" Hi, how are you?" " Fine, thank you." "Joe." "I really mean it." "How are you?" "Well, I could use a little more shut-eye." "I guess I have the single-parent syndrome." "Where's Steve?" " He's coming." " Yeah." "Hi, Steve." " Good morning, all." " Good morning, sir." "I'm in a little over my head here." "Take a look at this." "That's Hamlin Rule." "He calls himself "The Pied Piper. "" "I just bought his last album." "As they say in the trade, it went gold in a week." "It was 20 with a bullet on Monday, and by Friday it sold a million copies." "He appeared here in Washington last night." "That's right." "The kids camped out all night long waiting for tickets." "During the course of that concert, the entire box office receipts were" "Ripped off?" "Exactly, Diana. $172,000." "What's this got to do with the I.A.D.C., sir?" "The D.C. Police Commissioner contacted us." "The safe's lock was actually cut from the steel door..." "With a device or force totally unknown." "It could be devastating in the hands of our enemies." "There was nothing in the papers." "On my orders." "The safe was opened Without detonation... yet the entire lock mechanism was reduced to a pile of steel dust." "No witnesses." "The concert manager was there, but doesn't remember a thing." "I want the I.A.D.C. to get to the bottom of this at once." "This isn't the first time that a Hamlin Rule concert has been ripped off." "Philadelphia last month, Boston before that." "We'll get right on it, sir." " I'd appreciate it." "Good morning." " Morning, sir." "I think that Hamlin Rule is appearing next in Los Angeles." "We better get reservations for the Coast." "Robbery or no robbery, Hoffman, come up with the bread." "Hamlin Rule did his thing." "Now you do yours." "I fully intend to honor our agreement, Mr. Schwartz." "If you could give me till the end of the week, I would be most grateful." "We're leaving for LA Friday night." "Mr. Rule lives out there, and we'd like the bucks before we split." "I assure you, Mr. Rule will receive all the monies due him." "In cash, you dig?" "If I have to play handball with a bouncing check, I'll bounce you." "Mr. Schwartz, I have managed this chain of theaters for a long time... and nobody has questioned my checks." "That's what they all say just before they lay a stiff on you." "It's simple." "No cash, no concert." " Come in." " You busy?" "Joe, I was hoping it was you." "How about a cup of coffee?" "I'm about to turn into a cup of coffee." "Diana, you are looking at an unhappy victim of the generation gap." " Your daughter, Elena." " Nineteen." "I think that it's not so much a generation gap... as it is a geographical gap." " She's still at UCLA, isn't she?" " I hope so." "I guess so." "She called me and asked for a round-trip ticket." "I sent it, looking forward to a chance to visit." "She was here yesterday." "Oh, no." "I promised to take her shopping when she came home." "I said she was here, but you can hardly call it coming home." " You didn't see her?" " I saw her." "This morning, on the monitor, when we were watching the Hamlin Rule tape." "You're kidding." "Apparently she went straight from Dulles and spent the night... waiting to buy a ticket to see him." "That doesn't sound like Elena." "That's the only time I saw her." "She must have taken the redeye back to LA this morning." "I'm sorry, Joe." "Diana, she was a 3.6 student before she fell in with that rock group." "Now there are letters from the Dean of Girls about failing grades." "She's taken to not answering my phone calls." "Obviously, the only reason I've heard from her was because she wanted airfare." "I don't know what to do." "Look." "Steve and I were going to the Coast, right?" "Why don't you take his place?" "He won't mind watching the store." "That's what friends are for." " You think so?" " I think so." "Give him a chance to catch up on all that paperwork that he loves so much." " That's great." "I'll go get packed." " Okay." "Little doves hovering around my birdbath." "It's charming, isn't it?" "You feel like a swim, Carl?" "Carl, take out your earplugs." " What?" " I asked if you'd like to swim." "We got our usual interview coming up pretty soon." "Then you better get in costume." "It's not until this afternoon, 2:00." "Where's the bread from the D.C. gig?" "Stashed." "In the vault, and in cash." "Right on." "Counting Boston and Philly, we got almost half a million." "How long are we going on?" "Until we bust them out the way they busted me out all these years." " We're going again?" " And why not?" "Aren't you