Cannon (1971) s01e19 Episode Script
The Island Caper
Well, he saw the vault.
It's a Hauser, Model 804.
It's not the newest, but it's gonna take a lot of stuff to blow it.
And if you go that route and those alarms start to go Well, then, we're not going to do it that way, Dix.
You're the doctor.
Don't count me in on this, Jim.
I'm, doing real good out here.
Walk us to the plane.
We don't want to be late.
It's funny.
If I hadn't bought my beach place just last month, I'd never have noticed that little bank, sitting, waiting there.
Once we thought of it, though.
wow.
When they ship the cash out, does the stuff come down this street? I don't know.
Oh, come on, you gotta know.
You been on the island over a year.
Got no reason to think about it.
You've got a good reason to think about it now.
Listen, Dix, Sam and I are going to the mainland for a few days.
We'll be back for the weekend.
That'll give you a chance to think, right? Work things out? Jim, it's like I've been trying to tell you all day.
I'm legit now.
I I can't go back of those walls again.
I mean, I don't want to go back there.
We need you.
You know, we looked for you all over Frisco.
Why, you used to be the best, Dix.
Best in the business for nice, clean jobs.
No fuss, no muss, no one hot, no one shot.
Now, all you got to do is put on the old thinking cap again, right? When we found out you were right here on the island, you know what? Sam and me broke right up.
I can't do it, Jim.
You're in.
We're cutting you in.
Or we're cutting you out altogether.
ANNOUNCER: Starring William Conrad With guest stars: Keenan Wynn, James Olson, Jacqueline Scott.
ANNOUNCER: Peking duck? China is in now, you know.
The fan, uh, does what? Oh, it substitutes for the wind.
You see, it dries the bird, then the air gets underneath the skin and pulls it away from the body and, uh, it puffs it up.
And when you cook it, all the fat goes out and it's as lean as a mandarin.
It's beautiful.
Uh, how long do you do that? Well, I cheat, but, uh, about eight or nine hours, something like that.
There you go.
Ah.
All right, Mr.
Henderson.
Please go on.
Well, um, as I was saying, um, our bank, um, doesn't usually ship a A great load of cash to the mainland.
Yeah.
Uh, we generally, um, fly a small shipment over once or twice a month.
Uh, but now during the holiday season, the business people do pretty well and a lot of cash accumulates in our vault.
All the Christmas receipts, you know.
Our practice has been to wait 72 hours after the first of the year, clean up the straggling deposits and then we ship to the central bank.
I see.
How much money are you talking about? It looks like about a million this year.
Anybody ever try to crack the bank before? Never.
We've heard things from time to time.
The insurance people have come to us with warnings.
In the banking business you have to expect rumors like that.
But this year with a million in cash Well, there's a minimal police force on the island, Mr.
Cannon.
We'd like you to come over and check things out and advise us.
A little prevention.
Well, I think that might be arranged.
It's the second of the month now.
Could you leave this afternoon? What, before my duck is dried? Nice day.
Did you see him? Yeah.
Get me a drink, will you? And? Zero, zilch, that's what.
He says he thinks it's no good to crack the box.
It's no good to pull it off in the streets.
It's no good to grab it at the airplane.
I don't know.
What's good? He says to get it before it gets over to the other side.
That's all? Yeah.
I don't like it.
He's stalling on us.
He's the big-deal caper expert, so he thinks he can jerk us around.
Nobody jerks us around.
We need him.
Whose are these? Ferris! Fer Yeah.
Sorry, Mr.
Relco.
The bums don't know that this is a home, not a garage.
What are we gonna do, Jimmy? Get Dixon.
Get him here.
We'll light a few matches under him.
He'll jump.
Afternoon.
Hi.
It's a pretty grand ballroom over there, isn't it? It's grand, all right.
Nobody can afford to build like that anymore.
You, uh, have your money car go directly from the bank to the dock on the open street? Yes, it's always in plain view.
We think it's safer that way.
Well, not to smart operators who are willing to take chances.
What about the airplane? It carries two armed guards we have sent over from the mainland.
And you trust the pilot? Absolutely.
A local boy.
We know everything about him.
Just make sure he doesn't call in sick the morning of the trip.
Well, I think I'll walk around a little more.
I may find a restaurant that specializes in those famous exotic abalone burgers.
Just coffee, or are you eating? Well, uh, that depends.
Thank you.
Well, that should take care of that compressor leak.
I hope.
I hope so too.
We lose any more of that frozen shrimp, we'll go broke.
You just keep pulling them in with Mrs.
Dixon's pecan pie, and we won't.
Mm.
The shrimp salad's really good.
She puts a lot of shrimp into it.
Well, I tell you what.
Why don't we settle for that really good shrimp salad, okay? Mr.
Dixon? You know, a few years ago there was this big, main central bank that was just daring somebody to knock it off.
Cannon.
That's right.
How are you, Dix? A little shook.
I don't think I've seen you since the day you were sentenced.
Yeah.
Seems like another life.
Someone else's.
Hm.
It was.
You know, I did four and a half years on that bit.
