why don't I give you a lift? - No, no, I'll take a cab.
Wouldn't it be safer if I drove you? - Safer? - Yes.
I mean, I know I can't punch but look, if anybody tried to attack you I could confuse them to death.
You know I can.
Oh, that I do.
And believe me, when I need a black-belt confuser I will call you.
I'm gonna be okay tonight, don't worry.
What is it, Wendell? Who gave you this? [WHISPERING.]
A man who knows a man who knows a man.
What does it say? - Nothing.
- Can I see it? - Why? - Well, just because I'm nosy.
"A warning: I've got my eye on you.
" - Is this the same note that the victims got? - Mm-hm.
What are you gonna do? - Ignore it.
- Ignore it? Amanda, heh anyone could have sent this.
In my business, we get things like this all the time.
And I can't let it get to me.
No agent can and still be effective.
All right.
We know that you're strong and brave.
But I'm not, I'm scared and I'm not strong, and I'm not brave.
So just to humor me would you please let me drive you home? Please? [IN UNISON.]
Okay.
Good.
- How about I drive? - Sure.
Yeah.
There you go.
Here's your, ahem, note.
[CAT MEOWING NEARBY.]
[GARBAGE CANS CLATTERING.]
[DOG BARKING.]
[SIGHS.]
[KNOCKING ON DOOR.]
[GUN COCKS.]
[BANGING ON DOOR.]
Did I startle you, Mr.
Stetson? [SIGHS.]
Yes.
I always hate to disturb you.
I never know whether or not you're entertaining a lady friend.
- Uh, I'm alone, Mr.
Feller.
- Oh, good.
I mean, at least I'm not interrupting anything.
I know how distracting a knock at the door can be at the wrong moment.
Uh, did you need something specific, Mr.
Feller? Hmm? Oh, oh, yes, of course.
A delivery boy brought this earlier.
I signed for it.
It's quite tastefully wrapped, don't you think? - Yes, yes, it is.
Thank you, good night.
- Good night, sir.
LEE: Yes.
[GUN COCKS.]
[SIGHS.]
FRANCINE: The second and third murders were within hours of each other.
Victim number four, Marco Castelli.
Italian Intelligence, 33.
Good in the kitchen, on the tennis courts, on the dance floor and in - You were saying? - I was? Yeah, uh, good on the dance floor and good in? - Backgammon.
- Backgammon.
Mm.
One of the best.
Do you realize how many of these victims you have known? Maybe that's the common link between the victims they have all played backgammon with Francine.
These men were all young, single, good-Iooking.
Nothing politically in common none of them had ever worked the same case together.
[BILLY SIGHS.]
Lee, I'm worried about you.
Me? Oh, Francine and I haven't played backgammon in years.
BILLY: Now, wait you received the same identical warning the others got.
Too identical.
Meaning what? LEE: Well, maybe we've got a copycat practical joker.
Some prankster on the inside who's just pulling my leg.
You don't really believe that, do you? No.
But what I do believe, however is that we're not going to get to the bottom of anything if we overreact.
Espionage Dos and Don'ts, chapter two.
Bye.
[DOOR CLOSES.]
[CLOCK TICKING.]
[GRUNTS.]
[SIGHS.]
[SIGHS.]
That does it, you need protection, and I don't want any argument.
Come on.
Let's go, come on.
- Come on.
LEE: All right.
Look, are you gonna be taking me to dinner every night? What kind of agent can I be when there's somebody with me? A live one.
There are going to be guards posted at your apartment.
And you're gonna have a tail wherever you go.
- Oh, starting when? - Starting now.
Wilson's gonna meet you at the agency and follow you home.
Got it? [LEE SIGHS.]
Yeah, I got it.
Your car in the shop again? - Oh, come on, Billy.
It's a classic.
- Oh.
[ENGINE SPUTTERING.]
[LEE GRUNTING.]
[GRUNTING.]
[SCREAMS.]
[MAN SPEAKING IN CHINESE.]
I'm sure we all have similar memories of Lee Stetson.
For some, he was a loyal colleague [AMANDA WHIMPERING.]
ALEC: for others, a worthy adversary.
- Thank you.
ALEC: If nothing else Lee Stetson was a realist.
And as such he knew that all of us in this business were just fighting the odds knowing the odds could beat us all.
