Magnum, P.I. (1980) s02e13 Episode Script

He used to be a strategist for British Intelligence.
I want to talk to him one on one.
Who else is looking for him? If I catch your face around here again, I'm gonna get real nasty.
He's selling himself to the highest bidder.
He's an international assassin.
A killer.
He has to come back to arm it, that's when we nail him.
I want in on the kill.
What were you gonna do, Kate? Film the assassination? Hold it! Sister, I'm sorry but you cannot stop here.
But my car.
You'll have to move it.
But I can't.
Do you have a spare? Yes, yes.
This is very kind of you.
Oh, yes.
Will it take long? I hope not.
Do you mind? I have to go to the store.
Not at all.
Just hurry back.
I'll only be a minute.
Thank you so much.
I don't need to tell you that Robin Masters appreciates the finer things in life.
A good example of Robin's taste is his wine cellar.
He'd offered me the use of it, and I tried not to abuse the privilege.
A bottle here and a bottle there.
Hardly enough to be noticed.
Sometimes Higgins' attempts at security are really quite amusing.
Identify yourself.
You leave me no choice but to release the nerve gas.
Nerve gas? I thought so.
Nerve gas? Tear gas, actually.
I didn't think you'd react to that.
The bottle, please.
Higgins, what is going on here? You have the temerity to ask me that? And even if I was, Higgins, you've never threatened me with tear gas before.
You never went for a $5,000 bottle of wine before.
$5,000? And a bargain at that.
A bottle of Chateau de Maurice.
1836.
The highlight of the Societe du Vin's gala wine-tasting party next week.
Now, of course, you've moved it and made it bottle sick.
Bottle sick? Society du Vin? Oh, Higgins, what do you do in this one? I'm the head of the acquisition committee.
And I won't have you swilling my acquisitions.
All you had to do was ask.
I intended to, but I thought it prudent to first prepare an incentive.
I put together a potpourri of wines which I hope will keep you out of the wine cellar until after the party.
Higgins, that's very thoughtful of you.
Yes, isn't it? Oh, by the way, you had a call this morning.
I don't know how people get the main house number.
It isn't even listed.
Who was it, Higgins? A woman.
A Kate Sullivan.
She said she'd meet you at the club.
Now, here's white, that's for fowl.
The red, of course, is for meat of the same color.
Though I've gone out of my way, you really needn't thank me for this.
Let's just consider it One hand washing the other.
Kate had been a wire-service reporter working out of Saigon when she came to do a story on our team.
She was an idealist.
Not naive, but still an idealist.
She wanted to write the truth.
And if the truth happened to be located in a free-fire zone, or if the truth wasn't exactly what she thought it would be going in, well, she'd write it anyway.
That's the Kate we all fell for.
And when she got wounded, it was a buddy getting hit.
Yeah, I ain't gonna never forgive her for that one line.
Uh What did you say? Yeah, yeah.
"Grizzled veteran at 25.
" Yeah, but I'm the one with the axe to grind.
She called me "baby-faced.
" Now, do I look baby-faced? You both look beautiful.
Another gross distortion of the truth.
Hey.
Hey.
Come here.
How you doing? Better now.
Oh, gee.
Well, I see nothing's changed.
Almost nothing.
Sit, sit.
Uh, yeah.
Want a beer? Sure.
Well, what brings you to Hawaii? You doing a follow-up on us? Oh, I wish.
It'd be more interesting.
No, I'm here on this month's milk run.
Did you ever hear of the Jororo Islands? Somewhere near Guam? Right ocean.
Wrong hemisphere.
It's about 1,200 miles southeast of Guam.
And Oscar Santos, who is their prime minister, is here on a state visit.
Gee, I hadn't heard about it.
That's how big a story it is.
Well, that's great.
You'll get to spend some time with us.
And I want to take you to dinner.
I got this little place that nobody knows about except me and Julia Child.
Oh, yeah, and I can give you the Island Hoppers grand tour of the islands.
You're on, both of you.
But first, I have a favor to ask.
Just name it.
I would like to take a walk on the beach with this man.
Alone.
What? Oh! Don't worry, Thomas.
It's strictly business.