All hard time too.
I'm sure.
But I'm straight now.
You don't hold any grudges because I sent you up, do you? You were just doing your job.
You're a lieutenant, right? Yeah, I'd just made grade.
Yeah, grudge.
I owe you, kind of.
They was trying to stick me for capers I never had anything to do with.
And you wouldn't let them do it.
I remember.
The DA only caught me on one he could prove, and that was all.
Well, that was enough, wasn't it? Uh, Sal? Sal, I'd like you to meet an old friend.
This is, uh, Frank Cannon.
Hello.
My wife, Sally.
Nice to meet you.
Sally, it's a pleasure.
It's a nice place you have here.
Matty did a lot of it himself, did it with his own hands.
He did, huh? Had to.
We started this place on a shoestring.
Well, we're happy.
That's all that's important.
Excuse me.
Certainly.
That's a very nice lady you got there.
When did that happen? Oh, let's see, now, I, uh I got out of the joint about two and a half years ago.
We met.
We liked each other, you know.
We got married.
Then we came out here.
We got this place and we're doing real good.
That's fine.
Cannon, you know, uh Sally doesn't know everything You know, about me.
You know, she knows there was some kind of trouble, but Well, nobody on this whole island knows about those early days, nobody.
Why should they? You've paid your dues.
Right.
It's all over.
Isn't it, Dix? What are you trying to do, Cannon, push me into something? Shh.
Push me into something? I'm not trying to push you.
I didn't do anything wrong.
You're not a cop anymore.
What are you, anyway? I'm a private investigator, Dix.
I just have a natural interest in my old clients, that's all.
Well, I'm I'm sorry I blew my stack like that.
We got a few problems with the place.
Oh, excuse me.
Hello, Dix's.
Well, uh, it's a little busy right now.
But I'll get there as soon as I can.
Yeah.
Here's your shrimp salad.
You'd better eat it before it gets wilted.
Oh, well, that would disturb the shrimp horribly, wouldn't it? Maybe I'd better do that, thank you.
Matty, you're sweating all over my upholstery.
Listen, something just happened.
A lot is gonna happen A lot if you don't cooperate you'd better believe it.
No more stalling.
No more fooling around.
We gave you plenty of time.
Hey, let's get some ice water.
Well, you gotta listen for a minute.
No, Dixon, no.
Because no matter what it is, it just doesn't cut any ice.
That dough is going to go floating out of here pretty soon.
Who do you think you're dealing with? You know what I think.
You pick it up after the plane leaves and before the plane reaches the mainland.
Hijack it.
We gotta get the plane down.
Yeah, but you see I can't be He said no.
Will you listen to what I have to say? Oh, now, look what you made me do.
All over the upholstery.
Well, you see, somebody recognized me.
What do you mean? Well, this guy used to be a cop.
His name's Cannon.
He's the guy that put me behind the walls.
Well, he comes into my place today.
So now he knows I'm here.
So if anything happens, he's gonna connect it with me.
What about this Cannon? You making this up to stall for time? Check with the hotel.
It's just I figured it would be safer for everybody if I just backed out.
No, we need you.
You're cut in.
Matty, we're moving on this job, and we're gonna make time.
And we need your brains, so you'd better give.
What about Cannon? Don't worry about him.
We'll take care of him first class.
But I can't.
You'd just better, or somebody's gonna suffer, like that wife of yours.
She's gonna suffer a lot unless you go along with us, beginning now.
He was following you? Yeah, a bum tail, but a tail, so something is up.
Nobody at the bank knows you're here except the president and myself.
Well, there's a possibility.
I ran into somebody here.
An ex-con.
Well No, no, I don't want you to pick him up yet, because I'm not sure he's into anything.
Give us his name anyway.
We get to the insurance people and No.
You know, coming out of prison and rehabilitating yourself isn't easy, Mr.
Henderson, and he seems to be doing that.
So I don't want to put a finger on him until I'm sure that it's absolutely necessary.
Sure? I'm vice president of the bank, Mr.
Cannon.
My responsibilities lie there.
I'd like to be sure that we get our money to the mainland.
I know.
That's what you're paying me for.
Now, we have several precautions that have to be taken care of.
First of all, nobody is to know the day or the time of shipment.
Right.
And we should have a fake run with your money car in case somebody's interested in that.
The third thing, the night before, the plane should stay on the other side.
Wouldn't that create suspicion? It might, but when it comes flying back in the morning with guards from the mainland who never leave the plane until the money's aboard and they take off again, it'll give us a reasonable assurance that the plane hasn't been tampered with.
Now, you had this idea about the inner vault? Yeah, you see, they never open this vault during business hours unless they're shipping out or they're stashing cash, and once this is opened, it can be handled manually on a CB-84 control system.
Yeah, so? Well, it's automatic, see? I mean, once this vault is closed, the alarm is on, and once this vault is opened, the alarm is cut off and a guard stands by.
But you said the alarm is too tough to mess around with.
It is.
But when this vault is open, there's a red light that goes on here, right in the entrance to the bank, right there.
So the people in the bank know the vault is available.