afraid we'll get caught?" "How are we going to get caught... when it's these little birdies that are committing the robberies?" "Now get into costume, and I'll do the thinking." "Right." "I have an immediate appointment with Kelly, the local I.A.D.C. chief." "I'll check us into the hotel before I head out to UCLA." "Forget about the hotel." "I'll take care of it after my meeting." " Diana?" " Yes." "Tell Elena I'll be out to see her the first chance I get." "I will, Joe, and just stop borrowing trouble." "Okay?" "Everything's gonna be fine." "I thought I'd done a good job with Elena." "She's in college, but it looks like I need the education." "Stop it, Joe." "You look like you belong in the Lost and Found department." "More lost than found, I'm afraid." "You here for the interview?" "No." "I'm looking for Elena Atkinson." "They told me at the University that she'd be here." "I wouldn't know her if she turned up in my soup." "If I kept track of every girl who comes and goes here, I'd go bananas." "Excuse me." "Belly dancer, you're right there." "Fairy." "Yeah, go right in." "See what I mean?" " What's going on?" " Some kind of interview." "A chance to appear on-stage with Hamlin Rule." ""The Girl in the Golden Basket. " She turns into a snake." "Sounds like fun." "You couldn't prove it by me." "All I know is everybody's got to be in costume." "So, why don't you get lost?" "Okay, thank you." "You here for the interview?" "No, Carl." "She goes around posing as Wonder Woman all the time." "You're really something else, man." "Let her by." "Come in." " Come on in." " Thank you." "Hi." "Isn't he a fox?" "I get the feeling that we might be the hens." "You all know how it goes." "One of you is going to be chosen "The Girl in the Golden Basket. "" "Everywhere I play, I get a different girl." "It's like being chosen Miss Galaxy, only better... 'cause you get to hang out with me." "Now, the hard part." "Which one will it be?" " You ever work without your tiara?" " No." "Then I guess it's gonna have to be you." "Go on upstairs." "I'll be up in a little bit." "We'll rehearse." "Actually, you're too tall." "You would have been great, though, for my bicentennial gig in '76." "That's an incredible outfit." "I love it." "I got my eagles, too." "Nice to see you." "Now, for the rest of you, you can hang out if you want to." "Anything you want, just ask." "And I mean anything." "This is where it's at." "And if that's not enough..." "I'll see you all get an autographed picture." "Okay?" "Follow me." "Thank you." "Elena." "Diana." "How did you..." "Dad sent you, didn't he?" "No, don't get all upset." "Your dad's worried about you, but he didn't send me." " I just came to see you" " Yeah, I'm sure." " Tell him that" " Why don't you tell him yourself?" " Is he here, too?" " No." "Diana, I thought you were my friend." "I am your friend." "You know that." "Now, what are you doing in this place?" "I was chosen to be "The Girl in the Golden Basket. "" "Now, what's that supposed to be." "If you are a reporter, my dove, you've had it." " How did she get in here?" " I don't know." "I just walked in, and I'm not a reporter." "Then who and what are you?" "I'm Diana Prince, and I'm a good friend of Elena's." "Is she telling it like it is, Elena?" "Well, more like it was." "Can't we just be alone to talk?" "I'm afraid you're going to have to buy a ticket to see Elena." "I'm going to make her a star." " Show the lady the door, Carl." " Now, wait a minute." "Why don't you just come with me, hon?" "You don't believe this star routine, do you?" "Nobody cared what I believed till I found something I wanted." "I'm not gonna leave, Diana." "And you can tell my father I don't care anymore." "He cares." "I care." "Oh, very touching." "But dig it, lady." "Elena wants you to split." "Mr. Rule said to show you the door." " I can walk." " Then do it." "Or I'll fix it so you can't." " I'm sure you can." " Right on." " Elena." " Move." "Pleasure." "Lay it on me." "Who is Diana Prince?" " She works for my father." " That's cool." "What kind of horn does your father blow?" "He's an agent for the I.A.D.C." "Then she's an agent, too?" "That's not cool." "If anything's gonna happen, it will happen here." "That would make it four rip-offs in a row." "Rip-offs, Joe?" "These are the lab reports from Washington." "Those filings from the safe?" "They were vibrated apart." "They caused metal fatigue... and a rearrangement of the lock's molecular structure." "The scientific community's been working on that for years." "Any success?" "Not enough to