I knew it.
What do you mean you knew it? Man, a woman as together as Kate wouldn't fall for a turkey like you.
How do I win on that one? You don't.
Come on.
Guard my purse, huh? Ok.
Bye, guys.
Bye.
Business? Mmm-hmm.
This Santos story is lightweight stuff, you know.
But it's about the only kind of work I get these days.
I don't mind covering the 3rd Worid as long as there's a war going on.
Well, it could be worse.
You got a trip to Hawaii out of it.
I'm not looking for vacations.
Thomas, you know me.
I was weaned on action.
I used to go everywhere and anywhere for the story.
If the story was important enough, nothing could stop me.
Not editors or generals or V.
C.
Navy lieutenants.
And I'm good.
But people look at me and they don't want to believe that.
So the kind of assignments I get are I want back on top.
Well, I'd like to see you there.
What can I do? Well, I wouldn't have taken this dumb gig If I didn't have an ulterior motive.
Like a real story.
That face ring any bells? No bells.
David Banister.
He used to be a strategist for British Intelligence.
Ml6.
Then he dropped out to write an expose.
You know, uncover all that covert nasty stuff.
I got a tip he's coming into the islands, and, uh, I want to talk to him one on one.
Still out for the Pulitzer Prize? You bet.
Why don't you talk to his publisher? Come on, Thomas.
You know better than that.
They wouldn't even tell me what continent he was on.
Kate.
Who else is looking for him? Rumor has it, British Intelligence.
Some say there's a price on his head.
Of course, most people don't believe it.
What about Banister? He just might.
Kate Thomas, I don't want you getting hurt or in the middle.
Just locate him.
That's not what I'm talking about.
Don't worry.
I can handle myself.
If anybody in the worid knows that, it should be you.
Please remain seated until the aircraft is in the terminal.
Upon deplaning, all passengers will have to take the Wiki Wiki buses to Customs.
Have your passports and any items to declare ready for inspection, please.
Trans Island Airlines Flight 291 to Guam now ready for boarding at Gate 15.
Flight 291 to Guam now boarding at Gate 15.
Thank you.
Anything to declare? Nothing.
Just in on a holiday.
Have a good one, love.
Thanks, love.
I intend to.
I know what you're thinking.
I was swimming when I should have been working.
Well, you've neglected an important rule of investigation: Don't take things at face value.
Though I may have appeared to be loafing, serious work was in progress.
This is great.
Just great.
I'm really flattered you asked me.
Come on, Mac, we don't get to see enough of each other.
Hey, l I hope you don't mind that we didn't go out.
I mean, I get out there in anything smaller than an aircraft carrier, l I start to Forget it.
Let me tell you something.
The best fishing on this island is right here at this marina.
I'm just glad we're getting to do it.
You're right.
You're very right.
You know, I think we ought to do this on a regular basis.
I know.
It's just hard for me to find the time, with running the club and all and answering to Higgins, Yeah.
And doing all of those dumb things for Thomas.
Oh, no, oh, no, don't even bring up that name to me, please.
Never in my life have I met a man that takes more advantage of his friends than Thomas Magnum.
You know that? I mean it, he comes to me, he says: "Oh, come on, Mac, run this through your computers.
Just this one time.
You won't get into trouble.
Come on.
Please.
" Then he gets he says, "Have a sandwich.
Have a donut.
" Huh! Can you believe it, this guy is bribing me with food? He's so transparent, I can't stand it.
Well, I'll tell you what, I put an end to that.
Put my foot down.
No kidding? Yeah.
He won't come running to me anymore.
Say, Rick, uh, you got beer? Oh, yeah, Mac, right here in this chest.
Oh, thanks.
You know, Mac, you're right.
Thomas does the same thing to me.
"Rick, run this license down.
"Rick, check this guy out.
Rick, get the skinny on so-and-so.
" Yeah, well, maybe you ought to put a stop to it, too.
Say, uh, you got anything to go with this? Uh, chips? Uh, dip? Uh, anything? Oh, yeah, Mac.
Right here in the tinfoil.
Help yourself.
You know, you're right.
You are right, Mac.
I'm gonna do this one last thing for Thomas, and that's it.
