Hi, Jim.
Hi, Connie.
Pretty girl.
Connie Hastings, come here.
Who are you?
Where are you?
Jim!
Jim Phelps!
Connie?
Jim.
Oh, Jim Phelps.
My wife's afraid to go out of the house, Brad.
- When's it all gonna end? - Pete, we're doing our best.
Your best?
Two dead women. Three, if it hadn't been for Jim.
Why don't you bring in the FBI?
Local murders are not in their jurisdiction.
What about the state police?
I'd love to, except in this state, they're basically traffic cops.
Brad,
I don't mean to get personal,
I mean, after all, I am married to your sister,
but have you ever thought about resigning?
No, I haven't.
Well, maybe you ought to think about it.
I mean, after all, we're getting no closer to that killer
than we were before he strangled Marion Ross.
Forget it, Joe. I am not resigning.
Jim, how do you feel about it?
I don't know what my personal opinion is worth, Joe.
After all, I am only a visitor.
Maybe that's what we need, an objective opinion.
All right, I'll tell you what I think.
I think that Brad should stay because whoever replaced him
would have exactly the same problems he has.
No lab, short-handed.
You know, I think some of you could help the most
by signing on as deputies.
Oh, deputy?
Owens here.
Thank you.
Connie Hastings has just been released from the hospital.
Gentlemen, if you'll excuse me.
Karl.
Jim, my house, lunch.
Cynthia insists.
Sure, I'll be there.
See you later, Joe.
Jim.
Stan Sherman, Norville Journal.
Stan, of course. I thought that was you.
- How are you? - Oh, not bad.
What brings you out to Norville this time?
Well, I'm turning the lakeside property over to the county as a park.
Oh, that's nice.
Where you staying?
Well, I've opened up the old place for as long as I'm here.
Lucky for Connie Hastings you were out that way.
Didn't get a look at the attacker, did you?
No, no. I didn't at all.
It's a terrible thing, Jim.
If we don't get him soon, it's gonna tear this town apart.
Do you remember anything at all about the man who attacked you?
No, he came at me from behind.
He was very strong.
I never did get a clear look at his face.
One thing I know for sure.
He wore glasses. Thick glasses.
Connie, I'd like you to leave town until we clear this up.
That's asking quite a lot of me, isn't it?
- I've got the shop... - The killer was after you specifically.
That spare tyre of yours was deliberately punctured.
It was no accident.
Your shop will be here when you get back.
Karl will keep an eye on you until you're ready to go.
Is that your idea of being a good sheriff?
Evacuating the town?
Oh, Brad's an okay guy.
A very okay guy who's always in trouble.
You made the touchdowns and he made the fumbles.
That's the way it's been ever since.
Most of them are still here, aren't they?
Brad, Burroughs.
Joe Keith, Stan Sherman, Reynolds.
It's a jolt, isn't it, Jim?
One of them may be a murderer.
Really, Mr. Murphy, to say student unrest was caused by miniskirts,
I mean, that's unrealistic.
Oh, excuse me.
- Hello, Dana. - Hi, come in.
- Sorry, I'm late. - Oh, don't worry about it.
- Come on in. - Thank you.
What are you drinking tonight?
Nothing, thanks. I can't stay.
- Barney, what's the matter? - I got a call from Jim.
Two girls in Norville were murdered.
Girls that Jim grew up with.
He thinks maybe I can help.
How are you going in?
As a criminologist friend.
I'll check the physical evidence
and Jim will concentrate on the interpersonal background in town.
Barney, tell Jim I dig old hometowns if he needs me.
Same here.
Oh, well, I'm ready right now.
I'll tell him that.
- Hi, Joe. - Hi.
- How are you? - Good to see you.
- Hey, Mr. Hank. - What's up?
Jimmy. Gee, it's good to see you.
Oh, Midge, it's great to see you.
You haven't changed a bit. Nothing has changed around here.
No, I kept the place the way Dad liked it.
Yes, I see.
Jimmy, the bock beer just came in.
How about it? On the house.
- On the house? - Yeah.
Can't turn that down.
- There you go. - Oh, thanks.
Isn't that Seth Morley?
Well, is he all right?
No. No, not by a long shot, Jim.
Poor kid.
Comes in here every night for coffee and a sandwich,
and he never finishes either one.
What's with him?
He was with the First Division in Vietnam.
His whole platoon got cut off. Everyone killed, except him.
His eyes were burned.
How long has he been home?
Two months.
He's not the same.
Well, how do you mean?
He's such a loner now.
Never talks to anybody, except maybe me.
He trusts me.
