" He's ready." " He sure is." "Hello?" "Mr. Pierson." "What is it, Alex?" "I thought we had an understanding, you're not to call me again." "Where do we stand, Dr. Burke?" "I told you my patient will be ready in time." "Commissioner Beresford will be dead by 1:00 this afternoon." "Just so you know, it has to be right." "Beresford is the most important hit yet." "Don't lecture me, Alex." "Either you trust me or we won't do business again." "I think you're forgetting something, Burke." "You'll do exactly what I tell you to do." "Or do I have to send someone over to remind you?" "How are you feeling, Stambler?" "Not bad, doctor." "Thank you, doctor." "Let him go." "Good morning, Mr. Phelps." "Alex Pierson, rising rapidly within the syndicate, has formed an alliance with Thomas Burke, a psychopathic genius in the field of behavioural psychology." "It is believed that Burke is enlisting fugitives from the underworld whom he first brainwashes, then programmes to kill." "These assassins have already committed three murders for Pierson and killed themselves immediately afterward." "Since there has been no opportunity to question them, conventional law enforcement agencies have been unable to get any incriminating evidence against Burke and Pierson." "Your mission, Jim, should you decide to accept it, is to stop these murders and to put Burke and Pierson out of action." "This tape will self-destruct in five seconds." "Good luck, Jim." "The problem is that Pierson never goes near Burke, so we have no way to link them." "So far, no clue as to where Burke's base is." "So, what we have to do, in addition to gathering evidence," "Casey." " Very good, Casey." " Thank you." "We have two apartments, Jim." "Mine and the one next door." "Any problem getting to Pierson's cocktail party?" "No, Pierson usually calls a modelling agency when he gives a party for one of his boys." "I'm on their list now and I've boned up on Pierson's paintings." "Jim, where did Pierson and Burke first meet?" "In jail." "Burke was serving a term for manslaughter." "One of his so-called medical experiments killed a man." "Jim, these fugitives that wind up as Burke's subjects, they don't expect to die, do they?" "No, what they hear through the grapevine in prison, Casey, is that Pierson has a doctor, Burke, who can give them new identities and get them out of the country." "Barney, you've got no idea what mind drugs or techniques Burke will be using." "These will protect me against the whole spectrum, Willy." "This one I take before I start and this one I use as a booster when the going gets rough." "Is there any chance at all that one of these people might have seen Hawkins?" "All they have is a general description." "Black, about my age, height and weight." "He escaped from a federal prison about two weeks ago and contacted Pierson's men in the south." "What nobody knows is that Hawkins was recaptured last night and gave us the whole story." "Exactly one hour from now, he's to be in a public telephone booth at 10th and Willoughby." " Hawkins?" " Yeah." "You do exactly as you're told or there's no deal." "Okay, I understand." "When I hang up, you keep walking south." "And you keep walking." "Good." "Thanks." "Hey, let's get going, huh?" "Here you go, Steve." "Relax you." "To happy days." "You've got quite a record." "Forgery, fraud, flight to avoid prosecution going back to your sixteenth year." "Yeah." "Look, I come here for a new face, not a whole lot of talk." "Let's get on with this." "No heavy crimes." "No violence." "I can take care of myself." "I'm sure you can." "I hear prison life gets pretty rough." "Tell me the truth." "Haven't you ever wanted to lean on someone?" "Maybe somebody that crossed you?" "Rough him up a little?" "Kill him?" "Yeah, sure." "So what?" "Look..." "What's--?" "What's this got to do with getting me out of the country?" "l" " I paid you a lot of money." "You'll get your money's worth, Steve." "Just relax." "Relax." "According to the building department plans and these photographs, the only place they could secure him properly is here." "So that's where they've got him, Willy." "Now it's up to him." "What's that?" "Supper." "I just had lunch." "That was hours ago." "It was minutes." "What are you trying to do to me?" "Come back here." "Come back here and talk to me." "It's not supper." "It's not time." " He's tough." " Yes, he's very hard." "But the pattern is satisfactory." "He'll break." "He might make the best killer yet." "The time