reduce solid steel to dust." "Then who could have such a device?" "As far as we know, no foreign countries have anything approaching it yet." "Then I guess our only hope is that they follow the pattern." "We'll have to set up a stakeout at Rule's concert tonight." "I'll coordinate it with the LAPD." "Okay?" " Hold it, I'm sorry." " What?" "I'm losing my mind." "I've got an appointment with Lt. McMasters... about the stakeout in 10 minutes." "I'm sorry." "Are you holding out on me, Joe?" "I guess I am, Diana." "I phoned the university half a dozen times." "Elena won't speak with me." "I've seen her, Joe." "She's okay." " Where?" " At Hamlin Rule's." " Doing what?" " She's rehearsing." "She's got some crazy idea about getting into show business." " Well, I'm going to stop her." " How?" "She's over 18, and in the mood you're in, you'll ruin everything." "Believe me, I'll talk her out of it." "I promise." "Now, why don't you go and meet your Lt. McMasters?" "Go ahead." "I guess I can afford to lighten up a little bit." " Thanks, Diana." " Sure." " I'll keep in contact." " Okay." "Delta Theta House." "Elena Atkinson, please." "This is her roommate." "Is there a message?" "I'm Diana Prince, a friend of her father's." "Do you know where I might reach her?" "I heard her talking on the phone." "She mentioned something about the Elura Recording Studio." "That's the last I heard." "Okay, thank you very much." "Bye." "May I please speak to the manager?" "My name is Diana Prince." " Have you an appointment?" " No." "There's a Miss Prince here to see you." "Yes, sir, I will." "He's in Studio B. Down the hall, last door on your right." " Last door on my right." " Right." "Hello." "Please sit down." "I said to sit down, please." "What is this?" "I said, sit down." "Right." "Okay, let me out of here." "In time, Diana." " Sit down." " No." "I asked you to sit down." "How about a little rock and roll, Diana Prince?" "Nothing like a little bubble gum to relax the bod." "Who are you?" "Can't you get out of that secret agent bag?" "I'll crack the whip, and you take the trip." "Why has the I.A.D.C. sent you here?" "She's going to need a little time." "Wait outside and make sure no one comes in here." "Right." "I am going to give Diana Prince... a little class in music appreciation." "And to make sure you pay attention..." "Life is a rip-off, Diana." "The golden rule is backwards." "If I didn't do it to you, you'd do it to me." "Later." "You again." "Are you the real Wonder Woman?" "Don't make me prove it." "Where's the Prince chick?" "She spun away." "I'd worry about myself if I were you." "Let's just see how strong you really are, lady." "Easy, now." "That's one way to use your head." "Floor plans to the Cleft Concert Hall." "So the only real lead is this floor plan, and it came from Wonder Woman." "Engineering says it's the floor plan of the concert hall where Rule is appearing." "Each time the box office of a Hamlin Rule concert has been robbed... he's been onstage during the robbery." "The only common elements present during each of those concerts is..." "Let's see." "Carl..." "Hamlin Rule himself, and fans." "Female fans." "That doesn't narrow it down much." "I know that look, Diana." "You're onto something." "Something, I just don't know what." "I wish Elena wasn't one of those female fans." "Maybe you ought to go out to the university and give it another try, Joe." " You think so?" " I think so." "Just about all Carl could do with his head was fill this hat." "I could've painted a sign on his forehead, "Out to Lunch. "" "But he was a good friend of yours, wasn't he, Mr. Rule?" "Mr. Rule?" "Come on, call me Ham." "Okay, Ham." "But he was your friend?" "He needed a nametag to find his way home at night." "He was as useless as those hummingbirds out there." "But they love you." "You're their idol." "This year." "And next year?" "Somebody else." "But as long as they're here, you can bet I'm gonna use them." "How?" "That is where you come in, Elena." "From now on, you're taking Carl's place." "Your bodyguard?" "No, I can get any brainless bicep to do that." "You majored in business administration, didn't you?" "Yeah, I still do." "You've graduated." "Hamlin cum laude." "School of hard rock." "You'll be my financial adviser." "I thought I was supposed to be "The Girl in the Golden-"" "No, forget about show business." "The real money is behind the scenes." "The box office." "Come on, I'll show you." "Follow me." "Now, that is box office power." " I don't understand." " Just sit down." "Music!" "Sound!" "The