Finito.
I'm finished.
You mean he's got you on something now? Yeah, he's got me running down some guy.
Used to be with British Intelligence.
You know, that's just like Magnum.
I mean, he knows I'm not gonna do it, so he pawns it off on you.
Ha! My good luck.
And how are you going to do it? I mean, this guy is no underworid figure.
No offense.
It's just that your your connections aren't gonna help out here.
Well, they haven't.
Of course they haven't.
I'll tell you what you need.
You need a contact in Intelligence.
Yeah.
I guess you're right.
Of course I'm right.
You, uh You got anything on this guy? Oh, well, just this lousy 2-by-3 photo, but that was taken about 5 years ago.
Yeah? Let me see it.
No, no.
Listen, man, come on, we came out here to have fun and fish.
Come on, Rick.
What are buddies for, huh? Come on.
Well, only on one condition.
That you promise to accept one of the finest bottles of wine from the club.
You know, Rick.
You're a gentleman.
That's the difference between you and Magnum.
You are a gentleman.
Come on, Higgins.
I need a good bottle.
I owe it to a friend.
I've already provided you with wine.
I said a good bottle, Higgins.
The stuff you gave me had been aged for 2 weeks in aluminum.
Even so, it contains 12 pct.
Alcohol.
I should think that's all you'd care about.
Come on, Higgins, I'll even pay for it.
Ah, the magic words.
And always the last ones out of your mouth.
Red, white, or sparkling? Red.
And something old and French.
And real musty.
This should do.
A 1971 Margaux.
Chateau Andre.
A small but rather impressive vineyard.
Oh, that sounds perfect.
$37.
50.
Cash.
Cash? Oh, come on, Higgins, couldn't we just No, we couldn't.
Oh, by the way, Higgins, I also need some information.
You can't possibly afford it.
Oh, come on, Higgins.
I'm buying your wine.
My wine? Magnum, I'm doing this as a favor.
I'm not even making a profit for the estate.
Well, forget it.
You probably don't have the kind of information that I need anyway.
It's not like you were a member of Ml6.
I most certainly was.
I served with Ml6 in Northern Ireland.
Oh, really? You wouldn't happen to know a chap named David Banister, would you? No.
Not personally.
I know of him.
He was a field operative, and a very good one, until Field operative? I thought he was a strategist.
He was an operative.
Are you sure? Of course I'm sure.
I was attached to Gen.
Cornwall at the time and he was the strategist.
It wasn't a very big club, you know.
But I was saying, he was an excellent field operative until the scandal.
A sex scandal? Unfortunately, in British Intelligence, that seems to be the only kind we have.
Anyway, Banister's specialty was disguises, especially posing as a female.
It was thought to be a jolly good show until he started showing up at official functions in drag.
He had the inordinate bad taste to appear at the Queen's Birthday Ball in the same gown as the Lady Ashley.
Extraordinary.
What are you doing out here? I'm lost.
Could you tell me which way it is back to the main road? Oh, yeah.
You just turn around The Popular Front movement is a serious threat to democracy in Jororo.
And the nature of democracy makes it particularly difficult for us.
The Front and we operate under very different rules.
But Mr.
Prime Minister, aren't there times when the rules of democracy can be bent? For me, as a Christian, I could not do so.
I like to think, though, that is my final strength.
So, since you don't consider repression as a tool, how do you intend to combat the Popular Front? My goal is to ameliorate the economic conditions which have helped to spawn the movement.
It is a matter of taking care and treating the disease rather than the more unpleasant symptoms.
The trade agreement that I'm signing with the United States is a large part of my plan.
Hello.
It's for you.
Your editor.
No, please.
It is all right.
Hello? Have you located Banister? No.
Not yet.
I'm working on it.
You'd better work fast, Miss Sullivan.
He's got explosives.
He's going to blow up Santos.
I'll call you as soon as I know when.
I understand.
Editors.
Always pushing.
Pushing a deadline.
The difference between a strategist and an operative in the spy game is as big as a coach and a player in football.
Maybe Kate had just made a mistake, but it wasn't like her.
Or rather, it wasn't like the Kate I used to know.