The killing, Jim, it does something to them, doesn't it?
Yeah. Yeah, sure does. Some of them.
I sure wish there was some way I could help. Excuse me a second.
Hi, Seth.
- Remember me? - No, man, I don't.
No, wait.
Sure. Jim Phelps, right?
That's right. You got a good memory.
- Sit down, please. - Hey, thank you. Thanks.
Karl, you haven't eaten anything.
No, I got time.
Go and get a bite. I'll be all right. I won't go anywhere.
- Well, if you think... - I insist.
Okay, 20 minutes.
Coach Miller used to rap about you all the time.
Said you'd quarterbacked one of his greatest teams.
You know, Miller was with us in Vietnam.
He died with the others.
Well, you can't mean Coach Miller.
He had a heart attack three years ago.
Don't tell me who I mean. It was Coach Miller.
You see, when the 155 blew up, he was with the others.
Hey, Jim, why don't you come on over
and have a drink with the rest of us over there?
Oh, well, not right now, Joe. I'm talking to Seth.
Oh, well, Seth won't mind. After all, we have a murderer to catch.
You worry about two dead women.
I've seen a hundred.
All twisted up, burned in napalm.
You know, Seth,
you're not the only kid that ever went to war.
You don't understand.
See, nobody understands.
You're all murderers, and we do your dirty work for you.
You know, I'm tired of your bellyaching.
You! You!
Take it easy, Seth.
Seth, easy.
Easy.
You all right?
I'm okay.
There.
- Thank you. - All right.
Thank you, Jim. I mean, that kid could've killed me.
Stan, do you know if he's been under psychiatric care?
I don't know.
I'd sure like to find out.
Hello?
Joe Keith, please. It's important.
Well, he's not here right now.
I think you can reach him at Midge's tavern.
Midge's.
May I speak with Joe Keith, please?
Yeah.
For you, Joe.
Thank you, Midge.
Hello?
Joe, meet me, please.
I'm going to leave town for a while.
Because I'm scared, okay?
The usual place.
Okay.
Joe, I love you.
Pretty girl.
Connie Hastings, come here.
Come here, Connie Hastings.
Pretty girl.
Brad, I'm sorry.
Hey, you're pretty handy with that stuff. Where'd you learn that?
I don't know.
It's a hangover from old Navy days or something.
What Navy, boy.
Here. I'm sorry.
What are you doing out here anyway, Jim?
I came to talk to Seth.
Something happened at Midge's tonight.
Well, what are you here for?
Connie Hastings is dead.
What?
Strangled like the others, about 30 minutes ago.
Oh, no.
Found this next to the body, so I came right out here.
- The earpiece? - Yeah, pair of glasses.
I figured it belongs to Seth.
Better take a look at this.
Three dead girls.
Cynthia and Julia.
Excuse me.
Hey, Owens here.
Get me Burroughs.
What's all this mean?
It'd take a psychiatrist to figure it out.
Sure mixed up his friends and his enemies.
- Vietcong? - Yeah.
Karl, put out an APB for Seth Morley, suspicion of murder.
Right. You got it.
Jim, when is that criminologist friend of yours coming in?
He's coming tomorrow morning.
Good.
Jim, have I been doing a rotten job?
Is all of this my fault?
You'd know that better than I would, Brad. You're the pro.
Well, I think I've done as well as anyone could.
Up till now, there's been nothing to go on.
But three dead girls, that's an awful load.
You can handle it, Brad.
Thanks, Jim.
Jim, these bruises indicate a very small, very strong hands.
Well, Mr. Collier, anything?
Yes, sheriff.
That spectacle earpiece you found, I'd like to see it, please.
Certainly.
The waitress quit the local tavern and left town after the Hastings death.
I'm to take the job with Willy along to keep an eye on me.
Jim said he tried to call you too, Paris.
Yeah, I know. I got the message on my service.
He's keeping you in reserve.
His ultimate weapon.
How much does Brad Owens know about us?
Nothing. And Jim means to keep it that way.
Dana, has Jim nailed down common characteristics
among all three victims?
Just the most general ones.
The idea is to add more as we go along
until I fit the pattern completely.
Then someone tries to strangle you.
Well, they were all young and beautiful.
They all lived alone.
Can you think of anything to add to that, Julia?
No, I can't.
What I don't understand is why you two,
both living with your husbands, are on the list with the other three.
I guess we'll find out when Brad gets Seth.
If he gets him.
He will, Cynthia.
What gets me, it was right under Owens' nose all the time.
I mean, the psycho kid was talking like we were all murderers.
He had murder on the...