So that's what you watch for.
When that light is on, you know the vault is open.
And when it's open is when they ship out.
Not before, not after.
I don't care what kind of a switch they try.
Beautiful, beautiful.
What's the matter with you? Nothing.
Why do your eyes look cloudy? What is it, tell me? It's just my bursitis acting up again, that's all.
I don't believe you.
I'm fine, honey, believe me, but I've got to go out for a little while.
But I'll be back in about 20 minutes.
I'm fine, baby.
Now, you watch the store, okay? Ma'am.
Dial 306, please.
Oh, he's not in? Thank you.
I'd like to leave a message for Mr.
Cannon.
Thank you.
Yeah.
I'm at Cannon's hotel.
Dixon was just here.
He left a note at the desk.
He what? Yeah.
What do you want me to do? Stay there.
Keep your eyes peeled.
That two-bit bum.
Mr.
Relco, I think I'd better go down to the boat.
Forget the boat.
Get Billie Joe.
Cannon? How you doing, Dixon? We got us a little message for you.
Hey, now, wait a minute! Put it down.
I said, put it down.
Why, you animals.
Oh.
You wanted to see me, Dix? Why, I, uh What about? J-just to Just to Just to what, make me a salad? Who's got you by the throat, Dix? Nobody.
Nobody, huh? Was it nobody who did this? Well, the union, uh They've been leaning on me a little A delivery of beef.
And they want me to sign with one local.
They warned me and I Well, I didn't sign.
You don't even lie good anymore.
Oh, no.
Oh, Matt, what happened? I mean, just Just look at it.
Tell her.
Go on, tell her.
Matty Look at all my dishes.
It's all right, darling, Don't cry, baby.
It's all right We'll think of something.
We'll do all right.
We'll fix it.
Everything No.
Oh, hey, Cannon? You see, it's all a It's all a misunderstanding.
Don't go to the cops, huh? Because if you do, I'm finished here.
We're both finished, me and Sally.
We're done.
Why did you want to see me after dark, after you'd closed? Just to talk.
About what? Cannon, I'm past 50.
And I'm scared.
When you get older, you get scared.
Yeah, so they tell me.
We can't have anything go wrong before we go.
You know, like the fuel company guys calling the sky jockeys to see if he needs gas, could louse things up.
So you make sure the fuel company can't call him.
That's what I'm asking.
How? Look.
Those are the phone lines.
No.
No, we can't cut those.
They'd notice it right off.
You do not cut them.
You burn them with acid.
That way it looks like a short circuit.
Yeah.
Will the engines start after we doctor the gas? Oh, there's enough gas in the fuel lines to get her up, all right, but not enough to keep her there for long.
So you say after we get started, we've got about 18 minutes until it's all over.
Yeah.
Say, uh, do you mind if I use your phone? I promised my wife I'd give her a call.
Oh, yeah.
Uh, the one in the hall.
Stay with him just in case.
He's cooperating.
But suppose he blows, huh? Suppose at the last minute he goes crazy and blows? How are we gonna protect ourselves? Howdy, ma'am.
Junk.
Trying to clean it up a little.
Yeah.
If you're looking for my husband, he's not here.
Oh, that's too bad.
You the man from the electric company? Mm-hm.
Ah, used, but good.
Now, wait a minute.
A bank felony's one thing, but a A murder rap's another.
Let me worry about that.
You stick to what you know.
Well I've gotta get going.
It's getting late, and my wife will w Always checking in with that wife of yours, aren't you, Dixon? Now, you leave her out of this, because I'm doing what you want.
You don't have to get back, Dix.
Wait a minute.
Your wife's a guest of ours, all expenses paid.
Where is she? I said, where is she? Where we want her to be.
She's gonna be nice and cozy, don't worry.
You'll be back together in a couple of days.
Can't stand being separated that long, huh? It's set for half past 9 tomorrow morning.
Who knows? Only those people absolutely necessary.
Not even the pilot, but his mainland office will keep him there until 8 a.
m.
then they'll load the special guards and send him back.
There could be a serious attempt made.
I say "could be" because I'm not sure.
I think I'll go see my ex-con friend again.
Sally? Sally? He went to the cops? Oh, man.
Oh, that dame.
We should have left her alone.
We acted too tough.
He could get the shipment held up.
Cool it.
I'm gonna put my gun away, not because I'm stupid, but just to show you that I'm not interested in that kind of action.
I'm here to make a deal.
Sit down.
Incidentally, you are a highly inadequate tail.
Don't be smart.
Now, you're a friend of Dix looking for a little cut in the action, right? Or are you something else? Would you tell your boys to sit down? I hate having people stand over me.
Just say what you have to say.
I have to believe that Sally Dixon isn't on any pleasure trip with one shoe on and one shoe off.
I also happen to believe that you were planning the bank caper with the help of an old friend, of course.
The deal.
Now, you know I could blow this shipment wide open.
But I also have a very good memory for faces, and with the help of a police M.
O.
book with good close-ups, I could put a finger on you very easily Keep your hand out of that.
Don't try to con con artists.