We were going to meet later at the club, but I decided to push it up.
I don't know why, but that little voice in my head said seeing her interview Santos might be important.
I'll only be here a few minutes.
If I could just leave it here, I'd appreciate it.
Excuse me.
Could you tell me what floor the Jororo delegation is on? Jororo delegation? Well, actually, it's Prime Minister Santos.
I'd like to know what floor his suite is on.
I'm sorry.
There's no Jororo delegation and no Prime Minister Santos registered here.
You sure? Computers don't lie.
Well, perhaps the llona Reef Hotel.
Sometimes people confuse us with them.
No, she said the llona Seas.
Well, maybe.
L I'll check there.
Thank you.
You bet.
Maybe I'd misunderstood Kate.
Or maybe she'd made an honest mistake.
Either way, that little voice in my head was getting louder, and I didn't like what it was whispering.
Then my little voice stopped whispering and started screaming.
Long time no see.
Yeah.
Look.
Um, I was wondering If I could give you a little info? Yeah, how'd you know? When you've been at it as long as I have, you can smell it, bruh.
That's amazing.
I don't handle negotiations, but I do take Now, you want an island girl or a haole? Uh, that's not the kind of information I want.
No? Oh, you're looking for a game.
I got a poker game up on the 12th with a $2,000 minimum.
Craps on 18, but only No, no, no.
No gambling.
What the hell are you looking for? I'm with hotel security.
I knew that Ferrari wasn't yours! Man, this is so unfair.
Entrapment.
That's what it is.
Entrapment.
Calm down, will you? Just calm down.
Somebody's gonna hear you.
I'm just gonna give you a warning this time.
Actually, see, I'm here to keep on top of security for one of the parties up on the, uh That island delegation? Jororo.
Nobody told me their name.
Just to keep it hush-hush.
Good.
See that you do.
Yes, sir.
Oh, and keep an eye on my car, will you, while I'm gone? Yes, sir.
Hey, you don't have to worry about that other stuff.
It was just a sideline anyway.
Suite 400.
Excuse me.
Uh, this floor is closed for repairs.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Thank you.
Why'd you lie to me, Kate? Not so loud.
I can shout if I need to.
There's no need to, you have my total attention.
Good.
Then start explaining.
Not here.
I told you I'd meet you at the club.
You also told me the Santos story was a milk run.
Come on, this place is secured like Fort Knox.
He's a head of state.
They tend to have good security because, if you haven't noticed, the worid's a bit crazy, heads of state get shot.
Kate, the hotel won't even admit that he's here.
I didn't know that.
Look, what's Banister's connection? Nothing.
It's a a separate issue.
OK.
Fine.
Then when Santos' security chief comes back, you won't mind me telling him all about it.
Thomas Kate, I want some answers, Shh.
And I want them now.
Ok.
All right, as soon as my interview is over.
Everything, I promise.
Just don't talk about it here.
Please, huh? Old times' sake.
Trust me.
Ok, it checks.
You're a private investigator.
But you were also in Naval Intelligence for a while.
You want to tell me about that? My guess is you were once Secret Service or CIA.
You want to tell me about that? The whole worid Hates a wise guy.
I know.
You through with your questions? Miss Sullivan, you were granted an exclusive interview with the Prime Minister on the condition that his being here would be kept secret.
Not entirely correct, Mr.
Russler.
I knew that the Prime Minister was to be here.
And because I knew, I was granted an interview.
I'm not going to quibble with you over words.
You had no right to tell anybody else what you knew, especially a P.
I.
Mr.
Magnum and I happen to be old friends.
It just came out.
It won't happen again, and I'm sure that Thomas will be happy to keep it to himself.
OK, Magnum.
I'm gonna let you go this time, but for the record, if I catch your face around here again, I'm gonna get real nasty.
Miss Sullivan.
See you later? Scout's honor.
There's an old rule in this business: Anger doesn't win.
And at the moment I'd had a belly full of it.
So, before I faced Kate again, all I wanted to do was cool down and figured the best way to do it was at the club with Rick.
Rick? Hi, guys.
Don't "Hi, guys" me.
Thomas, what are you up to? Up to? Where'd you get that? From the little bird you asked to show it to me.