We know full well that tomorrow we may meet once more at each other's throats.
But we continue to do what we do in the only way we know.
Lee, que sera sera.
[CHURCH BELL RINGING.]
It's rough, I know.
[WHIMPERING.]
I never thought it would happen.
I mean, I knew that it could, but I never really thought that it would.
No one ever does.
You put it out of your mind, you keep on living.
What happens now? You go home.
Amanda, trust me.
Go on home.
Tomorrow will be better.
[SIGHS.]
Bye.
PHILIP: Grandma, I won't leave town without my Mr.
T sun visor.
- No way.
- Okay.
- Yeah.
- Ready.
Jamie, I think it's safe to assume that they have bedding in Williamsburg.
This is my squishy pillow.
I have to sleep on my squishy pillow.
Oh, okay.
[CAR HORN HONKS.]
JAMIE: Come on, we're gonna put our stuff in the car, Grandma.
[DOTTY SIGHS.]
[DOOR CLOSES.]
Amanda, honey, I'm gonna take your copy of Virginia's Forgotten Diners, okay? [AMANDA SIGHS.]
Whatever.
Why are you staring at that ficus? Oh I just don't think I have what it takes.
I mean, to water plants and walk dogs.
What does it take? [SIGHS.]
Objectivity.
You have to be professional in this work and Well, what I do is I get I get sort of attached to a plant and then when it's gone I feel like I've lost a friend.
Honey, are you all right? Do you want somebody to talk to? The boys and I can cancel our weekend trip.
No, um, I really think I probably just need to be alone.
Probably be good for me to be alone this weekend.
You just go on to Williamsburg and have fun and take lots of pictures.
JAMIE: Reverend Milton's car's here.
AMANDA: All right.
DOTTY: Good.
That's great.
You have a good time, be careful and do everything your grandmother tells you.
- Here, take this.
PHILIP: Okay.
Bye.
DOTTY: We'll be in the Plum and Pig Inn if you want us.
The number's on the fridge.
I love you.
AMANDA: Bye-bye.
I love you too.
- Okay, I'm coming.
[SIGHS.]
The hardest part about this work is the feelings.
Lee said not to get involved.
[WHIMPERING.]
He was right about that.
LEE: I never thought I'd live to hear you say that.
Actually, I didn't live to hear it.
Not officially, of course.
You're alive? You're alive and standing right here in my family room? Oh, you are.
Oh, you are.
[AMANDA LAUGHING.]
- Oh, I'm so angry with you.
- What, for being alive? No, for whatever it is you're pulling whatever secret mission it is that causes this kind of deceit.
Look, was it, uh, a nice funeral? [AMANDA GASPS.]
- Heh.
Not too fancy? - Oh, how dare you make jokes? I have been really upset about this.
I thought I'd lost a friend and that hurts.
[SNIFFS.]
And I was frightened too, and, uh Look, I know you don't like tears, I know they frighten you more than bullets so I'm sorry about this little scene.
But you brought it all on yourself because it would have been totally unnecessary if you hadn't been killed which you haven't been.
And I cared that you were dead.
And I don't care if you don't care that I care.
I do care.
Really.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
[CHUCKLES.]
- Would you like a sandwich? - That would be nice.
Good.
[AMANDA GRUNTS.]
AMANDA: Why did you do it? LEE: I almost was dead.
My pen pal, the guy that wrote me that note at Monk's he attacked me three days ago.
Almost made good his threat.
- Are you okay? - Except for a little vent in my left shoulder.
Billy and I figured that if the killer thought I was dead he'd feel free to move on to the next victim.
He'd never suspect I was investigating my own murder.
Now, you and Billy are the only two that know the plan.
- You got any milk? - In the refrigerator.
How are you gonna investigate if you're dead? You can't show your face.
Who's going to do your legwork? I mean, if Billy and I are the only two who know that you? Oh.
Amanda, I'm not crazy about the idea either.
The killer is obviously very plugged into the intelligence community and Billy wanted someone the guy wouldn't know.
If I volunteer, what would be our game plan? Where would we rendezvous, where would our, um, headquarters be? See, now, this part is either incredibly convenient or incredibly awkward, depending on your answer.
- To what question? - Can I stay here? No.
No one I know would ever look for me here and everyone you know is out of town.
So if you could just get past the psychological barrier everything would be great.