Now, if you try anything, anything at all, nobody's ever gonna see that Dixon broad again.
Or if they do I have not gone to the police yet.
All right, the deal: You give up the bank caper, let the Dixons go and I'll walk out of here without having said one word about seeing you or this house.
What do you want? I just told you.
You told me garbage.
Now, for openers.
I'm not gonna do it your way, but you do it mine and you're cut in for a nice little taste, so let's get down to it.
I'm not interested in a little taste.
Cut the bull.
What are you? Some gumshoe.
Messing around so you can get something, right? Okay, so that's the way it is.
Look at you.
You're fat.
You eat pretty well, right? Where do you do your hustling, in church? Well, it looks like you have me.
Uh, you mind if I have a cigarette? Oh, I Oh, it's all over my shoes, my pants.
I'm sorry.
Gumshoes are clumsy, I guess, huh? He's crazy.
No, I'm not crazy.
But your boys seemed to have so much fun tearing up Sally's kitchen, I thought I'd try it myself.
It's great.
Billie Joe, finish him before he gets to the road.
Vince, get a rifle.
Billie Joe, cut him off! Finish him.
Did you get him? I'm sure I did.
Yeah, well, if you didn't, that current there is gonna take him right on out.
The guards onboard? Yes, sir, two armed guards keeping out of sight as instructed.
Good.
When's the cargo coming? When it gets here.
Yeah.
Yeah, okay, get over here fast.
They're using a vending machine truck.
Hey, that's not a bad gimmick.
Well, it doesn't make any difference, because the red light is on.
That means that the inner vault is open.
Everybody give thanks to Mr.
Dixon.
Now can I see Sally? Get the radio set up.
What about Sally? Oh, cool it with Sally.
Behave yourself, you'll see her soon enough.
Load it up and get it out quickly.
You all set? All gassed and ready, Mr.
Henderson.
She's flying too good.
There it goes.
I got a problem up here.
I can't get the gas feed to work.
Beautiful.
Well, this is some goof.
Where are we? About halfway.
Six-four to main, six-four to main, we have an engine problem here, and we've put down.
Do you read me? We read you, six-four.
Do you require assistance? Negative at this time, negative.
I'll try and check out the problem.
I may be able to handle it myself.
Roger, six-four, we're standing by until we hear from you further.
Out.
He's down.
Hey, there's a boat out there.
You got some glasses? -Yeah.
It's a fishing boat.
See if we can't get them to throw us a line.
Six-four to main, six-four to main.
No danger at present.
I have a fishing boat in sight.
We'll try and get them to throw us a line.
Roger, six-four, we'll continue to standby.
Okay, I'll, uh, tie up to the boat and see if I can't get my engines started again.
Over and out.
Hello in the fishing boat.
We're having an engine problem.
Can you throw us a line and standby? Ahoy, airplane.
We'll standby and throw you a line.
Coast guard operator, this is Golden Main.
Golden Main to Coast guard.
We have an aircraft down in mid-channel.
He is taking a line from a fishing boat and there is no emergency at this time.
Repeat, no emergency, but will you please standby? Over.
Boy, that Mr.
Relco sure knows what to do.
Okay.
Thanks a lot.
You're welcome.
Now, don't move one muscle.
I want to see hands on those heads inside.
Get them up there or the pilot gets it right now.
Throw them the second line.
That's for the money.
Thank you, coast guard, over and out.
Well, you're just about home free.
Ooh! Hey, they said you were finished off.
Not quite.
That fishing boat on the radio, that's Relco, isn't it? Yeah.
Well, what happens now? Well, they're going to a place, and they're gonna transfer the money.
Where, Dix? I can't tell you, Cannon.
They got Sally, you know that.
They're gonna hold onto her until the job gets done, they told me.
And you believe them? Now, where? You'd better tell me, Dix, because it's your last chance to save her.
If they get off with the money, she's blown away, gone.
One shoe on, one shoe off.
They are not gentle people, Dix.
I don't see Billie Joe.
So what? So why ain't he here? Who cares why? He was told to be here.
If he doesn't make it by the time we're ready, we go without him.
Hey, what's the matter? The engine won't start.
Why won't it start? I don't know, that's what I'm gonna find out.
It won't start because somebody took the igniter plug.
They? Is this what you're looking for? Cannon.
Bring that thing down here, Cannon.
Listen, you fat fathead, hand that over, do you hear? If you want it, come and get it.
We're coming, buster.
Freeze.
Remember, I offered to walk away from all this.
You should have made the deal.
I'm starting this pie from scratch so you can watch it every step of the way.
I will observe with bated breath.
Thank you.
He gets that because he's a real and true friend of yours.
And don't you forget it.
Well, I owe you again.
Including getting her out of it and telling the police I was forced.
Well, you paid your dues when you took me to the cove.
And, uh, when you put the gun on Relco, that took care of the interest for everybody concerned, including the DA.
Now, if I whip these, it gets too moist, but this way Hey, did you ever try drying them with an electric fan? Huh? Oh, I do it with Peking duck all the time.
First you take the duck and you hang it No, wait a minute.