Now, Magnum, I'm warning you.
No more Mr.
Nice Guy.
Not with something like this.
Like what? Magnum, do you have any idea who it is you're dealing with here? Well, I know he used to be an operative with Ml6, and that he quit, or was kicked out, because he liked to dress up like giris, and that he's writing a book.
I don't think he's the literate type, Thomas.
Magnum, Banister isn't writing any books.
He's selling himself to the highest bidder.
He's an international assassin.
A killer.
Every police department in the worid is looking for him.
Telephone call for Ms.
Kate Sullivan.
Telephone call for Kate Sullivan.
I'm Kate Sullivan.
Hello? Have you found him? Not yet.
And I'm getting worried.
I almost warned Santos' security people today.
When to do that is your decision.
It's your story.
It's going to happen Monday.
At the State House, when Santos goes in to sign the agreement.
Not till Monday? Good, good, that'll give me time Thank you.
You know, Kate, I don't know who I'm angrier at.
You for lying to me or me for trusting you.
But let's just start from the top.
Why'd you lie to me? I was afraid you wouldn't help me if I told you the truth.
Wrong.
You were afraid I'd go to the authorities and blow your scoop.
If you know all the answers, why the hell ask me the questions? Because you've lost all sense of proportion.
Of reality.
Come on, Kate.
A man's life is at stake here, isn't it? Santos' life.
Yes.
The Popular Front of Jororo hired Banister to kill Santos.
And I hired you to find him.
You hired me to find him so you could have your little scoop.
What were you gonna do, Kate? Film the assassination? Kate, what happened to you? I lost 3 inches off my right leg.
You have any idea what that did to me? Or my career? It's lousy to be a has-been before you're 40.
Finding Banister, getting an interview, maybe being in on the capture, that could put me back where I belong.
Not to mention where it could put Santos.
Where are you going? I'm gonna call Russler and tell him what I know.
Magnum, please.
I'm not a villain.
I have a source in the Popular Front.
He calls me every day.
Banister's gonna hit Santos Monday, at the State House.
If you haven't found him by Sunday noon I'll go to Russler, I'll tell him all I know.
Please.
Could be my last chance for an exclusive.
Don't make that call.
OK, I won't.
Just as long as you do it.
Now.
It's got a lock.
I'm going to pick it.
Have you got anything else on this informant? Nothing.
He first contacted me when I was in Paris covering a fashion show.
And he's called me half a dozen times since then.
I never know when or how he knows where to find me.
He just does.
Hey, lock's open.
I'm going in.
There's enough explosives in here to bring down the block.
But no detonator.
I don't get it.
He'll probably use a radio-activated detonator.
No sense risking a stray transmission, like from a walkie-talkie, setting it off.
Anyway, he's going to have to come back to arm it.
And that's when we nail him.
I want in on the kill.
Miss Sullivan, just as soon as we have him locked up, we'll let you know.
Sure.
Along with the rest of the media worid.
The Prime Minister appreciates everything that you've Oh, don't thank me.
Thank my friend here.
Do you want me to close this back up again? Yes, I want everything left the way it was.
It was Sunday morning, and down at the State House, Russler had everyone from the CIA to Interpol staked out waiting for Banister to show.
Which should have made me feel good.
It didn't.
I couldn't shake the feeling that it had been too easy.
Good morning.
Morning.
You want some coffee? I can do it.
I don't know why I'm here.
I'd like to think because I asked.
I'm mad at you.
And I'm mad at you, but that's not gonna get either one of us anywhere.
So you asked me to come here.
Why? To get a little perspective.
From you? I already got it.
No.
From a friend.
Would you run that tape, please? One minute.
It'll be up on monitor 5.
It took a little doing, but I got a buddy of mine in New York to get this transmission satellited here this morning.
What is this? Most of the day, I've been watching wounded Marines being medevaced off this hill.
On the balance sheet of the war, this skirmish may be represented by only a few statistics, but it's a great deal more than that.
The troops here are boys we all know.
They live next door, they play football on Sunday afternoons.
They walk down church aisles to meet their brides.
But quite a few of the boys I've seen won't be doing those things anymore.
