Alfred Hitchcock Presents s05e19 Episode Script

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
You see, we are making an effort to reach the widest possible audience.
Tonight The last was included in case this program reaches the moon.
Tonight, we present Haven't you forgotten something? No offense meant to all the countries involved, but he was a show off, till the very end.
Always wanting the last word.
And now, without further interruption, tonight's story.
Criminals can be plenty resourceful.
So can cops.
Detectives still require good old horse sense and strong feet.
But in addition, we now have some help to take the weight off.
What I mean is, scientific equipment.
We have many ways to take care of the tough guys.
We figure they'll soften by the time we get all the evidence against them.
With fingerprinting, or a lie detector, or a ballistics test.
Yes, they match.
But it's the mild ones, the tame ones, that give us the most trouble.
There was one fellow in particular, who made our investigation easy.
You might even say, too easy.
Captain.
Good morning, Hogan.
How do you like that? What happened, Captain? Just now I got a look at this memo that came in last week, the one with the names of all the new parolees in the vicinity.
It's got Milt Potter listed.
Who's Milt Potter? Didn't I ever tell you about him? No, I don't think you did.
Take a look at the 47th file.
You'll find him under "Embezzlement.
" Bring it over here.
Lieutenant, he was the tamest criminal you ever met.
Or maybe the coolest.
"Milton Potter.
Age 34.
Single.
Metro Investment Services, Incorporated.
" That's my man.
Now he's out on parole, huh? Two days ago.
For 12 years I kept his release date in my calendar, and then I didn't watch the memos.
Now it doesn't make any difference.
Two days or two weeks.
I got Milt Potter's number.
You know, it happened back in March of 1947.
I was a looie then.
Maybe even more of an eager beaver than you are now.
Milton Potter had worked for Metro Investments since he got out of college, a total of 13 years, and he was still making only 60 bucks a week.
He had no family, and few friends.
He was quiet, courteous, commonplace and careful.
Nobody could tell you anecdotes about Potter.
Nobody could even describe him very well.
We found that out.
He went about his duties without ever complaining or revealing the intention that must have been burning inside him for years.
Then, it happened.
One day, Potter didn't report for work.
Nobody cared very much.
In fact, nobody seemed to notice it.
When he didn't show up the next day, somebody thought it might be a good idea to call his home and see if he'd broken a leg or something.
There wasn't any answer.
They didn't get really disturbed about it until the third day.
Come in.
What is it, Newton? Out with it, man! I don't have all day.
What's the matter with you? It's about Potter, sir.
Oh, he's back, is he? Good man, Potter.
I wish I had more men like him.
Never complains, never asks for a raise.
Where's he been? It's not that, Mr.
Halverson, it What is it, then? Won't he tell? Now, there's a quiet man for you, eh, Newton? You know what they say about still water? Yes, sir.
You'd better show him in.
I'll get it out of him.
But he's not here, sir.
He's still not here.
Oh? Well, then the poor man must have met with an accident or something.
Has anyone thought of calling the hospitals? Sir, I was checking his books, and And And what, Newton? They don't balance, sir.
There's a discrepancy.
A discrepancy? Yes, sir.
How much of a discrepancy? $200,000, sir.
Of course, sir.
I'll have a man there right away.
Fisher! Yes, Captain? I want you to hot foot it down to Metro Investments.
They're on Third Street.
I know where it is.
Seems that one of their bookkeepers, a man named Milton Potter, absconded with 200 grand.
Two hundred thousand? That's what I said.
The man to see is Halverson.
J.
B.
Halverson.
The vice president.
All right.
Mr.
Newton, did Potter ever mention his plans or give any indication at all what he was thinking of doing? No note, a remark, a telephone call? No, sir, he never did.
I never knew him to get a personal telephone call.
He had no relatives, you know.
What about his friends? Did he have any friends? No, I wouldn't say he had.
What would you say? You worked with him, you were closer to him than anyone else.
Well, if he had any friends, sir, I didn't know about them.
This is incredible! He worked here for 13 years and you don't know if he has any friends.
What do you do, Newton, live in a vacuum? No, sir.
It's just that Mr.
Potter never talked about himself.
Do you remember anything unusual about him? No.
Anything at all? Nothing.
You know, nobody could even remember what color eyes he had? I know.
Oh, he did his work well.
But he always did that.
And, oh, he read a lot.
I could say that about him.
What did he read? Travel books, mostly.
That figures.
All right.
You can go.
If I need to talk to you again, I'll let you know.
Yes, sir.
That pipsqueak, Potter.
I knew the day I hired him there was something phony about him.
Why do you say that? Too quiet.
Too good.
All the time he was scheming to rob the company! And now it comes out.
A crafty, clever man, Potter.
He's probably in Afghanistan by this time.
Well, if he has traveling in mind, Mr.
Halverson, he hasn't left yet.
His clothes and luggage are still in his room.
But there were travel folders all over the place.
You should be out looking for him, young man.
You've got to nail him before he gets away.
Oh, he won't get away.
He's got to be punished for what he's done.