analysis on subject Hawkins, markedly different from previous subjects owing to theta bombardment." "Preparation, 40 hours." "Release time calculated, 9 a.m., second day." "Requisite execution time is 2 p.m., same date." "The curious thing about this subject apart from the others is an extraordinary" "Excuse me." " Hi." " Oh, hi." " You must be the new girl." " Yes, Susan Miller." "Terrific." "I'm Rita." "You'll meet the others as we go along." "Here, drink up." "Alex hates a dull party." "Cheers." "Oh, by the way, where is our illustrious host?" "Probably in the study." "We're all being auditioned on closed-circuit television." "This place has more security than the First National Bank." " Oh, you're kidding." " No." "Those three stiffs over there." " Yeah." " Bodyguards." "Our new killer." "One moment of glory as he executes Henry Watson, and then..." "They're all here." "Then let's join the party." "Hello, Alex." " She's new, isn't she?" " Yes, she is." " I wanna see her." " Yes, sir." "Miss, your host would like to meet you." "I'm Alex Pierson." "I haven't seen you here before." "Oh, well, this is my first visit." " Enjoying it?" " Oh, very much." "It's quite what I expected, except for the paintings." "The Raphael is magnificent, and the Fra Angelico." " You're an admirer?" " Yes." "The otherworldly quality of Christian subject matter is overwhelming in an age of such realism." "Who invited you to this party, Miss...?" "Miller." "Susan Miller." "I was sent by the agency." "They don't usually send young ladies with a knowledge of Italian Renaissance paintings." "Well, it's a hobby of mine." "I'm a writer." "I don't sell much and, well, I have to make a living." "Well, you must see the rest." "I have some Uccellos and a Botticelli." "Lovely." "Now, you could be a Botticelli model." "Long golden hair..." " May I?" " Please." "You recognise it?" "Cellini." "Probably done about 1525, 1530." "Right." " I want to buy it." " Well, I'm afraid it's not for sale." "It was my mother's." "All right." "But I warn you, Miss Miller, I can be very persuasive." "Jim." "They've destroyed all their programming material." "I did find out that I'm to be released tomorrow morning at 9 a.m." "The murder is set for 2 p.m." "I repeat, 2 p.m. tomorrow." "I still don't know who I'm supposed to kill." "We were right about the audio-visual material." "Our pictures should be processed for 35-millimetre ADR transport for front and rear projection." "Also..." "They're using a dummy for the conditioning series." "Life size, fitted with a mask of the subject." "But there's something we didn't figure on." "A theta wave machine." "Rough." "It's why they're able-- Able to go so fast." "They" "Someone's coming." "I've gotta take my booster." "I'll report to you later tonight." "He sounded pretty rocky." "Let's go, the doctor's waiting." "Time to go, Hawkins." "You know, I'd like to change your mind about the miniature." "You need money." "Well, it would be very difficult for me to part with, but..." " So it is negotiable?" " Perhaps." " Thank you." " Thank you." "Where?" "When?" "Well, at home, I have a lovely collection of colour slides that I took of some Uccellos in Rome." "Well, then, if we can't agree on the miniature, at least we have the Uccellos." " How about tomorrow?" " I'll call you." "Well, that's going to be a little difficult." "I've just moved into a new apartment and the phone isn't being installed until tomorrow." " So if it's all right, I'll call you." " I look forward to it." "Tomorrow." " 35 mm slides." " Thanks, Willy." " Everything else ready?" " Yeah, almost." " What about Barney?" " Not a word." "Here comes Harold Watson now." "He's arriving at the hearing room to testify before the grand jury." "At any time after the sound of the wristwatch alarm, you will kill Harold Watson," "and then you will kill yourself." "How are you feeling, Hawkins?" "Fine, doctor." "You know your job?" "When the alarm goes off," "I kill Deputy Mayor Watson, and then I kill myself." "I'm very pleased." "Thank you, doctor." "Take him out and let him go." "Something's gone wrong or Barney would have contacted us by now." "We've got to move, Jim." "Right." "Well, what about the rest of the plan?" "No change." "Yet." "You can go now, Hawkins." "Hey, you, what are you doing there?" "The guy got sick and I'm just replacing him." "Don't you know you're supposed to check your bags at the gate?" "That's my job." "You're not even supposed to be in here." "Okay, man, cool