So where do you want me to put my things? Hmm? Guatemala.
When my husband was murdered, I felt I had to say something.
BLADE [ON STEREO.]
: This case is devilish.
Whoever our killer is, he's very cagey.
Last night, he attacked Blade with a knife in the back of his Jaguar.
This morning, Joe was found hanging in his office by his temp secretary too.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING.]
WOMAN: I wonder if this has something to do with that submarine.
You never mentioned a submarine.
WOMAN: Didn't I? - No.
WOMAN: Didn't I mention that? I'm so sure.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING.]
BLADE: No, you didn't.
Tough to forget.
WOMAN: Oh, dear.
I hope you don't think I'm just a silly woman.
BLADE: I never met a woman I thought was silly.
Dangerous, yes.
Deadly, yes.
Poison, yes.
But not silly.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING.]
What are you doing here so late? Oh, submitting my, uh, lunch receipt so I get reimbursed.
Two months of tuna melts.
Heh.
I guess I'm looking for excuses to stay here too.
It's very frightening to think that the killer could be any one of us here in Intelligence.
And I'm the one who always pooh-poohed backstabbing.
[WOMAN 1 SCREAMS NEARBY.]
WOMAN 2 [O VER PA.]
: Attention.
All sectors, code 14.
Attention, code 14.
GUARD: No further, Miss Desmond.
What's going on, sergeant? What is everybody looking at? - Special agent Vernon, ma'am.
- Vernon? Vernon's off duty, what's he doing here? [SIGHS.]
AMANDA: Where did you learn to cook Japanese food? Japan.
You want some more? Um - No, thank you.
- Oh.
Uh, it's just not the same without enoki mushrooms.
- It compliments the taste of the squid.
- Hmm.
This is really rather interesting.
It's a domestic side of you that I just didn't expect.
A man's got to eat, you know? I thought that probably one of your lady friends boiled you a lamb chop every now and then or something.
Heh, you can't always count on lady friends being able to cook.
That's one of the advantages I've had to bumming around the world half my life.
- Learning how to throw together a meal.
- Oh.
Ha, ha.
- Well, let's get going.
- Where are we going? I want to check out the King Edward Apartment Hotel before they rent room 1204.
What's in room 1204? That's where Jean-Claude was killed.
The French agent.
Don't you think the police have already checked it out? How much attention do they give the murder of a scrap-metal dealer in a hotel for transients? But Jean-Claude was an agent.
So the French government must have had to tell the investigators something.
Hmm.
The minimum.
France can't acknowledge his real identity without compromising future missions.
All right, well, um, I'll just get my coat and, uh, you take these dishes and scrape them and just put them in the dishwasher.
- Yes.
- I'll do the rest later.
Do you have something I can borrow? I don't want to be recognized.
Uh, sure, I think I can Yeah, I can find something.
LEE: I hate plaid.
I look like the front seat of a DeSoto.
AMANDA: Well, listen, I'm sorry but you said you didn't want to be recognized and Dean likes plaid.
- Excuse me - Full up.
Thank you.
- Are you sure? - Yep.
Do you suppose that you could find a vacancy for $ 100? Twenty dollars - Take your pick.
- Thank you.
- Name? - Smythe.
Well, it's actually Smythe, with a Y.
And an E.
A hundred dollars.
How am I supposed to know what the current bribery rates are? A hundred dollars seemed fair to me.
In this neighborhood, you can rent a city block for that.
Oh, renting a room with no luggage.
Can you imagine what that desk clerk must think? [CHUCKLES.]
Amanda, did you see that guy? I mean, do you really care what he thinks? Believe me, he's seen worse than a lousy one-nighter.
Hmm? - Which this isn't.
- Thank you.
[POLICE SIREN WAILING NEARBY.]
[LEE CLEARS THRO AT.]
- Lee? - Hmm? What am I looking for? Uh, anything, you know, suspicious.
Some of his things are still here.
- Don't they ever clean these places? - Are you kidding? "It was the best of times" [AMANDA SCREAMS.]
Lee! [AMANDA GRUNTING.]
LEE: Amanda? AMANDA: Lee.
Lee, help! [LEE GRUNTING.]
AMANDA: He went out the window.
[CAT MEOWS.]
[AMANDA GRO ANS.]