He's got to be made an example of.
What if everyone in the office decided to take off with the funds? This would ruin us! I don't think we've got anything to worry about.
He hasn't covered his trail.
It shouldn't be too difficult finding him.
You've got to get that man, Lieutenant.
We will, Mr.
Halverson, we will.
It's like I said, lady.
We'd like to accommodate you and come down and arrest your husband but we can't do that without a complaint.
Yes, I know you're complaining, lady, but I mean a signed complaint.
Yes, you come down here.
No, I'm sorry we can't send a car for you.
Yes, get one of your neighbors to drive you down.
Well, what do you want? My name is Milton Potter.
What could I do for you, Mr.
Potter? I came to give myself up.
That's fine, Mr.
Potter.
We always like it when people want to give themselves up.
But would you mind telling me first what it is you think you've done? I'm the man that took the money.
The money? You mean you're that Potter? Yes, sir.
That's what I mean.
You knew you couldn't get away with it.
Whatever made you try? Oh, that's not true, Lieutenant.
I thought I could get away with it.
I really did.
But now you know differently, is that it? No.
You don't understand.
You see, I didn't realize the effect it was going to have on me.
After all those years of planning to do it someday, I had to go through with it.
Don't you see? But afterwards Well, after it was over and I had time to think about it, I realized I just couldn't go through with it.
That's all.
Don't feel badly about it, Potter.
A lot of first timers lose their nerve after pulling off a job.
You did the right thing, coming here the way you did, giving yourself up.
You know, that took courage.
It just proves, Mr.
Potter, that you're really not the criminal type.
Mr.
Halverson's gonna be real proud of you.
Oh, I don't think so.
You don't know our Mr.
Halverson.
I'm sorry about him.
I've caused him a lot of worry.
Mr.
Newton, too.
I hope they'll understand.
Well, they're not worried now.
'Cause we're gonna tell 'em how you walked right in here and told us all about it.
You know, I wish every job would end this way.
It would make it easier for all of us.
You said it, Captain.
You didn't happen to bring the money with you? No, I didn't.
Well, that's all right.
We'll send a couple of men out after it.
Where is it? You do have the money, don't you? Mr.
Potter, you're not going to tell us that you've lost it or anything silly like that, are you? Where is the money, Mr.
Potter? It's as I told you.
I took the money and now I'm willing to give myself up.
Well, are you also willing to go to jail? 'Cause you know, that's exactly where you're going to land unless you tell us where you've hidden that money.
I'm willing to go to jail if I have to.
You don't seem to understand.
You could draw a long stretch for a theft as large as this one.
Doesn't matter now.
You'll be spending the best part of your life in jail! Mr.
Potter, where is the money? I'm not going to tell you.
You're being a patsy, Potter.
A patsy? Yeah, you're taking a fall, you're being set up.
You're a fall guy.
Can't you understand that? I'm not sure, Lieutenant.
You've given the money to somebody and you're willing to take the rap for it.
No, that's not true.
All right, Potter.
Who's the woman? The woman? Captain, I'm not even married.
All right, the doll then.
That little hunk of something that you think's gonna be waiting outside those prison walls when you get out.
You don't mean to tell me you think she'll still gonna have the dough, do you? There's no doll.
Listen, Potter, what kind of fools do you think we are? There's got to be a reason you won't turn that dough over to us.
Now, let's have it.
And we want the truth, for a change.
But, I'm telling you the truth.
Don't you realize what this means? 15 or 20 years.
And with that attitude of yours, I don't know if they'll ever let you out.
Mr.
Potter, do you have any idea what prison's like? Look, why don't you make it easy on yourself? You'll probably get off real light if you just return the dough.
Hardly any prison term at all.
Lieutenant Fisher is right.
This is your first offense.
Judges always look kindly on a man who admits his mistake, especially the first time.
Now, you just give back the 200 grand, and both Metro and the insurance company will go easy on you.
I practically promise it.
Now, how about it? You look like a sane and sensible man.
You don't wanna do a long stretch in the pen.
I'm sorry.
I'm putting you fellows through an awful lot of bother, and I don't mean to.
Well, then tell us where the money is! It's as I said, I took the money because I thought I could get away with it.
But after I took it, I realized I wasn't cut out to be a hunted criminal.
I couldn't stand the idea of being hounded for the rest of my life.
Oh, I know how Mr.
Halverson would be, and the insurance company, too.
To say nothing of you fellows.
So, when I thought about that, I realized I wasn't cut out to be the running type.
That's all.
So I gave myself up.
Please, please, Mr.
Potter, will you just tell us where the money is? No.
We've been nice to you, Potter, but it gets rough from here on out.
I suppose you're the type who thinks he won't mind prison life, huh? You think it's gonna be like the army! You wanna to be told where to go, or what to do.
You think it's going to be like that, don't you? Good eats, movies, why, maybe even a three-day pass.
Well, you've got a big surprise coming, Potter.
A great big surprise.
A concrete and steel room for 20 long years, Potter.
