"What time is it?" "Twenty-five to 3." "But what do you care for the next 30 years or so?" "May I show you to a table, sir?" " I'm looking for Mioshi." " I'm Mioshi." "I'm very fond of camellias." "Then perhaps you know the haiku:" "Behold!" "A camellia flower" "Spilt water when it fell." "Good morning, Mr. Phelps." "Yesterday a gang specialising in smuggling criminals out of the country engineered the escape of this man, Gunther Schell, the brains behind the Syndicate's illegal money operations." "Conventional law-enforcement agencies are unable to locate either Schell or the millions in Syndicate gambling profits he concealed before his arrest." "Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to recapture Schell and recover that money." "This tape will self-destruct in five seconds." "Good luck, Jim." "Joseph Atherton, New York broker convicted of disposing of $10 million worth of stolen securities." "Police never found the proceeds of the crime." "He'd been in jail only two weeks when the gang we're after got him out." "Now, our plan is based on the few facts that we've been able to gather from Atherton's experience." "Barney, anything new from the police?" "Nothing, Jim." "They don't know how he escaped from the gang." "What they do know is that he was subjected to massive doses of a truth drug more powerful than thiopental sodium." "And it's very dangerous." "He died last night." "Both Atherton and Schell were involved in large sums of illicit money." "That's been the gang's pattern, Casey." "Evidently, they seduce such people with the promise of escape and freedom, then they drug them to find out where they've hidden their money." "This is Arnold Lutz," "Schell's immediate superior in the Syndicate." "Then he'll be expecting to hear from Schell." "Oh, yes, and when he doesn't, there's a whole lot of money he's going to worry about." "The murder story's been planted." "It'll be on the air and in the newspapers tomorrow." "Good, Casey." "Police records indicate that Schell is a diabetic." "This will turn into a colourless, odourless gas upon contact with air." "It will also provoke a violent physical reaction in Schell alone." "Jim, if they were able to produce that horrible effect on Atherton, what's to prevent them from finding out the truth about you?" "Barney?" "A sender-receiver, Casey, which, once inside Jim's ear, will be undetectable." "It has a signal of two miles either way." "So no matter what techniques they use," "Barney has already preprogrammed me to respond to his voice only." "Now, the one fact we did get from Atherton before he died was the location of his initial contact, a bar called the Wheelhouse." "That's our first move." " Evening." " Hi, how are you?" "Fine." "Give me a bottle of your best beer, will you?" " It's kind of quiet." " Well, it's a little early." "Name's George Carter." "Enjoy your beer, Mr. Carter." "I understand that you know some people that are very good at helping other people out of trouble." "My client needs a lot of help." "That supposed to mean something to me?" "He's willing to pay $50,000." "Mr. Carter, I don't know what you're talking about." "Well, that's too bad." " Maybe next time." " Thank you." "I have a contact." "He can be reached at KL 5-9376." " Hello?" " Carter?" "Speaking." "I understand you have a client for us?" "That's right." "All right, listen carefully." "There's a dressmaker's shop between 6th and 7th on Oak Street." "You be in front in 15 minutes." "Carter." "Yeah?" "Get in." "They say elephants never forget." "They don't talk to policemen either, which should make both of us very comfortable." "Who are you?" "I'm a modest man, Mr. Carter." "I prefer to protect my anonymity." "Who told you about us?" "A friend bought the same kind of ticket I wanna buy for a client of mine." " Who?" " Gunther Schell." "According to our friend at the Wheelhouse, your client is Dr. Philip Brady." " That's right." " An internist." "How extremely foolish for any man with his opportunities to kill anybody with a gun." "Very well." "We'll deliver Dr. Brady to any place of his choice outside the continental United States." "Our price is $50,000, payable in advance." " What's your plan?" " That's our business." "Have him come to the carousel in the park tomorrow morning at 7 a.m., alone." "He's to have the 50,000 with him." "Takis." "His licence, 12 years old, suspended twice." "Came here three months ago from Frisco." "He's a private eye, all right." "Then we'll proceed." "We can hardly afford not to." "The doctor not only committed murder, he also ran off with more than a million dollars of his victim's money." "First Schell, now the doctor." "Promises to be a very good month." "Mr. Karp, you've gotta make them understand." "It was just bad timing." "Schell hid the dough before he went up." "Lutz." "You think my people are going to believe that Schell didn't tell you where he hid $27 million?" "Schell moved the dough the day before he went up." "He was gonna tell me." "When?" "The first chance he got." "He didn't tell you he was planning a break?" "Schell and I are very close." "I should be hearing from him any day." "You've