Did I ever turn that fan off?
It's a Hauser, Model 804.
It's not the newest, but it's gonna take a lot of stuff to blow it.
And if you go that route and those alarms start to go Well, then, we're not going to do it that way, Dix.
You're the doctor.
Don't count me in on this, Jim.
I'm, doing real good out here.
Walk us to the plane.
We don't want to be late.
It's funny.
If I hadn't bought my beach place just last month, I'd never have noticed that little bank, sitting, waiting there.
Once we thought of it, though.
wow.
When they ship the cash out, does the stuff come down this street? I don't know.
Oh, come on, you gotta know.
You been on the island over a year.
Got no reason to think about it.
You've got a good reason to think about it now.
Listen, Dix, Sam and I are going to the mainland for a few days.
We'll be back for the weekend.
That'll give you a chance to think, right? Work things out? Jim, it's like I've been trying to tell you all day.
I'm legit now.
I I can't go back of those walls again.
I mean, I don't want to go back there.
We need you.
You know, we looked for you all over Frisco.
Why, you used to be the best, Dix.
Best in the business for nice, clean jobs.
No fuss, no muss, no one hot, no one shot.
Now, all you got to do is put on the old thinking cap again, right? When we found out you were right here on the island, you know what? Sam and me broke right up.
I can't do it, Jim.
You're in.
We're cutting you in.
Or we're cutting you out altogether.
ANNOUNCER: Starring William Conrad With guest stars: Keenan Wynn, James Olson, Jacqueline Scott.
ANNOUNCER: Peking duck? China is in now, you know.
The fan, uh, does what? Oh, it substitutes for the wind.
You see, it dries the bird, then the air gets underneath the skin and pulls it away from the body and, uh, it puffs it up.
And when you cook it, all the fat goes out and it's as lean as a mandarin.
It's beautiful.
Uh, how long do you do that? Well, I cheat, but, uh, about eight or nine hours, something like that.
There you go.
Ah.
All right, Mr.
Henderson.
Please go on.
Well, um, as I was saying, um, our bank, um, doesn't usually ship a A great load of cash to the mainland.
Yeah.
Uh, we generally, um, fly a small shipment over once or twice a month.
Uh, but now during the holiday season, the business people do pretty well and a lot of cash accumulates in our vault.
All the Christmas receipts, you know.
Our practice has been to wait 72 hours after the first of the year, clean up the straggling deposits and then we ship to the central bank.
I see.
How much money are you talking about? It looks like about a million this year.
Anybody ever try to crack the bank before? Never.
We've heard things from time to time.
The insurance people have come to us with warnings.
In the banking business you have to expect rumors like that.
But this year with a million in cash Well, there's a minimal police force on the island, Mr.
Cannon.
We'd like you to come over and check things out and advise us.
A little prevention.
Well, I think that might be arranged.
It's the second of the month now.
Could you leave this afternoon? What, before my duck is dried? Nice day.
Did you see him? Yeah.
Get me a drink, will you? And? Zero, zilch, that's what.
He says he thinks it's no good to crack the box.
It's no good to pull it off in the streets.
It's no good to grab it at the airplane.
I don't know.
What's good? He says to get it before it gets over to the other side.
That's all? Yeah.
I don't like it.
He's stalling on us.
He's the big-deal caper expert, so he thinks he can jerk us around.
Nobody jerks us around.
We need him.
Whose are these? Ferris! Fer Yeah.
Sorry, Mr.
Relco.
The bums don't know that this is a home, not a garage.
What are we gonna do, Jimmy? Get Dixon.
Get him here.
We'll light a few matches under him.
He'll jump.
Afternoon.
Hi.
It's a pretty grand ballroom over there, isn't it? It's grand, all right.
Nobody can afford to build like that anymore.
You, uh, have your money car go directly from the bank to the dock on the open street? Yes, it's always in plain view.
We think it's safer that way.
Well, not to smart operators who are willing to take chances.
What about the airplane? It carries two armed guards we have sent over from the mainland.
And you trust the pilot? Absolutely.
A local boy.
We know everything about him.
Just make sure he doesn't call in sick the morning of the trip.
Well, I think I'll walk around a little more.
I may find a restaurant that specializes in those famous exotic abalone burgers.
Just coffee, or are you eating? Well, uh, that depends.
Thank you.
Well, that should take care of that compressor leak.
I hope.
I hope so too.
We lose any more of that frozen shrimp, we'll go broke.
You just keep pulling them in with Mrs.
Dixon's pecan pie, and we won't.
Mm.
The shrimp salad's really good.
She puts a lot of shrimp into it.
Well, I tell you what.
Why don't we settle for that really good shrimp salad, okay? Mr.
Dixon? You know, a few years ago there was this big, main central bank that was just daring somebody to knock it off.
Cannon.
That's right.
How are you, Dix? A little shook.
I don't think I've seen you since the day you were sentenced.
Yeah.
Seems like another life.
Someone else's.
Hm.
It was.
You know, I did four and a half years on that bit.
All hard time too.
I'm sure.
But I'm straight now.