most powerful weapon in the world." "And they talk about charm to soothe the savage beast." "Scientists have been working on this for years." "But it took Hamlin Rule to perfect it." "Why do you need something that destroys things?" "Your songs are about love and happiness." "That's for the squares." "On-stage they get what they pay for." "I give them their money's worth." "Everybody gets what they want, but me." "What do you want?" "Everything, Elena." "That's all." "But you owe something to your fans." "Honesty, something..." "I owe them nothing." "They owe me." "I'm sorry, I think I better be going." "I'm sorry, I think you're my business manager, remember?" "And one more thing." "You are controlled by my music." "Part of my repertoire." "You will remember what I want you to... and you will forget, and like that." "You're no different than any of the chicks that hang out here... except that your father's a government agent." "Now, can you dig it?" "I've been out to the university three times." "Twice she wouldn't see me... and now she's not even on campus." "I'm at the end of my rope." "You think she's still at Rule's." "I think so, yes." "I'm going out to that house." "Joe, wait." "Trust me." "Nothing's happened to Elena." "But she will be at the concert tonight." " Onstage?" " Yes, I think so." "If I can get there early, I can probably talk her out of it." "So, trust me, I promise everything will work itself out." "It isn't any easier being a parent than it is being a teenager." "The girls are ready." "Do they know what they're supposed to do?" "I don't want to go." "Not too cool, Elena." "I've spent a lot of time programming you and the others." "A little traveling music might take away that stubborn streak." "I don't know how to use this." "Part of the program." "I've already taught you." "You just don't know it yet." "You're not gonna have to kill anyone." "It's not even a real gun." "It's just that Wonder Woman is hanging around." "If she wants to make another one of her guest shots..." "I've devised a little something to give her an encore." "It will be a gas." "We're standing by, Joe." "You read me?" "All clear so far." "I'll let you know as soon as something goes down." "Roger." "Somebody's at the door." "Joe, do you read me?" "I better get in there." " I'll call for a backup." " Right." "McMasters." "Hold it." "Freeze right there." "Okay, just hold it." "Mr. Atkinson, are you all right?" "Wonder Woman." "I heard something in the corridor." " Please sit down." " Thank you." "I went towards the door..." "What happened?" "When I went towards the door, it was like an earthquake." "It all happened so quick, I can't remember." "They were all girls." "Masked." "I didn't..." "I just couldn't..." "The musical pattern obviously affects your memory." "But what kind of weapon is it?" "There you go, ladies." "Here, one for you." "You got one." "One for you." "And thanks, really, to all of you." "Hang in there." "I love you." "That may be the last group of girls I'll be needing." " What do you mean?" " You." " You've solved my problems." " Me?" "There's no reason for me to program and deprogram them anymore." "I'm glad you've decided to give up this madness." ""Refined" is just the word, Elena." "You handled things so well last night, I'll see if you can take over completely." " I don't want to." " But you will." "I guess it's time for a stronger serenade." "Now we know what disintegrated those locks." "You sure you don't want half this sandwich?" "No, thanks." "My stomach wouldn't take it." "We also know there were four people involved." "All masked." "Not much to go on." "I'm still convinced there's a tie-in somewhere with Hamlin Rule." "It's just too coincidental." "What is it, Officer?" "I'm not sure." "Maybe you'd better take a look at it." "It was found on the floor near the safe." "It has an inscription on it." ""Elena, happy 16th." "Love, Dad. " Oh, Joe." "Joe, this bracelet could have been planted." "It also could have fallen from Elena's wrist during the robbery." "It doesn't add up." "Unless you believe that she was in on the Philadelphia... the Boston and the Washington jobs, too." "And she was in school then." "How do I know she was in school?" "Okay, let's look at it this way." "How could Elena get hold of a sound device like that... unless she was brainwashed?" "That's a thought." "Does anyone outside the police and I.A.D.C. know about the bracelet?" "Not yet." "I could hold release on anything until you give the word." " How much time have we got?" " How much do you