got till the day after tomorrow." "You'd better come up with the right answers." "Dr. Brady?" "Don't be frightened, doctor." "Your friend Carter sent us." "Good morning, Dr. Brady." "Don't look so nervous." "You're in the hands of experts now." "First, of course, our fee." "It's all here." "Doctor, please." "Stay within a two-mile range." "What are we doing here?" "Oh, for your information, doctor, we operate on a strictly need-to-know basis." "I suggest you simply relax and cooperate." "Well, I see they've brought you our Clavering peerless Eversleep Deluxe." "Airtight, soundproof, all lead-lined." "A monument to modern craftsmanship." "Retails at $ 1, 865." " Climb up." " I'm not in the mood for any jokes." " Please, doctor." " We made a..." "Unique conditions require, perhaps, unusual solutions." "Please, doctor, climb into the casket." "Now, in order to survive, you'll need this:" "oxygen and sedatives." "I don't need a sedative." "Doctor, these surroundings are, shall we say, mildly claustrophobic." "Some of our clients have exhibited extreme hysteria." "Now, please, don't be difficult, doctor." "Put it on." "We lost the signal." "The lead-lined coffin." "Jim's on his own." "Well, there's nothing we can do now but carry out the plan." "But how will Jim react when they question him?" "It'll be rough on him, Casey, but without hearing my voice, he won't respond at all." " Will they accept that?" " We'll have to wait and see, Willy." "Right now, it's time for me to visit Mr. Lutz." "I see, madam." "I'm terribly sorry." "Where is the deceased?" "That won't be necessary, madam, but there will be a form you'll have to sign at the hospital." "Yes, madam." "Just a moment, please." " Mr. Clavering." " This one requires special attention." "Oh, put this in the safe, would you, please?" "Most certainly." "Please forgive me." "We would appreciate if some member of the family would stop by and make the final arrangements." "Yes." "Yes, thank you, madam." "Where's Schell?" "Hargreaves has him in the special room." " That's four hours." " Is he ready?" "I don't know." " But he's reached his limit for now." " Hargreaves, I want that information." "You can't get it from a vegetable." "Do you think Schell double-crossed you?" " You tell me." " Well, what if he did?" "Then I'm dead." "Get me a drink." "What do you want?" "Name's George Carter." "I'm a private investigator." "I've got a little information about Gunther Schell." "What do you know about Schell?" "Well, you see, a client of mine was in some trouble on a murder rap, so I went to some people and I paid them 50 grand to get him out of the country." "But it seems that they had other plans for him." "Get to the point, Mr. Carter." "Well, my client had a lot of money hidden, so they used drugs to make him tell them where it was." "What's this got to do with Schell?" "My client escaped, and he lived long enough to tell me that Gunther Schell was going through the same cure." "Where have they got him?" "Come on, Mr. Lutz." "I'm an independent contractor." "I make my living supplying information to people like you." "Okay, so you want dough." "I figure 50 grand." "Twenty-five up front and 25 on delivery." "Smiler, ask him where Schell is." "If you kill me, I can't tell you." "All right." "Supposing I give you 25 grand now, how do I know I can trust you?" "Well, you really don't." "But I do value my health." "And I'm in the book, Mr. Lutz." "Give him the money." "When do I get Schell?" "Well, that will depend on certain other arrangements." "But don't worry, I'll call you." "Thank you." "Keep everything crossed, Mr. Lutz." " Do you trust him?" " What other choice do I have?" "Gunther." "Gunther Schell, can you hear me?" "Yes." "I'm sorry for all the pain you've suffered." "But I can protect you." "I can keep you from all that suffering." "How much does the skim amount to?" "One million a week." "Where did the money go?" "To a holding location." "How much is at that holding location now?" "Twenty-seven million dollars." "Where is that location?" "We always break down at the same place." "Please." "I asked you a question, Gunther." "You didn't answer me." "Where is the money?" "I'm your friend, Gunther." "If you tell me where the money is, it will still be quite safe, isn't that true?" " Yes." " All right, then, where is it?" "Gunther." "Gunther, the pain will come back, only worse, much worse." " No, please." " Where is the money?" "It's..." " No, I can't tell you!" " You must tell me where it is." "Please." "Please!" "Next session, I promise you." " Takis." " Yes, sir?" "Come collect Schell, and then bring in Dr. Brady." "No, no more." "No, please." "No more." "Please." "Please." "No more." " Well, feeling a little better, Dr. Brady?" " Not much." " Please come with us." " Wait a minute." "What is this place?" "You'll be told everything you need to know, doctor." "Please." "Are you sure you're thoroughly familiar with the Brady case?" "Of course I am." " Doctor." " Who are you?" "How are you, Dr. Brady?" "I demand to know what's going on here." " Dr. Brady, meet Dr. Hargreaves." " Well, it's nice to see a colleague." "This will clear