You don't hold any grudges because I sent you up, do you? You were just doing your job.
You're a lieutenant, right? Yeah, I'd just made grade.
Yeah, grudge.
I owe you, kind of.
They was trying to stick me for capers I never had anything to do with.
And you wouldn't let them do it.
I remember.
The DA only caught me on one he could prove, and that was all.
Well, that was enough, wasn't it? Uh, Sal? Sal, I'd like you to meet an old friend.
This is, uh, Frank Cannon.
Hello.
My wife, Sally.
Nice to meet you.
Sally, it's a pleasure.
It's a nice place you have here.
Matty did a lot of it himself, did it with his own hands.
He did, huh? Had to.
We started this place on a shoestring.
Well, we're happy.
That's all that's important.
Excuse me.
Certainly.
That's a very nice lady you got there.
When did that happen? Oh, let's see, now, I, uh I got out of the joint about two and a half years ago.
We met.
We liked each other, you know.
We got married.
Then we came out here.
We got this place and we're doing real good.
That's fine.
Cannon, you know, uh Sally doesn't know everything You know, about me.
You know, she knows there was some kind of trouble, but Well, nobody on this whole island knows about those early days, nobody.
Why should they? You've paid your dues.
Right.
It's all over.
Isn't it, Dix? What are you trying to do, Cannon, push me into something? Shh.
Push me into something? I'm not trying to push you.
I didn't do anything wrong.
You're not a cop anymore.
What are you, anyway? I'm a private investigator, Dix.
I just have a natural interest in my old clients, that's all.
Well, I'm I'm sorry I blew my stack like that.
We got a few problems with the place.
Oh, excuse me.
Hello, Dix's.
Well, uh, it's a little busy right now.
But I'll get there as soon as I can.
Yeah.
Here's your shrimp salad.
You'd better eat it before it gets wilted.
Oh, well, that would disturb the shrimp horribly, wouldn't it? Maybe I'd better do that, thank you.
Matty, you're sweating all over my upholstery.
Listen, something just happened.
A lot is gonna happen A lot if you don't cooperate you'd better believe it.
No more stalling.
No more fooling around.
We gave you plenty of time.
Hey, let's get some ice water.
Well, you gotta listen for a minute.
No, Dixon, no.
Because no matter what it is, it just doesn't cut any ice.
That dough is going to go floating out of here pretty soon.
Who do you think you're dealing with? You know what I think.
You pick it up after the plane leaves and before the plane reaches the mainland.
Hijack it.
We gotta get the plane down.
Yeah, but you see I can't be He said no.
Will you listen to what I have to say? Oh, now, look what you made me do.
All over the upholstery.
Well, you see, somebody recognized me.
What do you mean? Well, this guy used to be a cop.
His name's Cannon.
He's the guy that put me behind the walls.
Well, he comes into my place today.
So now he knows I'm here.
So if anything happens, he's gonna connect it with me.
What about this Cannon? You making this up to stall for time? Check with the hotel.
It's just I figured it would be safer for everybody if I just backed out.
No, we need you.
You're cut in.
Matty, we're moving on this job, and we're gonna make time.
And we need your brains, so you'd better give.
What about Cannon? Don't worry about him.
We'll take care of him first class.
But I can't.
You'd just better, or somebody's gonna suffer, like that wife of yours.
She's gonna suffer a lot unless you go along with us, beginning now.
He was following you? Yeah, a bum tail, but a tail, so something is up.
Nobody at the bank knows you're here except the president and myself.
Well, there's a possibility.
I ran into somebody here.
An ex-con.
Well No, no, I don't want you to pick him up yet, because I'm not sure he's into anything.
Give us his name anyway.
We get to the insurance people and No.
You know, coming out of prison and rehabilitating yourself isn't easy, Mr.
Henderson, and he seems to be doing that.
So I don't want to put a finger on him until I'm sure that it's absolutely necessary.
Sure? I'm vice president of the bank, Mr.
Cannon.
My responsibilities lie there.
I'd like to be sure that we get our money to the mainland.
I know.
That's what you're paying me for.
Now, we have several precautions that have to be taken care of.
First of all, nobody is to know the day or the time of shipment.
Right.
And we should have a fake run with your money car in case somebody's interested in that.
The third thing, the night before, the plane should stay on the other side.
Wouldn't that create suspicion? It might, but when it comes flying back in the morning with guards from the mainland who never leave the plane until the money's aboard and they take off again, it'll give us a reasonable assurance that the plane hasn't been tampered with.
Now, you had this idea about the inner vault? Yeah, you see, they never open this vault during business hours unless they're shipping out or they're stashing cash, and once this is opened, it can be handled manually on a CB-84 control system.
Yeah, so? Well, it's automatic, see? I mean, once this vault is closed, the alarm is on, and once this vault is opened, the alarm is cut off and a guard stands by.
But you said the alarm is too tough to mess around with.
It is.
But when this vault is open, there's a red light that goes on here, right in the entrance to the bank, right there.
So the people in the bank know the vault is available.
So that's what you watch for.
When that light is on, you know the vault is open.