You okay, huh? [AMANDA GRO ANS.]
AMANDA: Yeah? - Yeah.
[AMANDA SIGHS.]
So now he's tried to kill both of us.
Couldn't we just get out of here before that man comes back? We can leave when we find something we might be able to use.
But so far, there is nothing unusual in this place.
Except a crazy man in the bathroom.
If he was the killer, he must have come back for something.
Something that he left behind when he killed Jean-Claude.
How about this? - What is it? - Ticket stub.
To the Bonnie View Drive-in.
That's your idea of something unusual? Well, it's the most unusual thing I could find in the bathroom.
It was on the floor.
It wasn't there before the man came in the window.
I think he dropped it in the fight.
- He dropped it? - Mm-hm.
[BANGING ON DOOR.]
- Amanda, get in the bed.
- What? - Just do it, will you? CLERK: What's going on in there? Open up.
[LEE SIGHS.]
- What's all the ruckus in here? - Ruckus? Yeah, there's screaming and pounding and yelling.
Eddie, the alcoholic, says it sounds like World War III.
LEE: Hey, now, look, man.
Me and the chick here paid for some privacy and we expect it, so beat it, huh? Tell Eddie, the alcoholic, to put in his earplugs if he don't like it.
AMANDA: Yeah.
- Look, I run a nice, clean joint here.
You got five minutes to clear out or I call the cops.
Do you know what it must take to offend that man's sense of decency? - I'm so glad that I was the one to do it.
- Oh, God, let's get out of here.
We're not gonna find much more anyway.
AMANDA: What did we find? - We've got your drive-in ticket and this.
- What is it? - I pried it off the back of the TV set.
- What for? I don't know.
It's the property of the J.
C.
Neeman Company.
Oh, they're the people who do the television ratings.
These boxes record what the television was turned to at any given hour.
[SCOFFS.]
Looks like our French spy, Jean-Claude, was a Neeman family.
Come on.
[RUSTLING NEARBY.]
AMANDA: Two Turkish cigarettes and a Coney Island ashtray a novel called Attack of the Extremities, page 34 was turned down.
Everything that you noticed in Jean-Claude's room was noted and logged by our people when we swept the place except, of course, for the ticket stub to the Bonnie View Drive-in.
The man dropped it when he was choking me.
Excellent.
Does Lee really think it's important to know what Jean-Claude watched on TV? I don't know, I guess he does.
Will the Neeman Company cooperate? One of their people is examining the box now.
He should have the results by the time you leave.
Lee thinks that the killer came back to the room for something that he left there.
Assuming that the man that climbed in the window was the killer and not some maniac prowler.
Killers, maniacs, prowlers.
You know, before I came to work for you people the worst person in my life was a grumpy milkman.
Tell Lee that we haven't got a thing yet on the agent that was killed here in the office.
Yes, sir.
So that means that it could be one of you.
Us.
Tell Lee that we're rechecking all of our personnel files.
- Yes, sir.
- Billy, these are the Oh, Amanda.
You're here.
I was under the impression that you only worked with us in connection with Lee.
Uh, well, I was very upset and, uh, Billy was trying to console me.
- Oh, buck up, Mrs.
King.
- Yes.
Thank you, that helps.
I'd better go now.
Amanda, believe me.
I know how you feel.
AMANDA: Yes.
- I, uh Of course, I'm very sorry about your dashed career.
Thank you, Francine.
If you'll excuse me, I'd really better go.
- I'll see you out.
AMANDA: Goodbye, now.
Bye.
[SIGHS.]
That was the worst movie I have ever seen.
I wonder why the killer had a ticket to a Buzz Blade movie.
- Maybe he was a Russell Sinclair fan.
- Who? Russell Sinclair, Buzz Blade in the movie.
Oh.
Don't you remember his TV show in the '60s? - You know, uh, Buzz Blade, Secret Spy.
- Yeah.
Whatever happened to him? That movie.
He left the series to make it.
It was a real bomb.
Disappeared right after it came out.
Why would they rerelease such a bad movie? You see that place? It was packed.
People come in there to have a good laugh.
Hello.
What is it? Guess what was on TV the night Jean-Claude was killed.
- I don't know.
- Buzz Blade, Secret Spy.
Right here.
The TV was turned on at 1:30 a.
m.
So he was a Secret Spy fan and he watched television at 1:30.