away the last effects of the gas you were breathing." "I don't want any more medication." "I paid $50,000." "I wanna get out of the country." "Dr. Brady, there are certain complex instructions that you will have to follow, and your mind must be perfectly clear." "No more medicine." "No." "No more medicine." "He's under." "All right, put him in the chamber." "All right, Philip, I'm gonna ask you some questions." "I want you to answer them truthfully with the first answer that comes into your head." "Now, there's nothing to fear." "Do you understand that?" "I said, do you understand that?" " Yes, yes." " Good." "Now, what is your full name?" "Your name." "Surely you must know your name." " What did he say?" " I didn't get it." "What's going on here?" "Why the resistance?" "I don't understand it." "Where did you study medicine?" "Your college." "Now, what was the name of your college?" "Did you ever kill anyone?" "Philip." "Philip, I want you to be truthful with me." "Did you shoot Dr. Lewis Weldman?" "There's only one explanation." "Some kind of autohypnosis." " Why would he hypnotise himself?" " Because he's a medical man." "He knew he was going to be subjected to the tremendous stress of being a fugitive." "He knew he had a million-dollar secret." "Suppose it was us he knew about." "Suppose he wanted to penetrate." "There'd be only one way to handle him." "Now, just a minute." " I don't believe that's the case." " Why not?" "Because the autohypnosis would have been designed differently." "The result would not have been silence." "He would have backed up his cover story." "All right, then." "How are you gonna handle it?" "A few hours of special treatment and I'm sure the hypnotic system he's built up will crumble." "Doctor, it's Gunther Schell." "I think he's dying." "100/60 and dropping." "He's going into a coma." " Has he been getting his insulin?" " Of course he has." "What, then?" "I'm a psychiatrist." "We've got to bring in a qualified diagnostician." " Too dangerous." " He's dying." "Wait a second." "Brady." " What happened?" " You fainted, Dr. Brady." "Oh, Dr. Brady." "I'm glad you're feeling better." "You'll be happy to know your travel arrangements have been completed." "Well, that's just fine." "The sooner the better." "Oh, before you go, there's a fellow traveller who needs your professional help." "What's the matter with him?" "He's a doctor." "Of psychiatry." "The last blood-pressure reading was 100/60." "Do you have a stethoscope?" "It's hard to make a diagnosis under these conditions, but every indication is a pulmonary embolism, a severe one." "That's a blood clot on the lung." "What's your prognosis?" "Terminal in a few hours unless he has an operation." "Doctor, can you perform such an operation?" "Yes, I could, but I have no intention of doing so." "I wanna get out of here and out of the country quickly." "Precisely." " I paid your fee." " You can take me to court." "Doctor, either you operate on Gunther Schell, or you're not going anywhere." "I can supply the equipment." "I can't do it without an anaesthetist." "Surely you have many friends in the medical world ready to do you a favour." "A week ago, I might have agreed with you." "Are all you doctors such paragons of virtue?" "No, perhaps not all." "You can be sure of your man?" " Dr. Thompson?" " Yes, that's me." "Doctor, there's been an accident, an emergency case." "Please come with us." "Let me get my coat and bag." "Put the blindfold on, doctor." " What's this all about?" " I told you, an emergency case." "Now you put the blindfold on, or you're gonna be one too." "Come in." "Phil." "For heaven's sake, what's going on?" "Sorry, Ben, there wasn't any other way." "Have you gone crazy, Phil?" "Every policeman in town's looking for you." "Now you go and get me involved." "How would you like the DA going through your dangerous-drug register?" "This man needs an operation immediately." "I want you to administer anaesthesia." "Okay, what's the diagnosis?" "I suspect pulmonary embolism." "Have you got an ophthalmoscope?" " Yes." " Can I have it?" "Would you put out the lights, please?" "Barney, we're okay." "Drive to the parking area beside the building and wait for us." "Hold it." "Now, gentlemen, step back and face the wall." "Hello?" "The private eye." " Yeah?" " I've got Schell." "Be in my office in 20 minutes." "Who hit you?" "All I can say for sure is that he was black." "Carter." "Lutz." "You're gonna be all right." "You're gonna be all right." "Come in." "Gunther!" "Arnold." "Oh, I'm sorry." "I..." "I would have contacted you." "Where'd you find him?" "I busted him out of Lotus Hills Mortuary." "They were brainwashing him pretty good." "The property, is it safe?" "I don't know." "I don't know." "My money?" "Twenty-five grand." "Pay him." "I wouldn't do that if I were you." "You see, this mirror is a two-way mirror." "You guys are all covered." "Come on, bimbo, you don't expect us to buy that." "Prove it." "Like I said, give him his money." "Thanks, bimbo." "See you around." "Come on, Gunther." "They tried." " But I didn't spill it." " Gunther, where is it?" " I'm off the hook." " Not quite." "Hold it."