The scuttlebutt here is that this outpost isn't strategic to the defense of Binh Lao, that the brass want it held so they won't have to move the pins in their maps.
I don't know if that's true.
I doubt it is.
What is true is that human life seems cheap up here.
Seems to have lost the respect it ought to have.
And for me, that's the saddest thing of all.
This is Kate Sullivan.
Binh Lao, South Vietnam.
You want that other tape now? Hold that tape.
Don't You OK? Y- yeah.
Or Maybe.
Maybe for for the first time in a very long time.
Thank you, Thomas.
Uh, you can roll that tape now.
What you up to? Besides, uh, straightening out dumb old friends? Kate, I just don't like this Banister thing.
Mac gave me his dossier and I can tell you, from the things this guy is suspected of doing, he's not the kind to make a simple mistake.
What mistake? The van.
He wouldn't park it there That tape's coming up on monitor 5.
M- my buddy also got me this tape of Banister.
It was an attempt to interview him when the scandal broke in London.
Mr.
Banister, do you intend to protest your dismissal? I have nothing to say.
I leave all that to my solicitor.
Then you intend to deny the charges that you're a transvestite? That's a waste.
No.
Play it back.
Play that again, Thomas.
Could you run that again, please? Kate, what is it? Just just let me listen.
Mr.
Bannister, do you intend to protest your dismissal? I have nothing to say.
I leave all that to my solicitor.
Then you intend to deny the charges that you're a transvestite? That's the voice.
That's that's That's the voice of my source.
The man who's been tipping me off is Banister.
Damn it! I knew it was too easy.
As long as he stays at the hotel, Santos will be relatively safe.
Hello? Bannister's gonna try and hit him on the route to the State House.
This is Kate Sullivan.
Could you get me Mr.
Russler, please? It's an emergency.
What? Oh, my God.
Santos has gone to a private mass.
Our Lady of the Holy Veil.
Thomas, it's a convent.
Welcome to our church, sir.
Thank you, Father.
Mr.
Prime Minister, this is our Mother Superior.
Let's go right inside.
Sisters, this is the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister, Sister Mary.
Sister.
Sister Faith.
Sister.
Sister Ann.
Sister.
Sister Barbara.
Sister.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, let us pray.
Let us pray that God will bring peace to the worid and freedom to his church.
Lord, guide the course of worid events and give your church the joy and peace of serving you in freedom.
I'm sorry, Sister.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God For ever and ever.
Amen.
Blessed are you, Lord God of all Creation.
For your goodness, we have this bread to offer which earth has given, and human hands have made.
May it become for us the bread of life.
Blessed are you, Lord God of all Creation.
Through your goodness we have this wine to offer.
Fruit of the vine, and work of human hands, it will become our spiritual drink.
Blessed be God.
Get Russler out here now.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
What the hell is going on? It was a setup.
Banister was my source.
What? Bannister set up that bomb to throw security.
He's going to make the hit here.
Let's go.
What's going on? The balcony! Keep Santos here.
Ahhh! Hold it! Sorry, Sister.
Morning, Sister.
Good morning, sir.
Nuns don't work on Sunday.
To scoops and front-page bylines.
And dear friends.
Without whom none of the rest of this stuff really matters anyway.
I know, Kate.
It's not a very good Bordeaux.
See, Higgins made me take this stuff because The wine-tasting party! Where are we going? Come on.
I just remembered where you could get a sip from a $5,000 Bordeaux.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, the piece de resistance: Chateau de Maurice, 1836.
I can't hear a thing.
I wish this thing would go louder.
This is a wine which deserves the greatest respect.
It is testimony to our having come a long way from Bacchus.
Enology elevated to art, enriched further by the hand of time.
I say there, old boy, do you understand a word of what he's saying? He said it's all good stuff.
Oh.
The cork is sound.
Your glasses, please.
Oh, I got to hear this.
Come on, T.
C.
, find a way to turn the volume up.
How? Hi, guys.
Thomas, is this how you turn the volume up? Oh, no! What's that hissing noise? Bye, guys.
Magnum! You irresponsible cretin! I might be dumb but I ain't stupid.
Let's go.