Touch of Evil

You folks are American citizens?

I am, yes.

- Where were you born, Miss? - Mrs!

What? - Philadelphia.

- The name is Vargas.

Hey, Jim! See who's here?

Sure, Mr Vargas!

Hot on the trail of another dope ring?

Hot on the trail of a chocolate soda

for my wife. - Your wife?

Barely a bride, officer.

Can I get through?

So you cracked that Grandi business.

- We hear you caught the big boss!

Only one of them.

The Grandis are a big family.

No purchases, Mr Linnekar?

- Hey, I got this...

American citizen, Miss?

- I got this ticking noise...

No, really.

This ticking noise in my head!

Mike, this is the very first time

we've been together in my country!

And I haven't kissed you

in over an hour.

Mike, what happened?

- That car that passed us exploded!

How could it do that?

- I'll have to try to find out.

Better not come any closer.

We'll have to postpone that soda.

Mike, couldn't I...

- Susie, please be careful!

This could be very bad for us.

- For us?

For Mexico. Anyway, there's nothing

I can do over here. - So?

So I'll try not to be too long.

Go on, darling.

Wait at the hotel.

Blaine! I thought you were

in Washington. - I leave tomorrow.

You know Schwartz,

of the local O.A.'s office.

Who's in charge here?

- I can't even tell you what happened.

Why aren't you in Mexico City

for that dope trial?

Grandi? I hoped to go

on the morning plane, but now...

This business?

- Afraid so.

That bomb came from the Mexican side

of the border. - The car did.

He says

you don't understand what he wants.

I understand very well.

- He saved your life, lady.

Tell him I'm a married woman,

and that my husband

is a government official,

ready and willing

to knock out all his front teeth.

That's it, your husband.

- That's what he wants to talk about.

"Follow this boy at once. We have

something important for Mr Vargas."

Well, what have I got to lose?

Don't answer that?

Lead on, Poncho!

Across the border again?

Hey Doc, here comes the O.A.!

Where's Captain Quinlan?

- He's on his way.

Old Hank must be the only one

who didn't hear the explosion.

Terrible thing.

Has the daughter been told?

They're bringing her over now,

to identify her father's body.

An hour ago, Rudy Linnekar

had this town in his pocket.

Now you could

strain him through a sieve.

I guess that's my father.

Now Miss Linnekar,

can you identify the woman?

I'm not acquainted with my father's

girlfriends. - OK, Miss Linnekar.

Here comes Hank at last!

You've heard of Hank Quinlan, police

celebrity? - I'd like to meet him.

That's what you think!

Did they toss it in,

or was it planted ahead of time?

Who?

- Whoever did it, you jackass!

Hey lady, look at the pretty baby!

My nephew says

you called him "Poncho". Why?

Why you call him "Poncho"?

- Just for laughs.

This note says

you have something for my husband.

Seor Vargas, eh?

You know who I am?

Want me to guess?

- My name is Grandi.

You've heard the name before?

Aside from my husband's case,

isn't there a nightclub by that name?

Yeah. "Grandi's Rancho Grande".

My gun.

Kind of a joke.

Get it? - I can't say

it's the funniest thing I ever heard.

The name ain't Mexican.

I got a permit for this thing.

The Grandis been in Los Robles a long

time. Some in Mexico, some here.

Must be convenient for business.

- Yeah?

What business?

- Grandi business.

Yeah?

- Yeah!

You know what's wrong with you?

You've seen too many gangster movies.

Mike may spoil some of your fun.

- Mike? - My husband, yeah!

If you're trying to get me to call

him off, let me tell you something.

I may be scared, but he won't be.

You figure it was a bomb then, Hank?

- Or he was struck by lightning.

Where's the daughter?

- Marcia? She's waiting for you.

Let her go.

- You don't even want to question her?

Let her go, and put a tail on her.

Let's see if some Jane knew Linnekar.

- There was some strip-teaser.

What do you know? The O.A.,

in a monkey suit! - Well, it's...

You too! - We were all at the banquet.

- Political rally.

No, "Tootsie's Steakhouse".

- G-men, T-men...

Quite a little tea party,

all for Rudy Linnekar's bonfire.

I hear he even invited some Mexican.

- Vargas doesn't claim jurisdiction.

I hope not. 2 Americans are dynamited,

practically in my own police station.

What makes you sure it was dynamite?

My leg. - What?

- His game leg!

Sometimes he gets a twinge, like

some folks for a change of weather.

Intuition, he calls it.

Vargas thinks the murder took place

outside our jurisdiction.

Of course we're all

going to cooperate. - Don't worry,

I'm merely what the United Nations

would call an observer.

Well, you don't talk like one.

Like a Mexican, I mean.

You won't have any trouble with me.

You bet your sweet life I won't.

Mike must be looking for me now,

and that's bound to mean trouble.

What's so funny about that?

He wants to know

if your husband is jealous, Seora.

You silly little pig!

Who are you talking about?

- About you! You ridiculous,

old-fashioned, lopsided little Caesar!

I didn't get that, Seora,

you'll have to talk slow.

I'm talking slow,

but in a minute I'll start to yell.

I wouldn't do that, Seora.

Just a little while ago,

this was a quiet, peaceful town!

And now this Vargas comes along...

- Mr Grandi...

You have something for my husband.

Isn't it time you gave it to me?

It's time he laid off my brother

in Mexico City! That's advice.

That's what I got for him.

Then the conference is over?

I'm free to leave?

- Free?

Nobody was holding you,

Mrs Vargas.

Nobody laid a hand on you.

You were just

paying us a little visit.

Goodbye, all.

Quinlan, we just can't cross over

into Mexico like this.

Thousands do every day. - Tourists...

- So, we're tourists.

Quinlan wants to check on

that girl with Linnekar in the car.

She was one of the strip-teasers,

I think I told you.

Pete told me before I left the ranch.

- That's right.

I told him I wanted to see

all the strip-teasers in the joint.

This is Mexican territory.

What can we do?

There's no law against visitors

asking questions, is there, Mr Vargas?

Where'd he go?

Susie, where were you?

- Mike, darling! - What happened?

Just wait till I tell you.

The craziest thing...

Who's the Jane? - His wife.

- What do you know?

She don't look Mexican, either.

The key to this whole thing

is the dynamite.

The killer didn't just want Linnekar

dead, but destroyed. Annihilated.

Over here, Vargas.

We're going in the back way.

Seor Vargas!

Seor Vargas!

Yes?

Anything wrong, Vargas?

No, I just couldn't catch him.

I hardly knew him.

Adair, come on. - Yes...

And I'm not finished with you yet.

Show's over. I'm going home.

- No, Ma'am.

We're gonna find out

nobody even knew the murdered girl.

Let's talk to this young lady.

- Cita? I didn't know her.

She joined the show a few days ago.

Wasting our time around here.

- I wouldn't say that. Good night.

What happened to Menzies and Vargas?

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