And when it's open is when they ship out.
Not before, not after.
I don't care what kind of a switch they try.
Beautiful, beautiful.
What's the matter with you? Nothing.
Why do your eyes look cloudy? What is it, tell me? It's just my bursitis acting up again, that's all.
I don't believe you.
I'm fine, honey, believe me, but I've got to go out for a little while.
But I'll be back in about 20 minutes.
I'm fine, baby.
Now, you watch the store, okay? Ma'am.
Dial 306, please.
Oh, he's not in? Thank you.
I'd like to leave a message for Mr.
Cannon.
Thank you.
Yeah.
I'm at Cannon's hotel.
Dixon was just here.
He left a note at the desk.
He what? Yeah.
What do you want me to do? Stay there.
Keep your eyes peeled.
That two-bit bum.
Mr.
Relco, I think I'd better go down to the boat.
Forget the boat.
Get Billie Joe.
Cannon? How you doing, Dixon? We got us a little message for you.
Hey, now, wait a minute! Put it down.
I said, put it down.
Why, you animals.
Oh.
You wanted to see me, Dix? Why, I, uh What about? J-just to Just to Just to what, make me a salad? Who's got you by the throat, Dix? Nobody.
Nobody, huh? Was it nobody who did this? Well, the union, uh They've been leaning on me a little A delivery of beef.
And they want me to sign with one local.
They warned me and I Well, I didn't sign.
You don't even lie good anymore.
Oh, no.
Oh, Matt, what happened? I mean, just Just look at it.
Tell her.
Go on, tell her.
Matty Look at all my dishes.
It's all right, darling, Don't cry, baby.
It's all right We'll think of something.
We'll do all right.
We'll fix it.
Everything No.
Oh, hey, Cannon? You see, it's all a It's all a misunderstanding.
Don't go to the cops, huh? Because if you do, I'm finished here.
We're both finished, me and Sally.
We're done.
Why did you want to see me after dark, after you'd closed? Just to talk.
About what? Cannon, I'm past 50.
And I'm scared.
When you get older, you get scared.
Yeah, so they tell me.
We can't have anything go wrong before we go.
You know, like the fuel company guys calling the sky jockeys to see if he needs gas, could louse things up.
So you make sure the fuel company can't call him.
That's what I'm asking.
How? Look.
Those are the phone lines.
No.
No, we can't cut those.
They'd notice it right off.
You do not cut them.
You burn them with acid.
That way it looks like a short circuit.
Yeah.
Will the engines start after we doctor the gas? Oh, there's enough gas in the fuel lines to get her up, all right, but not enough to keep her there for long.
So you say after we get started, we've got about 18 minutes until it's all over.
Yeah.
Say, uh, do you mind if I use your phone? I promised my wife I'd give her a call.
Oh, yeah.
Uh, the one in the hall.
Stay with him just in case.
He's cooperating.
But suppose he blows, huh? Suppose at the last minute he goes crazy and blows? How are we gonna protect ourselves? Howdy, ma'am.
Junk.
Trying to clean it up a little.
Yeah.
If you're looking for my husband, he's not here.
Oh, that's too bad.
You the man from the electric company? Mm-hm.
Ah, used, but good.
Now, wait a minute.
A bank felony's one thing, but a A murder rap's another.
Let me worry about that.
You stick to what you know.
Well I've gotta get going.
It's getting late, and my wife will w Always checking in with that wife of yours, aren't you, Dixon? Now, you leave her out of this, because I'm doing what you want.
You don't have to get back, Dix.
Wait a minute.
Your wife's a guest of ours, all expenses paid.
Where is she? I said, where is she? Where we want her to be.
She's gonna be nice and cozy, don't worry.
You'll be back together in a couple of days.
Can't stand being separated that long, huh? It's set for half past 9 tomorrow morning.
Who knows? Only those people absolutely necessary.
Not even the pilot, but his mainland office will keep him there until 8 a.
m.
then they'll load the special guards and send him back.
There could be a serious attempt made.
I say "could be" because I'm not sure.
I think I'll go see my ex-con friend again.
Sally? Sally? He went to the cops? Oh, man.
Oh, that dame.
We should have left her alone.
We acted too tough.
He could get the shipment held up.
Cool it.
I'm gonna put my gun away, not because I'm stupid, but just to show you that I'm not interested in that kind of action.
I'm here to make a deal.
Sit down.
Incidentally, you are a highly inadequate tail.
Don't be smart.
Now, you're a friend of Dix looking for a little cut in the action, right? Or are you something else? Would you tell your boys to sit down? I hate having people stand over me.
Just say what you have to say.
I have to believe that Sally Dixon isn't on any pleasure trip with one shoe on and one shoe off.
I also happen to believe that you were planning the bank caper with the help of an old friend, of course.
The deal.
Now, you know I could blow this shipment wide open.
But I also have a very good memory for faces, and with the help of a police M.
O.
book with good close-ups, I could put a finger on you very easily Keep your hand out of that.
Don't try to con con artists.
Now, if you try anything, anything at all, nobody's ever gonna see that Dixon broad again.