need?" "Enough to pay a visit on Mr. Hamlin Rule." "You got it." "Joe, wait." "I think it's better if I just talk to him alone." " I want to go." " Listen to me." "I know that you're a very professional man." "But do you honestly think it's wise?" "You're right, Diana." "I guess I'm just a father, after all." "Don't apologize for being human." "Don't worry about me." "If I do get into trouble, I'll yell very loud." " You do that." " Okay." "Help me." "Please." "Somebody." "Please help me." "Okay, back off, lady." " Get lost!" " Not without her." "Hold it!" "Unless you want me to use this thing." "Why have you been robbing your own concerts?" "That bread belonged to me." "Now move." "Atkinson to all units, I'm going in." " You call yourself The Pied Piper." " Yes." "But the real Pied Piper led children from danger." "Why would you lead children into danger?" "You were given a gift: the ability to make people happy with your music." "Instead, you took that gift and used it to make children steal for you." "Why?" "When I was first coming up, I used to play for nothing on sidewalks." "Then, after that, the producers, the publishers, and all the parasites... took credit for my music, and most of the money." "I had three gold albums and no gold in the bank." "It was the pits!" "Do you think that you were given this gift, this incredible talent... simply to make money?" "What's money compared to the happiness that you gave... and still give?" "You write lovely poems and set them to beautiful music." "The mention of your name can fill an entire concert hall." "They don't get in for free." "They have to pay." "It's the promoters that go to Fat City." "I go to Hamlin." "And Hamlin's the other side of the tracks." "I'm some Pied Piper." "Take a look around you, Hamlin." "This is hardly the other side of the tracks." "I'm stealing from thieves to pay creditors." "Just because those men stole from you doesn't make it right." "And it doesn't make it right, what you did to Elena and the other girls." "They loved you, and probably still do." "Leave me alone, please." "I can leave you alone, Hamlin." "But can you be alone with yourself?" "I don't need anybody." "That's not what you write." "That's not what you play." "I don't think it's what you believe." "I don't know what I believe anymore." "Anyway, no one cares." "No one really cares." "I care, Hamlin." "I really do." "After what I did to you?" "How can you?" "Because you give what's in your heart." "There's no price tag on that." "Can't you see how foolish you've been?" "Mr. Atkinson, the I.A.D.C. does know about the power... of this young man's weapon?" "The one that I destroyed?" "Of course." "Otherwise we wouldn't be here." "Then they must certainly know... that Hamlin Rule only took that of which he felt he'd been cheated." "I don't follow you, Wonder Woman." "He could have used his musical device to rob a bank." "He could have sold it to a foreign country." "He might have even used it to knock off the Mint, Dad." "It's too late." "It's never too late, Hamlin." "What those men did to you was wrong, but what you did was wrong, too." "And what do they say about two wrongs, Dad?" "It's not my job to judge, Elena." "Hey, I'm Hamlin Rule." "I'm too hip to deal in any clichés about two wrongs." "I mean, I can't." "It's not cool." "What? "Two bummers, two bring-downs..." ""two bad scenes don't..." ""make it cool." "Two bad scenes just..." ""make a fool. "" "That's not bad." "Where's that old guitar of mine?" " He may have a long time to write this hit." " Daddy..." "Maybe he'll write this one for charity, Mr. Atkinson." "So, you actually planted that bracelet, hoping it would be found?" "What are you trying to do, become a secret agent?" " You're a stubborn little brat." " Maybe I should join the I.A.D.C." "Joe, I wonder where she got that stubborn streak." "Stubborn?" "Me?" "Yeah." "Hamlin Rule told me how stubborn I was." "I must have gotten it from somewhere." "That's one thing we agree on." "You know, I just don't understand him." "I think that he just wasn't content with his gift for music." "On-stage, he had an audience in the palm of his hand." "But he wanted their minds, too." "And their money." "Don't forget that part." "Right." "I find it hard to forgive him for what he did to my daughter." "I wouldn't be too hard on him, Joe." "He was just a far-out Pied Piper... who went a little too far." "I think the first thing a judge will do is order a psychiatric observation period." "I think you're right." "And Hamlin Rule thought he could play the flute."