My theory is that there was no pattern.
That it was catch as catch can,
and those poor girls just happened to get it.
I'll have a beer.
Oh, sure, honey.
- Thanks. - Passing through?
Yeah.
How much does the...?
How much does the waitress job pay?
You're interested?
Yeah, why not?
You have any experience?
Oh, yeah, I worked a place just like this at home.
Eighty a week.
Plus tips.
Okay.
- Good. - Name's Laurie Wilson.
Midge Larson. Hi.
- How are you? - Good.
- Listen, I'll need a place to stay. - Yeah, let's see, there's a place...
Well, I know a nice rooming house, about ten minutes walk from here.
I'd be very happy to show you.
Joe Keith at your service.
Thank you, Mr. Keith.
It's a pleasure.
- Okay, I'll try it. - Good.
Well, okay.
The beer's on the house.
Oh, thanks.
Seth, let me go.
- Seth, no, no. Let me go. - I'm not gonna hurt you.
- Let me go... - Stop it, I'm not gonna hurt you.
I am not gonna hurt you. Now, stop it.
I am not gonna hurt you.
Now, come here.
Sit, sit.
Come in, Jim.
Seth.
You know, I'm probably the only friend you have in town right now.
I figure that's why you came out here, is that right?
I heard on the radio that the MP's were looking for me.
I never killed any Cong women.
Not even when they sniped at me, Jim. I couldn't do that.
I know you couldn't do that. So does Cynthia.
We know who the real murderers were.
They were Joe Keith and the rest of the people in town
who sent you off to war.
Yeah, that's right, Jim.
Yeah, but we want everybody to know that, don't we?
Listen, Seth, if you come with me,
I'll help you get a permit for a speech from Sheriff Owens.
You can tell everybody.
Well, what about her?
We don't need her. She can stay here.
How about it?
Okay.
But you go first.
Sure.
Hands up.
Okay. Okay, take him.
You lied to me. You are just like the others.
You lied to me. You lied to me. You...
Let me go home. Let me go home.
Will you let me get out of here?
Come on, no. No, please. No, come on.
Let me out of here, you guys, let me out of here.
Let me out of here. Let me out of here.
Please? Let me out of here.
Well, gentlemen, scratch one killer.
I'm not so sure, sheriff.
What?
- Take a step. - What for?
Go ahead, take a normal step.
Hold it.
Thirty-four inches.
Now, you're about 6'1".
Morley is an inch or two taller than you are.
The stride on the killer was 27 inches.
Also, the bruise marks on Connie's throat
were made by a hand smaller than Morley's.
Everything indicates that the killer was average or below average height.
But those are size 11.
Look at the pressure pattern.
Whoever wore those shoes didn't fill them.
How about the glasses, Barney?
- They match all right, Jim. - There, you see?
The only trouble is, Brad, the other night at Midge's,
Seth dropped his glasses in the scuffle.
I picked them up to give them back to him,
and I noticed that the earpiece was missing then.
What is this?
Jim, are you trying to tell me I don't have the killer
when I do have him?
Look, Brad, I don't know. I'm just a layman.
That stuff you can understand much better than I,
but I do remember the glasses.
Thank God you're all all right.
It's about $50 a month. They're nice rooms.
Can I call you?
It's up to you.
Well, I have to tell you outright that I'm married.
Does that make any difference?
To me or to you?
You're okay.
- See you. - Okay.
That's the reason I went up to Jim's.
I thought maybe I had an idea about what that list of names was about.
About, oh, six or eight months ago, the five of us were all at...
I don't know, some kind of a meeting at church.
And we're talking about Seth and how he was all alone,
so we decided to write to him in Vietnam.
Why would he have made a list with just those names?
Well, I don't know, but maybe so he could remember who to thank.
- Hey, Karl. - What'll you have, Karl?
Some beer, I guess.
Beer. And what'll you have?
- Beer. - A beer.
Julia?
No, thank you.
Will you excuse me?
Well, what about the prisoner?
Owens and that criminologist are having a little set-to
about whether he's guilty or not.
It doesn't make much difference anyway.
Why?
They're talking about transferring him to a state hospital.
That means he gets away with it.
I've got to tell someone. That's why I called you.
I trust you.
Do you want anything in this?
No. No, thank you. Nothing.
Just before Connie Hastings was killed,
I got a phone call from a woman who wanted to talk to Joe.
I told her Joe was at Midge's.
Then after I hung up, I knew who it was.
It was Connie Hastings trying to disguise her voice.
Was there something between Joe and Connie?
Yes.
When you and Cynthia were talking about the connection
between the murdered girls, I saw something in your eyes.
