The Lineup Page #2

But you do have to know

your merchandise.

I can well imagine.

Now,

Here's a case in point.

The day I was leaving Hong Kong,

An oriental came to my room with this.

Said one of the local antique merchants

Thought I might be interested.

Well, when he told me the price, I was.

How much did you say you paid

for that again?

$20.

Can you imagine?

Must be 400 or 500 years old.

Certainly sounds Like a great buy.

What would you say It's worth here?

Well, if I were interested in selling it,

I'm sure I'd get a great

deal more than I paid for it.

Thanks, Mr. Dressler.

See you at the lineup tomorrow morning.

Oh, yes, of course.

Good day, Mr. Dressler.

Good afternoon, gentlemen.

I still think we should've

booked him on possession...

and then turned him over

to customs on a smuggling rap.

Both cases seem open and shut.

If Dressler's involved with a narcotics ring,

He's more good to us out on the street.

We can pick him up anytime.

If he's smuggling heroin,

Sooner or later he's

gonna have to make contact...

with his connection here.

Inspectors, operator.

Inspector Asher, please.

Fred? Ben.

We just left Dressler at the opera house.

I want a 24-hour tail on him

and his house staked out.

That's right.

And I want all the porters who

were on the ansonia dock today

Brought in tomorrow morning

for the lineup.

Well, ask them If they'll cooperate,

But I want them there.

Well, if you want us,

We'll be at Chester Mcphee's

Office at the customs house.

Yeah.

Come in.

Ben, al, sit down.

Hello, chet.

Chet, the tourist police

got two men killed this morning.

One of them was a police officer

named Don Moore.

I'm sorry, Ben.

So am I, 'cause the bag

was cleared through customs.

What was the contraband?

A quarter-kilo of heroin

Concealed in An oriental statuette.

That's a lot of junk to miss,

isn't it?

I don't want to see

any of the boys get killed -

Especially through someone

else's carelessness.

Look, take it easy, Ben.

Ben feels pretty badly About this, chet.

I know, al,

and I don't blame him.

Approximately 130 million people

are cleared through customs

Nationwide every year.

My baby is the biggest port on the coast.

Come here, ben.

I want to show you something.

Now, this area is the chief

target in the country...

for running in narcotics.

4.500 ships a year,

almost 400 a month,

Come into this port.

That's about 1 million people,

Annually.

My men are the best in the business,

There's just not enough of them

to go around.

There are too many loopholes.

That's why now and then

we miss a big one.

Maybe we can help each other on this.

What's your rundown, Ben?

Well, the bag belonged to a man

Named Dressler -

Philip Dressler.

He came on The ansonia this morning.

Philip Dressler?

Well, he'd never risk His reputation

By being involved with narcotics.

and he certainly Doesn't need money.

Oh, we've interrogated him,

of course...

without tipping him.

He tells A pretty straight story.

Said he bought the statuette

From an unidentified oriental...

in Hong Kong.

Mm-hmm.

How'd you handle it?

We replaced the heroin

with a dummy shipment,

Then returned the statuette

and the bag to him.

But we have Dressler under

24-hour stakeout now.

Well,

Sounds like the usual m.o.

You've run across it before?

Tourists - Reputable travelers

Being used As innocent smugglers.

And I'd say that's

What happened to Dressler.

A shipment of heroin Is planted on him.

He brings the stuff In through customs,

Doesn't suspect a thing.

Once past us,

His bags get stolen.

It's just that simple.

How can a handful of agents

Check out every single tourist

That goes through?

Precisely.

Oh, sure, we get tips From overseas

About narcotic shipments,

and we nab them just

As soon as they hit port.

And we know Who the regular runners are...

and which seamen are suspect.

But where do you look

If every tourist who comes in

Is a potential runner?

This man's first long fall Was in '46.

He did 31/2 in 'q' on a 211.

in '50, he was back in,

Same conviction.

Now he's finally hit bottom.

All right, get out,

All of you.

You all know About officer Don Moore

Being deliberately run

Down and killed yesterday

By a cabdriver known As Leftie Jenkins.

Now, we hope this lineup

Will show up the porter

Who worked with Jenkins.

Mr. Philip Dressler,

Who saw the porter,

Is sitting in with us This morning

While we run Through the 31 porters

Who work for the ansonia Steamship lines.

All right.

Bring on the line.

Okay, boys.

This way.

Right up the stairs.

Move a little farther down,

Please.

That's it.

Now spread out.

We thank you gentlemen

for your cooperation.

We know it isn't pleasant to be

Standing up there

Like goldfish in a bowl.

Look, we don't mind cooperating,

But let's get it over with.

This is costing us money.

We'll get it over with

Just as fast as possible.

Now if you'll all straighten up

and face forward, please.

Now first man,

Step forward.

Now turn to your right,

Please.

No, to the right.

That's it.

Now to the left.

Okay, step back.

Next man, forward please.

Down the stairs, please.

Step back, please.

Thank you. Next man.

Okay, to your left.

Fine, step back.

Next man.

Step back. Third man.

Would you remove your glasses,

Please?

Thank you.

All right.

Thank you, gentlemen.

Step down, boys.

Thank you. Step back.

Next man.

Turn to your right.

That's it.

Now to the left.

Step back.

Now the last man follow,

Please.

Turn to your right.

And to your left.

Okay, step back, please.

Okay, we want to thank you

for your cooperation.

That's all now.

Well, that's it for today.

I'm sorry,

But I - I just wasn't sure.

Well, none of them Came even close?

Yes and no.

You know what I mean?

Well, it's like a waiter.

You order lunch and you

Just concentrate on the menu.

No one ever remembers

What his waiter looks like.

Same thing yesterday with that porter.

I never did get A good look at him.

Well, thanks very much for coming down.

Will you see Mr. Dressler Gets home, Fred?

Finally ran down Leftie Jenkins' address -...

11 kent street.

If you need me,

I'll be downstairs.

Thanks.

Thanks.

Well, Jenkins certainly

Had a great spot here...

for a halloween party.

Yeah, no self-respecting

Witch would bring a broom

Into this trap.

Al...

A fit.

Coroner's report Will probably show

The usual number of needle marks.

You know, if Jenkins Had a big habit,

That could account for

A wheelman with his reputation

Plowing into that rig on a routine job.

Might of needed A fix pretty bad,

Lost his control,

Lost his coordination.

Only one thing bothers me,

Though.

What's that?

Why a well-organized

Operation would hire a junkie

As a wheelman.

You know, that could be the

Mistake that'll nail 'em, ben.

Let's prowl the rest of this

Place and then get out of here.

I'm in favor of that.

Wonder where that lab man is.

He ought to be here by now.

If this mark is enough,

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