He couldn't have watched television at 1:30 in the morning.
Why not? Because his death was fixed prior to midnight.
Oh.
- I'll get something to eat, I can think better.
- Wait a minute.
- We just got here.
- Well, we can leave again.
Come on, I get fidgety.
You're supposed to be dead.
You can't be seen.
[SIGHS.]
I'm sick of being dead.
I miss my apartment, I miss restaurants, I miss nightclubs.
This is probably very healthy for you.
No, really.
Real people do not go to restaurants and nightclubs every night.
They stay home and make hamburgers and watch television.
Amanda.
Are you going to try to make me into a real person again? No.
But the exposure certainly couldn't do you any harm.
Okay, okay, make the hamburgers.
I'll go pick us out a nice Beaujolais to go with them.
What? Where do you keep your wines? Well, there might be a half-bottle of something or other in the refrigerator.
I see.
- I'll just have to add that to my list.
- What list? I want you to pick up some things in my apartment in the morning.
Uh, aftershave, a couple of sweaters and a small but provocative selection of wines.
Huh? - Are you going somewhere? - What do you mean? Well, there's a bunch of suitcases right there.
- What's wrong? DOTTY: Amanda, is that you? - That.
Get out of here.
- Um I didn't hear you come in.
Oh, you will never dream what happened.
- Everything all right? - Oh, we almost drowned trying to sightsee.
This terrible storm hit.
It's on its way here now.
- The boys are upstairs, asleep.
- Good.
I didn't leave this door open.
Did you come in this way? - Yes, Mother.
- Oh, good.
I am going to have myself a glass of milk with a splash of Galliano.
- Can I get you something? - No, Mother.
- You're sure? - I'm sure, thank you, though.
Amanda, are you feeling all right? [THUNDER RUMBLING.]
Uh, yes, Mother, I feel fine.
I'll tell you something, it is going to be a mess outside.
Now, I am just gonna take this upstairs and drink it.
- I'll clean it up.
- Oh, okay.
- I'll take care of it.
- I love you.
- Good night.
- Good night.
Sweet dreams.
DOTTY: Uh-huh.
[PHONE RINGS.]
Hello? [WHISPERING.]
Yes, he is.
Sure, just a minute.
- Lee.
LEE [WHISPERING.]
: Yeah.
DOTTY: Amanda? LEE: Ow.
[IN NORMAL VOICE.]
Yes, Mother? DOTTY: Honey, was that for me? - Uh, no, Mother.
Am I comfortable at Amanda's? Huh.
She's moving me into the garage.
I should be much better there.
What's up? We've gone back through all of our personnel records as you suggested.
LEE: Did you find anything? Some of our employees have incomplete records.
We're missing employment data, birthdate, and some background details.
All hired at the same time by the same personnel officer.
Yeah, well, I think I should talk to that personnel officer.
Well, she's not with us any longer.
She retired about three years ago.
Well, let's find her, Billy.
I mean, let's find her.
"Address book in desk, extra-firm blue toothbrush any lively Chardonnay of my choice.
Oh, Slippers" Address book in desk.
Extra-firm blue toothbrush.
[KNOCKING ON DOOR.]
AMANDA: Oh, hello.
- Hi.
- I'm Floyd Feller, the doorman.
- Oh, yes, I know, we've met.
I've been so distressed ever since I heard of Mr.
Stetson's passing.
Oh.
- A man so young doesn't deserve that.
- No.
No matter how degenerate his lifestyle.
- Now, why are you here? - Oh, I'm just picking up a few things.
- What? - I'm a relative.
Oh, I had assumed you were one of his lady friends.
- No.
- Do you mean to say that relatives are fighting over his things already? Not that it's any of my business.
Well, I guess we're just that sort of family.
I'm sorry, but you'll just have to excuse me.
I want to grab the teapot before Aunt Ellie gets here.
- Oh, dear.
Oh, my.
- I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude.
[AMANDA SCREAMING.]
LEE: I had a hell of a time tracking you down, Mrs.
Peters.
Uh, I wanted to ask you a little bit about your days at the agency.
Oh, I was such a mess then.
Tension, pressure, ulcers, migraines.
Going to work was like having my fingernails pulled out.
Mrs.
Peters, when you were personnel officer at the agency you interviewed and hired a lot of people.