Please, Jim.
Julia, it's important.
Because nobody's safe until we get the right man.
Joe.
He was the connection you're looking for.
He was involved with all of them.
Oh, Jim, everything's so rotten.
I sent the wire.
I'll be Connie Hastings' cousin from Detroit.
I've also got the hearse and the attendants all lined up.
Good. That'll do two things for us.
Keep Seth Morley safe,
and it'll also give an alibi to the real killer.
What about Paris?
He's on his way.
- Hello, Joe. Hey, boys. - Jim.
Stan, how are you?
Hi. What are you having tonight?
A little luck. We can move now.
Okay.
- Hi, Jimmy, how are you? - Hello, Midge.
- How are you? - Good.
- Jim, can I have a word with you? - Yeah, Joe.
You're a good friend of Brad's.
Maybe he'll listen to you.
Tell him I think if he takes Seth Morley out of town,
well, anything could happen.
Why don't you get out the marked man?
Yeah, get him out of here.
All right, cut it out.
- Why don't you get out your office? - Yeah.
Yeah, get him out of here.
Come on.
Get him out of here.
If we move him, somebody's gonna take a shot at him.
We are moving him.
Gentlemen, I'd appreciate your not getting involved in this.
I'm sorry, Brad. I got involved when I was born in this town.
What bothers me is how it's changed.
Bitterness and guilt.
People out there with guns ready to shoot down a kid
who was one of them until they sent him off to war.
- Sheriff Owens? - That's right.
I'm Connie's cousin.
I got your wire.
I didn't know Connie had a cousin.
Well, we never saw much of each other.
You better come this way.
Go through that door, please.
Thank you very much.
- Who are you? - A friend.
- You're gonna let me go home? - Oh, yeah, sure.
Things aren't going to get any better out there.
We'll move him now.
Brad, you're gonna need all the help you can get.
Barney and I would like to be sworn in as deputies.
Are you sure?
We're sure, sheriff.
Okay.
Raise your right hand.
You are now deputies of Norville County.
Karl.
All right, let's get Seth.
He's gone.
What?
Right out from under his nose.
Right out from under.
Keith, Burroughs, Reynolds, Corrigan, Sherman.
They were all here that night, along with other customers.
Anybody could've picked up that earpiece.
I hope one of them is the man we're looking for.
Paris will be wasting his talent.
You can't keep your hands off of him, can you?
I told you to leave me alone and get out of town.
- Hey, who is this guy? - This guy happens to own this girl.
And the next time I see you in her room, I'll kill you.
Well, you're drunk. I never was in her room.
Don't lie. I stood outside last night and watched you.
- You're crazy. - Don't call me crazy.
- Hey, wait a minute, wait a... - Easy, easy.
- She's my girl. - Yeah, sure, let's go.
Laurie, he doesn't love you. He's no good for you.
Come on, Laurie.
Are you okay, Laurie?
Yeah, I'm all right, Joe.
Are you all right?
Yeah.
- Listen, I'm sorry. - Oh, he was drunk.
Do you wanna go home?
Oh, no. No, I'm all right.
Okay.
Oh, what a fool I was.
Connie's cousin.
While I'm watching the front, they're taking Seth out the back.
- You'll find Seth, Brad. - Sure, but where and when?
And I'm worried about that new girl too.
That waitress. She's in danger too.
Sheriff, let's use that.
Let's watch the girl and hope the guilty man makes his move.
I will not jeopardise that girl's life.
I wouldn't lose this chance.
The way things have developed, he has every reason to make a move.
With Seth on the loose, he has a perfect alibi.
I don't know.
Do we have a right to use Laurie this way?
Well, can't we cover her effectively, Brad?
You, Barney, me?
Okay.
Okay, we'll try it.
Midge's closes at 1.
- Good night, Midge. - Good night, Joe.
Laurie?
It's been a big night and I'm beat.
I'm gonna go home and get some sleep.
Okay.
Keep Stan happy and lock up for me, will you?
- Yeah. - Night.
Laurie, honey.
I'll have another drink. The same.
Sure.
It's empty-
That's too bad.
She keeps it in the cellar.
Yeah, I know.
Would you mind?
Sure. She said to keep you happy.
Who is that?
Stan? Is that you?
Who's there?
Who is that?
Pretty girl.
I'm all right. I'm all right.
I love Joe.
He never even looked at me.
He only wanted the other ones.
The pretty ones.
They were no good for him.
I had to protect him.
I thought...
I thought some day he'd turn around and say:
"Thank you, Midge. It's you I love.
I love you."