The same meals, the same four walls, nothing to do.
And the days stretching out in front of you, never-ending.
And your fellow convicts, murderers, thieves, arsonists.
Is that the way you want it, Potter? Well, is it? If that's the way it has to be.
I thought about Potter quite a lot over the years.
Why was he so stubborn? He wasn't the criminal type.
Why did he insist that was the way it had to be? Well, Potter never broke down.
The trial was short and sweet.
He pleaded guilty and got a 15-year sentence.
That was back in '47, like I said.
He got three years clipped off his sentence for good behavior.
How did he adjust to prison life? He was a model prisoner from the first day he walked through the gates.
They put him to work in the prison library most of the time.
He did a lot of reading.
Travels books mainly, so I heard.
If he got out two days ago, Captain, he's got a head start on you.
It won't matter.
You know that 200 grand doesn't belong to him, even if he thinks he earned it by doing a stretch in the pen.
I'll get his address from his parole officer.
Pay him a little visit and to tell him a few of the facts of life.
You're going to see him today? Why not? I've had this appointment for a long time.
Yes? Mr.
Potter, I'm Captain Ernest Fisher.
Remember me? Of course.
Come on in.
I was Lieutenant Fisher the last time we met, Mr.
Potter.
That was a long time ago.
Yes, it was a long time ago.
Twelve long years ago.
Going somewhere? I've just moved in.
What'd you want, Captain? Well, I understand that you did real well in prison.
At least there were no complaints about your conduct that I heard.
I didn't get into any trouble.
I minded my own business.
I didn't bother anybody, nobody bothered me.
Well, if I know you, they hardly knew you were there.
I knew I was there, Captain.
Of course you did.
You wouldn't listen to me 12 years ago.
Now you know.
Yes.
Now I know.
I was hoping to forget that part of my life.
Well, a person usually forgets the unpleasant things.
And you're probably no exception, now that you're out and ready to make a clean start.
You thought of what you're going to do? I've thought about it.
Well, we'll help you all we can, but, of course, you won't be able to go back to handling money.
I hadn't planned on that.
There's no sense in beating around the bush, Mr.
Potter.
I am here for a reason.
I didn't think you came here for nothing.
You know what it is.
There's still the matter of $200,000.
I knew you wouldn't forget about that.
Neither we nor the insurance company, Mr.
Potter.
The fact that you served the sentence doesn't entitle you to that money, no matter what you think.
Listen to that ship's blast, Captain.
I heard it.
I always wanted to travel.
You had travel folders all over your room 12 years ago.
Yeah, I had wonderful plans.
I wanted to travel all around the world, but I wound up in prison.
But I traveled all the time I was there.
I read every travel book in the prison library.
When I finished those, I started borrowing others from the state library.
I never really got out.
Not really.
There was always that prison smell.
Always a feeling of people closing in, the smell of other men.
It's different out here.
It smells different, it feels so different.
I bet it does.
That ship I wonder if the world smells different, if it feels different where she's going.
Well, I wouldn't know about that, Mr.
Potter.
And I wouldn't worry about it, if I were you.
You're not going anyplace.
I know.
You know, it was obvious to everyone what your plan was.
You thought you'd be set to enjoy that money when you got out of prison.
But these things aren't done that way.
I want you to know that I'm making it my personal duty to see that you don't carry out your plan.
That money does not belong to you.
But, Captain, you're all wrong about me.
Oh, really? Yes, you are.
I know that's what the world thinks.
Know what everybody thinks.
But they're wrong! Are they? Look, I'll tell you the truth.
I thought that life in prison wouldn't be too hard.
At times it wasn't, but other times you had nothing to do but to think.
A lot of time.
So I made up my mind what I had to do.
Captain, I'm ready to give the money back.
You're what? I'm ready to give the money back.
All I want is to be left alone, to be able to live in peace.
Don't you understand? Well, I'm trying hard to.
Where is the money? Right here, in this room.
Right here, in this suitcase.
Every penny of it.
I think you're going to enjoy this.
Oh, I shall.
Imported? Yes.
This is the best year you can buy.
Back in the States, I never take a drink before 5:00.
Oh, this is the very best time of day to drink champagne.
You know, I'm going on to France, to the vineyards where the grapes come from.
I may buy a case or two.
France? Mmm-hmm.
But this ship's going to Hawaii.
I know.
But I intend to go on to Asia, the Orient, all around the world.
I certainly envy you your trip.
Oh, when I retired, I determined to travel.
Retired! With the way taxes are today, how'd you ever manage it? Investments.
Did you ever stop to think how much $200,000 earns in 12 years in interest compounded quarterly in various carefully selected savings banks? $154,862 and 25 cents.
I see.
But how can a man get hold of $200,000 to invest? You might try borrowing it.
I did.
Ah! So much for high finance.
It is customary to announce to an audience when the program they are watching is in color.
I can only assume that this is for the benefit of the colorblind, so that they will know they are missing something.
I have good news for them tonight.
The preceding program was not in color.
Next time, I shall return with another story.
Until then, goodnight.