That place chewed them up and spit them out.
Yeah.
I know.
There are certain irregularities in a few of the job applications that you processed.
Is that why you're here? Does Buzz Blade, Secret Spy mean anything to you? What do you know about that? If you tell me what you know we may keep some people from getting murdered.
Russell Sinclair was very successful in his Buzz Blade television series so successful that he wanted to get out of the show so he could make the Buzz Blade movie.
Yeah, I know that.
During the making of the film there was a terrible accident on the last day of the production.
He was almost killed.
After a year of treatment Russell finally came out of the hospital, terribly disfigured.
No career, no money.
Uh, that's when I met him.
How did you meet him? He showed up at the agency one day, begging for a job.
He'd played a secret agent for so many years I think he thought he really was one.
- So you hired him? - Yes.
Janitor, night shift.
Non-classified levels.
That was 15 years ago.
He had several more operations that did improve his appearance, but his self-image was shot.
- And you promised you'd never tell? - Yeah, I wanted to protect him.
And now you think he may kill someone? I think he already has.
It is so good to know just how highly regarded I am here.
An operation of this kind of importance and am I informed? No, I am not informed.
Francine, it was a need-to-know only.
No one knew except Lee, myself and Mrs.
King.
- Amanda King knew about this? - Lee had to have some place to stay.
Oh, ha, ha, of course.
[INTERCOM BUZZES.]
[FRANCINE SCOFFS.]
Yes? I'll take it.
Billy.
I just talked to Mrs.
Peters.
I think I may have a line on our killer.
Lee, Francine went out to the cemetery.
Your grave had been opened.
I think this maniac is on to us.
Hello, Lee? Amanda? Amanda? I've been expecting your call, Mr.
Stetson.
If you want to see her alive again, you'll come here.
Alone.
MAN: Mrs.
King.
I I think I can put my finger on the precise moment I knew they had to die.
- Who had to die? - All of them.
All these dashing, young agents.
They had no right to do the things I could no longer do.
I was better than them.
- But you were an actor.
- I was Buzz Blade, Mrs.
King.
I could have been Buzz Blade forever.
Except for that accident.
Mr.
Sinclair, I'm no expert on this sort of thing but I really think that you could use some help.
The film was virtually complete the day of the explosion.
They were able to release it.
It didn't do well.
When I heard it was going to be released again I felt I was given a second chance at life.
They opened it in drive-ins.
"Okay," I thought.
A lot of successful films open in drive-ins.
Oh, and it is very successful.
Yes, I mean, the night that I was there, the place was packed, there were Yes.
They come.
They They come to laugh.
They throw beer cans at the screen.
Mr.
Sinclair what are you going to do with me? Mrs.
King, I have nothing whatsoever against you.
Unfortunately, in the process of killing Mr.
Stetson I'll probably kill you too.
The set looked very much like this the day I shot my final scene.
I remember thinking, "This looks very realistic.
" Then I woke up in intensive care.
Mr.
Sinclair, you're going to blow the whole building up.
Indeed.
Drop the gun, Mr.
Stetson.
[LEE SIGHS.]
[GRUNTING AND SHOUTING.]
LEE: Sinclair, hold it.
[SINCLAIR GRUNTS.]
[SINCLAIR SCREAMS.]
Lee, we have a burning fuse in here.
FELLER: Hello? - Hello! I know something funny is going on now.
LEE: Well, Mr.
Feller.
Well, how you doing? Nice day, isn't it? [SIGHS.]
Well, forgive me, Mr.
Stetson.
I guess what you do in the privacy of your apartment is your business.
Goodnight, sir.
What happened to Mr.
Sinclair? He lost.
- Poor man.
- Yeah.
I'll call Billy, have him send some people over.
You okay? Oh, yeah, sure, I'm fine.
- You're sure? - Oh, yes.
- All right.
- Well I guess this means you're back to the land of the living.
Yeah, right.
Oh, God, am I glad to be back.
Yeah, I guess we won't be able to have those hamburgers and wine at your place.
You know, like real people? No, I guess you'll be able to go back to your fancy restaurants and nightclubs.
LEE: Mm-hm.
You're not disappointed, though, are you? Me? No.
- Are you? - Me? No.
Hmm.
Uh, Lee? Oh, yeah.
[CHUCKLES.]