Or if they do I have not gone to the police yet.
All right, the deal: You give up the bank caper, let the Dixons go and I'll walk out of here without having said one word about seeing you or this house.
What do you want? I just told you.
You told me garbage.
Now, for openers.
I'm not gonna do it your way, but you do it mine and you're cut in for a nice little taste, so let's get down to it.
I'm not interested in a little taste.
Cut the bull.
What are you? Some gumshoe.
Messing around so you can get something, right? Okay, so that's the way it is.
Look at you.
You're fat.
You eat pretty well, right? Where do you do your hustling, in church? Well, it looks like you have me.
Uh, you mind if I have a cigarette? Oh, I Oh, it's all over my shoes, my pants.
I'm sorry.
Gumshoes are clumsy, I guess, huh? He's crazy.
No, I'm not crazy.
But your boys seemed to have so much fun tearing up Sally's kitchen, I thought I'd try it myself.
It's great.
Billie Joe, finish him before he gets to the road.
Vince, get a rifle.
Billie Joe, cut him off! Finish him.
Did you get him? I'm sure I did.
Yeah, well, if you didn't, that current there is gonna take him right on out.
The guards onboard? Yes, sir, two armed guards keeping out of sight as instructed.
Good.
When's the cargo coming? When it gets here.
Yeah.
Yeah, okay, get over here fast.
They're using a vending machine truck.
Hey, that's not a bad gimmick.
Well, it doesn't make any difference, because the red light is on.
That means that the inner vault is open.
Everybody give thanks to Mr.
Dixon.
Now can I see Sally? Get the radio set up.
What about Sally? Oh, cool it with Sally.
Behave yourself, you'll see her soon enough.
Load it up and get it out quickly.
You all set? All gassed and ready, Mr.
Henderson.
She's flying too good.
There it goes.
I got a problem up here.
I can't get the gas feed to work.
Beautiful.
Well, this is some goof.
Where are we? About halfway.
Six-four to main, six-four to main, we have an engine problem here, and we've put down.
Do you read me? We read you, six-four.
Do you require assistance? Negative at this time, negative.
I'll try and check out the problem.
I may be able to handle it myself.
Roger, six-four, we're standing by until we hear from you further.
Out.
He's down.
Hey, there's a boat out there.
You got some glasses? -Yeah.
It's a fishing boat.
See if we can't get them to throw us a line.
Six-four to main, six-four to main.
No danger at present.
I have a fishing boat in sight.
We'll try and get them to throw us a line.
Roger, six-four, we'll continue to standby.
Okay, I'll, uh, tie up to the boat and see if I can't get my engines started again.
Over and out.
Hello in the fishing boat.
We're having an engine problem.
Can you throw us a line and standby? Ahoy, airplane.
We'll standby and throw you a line.
Coast guard operator, this is Golden Main.
Golden Main to Coast guard.
We have an aircraft down in mid-channel.
He is taking a line from a fishing boat and there is no emergency at this time.
Repeat, no emergency, but will you please standby? Over.
Boy, that Mr.
Relco sure knows what to do.
Okay.
Thanks a lot.
You're welcome.
Now, don't move one muscle.
I want to see hands on those heads inside.
Get them up there or the pilot gets it right now.
Throw them the second line.
That's for the money.
Thank you, coast guard, over and out.
Well, you're just about home free.
Ooh! Hey, they said you were finished off.
Not quite.
That fishing boat on the radio, that's Relco, isn't it? Yeah.
Well, what happens now? Well, they're going to a place, and they're gonna transfer the money.
Where, Dix? I can't tell you, Cannon.
They got Sally, you know that.
They're gonna hold onto her until the job gets done, they told me.
And you believe them? Now, where? You'd better tell me, Dix, because it's your last chance to save her.
If they get off with the money, she's blown away, gone.
One shoe on, one shoe off.
They are not gentle people, Dix.
I don't see Billie Joe.
So what? So why ain't he here? Who cares why? He was told to be here.
If he doesn't make it by the time we're ready, we go without him.
Hey, what's the matter? The engine won't start.
Why won't it start? I don't know, that's what I'm gonna find out.
It won't start because somebody took the igniter plug.
They? Is this what you're looking for? Cannon.
Bring that thing down here, Cannon.
Listen, you fat fathead, hand that over, do you hear? If you want it, come and get it.
We're coming, buster.
Freeze.
Remember, I offered to walk away from all this.
You should have made the deal.
I'm starting this pie from scratch so you can watch it every step of the way.
I will observe with bated breath.
Thank you.
He gets that because he's a real and true friend of yours.
And don't you forget it.
Well, I owe you again.
Including getting her out of it and telling the police I was forced.
Well, you paid your dues when you took me to the cove.
And, uh, when you put the gun on Relco, that took care of the interest for everybody concerned, including the DA.
Now, if I whip these, it gets too moist, but this way Hey, did you ever try drying them with an electric fan? Huh? Oh, I do it with Peking duck all the time.
First you take the duck and you hang it No, wait a minute.
Did I ever turn that fan off?