it." "Cool it." " Hello." " May I speak with Alex, please?" "Tell him Susan Miller." "Miss Miller." "Yeah, I'll talk to her." " How are you this morning, Susan?" " Anxious to see you." " Can you make it for lunch today?" " Delighted." "I'll bring the champagne." "Good." "About noon." "Twelve-thirty is the best I can do." "All right." "I'll see you then." " Casey." " Yes, Jim." "No sign of Barney here." " Have you heard anything from him?" " No, Jim." "We're going ahead with the plan, but have the police put out an APB for Barney." "Well, suppose we can't locate him in time?" "Contact Teague Williams." "Make a mask of him." "All right, Jim." "What are you doing here?" "I was just cleaning up." "Never seen you in here before." "Casey." " Yes, Jim." " Everything's set here." "Here too." "Teague Williams is on the way." "Pierson will be here at 12:30 and the police have been contacted about Barney." "Good." "Willy?" " Yes, Jim." " You better get back to the apartment" " and help Casey." " What about you, Jim?" "I'm not leaving here until I find out where Barney is." "Do you think they got to him?" "That's what I'm afraid of." "I think it'll work." "I hope so." "Pierson." "How are you, Miss Miller?" " Where's Alex?" " Relax, he'll be along." "What's going on?" " Mr. Pierson doesn't like surprises." " Well, neither do I." "There's nothing in there." "You're right." " It's all right, Mr. Pierson." " Good." " Hello." " I wanna apologise for the intrusion." "They insist." "They're responsible for my safety, you understand." "Do I have a choice?" "If we're to be friends, no." "Well, then I guess I'll just have to learn to get along." "That's a girl." "The best." "Well, that's no surprise." "Nice apartment." "When are you gonna decorate it?" "Well, I'm afraid I can't do anything about that until I sell my first book." "Or a miniature." "Or a miniature." "Listen, don't misunderstand me, I didn't come just about the miniature." "But I would like to talk about it." "Very well." "To the miniature." "Believe me, I didn't know anything about it." " Get away from me!" " I swear, I didn't." " You fingered me." " No." " Who put you up to it?" " No, I don't know anything about it." "He was Burke's last patient." "I recognise him." "It was Burke's m.o. Who paid Burke to do it?" " Please, l" " Who set it up?" "I don't know anything about it except that..." "Except that I was hired to get you here today." " I was paid $500." " Who paid you?" "Dr. Burke." "But he didn't say anything about anyone trying to kill you." "You've got to believe that, Alex." "We gotta talk to Burke." "What about the girl?" "She's already told us everything she knows." "Burke?" "Burke, where are you?" " Alex." " Surprised?" "Your man missed." " What are you talking about?" " Hawkins." "He fired two shots at me, and then killed himself." "Hawkins?" "Hawkins is out there right now." "Hawkins is dead." "No, it can't be." "No, Alex, this cannot be." "What I've done is absolutely foolproof." "Come, check it." "Check it yourself." "You'll see." "Okay, Pete, start it up." "Who paid you to do it, Burke?" "Alex, it's a frame." "Who paid you to have me hit?" "No one." "Hawkins will carry out the assignment we gave him in exactly nine minutes." "Okay, Pete, work him over." "Come on, Burke, you can tell me, I'm your friend." "Who set me up?" "I don't know." "Please." "Let me alone." "Come on, just tell me." "Please?" "Look, l" "Please, let me alone." "You tell me where Hawkins is or I turn you over to Pierson for some of that right now." "Yes or no?" "Municipal building, grand jury." "The deputy mayor, Harold Watson." "Get out of here." "Casey, Barney's in the municipal building, grand jury room." "Target:" "Harold Watson." "Notify the police." "Right." "No time." "Gentlemen, there's nothing more to say until I present my evidence to the grand jury." "In cases like this, there are certain evidence that you can't expose to the public." "Gentlemen, please go along with me, please." "No more comments, gen" "Barney, it's going to be all right." "Do you hear me?" "It's going to be all right." "Burke was in no mood to protect Pierson after what Pierson did to him." "So he gave us enough evidence to hang them both." "Good." "You know, I can't remember a thing after that last session in the programming room." "That was quite a session, Barney." "Are you sure there won't be any aftereffects?" "None at all, Casey, not even a hangover." "I've been given a clean bill of health." "I'm ready to go."